What We Wear: Dressing Up Around the World

What We Wear: Dressing Up Around the World
Written by: Maya Ajmera
Charlesbridge, 2012
32 pages
Multicultural

 

                Are you looking for a book to show your students all about how different cultures dress? Did you know that the way you dress can symbolize how we worship, where we go to school, or how we represent our heritage? What we wear expresses our individuality.  But the one thing that we all have in common is that we are all unique and beautiful.  Learn about the many different clothing’s around the world by reading What We Wear: Dressing Up Around the World.

                The pictures in this story do a great job at capturing the individuality of each child in their traditional dress.  This story is a celebration in bright, beautiful photographs.  What We Wear: Dressing Up Around the World inspires young children from all around the world to explore how clothing makes them feel and how it tells about them.  Each student will be encouraged to want to know more about each other’s heritages after reading this book.

                For this story I would have my students have a dress up day.  Each student will be encouraged to go home and ask their parents or grandparents about their heritage and come to school dressed in their heritages traditional clothes.  Then I would have my student write a brief description about their heritage and how it came to be about.  Then I would do a history lesson and allow my students to find their Native Heritage and tell the rest of the class about it, by showing it on a map, pictures, and facts.  

Hiding from the Nazi

Hiding from the Nazi
Written by: David A. Alder
Illustrated by: Karen Ritz
Holiday House, 2000
30 pages
Historical Fiction

                Have you ever wonder exactly what happened during the Holocaust? We all know what happened from an adult’s perspective but we've rarely heard it from a child's. In Hiding from the Nazi we finally get to see what happened from a little Jewish girl named Lore Baer. Take a trip back in history and see what all happened in Lore's young life.
                Karen Ritz uses watercolor to illustrate this story. She uses a lot of dark, murky colors to tell the story through pictures.  I believe that because this is such a raw and emotional story she has to use those bland colors. I would much rather read this book to my fourth or fifth graders because I feel like at that age they would have a better comprehension of what happened back then.
                For Hiding from the Nazi I would do a history lesson to explain to my students what happened during the Holocaust and how it had an effect on our society.  I would also have my students write a narrative on what their perspective of what happened in Lore's life. For example, I would ask them each to take a minute after I read them the story and think about the events that happened in the story. Then I would have them write what they think happened in their own words. Lastly I would have my students do research about the Holocaust and compare and contrast it to the book.  

 

Titanicat

Titanicat
Written by: Marty Crisp
Illustrated by: Robert Papp
Sleeping Bear Press, 2008
40 pages
Historical Fiction

                Have you ever heard of a cat on a boat? Aren't most cats supposed to be afraid of water? Well this tortoiseshell lives on the ship 4-0-1 also later on called the titanic. Young John Mulholland is in charge of this cat that is named after the ships construction number 4-0-1. Find out if 4-0-1 and John actually go on the Titanic’s first voyage to America.
                 The illustrations in the story are very warm and soft looking. The baby kittens look like they could actually jump right off the page and onto your lap! Robert Papp does a great job at portraying the Irish heritage by giving John red hair and green eyes.  Papp’s illustrations really portray what the people and things actually look like in real life.
                I would first do a history lesson on this book and tell my students about the tragic story of how the titanic sank. I would also like to have my student’s do a reenactment type thing by having my students look up individuals on the ship and tell about them.  They could do a play and dress like them.  Then I would have my students write a narrative using the before-middle-end words to tell the sequence of what happened during the story.

Drumbeat in Our Feet

Drumbeat in Our Feet
Written by: Patricia A. Keeler
Illustrated by: Julio T. Leitao
Lee & Low Books, 2012
32 pages
Multicultural

 

                If your feet can keep a beat, then you can surely dance.  If you have a voice, then you can surely sing.  It may not be the best and you may not be able to keep a tune but in Africa it doesn’t matter when it comes to their African dance.  Take a journey with a children’s dance troupe as they learn and preform a traditional African dance in the Drumbeat in Our Feet.

                Julio T. Leitao did a fantastic job at creating such beautiful, colorful, and vibrant illustrations.  They go along so well with the story line.  She captures the traditional and cultural essences in each page.  A section in the back of the book provides photos and information about Batoto Yetu, a well know troupe of children’s dancers.  One of the things I really liked about the book was that it had a pronunciation guide and a map of Africa.

