Table of Contents
Odd Boy Out by Don Brown……………Biography/Picture Book
Crickwing by Janell Cannon…..........Storybook/Picturebook
The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke……Fantasy/Chapter Book
Ida B
by Katherine Hanninan …….Fiction/Chapter Book
Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes…….Story Book
Picture Book
The Cats in Krasinski Sq. by Karen Hess..Historical Fiction
Poetry /Picture Book
Wilma Unlimited by Kathleen Krull..Biography/Picture Book
Black and White by David Macaulay..Post Modern/Picture
Storybook
Flip Flop Girl by Katherine Patterson.Fiction/Chapter Book
Chicken Sunday by Patricia Polacco..Multicultural Picture
Storybook
Firetalking
by Patricia Polacco…Biography/Picture Book
I Can Hear the Sun by Patricia Polacco.Fantasy/Picture Book
My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss…Poetry/Picture Book
Cannon, Janell (2000) Crickwing, Illus. J. Cannon, Pub. San Diego:
Harcourt, Inc.
Picture Book/ Storybook
A crooked winged cockroach is the central character of this tale. Crickwing
is a frustrated sculptor who is bullied and in turn becomes a bully. The
illustrations are bright colorful acrylics painted so realistically they look
almost like photographs.
Quote:
(n. p.) “Oh, I just like to play with my food.” This is how Crickwing
explained his sculptures and his ability as a chef. The children loved this
response.
I read this book aloud to a group of eight first graders. We were gathered
around a round half table so all could see the pictures and follow along as I
pointed to the words and read the story.
We began by opening the cover wide and examining front and back. They
easily recognized the ants but were unsure of Crickwing. They thought he
might be a grasshopper. We then looked at the mustard yellow end pages. I
reminded them that endpapers were usually a certain color for a reason but
that I had no idea why these were this color. I asked them to be looking for a
reason as we read the story. About halfway through the story, Isaiah said,
“Mrs. Greene, the end papers are the same color as Crickwing’s wings!”
This, we agreed was true, after holding the endpapers next to his wings.
On the title page, there is a small black and white illustration of Crickwing
pulling a large object. Guesses of the students as to the identity of the object
ranged from a tulip to a turnip to a cocoon. The dedication page has a series
of black and white drawings depicting what the students determined to be
the life stages of this bug, whatever it is.
As we began the story, we found out Crickwing was a cockroach – to
everyone’s surprise. They were fascinated by his creations and we had to
discuss what he used to make his sculptures. They were dismayed when a
predator came along and ate the sculptures. But when he started picking on
the ants, they decided he was a bully too and he lost their support. That is
until the ants catch him and plan to give him over to the fire ants. They of
course did not believe that he would die and were not surprised he was
saved. Everyone was interested in his plan. Although we had several guesses
as to what he was going to do, no one thought of him using a sculpture. The
illustration of Crickwing flying through the air with the ants on his back
made them laugh. They loved the anteater and enjoyed pointing out ways
you could tell it was a creation of Crickwing’s and not a real anteater. They
were concerned with the last illustration of Crickwing standing up and all
the ants around him. Jeb pointed out that if he fell, he would kill the ants.
We of course had to discuss why that probably wouldn’t happen.
When asked if the illustrations in the book reminded them of anything we
had read recently, Jeb responded, “Stellalluna!” I then told them Janell
Cannon also wrote and illustrated Stellalluna.. We got Stellaluna off the
shelf and compared the two.
After finishing the story, I asked them to draw a picture to go with the story
and tell about it.
Hannigan, Katherine (2004) Ida B, Pub. New York: Greenwillow Books
Fiction/ Chapter Book
Ida B is a young girl who has been perfectly happy at home, being home
schooled. She feels her life is perfect and enjoys the friendship of the trees
and the brook on her parents land. A bright child, she likes to make detailed
plans and carry them out.
Then her mother gets sick and her world changes forever. Some of the trees
must be cut down and land sold. She must leave home each day and go to
public school. Ida B does not make the best of her situation but decides to
make life miserable for everyone. As the story progresses, Ida creates many
problems for herself before she begins to accept her new life and adapt.
