The Cat in the Hat is a book written by Dr. Seuss that walks a thin line between good sense and non sense. Children love the wild antics of The Cat in the Hat and love to make sense of the text that contains many sight words. A contemporary book that seems to have the same non sense / making sense mixture at The Cat in the Hat would be Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy Shaw. This book is about the crazy adventures of a group of sheep that take off in a jeep. It also has the same rhyming element at the cat in a hat.
The Cat in the Hat will always appeal to children because it makes the ordinary, extraordinary. Two children are stuck in their house, and then imagination and a little magic brings about the Cat in the Hat. The adventures will always appeal to children.
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The Lorax is a didactic book because it teaches a lesson while being entertaining. It is saddening to see the Truffula Trees cut down in this story because they are a non-renewable resource. This sounds very similar to issues in our own world. Children learn that luxuries come with a price. The story teaches that we should take minimally - just what we really need.
I think there are many great didactic books today. I use many of them in my classroom to teach certain lessons. The book I use include: Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Listen, Mr. Peabody's Apples, and Chrysanthemum.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Sunday, August 9, 2009
A Book By Yoshiko Uchida
For this review, I read the book The Bracelet. This book is about a Japanese-American girl, Emi, who has to move to an internment camp with her family because of World War II. The family lives in a horse stable. The book takes place in 1942. Emi struggles with leaving her home and friends.
What I really liked about this book was that it is historical fiction. It is great for students to learn about history and the emotions the people of that time faced. A great way for students to do this is through historical fiction.
I reacted to this book the way that I did because I love historical fiction. I teach social studies to all of the third grade classes in my school, and I am always looking for great pieces of children's literature to serve as teaching tools.
Other books by this author include: A Jar of Dreams, The Best Bad Thing, The Happiest Ending, Journey Home, Journey to Topaz, The Invisible Thread, The Magic Purse, and many more.
What I really liked about this book was that it is historical fiction. It is great for students to learn about history and the emotions the people of that time faced. A great way for students to do this is through historical fiction.
I reacted to this book the way that I did because I love historical fiction. I teach social studies to all of the third grade classes in my school, and I am always looking for great pieces of children's literature to serve as teaching tools.
Other books by this author include: A Jar of Dreams, The Best Bad Thing, The Happiest Ending, Journey Home, Journey to Topaz, The Invisible Thread, The Magic Purse, and many more.
A Book By Laurence Yep
For this review, I chose the book The Dragon's Child: A Story of Angel Island. This book is based on family accounts of Yep's own father and his journey to America.
What I really liked about this book was that the main character (Yep's father) was easy to relate to. Everyone has insecurities. Yep sometimes stuttered when he was nervous. I also liked that this book was based on true events, and how it had historical perspectives. This book allows opportunities to show students how immigrants felt when leaving their families behind.
My reaction to this book is because I really like children's literature that is based on real people or real events. It is great when children can learn about and learn from real-life.
Laurence Yep also authored the following books:· Dragonwings, Dragon’s Gate, Ribbons, The Earth Dragon Awakes: The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, Lady of Ch'iao Kuo: Warrior of South, Hiroshima, and Dragon of the Lost Sea.
I've found that great children's literature can be based on real people and real events.
What I really liked about this book was that the main character (Yep's father) was easy to relate to. Everyone has insecurities. Yep sometimes stuttered when he was nervous. I also liked that this book was based on true events, and how it had historical perspectives. This book allows opportunities to show students how immigrants felt when leaving their families behind.
My reaction to this book is because I really like children's literature that is based on real people or real events. It is great when children can learn about and learn from real-life.
Laurence Yep also authored the following books:· Dragonwings, Dragon’s Gate, Ribbons, The Earth Dragon Awakes: The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, Lady of Ch'iao Kuo: Warrior of South, Hiroshima, and Dragon of the Lost Sea.
I've found that great children's literature can be based on real people and real events.
A Book Illustrated By Jerry Pinkney
For this review, I chose The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Anderson and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney.
This is one of my favorite children's books because of the messages it delivers. It teaches children not to judge a book by its cover. It shows how awful it can feel to be judged and made fun of. It also shows that challenges can be overcome. I also loved the illustrations in this book. Jerry Pinkney used watercolors in these pictures, which made them absolutely beautiful.
My reaction to the storyline of the book is based on my own experiences as a child when I was made fun of. I'm sure everyone has a time in their life when they felt like the ugly duckling.
Jerry Pinkney has written over 75 books. Some of his books include The Patchwork Quilt, Mirandy and Brother Wind, The Talking Eggs, Half a Moon and One Whole Star, Pretend You're a Cat, to name a few. He even collaborated with Julius Lester (the last author I reviewed) on The Tales of Uncle Remus, Sam and the Tigers, Black Cowboy, John Henry, and Wild Horses.
This is one of my favorite children's books because of the messages it delivers. It teaches children not to judge a book by its cover. It shows how awful it can feel to be judged and made fun of. It also shows that challenges can be overcome. I also loved the illustrations in this book. Jerry Pinkney used watercolors in these pictures, which made them absolutely beautiful.
My reaction to the storyline of the book is based on my own experiences as a child when I was made fun of. I'm sure everyone has a time in their life when they felt like the ugly duckling.
Jerry Pinkney has written over 75 books. Some of his books include The Patchwork Quilt, Mirandy and Brother Wind, The Talking Eggs, Half a Moon and One Whole Star, Pretend You're a Cat, to name a few. He even collaborated with Julius Lester (the last author I reviewed) on The Tales of Uncle Remus, Sam and the Tigers, Black Cowboy, John Henry, and Wild Horses.