                I would use this story to show my students that there are many different heritages and traditions all over the world.  First I would allow my students to listen and watch a traditional American dance routine and then show them a video of an African troupe children’s dance and allow them to compare and contrast the differences and things they had in common.  Then I would have my students read another story about Africa and learn more interesting facts.  Lastly, I would have my student do a geography lesson by having them search different places where famous troupes are from and what difference they have in their dances.

               

The Rice Bag Hammock

The Rice Bag Hammock
Written by: Shaeeza Haniff
Illustrated by: Swafeha Khan
     Shaeeza Haniff, 2011
 26 Pages
Multicultural

                A simple rice bag can be made into a hammock? Who knew? Or it can be made into a grocery bag? The Rice Bag Hammock tells a story of an ordinary burlap bag. Shaeeza Haniff does a great job at telling the memories of her past through this story. This is such a warm and inviting story for your children.
                Swafeha Khan does a great job portraying the warmth and comfort throughout the illustrations.  The illustrations in this story are beautifully made.  She uses such soft colors to portray how the illustrations are used. I believe that the repetitive text and use of feeling words to describe family situations.

                For this story I would have my students go on a journey just like the rice bag did.  I would have them write a short narrative about places they visited and things they saw.  Then I would have my student’s research where the rice bag was first used and who created it for a History lesson.  Lastly, I would have my students estimate about how many piece of rice can be put in a rice bag for a math lesson.  I would also have my students list all the many different ways a rice bag can be used.

 

 

Ice Cream

Ice Cream
Written & illustrated by: Elisha Cooper
Greenwillow books, 2002
40 Pages
Nonfiction

                Have ever heard the saying, "We all scream for ice cream?" Well when I was a kid every time the ice cream man would drive by that's all you could hear.  Have you ever wondered how ice creams made? Or how long it takes?  Well in this story, Ice Cream, Elisha Cooper does an amazing job telling just that in a kid friendly kind of way.
                Elisha Cooper uses small scale art to tell the story through pictures. The text is spread in wild was throughout the pages. Each illustration precisely shows what steps are taken to make ice cream.
                I would have my students find onomatopoeia as one of my activities for this story.  Then I would have my students do a science lesson and create their own ice cream.  Everyone loves ice cream, so why not make some? Lastly, I would have my students find how many different mammals have milk.  I would have them look up different ways that the milk is used, whether it is for their young or for human usages.  

SIT-IN How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down

SIT-IN How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down
Written By: Andrea Davis Pinkney
Illustrated by: Brian Pinkney
Little Brown and Company, 2010
40 Pages
Nonfiction

                "We must... Meet hate with love." Those were the six words by Dr. Martian Luther King Jr. that got them started.  Four men all looking for the same thing... An end to segregation. They set in a "white only" restaurant called Woolsworth. To find out more about their courage read SIT-IN How Four Friends Stood Up by Siting Down!
                Brain Pinkney does a great job at embracing a new artistic style creating expressive illustrations filled with such raw emotions. Emotions that capture the strength, hope, and imagination of these for men and so many others. These illustrations are so expressive that you actually feel like you are experiencing the story as it is told.
                I would use this book as a history lesson. First, I would have the students do research on segregation. Then I would have them reenact this story so that they can see how harsh segregation used to be.  Next, I would have my students write their own story about segregation and what it means to them.  Then I would allow them to draw a picture with it to express their feelings in a different way.  

Balloons Over Broadway

Balloons Over Broadway
Written & illustrated by:Melissa Sweet
Houghton Mifflin Hardcourt, 2011
40 Pages
Nonfiction

                Have you ever wondered who made the huge extravagant balloons in the Macy's day parade? How did someone come up with such a great thing that both young and old wake up early every Thanksgiving morning just to watch these giant balloons come down Main Street in New York City? In this story you will meet Tony Sarg, puppeteer extraordinaire! He came up with the most looked forward to part of everyone's Thanksgiving morning. Have an exciting time reading this biography about how he came to be about in Balloons Over Broadway.
                This book has very engaging pictures.  Sweet does a great job at incorporating media and collages in the illustrations.  This story is educational and engaging for the children. I believe that Sweet did an amazing job bringing this story to life.
                I would first use Balloons Over Broadway for a history lesson and have my students research all the different balloons that have been used in the Thanksgiving Day Parade.  Then I would have my students draw a balloon that they would like to create to be incorporated in the parade.  I would have each of my students then stand up and tell the rest of the class why they chose that particular balloon.  Then I would ask my students to find out how many years the Macy's Day Parade has been going on and how many balloons have been featured in it for a math lesson.