Quotes:
(p. 87) “…my heart was a sharp, black stone that was small enough to fit in
the palm of my hand. It was so hard nobody could break it and so sharp it
would hurt anybody who touched it.” This is a beautiful description of pain
and I think one or two of my students could relate. Through discussion, I
discovered my students understood and appreciated the analogy.
(p. 169) “I’m not mean. Really. Come back, That soft, sappy part of me
wanted to say.
My rock-hard heart wouldn’t have any of that…”
One of my toughest third graders seemed to really get into the conflict Ida B
experienced between the part of her that wanted to be good and the part that
wanted to be bad. I wasn’t even certain he would understand the passage but
he connected with it.
I read this book aloud to a group of nine second and third graders. They are
children with reading disabilities and some have emotional issues. I read this
book over a period of several weeks. The students then wrote in a response
journal each day. Several of them have ADD and listen better if some part of
their body is moving. I gave them drawing paper and they were free to draw
while I read aloud. Some of the pictures are included in their journals.
As we began the book, several were fascinated with the apple on the front
cover. They soon got over that focus. They all enjoyed hearing about Ida B
and were happy when it was read aloud time. They progressed from
groaning as they began to write to even occasionally getting excited about
what they were going to write. That is huge progress for this group. I have
never before used Response Journals as we read a novel but I will certainly
continue this practice.
Henkes, Kevin (2004) Kitten’s First Full Moon, Illus. K. Henkes, Pub.
Greenwillow Books
Picture Story Book
This is a delightful story of a little kitten who mistakes the full moon for a
bowl of milk. In her attempts to reach the bowl of milk, she suffers many
trials and ends up cold wet and hungry. Using shades of black, gray and
white; gouache and colored pencils were used to create bold drawings which
enhance the nighttime feel of the book.
Quotes:
(n. p.) “Still, there was the little bowl of milk, just waiting.”
(n. p.) “Poor Kitten!”
I read this book aloud to a group of seven students. Six of them were first
graders and one was a fourth grade EMD student. They loved the book! As
we read the book aloud they enjoyed “reading” with me the two refrains
listed above as quotes. They enjoyed trying to guess what would happen to
Kitten next. As we began to read the book they anticipated Kitten would get
a firefly in her mouth. And when she climbed the tree to try and reach the
moon, they had a serious discussion as to whether she would fall out of the
tree. And when Kitten saw the moon in the pond, no one doubted she would
get wet. Several hours after hearing the book the EMD child said, “That cat
got wet. That was a good book!”
When we began the book we looked at the end papers, which are gray with
rows of white circles outlined on black. Before we read the book, the
students agreed they were rows of moons. When we looked at the end papers
at the back of the book, after having read the story, they said “They’re bowls
of milk!”
After reading the book, we had a discussion about Kitten and our own pets. I
asked each child to draw a picture of his or her pet and write about it.
Hesse, Karen (2004) The Cats in Krasinski Square, Illus. W. Watson Pub.
New York: Scholastic Press
Historical Fiction/ Picture Book/Poetry
This story is set in Nazi Occupied Warsaw, Poland during WWII. A young
Jewish girl escapes capture and imprisonment and uses the homeless cats
and Jewish Resistance to help outsmart the Gestapo. The brown tones of the
watercolor illustrations are perfect for the mood of this book.
Quotes:
(n. p.) “ The cats
come
from the cracks in the Wall,
the dark corners,
the openings in the rubble.”
So begins the beautiful story of the triumph of the human spirit over the
darkest evil.
(n. p.) “we open our
baskets
and let the cats
loose.”
The bravery and ingenuity of these people remind the reader that one child
can make a difference.
“Fronting” the Picture Book
Spread the cover wide and you have a scene of the rooftops of a bombdamaged city. On the front cover the scene is interrupted by a “close up”.
There is an illustration of a girl surrounded by cats framed in brown bars.
