Literary Elements and devices in Sylvester and the Magic Pebble
After reading the article about literary elements, I noticed lots of examples in Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. First of all, personification. The book is full of animals who talk and wear clothes and act like human beings. This is a common concept in children's books, but I had not really thought about it as personification before. This story really follows many elements of plot as well - there is foreshadowing, there is conflict and rising action, there is a climax and a falling action, then there is a resolution and a happy ending.
There is definite irony in the story. The best example of irony is dramatic irony. The reader knows that Sylvester is not dead and is not missing, he is simply turned into a rock. The other characters in the book, mainly his parents, are so fearful that something terrible has happened to Sylvester and that he is lost or even worse hurt or dead. There is also irony in the fact that the police officers of the town are literally pigs, and that the search team looking for Sylvester in the woods are hound dogs. Using these animals to represent those specific characters in the story is ironic.
In the end of the book, there are obvious themes- family is the most important thing of all, think before you wish for something, and be happy with what you have.
Without these literary devices, this book would be totally different. All of the different aspects that can be explored because of the devices really add to the story.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
A Story A Story
A Story A Story
Retold and Illustrated by Gail E. Haley
5/5 *****
I thought that this was a great story. I also read this one as a young girl, and remember being amazed at how Ananse completed the tasks. The story starts out with a short introduction page about how this is the story about how the “Spider Stories” came about. The main character, Ananse, has survived through time as “Anancy” in the Caribbean and “Aunt Nancy” in the USA. It says that the “Spider Stories” are African legends about how small, defenseless men or animals outwit others and overcome great odds. The story begins with a weak, old man (Ananse) who gets all of the stories from the Sky God, because there are no stories on Earth. Ananse spins a web and climbs up to the Sky God to ask how he can get the stories. The Sky God laughs at Ananse, and tells him if he completes 3 seemingly impossible tasks, he can have the golden box of stories. Ananse wittily completes the tasks, and presents them and himself to the Sky God, who gives Ananse the box of stories. And the book ends by saying that Ananse returned to earth and opens the box; stories scatter to all the corners of the earth, including this story, and this is how we have stories to tell today.
This book has lots of tricky words in it, so for a young or beginning reader, it could be a little bit overwhelming. It is a fascinating book though, and the pictures are beautiful. This would be a great book to read when introducing a new culture or a new social studies unit. There are lots pictures of traditional African clothing, villages and pottery. It also mentions several African legends, which may or may not be true. There are lots of activities students could do after reading this book that would be fun for them. In the book, Ananse completes three seemingly impossible tasks; students could brainstorm and come up with more seemingly impossible tasks that could be either added to the book, or grouped together to create another Ananse story. It also brings up the idea of a legend, or an explanation for something. This story tells about why we have stories to read today. Students could write about another way we might have brought stories to the earth, or they could make up a legend about something else, like why we have trees, or why we live in houses, or why we drive cars, or why the sun shines on us everyday. There are lots of different things children could make up explanations for. These would be great ways for kids to use their creativity to write stories that could be brought all the way through the writing/publishing process.
The Hello, Goodbye Window
The Hello, Goodbye Window
By Norton Juster and Chris Raschka
I found this book randomly at the library, and loved it. The pictures are wonderful, that is probably what stuck out to me the most. They look like watercolors or crayon drawings, and are so colorful and animated. The book is a nice story about a child who spends the days with their grandparents while the parents are at work. The story goes through different activities they all do together, how much fun they have, and most importantly, what the Hello, Goodbye Window is and how important it is to them. It is a large window, and the child talks about all of the different times of day they look through it, and what they see when they look through it.
