Kitten's First Full Moon

Kitten's First Full Moon
Written and Illustrated by Kevin Henkes
Ages 3-6
***
Caldecott

It is Kitten's first time seeing a full moon and she thinks it is a bowl of milk.  Kitten goes on a comical night adventure trying to reach the bowl of milk.

The illustrations carried the story capturing the inquistive nature of cats along with the energetic but uncordinated attempts of kittens.  I often wonder what goes on inside the mind of a cat and I am sure kittens often mistake the moon for a big bowl of milk.  I have seen my cats attempt what I am sure they think is a fearless feat such as scaling the christmas tree or eating a cricket but it often ends in disaster for them and entertainment for myself at their brave attempt.  I liked how the illustrations were formated differently from full page illustrations to split pages, blinds and isolated sketches against a white background.  It was like a film reel of Kitten running... jumping.... and a dramatic shot of him landing in the pond.  Poor Kitten!  I found the language grating at times such as the repetition of "Poor Kitten!" and "What a night!".  I feel like children would empathize with Kitten without "Poor Kitten!" to prompt them. 

I think young students would enjoy this book because they would be wondering whats going to happen to Kitten!?  and be held in suspense to see how each new attempt will end.  When reading this book I would have my students work on making predictions.  We would ask questions such as "do you think the moon is really milk?" and stop in the midst of the action to discuss what might result. 

Literary Elements: More than just a Q&A

In high school I decided that AP Literature had ruined my personal enjoyment of reading.  I wanted to be absorbed by the story and not find myself analyzing themes and symbolism.  However I have come to realize that knowing about literary elements leads to a deeper understanding of the text and your interaction with it that might not have been possible without this recognition.  It is all a matter of how you approach literary elements within a story.  They should be seen as a doorway into aspects of the story that enables you to think more critically about the text and understand the complexities and nuances within rather than a secret code you have to crack to get the right answer.  The main literary elements are character, point of view, time, place, plot, mood, theme and symbols or extended metaphors.  All of these elements work together to give a story dimension but are usually not directly stated.  A basic understanding of these elements is necessary to understand how a story functions; you make predictions and inferences based on what you know about stories.  Without knowing about literary elements you would only have the most basic understanding of a story; where it took place, who the characters were, the sequence of events etc. with minimal interconnection.  Like any other art you need to learn the basics to break the rules.  In "Wasyside School is Falling Down" an understanding of literary elements is necessary to appreciate the humor otherwise it would just be strange and confusing.  Similarly "A Wrinkle in Tim" with its fantastical elements might appear devoid of any relation to the reader if they were not able to recognize interpersonal conflicts within the characters and common themes such as good and evil often represented through symbolism.
 It's no wonder many children do not like to read or can not immerse themselves in fiction.  If  a story comes across as one dimensional and there is no understanding of the characters as complex individuals, how and why they interact with their surroundings and resulting themes children will not connect with the text.  Real life is not one dimensional, it is full of contradictions, confusion and self discovery and that is what literary elements bring to a story.

The House in the Night

The House in the Night
by Susan Marie Swanson illustrated by Beth Krommes
Ages 3-6
****
Caldecott

The House in the Night is a cumulative story in which a girl is given a key to a house "In the house burns a light.  In that light rests a bed" and so on.  The story travels from her brightly lit house to the face of the moon and back to find her comforting place in this vast world.

The story in The House in the Night was simple and comforting much like the story in Goodnight Moon.  What I particularly enjoyed was how it moved from a micro view of the girl in her house in the light to the girl on a bird watching the sun hit the face of the moon then back to the comfort of her home.  It gave sense of how infinite life is moving from the girls room, to the surrounding countryside,  to the moon.  This could be an overwhelming feeling but rather there is a sense of interconnectedness.  The text and illustrations create a theme of dark and light, existing together; the moon is visible because the sun is shining on its face, even in the dark of night the girls room is filled with light from the moon and stars "Sun in the moon, moon in the dark, dark in the song, song in the bird".  Ultimately the girl returns to her home, her own niche in a vast world.
I often had trouble sleeping as a child and my thoughts would wander to all of the things that I did not have answers to or were unexplainable and overwhelming as a child.  I would have found this book very comforting as a bedtime read.  The illustrations are what really makes the story unique and powerful.  Krommes uses scratchboard and watercolor to create intimate images full of movement and character even when there is little actual action in the story.  The scratchboard technique gives the pages a lot of texture and contrasting shadows which emphasizes the theme of dark and light.  The images appear as intimate glimpses into the light in the house in the night.

