One Book at a Time: Children's Literature

Friday, April 4, 2014

Heart And Soul

Heart and Soul

Written and Illustrated by: Kadir Nelson

Published by: Balzer and Bray, 2013

Pages: 112

Culture: African American

The story carries us through the lives of the African Americans who spent hours and hours in the fields waiting for the day their lives would be different. It is a story about the discrimination of people and the determination to change their fate. It follows these dedicated people through their battle to freedom, and later, to equal rights. Without these stories, America would not be the same. It is a story that shows the true heart and soul of this great nation. It is a story filled with honor and power. It’s sure to leave you feeling proud of what this nation has become since the times of slavery and inequality.

The illustrations in this story are done with oil paints. The colors are very sharp and bold. The images are almost realistic. The faces show all the emotion the story tells. The pictures capture everything from the hard field work, to the victorious moments for African Americans.

I would use this book, or pieces of this book, while learning about pre-Civil War era. The book is educational and informative, but it is easy for children to understand. It is often hard to explain to young children the harshness of slavery, but this story does it in a way that makes the story rewarding because these people were so strong and courageous. I would also use this book to motivate students to push forward with their goals and dreams, because with determination anything could happen. This is an amazing story to share with the students to motivate them to never give up, because who know where it could lead 100 years down the road. I would use this book as a writing activity. I would ask my student to write about the main idea of the story. What was the author trying to teach us or show us in this book?

AWARDS: 2012 Coretta Scott King Author Award

Drumbeat in our Feet

Written by: Patricia A. Keeler and Julio T. Leitao

Published by: Lee & Low Books, 2012

Pages: 32

Culture: Africa

In this book, we will learn about the African cultural and some of their dances and rituals. Passed down from generation to generation, these dances bring history to life. The vibrant costumes and rhythmic beats add to this already beautiful story. This story is sure to have people of all ages clapping, stomping, and dancing along with the African traditions. You will want to join the fun as soon as you open the pages of the book.

Keeler uses watercolors and pencil to create the illustrations for this book. Some of the images have a sepia-toned feel. Other parts of the book for vibrant with colors from the dancer’s costumes. Keeler’s images bring the movements to life. The dancer’s looks like they are moving across the pages. The images show the traditional dances in a modern way.

This would be a perfect book to teacher the students some traditions from other countries. While it will require the teacher dancing, it would be a fun movement activity to engage the students before beginning a lesson on traditions. I would use this as a history-of-yourself lesson. The students would do a little research at home to figure out where they come from. They would then find a tradition of the place to share with the class. I would use this book for a compare and contrast lesson. I would have the students compare the images of the African children doing their traditional dances to the American children learning how to do these dances. How are they the same? How are they different?

The Name Jar

Written and illustrated by: Yangsook Choi

Published by: Dragon Books, 2003

Pages: 40

Culture: Korean

In this story, we meet Unhei, a young Korean girl who just moved to the United States. She is worried that her new classmates will not like her. She is even more afraid that they won’t be able to say her very Korean name. Unhei refuses to tell her new peers her name until she decides on a new American name. Her new friends become intrigued and try to help her decide by placing names in a jar for her to choose from. But does Unhei really want to give up her Korean name? Or, with the help of her friends, will she stick with her roots and tell the class her Korean name?

The illustrations in the story are as soft and beautiful as the story. Choi uses an array for earth tones to paint the pictures in her story with. The illustrations have a cartoon-like feel, but it does not take away from the simplicity of the story. The pictures capture the anxiousness Unhei is feeling on her first day of class, to the relief of getting her name figured out for her new American life.

I would read this story to my class to teach them about living among difference cultural and ethnicities. It is very important for children to understand how to cope with people and ideas that are not the same as their own, especially in the classroom. I would also use this as the bases for a project. I would have to student choose a different cultural and let them research it and find common names in that cultural. The students will chose a name, learn how to pronounce it, and introduce themselves to us and tell us a little about ‘their culture’. Last, I would use this story as a writing exercise about their own name. Where did it come from? What does it mean? What does your name mean to you?

One Thousand Tracings

Written and Illustrated by: Lita Judge

Published by: Disney-Hyperion, 2007

Pages: 40

In this heartwarming story, an American family befriends a German family after World War II. The German family is in serious need of supplies. This compassionate American family defeats that odds and lends a hand to these people by sending them the supplies they need. The family’s kindness is soon known about all over, on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Based on a true story of pictures and tracings found in her grandmother’s attic, Lita Judge creates a beautiful story of an unlikely friendship and a light of hope during a hard time for the whole world.

The illustrations in this story are based off of pictures and tracing found in the attic. Judge uses paintings and colleges to bring her words to life. The pictures truly capture the heartwarming story because they were the actually from the time that the story was taking place. There are no made up ideas, they are what they are. Some of the pictures include actual letters from some of the families all over Europe impacted by these kind people from a small farm in the Midwest.