I think students could really relate to this book, visiting grandparents or other family members and doing fun things together. The child obviously really loves and admires the grandparents, so it could be a fun way for kids to write about someone who is very important to them. It also could be a way to talk about traditions and routines; the child does lots of the same activities every day with the grandparents, and they always stop at the window and blow kisses goodbye when they are leaving. Lots of kids probably have similar traditions or routines they could relate to this book. Another thing I thought was interesting about this book, was the title and then at the end how the child said “you can be happy and sad at the same time, you know”. The child is saying that a person can be feeling to completely different emotions at the same time, just like the title is saying that the window can be both a Hello AND Goodbye window at the very same time. I’m not sure what you could do exactly with this, but I think it would be something interesting to talk about with the students. One last thing I really liked about the book, is the discrete mention of race and racial equality. The grandma is a black woman while the grandpa is a white man. The child is biracial, and the mom is black and the dad is white. It never says anything about this in the book, but this is how the illustrator chose to draw the characters, and I think it makes the story even more relatable for more people. It shows a common reality that is traditionally not commonly shown in children’s books.
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble
By William Steig
4/5 ****
The first time I read this book, I thought it was so sad. I was almost apprehensive about reading it to children. However, I think it could be used in such a variety of ways in the classroom that it could be very helpful. The story is about a young donkey who finds a magic pebble. He makes several wishes, and gets excited to go home to show his parents. But then, he sees a hungry lion, and makes a wish that he was a rock, so that the lion cannot eat him. However, his plan backfires- because now he cannot change himself back into a donkey. His parents become very worried, and a year goes by with Sylvester as a rock. One day, his sad parents go for a picnic, and use Sylvester the rock as a table. They find the pebble next to him, and think of Sylvester, subsequently wishing he was there with him and turning Sylvester back into his donkey self, and everyone is happy again. The details about how much Sylvester misses his parents and how hard his parents look for him and cannot find him is a little bit overdone, in my opinion. If it were me writing this, I would have had his parents find him the next day, instead of going into detail about how much they missed him. I think for young kids to imagine their lives away from their parents and stuck in some awful situation is a little bit scary and unnecessary. However, the characters are donkeys and it is such fantasy to be wishing on a magic pebble, that emphasizing that this would never happen in real life would be an easy thing for the teacher to do.
After reading this book, I think it would be fun to have the kids write about what they would wish for if they had a magic pebble. Most every student would be able to write about something, and it would be fun for the kids to share their wishes with each other. I also think that this is a great way to talk about materialism and our modern society, with older students. At the end of the book, they lock away the magic pebble, because they have all that they need; each other. I think this is something that people forget about today, and it would be interesting to hear what the students had to say about it. Would they wish for people and for others’ happiness? Or would they wish for beautiful houses and money? Nobody’s wishes would be “wrong” but it would be insightful to hear what students might have to say about this topic.
Tikki Tikki Tembo
Tikki Tikki Tembo
Retold by Arlene Mosel, Illustrated by Blair Lent
4/5 ****
Tikki Tikki Tembo is a book that I read as a young girl. When I picked it up, I immediately remembered my Mom reading it to me as a child. It is about 2 brothers who separately fall into a well, and each have to run to the Man with the Ladder to get help. The older brother is the more honorable and most loved son, his name is Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-char bari ruchi-pip peri pemo, and the younger brother is named Chang. It takes Chang much longer to get help for his brother, because it takes him so long to say his brother’s name that he keeps running out of breath. In the end, both boys are fine, and the story says that this is the reason why Chinese people have such short names today.
I think this is a good book to introduce a new culture, because the pictures really show some important aspects of Asian culture. It shows different types of houses, jobs, landscapes and traditions. Although they might not all be completely accurate, it could be a good way to start a conversation or discussion about other cultures. Another thing I really liked about it, was how it showed family relationships and the importance of family. The brothers both rushed to save each other, and everyone was eager to help when they heard what was happening. At first, it does tell how the older son is much more important and loved more than the younger son, but at the end, the mother is so happy that both of her sons have survived the well. One way I would definitely use this book in my classroom, is to introduce legends. At the end of the book, the author says that because the younger son had such trouble saying his older brother’s long name and he almost died, this is why Chinese people have such short names today. In the classroom, it would be interesting to have kids research their names, or tell the story about why they were named what they were named. Or even to go off the topic a little bit, pick something like why people grow long hair on their heads or why people paint their finger nails, and make up a story about why that is our tradition today. This particular book could even be part of a series of stories like it, as many children’s books end with, “And this is why we __________ today”.
