Themed Third Thursday: Jon Scieszka

I don’t know if it’s because I’m messed up in the head or what, but I do love some Jon Scieszka! He’s a little wacky like Louis Sacher and a little witty like Mo Willems, and his signature style appeals particularly to mid-to-upper elementary boys. (This might be why he founded the Guys Read literacy initiative to encourage boys to become engaged in reading for a lifetime by providing them with books they will actually like reading!) Maybe I like his books so much because I taught fifth grade for so long (and once with a classroom that was 80% boys, and we got along swimmingly!)…or maybe that’s why I liked teaching fifth grade, because I liked things like his books! Anyway, Scieszka (pronounced “shes-kuh” (“pretty much rhymes with ‘Fresca’”)) will not be everybody’s cup of tea, but if you’ve got a reluctant reader (particularly a boy) on your hands, you might give some of his books a try!

For Small Truck Lovers–the Trucktown series:

Smash! Crash! (Jon Scieszka’s Trucktown) (2008): BoyChild loved this book…especially the end papers and back cover with all the different truck characters together! The story itself is simple: Jack Truck and Dump Truck Dan go around town doing what they do best…smash and crash! A big shadow with a big voice keeps calling for them, and they scoot off to a different place to smash and crash to keep out of trouble. Some of their smashing and crashing is pretty irresponsible and destructive, but some of it has creative results. In the end, they discover that the big shadow and voice belong to Wrecking Crane Rosie and she wants them…to smash and crash with her! One of a number of books (including board books) in the Trucktown series, a series created by Scieszka and illustrated with designs co-created by David Shannon (No, David!), Loren Long (Otis), and David Gordon (The Three Little Rigs).

For Young Space Cadets:

Robot Zot (2009): Robot Zot, a tiny invader from outer space, crash lands his Attack Ship in enemy territory: somebody’s backyard. The appliances are no match for him, and he leaves a trail of destruction behind him as he makes his way through one suburban home. He finds the Earth Queen (a toy telephone) guarded by two evil babydoll toys, and he manages to rescue his new love and escape toward his ship. The ferocious General (an overly friendly dog) is his last barrier before he can take off in his ship for distant galaxies, and he conquers once again (and the dog gets blamed for all his mess). There is a lot of assonance in this book for preschool to early elementary listeners or independent readers, so even BoyChild got the hang of it and will leaf through this book saying, “Bot! Zot! Bot! Zot!” so it’s a keeper!

Fractured Folk and Fairy Tales:

The Frog Prince Continued (1991): The Frog Prince is feeling a little disillusioned after his wedding to the princess because things aren’t quite so “happily ever after” as he hoped; he misses his froggy ways, and she keeps pressuring him to be more princely. The Prince decides to seek out a witch to turn him back into a frog, and his trip through the forest puts him in contact with the evil witches from three other fairy tales and a one-trick-pony kind of fairy godmother, but a stroke of luck (and the stroke of midnight) gives him the chance to run safely home into the arms of the (understandably) worried and (somewhat understandably) nagging Princess. When he thinks about how she believed in him when no one else had and that she “had actually kissed his slimy frog lips” and how she loves him, he kisses her; they both turn into frogs and live happily ever after (for real this time). I performed this one in high school as a part of a three-person team for a reader’s theater production for speech class (I played all the female characters by switching hats, one guy was the narrator, and the other was the Prince). It was great fun–you should try it!

The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!, by A. Wolf (1989): The wolf known as the Big Bad Wolf takes this opportunity to tell his side of the story, and, according to him, “The real story is about a sneeze and a cup of sugar.” Told in first person, this story tells of how Al Wolf (aka, the Big Bad Wolf) goes from house to house asking to borrow a cup of sugar to finish a cake for his ailing granny (who just so happens to be from the Little Red Riding Hood story, if the portrait on Wolf’s wall is any indication). Some ill-timed and powerful sneezes result in the deaths of the first two little pigs (which he eats because he doesn’t want them going to waste!). The third pig, the one in the brick house, is pretty rude and insults the wolf’s granny, so the wolf loses his temper and gets the police called on him, and that’s how he ends up in jail. Since the real story isn’t very exciting, the reporters embellish it and make Al Wolf out to be big and bad. (This was Scieskza’s first published book.)

The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales (1992): “What is that funky smell?” This memorable line–spoken by the fox to the title character–is what keeps bringing me back to this book! (Okay, it’s what reminds me that this 1993 Caldecott Honor Book exists and amuses me to no end!) This is a perfect book for kids with quirky senses of humor who are tired of trite fairy tales or those who just like peculiar stories with running visual and literary gags. Some of the illustrations are almost Picasso-esque in their absurdity and skewed perspective, and the stories are pretty much just as skewed. If you want to hear an elementary age boy cackle aloud while reading, this just might be the book! It’s just unfortunate that “The Boy Who Cried ‘Cow Patty’” broke off the table of contents (and is therefore not included in the book) when it fell and crushed the Chicken Licken crowd…

Also try: Squids Will Be Squids: Fresh Morals, Beastly Fables (1998) and The Book that Jack Wrote (1994)

Cross-Curricular Reads:

Math Curse (1995): “On Monday in math class, Mrs. Fibonacci says, ‘You know, you can think of almost everything as a math problem.’” The problem is, suddenly the narrator does! The whole next day, she (he? it’s actually kind of unclear) is overwhelmed by the word problems and math-related questions that arise as a normal part of the day. Even that night’s dreams are full of math, and the only way to break the curse comes in the form of the oldest joke in the book (figuratively)–the one about two halves making a (w)hole. Too bad it all starts again in science class the next day… Each page has a number of real math problems that can be solved along with a completely silly question or two. I’ve read this book to my fifth grade math classes at the beginning of the year (Erin McEwan, Your Days Are Numbered is another one, but it takes longer and isn’t as funny) to demonstrate how math happens in real life all the time, so it’s important (and also that Jon Scieszka writes some funny, funny stuff that they should check out.)

