Poetry Books

Book Review - The Firefly Letters

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Engle, Margarita. 2010. The firefly letters. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, LLC. ISBN  

            978-0-8050-9082-6

PLOT SUMMARY

The Firefly Letters is a piece of historical fiction written in verse that takes the reader through the experiences of three women from very different lifestyles who are brought together.

Cecilia was sold by her father in Africa to a slave trader.  She finds herself working for a wealthy man in Cuba.  The man’s daughter Elena is the same age as Cecilia, but while Cecilia has been married to a man chosen for her and is pregnant with her first child, Cecilia is bound to her house aside from the occasional shopping trip to purchase extravagant materials for the items she sews for her hope chest.  Fredrika, a writer from Sweden stays with Cecelia’s family while she travels around Cuba and researches and writes about slavery.  Cecilia becomes very useful when Fredrika arrives because she can speak both English and Spanish, and is able to be Fredrika’s tour guide and translator on her journeys.  Fredrika and Cecilia become close friends, and Cecilia almost feels free as she is allowed to move into a small cottage with Fredrika and go on all of her adventures.  Elena watches the other two run and catch fireflies at night, and she feels her own version of oppression since she is not permitted to join in the fun.  The three ladies develop an unexpected friendship that leads to self-sacrifices to better each others’ lives.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Engle’s representation of Fredrika Bremer’s experiences in Cuba draws the reader into a story that, once started, must be finished.  The reader gets to experience many different aspects of life in Cuba during the early 1800s, from the extravagant life of the very wealthy, to the thoughts and interactions of free slaves, as well as those experiences of the individuals still living under the confines of slavery. The very serious and difficult topics such as slavery and the oppression of women are offset by the imagery of a beautiful Cuba and that consistent appearance of the magical fireflies.  

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Starred Review in Kirkus - “And like the firefly light, Engle’s poetry is a gossamer thread of subtle beauty weaving together three memorable characters who together find hope and courage. Another fine volume by a master of the novel in verse.“

CONNECTIONS

~Use the book to discuss women’s rights.

~Use the book as a supplemental resource during a history unit on Cuba.

Related books:

Ada, Alma Flor. 2015 Island treasures: growing up in Cuba. illus. by Antonio Martorell & Edel Rodriguez.

         New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9781481442459

Book Review - A Stick is an Excellent Thing

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Singer, Marilyn. 2012. A stick is an excellent thing. Ill. by LeUyen Pham. New York, NY:

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 978-0-547-12493-3

PLOT SUMMARY

A stick is an excellent thing is a whimsical compilation of children’s poems about games played outside.  Singer writes about topics like playing ball with the dog, blowing bubbles, swinging, and star gazing among many other outdoor activities that are favorites among most children.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Singer invokes a feeling of nostalgia in the older reader while representing great ideas of fun things to do for the young.  The placement of the words in some of the poems mimic the action that is happening.  For example, in “Sprinkler” the words are placed at slants on the outside of the wide spread spray of the water sprinkler to be visually part of the chaos.  In “Hopscotch” phrases and stanzas of the poem are placed in alternating horizontal positions as they go down the page, mirroring a chalked hopscotch path.  Singer utilizes simple rhyme schemes that create a rhythm that will be easy for children to follow.

Pham’s illustrations, are colorful, cartoon-like representations of children wild with play.  The poems and illustrations are paired in ways that make each spread of the book a unit that goes together whether one or two poems are presented.  For example, one spread features both “Making Soup” and “Barreling”, but the illustration showcases one scene of friends partaking in different activities.  

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Starred Review in Kirkus - “A thrilling integration of verse and image, motivating all to serious fun.”

CONNECTIONS

~Use the book to talk about using your imagination.

Book Review - I Am the Book

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Hopkins, Lee.  2011. I am the book. Ill.: Yayo. Dongguan City, Quang Dong Province, China:

Holiday House. ISBN 978-0-8234-2119-0

PLOT SUMMARY

Hopkins presents a selection of poems from various poets all highlighting the joys of books and reading.  Some of the poems give the content of a story being read while others simply celebrate books and reading.  The book contains 13 poems including Hopkins’s own “Poetry Time” which encourages the reader to make time for poetry.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

I am the book is a grouping of warm and inviting poems that celebrate reading.  Some of the poems like Jill Corcoran’s “Pirates” describe a particular scene, and then reveal in the ending that the scene is actually a wonderful chapter in a book.  Others like Kristine O’Connell George’s “Don’t Need a Window Seat” focuses on the overall joy of reading as the narrator explains that their is no need for a window seat on the way home from the library because of all of the books to be read.  The books as a whole will resonate with book lovers, and would be good to use to encourage young people to appreciate reading.  I particularly liked the line from Naomi Shihab Nye’s “Who’s Rich” that claims that when a girl opens a book, “Her life starts everywhere”.  The idea of being able to travel anywhere and experience so many things just by reading is beautiful.