Dragon Howl

Dragon Howl
Written by: Vanessa and Philip Rouse
Illustrated by: Vanessa Rouse, PhD
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2013
40 Pages
Fantasy

                Do you ever feel lonely? Like there's no one that wants to be your friend? No matter how hard you try? Well that's how a certain dragon feels in Dragon Howl.  Over time dragon tries so hard to find a friend but everyone's afraid of him, until he meets a brave little boy.  Read Dragon Howl to see how they become the best of friends.
                Vanessa Rouse did a great job illustrating this children's book.  It has engaging colorful pictures that will capture both the children's and adults attentions. The text is incorporated throughout the illustrations, but does not take away from them.  She also does a magnificent job at relating the rhyming text with the pictures.
                For this picture book I would explain to my students about how people are different. Then I would have my students write a short narrative about a time when they have been courageous and went out and became friends with someone who was different from them. I would also explain to my students about how kindness can affect people. Then I would have my students draw a picture about a time when they have been kind.  Then I would end by having. My students write their own tale about a dragon who could never find a friend.

 

Sleeping Beauty

Sleeping Beauty
Retold by: Mahlon F. Craft
Illustrated by: Kinuko Y. Craft
SeaStar Books, 2002
29 Pages
Fantasy

                Have you ever wondered if maybe the story of Sleeping Beauty wasn't true? That maybe it could have happened differently? Maybe the wicked Medusa didn't exist.. Maybe it was another fairy that caused Aurora to go into a deep sleep? Find out in this retold version of Sleeping Beauty.

                The artwork used by Kinuko Y. Craft is amazing.  Craft did a great job at capturing the beauty of this story and showing it on many of the pages.  The book was prepared by using oil over water over on Strathmore illustration board.  The pictures will capture the attention of both the children and adults.

                For this book I would first have my students compare and contrast this story to the original. I would have them each write three differences and three things they have alike.  Then I would have my students look closely at the pictures and allow them to look on the internet and see if they can find illustrations just like the ones in this story.  Then I would have my students do a math lesson counting to 100. Then if they were older I would have them calculate how many hours she was asleep for those 100 years.

 

 

 

My Hippie Grandmother

My Hippie Grandmother
Written by: Reeve Lindbergh
Illustrated by: Abby Carter
Candlewick Press, 2003
16 pages
Poetry

This book is about a joyous little girl who is telling about her grandmother through poetry.  She tells all about what they do in one day.  From working in the garden to eating wheat-and-honey bread to picketing city hall.  In this book the little girl portrays how much she loves spending time with her hippie grandmother. Find out more about their story by reading My Hippie Grandmother! Flower power forever!
            Abby Carter used a mixture on watercolor and gouache to create the illustrations in this book.  Carter said that by illustrating this book it reminded her a lot of her childhood because her mother was also a hippie. She captures the true hippie theme from grandmother’s stringy long hair to the outrageous clothing the grandmother wears.  Each picture adds more emphases to the texts meanings.
            I would use this book to show students that not all older people are same. I would have the students use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast their own grandparents to the little girls Hippie grandmother.  Then I would also have the students write a paragraph about how they want to be when they get older.  Next I would have my students create their own pictures of older people and how they see them in comparison to the story.

Mother Goose

Mother Goose
Written by & Illustrated by: Dan Yaccarino
Golden book, 2003
39 pages
Poetry

In this book Dan Yaccarino adds a twist to the familiar realm of Mother Goose.  He put the classic Mother Goose poems in a city setting, giving the rhymes a new fresh perspective.  In this book Mary's lamb follows her to school in a taxi and Miss Muffet meets a spider in a dinner! Find out more of Yaccarino's unique additions to Mother Goose!

            Dan Yaccarino does a great job at portraying the many characters in this story.  He uses clean lines, unusual palette, and eye catching patterns to make this book.  Yaccarino uses very clean markings, there are no smudges.  Each illustration adds character to the text.

            For this book I would have my students make up their own poems. Then I would have them compare their rhymes to the original.  I could also have the student’s count how many stanzas are in theirs and in the stories for a math lesson.  Each student would then have to tell the rhyme schema. For example, A-B-A-B.

Dirt on My Shirt

Dirt on My Shirt
Written by: Jeff Foxworthy
Illustrated by: Steve Bjorkman
Harper Collins publishers, 2008
25 pages
 Poetry

            This book is a collection of poems that are about a neighborhood filled with friends, family, fun, and more.  Comedian Jeff Foxworthy wrote these books to capture the essence of being a child.  In these poems you'll meet uninvited friends, Tommy Huff, Cousin Boris, Aunt Foo Foo, and even grandma. Many of the poems can relate to children on their everyday lives.  Children are bound to love the humorous and affectionate poems in Dirt on My Shirt!

