Kids at Work

Freedman, R. (1994). Kids at work: Lewis Hine and the crusade against child labor.
     New York: Scholastic, Inc.

Genre: Informational
Age Level: 10 and up

Summary:  Kids at Work is an informational text in the form of a photo essay.  The focus of this text is the incredible pictures taken by Lewis Hine.  No one before him had captured such vivid pictures of children working in factories, cotton fields, coal mines, etc.  These children were doing the work of adults and barely being paid. 
     Child labor was a cheap way to increase production, no matter what the job opportunity was.  Lewis Hine did not agree with the use of child labor and set out on a mission to prove to others that this needed to be stopped.  Children were losing their lives to these jobs and he could no longer ignore this fact.  So, he went all across the country taking pictures of children as they were working.  The author, Russell Freedman, compiled these pictures into this book so that others could see what was actually happening during this time period.
     This book is written very clearly.  The author made sure to stick to the point and focus on the fact that children were doing the work of adults.  The information was presented in a way that was known to unknown.  Most people knew that some children had to work, but no one really knew to the extent that child laborers were being used.  Kids at Work shows how children were being mistreated and abused as they were working these jobs.  The photographs prove that child labor was a fact.  There was no opinion that this was happening, but fact in the proof of the photographs.

Reflection:  To be honest, when I first borrowed this book from a fellow teacher, I did not think that I would want to read it at all.  However, once I started the book, I wanted to finish it.  I had heard many times of how children had to work, even from my own parents.  I didn't realize that there was so much use of children as laborers in our country, nor how harshly they were treated.  I was truly saddened by what I read and saw in the pictures of this book.
     I think this would be a good book to share with students in the classroom.  I know that some of them would have a tough time grasping how different the lives of the children in the pictures was from their own lives.  However, I think it would be good for them to realize how much better they have it than those children did.  We live in a "me" society and students need to realize that it isn't always about them.  I think that I could incorporate this book into character education activities and possibly Social Studies as well.

The Grouchy Ladybug

Carle, E. (1977). The grouchy ladybug. China:  HarperCollins Publishers.

Genre: Picture Book
Age Level: 5-7

Summary:  The Grouchy Ladybug is a cute story of grouchy ladybug who is always looking for a fight.  She goes throughout her day from 6:00am to 6:00pm trying to find someone to fight with, whether it be a stag beetle, a sparrow, or even a whale.  No matter their size, big or small, she always tells each creature that they are not big enough and she takes flight to find the next creature. 

Eric Carle who is the author and the illustrator did an amazing job with this story.  First of all, he used die-cut pages for the composition of this book.  The pages are cut this way in order to allow the reader to see each of the clocks located at the top of the page.  This adds meaning to the text because it shows the reader that the concept of time is being used throughout the book.  The illustrations are also very bright which compliments the text and shows the personality of the ladybug.

Reflection:  I think The Grouchy Ladybug could be used for so many different kinds of lessons in the classroom.  Students could learn the concept of time and following a daily schedule by looking at the clocks as they follow the path of the ladybug.  Students could also learn a lesson in manners as they see how grouchy the ladybug is and how polite the other creatures are.  I think it would also be neat to use this book to introduce some of the different types of insects and animals portrayed in this story.  Not all students are familiar with a stag beetle or praying mantis. 

Another idea for this story could include repetition.  Throughout this story, "Hey you,", "Want to fight?", and "Oh, you're not big enough!" are repeated on just about every page.  It would be a great idea to have the students discuss with each other why they think these words are repeated and what impact it has on the story.

Big Questions:  Do you know how to tell time? Why do you think the ladybug is looking for a fight? Is she really looking for a fight, or is there something else? Why do you think the ladybug repeats the same words over and over throughout the story?

The Polar Express

Van Allsburg, C. (1985). The Polar Express. Boston:  Houghton Mifflin Company.

Genre:  Picture Book
Age Level:  5-7

Summary:  The Polar Express is a Caldecott Medal book and has also been made into a major motion picture.  This book is an intriguing tale of what it means to still believe in Santa Claus.  The main character of the story, which we never learn his name, is at that pivotal point in his life where he doesn't know if he believes or not.  He finds himself on Christmas Eve being awoken by the sound of a steam engine, which will lead him on a magical journey to the North Pole.  There, he must decide whether he truly believes or not, and will be given the opportunity to accept the first gift of Christmas.

Chris Van Allsburg wrote and illustrated this wonderful book.  His illustrations are created in oil pastels all throughout the story.  This is seen vividly in the illustrations of the train ascending up the snow-covered mountains on the way to the North Pole.  It is also seen in the illustrations of the children aboard the train as they are about to leave the North Pole heading for home.  The illustrations are also realistic and represent natural forms.  This is seen in the illustration that shows the young boy accepting the first gift of Christmas.  The boys face is very vivid and real.

Reflection:  I can't believe how much I have enjoyed this book.  Christmas is one of my favorite holidays and this book and movie bring me so much joy during this time.  I am always in awe of the life-like images I see in this beautiful story.  The illustrations are what gives this book such dynamic meaning because they show the story without having to actually look at the words.  To me, this book is best used as a read-aloud during the last week of school before Christmas break.  Students should be treated to sweet candy and hot chocolate, while wearing their pajamas to school.  We have done this over and over at our school and it is always a wonderful experience for all of our students.  Most often, it is done with the movie instead of the book, but maybe that needs to change.