I might use read this to a kindergarten class as a way to slow down the pace of the classroom.  The text is very simple and rhythmic with a repetitive language structure.  The words lull the reader into the story and give a sense of calm and comfort.  Children would really enjoy the illustrations which are simple yet full of detail which they would linger over pointing out new discoveries.  I might also use this to prompt the students to think about their own home and view of the world.  We could describe what is in our home, then around our home, then our furthest sense of what we know. The illustrations are also very rural so I think it would appeal to students in Iowa.

Crazy Hair

Crazy Hair

by Neil Gaiman illustrated by Dave McKean

Ages 4-9

****

A young girl dares to tell a strange man he has "crazy hair" and the man answers with a rhyming tale about the wonderous and mysterious world within his hair.  When she tries to comb hair she is happily sucked into this other world. 

I picked this book up because I am a huge fan of Neil Gaiman and the stunning artwork which accompanies his writing.  I expected magic but also something a little unsettling that you cannot quite put your finger on.  I was not disappointed.  The two characters have a quirky relationship through the story.  The young girl Bonnie claims the man has crazy hair and insists on combing it.  However the man is rather vain about his long unruly hair and informs her or warns her, of what lies inside, "tigers stalk... hunters send in expeditions...huge balloons come down to land".  It is the illustrations which set the mood for the story.  McKean appears to use a combination of photographs, found objects, paint and computer illustration to create surreal, full page images.  One two page spread reveals a pirate ship afloat a sea of scaley, magnified hair strands.  The artwork gives a sense of worlds within worlds all twisted up inside his crazy hair.  I found it entertaining that Bonnie seems to be the responsible one worried about the man's hygine while he boasts about what lives in his hair.  I remember being fascinated with long hair as a child.  When I grew up I wanted to be able to sit on my hair.  This seemed like a serious endeavor.  In the end Bonnie tries to comb his hair and she is pulled in by the agitated hair.  However this suites her because she teaches the lions to rhyme, sews the pirate vests and has great adventures safe inside the crazy hair.  I loved the way Bonnie fit right in to the world within his hair.  There is something so appealing about disappearing into another world especially one so outlandish.  She brings a comforting sense of normalacy into the world and into the story almost reminding me of Wendy and the lost boys.

I would love to read this book to younger students, everything about the book would appeal to them.  The rhyming would draw in the attention of children with its easy flow and leave them lingering over the phrases "twisting tangling trails.... and pirate sloops".  Children also have an active interest in hair; they want to touch everyone elses, they like to grow it out, they do not want to wash it. They would relate to the man in the book and it would create many new ideas and questions about hair and stories to share. The illustrations are what would give students that sense of mystery that they just can not put their finger on. We could

use the book to introduce an art project on collage or the students could create images of what they think would live in their hair.  Also as many schools have crazy hair days I think this book would be a lot of fun to read in preparation for the event.

Gaiman and McKean have collaborated on previous picture books such as "Coraline", "Wolves in the Walls" and "The Day I Swapped my Dad for Two Goldfish".  McKean's artwork for older audiances can be viewed at http://www.mckean-art.co.uk/.  Gaiman has writing for all ages and auidances from picture books to graphic novels so check out his official site!! http://www.neilgaiman.com/

Let's Do Nothing!

Let's Do Nothing!
by Tony Fucile
***
5-8
In Let's Do Nothing! two young boys have done everything there is to do; played every sport, painted every picture, read every book, so the decide to do nothing.  It turns out doing nothing is a lot harder than it seems; the boys try to sit without moving or speaking but their imaginations' run away from them! They realize it's impossible to do nothing.