I would use this story when discussing the aftermath of World War II. It is important to not only learn about America’s trials after the Great War, but also about the other countries affected. This story captures Europe in its time of need. I would also use this lesson when learning how to write a letter and the importance of knowing how to make an appropriate one. While not everyone’s letter could end up in a book, it could impact a life in some way. Writing letters is becoming something of thing of the past, but this book would (hopefully) encourage students to send a letter to say thank you for something. Last, I would use this book for motivation. In this story, the Midwestern family touched so many lives. I would read this story and then have my students discuss and write about how they could change someone’s life!

Dangerous Crossing

Written by: Stephen Krenksy

Illustrated by: Greg Harlin

Published by: Dutton Juvenile, 2004

Pages: 32

In this historical book, we follow the dangerous journey of John Adams and his son, John Quincy Adams. Adams is being sent on a secret mission to France. The British army is beginning to be too much for the small colonies. They are in serious need of help from their friends in France. The story is seen mostly through the eyes of the younger Adams. He finds the hard journey to be more of an exciting adventure. They faced terrible storms and battles with their enemies. Will they make it to France to get help for the Patriot colonies or will they be forced to turn around?

In this story, Greg Harlin used a blue tint to capture the mystery and danger of the voyage of the Adam’s. Harlin uses a mixture of dark blues, light blues, and gray to create the tone for this book. The pictures almost look like sketches in a way; however they are done with paints. The illustrations have almost a blur to them to create the illusion of the fog on coming up from the water. The illustrations of this story bring the words to life.

Naturally, I would use this book during a history lesson about the father and son presidents. This is a great story to read to students so that they can connect with the presidents and help them realize their potential. Letting the students hear this story from the child’s point of view helps bring this serious story down to their level. I would use this for a writing exercise as well. I would have the students write about a journey they have gone on with one of their parents or family members. Last, I would use this story as a cause and effect lesson. I would ask the students about what the effect might have been if these two future presidents had not made this important journey to France. Would we even be a nation today?

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Redwoods

Written and Illustrated by: Jason Chin

Published by: Flash Point

40 Pages

In this fun-filled picture book, a boy imagination takes him on a wild adventure through the redwood forest. The boy is reading a fact book about the monster trees, and some of the facts have him thinking about the giants in their beginning times. This book is filled with endless facts about these beautiful creations. As the information spills out from the pages of his book, his imagination takes him deeper and deeper into the Redwood Forest.

The images in this book make the facts come to life, even prehistoric life. Jason Chin uses cold and vibrant colors to create these paintings. I love how Chin incorporated the different elements from the facts into the pictures. For example, having roman guards sitting with the boy on the subway train while he was reading about the tree’s old age was a sure way to get the young readers to understand how old the trees really are. Upon leaving the subway station, the boy enters into the actual redwood forest. The comparison of the tall trees to the skyscrapers is a wonderful detail that allows the children to understand how large these trees actually are.

I would use this book in a science lesson about the life cycle of a tree. I would use this story as an opener before explaining to the children their assignment to find a tree stump (real or a picture) and determine the number of rings to figure out the tree’s age. The facts in this book are true, however there are some aspects of the story, such as him going from place to place, is not. I would how my students determine which parts of the story to fictional, and which parts a real! Last, I would use this story to compare and contrast the redwoods forests to the large city the boy is actually in. The skyscrapers transform into the huge trees, and vise-versa. I would have the students write about all the difference and find a few comparisons as well.

America Is Under Attack: September 11, 2001: The Day the Towers Fell

Written and Illustrated by: Don Brown

Published by: Flash Point

64 Pages

September 11, 2001 is a day that changed America forever. Most children in Elementary school now in 2014, do not even remember this day because most weren’t even born yet. In this book, Don Brown takes us back to the terrifying and tragic day. He writes in a ‘kid friendly’ manner so that the children can understand what happened on that day. Some of it is very straight forward, but honest and truthful. The story takes us through the events of the day, from the hijackings into the Towers, Pentagon, and in Pennsylvania to the rescues and after thoughts as we all watched the beautiful towers fall to the ground and Patriotism rise to the sky.

The illustrations in this story are drawn and painted with cool watercolors and pencil. The images hold nothing back. They show the sadness that was on all of our faces that morning, as well as the planes crashing into the side of the towers. The pictures capture some tough rescues as the towers fell. While some may say this book is too graphic, it truly shows the events of the day in a factual way.

First, I would definitely use this book in a history lesson when teaching about September 11, 2001. Of course, I would ask parents beforehand because it is an awful story, but it must be told just like any other war or event in History. I would also use this story to read on the actual anniversary of the event. I would create a KWL chart for the students to fill out before, during, and after the reading. I would allow students time to share their thoughts and any questions with the class. I would use this book for a writing exercise. I would have the student’s interview someone that remembers the day the towers fell, thenthe students would write a story about their interviewees feelings and thoughts.