The type used for title, author and illustrator are written in brown Antykwa
Poltawskiego, designed and cast by Polish typographer, Adam Jerzy
Poltawski. This is the type used throughout the book. End pages are a deep
red. The color reminds me of dried blood but probably represents the red
brick of the Wall. The title page two-page, bird’s eye scene shows the city
square filled with armed guards. The title is written in the deep red of the
end pages and is set in a tan rectangle bordered by bars like those used on
the cover.
Text / Language / Artistic Technique
The first person poetic language was powerful in this book. The brown toned
illustrations enhanced the gravity of the situation. As you read through the
book you are impressed with the feeling of desperation enclosed in hope.
The poetic narrative tugs at the heart from the very first page and had me in
tears before I was finished. Yet it is always hopeful and never despairing.
The outlined watercolor illustrations follow the same tone. The brown toned
illustrations are gently brightened with light. We see light coming through
windows and falling on the girl. We see sunlight filtering through the
buildings shining on the girl in the square. Every illustration has that bright
element of hope, as does the text.
Personal Response
This is truly a powerful picture book. In order to read and understand the
story, children must have studied WWII and Hitler as our fourth graders do.
Therefore, I will probably read this with my fourth graders. I saw this book
in the Book Fair last month and had to buy it.
I had never heard this story before. My husband has visited Auschwitz and I
have visited the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC. I am amazed again
and again by man’s unlimited potential for evil and his unlimited potential
for good.
The girl in this book is certainly a role model for never giving up and never
quitting. All of us need to believe one person can make a difference and that
if we join together we can do great things. The model for cooperation and
giving in this story is one that needs to be told and retold.
Krull, Kathleen (1996) Wilma Unlimited, Illus. D. Diaz, Pub. Orlando:
Voyager Books
Biography / Picture Book
Wilma Rudolph was a sickly black baby girl who developed polio at the age
of four. With the love and support of a large strong family and tons of
determination, Wilma not only walked but was the first woman to win three
gold medals in track in the Olympics. The acrylic illustrations are placed on
background photographs relevant to the story.
Quote:
(n. p.) “Standing alone, the sound of hymns coloring the air, she unbuckled
her heavy brace and set it by the church’s front door. Taking a deep breath,
she moved one foot in front of the other, her knees trembling violently. She
took her mind off her knees by concentrating on taking another breath, and
then another.”
This is an incredibly powerful scene. The strength and determination of this
girl is made more beautiful by her certainty of the love and support of
friends and family in the church.
“Fronting” the Picture Book
The front cover of the book is a drawing of a young woman running. Her
legs are stretched wide and her arms are swinging. She has a look of
contented concentration on her face. The art is modern looking and would
appeal to older students as well as younger. It is a type of illustration which
says, “This is a not a baby book. It is OK for anyone to read.” The kind a
slow reader would not be embarrassed to have in his book bag. The back
cover appears to be a photograph of the ground. The end pages are solid
white. The two-page spread of the title page appears to be a photograph of a
quilt of book pages in tones of brown. The title, author and publisher are
written in black letters inside rectangles of natural paper beige. The
dedication page is a brown toned photograph of a wooden fence with vines
hanging down. Copyright information and dedication are in rectangles just
like those on the title page. The book is dedicated to two strong
grandmothers.
Artistic Technique
All the pages have backgrounds of brown toned photographs, which follow
the story line and compliment the vibrantly painted illustrations. The
illustrations are outlined in black and bordered in black centered on the right
photographed page. On the left page the text is printed in black on a
rectangle on the same natural paper used for title and dedication pages. In
two places in the book there is no text and the illustration covers both sides
of the spread. This is to illustrate the day she first walked alone (in the
church) and the illustration of her winning the Olympics. These two events
Were pivotal in her life and didn’t need words. We needed to pause and look
at the illustrations and appreciate her accomplishment.
Personal Response
This is a wonderful book of determination and the loving support of family.
