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.