This book reminded me of when I was a kid and my best friend and I would feel like there was nothing fun to do but our boredom never lasted long before we invented some silly new game.  As a kid it is easy to entertain yourself because everything is an adventure.  You see early in the book how creative the boys are so of course when they have to sit still they can't resist their imaginations and soon they are the empire state building being scaled by King Kong.  I also enjoyed their dynamic; one boy seems to have great knowledge of doing nothing and has to teach the other.  This always seems to be the case with best friends, one usually takes the lead.  The illustrations done in ink, acrylic and colored pencil really tell the story.  The story starts a few pages before the title page with sketches of the boys doing different activites which show them doing everything together.  Most of the book is sketches of the two boys against a white background but their expressions are so animated they create the characters.  The isolation of the characters illlustrates that the friends are in their own world.  When teir imagination gets the better of them the pictures become full page and brightly colored. 

I think children would find this book hilarious. They could definitely relate to the close friendship and the endless energy of the characters.  The entire story is dialogue between the two boys which is different than most books for young readers.  This book would be a good introduction into that perspective.  The students could hear a story told through converstaion rather than a story in which the plot is narrated.  At the end of the story the characters realize that it is impossible to do nothing because even doing "nothing" is something.  This would be a good example of being resourceful.  I would talk about how even when it seems like there is nothing to do your imagination is endless.  Children would also love when we see the boys become inanimate objects with their imagination.  We could talk about times we have had to be resourceful, what kind of activites we have created and how we use our imagination. 

Enemy Pie

Enemy Pie

by Derek Munson, illustrated by Tara Calahan King

Ages 6-9

****

In Enemy Pie a young boy is worried his summer will be ruined by his number one enemy until his dad tells him the secret of "enemy pie".  The pie will get rid of enemies, but first you have to spend one whole day with them and be nice for it to work.  By the end of the day the number one enemy is a new friend. 

This book absolutely captures the experience of having a childhood enemy, the one kid you have a grudge against.  The narrator was not invited to his enemy's trampoline party and his enemy just moved in by his best friend.  The narrator is jealous and afraid that his enemy will steal his best friend.  I remember feeling the exact same way in elementary school.  Somone did not invite you to their birthday party, a kid made fun of your show and tell and at that age it's reason for them to become your number one enemy. In the story, as in life, it appears to the reader that the animosity was probably a misunderstanding to begin with.  When the two kids actually spend the day together they realize how much they have in common and become good friends.  The story is told in first person and narrator is never given a name which increases the intimacy of the first hand perspective.  The illustrations are done in colored pencil and pastels in a simple, cartoonish style.  The simplified illustrations allow for the reader to fill in the details with personal settings and experiences.  I think most kids could relate to playing outside all day and never having enough time to play before dinner.

While this book appears to be about enemies it is really about making new friends which is a shared experience among children.  The story shows that if you do not get to know someone and give them a chnace, someone who could have been a best friend might become an enemy.  The narrator has to spend a day with his enemy and we see his nervous ancicipation when he asks him to play and his enemies confusion at his invitation.  The narrator may have been too scared to make friends with the boy and so he became his enemy instead.  I would use this books to spark conversations about personal experiances with enemies and friends.  I would have the students think about an enemy of theirs.  Why were they enemies, what happened?  I would have them try to think of it from the enemies perspective, could there have been a misunderstanding like in the book?  Then I would have them think of a time when they made a new friend.  Was it scarey, why?  What did they do together?  We could discuss what people should do when they make new friends and what would make them more comfortable.  This discussion would be a good way for students to get a better understinding of their classmates and how other children view friendship. 

Visit this address for a creative writing project designed by the author Derek Munson http://www.enemypie.com/enemy_pie_creative_writing.pdf

Nikki Giovanni on Writing and Hip Hop

There is a tendency to assume the child is only a smaller version of ourselves, or worse, a simple human being incapable of thinking complex thoughts.  I hope my poetry reaches both the heart and the mind of a child who is a child and the adult who still nurtures the child within.  -Nikki Giovanni

When Giovanni began writing in college her conservative ideals were shifting towards a more revolutionary viewpoint.  Giovanni was moved by social injustice and disturbed by the murders of leaders such as John. F. Kennedy and Malcolm X.  This was expressed through her writing and she was seen as a political activist.  As her writing progressed it become more introspective and she began to focus on themes such as family.  Giovanni began publishing poetry for children (Something About the Author 80).