I cannot imagine the determination it took to overcome the pain and make
herself learn to walk. This is a wonderful example of a person who is
focused and goal oriented. I have had students in the past who have had to
live with braces. One of them moaned and cried so much that her parents
refused to make her try. She is in her twenties now and will always be in a
wheel chair. Another child had a father who didn’t want him to walk and yet
he tried. When his father was removed from the situation, he not only
learned to walk but to run. He no longer wears braces at all and runs all over
the school. I expect to see great things from him.
Macaulay, David (1990) Black and White, Illus. D Macaulay Pub. Boston:
Houghton Mifflin Co.
Post Modern / Picture Story Book
In this book you have four concurrent stories, which at first do not seem to
connect. You have the story of the boy on the train going home. You have
the story of the two children whose parents are going to work. Also there is
the story of the people waiting on the train platform. Then there is the
strange story of the cows. The art for each story is very different styles.
Quotes:
(n. p.) On title page: “Warning: This book may contain three different stories
or maybe just one. Read carefully and decide for yourself.” This is crucial to
understanding what to do with this book.
(n. p.) But the best thing about Holstein cows…is no matter how far they go,
they always come back- when they want to be milked.” What a strange
statement! It is very typical of this book.
A description of the book for those not familiar with it:
As you look at the front back cover spread of this book, you notice the odd
coloration of the title and the image of the man in the cow pointing down.
End papers are red, not black or white. On the title page, the title is red as is
a warning. The rest is in black and white. The copyright page is in the back,
written on strips of torn paper. The hand is lifting the train station and the
black and white dog has torn paper in his mouth. All of this sets the stage for
an expectation of a very different kind of book. In this book things may not
be as they appear. The author’s warning puts the reader on guard to pay very
close attention to pictures and stories and to expect the unexpected.
The black and white dog, the black and white cows, the black and white
newspapers along with the robber make for some interesting illustrations.
Most of the time the illustrations matched the text but at times they didn’t,
such as when the boy said an old lady sat next to him and it appeared to be a
robber in a dress. And the statement, “The worst thing about Holstein Cows
is that if they ever get out of the field, they’re almost impossible to find.” is
not accompanied by a compatible illustration. In that illustration the cows
are easily seen however the robbers are hiding behind the cows. The robbers
are not mentioned in the text.
The four different stories are different perspectives of the same story with
matching or not illustrations. On turning to the first page, there are four
stories with four titles. “”Seeing Things” is illustrated in soft pastel
watercolors. “ A Waiting Game” is illustrated using bright bold colors and
shows only the train station and what is happening there. “Parent Problems”
is done mostly in shades of brown except for the black and white dog, the
boy’s shirt that is much like the robbers and the newspaper. And then
“Udder Chaos” is primarily in black and white with a little udder color
thrown in. This color difference certainly helps keep the stories apart except
when the stories sometimes spill over into each other.
Student Response:
I read this book aloud to a group of six fourth graders with a range of
disabilities: hearing impaired, learning disabled, and emotionally disabled.
Their reading levels range from early first grade to beginning fourth grade
level.
These boys loved this book. They were climbing all over each other to see
the pictures. Before we began, we examined the cover, end pages and the
title page. When I opened the book cover so front and back could be seen at
the same time, they immediately remarked about the face in the cow on the
back. They were very interested in the title page with the sheets tied together
and the broken bars. They enjoyed the warning and took seriously the choice
of reading one story at a time or all four stories at a time. In fact we had to
take a vote. The choice was to read one story at a time but that didn’t last.
We had to read it through three times and each time took 20 to 30 minutes
because they were so interested in all the details. Needless to say, we were
on this book for several days. They noticed details we never saw on class.
They noticed the black and white striped shirt on the boy and on the robber
and how that was the color of the cows. They noticed details I’m not certain
the artist noticed.
They could not agree as to the “real” story. There was much discussion as to
whether the boy on the train dreamed the whole thing or whether the events
all really happened or whether the whole story was about the boy and girl
and the other stories were part of their play. We were OK with leaving it
open and not really knowing.
After reading the story, my students were eager to write their own stories.
We divided into groups of three and they discussed their stories and how to
write. This is a group of students who NEVER get along. They usually have
difficulty working in pairs. This time they worked cooperatively in groups with no arguing! They were proud of the results and so was I. I told them I
would like to use their books for examples to show future classes.