            Bjorkman first starts off his illustrations using only a pencil. Then when he is satisfied with the picture he outlines it and adds color by painting.  He ends each picture by adding a little watercolor to the background.  Bjorkman likes to have the illustrations drawn around the text to incorporate what the child should be imagining as the poem is read.

            Dirt on My Shirt is a great book to use to demonstrate rhyming words and medial sounds in words.  While reading the book you can point out the words that rhyme and also give examples for the students to understand how middle sounds have the same sound but do not rhyme. You could also have the children pick their favorite poem and allow them to draw their own illustrations to go along with it.  Next, you could have the children draw a picture of a place they have always wanted to visit and then on the back you could have them write a paragraph about that certain place.  It could be real or imaginary; it's all up to the students’ imagination.

The Three Little Gators

The Three Little Gators
Written by: Helen Ketterman
Illustrated by: Will Terry
Albert Whitman & Company, 2009
30 pages
Traditional Literature

                This story is a rewrite of the original Three Little Pigs.  This book is about three little gators and their mama who live in an east Texas swamp.  After their mama tells them it's time for them to set out on their own, they each go out to build their own homes. But as they are leaving she tells them to watch out for the Big-bottomed Boar. Go on an exciting journey with The Three Little Gators.
                Will terry uses great acrylic illustrations for this story.  He covers almost every page with his illustrations.  The text is placed around the illustrations.  On one of the pages he has the text placed vertically on the side of the page so you can see the illustration of the boar better.
                First for this story I would read the book aloud and then have the students retell the story back to me in sequence order, by using props previously made.  Then I would have the students rewrite their own version of The Three Little Pigs like Ketterman did.  They could do it about people, animals, or anything the ant to do it about.  I would also do a science lesson about what all animals are found in a swamp.  Each student would have to list as many animals they could think of.

The Gospel Cinderella

The Gospel Cinderella
Written by: Joyce Carol Thomas
Pictures by: David Diaz
Joanna Cotler Books, 2004
37 pages
Traditional Literature

                There's a singing Cinderella? Without a glass slipper?  This story is about a mother named Queen Mother Rhythm.  Who has a baby daughter with a voice as flavorful as licorice.  But one day the Queen took her baby to the river in a basket and a horrible hurricane came by and swept the sweet baby girl away. Find out what happens to the baby by reading The Gospel Cinderella.

                David Diaz is an award winning illustrator he uses bold, stylized works that make you want to actually experience what's going on in the story.  Each page is full of vibrant colors.  The pictures take up all the space on the pages.  The text is equally distributed throughout the book on each page.

                For this book I would allow my students to guess and write down what they think the story is going to be about.  Then after reading the book I would have my students match up what they had gotten right.  Next I would have my students make up their own Cinderella story.  Each student would be allowed to write a short paragraph about what they would want their Cinderella story to be.

Clinton Gregory's Secret

 
Clinton Gregory's Secret
Written and illustrated by: Bruce Whatley
Abrams, 2008
32 pages
Picture Book

            Have you ever had a huge secret that you didn't want to tell a single person or seven secrets just from last week? Well Clinton Gregory does. On Monday he wrestled a dragon and on Thursday he taught a triceratops a new trick!  See what all else happened during the week by reading Clinton Gregory's Secret.

            Bruce Whatley is an amazing writer and illustrator.  As an adult he does a great job capturing the imagination of a young child.  Ever page is a double spread, just the pictures alone will capture the attention of many students.  Whatley uses lifelike detail on all of his pictures.

            I would use this story as a retelling to have my students tell me what happened each day. Then I would also us it to assess my student’s knowledge on how good they knew their days of the week. Lastly I would use it as a science lesson to tell my students about dinosaurs and reptiles.  First the students will separate into groups of five and sit at a table with multiple books about reptiles and dinosaurs. Then the students will have a piece of paper that will have two columns on it with one being titled reptiles and the other dinosaurs. The students will have to find different types of each and put them under their titles.

Alice the Fairy

Alice the Fairy
Written and illustrated by David Shannon
The Blue Sky Press, 2004
30 pages
Picture Book

  
            When you were a kid did you ever think you were a fairy?  Well Alice did!  She uses her magic wand to change frogs into princes and even disappear!  To Alice being a fairy is very useful, even though some of her spells don't always come out the way she wants them too.  Have a fun and exciting journey using your imagination with Alice in Alice the Fairy.

