Gone Wild An Endangered Animal Alphabet by Dave McLimans
2007 Caldecott Honor Book
I often wish books would give more information about the art work. The bold graphic illustrations in this book look like papercuts to me, but I am not entirely sure how they are made.
There is an introduction, explaining a little about endangered species and the different classifications of this (Critically Endangered, Endangered, and Vulnerable)
Then there is an alphabet. Each LETTER is made into a picture of an endangered animal. M is for Prairie Sphinx Moth and the middle of the letter M is made of the wings and body of the moth. L is for Snow Leopard and the letter L is spotted like a leopard and has a claw on the "foot" of the L. It's a little hard to describe! On each page there is also a box with a smaller picture of the endangered animal and some basic information: Class, Habitat, Range, Threats, Status.
Then, at the very back of the book there are 5 pages with additional REALLY INTERESTING information about each animal (one short completely fascinating paragraph per animal) and some resources listing further reading and organizations that help endangered animals. This is where you learn stuff like: "The boa is a mighty hunter and has heat sensitive pits around its mouth enabling it to hunt for warm-blooded prey in complete darkness." or "Thanks to its large webbed feet, the blue duck can move easily through swift rapids and climb over large boulders."
My 6 year old didn't like this book. She thought the ABC animals "weren't really pictures."
I also wasn't quite satisfied with it. I especially didn't like the choice of the more interesting info about the animals being pulled out and listed separately. I can see why, for purely graphic reasons, it's nice to have the bold black ABC animals floating on an uncluttered white page. But I doubt many people get to reading the dense text at the back of the book. I found the information absolutely amazing, and still had trouble sticking with it for 5 pages. I would have preferred to have the text about the animals included the first time around.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
How I Learned Geography
How I Learned Geography by Uri Shulevitz
2009 Caldecott Honor Book
This story is based on the author/illustrators memories of being a boy during World War II. They had to flee Poland empty handed. As refugees in a strange place, they were often hungry.
One day the boys father going to market to get bread and coming home instead with a map of the world. "I had enough money to buy only a tiny piece of bread, and we would still be hungry" he explained apologetically. Both Mother and Boy were bitterly angry.
But the next day, the Father hangs up the map. It is bright and colorful and takes up a whole wall. The boy spends many hours gazing at the map, making magical incantations out of the names of the cities and countries, and traveling to all the parts of the world in his mind.
There is also an authors note with a photo of the author at this age and a picture he drew at age 10 of Africa. I read it to both of my children (ages 6 and 10) and they both enjoyed it. I like a book that makes kids think and inspires conversations about big topics. I like a book that combines fancy with substance. This book definitely succeeds; recommended!
2009 Caldecott Honor Book
This story is based on the author/illustrators memories of being a boy during World War II. They had to flee Poland empty handed. As refugees in a strange place, they were often hungry.
One day the boys father going to market to get bread and coming home instead with a map of the world. "I had enough money to buy only a tiny piece of bread, and we would still be hungry" he explained apologetically. Both Mother and Boy were bitterly angry.
But the next day, the Father hangs up the map. It is bright and colorful and takes up a whole wall. The boy spends many hours gazing at the map, making magical incantations out of the names of the cities and countries, and traveling to all the parts of the world in his mind.
There is also an authors note with a photo of the author at this age and a picture he drew at age 10 of Africa. I read it to both of my children (ages 6 and 10) and they both enjoyed it. I like a book that makes kids think and inspires conversations about big topics. I like a book that combines fancy with substance. This book definitely succeeds; recommended!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
The House in the Night
The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson, pictures by Beth Krommes
2009 Caldecott Medal winner
A lovely picture book with black and white etchings that are simple yet detailed. Each page has gold highlights but no other colors. The illustrations are very pleasing. The text is simple in a "house that Jack built" kind of way. But unlike One Fine Day which also has that familiar pattern, this book has that emotional resonance and poetry that I look for, and the illustrations definitely support that deepening of the simple text in an important way.
My daughter Makayla (age 6) liked the pictures when she "read" it herself (with out reading) and liked hearing me read it as well.
I'm not sure if this is a book that will stay in my mind and insist people read (time will tell!). But I definitely enjoyed it.