Giovanni’s publications for children highlight African American history and celebrate black culture but their themes are universal.  They convey the simple joys of childhood, oppression and self empowerment.  They are at their core an expression of humanity.

Throughout her life Giovanni has been active in teaching others to write and encouraging people to see themselves as writers.  In “Conversations with Nikki Giovanni” Giovanni is asked why she enjoys working with people who are not “writers” such as the Warm Hearth group. She responded, “I have the theory that everybody… can write” (Giovanni 198). She believes that writing is secondary to life, writing is a product of life, which everyone experiences.   Giovanni often describes life as a cycle.  In her writing she examines the past to understand the future and looks to the future to understand the past.  Giovanni believes this close examination of life is what defines a writer.  She believes that to write you must look at the big picture and be able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, “Experience is important, but empathy is the key” Giovanni states, because we will never actually experience what it is to be someone else (Giovanni 202).    

Giovanni has always appreciated expression through the spoken word.  Since she was young she was surrounded by rhythm and her writing heavily influenced by gospel and rhythm and blues music.  Giovanni herself has released records, recorded poetry readings and readings set to gospel music.  She believes oral presentations “tap something primal.  There’s something about the reading voice that’s very different” (Giovanni 85). Her appreciation of rhythm led to a love of hip hop. Giovanni makes an effort to work with current hip hop artists as seen in “Hip Hop Speaks to Children”.  Giovanni has always had a great respect for Tupac Shakur and often speaks on his daring and truthful writing describing him as, “a lover whose love was often deliberately misunderstood” (Intro to “Love Poems”). 

Visit Giovanni's Website at http://nikki-giovanni.com/index.shtml

The Sound of Colors

n,The Sound of Colors: A Journey of the Imagination

Written and Illustrated by: Jimmy Liao

Picture Book

8-11

*****

In this story a woman who ha recently lost her sight travels around the city.  As she describes riding the subway without her sense of sight she uses her imagination to create possible worlds around her.

This book was a magical journey for me.  I was drawn in by the first few pages and each new page filled me with suprise and wonder.  The writing has soft, lyrical quality that makes what would be everyday observations into mysterious insights, "I walk down, down, down, to the subway platform, where the wind never blows and the rain never falls".   The illustrations are done in water color to create surreal scenes in everday places.  She comes out of the subway to find pigs playing in a forest of golden leaves or imagines the beach she is laying on to be a giant submerged whale. The main character wonders many fantastic what ifs that remind me of when I still asked wondered about the world, before I thought I already knew it all.  It reminded me of the quote, "Thinking we know it all closes our hearts to what is beautiful and new".  Her lack of sight allows her to imagine endless possibilites about the world around her.  She is searching for home, a friend, someone to hold her hand and look at the stars.  I can relate to feeling so alone in the world at times. 

This book is pure pleasure.  I would read it to children to illustrate that books can be a magical escape.  I would remind them that they can use their imagination to shape their world.  The style reminds me of Shel Silverstein's poetry because both look at the everday in an extraordinary way.  I could also take it in a different direction and discuss what it would be like to lose your sight and be alone in the world.  Is she sad about losing her sight?  If she could see would she imagine all of these wonderful things?

Ego Tripping

Ego Tripping and Other Poems for Young People
by Nikki Giovanni
10+
****

Ego Tripping is a collection of poems which celebrate black culture from the social and spiritual history to adolescence while also giving a voice to the adversity faced by black youth.  It is in two parts; the first has a revolutionary vibe and makes spiritual references along with references to iconic figures of the Harlem Renaissance.  The second part makes many references to nature with themes of hope and change.

I enjoyed some of the poems in this collection, especially the title poem.  "Ego Tripping" had a larger than life feeling with its bold language and mix of spiritual and historical elements.  I liked the strong "I" and the way the narrator is ever present.  However I felt like I could relate with many of the poems as a white reader because they were so centered around black power and identity.  Also many of the poems used outdated language in a way that it was awkward to read unless you put yourself in that time.  The illustrations were realistic and appeared to be done in a sepia ink.  I did not find that they added much to the text.