Patterson, Katherine (1994) The Flip Flop Girl, Pub. New York: Puffin
Books
Fiction
A nine-year-old girl deals with the death of her father and a young brother
who is a selective mute. As the story begins the father has recently died and
the family is preparing to move to a small Virginia town to live with the
step-grandmother. As a result of the death, the five-year-old Mason has
stopped talking and eating.
Dressed in Salvation Army “new” shoes and dresses, Vinnie begins life at
Gertrude B. Spitzer Elementary School shackled to her disturbed little
brother. The bright spot in her life is the greatest teacher ever, Mr. Clayton.
Rejected by most of the children, Vinnie meets an unusual girl, Lupe. This
potential new friend may help her find a way to begin again.
Quotes:
(p.3) “That was the beginning of Mason’s problems, the evening in the
funeral home when he had looked at her with his scared, wide-eyed look.
His face was chubby then, not skinny as it was now with the blue bruises
under his eyes.”…
“ Vinnie had lost her daddy, too. But no one seemed to care about that. No
one held her and rocked her in the big chair. No one cooked spaghetti just
for her or brought her presents. Daddy would have noticed.”
We see the beginning of Mason and Vinnie’s problems. As is so often the
case, the adults were busy in their own grief and did not seem to realize that
the grief of the children was just as great.
Personal Response:
This is a story to steal your heart. The pain of these children is powerful and
very realistic. Vinnie’s pain is so typical of what children experience more
often than we would like to think. I have a number of students who have lost
a parent through death or divorce. Who is to say which is more painful when
the parent is no longer a part of their lives? And yet we expect them to come
to school and behave and do their assignments and go on as if nothing has
happened just as Vinnie was expected to do in this book. How many of us
could do the same?
I was interested in the fact that Mason was a selective mute apparently as a
result of the death of his father. Vinnie seemed to feel she had caused his
condition because of the conversation she had with him after the father died.
Because of his obvious symptoms, Mason was given special attention, which
didn’t seem to help. On the other hand, Vinnie was expected to go on as if
nothing should bother her. To be honest, I was unimpressed with the mother.
She seemed more concerned with the grandmother’s feelings and her own
pain than with her daughter. Instead of trying to help Vinnie sort through her
pain, she seemed to pretend Vinnie was unaffected by her father’s death and
all the changes in her life. I realize this is realistic and I have many students
with similar parents, but it is not good parenting. I guess if she had been a
more effective parent we wouldn’t have a story.
This is a wonderful book about love, grief and friendship. I think some of
my students will relate to this story just as they did Ida B’s pain. In some
ways Vinnie reminds me of Ida B and her search for a way out of
tremendous pain. In both of these books, as in Locomotion, a strong teacher
was the pivotal person who helped young people learn to cope.
Polacco, Patricia (1992) CHICKEN SUNDAY, Illus. P. Polacco, Pub. New
York: Scholastic Inc.
Multicultural Picture Storybook
A group of children want to buy Grandma Eula a beautiful pink hat she
admired. Their need find a way to earn the money is complicated by their
implication in mischief against the hat shop owner. The solution to this
dilemma makes a delightful story. The artwork is warm and inviting with a
blend of Polaccco’s paintings and old photographs placed in frames on
chests and tables within the paintings.
Quotes:
(n. p.) “She had a voice like slow thunder and sweet rain.”
(n. p.) “Then she rolled her head back and laughed from a deep, holy place
inside.” Both these quotes show Patricia Polacco’s love for this woman and
how reverently she treasures her memory.
I read this book aloud with a group of eight fourth graders. Although they
have a variety of disabilities, they would all have difficulty reading this
book.
We began by examining the cover and they agreed it looked like a family all
cuddled up together. However, one pointed out that all of them were black
except the girl. On the title page we saw this “family” sitting in church and
acting very much like a family. One boy said they looked bored like he was
sometimes in church. Another said he had never been to church. The
students then had a conversation as to who went to church and who didn’t. I
moved on by turning the page.