The House in the Night
The House in the Night
By Susan Marie Swanson, Pictures by Beth Krommes
5/5 *****
I loved this book and I think that kids would really enjoy it too. It is a poem that ends up coming full circle by the end. It is very simple, with only a short phrase on each page, for example: “Here is the key to the house. (New page) In the house burns a light.” It would be very easy for beginning readers to read, especially because each new page is a continuation of the last page, so there are lots of words that are repeated. The general poetic style is also the same throughout, which is great for beginning readers.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Barbara Lehman
Barbara Lehman: Author and IllustratorBarbara Lehman is an author/illustrator who lives in New York. She is the author/illustrator of 4 wordless children's books:
1. The Red Book (2004)
2. Museum Trip (2006)
3. Rainstorm (2007)
4. Trainstop (2008)
The Red Book and Museum Trip are her two most famous books, The Red Book being a Caldacott Award Winning book.Barbara is the Illustrator for many other books, including:
1. Abracadabra to Zigzag: An Alphabet Book by Nancy Lecourt
2. Mattie by Marsha Wilson Chall
3. Timothy Twinge by Florence PArry Heide and Roxanne Heide Pierce
4. Moonfall by Susan Whitcher *Parent's Choice Award 1993
5. A Chartreuse Leotard in a Magenta Limousine by Lynda Graham Barber
6. Something for Everyone Susan Whitcher
7. Say Boo! by Lynda Graham Barber
8. Christmas Cookies! by Susan Devings
Biography:
Barbara was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1963, and she grew up in New Jersey. After high school, she attended Pratt Institute in New York and received a BFA (professional illustration). Barbara identifies herself as an illustrator, author and commercial artist. Her art has appeared in New York Times and New York Transit among others. There is no mention of her family or kids, but she currently lives in New York, and has a new book coming out this February.
Her inspiration for her books and illustrations comes from her childhood. As a child growing up in New Jersey, she lived near a train track. She remembers playing with friends and chasing trains alongside the tracks and reading the words on the train cars as they flew by. This is the main inspiration for one of her books, Trainstop. Barbara's father was also an artist, and used to post his drawings in Barbara's bedroom. He even hung them over her crib as a very young baby. Being exposed to art so early in her life, Barbara developed a love for drawing at a very young age. Barbara remembers going to Art Museums in New York City as a young girl, and drew on these experiences for another book, Museum Trip.
Signature Style:
-Very easy to recognize: cartoon/watercolor art
-Simplistic people and overall simplistic images
-Similar looking characters in many of her books
-Pictures are simplistic, but the story she is telling is usually quite complex
-Wordless books
Review Quotes:
Red Book
-"This is the kind of book that you find yourself thinking about long after you have returned it to the shelf. I "read" it a few weeks ago for the first time (there are no words, so I guess I just took a picture walk, as they say), and I still have very vivid memories of the story. The pictures are great, and the implied plot is engaging. " (Online review posting)
-Horn Book contributor Joanna Rudge Long for presenting a "pleasing puzzle that will challenge young imaginations and intellects."
-Publishers Weekly "As visually uncluttered as it is conceptually rich, Lehman's red book is a little treasure of its own,"
-School Library Journal Kathy Krasniewicz deemed the book a "perfectly eloquent" work that "captures the magical possibility that exists every time readers open a book."
-Booklist Jennifer Mattson recommended The Red Book as "ideal for fueling creative-writing exercises."
Quote from Barbara:
"Books and art have always held the strongest attraction for me. I have always felt drawn to `commercial art' because of its ability to reach many people. I like the idea of being part of the media in a meaningful and thoughtful way, especially with children as the audience."