Science Verse (2004): Featuring the bespectacled classmate sitting next to the narrator of Math Curse, this book starts with Mr. Newton announcing, “You know, if you listen closely enough, you can hear the poetry of science in everything.” What follows is a series of bizarre poems about science topics (from the nutrient-based take on “Jabberwocky” to the limerick about mixing electrical currents and metal) and the equally bizarre illustrations of the main character to go with each one. A variety of different types of poems, mostly poems based on actual, published poetry, are included, and a hilarious “Observations and Conclusions” appendix helps clarify which is which in case you don’t recognize the inspiration. Again, this is a cross-curricular boon (as long as you don’t assign a bunch of stuff based on the book and ruin the fun for everyone…try them as part of a center or something!) and might pique a poet’s interest in science or a scientist’s interest in poetry if the timing is right!

Seen Art? (2005): “It all started when I told my friend Art I would meet him on the corner of Fifth and Fifty-third.” Another Scieszka/Smith collaboration, this book combines a little wordplay with a little modern art. When Art isn’t where the narrator is supposed to meet him, the narrator asks a passing woman, “Seen Art?” Her response, “MoMA?” confuses him, but he still follows her directions to the “beautiful new building” down Fifty-third Street. He remains completely clueless as he meets person after person who responds to his, “Seen Art?” (or other similar) question by leading him to another room full of paintings or sculptures or whatever to find what that person considers “art.” (His facial expressions are pretty hilarious for some of the pieces, including a furry cup and saucer…) He finally decides to look for Art on his own (and peruses some art along the way), and, just when he gives up on finding Art, he suddenly realizes that he has found art. Then he walks outside and actually finds Art. (See what they did there?) An appendix shows each of the featured works of art with the identifying information (name of piece, artist, size of the work, etc.) for interested readers and their teachers. (This volume is actually horizontal, but I can’t rotate the image for some reason!)

 Middle Grade Time-Traveling Series, The Time Warp Trio:

The Time Warp Trio: Knights of the Kitchen Table (2004 (2nd edition)): Joe, Sam, and Fred are transported back in time to the age of King Arthur when Fred makes a wish when he opens up The Book, a gift that Joe has just opened from his magician uncle, Joe the Magnificent. Smoke fills the room, and when it clears, they have no idea where–or when!–they are! The three friends face the Black Knight, a giant, and a dragon before Merlin figures out how to send the pesky interlopers back home again (just in time for Joe’s mom to finish scolding him for the smoke bomb she thinks he set off in the kitchen). The first book of the series, Knights of the Kitchen Table sets the tone for the rest: a little bit of magic, a little bit of history, and a whole lot of goofy middle grade humor! (I almost included this series as cross-curricular because of the historical element, but there is enough legend and fantasy involved in most of the books that the historical value is lessened. However, these books just might spark an interest in further reading about King Arthur, Blackbeard (The Not-So-Jolly Roger), the Old West (The Good, the Bad, and the Goofy), or King Tut (Tut, Tut), so there is every possibility of a history tie-in for the careful teacher!) At a brief 50-odd pages each, these are high-interest books that are neither intimidating nor embarrassing to be caught reading, so it’s another great series for reluctant readers!

Just…Bizarre:

Cowboy & Octopus (2007): I don’t really know how to explain this book, actually. The vintage-feel illustrations–done by Lane Smith, a frequent collaborator of Scieszka’s–are collage images where there is one cut-out of an octopus and one of a cowboy in various situations. We discover that Cowboy is not very bright and that Octopus is a caring and patient friend. Quite a bit of inference is necessary to really get what exactly is happening in this book, but I imagine that less mature readers (in multiple senses of the word) would still get a kick out of the silliness of the story and the illustrations without fully knowing what is going on!

Baloney (Henry P.) (2001): When I first read this book, I was a little confused. Henry P. Baloney is an alien who has arrived late to school one time too many and is told by his teacher, Miss Bugscuffle, that he’ll have Permanent Lifelong Detention if he doesn’t have “one very good and very believable excuse.” Henry P. launches into a long, detailed explanation for his lateness that is peppered with words that I at first assumed to be a kind of alien-speak for a variety of words whose meaning could be figured out by context or illustration clues or, occasionally, similarity to the English word. (This is where I got confused, because a few of the first “nonsense” words were near-cognates and others were seemingly random and others were just mangled versions of the replaced word. I couldn’t figure out the pattern.) In the end, although his story is completely unbelievable, the day’s assignment just so happens to be to write a tall tale, so the teacher lets it slide so he can get writing. Then I read the afterword and the “decoder” page…and it explains the origin of the words, some in other languages, some Spoonerisms or nonsense words created by transposition. Well played, gentlemen. Well played. A kid with a high tolerance for confusion or good context skills could be given this book without preface and would probably find the discovery at the end enlightening, but a child who might be frustrated or embarrassed by the inability to understand the non-English words might be better off if given fair warning (and a bookmark on the decoder page) before starting to read.