2009 Caldecott Medal winner
A lovely picture book with black and white etchings that are simple yet detailed. Each page has gold highlights but no other colors. The illustrations are very pleasing. The text is simple in a "house that Jack built" kind of way. But unlike One Fine Day which also has that familiar pattern, this book has that emotional resonance and poetry that I look for, and the illustrations definitely support that deepening of the simple text in an important way.
My daughter Makayla (age 6) liked the pictures when she "read" it herself (with out reading) and liked hearing me read it as well.
I'm not sure if this is a book that will stay in my mind and insist people read (time will tell!). But I definitely enjoyed it.
Kitten's First Full Moon
Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes
2005 Caldecottt Medal Winner
"It was Kitten's first full moon. When she saw it, she thought , There's a little bowl of milk in the sky. And she wanted it."
I read this aloud to Makayla (age 6) and she loved it. She absolutely loved that the kitten thought the moon was a bowl of milk.
The story continues, describing all the different ways that Kitten tries and tries and tries to get that bowl of milk. The black and white drawings have a bold line and simplicity, and do a GREAT job of conveying a full range of emotions on the face of this little kitten.
By the end of the story, and all her efforts to get this big bowl of milk in the sky, Kitten is "wet and sad and tired and hungry." So, she head back home, to find a big bowl of milk waiting for her. "Lucky Kitten!"
It's a sweet book. I like it and recommend it. Especially for little ones. But with enough substance to be pleasing to me as well!
2005 Caldecottt Medal Winner
"It was Kitten's first full moon. When she saw it, she thought , There's a little bowl of milk in the sky. And she wanted it."
I read this aloud to Makayla (age 6) and she loved it. She absolutely loved that the kitten thought the moon was a bowl of milk.
The story continues, describing all the different ways that Kitten tries and tries and tries to get that bowl of milk. The black and white drawings have a bold line and simplicity, and do a GREAT job of conveying a full range of emotions on the face of this little kitten.
By the end of the story, and all her efforts to get this big bowl of milk in the sky, Kitten is "wet and sad and tired and hungry." So, she head back home, to find a big bowl of milk waiting for her. "Lucky Kitten!"
It's a sweet book. I like it and recommend it. Especially for little ones. But with enough substance to be pleasing to me as well!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Tuesday; Art & Max, both by David Wiesner
Tuesday by David Wiesner
1992 Caldecott Medal Winner
Art & Max by David Wiesner
caldecott author
David Wiesner as I've mentioned before has won the Caldecott Medal THREE times (and has a couple of Caldecott Honor books as well) so, after reading Flotsom and The Three Pigs I was eager to see some of his other books. Here are two more. . .
David Wiesner enjoys fantastical journeys of various sorts. Tuesday is another almost wordless visual story involving things fantastical. Mainly, frogs lifting off the pond and flying on their lily pads, all through one Tuesday night.
The next Tuesday it appears to be flying pigs. And in fact it is those very flying pigs that inspired The Three Pigs story (also a Caldecott Medal winner.)
Art & Max I was especially curious about since I'd watched a video interview of the author talking about his creative process with this book. It features two lizards, both artists, one more established one a student and it's a grand and fanciful exploration of different art media.
1992 Caldecott Medal Winner
Art & Max by David Wiesner
caldecott author
David Wiesner as I've mentioned before has won the Caldecott Medal THREE times (and has a couple of Caldecott Honor books as well) so, after reading Flotsom and The Three Pigs I was eager to see some of his other books. Here are two more. . .
David Wiesner enjoys fantastical journeys of various sorts. Tuesday is another almost wordless visual story involving things fantastical. Mainly, frogs lifting off the pond and flying on their lily pads, all through one Tuesday night.
The next Tuesday it appears to be flying pigs. And in fact it is those very flying pigs that inspired The Three Pigs story (also a Caldecott Medal winner.)
Art & Max I was especially curious about since I'd watched a video interview of the author talking about his creative process with this book. It features two lizards, both artists, one more established one a student and it's a grand and fanciful exploration of different art media.
Fun Stuff. I recommend this author in general.
One Fine Day
One Fine Day by Nonny Hogrogian (author and illustrator)
1972 Caldecott Medal
Inspired by an Armenian folk tale, this is a cumulative story about a fox who helps himself to an old woman's milk, get's his tail chopped off as a result, and then goes through a series of efforts in order to repay the old woman so she'll sew his tail back on. (Which does eventually happen.)
