Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

         

          I am not usually a big fan of poetry and for me this assignment was the hardest.  When I went to the library to look for a poetry book, the librarian gave me “Where the Sidewalk Ends” as a first choice.  She told me to just take a minute and read few poems and see if I liked it or not.  I looked at the book and thought “oh my God, this is huge”!  I started reading a few pages here and there and I found out that the poems were not rigid (because that was my idea about poetry) but they were incredibly entertaining. 

         

           This book contains 183 pages filled with poetry, from very short to three-page narratives. The poems are funny, imaginative, silly, and sometimes sad.  There are poems that bring back memories, and poems that give advice.  Some of the poems give voice to outrageous ideas a child would never think of such as bathing an armadillo, for instance, or make a hippopotamus sandwich. 

          Nearly every page of the book is accompanied by a drawing that sometimes gives the reader ample clarification, and sometimes simply illustrates what is already there in the printed words.  The simple and silly drawings are made using a black pen which gives the poems uniqueness and at the same time captures the childrens' attention.

          One of my favorite poems from the book was “Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout would not take the garbage out” It is about a little girl who did not want to do her chores in the house.

Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout
Would not take the garbage out!
She’d scour the pots and scrape the pans,
Candy the yams and spice the hams,
And though her daddy would scream and shout,
She simply would not take the garbage out.

When finally the garbage touched the sky and none of her friends wanted to come over to play anymore, she decided to take out the garbage. Of course, it was too late and now she has to live with the consequences.

         
          I really enjoyed reading this book. I think it will be a great tool to use in the classroom because it provides the teacher and the students with some comic relief after a stressful day. Another good reason for using this book, is that it makes somebody who does not like poetry (such as myself) read it, enjoy it, and love it.  

Multicultural Book: Abuela by Arthur Dorros

          Arthur Dorros invites the readers of this book to join Rosalba and her grandmother on a magical journey, as they fly over the streets, sights, and people of Manhattan in New York City. The story is narrated in English and sprinkled with Spanish phrases and words. The author uses the Spanish language to lend authenticity to his story, and really gives the readers a chance to experience the fantasies of a Spanish child living in New York City.

          I feel that the use of Spanish in the story is appealing to all ethnic groups of children. For the children who do not know Spanish, they may like learning something new and for those who hear Spanish on a daily basis, they may feel a sense of pride in hearing familiar words in a place that the language is usually not spoken. When I was doing student teaching, my cooperating teacher read the story “Abuela” to the children.  While reading, she asked the Spanish speaking children to help her pronounce the words in Spanish.  The children felt a lot of pride and happiness to be able to share familiar words to them with the other children.

          What I like the most about this book is the illustrations. Each and every page of this book is a masterpiece of colors, lines, and forms. I was intrigued by the unique use of patterns throughout the book, from the pattern of Abuela’s skirt to the wings of the birds in the park to the amazing details on the buildings and streets of the city.  These amazing patterns reflect the colorful and joyful Spanish culture.

          The richness of the book goes beyond just mentioning a few words in Spanish.  The author‘s description of how Abuela and Rosalba flew over the Statue of Liberty is just a way of highlighting the fact that Abuela was an immigrant.  She first arrived to Ellis Island where the Statue of Liberty is located.  The author also mentions some of the fruits that the Spanish brought with them to America such as Papayas and Bananas.  He also indicates that these names are Spanish. 

          This book touches upon almost every aspect of the Spanish culture.  What I really enjoyed, other than the illustrations and colors, was the helpful glossary of Spanish words in the back of the book.  I learned few Spanish words!

Goldilocks and the three Bears by James Marshall

Author and Illustrator: James Marshall, Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers, ISBN:0-8037-0542-5

           “Goldilocks and the three bears” is not only a classic Fairy Tale story but it is also a Caldecott Honor Book in 1989. Over the Years, this Children book  encountered various changes in the story line and characters. What a sweet child, says a newcomer in town about Goldilocks. That's what you think, a neighbor replies. For Goldilocks is one of those naughty little girls who does exactly as she pleases--even if that means sampling the three bears' porridge, breaking Baby Bear's chair, and sleeping in his bed. James Marshall's offbeat and inventive telling of this familiar tale will enc ...more  In 1837, the British poet Robert Southey wrote "The Story of The Three Bears", and inserted it into volume four of his collection The Doctor.  This version did not feature the now familiar Goldilocks, but an old woman instead. In 1849 the British writer Joseph Cundall retold the story in his Treasury of Pleasure Books for Young Children. However, he changed the old women character to a young girl that he named “Silver Hair”.  A decade later, in Aunt Mavor's Nursery Tales, she was renamed “Silver-Locks”.  By the time the young intruder appeared in Aunt Friendly's Nursery Book in 1868, she had become “Golden Hair”. Finally, in Old Nursery Stories and Rhymes (1904), the young girl’s character became known as "Goldilocks." The name has been the one most frequently used and known ever since.