The Guys Read Initiative:

Founded by Scieszka, the First National Ambassador of Young People’s Literature, Guys Read’s “mission is to help boys become self-motivated, lifelong readers.” The books listed and featured on the site are books “that guys have told us they like,” and interest is the only real way to get someone hooked on reading. Along with literacy information for the adults in a reader’s life, the site has books listed by theme or topic or genre, so it’s easy for a guy to browse the headings and find something he might like to read. (There are other ways to find book suggestions, too, if you take some time to familiarize yourself with the site.) Because these are books that guys have self-selected, you’re probably going to find a lot of things that a “typical” guy likes…so there will be things like potty humor, violence, sports, and some language in some of the books. Just like I mentioned that Scieszka might not be everybody’s cup of tea, neither will these books. As a parent or teacher, you’ll have to know your guy to know if you’ll want to suggest these books to him since not every boy responds to these things in literature and entertainment the same way. (Actually, the following note on the books page shows how in tune Guys Read is with this idea: “Important Note: These are not the only good books in the world. Not every guy will love every book here.  This is a collection that will grow with every recommendation and rating.  So help out.  Suggest a book.  Rate a book.  Help Guys Read.”) In addition to the recommended books from the site, the Guys Read initiative is also responsible for several anthologies geared toward guys (mostly upper elementary and middle school) and edited by Scieszka.

Guys Write for Guys Read (2005): This book is a collection of stories, drawings, and memoirs by some of boys’ favorite authors–all about their different experiences growing up. As Scieszka, the editor, says in the foreword, it is not meant to be read through from start to finish; it is designed and compiled for browsing, self-selection, and just general enjoyment–no assigned reading allowed! I tried to read it straight through, but I can see how picking and choosing what entries to read (perhaps based on if you know the writer’s works or just the draw of the title or illustrations) would be a better way to approach this book since some of the parts just weren’t appealing to me. Each entry includes an incredibly brief biography of the selection’s author and a selected bibliography that might facilitate further reading (ie., if the kid likes that entry, maybe finding one of the author’s books to read would be a good thing).

Guys Read: Thriller (2011): Ghosts, private eyes, monster hunters, atomic pudding…ten short stories (including one in graphic novel style) by a wide sampling of famous authors are included in this second anthology in the Guys Read series. (The first is Guys Read: Funny Business, and Guys Read: The Sports Pages is the third.) Where Guys Write for Guys Read includes brief essays of two to four pages, these stories are mostly from 20 to 40 pages in length. Like the other books in this series, Guys Read: Thriller includes stories (written specifically for this book, I believe) from the theme or genre by a variety of writers and, therefore, a variety of readers. Again, if a reader enjoys a specific story in this volume, it’s not hard to find more by that author that might continue to intrigue and encourage more reading. Guys Read: Thriller is intended for upper elementary and middle school readers.

A Very Different Sort of Autobiography:

Knucklehead (2008): With a cover designed to resemble an old comic book (and featuring a childhood portrait of the author superimposed over the face of a man in an army tank), this collection of stories of Scieszka’s childhood is intended for readers in middle to upper elementary, but I think it would probably appeal more to slightly older children and adults because it relies, in part, on some background knowledge of the era that most younger readers won’t have. Then again, it might not matter because it seems like boys are boys no matter what the decade, and Scieszka’s family included six of them (he was the second oldest) growing up in Flint, Michigan. Told in random vignettes and illustrated with family photos and images of other memorabilia, this book gives readers a glimpse into what made Scieszka the kind of reader and writer he grew up to be, and, as you might expect, it’s a pretty funny recollection! While the typical nonfiction features are there (the table of contents, captions, and the “not your usual index”), the contents are very much not what you would find in the dry biographies so commonly assigned for author research!

So, there you have it. Jon Scieszka has actually written even more than what I’ve included here, but this is a good sampling and includes most of my favorites. Again, if you have a reluctant middle grade reader on your hands, put ones of these books in his (hands, that is)!

Themed Third Thursday: Poetry Edition

Well, April is apparently National Poetry Month, so instead of the Jon Scieszka feature I was planning (which will just come later!), you get poetry books! One year when I was  a fifth grade teacher, we did a Poetry Café once a quarter. Each child either wrote or selected a published poem to perform for their classmates and parents, and we had refreshments afterward in the classroom. It was great fun! Here are a few books of poetry and poems that I had in my classroom back in the day that are still great to share with kids!

Where the Sidewalk Ends: 30th Anniversary Special Edition, by Shel Silverstein (2004): While my favorite Shel Silverstein poem is “Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out” (which is in this volume), “Almost Perfect” from A Light in the Attic is a close second. Illustrated in the author’s signature style, some of the poems almost require the image for the poem to be clear, but many of the silly rhymes are meant to tickle the funny bones of children of all ages and are great for read-alouds as well. Not every poem is strictly proper or particularly school-appropriate, but the books as a whole are great reading material for children who need some encouragement to enjoy poetry.

It’s Raining Pigs and Noodles, by Jack Prelutsky, drawings by James Stevenson (2005): Intended for all elementary ages, these silly poems play with language and are great for young readers just getting into poetry (although some of the vocabulary is pretty advanced). This duo also composed A Pizza the Size of the Sun and The New Kid on the Block. While I personally prefer Silverstein, these relatively slim volumes drew the attention of many readers in my classrooms over the years!

Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices, by Paul Fleischman, illustrated by Eric Beddows (2004): Originally published in time to receive the 1989 Newbery Medal, this book of poetry is meant to be read aloud! Some of my students chose a choral reading from this book to perform with a friend, and they require extensive practice for young readers. I would often perform the “Whirligig Beetles” poem (they’re all about bugs!) aloud with a willing volunteer as an example, and it really is harder than it seems like it ought to be! Great for shared reading for increased fluency, this is just one of several similar books by the author, including I Am Phoenix: Poems for Two Voices and Big Talk: Poems for Four Voices.

Love that Dog, by Sharon Creech (2001): In this novel, Jack, a boy in Miss Stretchberry’s class, uses his class journal to express his distaste for reading and writing poetry…ironically, in free verse. Through assigned poetry readings and writings, Jack discovers that poetry might not just be for girls, particularly when he reads Walter Dean Myers’ “Love that Boy,” which inspires him to open up his feelings in a tribute poem entitled “Love that Dog” about his family dog that was killed by a car. Perfect for middle to upper elementary readers, this is a novel way to introduce a reluctant student to poetry (or just to use in a classroom as an example of reading responses, free verse, and inspiration from other texts). (I used this in a small reading group with fifth graders when I was teaching. After sharing this book with my group, I ordered a couple additional Creech titles for my classroom, Heartbeat and Granny Torrelli Makes Soup, that were also good reads for different reasons.)

Locomotion, by Jacqueline Woodson (2005): Eleven-year-old Lonnie Collins Motion (aka, Locomotion) has been in foster care since he and his sister lost their parents in a fire when he was just seven. While he is taking part in a poetry unit in class, he begins to find his voice and a way to express all his tough emotions though poetry. I happened upon this book after reading Love that Dog, and there are clear similarities, but this book deals with even more serious topics and is therefore even more heartbreaking and meaningful. Due to the depth of the topics and the need for extensive reading between the lines, I suggest this book for upper elementary and middle school readers. (Although a newer edition of this book is available, I prefer the 2005 paperback cover!)

Okay, it’s clear I prefer funny, rhyming poetry, so does anyone out there have suggestions for elementary readers who prefer beautiful, lyrical poetry or simple haiku or even limericks? I’d love to hear about some of your favorite childhood poetry collections!

The Trouble With Elephants, by Chris Riddell

The Trouble With Elephants, by Chris Riddell
(1988, Lippincott)

A little girl shares the trouble with elephants in this picture book for an elephant lover like my GirlChild (who turns five today)!

The book opens with a picture of a somewhat disgruntled little girl with her arms wrapped around her stuffed elephant and the words, “The trouble with elephants is…” From that page on, the little girl remains disgruntled, but the elephant appears as a full-size elephant that goes with her everywhere! The troubles with elephants are all things that would be true if the elephant in question was real, like spilling the bathwater, taking all the sheets and snoring, and being bad at hide-and-seek. Some of the troubles are written out in the text, but many of them are just shown or hinted at in the illustrations (such as blocking the sun when you’re lying out on the beach together and being a bad choice for the other end of the see-saw). The very last page says that the real trouble is “you can’t help but love them” and shows the little girl giving her stuffed elephant a kiss on the cheek.

Despite the fact that this book was published 25 years ago, the illustrations are charming and timeless. A little girl in red patent leather shoes, baggy tights, and a bobbed haircut would not look out of place now, and the only things that might have hinted to me that this was an older book were the knitted tea cozy with a pom-pom and the toast rack on their breakfast table. (Then again, this book was published in the UK by an author/illustrator who was born in South Africa and raised in England, so the tea cozy and toast rack might just be an international thing… Do people still use toast racks?!) The illustrations show the elephant (or elephants in some pictures) doing silly things like sliding down the banister or trying to ride a bike (and failing when the bike collapses). The faces of both the little girl and the elephant are particularly expressive despite their relatively simple features, so it’s easy to interpret their emotions (which is a good thing for young readers who need the hint).

GirlChild’s Reactions: This being a book about elephants, GirlChild LOVES it. That, and she likes the way some of the humor is told through the pictures (as she can’t yet read but is good at sensing the ridiculous). She says her favorite part is the “you can’t help but love them” part. Since some of the pictures are pretty busy, she has found new things to examine each time she’s had us read this one!

Additional titles:

(YA fantasy series)

   (Not for kids, but it looks hilarious!)

Themed Third Thursday: Fun on the Farm

BoyChild is rather fond of tractors and farm animals (he and his grandpa have found a common love of the green machines with the yellow, hoofed mascot), and I thought that–so soon after his second birthday!–it would be fun to feature a topic that he likes for a change! (Also, my uncle is retiring from his dairy farm at the end of this month, so I’m waxing a little nostalgic!) Here is a collection of fiction and nonfiction books with a farm theme for the very youngest readers up through middle school.

Spot Goes to the Farm, by Eric Hill (1987, reissued 2003): In this classic lift-the-flap book in the Spot series, Spot and his dad visit a farm to meet the new babies. Little readers learn the names of baby animals as they lift the flaps. A basic book for toddlers.

Moo Moo, Brown Cow, by Jakki Wood, illustrated by Rog Bonner (1991): With predictable repetition and animal noises, the kitty asks each animal if they have any babies (using the appropriate term for each), and they respond affirmatively with a number that grows by one with each asking. Concepts addressed in this board book are animal noises, animal baby names, colors, and counting!