Read more: Barbara Lehman (1963–) Biography - Personal, Addresses, Career, Honors Awards, Writings, Sidelights http://biography.jrank.org/pages/2294/Lehman-Barbara-1963.html#ixzz0zTo8HnKO
<http://hmhbooks.com/catalog/authordetail.cfm?authorID=2249169>
Our Children Can Soar
Our Children Can Soar: A Celebration of Rosa, Barack and the Pioneers of Change
By Michelle Cook
10 Different Illustrators
5/5 *****
1st-6th Graders
Our Children Can Soar: A Celebration of Rosa, Barack and the Pioneers of Change, is an amazing book, and is great for all different ages. There are very few words, and the pictures are fantastic. The book highlights different African-Americans throughout history and in a sentence mentions how they have impacted our society. There are short biographies at the end of the book, great for slightly older students who are more confident readers and who have a better understanding of American history.
So far in the Education Program here at Iowa, I have learned in nearly all of my classes how important it is to strive to reach every student, to show students they can dream and can impact others and to capitalize on diversity and diverse figures in history. I think this book is a perfect example of one way to strive to meet those goals.
This book is mostly applicable and relatable to history lessons. Each figure highlighted in the book had a major impact on history; one way to use it would be to form groups and assign each group a person from the book. Have the students do some type of research on that person and present it creatively to the class (poster, skit, artistic representation, story book of their lives etc...). If the person represents an issue in history (civil rights, slavery, music), the students could research that issue and simply mention the person from the book. If the students were younger, the teacher could help the students write the names of the people in the book on a timeline of history, briefly explaining their significance. If the students were even younger (K-1) the teacher could talk about Barack Obama being President, and have the students write about what they might want to be when they grow up. There are lots of activities for varying ability levels that could be done after reading this book.
I was given this book by a family friend of mine (a teacher!) to start my library for my future classroom. She recommended that I read it to my future students on the first day of school, and after thinking about all of the activities and ways I could apply it to other learning experiences, I think that it would be a great idea :)
By Michelle Cook
10 Different Illustrators
5/5 *****
1st-6th Graders
Our Children Can Soar: A Celebration of Rosa, Barack and the Pioneers of Change, is an amazing book, and is great for all different ages. There are very few words, and the pictures are fantastic. The book highlights different African-Americans throughout history and in a sentence mentions how they have impacted our society. There are short biographies at the end of the book, great for slightly older students who are more confident readers and who have a better understanding of American history.
So far in the Education Program here at Iowa, I have learned in nearly all of my classes how important it is to strive to reach every student, to show students they can dream and can impact others and to capitalize on diversity and diverse figures in history. I think this book is a perfect example of one way to strive to meet those goals.
This book is mostly applicable and relatable to history lessons. Each figure highlighted in the book had a major impact on history; one way to use it would be to form groups and assign each group a person from the book. Have the students do some type of research on that person and present it creatively to the class (poster, skit, artistic representation, story book of their lives etc...). If the person represents an issue in history (civil rights, slavery, music), the students could research that issue and simply mention the person from the book. If the students were younger, the teacher could help the students write the names of the people in the book on a timeline of history, briefly explaining their significance. If the students were even younger (K-1) the teacher could talk about Barack Obama being President, and have the students write about what they might want to be when they grow up. There are lots of activities for varying ability levels that could be done after reading this book. I was given this book by a family friend of mine (a teacher!) to start my library for my future classroom. She recommended that I read it to my future students on the first day of school, and after thinking about all of the activities and ways I could apply it to other learning experiences, I think that it would be a great idea :)
Junie B. Jones Has a Peep in Her Pocket
Junie B. Jones Has a Peep in Her Pocket
By Barbara Park
Illustrated by Denise Brunkus
4/5 ****
3rd-5th Graders
Junie B. Jones Has a Peep in Her Pocket is one of the hilarious books in the Junie B. Jones series, by Barbara Parks. As a young girl, I was obsessed with these books. They are truly hilarious, and Parks makes it so easy to get inside Junie B. Jones' head that is makes for such a quick and enjoyable read. This particular book is about Junie B. Jones when her class goes on a field trip to a farm. Junie B. Jones is afraid of many of the animals, so she is very apprehensive about the trip. She ends up overcoming her fears and having fun experiencing the farm and her "throw-away camera".