A Book By Julius Lester
The book that I chose to read by Julius Lester was John Henry. John Henry is based on a tall tale about John Henry, a boy who grew unbelievably tall as a child. He grew through the roof!
In the particular retelling, John Henry was working on a railroad with a crew of men. The men came to a mountain, and needed to get through. The solution was to use a steam machine, which required no man power. John Henry bet that he could beat the steam machine through the mountain. The race was to the middle of the mountain. John Henry easily beat the steam machine to the middle, and he even kept on going. When he reached the other side of the mountain, he died.
What I really like about this story is that it is a tall tale, or a story passed down through generations. I love teaching my students about how in the past, stories were handed down through families, and this is a great example to share with them.
Some other books written by Julius Lester include: Search for the New Land, Revolutionary Notes, Day of Tears, Black Cowboy, Black Folk Tales, Wild Horses, Long Journey Home, The Tales of Uncle Remus, Sam and the Tigers, and many more.
In the particular retelling, John Henry was working on a railroad with a crew of men. The men came to a mountain, and needed to get through. The solution was to use a steam machine, which required no man power. John Henry bet that he could beat the steam machine through the mountain. The race was to the middle of the mountain. John Henry easily beat the steam machine to the middle, and he even kept on going. When he reached the other side of the mountain, he died.
What I really like about this story is that it is a tall tale, or a story passed down through generations. I love teaching my students about how in the past, stories were handed down through families, and this is a great example to share with them.
Some other books written by Julius Lester include: Search for the New Land, Revolutionary Notes, Day of Tears, Black Cowboy, Black Folk Tales, Wild Horses, Long Journey Home, The Tales of Uncle Remus, Sam and the Tigers, and many more.
Book vs. Movie 3: Horton Hears a Who
Horton Hears a Who was written by Dr. Seuss, and was made into a movie in 2008. Horton is a lovable elephant who hears something coming from a speck as it floats by. He discovers there is a whole world living on this speck and is determined to protect it. When others in the forest hear of Horton's speck, they set out to destroy it. Horton does whatever it takes to protect and the people of Who-ville (living on the speck), and the mayor and his people are depending on Horton to save them.
The movie is very similar to the book. There is even a narrator in the movie who reads lines exactly as they are found in the book. A big difference between the movie and book is that in the movie, there is more time spent in Who-ville and in developing those characters. This could be because the book is short, and the movie is about an hour and a half long. In the movie, we become familiar with the mayor of Who-ville and his family, especially his son Jo-Jo. In the book, it was not mentioned that Jo-Jo was the mayor's son. In the movie there is also Morton, a mouse, who is Horton's friend. This character is not in the book.
The movie is very similar to the book. There is even a narrator in the movie who reads lines exactly as they are found in the book. A big difference between the movie and book is that in the movie, there is more time spent in Who-ville and in developing those characters. This could be because the book is short, and the movie is about an hour and a half long. In the movie, we become familiar with the mayor of Who-ville and his family, especially his son Jo-Jo. In the book, it was not mentioned that Jo-Jo was the mayor's son. In the movie there is also Morton, a mouse, who is Horton's friend. This character is not in the book.
Book vs. Movie 2: Jumanji
Jumanji has to be one of my favorie movies from when I was younger. When looking for movies to compare to books, I went through my own personal collection of movies, and came across Jumanji. Yes, I still own my original copy of the VHS! At the time of its release (1995), I didn't know that it was based on a book. I recently came across a copy of the book at a bookstore and purchased it for my classroom. The book was written by Chris Van Allsburg, and it won the Caldecott Medal in 1982.
The movie stayed true to the book in many ways, and was different in some ways as well. The similarities include the children finding the game, the rules of the game (the main characters (Alan, Judy, Peter, and Sarah), and the game coming alive with each turn.
The differences begin with where the children found the game. In the movie, they find the game in the attic of their house, but in the book, it is found in a park under a tree. In the movie, the chidlren had lost their parents to a car accident and were living with their Aunt Nora. In the book, their parents were alive. In the end of the movie, Alan and Sarah tie a rock to the game and throw it into a creek. The book has a different disposal method. The children, Peter and Judy, put the game back under a tree, and two children find it. In the movie, Alan is sent back in time after finally completing the game, and is given the opportunity to save Peter and Judy's parents by preventing them from going on the trip on which they would have had their car accident.
I really liked the movie better in this case. I thought is was more action packed and adventerous. It was also suspenseful. In the book, you never really felt like the characters were in danger or had to "conquer" the game. The movie is much more entertaining. Of course, movie magic allows for more excitement!
The movie stayed true to the book in many ways, and was different in some ways as well. The similarities include the children finding the game, the rules of the game (the main characters (Alan, Judy, Peter, and Sarah), and the game coming alive with each turn.
The differences begin with where the children found the game. In the movie, they find the game in the attic of their house, but in the book, it is found in a park under a tree. In the movie, the chidlren had lost their parents to a car accident and were living with their Aunt Nora. In the book, their parents were alive. In the end of the movie, Alan and Sarah tie a rock to the game and throw it into a creek. The book has a different disposal method. The children, Peter and Judy, put the game back under a tree, and two children find it. In the movie, Alan is sent back in time after finally completing the game, and is given the opportunity to save Peter and Judy's parents by preventing them from going on the trip on which they would have had their car accident.
I really liked the movie better in this case. I thought is was more action packed and adventerous. It was also suspenseful. In the book, you never really felt like the characters were in danger or had to "conquer" the game. The movie is much more entertaining. Of course, movie magic allows for more excitement!
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