Barnyard Dance!, by Sandra Boynton (1993): “Stomp your feet! Clap your hands! Everybody ready for a barnyard dance!” This is a square dance in board book format, and the animals do-si-do all over the barnyard. Written in Boynton’s standard silly rhyming style, this is a perfect farm book for a toddler or preschool Boyton lover! (Hear the audio version on the Philadelphia Chickens cd!)

Moo, by Matthew VanFleet, pictures by Brian Stanton (2011): The duo that brought you Dog now presents a farm theme! With the same fun rhymes and interactivity, young readers are introduced to proper farm animal names (calf, cow, and bull, for instance), animal sounds, and other related words and actions (like wallowing for the pigs and milking the cow). We don’t own this one yet, but, because of how much both BoyChild and GirlChild love Van Fleet’s other books, it’s on our list!

Tractor Day, by Candice F. Ransom, illustrated by Laura J. Bryant (2007): A little girl joins her daddy for farm chores using the tractor in a book that shows the day from beginning to end. Simple four-line stanzas in an ABCB rhyming pattern describe what is happening on each page. A trio of crows shows up on each spread except for the very last page…where the little girl has a black feather on her nightstand as she sleeps.

Farm Animals (DK Readers), by DK Publishing (2004): This pre-reader level book is meant to be shared with preschoolers who are learning to read and like to follow along. Each spread features a simple sentence, photograph of an animal with its babies, and labels for the animals.

Farm Tractors, by Kristen L. Nelson (2003): This book has all the features of  typical nonfiction and is written at an early reader level, so it is suitable for use with early elementary independent readers. Each page has a photograph of farm machinery or other farm features and one or two simple sentences of text about tractors and their uses on a farm. Preschoolers with an interest in tractors may also enjoy this as a read-aloud.

Senses on the Farm, by Shelley Rotner (2009): Each page has a photograph of a scene on a farm and a basic imperative sentence relating to one of the five senses, such as “Taste the farm-fresh milk.” Good for including a lesson on the senses in a farm themed unit.

The Cow Who Clucked, by Denise Fleming (2006): When Cow loses her moo, she (accompanied by the Chicks of Foreshadowing) sets off across the farm to find out who has it. As she meets each animal, she clucks a greeting, is answered with the appropriate animal sound (except the odd inclusion of “warf” for the dog), and concludes that the animal does not have her moo. At the end of the day, she returns exhausted to the barn and almost ignores Hen…who moos.

Tough Chicks, by Cece Meng, illustrated by Melissa Suber (2009): Penny, Polly, and Molly are no ordinary chicks. While every animal on the farm (and even the farmer!) admonish their mother to make them be good, she knows that they are good…and smart…and tough! When something goes wrong with the tractor and it’s on a collision course with the henhouse, the quick-thinking, quick-moving, tough chicks pop in to solve the problem fast! A very cute story with cute illustrations…and the important message that it’s okay to be a tough chick!

Old MacDonald Drives a Tractor, by Don Carter (2007): Although you may be tempted to try to sing this book to the song (adding the appropriate E-I-E-I-Os where needed), don’t! The rhythm will be completely off as you say words like “cultivator” and “harvester” in the same breath as you would say “cow” in the original! Perfect for young farmers and little ones who want to know exactly what that green machine you pass out in the field is called and what it does!

An Edible Alphabet: 26 Reasons to Love the Farm, by Carol Watterson, illustrated by Michaela Sorrentino (2011): Originally published in Canada under the title Alfalfabet A to Z, The Wonderful Words from Agriculture, this book features a plenitude of farm facts for each letter of the alphabet (including the heading “Stink, Stank, Stunk” for S…to discuss manure and decomposition). Each spread has full-color collage art to add to the fun. While the alphabet concept may make this book seem like a title for young readers, the vast amount of information and more sophisticated vocabulary make this either a good book to share with the kindergarten crowd as a read-aloud or for more advanced independent readers, but any elementary age student with an interest in agriculture would enjoy the information (if he or she could get past the idea that alphabet books are only for “little” kids)!

Mary and Her Little Lamb: The True Story of the Famous Nursery Rhyme, by Will Moses (2011): Oil paintings, some full-spread, accent this simple account of the true story of Mary Elizabeth Sawyer of Sudbury, Massachusetts, and the rejected lamb twin she rescued and befriended as a child. The art reveals beautiful images of a New England farm in the early 1800s, and the text describes Mary’s interactions with the farm animals, particularly the unnamed lamb. The nursery rhyme itself (well, the first stanza) was written by John Roulstone, a visitor to the one-room schoolhouse on the day that Mary’s little lamb followed her to school, and was given to Mary because the writer so enjoyed the event. (By the way, the author/illustrator is none other than the grandson of the artist Grandma Moses!) Independent reading for elementary students, this would make an excellent read-aloud for all ages.

Serious Farm, by Tim Egan (2003): Although this farm and its inhabitants are all very serious, I was giggling by the third page with its illustration of the deadly serious animals. Okay, I was laughing on the first page when Farmer Fred said, “Nothing funny about corn.” The animals decide that they need to do something to get some laughter on the farm, and they do increasingly silly things to try to get Farmer Fred to laugh, but nothing works. Finally, they get so discouraged that they decide to leave. When Farmer Fred discovers they are missing, he is sad, and he sets out to find them. Farmer Fred actually chuckles a little when he finds them in the woods and thinks about them “runnin’ wild” out there, and the animals decide that he’s right about them all needing each other, so they go on home to the serious farm where they can sometimes get Farmer Fred to laugh a little…but never about corn. Available for Kindle and used in hardback and paperback.