I think these books are so appealing to young readers, because the way they are written is with Junie's kindergarten grammar and perspective. It is entertaining to read her simplistic sentences and to watch her learn new things, like just because her camera is a "throw-away" camera doesn't mean she should actually throw it away right when she finishes taking pictures.
Because this book is about animals on a farm, drawing farm pictures, reading other farm books, researching animals, talking about the life cycle of different animals, discussing how farms are run and what exactly happens on farms, if any students have visited farms before they could share their experiences, etc... There are so many discussion topics that could be turned into art projects, research projects, writing assignments/prompts or simply classroom discussions. Because students are usually very engaged in the Junie B. Jones books, they are likely to have opinions and to have a solid understanding of the topic at hand after reading the book.
The Junie B. Jones series has lots of special event books that can be applied to specific situations. One I remember reading when I was younger was one in which Junie B. Jones' mom has a baby- I have a younger sister too, so this was really fun for me to read and to relate to her experiences. This particular book could be read with students right before going on a field trip, it could lead into discussions on appropriate behavior while on field trips and to talk details about the field trip the students will actually be taking and what they should expect.
By Barbara Park
Illustrated by Denise Brunkus
4/5 ****
3rd-5th Graders
Junie B. Jones Has a Peep in Her Pocket is one of the hilarious books in the Junie B. Jones series, by Barbara Parks. As a young girl, I was obsessed with these books. They are truly hilarious, and Parks makes it so easy to get inside Junie B. Jones' head that is makes for such a quick and enjoyable read. This particular book is about Junie B. Jones when her class goes on a field trip to a farm. Junie B. Jones is afraid of many of the animals, so she is very apprehensive about the trip. She ends up overcoming her fears and having fun experiencing the farm and her "throw-away camera".
I think these books are so appealing to young readers, because the way they are written is with Junie's kindergarten grammar and perspective. It is entertaining to read her simplistic sentences and to watch her learn new things, like just because her camera is a "throw-away" camera doesn't mean she should actually throw it away right when she finishes taking pictures.Because this book is about animals on a farm, drawing farm pictures, reading other farm books, researching animals, talking about the life cycle of different animals, discussing how farms are run and what exactly happens on farms, if any students have visited farms before they could share their experiences, etc... There are so many discussion topics that could be turned into art projects, research projects, writing assignments/prompts or simply classroom discussions. Because students are usually very engaged in the Junie B. Jones books, they are likely to have opinions and to have a solid understanding of the topic at hand after reading the book.
The Junie B. Jones series has lots of special event books that can be applied to specific situations. One I remember reading when I was younger was one in which Junie B. Jones' mom has a baby- I have a younger sister too, so this was really fun for me to read and to relate to her experiences. This particular book could be read with students right before going on a field trip, it could lead into discussions on appropriate behavior while on field trips and to talk details about the field trip the students will actually be taking and what they should expect.
Where the Sidewalk Ends
Where the Sidewalk Ends
Poems and Drawings by Shel Silverstein
5/5 *****
Any age
Where the Sidewalk Ends is a hilarious and witty composition of short poems. The poems range from topics about counting money, animals, eating too much food, getting eaten by a boa constrictor to getting stuck in quicksand. My older sister used to read these poems to me when I was younger, and we used to laugh-out-loud at some of them. I think that they appeal to people of all ages; at 20 years old I still have this book in my room at my apartment, and read it when I need a good laugh.
Shel Silverstein is one of the most creative writers I have ever read. Often times when kids think of poetry, they think of long, boring, song-like romance poems full of intense vocabulary. I think Shel Silverstein's poetry would be perfect to read to students when they are first learning about poetry. Some of his poems contain rhyme, but not all of them. He uses such a variety of topics, lengths, formats, that he is sure to inspire many students.