It's the kind of "add on" story, like the house that Jack built, that kids would enjoy saying along with the story as the story builds. The pictures are particularly pleasing in a bright, happy, colorful sort of way.
I found it to be a "nice" book, but nothing earth shattering. I go for a little more substance in the story line, so it's not something I could count as a favorite.
1972 Caldecott Medal
Inspired by an Armenian folk tale, this is a cumulative story about a fox who helps himself to an old woman's milk, get's his tail chopped off as a result, and then goes through a series of efforts in order to repay the old woman so she'll sew his tail back on. (Which does eventually happen.)
It's the kind of "add on" story, like the house that Jack built, that kids would enjoy saying along with the story as the story builds. The pictures are particularly pleasing in a bright, happy, colorful sort of way.
I found it to be a "nice" book, but nothing earth shattering. I go for a little more substance in the story line, so it's not something I could count as a favorite.
A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever
A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marl Frazee
2009 Caldecott Honor Book
I love this book! It's a picture book with a cartooney feel. It's not in traditional comic book frames, but there are "talk bubbles" in the pictures. And it is funny.
It tells the story of a boy named James and a boy named Eamon who go to spend a week with Pam and Bill, who are Eamon's grandparents in order to spend a week at Nature Camp. It's based on real people and real events and is dedicated to Bill, Pam, James and Eamon.
What this book does delightfully and well is juxtapose the "what's expected" of these boys with their honest reality. There are lots of pages where the grown up world and the boys world are shown in their amuzing discordant harmony. Mari Frazee, both author and illustrator, often does this by having the words and the pictures doing two completely different things . . . a couple of examples:
James arrived "with just a couple of his belongings" reads the text. The accompanying picture shows a pile of stuff about three times higher than the boy!
The text reads "They decided to stay home and enjoy Bill and Pam's company." the illustration shows the boys running of the side of the page, leaving Bill and Pam in a cloud of dust!
The heart of the story though, is "as the nature camp week went by, James and Eamon practically became one person. They did everything together in exactly the same way. To save time, Bill began calling them Jamon.
The thing I love about this story is how clearly it shows up adult interest in organized activities for children. . ."On the way back that afternoon, James and Eamon described their first nature camp day to Bill.
James: I thought you are supposed to walk on a hike.
Eamon: Yeah, not stand and look at some flower for an hour."
. . . . In favor of just messing around with your friends!
Pam and Bill tolerate it all with warmth and hugs and stacks of pancakes, and are about as lovable as "Jamon"
Really sweet book. I think 5 and up would enjoy it. Adults and older kids will get more of the jokes.
2009 Caldecott Honor Book
I love this book! It's a picture book with a cartooney feel. It's not in traditional comic book frames, but there are "talk bubbles" in the pictures. And it is funny.
It tells the story of a boy named James and a boy named Eamon who go to spend a week with Pam and Bill, who are Eamon's grandparents in order to spend a week at Nature Camp. It's based on real people and real events and is dedicated to Bill, Pam, James and Eamon.
What this book does delightfully and well is juxtapose the "what's expected" of these boys with their honest reality. There are lots of pages where the grown up world and the boys world are shown in their amuzing discordant harmony. Mari Frazee, both author and illustrator, often does this by having the words and the pictures doing two completely different things . . . a couple of examples:
James arrived "with just a couple of his belongings" reads the text. The accompanying picture shows a pile of stuff about three times higher than the boy!
The text reads "They decided to stay home and enjoy Bill and Pam's company." the illustration shows the boys running of the side of the page, leaving Bill and Pam in a cloud of dust!
The heart of the story though, is "as the nature camp week went by, James and Eamon practically became one person. They did everything together in exactly the same way. To save time, Bill began calling them Jamon.
The thing I love about this story is how clearly it shows up adult interest in organized activities for children. . ."On the way back that afternoon, James and Eamon described their first nature camp day to Bill.
James: I thought you are supposed to walk on a hike.
Eamon: Yeah, not stand and look at some flower for an hour."
. . . . In favor of just messing around with your friends!
Pam and Bill tolerate it all with warmth and hugs and stacks of pancakes, and are about as lovable as "Jamon"
Really sweet book. I think 5 and up would enjoy it. Adults and older kids will get more of the jokes.
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