A Fairy in the Dairy, by Lucy Nolan, illustrated by Laura J. Bryant (2003): Buttermilk Hollow is starting to suffer population loss, and Farmer Blue confides in Pixie, his favorite cow, that he’s worried about the future of the town now that a toothpick factory is wanting to buy up all the farmland, and he thinks the town needs a fairy godmother to sort things out. Then, strange things start happening, and the dairy business starts to flourish despite Mayor Clabber’s efforts to get others to join him in selling out. The fairy in the dairy gives this dairy town another chance. Full of  cheese-themed puns, this book would be good for early elementary age readers and listeners (particularly those who know their cheeses!).

Bring Me Some Apples and I’ll Make You a Pie: A Story About Edna Lewis, by Robbin Gourley (2000): This is a pseudo-biography  of a year in the life of chef Edna Lewis (1916-2006) as a child on a farm with her family. (It’s a work of fiction, but the real Edna Lewis did grow up on a family farm in Freetown, Virginia!) From springtime to the onset of winter, Edna and her family harvest crops and pick berries and share “garden lore” with one another as they work and dream of what they’ll make with the food they pick. The book also contains some of Edna Lewis’ recipes (modified for modern tastes) at the end. This book would make a great read-aloud for any preschool or elementary age, and early elementary to middle elementary readers would enjoy it independently.

Farm (Eyewitness Books), by Ned Halley (1996): Eyewitness Books contain all the features of a nonfiction book, and they are stuffed full of photographs and illustrations with detailed captions for young readers to explore! The history of farming as well as a variety of different kinds of animal husbandry and crop cultivation are covered. Perfect for interested readers in the early elementary grades for independent reading and for simple reference for all elementary ages.

Charlotte’s Web, by E. B. White, illustrated by Garth Williams (1952): A Newbery Honor Book in 1952, this classic farm tale tells the story of Wilbur–the runt pig that farm girl Fern rescues as a piglet–and Charlotte–the benevolent barn spider–and their quest to keep Wilbur safe from slaughter as he grows into “some pig.” The 2006 live action film adaptation features Dakota Fanning as Fern and the voice of Julia Roberts as Charlotte.

Farmer Boy, by Laura Ingalls Wilder, illustrated by Garth Williams (1953): Originally published in 1933, this book is a fictionalized account of a year in the life of Almanzo Wilder (husband of the author) on a prosperous farm in upstate New York in the late 1800s. I remember that when my mom read this book aloud to us when we were kids, I was constantly hungry because it seems like all his family ever does is eat! Reading the other Little House books (of which series this is a part), I wonder if her focus on the food and relative wealth of the family is because this part of his life was so very different from the hard times Laura grew up experiencing. The main character turns nine in this book, so reading this book with 3rd-5th graders might give them an idea of how very different life is for nine-year-olds now from how it was then! Then again, I’ve never been a child on a farm (well, not since I was a baby), so I don’t know if modern farm kids are as heavily involved in the work of the farm as they were then, so maybe it would only surprise the “city” kids!

Barn Boot Blues, by Catherine Friend (2011): Taylor’s parents unexpectedly move the family from Minneapolis to a farm outside of Melberg to fulfill her mother’s lifelong dream, and Taylor is anything but happy about it. While she likes a few of the friendlier animals, she misses the mall, her friends, and going to school without evidence of the dirty work of a farm on her somewhere. She also misses her parents since her dad still commutes to the city for work and her mom is busy with the constant work needed on the farm, and things don’t seem to be going very well between them either. Taylor finds a sympathetic friend at school who vows to help her with the TEFF project: Taylor Escapes From Farm. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Taylor is willing to do anything–even sacrifice her reputation at school–to get away from the farm that seems to be ruining all their lives. For upper elementary and middle school readers.

And for a couple things completely different…

Our Farm: By the Animals of Farm Sanctuary, poems written by Maya Gottfried, paintings by Robert Rahway Zakanitch (2010): Beautiful, realistic paintings add visual interest to this collection of a variety of poems in different styles “written” by animals from Farm Sanctuary, a sanctuary in for “neglected and abused farm animals” with farms in California and New York. These are very cute poems for independent reading or sharing with even the youngest of listeners, and the illustrations will hold small listeners’ attention while the poems are being read aloud.

1-2-3 Draw: Pets and Farm Animals, by Freddie Levin (2001): One of the how-to-draw books that gives step-by-step instructions for drawing animals (some more simple than others). For budding elementary aged artists.

How Do Dinosaurs Say Happy Birthday?, by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague

How Do Dinosaurs Say Happy Birthday?, by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague (2011, The Blue Sky Press)

One never would have thought that dinosaurs were a polite bunch, but Jane Yolen and Mark Teague are here to prove one wrong!

Each page in the first half of this board book asks a rhetorical question to introduce what would be considered a bad birthday choice: hogging the cake, touching the food, screaming, grabbing the gifts, and messing around and ruining others’ fun at the party. But, no…a dinosaur wouldn’t do those things! Each page following the examples of poor behaviors describes what a well-behaved birthday dinosaur does, including polite greetings, appreciation for gifts, serving the guests, giving out hand-made favors, and thanking her human parents for making the birthday great.

The illustrations in this series are hilarious, and this book is no exception. The enormous, anthropomorphic dinosaurs interact with the human characters in the book in a completely human setting, and the contrast between the mundane setting and the star characters is sure to get any kid giggling! (Especially funny are the tiny birthday hats perched upon the heads of carnivorous beasts that are behaving like naughty toddlers, but the “You shouldn’t have!” expression on the face of the spike-bottomed kentrosaurus receiving a baby doll for a gift is pretty hysterical, too!) Each dinosaur is also discreetly labeled with its species for the budding paleontologists in our midst.