Using Shel Silverstein poems with kids who aren't confident readers could be one way to intrigue them or to spark some interest in reading, because his poems are so funny and witty. Many of Silverstein's poems are straight forward, yet another reason to use them with beginning poets and writers. As a teacher, having the students create artwork for a poem or some type of visual representation would be great, because his poems create such vivid and creative images. There are so many ways his poems can be used in the classroom, and yet they can be great to just read for fun :)
Poems and Drawings by Shel Silverstein
5/5 *****
Any age
Shel Silverstein is one of the most creative writers I have ever read. Often times when kids think of poetry, they think of long, boring, song-like romance poems full of intense vocabulary. I think Shel Silverstein's poetry would be perfect to read to students when they are first learning about poetry. Some of his poems contain rhyme, but not all of them. He uses such a variety of topics, lengths, formats, that he is sure to inspire many students.
Using Shel Silverstein poems with kids who aren't confident readers could be one way to intrigue them or to spark some interest in reading, because his poems are so funny and witty. Many of Silverstein's poems are straight forward, yet another reason to use them with beginning poets and writers. As a teacher, having the students create artwork for a poem or some type of visual representation would be great, because his poems create such vivid and creative images. There are so many ways his poems can be used in the classroom, and yet they can be great to just read for fun :)
The Lorax
The Lorax
By Dr. Suess
5/5 *****
1st-5th Graders
The Lorax was another book that I found at home on my childhood bookshelf. I hadn't read it in quite some time, and re-reading it now for this project was very interesting. Normally when I think of Dr. Suess books, all I think about is fantasy, rhyme and bright colors. To refresh your memory on this story if it has been a while for you too, it is the tale of mythical creatures manufacturing thneeds out of beautiful truffula trees. As they continue to make more and more of these multi-purpose thneeds, the land of the truffula trees begins to fade- water become polluted, trees become sparse, animals flee, and the illustrations become dark and mostly gray. At this point, the Lorax appears and begs the creatures to stop making the thneeds. He says he speaks for the trees, and demands that they leave. In the end, the land of the truffula trees is completely destroyed, except for the Oncler who lives in a shack and tells people the story.
After re-reading this book, I immediately notice all of the discussions about society and our planet that could be started after reading this book. Especially with the older kids, talking about materialism (thneeds- everyone HAD to have them in the book, yet they were not very useful), pollution, respecting the environment and seeing firsthand in the book what can happen to our beautiful earth if we don't take care of it. All of these topics are so relavent and modern, the teacher could ask kids to bring in articles about global warming, pollution or materialism in our society and relate examples or characters from the book to our world today.
Another great way to use this book, is to analyze Dr. Suess' writing techniques. Of course, the rhyme scheme is always popular with almost any Dr. Suess book. For the younger kids, clapping when they hear a rhyme as you read could be interesting, and with the older kids actually reading and picking out the rhyming words and trying to imitate this style could be more interesting for them. Another interesting literary aspect to explore, is the perspective from which the story is told. It is not just a narrative or a dialogue; there is a beginning story of the young boy paying the old Oncler to tell him the story of the Lorax. This beginning story is quite detailed, and ties into the ending when the Oncler gives the young boy a truffula tree seed to go plant. As a teacher, you could encourage students to try a new style of writing similar to this; create a beginning story that changes how the actual story they are writing is presented. Even if the students don't necessarily like this exact idea, it will hopefully get them thinking outside the box.