The dedication page was to Stewart Grinnell Washington with an illustration
of the “family” walking down a sidewalk, with lots of light poles and a high
wooden fence. I asked if they thought this was in the city or the country.
They couldn’t agree and had reasons for their choices. As the story began,
we saw the “family” standing in front of a hat store. As we read the page,
they had many ideas as to how the children were going to get Grandma Eula
the hat. We had and interesting discussion about the description of Grandma
Eula’s singing voice, “Slow thunder and sweet rain”. One of the boys said,
“You know how thunder is kind of deep?” and another said, “The rain is
kind of quiet and gentle.” When we turned to the second page, they
immediately noticed the real photographs on the chest in the illustration. I
explained these were actual photographs of the people in the story. “You
mean these people are real?” was their response. They seemed to enjoy the
book even more and continued to comment about the real people as we read.
My boys were outraged by the egg throwing bullies and that the “family”
was suspected. We had to stop and talk about what was going to happen
now. It was suggested that someone might call the police. They were glad
this didn’t happen. They felt sorry for Mr. Kodinski after Grandma Eula
talked about the hard time he had had since leaving the old country and were
not surprised he gave the hat to the children for Grandma Eula.
The students loved the “Pysanky” eggs and wanted to make some. Not
willing to try this with real eggs, I brought out black Stained Glass Scratch
paper. I had already cut the paper in the shape of eggs and they used various
tools to scratch off the black and make the designs they wanted on their
eggs. Some used the illustrations as models.
Polacco, Patricia (1994) Firetalking, Illus, P. Polacco, Photographs L.
Migdale, Pub. New York: Richard C. Owen Publishers
Biography/Picture Book
In this book Patricia writes the story of her life for children. She explains
how things like her parent’s divorce and a reading disability helped her to
become a writer. The book contains photographs of her and her life
intermixed with illustrations from some of her books.
Quote:
(p. 8) “My Babushka (my Ukrainian grandmother) called this “firetalking”.
Whenever she finished one of her tales of magic and mystery, my brother
and I would always ask, “ Bubby, is that a true story?”
She would reply, “Of course it’s true…but it may not have happened.”
“Fronting” the Picture Book
The cover is a purple background framing an almost book size photograph
of Patricia Polacco dressed on a red floral kimono with a basket of
“Pysanky” eggs in front of her. The title is written across the top in purple.
The reader is immediately reminded of her books especially Chicken Sunday
and Rechenka’s Eggs. The kimono reminds us of Polacco ‘s love of
diversity. On the back cover there is a photograph of her with two children
in front of a flower shop. The title page has a picture of her dressed in a
colorful costume having a cup of tea on the lawn. The dedication page is an
almost full-page picture of her with her family and dedicates the book “To
my family”.
Artistic Technique/Media
This book contains photographs from her childhood as she tells about her
life. It contains current photographs of Polacco and the people and places
important to her life. We are allowed to see her children, chef husband,
home, long time friend Stewart Washington, Mother and the meteor that fell
in her mother’s yard. The pictures could almost tell the story of her life and
are a beautiful accompaniment to the story she has written. She also includes
illustrations from books she has written about real people in her life such as
The Keeping Quilt and Chicken Sunday.
Personal Response
I read this book after having read Chicken Sunday and Thank You Mr.
Faulker and a number of her other books. I was interested in how the facts in
some of the other books and on her web site matched. I am moved by the
way she takes many of the difficulties of her life and instead of complaining
about them shows how they made her life richer. I wonder how many
children she has helped with this attitude. One of the reasons I chose her for
my author study was to encourage my students. I had no idea at that time
what a remarkable attitude she has. Many of my students have gone through
divorce and all of them have reading difficulties. My fourth grade students
have studied her with me this year and have been encouraged.
I wish you could have seen their faces when I read “Thank You Mr. Faulker
and Firetalking with them after we had read several of her books. I could see
the possibilities in their faces. I told them we would have the next day to
read more of her books and they were very interested to see other books she
has written. As they came into the room the next day, I asked them to write
two things they remembered about Patricia Polacco. I brought a suitcase full
of books in and they spent the hour reading in pairs, by themselves or with
an adult. Damion asked, “Do you mean she has written all these books!”