BoyChild’s Reactions: I don’t think it’s any surprise that BoyChild loves this book. I have no idea what he was actually saying–he’s not the most verbal child on the planet–but he was extremely excited and babbling and pointing at all the pictures. (I’m pretty sure he said “bun” and pointed at the bunny that the last dinosaur is carrying…yay?) Otherwise, I think Dinosaur Roar might be his first language anyway, so he really enjoys reading this book! So, because today is BoyChild’s second birthday, I just wanted to quote the last line of the book and say, “Happy birthday to you, little dinosaur!” We love you!

The Boy Who Cried Ninja, by Alex Latimer

The Boy Who Cried Ninja, by Alex Latimer (2011, Peachtree Publishers)

Tim is a boy who is hard to believe. The first page reveals that he has told stories about mermaids and unicorns and a free lunch–and everyone knows that there is no such thing! (Seriously, I guffawed out loud on that page!) Tim’s mother doesn’t believe that a ninja ate the last piece of cake. His dad doesn’t believe that an astronaut borrowed his hammer. And his grandfather doesn’t believe that a giant squid ate his whole book bag (including his homework). Tim’s parents sentenced him to hard yard work for his lies. The thing is, Tim wasn’t lying about those things, so he decided he would be better off if he did lie! So he took the blame for a pirate drinking all the tea, the sunburned crocodile that broke the TV antenna, and the time-traveling monkey who threw pencils at his grandfather while he was sleeping. But he still had to do yard work for “all the bad things he’d done”! Tim decided to do something about the misunderstanding and sent invitations to all the guilty parties, inviting them to a celebration at his house on Saturday. His family was certainly surprised to find a ninja, astronaut, giant squid, pirate, crocodile, and time-traveling monkey at their door, and they were certainly sorry that they had accused Tim of lying (to the tune of 100 ice creams’ restitution). They were also pretty upset with the visitors, and they had them “rake all the leaves in the yard and think about what [they'd] done.” And afterward, they had a party, and no one did anything naughty.

The illustrations were “created as pencil drawings, digitized, then finished with color and texture.” Because of both the style and the way they convey much of the story, the illustrations have a definite graphic novel feel (but without the framing most graphic novels use). There are many little touches that will make the adult or older child reader laugh, such as the framed memento labeled “Grampa’s Moustache” and the tiny piles of steaming poo placed surreptitiously among the images of leaves to rake when the parents were punishing the interlopers. (Their dejected little silhouettes in the latter image are also pretty funny!) Almost every time you read this book, you’ll notice something new. This was the author’s first book for children, and he totally nailed it for a young audience with a quirky sense of humor!

GirlChild’s Reactions: This book was more for the grown-up readers in this house than for my preschooler, but GirlChild still enjoyed it! Both ResidentAunt and I cackled merrily at several things as we each read it to GirlChild, and I have noticed more funny details in the art every time I’ve read it. (Um, to GirlChild. Yeah. Not just to myself.) I can tell that each of us (Daddy included!) has read this to her more than once because she is able to quote lines and read the speech bubbles in the art that I sometimes skip. She says she likes the party the best because of all the fun things they’re doing; a savvier reader would be catching and enjoying more of the humor. When I asked her what she learned from this book, she said she learned not to lie. When I asked her what she thinks Mommy learned from this book, she said that I learned that I should believe her. Now, if only that weren’t so hard sometimes…! Recommended for quirky elementary readers for best effect.

Additional titles:

(just came out in February 2013)

(due out in August 2013–available for preorder)

Themed Third Thursday: Feelings Edition

Feelings…nothing more than feelings. Whether the feeling is good, bad, or mutual, it’s probably covered in this list dedicated to books about emotions!

Love Is a Good Thing to Feel, by Barbara Joosse, illustrated by Jennifer Plecas (2008): “Love is a good thing to feel. It makes a party in your heart.” The pink-bedecked narrator describes all the different ways she expresses love to her family, friends, and stuffed bunny pal. To her, love is about sharing and being together, and you can love someone and still feel other things, like sadness and even anger, at the same time, but love will work it out. She also shares some scientific facts about hearts and sings a very preschool song about love. Preschoolers and early elementary students will identify with and enjoy this book.

Mouse Was Mad, by Linda Urban, illustrated by Henry Cole (2009): Mouse was mad, but every expression of his anger–from hopping to stomping to screaming–seemed pitiful in comparison to the other animals, and it ended up getting him in a mud puddle and even angrier until he was so angry that all he could do was stand stock-still…and he was good at that! In the end, his standing still and breathing deep not only won him the admiration of his animal friends, but it calmed him down so he could be happy again. This *might* spur a conversation about how ridiculous kids look when they’re throwing a temper tantrum…but I wouldn’t recommend bringing it out in the middle of one! Maybe better used as a teaching text for how to handle anger instead!