          Goldilocks is a naughty little girl who does exactly as she pleases, even if that means sampling the three bears' porridge, breaking baby bear's chair, and sleeping in his bed. Goldilocks, and against her mother’s will, go into the woods and enter the Bears’ house without even knocking.  She made her way through the house but eventually, the bears return and scare Goldilocks away. 

          What is amazing about this version is the detailed picture that burst into colors which is very appealing for children. I also love the ending of the book where Goldilocks escapes the bears' house from the window falling upside down.  The children find that hilarious. Moreover, the ending of the story keep us wondering whether Goldilocks learned her lesson or not and this can be open for discussion with the children. It is also important for children to learn through Goldilocks's character respecting other entities' rights to privacy and about the importance of being truthful. This book can also be used in the classroom to teach other lessons such as sequencing and comparison.
 
          I used this book with different age groups in the classroom and they all loved it and enjoyed every page of it. In the Kindergarten classroom where I was doing my student teaching, the children acted the story out.  My Co-op. teacher set up the classroom such as in the Bears's house and the children wore Bear hats.  Goldilocks was wearing a white dress with red bows on her head.  The children played the story line step by step as mentioned in the book but the ending had to be altered.  The student acting as Goldilocks was asked to run outside the classroom instead of falling from the window upside down! The students were very engaged, excited, and happy about acting out the story and they asked the teacher to do it over and over again.  
 
      

"Chicka Chika Boom Boom" by Bill Martin and John Archambault

Author: Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault / Illustration: Lois Ehlert / ISBN: 0-671-67949-X

         Teaching the alphabet letters is one of the most important assignments that a teacher has to do in the classroom. How else are the children going to be able to read and write?!  Teachers choose different resources and techniques to teach the subject matter.  There is a tremendous amount of books and activities, to support the children's learning.  

          For me, my most favorite book to teach children letter recognition is "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault .  It is an educational while a fun book at the same time.  The story is very simple and children enjoy it.  It starts with the naughty lower case letters A telling B and B telling C to meet "at the top of the coconut tree".  In alphabetical order the letters begin to climb the coconut tree, but as more and more letters climb up, the tree begins to bend over until "CHICKA CHICKA.....BOOM! BOOM!", the letters all fall off.  Comforted by their parents (upper case letters), the letters get untangled in alphabetical order.  The story ends by (lower case) A going up again the coconut tree.  The ending of the book invites students to read the book again and again.

          " Chicka chicka Boom Boom" is not only an alphabet book that shows the child the letter and a word that begins with the letter, but it contains a story line that keeps the listener interested about what is going to happen next.  This book has the ability of captivating the children's attention and keeps them wondering if all the letters of the alphabet are going to fit inside the coconut tree.  Moreover, I love the fun and rhythmic way in which this book can be read.  It also contains a lot of repetition which is a key element in remembering and memorizing.

          Lois Ehlert is an award wining illustrator and she did an amazing job in this book.  Her collage is so simple and vibrant.  I love the Pink and yellow Polka dot borders on the edge of each page.  It sets each page with a brilliant shot of colors and makes it very attractive for children to look at.  She also uses bright colors for the alphabet letters which I find very appealing for children. 
 
          What I like the most about this book is the way it conveys to the children "The Family Bond".  The Baby lower case letters get saved by Mommy and Daddy the upper case letters after they fall from the coconut tree.  This is something the children can relate to.  Children can always depend on Mom's and Dad's help when they need it.

Caldecott Honor Award Winning Children's Book: "When Sophie Gets Angry -Really, Really Angry" by Molly Bang

Author: Molly Bang / Publisher: The Blue Sky Press / ISBN: 0-590-18979-4

          When I was asked to blog about an award winning children’s book, I had such hard time selecting one book. There are so many wonderful books to choose from. As I was going down the list of winners, I immediately thought of “When Sophie Gets Angry-Really, Really Angry…” by Molly Bang. It is a book about emotions and I love to teach this subject to children and ask them to use their face to express different emotions. 

         
           " When Sophie Gets Angry-Really, Really Angry..." is a story about Sophie who gets angry at her sister.  She acts up and wants to "SMASH THE WORLD TO SMITHEREENS"!!!  Sophie goes on an emotional roller coaster but eventually calms herself down by walking, climbing and feeling nature's beauty.  At the end of the story Sophie is back at home and feeling peaceful.

         
          What I like most about this book is Molly’s Bang use of color and line to depict Sophie's moods. For instance, When Sophie is really, really angry she is surrounded by vibrating lines of red and purple and it appears she is going to explode!  Then she runs and runs out in the forest and the colors change to green, brown, and finally blue.  The pictures do such a great job of conveying not only the storyline, but the emotions, that the words are almost completely unnecessary.  The illustrations and the colors reminds me of Van Gogh style. 

         
          I enjoy using this book in the classroom because it shows the children that angry feelings are normal and can be managed. I think this book is a wonderful addition to any lesson about emotions.  At the beginning of the school year a lot of children have a hard time sharing the toys. Feeling angry, screaming, and crying are the most common in the classroom.  This book shows the children ways to cope with anger and also help promote non-violent ways to express anger and be happy again.