By Dr. Suess
5/5 *****
1st-5th Graders
After re-reading this book, I immediately notice all of the discussions about society and our planet that could be started after reading this book. Especially with the older kids, talking about materialism (thneeds- everyone HAD to have them in the book, yet they were not very useful), pollution, respecting the environment and seeing firsthand in the book what can happen to our beautiful earth if we don't take care of it. All of these topics are so relavent and modern, the teacher could ask kids to bring in articles about global warming, pollution or materialism in our society and relate examples or characters from the book to our world today. Another great way to use this book, is to analyze Dr. Suess' writing techniques. Of course, the rhyme scheme is always popular with almost any Dr. Suess book. For the younger kids, clapping when they hear a rhyme as you read could be interesting, and with the older kids actually reading and picking out the rhyming words and trying to imitate this style could be more interesting for them. Another interesting literary aspect to explore, is the perspective from which the story is told. It is not just a narrative or a dialogue; there is a beginning story of the young boy paying the old Oncler to tell him the story of the Lorax. This beginning story is quite detailed, and ties into the ending when the Oncler gives the young boy a truffula tree seed to go plant. As a teacher, you could encourage students to try a new style of writing similar to this; create a beginning story that changes how the actual story they are writing is presented. Even if the students don't necessarily like this exact idea, it will hopefully get them thinking outside the box.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Fish is Fish
Fish is Fish
Written and Illustrated by Leo Lionni
1st-3rd Graders
5/5 *****
Fish is Fish is about two young tadpole friends. One tadpole turns into a frog overtime, while the other grows into a large fish. One day, the tadpole who turned into a frog leaves the pond. Fish is very sad, but one day the Frog returns and tells tales of cows, flying birds and walking people. Fish becomes jealous of these foreign concepts, and hops out of the water onto the land. Near death, Frog saves Fish; Fish realizes that his world is in the water, and the two continue their friendship.
As I referenced earlier, Leo Lionni always has beautiful illustrations. One thing that I loved about this book in particular, was that several times the pictures explained something that the text did not. For example, the text says "He told the fish about the birds, who had wings, and two legs, and many many colors". And the picture shows what Fish imagines- rainbow colored fish with funny wings and frog-like legs. Lionni illustrates similarly when Frog tells of people and cows; the text explains what people and cows look like, while the illustrations give Fish's perspective. This helps kids to relate to Fish, and is humorous for the readers to look at and imagine.
The first way I thought about using this book in the classroom, is in science class. Talking about the life cycle of tadpoles to frogs, how amphibians can live in water AND on land, why fish need to stay in the water, among many other topics. This story would be a great opener to this new science unit, and it would be relatively easy to find some tadpoles and set up an actual tank in the classroom for the students to observe.
Another interesting aspect of the book, is that Frog and Fish are best friends, yet they are different species. The teacher could ask the students, do you have any friends that are different than you? How are you different and how are you alike (compare/contrast with a venn diagram, draw pictures etc...)? The teacher could ask the students to write about what they think it would be like to live as a fish from the human perspective, similarly to how Fish tried to live on land in the story. There are lots of creative writing topics that can arise from this book, as well as the great science curriculum connection.
Written and Illustrated by Leo Lionni
1st-3rd Graders
5/5 *****
Fish is Fish is about two young tadpole friends. One tadpole turns into a frog overtime, while the other grows into a large fish. One day, the tadpole who turned into a frog leaves the pond. Fish is very sad, but one day the Frog returns and tells tales of cows, flying birds and walking people. Fish becomes jealous of these foreign concepts, and hops out of the water onto the land. Near death, Frog saves Fish; Fish realizes that his world is in the water, and the two continue their friendship.
As I referenced earlier, Leo Lionni always has beautiful illustrations. One thing that I loved about this book in particular, was that several times the pictures explained something that the text did not. For example, the text says "He told the fish about the birds, who had wings, and two legs, and many many colors". And the picture shows what Fish imagines- rainbow colored fish with funny wings and frog-like legs. Lionni illustrates similarly when Frog tells of people and cows; the text explains what people and cows look like, while the illustrations give Fish's perspective. This helps kids to relate to Fish, and is humorous for the readers to look at and imagine.The first way I thought about using this book in the classroom, is in science class. Talking about the life cycle of tadpoles to frogs, how amphibians can live in water AND on land, why fish need to stay in the water, among many other topics. This story would be a great opener to this new science unit, and it would be relatively easy to find some tadpoles and set up an actual tank in the classroom for the students to observe.