I do not think I would want to use this book in the classroom.  First I did not find the poetry itself very affective and second I think it would be hard for students to relate to the text, even the African American students.  Most of the African American students I have worked with are from Chicago and are not going to relate to poems about Africa any more than a white student.  Also because some of the language is outdated ex. faggoty,  it would take maturity and contextual understanding on the part of the reader to appreciate it. 

Hip Hop Speaks to Children

Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat
Edited by Nikki Giovanni
8+
***

Hip Hop Speaks to Children is a collection of poems by various authors celebrating writing with rhythm.  The books comes with a CD with selected poems read by the author.  Authors include Mos Def, Kanye West, Tupac Shakur, Maya Angelou and Nikki Giovanni.

I find it hard to find quality poetry for kids so I enjoyed this collection.  It combines accredited poets with current musicians tying them together with the rhythm of their poetry. There were poems by authors I enjoy but would not have thought to be accessible to young readers. However some of the poems were disappointing and seemed to be written with a simplified idea of children's poetry.  I like the idea of incorporating spoken poetry with the written form.  I think listening to poetry is a completely different experience than reading poetry.  Some of the recordings were not what I expected and seemed to lack the power behind the poems.  This may have been because the authors had a young audience in mind but some of the readings sounded awkward.  There were a number of illustrators.  One used ink, paint and collage to create bright, layered images and portraits which I enjoyed referencing as I read the poem.  Another used oil paint or water colors but the illustrations were very generic and detracted from the poems.  They all seemed to express a singular message such as happy, sad, lonely which simplified the poems even more.

I would use this book in the classroom to let students experience rhythm within writing.  Students might get a better feel for flow within their own writing from an early age.  I might use it as an introduction to poetry to show how diverse poetry can be.  The audio CD would be a great interactive tool, allowing the students to explore the readings on their own.  Students would have the ability to flip through the book and find poems that appeal to them.  Current artists might draw the attention of students who would normally not be interested in poetry.

Shimmy Shimmy Shimmy Like My Sister Kate

Shimmy Shimmy Shimmy Like My Sister Kate: Looking at the Harlem Renaissance through poems
by Nikki Giovanni
14+
*****

Shimmy Shimmy Shimmy is African American history and social issues and conflict and celebration and ... great poetry.  I thought this book was going to deconstruct the Harlem Renaissance using poems for textual support. I was expecting a history book with some poetry.  Instead it was a collection of poetry which decribed the Harlem Renaissance, was the Harlem Renaisscance.  I loved this book.  I think it should be used as a textbook to teach black history.  The experiences and people and feelings in the book are the why and the what behind the Harlem Renaissance.  The poems are raw testaments of the African American and at times made me think critically about myself in respect to minorities as with one line from Langston Hughes' Theme for English B "As I learn from you, I guess you learn from me- although you're older-and white-and somewhat more free." I thought of the inequality in place even today when I go to Grant Wood for block A.  My student and I are supposed to be learning from each other but I am still the educated, white, teacher and he is still the black student from the southside of Chicago.  People will have preconceptions about him before he is eight.  There were many times when I could directly relate to the narrator about love and fear and simply human experiances.  Ntozake Shange in it's not so good to be born a girl/ sometimes writes "i'm so saddened that being born a girl makes it dangerous to attend midnight mass unescorted".  I may have a lot more security than Ntozake did as an African American girl in the mid 1900s but I am saddened that being a girl restricts what I do, where I go.  That I have reason to be afraid when there are not any street lamps.

Using Shimmy Shimmy Shimmy in a classroom would have to be well thought out because it is a complex text.  It is not a text book.  I put it at ages 14+ based on the classroom environment while I believe younger students  might be capable of reading and appreciating it.  Many of the poems cover sensitive subjects and use uncensored language.  Teaching it would require maturity on the readers part.  I would like to use it as textual support for the Civil Rights movement.  History in the classroom is often taught with
key events and dates that give no real understanding to past or lasting knowledge.  Shimmy Shimmy Shimmy  would give students a much deep understanding of the complexities of the time period.  Students could even choose one particular poem/ author and connect it to their understanding of social issues.

