Brief Summary: From the publisher in front of book-“A child spends the day with the lively new babysitter, Ms. Alice.”
Ideas for using this book in classroom or library –I think this book could be used in a read aloud setting for a public library or perhaps for a kindergarten class. This is probably a familiar scenario for many children and they might feel the same as our unnamed protagonist. However, I don’t know if a school library would benefit from having this particular book. I think there are other diverse picture books, even that I have covered, that would make more of an impact for young readers, like even Abuela that I just mentioned.
Whatever additional notes you’d like to add about this book and why you liked or didn’t like it –The illustrations in this book could have made an impact, but they just seemed to fall short of the mark. I thought they were fine but a bit muddled. There was areas in the background, like when Ms. Alice dances, that I thought could have been used to show more vitality and life, but Page just left the backgrounds blank.
Publisher: Square Fish, an imprint of Macmillan Publishing Group
Publication year: 1998
Brief Summary: From Macmillan-“No one thinks one or two snowflakes will amount to anything. Not the man with the hat or the lady with the umbrella. Not even the television or the radio forecasters. But one boy and his dog have faith that the snow will amount to something spectacular, and when flakes start to swirl down on the city, they are also the only ones who know how to truly enjoy it.”
Ideas for using this book in classroom or library –Here is another picture book that can used when young children are learning about the weather and the different aspects of weather. After reading the book, this could lead to a discussion on what do the children like about the snow, or do they have a favorite season?
Whatever additional notes you’d like to add about this book and why you liked or didn’t like it–The illustrations start off grey and then build into a snowy wonderland with each page. There is a bit of the imaginative in the illustrations as the characters in the Mother Goose bookstore front come alive and play with the protagonist and his dog. I also like that there was a lot of movement words, like circling, twirling, dancing etc. I think these words go along way to making this book full of wonder and imagination.
Brief Summary: From Amazon-“A boy’s imagination also comes to the fore in A Very Special House (1953) by Krauss, as the artist depicts the hero creating a home filled with a turtle, a giant, a very old lion and “some monkeys and some skunkeys.” Oversize pages brim with the creatures as well as his house’s “very special” furnishings.”
Ideas for using this book in classroom or library – I think this book would be great for younger children. There is a lot of repetition and rhyme in this book which I believe would be ideal for children just beginning to read and write. For example, the part where MORE MORE MORE is repeated for a whole paragraph.
Whatever additional notes you’d like to add about this book and why you liked or didn’t like it – I think the black line drawings that show the creatures and wonderings of the little boy’s imaginings would appeal to children. Even though this was published in 1953, I think this book could still be useful for today for encouraging imagination in children is still imperative.
Title: The Adventures of Beekle: An Unimaginary Friend
Author: Dan Santat
Illustrator: Dan Santat
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Publication year: 2014
Brief Summary: From Scholastic-“This magical story begins on an island far away where an imaginary friend is born. He patiently waits his turn to be chosen by a real child, but when he is overlooked time and again, he sets off on an incredible journey to the bustling city, where he finally meets his perfect match and, at long last, is given his special name: Beekle.”
Ideas for using this book in classroom or library – I think this book could be used in a kindergarten class. Young children often have imaginary friends and this would be a great book to use to instruct children on empathy for children that are shy and don’t have a lot of friends.
Whatever additional notes you’d like to add about this book and why you liked or didn’t like it – The illustrations while Beekle is among the other imaginary friends on the island are colorful, while when Beekle arrives in the “real world” the colors are muted. My favorite illustration is the two-page spread where Beekle hands Alice his illustration. The illustration reveals the scene we the reader just saw, proving Alice is the friend Beekle has been waiting on. The text design is also a nice touch as it looks like a child’s handwriting.
Publisher: Kokila, an imprint of Penguin Random House
Publication year: 2019
Brief Summary: From Penguin Random House-“Zuri’s hair has a mind of its own. It kinks, coils, and curls every which way. Zuri knows it’s beautiful. When Daddy steps in to style it for an extra special occasion, he has a lot to learn. But he LOVES his Zuri, and he’ll do anything to make her — and her hair — happy.”