When Sophie Gets Angry–Really, Really Angry, by Molly Bang (1999): When Sophie gets angry, a lot of figurative language is necessary to describe how she feels. Sophie lets off steam by running into the woods by her home and crying until she is calmed by nature and time. Parents and teachers can use this book to discuss safe and appropriate behaviors when a child feels angry (since many will have to discuss how running outside may not be safe where they are) and to give children both an understanding that anger can be overwhelming and that there are ways to tame anger without hurting people. Recipient of a Caldecott Honor in 2000. (Sometimes I’m Bombaloo, by Rachel Vail and illustrated by Yumi Heo, is another title that also explores the feeling of losing control when someone is angry. The cool-down involves being sent into time-out–where she continues to have a fit at first–and saying sorry and restoring order with her mother afterward, so this offers an alternative to Sophie’s methods.)

The Grouchies, by Debbie Wagenbach, illustrated by Steve Mack (2010): In this rhyming story, a five-year-old boy wakes up with the grouchies (pictured as frowning storm clouds) harassing him and urging him to “grouch and grump at everyone” all day long. He takes their advice and has a really bad day. His parents come to tuck him into bed that night and give him tips about chasing away the grouchies. The illustrations are very cute, and, if you can get past the sloppy editing (line breaks ignore both the rhythm of the text and the rhyme scheme, and the word “throughout” is actually misspelled once), it really is a pretty decent book. Published by the American Psychological Association, it includes a somewhat lengthy note to parents that gives tips for helping a child get through grouchy moods.

Whoa Jealousy!, by Woodleigh Marx Hubbard (2002): Told as an extended metaphor of letting a variety of peculiar animals (embodying feelings of jealousy, envy, greed, and rivalry) in and the results, this book illustrates how allowing jealousy in your life can really mess things up. Speech bubbles give examples of the kind of thoughts and words that represent the feeling being described (like “Daniel is quicker” and “Wade has more toys” for envy), and the pictures are wild and crazy (kind of like life when these emotions get out of control!). A perfect book for teaching about metaphor and the destructiveness of these negative emotions, best for elementary aged kids.

Michael Rosen’s Sad Book, by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Quentin Blake (2004): This book is not about run-of-the-mill sadness; it was written about how the author copes with the sadness and depression and mixture of emotions that followed his son’s death. It is not a fun book at all, and it is definitely not for every child or every situation. That said, I believe the parent or guardian of a child dealing with grief might find this book useful for discussing the child’s emotions and working through the depression to find the hope expressed by the single lit candle found on the last page. As the adult, make sure you preview this book thoroughly before sharing it with a child to ensure that it is the right tool at the right time in the child’s recovery. (I did not read this book to GirlChild. She has not experienced this kind of grief–I hope she never does–and she is too young to comprehend such a strong, scary emotion in another.)

Jibberwillies at Night, by Rachel Vail, illustrated by Yumi Heo (2008): Written with the feelings after the September 11th attacks in New York City in mind, this book by the author and illustrator of Sometimes I’m Bombaloo tells about a happy-go-lucky girl (Katie Honors, the same girl as in their previous collaboration) who sometimes is afraid at night. Her fears manifest as jibberwillies (which actually don’t look scary and didn’t frighten GirlChild when we read this to her), and she and her mother work together to get rid of them when they come (by catching them in a bucket and throwing them out the window). For any child who relies on monster spray or parents checking under the bed or in the closet, this might provide a feeling of solidarity (and another method for getting rid of the fear).
A Is for Angry: An Animal and Adjective Alphabet, by Sandra Boynton (1987): Any book from Sandra Boynton is going to be just a little bit off from average, and this alphabet book is no exception. From “A is for ANGRY” (and the ant and anteater) to “O is for OUTRAGED” (with an appropriately illustrated oppossum), this “Z is for ZOO” animal alphabet will expand children’s vocabulary for both animals and words to describe their feelings, and getting a break from “mad,” “sad,” and “happy” is totally worth trying to explain what “vain” means to a preschooler!

My Many Colored Days, by Dr. Seuss, paintings by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher (1996): Rhyming text and illustrations create both color and animal metaphors for different moods or emotions children might feel. Each page includes a brief amount of text explaining the emotion with font differences that give the text some elements of concrete poetry. Available in both regular picture book and board book formats, this is a great book to share with infants up to early elementary (and to use to help teach metaphors to elementary students).

Yesterday I Had the Blues, by Jeron Ashford Frame, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie (2003): Another book that compares emotions to colors, this book is more of a loose description of what each member of the narrator’s family does and feels when in a certain color mood. Written under the inspiration of a blues song on the radio, the author uses sentence fragments and informal speech patterns to convey the mood. The best part (other than the fun art) is that the book ends with the statement that, no matter what kind of day it is, it’s okay, because having a loving family “makes you feel like it’s all golden.” Named Nick Jr. Family Magazine Best Book of the Year. The illustrator has twice received the Coretta Scott King award for his art.

On Monday When It Rained, by Cherryl Kachenmeister, photographs by Tom Berthiaume (1989): Using black and white photographs of one boy, this book tells about the different moods he feels when certain things happen on each day of the week. Good for helping small children learn to read facial expressions and body language!

How Are You Peeling?: Foods with Moods, by Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers (1999): Mutant fruits and vegetables (carved with an Exacto knife and embellished with beet juice and black-eyed peas for eyes) illustrate this somewhat bizarre book that asks children about their moods and feelings. Just one of the several books by this pair featuring oddly expressive produce!

Feelings are notoriously hard for children (and many adults!) to verbalize, and the reliance on metaphors in so many of these books makes the process a little more accessible to many small ones. Sometimes just giving a feeling a name makes it more manageable–whether that feeling is good or bad, sometimes it can be overwhelming!–and these books are a great way to give kids that ability. Please feel free to share in the comments about any other books about feelings your family or classroom loves!