Rosa

Rosa

by Nikki Giovanni

Illustrated by Bryan Collier
http://www.bryancollier.com/index.php
8-11

*****
Coretta Scott King Award

Rosa tells the story of Rosa Parks and how her refusal to give up her bus seat inspired a community to make a stand for their civil rights.

I opened Rosa expecting a dry piece of historical fiction.  I remembered the story of Rosa Parks from elementary school but had forgotten how big of an impact Rosa Park's actions made towards African American civil rights.  Rosa's intimate viewpoint and vivid illustrations tell the story from a fresh approach, it was almost like hearing the story for the first time.  The story incluids details from Rosa's everday life making her a dimensional character.  She became a real person I could empathize with rather than the almost fictional character she becomes through the retelling of her story in school.  Her down to earth character makes her actions take on a new appeal.  She did not not get on the bus planning to protest segregation, she was not a politcal activist.  She was an everyday woman who was tired of being treated as less, pushed aside, of "putting white people first" and accepting this as a reality.  I could relate to feeling beat down and thinking 'not today'. 

The artwork was also irresitable, each page was a glimpse into Rosa's world.  Collier created the illustration in water colar and a collage of materials for a surreal affect.  Every page has intense emotion which reflects the energy surounding the movement.  One illustration shows women meeting in secret to create flyers prompting the people of Montgomery to walk in protest of the buses and in support of Rosa.  There are flyers floating around the room as they work creating a sense of magic and power.  In another illustration Martin Luther King is giving a speech and there is an abstract globe of light around him and you can just see the palms of hands reaching up to him in support (below).  You can feel his presence and the support and unity of the people.  It was an inspirational story. 

I would use this book in class while learning about the civil rights movement.  Rosa would add a personal touch to the historical approach.  The story puts the reader in that time period and prompts them to think about how they would have reacted.  I might have the students connect the story to a time when they stood up for something they believed in.  I would ask them to put themselves in Rosa's shoes and think about how her family and friends felt, what pressures she faced and if it was worth it.

Knoxville, Tennessee

Knoxville, Tennessee
by Nikki Giovanni
Ages 5+
***

Knoxville, Tennessee is a poem in picture book form in which a young girl describes her favorite things about summer in Knoxville, Tennessee. 

The first time I read through the book it did not leave a lasting impression.  I did not approach it as a poem but a short story.  I thought the language and pictures were simplified and did not really connect to the story which is presented as a list of southern, summer memories.  Then I read through it slower, and a third time even slower taking time to hear the words, look at the pictures  and read the words again.  It grew on me, especially the way the illustrations work with the text.  The poem style comes across as a giant, run on sentence and reminded me of how young children tell a story.  The poem begins "I always like summer best" and goes on to describe the "okra and greens and cabbage and lots of barbecue and buttermilk".  I could hear the sing song voice of a five year old telling me about Knoxville, Tennessee.  The illustrations appear to be done in oil pastel in an impressionist style.  The illustrations use a lot of blue, green and brown which gives them a rich feeling of nature with white highlights which creates a sense of innocence. The light in the drawings is blurred and makes the scenes feel heavy with summer heat.  The illustrations added a lot of detail to the simple text.  At times I could not relate to the specific references but the illustrations reminded me of summers when I was a kid; long hot hours playing outdoors, the light through the trees and the cool shadows when the sun went down.

I would use this book in a class as a basis for personal reflection and/or poetry.  I would use this book to prompt students to think about what makes summer special for them.  I would encourage them to write about their summer using their senses; what do they see, feel, hear, smell, taste.  Then I would ask them to go into as much detail as possible.  In the book the young girl mentions things that are very particular to her summer in Knoxville such as okra and walking to the mountains.  This would be a great opportunity for students to reflect on their experiences and see how unique they are from person to person and share with each other.  There is a line at the end of the poem "and be warm, all the time, not only when you go to bed and sleep".  This is such a simple line but can reveal a lot about the writer.  Why do they value warmth so much?  Why would they only be warm when they go to bed?  By examining their experiences in detail and comparing them to others, students could learn a lot about themselves.  This book would also be a good introduction to poetry for students. It would give them early understanding that poetry does not have to have a rigid rhyming structure.