Ideas for using this book in classroom or library – I learned through some research that there is also a short film associated with this book. Here is a short accompanying PDF to help children understand the film and the book.
Whatever additional notes you’d like to add about this book and why you liked or didn’t like it. –I think my favorite set of illustrations are the small illustrations of the dad helping Zuri with her hair and each time managing an outrageous style.
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen, an imprint of Penguin Random House
Publication year: 2018
Brief Summary: From Penguin Random House-“National Book Award winner Jacqueline Woodson and two-time Pura Belpré Illustrator Award winner Rafael López have teamed up to create a poignant, yet heartening book about finding courage to connect, even when you feel scared and alone.“
Ideas for using this book in classroom or library – A fellow blogger, Children’s Library Lady, has several great resources for activities to use with this book. This is a great book that includes many diverse groups and presents a mirror for them. It is a book about self confidence, which every child needs.
Whatever additional notes you’d like to add about this book and why you liked or didn’t like it. – One of my favorite illustrations is of all the children sitting around on a colorful rug when they realize they all have something in common, that they are not alone. This illustration is so vibrant and filled with color and pattern.
Brief Summary: From Scholastic-“All Jeremy wants is a pair of those shoes like the ones everyone at school seems to be wearing. Though Jeremy’s grandma says they don’t have room for “want,” just “need,” when his old shoes fall apart at school, he is more determined than ever to have those shoes, even a thrift-shop pair that’s the wrong size. But sore feet aren’t much fun, and Jeremy soon sees that the things he has – warm boots, a loving grandma, and the chance to help a friend – are worth more than the things he wants.”
Ideas for using this book in classroom or library – I found another great discussion article from The Prindle Institute for Ethics that talks about this book in relation to generosity, materialism and selfishness.
Whatever additional notes you’d like to add about this book and why you liked or didn’t like it. –This book did make me cry, simply because this book could be one of the ways we teach children to treat other people the way we want to be treated. One of my favorite illustrations is the illustration of a shocked Antonio, opening his door to find the shoes that our protagonist has left for him.
Brief Summary: From Barnes & Noble-“When the fiercest dragon in the whole world smashes Princess Elizabeth’s castle, burns all her clothes, and captures her fiancé, Prince Ronald, Elizabeth takes matters into her own hands. With her wits alone and nothing but a paper bag to wear, the princess challenges the dragon to show his strength in the hopes of saving the prince. But is it worth all that trouble?”
Ideas for using this book in classroom or library – I found another article from The Prindle Institute for Ethics which talks about how this book can be used to discuss gender roles, identity and happiness with young children.
Whatever additional notes you’d like to add about this book and why you liked or didn’t like it. –I did like that for once there is a fairy tale type of book (even if it is humorous) where the princess rescues the prince and then finds out she doesn’t need him anyway. I would say that is pretty inspiring to a little girl who is still only seeing Disney princesses being saved by the handsome prince. The illustrations of Martchenko are subtle enough in color that much like in My Lucky Day the reader gets the sense for the humorous. This is demonstrated in a funny illustration where the dragon, in a pose signifying his rather prideful nature, he checked his nails while Elizabeth asks him a question.
Brief Summary: From Penguin Random House-“Nothing frightens Madeline—not tigers, not even mice.”
Ideas for using this book in classroom or library – I did find this study guide that can be used by a teacher or librarian after reading the book. Many links I skimmed through had suggestions for using this book to teach children about the historical sites of Paris, France.
Whatever additional notes you’d like to add about this book and why you liked or didn’t like it. –Bemelmans use of bright colors, like the bright yellow for the girl’s outfits and sometimes as a wash for the entire illustration, is quite unique. The rhyming is fast paced just as with every flip of the page.
Whatever additional notes you’d like to add about this book and why you liked or didn’t like it. – Cruz’s original black and white illustrations only lend to the sort of day Alexander is having. The small details from the text that Cruz includes, such as the Mickey Mouse night light Alexander has in his room, make this picture book really stand out. The story of one boy’s terrible day is relatable to all children.
A Classy Future School Librarian 