            This is David Shannon's ninth book he has written by himself.  He wrote this book for his daughter, Emma and his wife.  Shannon uses paint media to make the illustrations in this book.  I love how this book is a double spread and the print used in this book is big and easily read.  In this story, Shannon made it to where Alice is the one telling the story from her point of view.  So children can easily relate to it.

            I would read this book to my children in my classroom and then have them use their imaginations and write their own stories if they were fairies.  Next, I would have my students draw pictures to go along with their stories.  Lastly, I would have each of my students tell their own stories to the whole class.  Then I would have them sit at their tables and allow them to talk about their stories with their classmates.  I would also let them pick their favorite page and we would display them on a wall in the hallway.

This Is the Sunflower

This Is the Sunflower
Written by Lola M. Schaefer
Pictures by Donald Crews
Scholastic, 2000
22 pages
Picture Book

 

This is a great book that teaches children facts about how a plant grows.  The sunflower is very important to humans and animals.  Children will learn that sunflowers are more than just a pretty flower.  They will learn how every part of the sunflower can be used in this book.

            Sunflowers are one of my favorite flowers.  I love their beauty and eat sunflower seeds.  I enjoyed learning many new facts about the entire plant.  I was amazed to learn that there are seventeen different birds that feed on sunflowers.  By reading this book you will learn how the entire sunflower plant is used.

            Donald Crews illustrations help the reader relate to see how tall and straight the sunflower stands.  I liked how the houses and tress were crooked in comparison to the tall plant.  The medium used in this story is watercolor and the text type is Futura Bold.

            I could teach a science class a lesson on the five senses from this book.  One of the science lessons would be how the seed would grow in the ground.  I would also introduce the children to the variety of birds that feed from the sunflower seed.  I would also have sunflower seeds for them to eat and they would learn to use all their five senses of taste, touch, smell, see, and hearing.  Some of the sunflower seeds would be cracked and some whole.

 

 

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons
By: Eric Litwin
Created and Illustrated by: James Dean
Harper, 2012
30 pages
Picture Book

 

 Have you ever had a favorite shirt and some of the buttons fall off? Well Pete the Cat has one with four totally groovy buttons.  He even sings a song about it!  Does Pete the Cat cry when one of his buttons fall off?  Goodness, no!  Let's count down together and see how many buttons he has left in Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons.

            As a child, I would have loved to read this book!  James Dean did a wonderful job creating and illustrating this book.   Pete the Cat is such a colorful book.  Almost every page is filled with bright extravagant colors.  Even the text is in multiple colors.  This book also has a song that goes along with the story.

I could use buttons with the students during small group and let the students make their own shirt before I read the book and allow them to take buttons off each time he lost a button for a math lesson.  I could also allow the kids to count along with Pete as he loses buttons.  I would keep track of the buttons lost on the board and allow the students to do the math in their groups and then let one student write it on the board.  Then another math lesson I could do is have the students make patterns with different buttons after I draw them on the board.   

Jake Stays Awake

Jake Stays Awake
Written & Illustrated by Michael Wright
Feiwel and Friends, 2007
32 pages
Picture Book

            Have you ever been woken up by your child climbing into bed with you?  Where you can never fall back asleep?  And no matter how many places you try to sleep with all three of you it just doesn't seem to work?  In this story, Jake can't seem to fall asleep unless it's in his parents’ bed. But then his parents think long and hard and come up with this great plan.  Will the plan work?  You'll never know unless you read Jake Stays Awake.

            When I discovered this book, I thought it would be a great book for parents who are struggling to get their children to sleep in their own beds.  I am glad I picked this book up because I can read it to my children when they start acting like Jake.

            Michael Wright used animation for this story.  He did a great job at creating such lifelike features in this book.  Many of the illustrations were double-spread, with very few being single. The text was spread throughout most of the illustrations.

            I would use this book at story time and have my students retell the story back to me, by using different props that represented each place Jake and his parents slept.  For example, having pictures of Jake's parents bed, the roof, and so on glued to a Popsicle stick.  Then I would also use it as a math lesson and have my students count all the random places they tried to sleep on.  Finally, I would have my students write their own stories and tell me where all they would like to sleep at with their parents if they were having a hard time sleeping alone.  I would also allow them to draw pictures to go along with it to be an art activity.