Big Questions:  Do you believe in Santa Claus? Why or why not? Why do you think the young boy can't hear the bell at first, but then is able to at the end of the story? What do you know about he Northern Lights? Would you get on board The Polar Express if it pulled up in front of your house?

Owl Moon

Yolen, J. (1987). Owl moon. New York:  Scholastic, Inc.

Genre:  Picture Book
Age Level:  5-7

Summary:  Owl Moon is a Caldecott Medal book.  This book is a sweet story of a young girl and her father who set out on an adventure.  This "owling" adventure will lead them through snow-covered hills and valleys in search of the great owl.  The young girl knows that this is an experience to treasure because not all who decide to go on this adventure get the privilege of seeing the majesty of the great owl.  Throughout the story, Jane Yolen uses many literary devices to add to the story.  For example, she uses metaphor when she wrote, "the trees stood still as giant statues."  She also used simile when she wrote, "...a train whistle blew, long and low, like a sad, sad song."  Her use of these devices adds to the text of the story and helps to relay the feeling of a calm, cold winter night.

The illustrator, John Schoenherr, used diagonal lines to depict motion all throughout the story.  These lines appear in the form of footsteps as the young girl and her father are walking.  This gives the appearance that they are walking uphill.  The shadows of the trees are also in the form of diagonals, which gives the sense that the two of them are either walking uphill, or downhill as they head home from their adventure.  The illustrations are a beautiful depiction of the calm of a winter wonderland during an "owling" adventure.

 


Reflection:  This book was so precious to me.  I know how special a bond is between a young girl and her father.  I couldn't believe I had never read this book before now.  Owl Moon would be a great resource to use when teaching literary devices, especially simile, metaphor, personification, and onomatopoeia.  Students would be able to discuss these devices based on the words chosen by the author.  They would also be able to explain with detail if given an open response type question asking them to describe one of these devices.  I think that I would also like to use this book as a read-aloud before actually beginning classwork on literary devices.  It would be a good introductory lesson.

Big Questions:  Why do you think the author calls this adventure "owling"?  What is the illustrator's purpose in using diagonal lines throughout this story? Where in this story can you find a simile or metaphor? What is the difference between these two devices?

Knuffle Bunny - A Cautionary Tale

Willems, M. (2004). Knuffle bunny - A cautionary tale. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.

Genre:  Picture Book
Age Level:  2-5

Summary:  Knuffle Bunny - A Cautionary Tale is a  Caldecott Honor Book.  This book is sweet story about a little girl named Trixie, who is not even old enough to speak yet.  Trixie has a beloved Knuffle Bunny, which is the center of her world.  She also loves to spend time with her daddy, even when he is visiting the laundromat.  Trixie, Knuffle Bunny, and her daddy are in for quite an adventure when they make a routine visit to take care of the family's laundry.  If you want to know what happen, you will definitely have to read this wonderful tale.

Mo Willems wrote and illustrated this book.  This book is very different from the "Pigeon" books that he writes and illustrates.  With the illustrations, the concept of directionality is being viewed on every page.  It is as though a map is being drawn before your eyes and you can see how to get from Trixie's home to the laundromat.  Also, the illustrations convey a greater sense of reality to a picture.  There is a mixture of real-life photos and the animated drawings of Trixie, her family, and those in her neighborhood.  This type of illustration can bring things to life in a more realistic way.

Reflection:  I found this book to be very easy to read and enjoy.  I thought that the use of real-world pictures along with the animated inllustrations added a neat feature to this book.  I have never seen this type of illustration used in any other book, and also found it to be quite different than Willems' other books.  This book would be a great read for young children who are having a hard time with responsibility.  It would also be a good way to show them how they really need to use their words to let people know what they are saying.  This book brought back memories of my son's younger days when he had a "burpie" as we called his cloth diaper that he had to take with him everywhere.

Big Questions:  In your opinion, what is a knuffle bunny? Why does Trixie have a knuffle bunny? Would you be upset if you lost something that was very special to you? How could you use your words to let someone know how you really feel about something or someone?

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Willems, M. (2003). Don't let the pigeon drive the bus!. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.

Genre:  Picture Book
Age Level:  2-6

Summary:  Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! is a Caldecott Honor Book.  This picture book is specifically centered around a pigeon who is actually "begging" to drive the bus.  Most of the book is focused on the pigeon and his use of persuasive techniques in order to get "you" to let him drive the bus while the bus driver is away.  Does the pigeon get to drive the bus? You will have to read it to find out. 

The author, Mo Willems, was also the illustrator of this book.  He used simple shapes in order to portray the pigeon, who was depicted in many different ways on each page of the book.  He also used little or no background color throughout the story.  This gave the impression that the pigeon was all alone, as shown in the illustrations.

Reflection:  I really enjoyed this book.  I had heard of Mo Willems before reading this picture book, but was not too familiar with his works.  I thought his techniques were very well presented.  I was under the impression throughout the whole book that is was the pigeon against the world.  His illustrations made that more prevalent due to the fact that the pigeon was alone on the page and also that the page was given a muted colored background.  I think this type of book would be great to use with younger students in order to teach proper persuasion techniques.  This book is a prime example of what you should not do in order to get your way.

Big Questions:  Does the pigeon have a driver's license? Should he really be asking to drive the bus if he doesn't have a license? Why does the pigeon want to drive the bus in the first place? Would you let the pigeon drive the bus if you were the bus driver?