Another interesting aspect of the book, is that Frog and Fish are best friends, yet they are different species. The teacher could ask the students, do you have any friends that are different than you? How are you different and how are you alike (compare/contrast with a venn diagram, draw pictures etc...)? The teacher could ask the students to write about what they think it would be like to live as a fish from the human perspective, similarly to how Fish tried to live on land in the story. There are lots of creative writing topics that can arise from this book, as well as the great science curriculum connection.
Swimmy
Swimmy
Written and Illustrated by Leo Lionni
PreK-2nd Grade
5/5 *****
Swimmy is a short story about a little black fish named Swimmy. He loses his group of fish, and while he is on his own, he discovers so much in the ocean that he had never seen before. He is in awe of the animals he sees and the new experiences he has. Then one day he finds a new group of fish who are scared to explore. Swimmy teaches them to swim in a formation that looks like a big fish, so they are safe from predators, and they swim around the ocean exploring.
Leo Lionni was one of my favorite authors growing up; I have several of his books at home, including one special edition that includes 6 of his most popular books. One thing that always drew me into Lionni's books, were the beautiful illustrations. As a young reader, books with lots of words are very intimidating. Swimmy, a Caldacott winner, is a perfect example of this. The pictures clearly overpower the words; at times almost making it difficult to see the print. Lionni uses what look like water colors, stamps and collage to illustrate and tell his stories.
There are so many ways I could see using this book in the classroom. One would be to encourage the kids to write about an experience they had that was similar to Swimmy's. Some questions to ask them could be: Did you ever get lost from their group or their family while on vacation or shopping? How did you feel? Have you ever used teamwork like Swimmy and his new group of fish did when they swam in a special formation (ie playing soccer, on a scavenger hunt, playing group games in PE etc...)? Another way to use this book in an artistic way, would be to have the kids imitate Lionni's illustrations with ink stamps, water colors and collage.
One final thing I think kids could relate to with this book, is how Swimmy was scared and felt lonely, but learned so many new things, saw so many new animals and sites and made lots of new friends. It is possible that students feel lonely and apprehensive when first starting school, but reminding them and showing them that they can learn so much at school, they can see new things and make so many great new friends can be comforting.
Written and Illustrated by Leo Lionni
PreK-2nd Grade
5/5 *****
Swimmy is a short story about a little black fish named Swimmy. He loses his group of fish, and while he is on his own, he discovers so much in the ocean that he had never seen before. He is in awe of the animals he sees and the new experiences he has. Then one day he finds a new group of fish who are scared to explore. Swimmy teaches them to swim in a formation that looks like a big fish, so they are safe from predators, and they swim around the ocean exploring.
Leo Lionni was one of my favorite authors growing up; I have several of his books at home, including one special edition that includes 6 of his most popular books. One thing that always drew me into Lionni's books, were the beautiful illustrations. As a young reader, books with lots of words are very intimidating. Swimmy, a Caldacott winner, is a perfect example of this. The pictures clearly overpower the words; at times almost making it difficult to see the print. Lionni uses what look like water colors, stamps and collage to illustrate and tell his stories.
There are so many ways I could see using this book in the classroom. One would be to encourage the kids to write about an experience they had that was similar to Swimmy's. Some questions to ask them could be: Did you ever get lost from their group or their family while on vacation or shopping? How did you feel? Have you ever used teamwork like Swimmy and his new group of fish did when they swam in a special formation (ie playing soccer, on a scavenger hunt, playing group games in PE etc...)? Another way to use this book in an artistic way, would be to have the kids imitate Lionni's illustrations with ink stamps, water colors and collage.
One final thing I think kids could relate to with this book, is how Swimmy was scared and felt lonely, but learned so many new things, saw so many new animals and sites and made lots of new friends. It is possible that students feel lonely and apprehensive when first starting school, but reminding them and showing them that they can learn so much at school, they can see new things and make so many great new friends can be comforting.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)