Polacco, Patricia (1996) I Can Hear the Sun, Illus. P. Polacco, Pub. New
York: Penguin Books Ltd.
Fantasy/Picture Story Book/ Modern Myth
Fondo is an orphan who adopts the lake community as his home. He
develops close friendships with Stephanie Michele who works at the park
and the homeless people who live there. However, he develops an especially
close relationship with the geese, especially the little blind goose. The
illustrations are primarily in warm brown, peach and green and help generate
a feeling of loving warmth.
Quote:
(n. p.) “ You listening to that sun again, ain’t ya?” Mae Marie asked as she
rolled by Stephanie Michele.
“ What do you hear it say?” Willy Jack asked as he joined them.
“It talks to me about the hearts of people folk, and animals,
too…especially the ones needing one thing or another,”
This quote seems to describe Stephanie Michele’s purpose in life.
I read this book aloud to a group of six fourth graders. The reading level of
this group ranges from early first grade to third grade and the disabilities
include learning disabilities, hearing impairment and behavior and emotional
disabilities.
We began by examining the cover of the book and they agreed it had to be
about a boy and either geese or ducks. They weren’t certain which. On the
dedication page we encountered an unsolved mystery. The double page
drawing of geese and trees and lake are in black and white but the boy and
an unidentified man are in color although they are dressed in white. The
question that came up is “Who is the man?” The students discovered the
book does not answer this question. The book is dedicated to the memory of
her nephew. On second reading, Cassandra thought it might be Jesus
although the boys didn’t pay any attention to her answer.
As we read on the children were dismayed to find out Fondo had no parents.
They were charmed by his friendship with the blind goose and certain that
was significant to the story. The students were very interested in Willy Jack,
who was crippled in the war. Several had never heard of the Vietnam War
and we had to have a side discussion. They were interested in the concept of
hearing the sun and talking to the geese. Although, they agreed this isn’t
really possible - except maybe for some people. When Fondo said he was
being taken away, the kids were very upset and we had a quite a discussion
as to what was going to happen. They seemed thrilled when he flew away
with the geese and were fascinated with the illustration of the faces of
Stephanie Michele and Mae Marie and Willie. “He looks amazed.” and, “He
looks happy!” were some of their comments.
After finishing the book, I asked the students to write what they thought
happened. They could either change the ending or write what happened next.
Since writing is so daunting and I wanted them to be free to create and not
limited by writing skills, I gave them the option of dictating their story. As
they finished, I gave them the opportunity to draw their favorite scene from
the book.
Dr. Seuss (1996) My Many Colored Days, Illus. S. Johnson and L. Fancher,
Pub. New York: Scholastic Inc.
Poetry/ Picture Book
This is a rhyming picture book that equates feelings with colors. The many
different moods and feelings of one individual are stressed. The illustrations
are drawn in bold and colorful simple shapes with lots of movement.
Quote:
(n. p.) “On other days I’m other things.
On Bright Blue Days
I flap my wings.”
I just happen to love those days.
I read this book aloud to a group of five first graders all of whom have some
type of learning disability.
Before I began to read, we talked about Dr. Seuss and they all reminded me
he is dead. We then all named favorite books he wrote and talked about how
much we liked his books.
As we spread the cover out and looked at both sides the students commented
on the different colors and the picture of the head in one square and a horse’s
head in another. We looked at the solid orange, green and purple end papers
in the front and they said it reminded them of the art they did when they
went to Pendland School at the beginning of the year. It also reminded them
of the eggs we made by scratching off the black after we read Chicken
Sunday. They enjoyed the different colored children on the title page and the
fact one had a blue body and a yellow head. As we read the book we talked
about how you can feel lots of different ways in the same day. They enjoyed
the blue, yellow and pink end papers at the back.
After reading the book three times, one asked if we could paint our own
pictures and so we did.