Yayo’s illustrations are created in bold, bright colored acrylics.  The pictures in this book take appreciation for reading to another level.  From page to page, books substitute for other objects in the scene.  The artist transforms books into a boat, the tail of a whale, a swimming pool, a conch shell, and more.  The imagination represented in these pictures is astounding and gorgeous.  The illustrations mirror the wistful, calm feeling that each of the poets relate to books and reading.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Kirkus  - “A poor successor to Hopkins’ Good Books, Good Times (1990), flawed by a lack of cohesive vision and particularly by Yolen’s sour ‘Words that take / a thought, / a wish, / a sentiment, / a prayer, / and then suck out / all the air.’”

CONNECTIONS

~The poems in this book would be great to share with young students to encourage reading.

~Many of the poems could be used individually as creative writing prompts.

Book Review - A Stick is an Excellent Thing

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Singer, Marilyn. 2012. A stick is an excellent thing. Ill. by LeUyen Pham. New York, NY:

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 978-0-547-12493-3

PLOT SUMMARY

A stick is an excellent thing is a whimsical compilation of children’s poems about games played outside.  Singer writes about topics like playing ball with the dog, blowing bubbles, swinging, and star gazing among many other outdoor activities that are favorites among most children.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Singer invokes a feeling of nostalgia in the older reader while representing great ideas of fun things to do for the young.  The placement of the words in some of the poems mimic the action that is happening.  For example, in “Sprinkler” the words are placed at slants on the outside of the wide spread spray of the water sprinkler to be visually part of the chaos.  In “Hopscotch” phrases and stanzas of the poem are placed in alternating horizontal positions as they go down the page, mirroring a chalked hopscotch path.  Singer utilizes simple rhyme schemes that create a rhythm that will be easy for children to follow.

Pham’s illustrations, are colorful, cartoon-like representations of children wild with play.  The poems and illustrations are paired in ways that make each spread of the book a unit that goes together whether one or two poems are presented.  For example, one spread features both “Making Soup” and “Barreling”, but the illustration showcases one scene of friends partaking in different activities.  

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Starred Review in Kirkus - “A thrilling integration of verse and image, motivating all to serious fun.”

CONNECTIONS

~Use the book to talk about using your imagination.

Traditional Literature Book Reviews

Book Review - Joseph Had a Little Overcoat

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Taback, Simms.  1999. Joseph Had a Little Overcoat. New York, NY: The Penguin Group. ISBN    

                      0-670-87855-3

PLOT SUMMARY

Taback’s story of Joseph sets out to teach a stated moral, “you can always make something out of nothing”.  Joseph starts with an overcoat that gets “old and worn” so he transitions it to a jacket.  As the original overcoat takes on new forms and becomes worn out, Joseph transitions it to something else.  A jacket becomes a vest, which becomes a scarf, a necktie, a handkerchief, a button, and finally a book about the entire evolution of the overcoat.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This Caldecott winning folktale is told in a very rhythmic style, following a song like tempo which makes sense since Taback includes in a letter to the reader at the end of the book that the book is an adaptation of his favorite song from his childhood.  The first page starts with “Joseph had a little overcoat.  It was old and worn.” and every other page introduces the new form that the overcoat has taken with the repetition of the words “It was old and worn”.  The pages in between give the reader a closer glimpse into Joseph’s life, the places he goes, and the people he encounters.

The illustrations brilliantly bring into the book, the cultural aspects of the author.  The endsheet states that “the artwork was done using watercolor, gouache, pencil, ink and collage.  The pages are filled with deep, brilliant colors with fairly simple images.  There are small details scattered throughout the pages, though that hint at the authors Jewish background.   Newspapers appear with headlines such as “Rabbi from Chelm Visits Kazrilevke” and “Jewish Philosopher”.  The pictures that adorn Joseph’s wall are images of real people, so with nameplates like “Moishe”.  There is a letter on the table addressed to Joseph in Poland, and a Menorah close by.  In addition to all of the culture collaged into the pages, Taback also includes a series of die cuts, similar to the holes in the overcoat,  that lead one page to the next and can allow the reader to make guesses about what is to come, providing the perfect prompt for practicing inferences.  I also found it interesting that the word “Joseph” was always displayed in yellow, like the rest of the text with the exception of the letter “J”, which was always red.  Then in the small details, words or letters were highlighted in red.  I found myself wondering if there was some sort of intentional pattern that would lead to a message at the end, but after studying the pages and doing a little research, I didn’t come up with anything.  Still, I found this visual choice intriguing.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Common Sense Media - “Simms Taback is a master of collage:”

CONNECTIONS

~Have students read the book using the die cuts as prompts for making inferences about what will happen next.

~Have students read the book taking special note of all of the cultural references in the pages.  Use these as a discussion about the Jewish culture to lead into a unit about the Holocaust.

Related books:

Taback, Simms. 2005. Kibitzers and Fools. New York, NY:  Penguin Group. ISBN

0-670-05955-2

Book Review - The Lion and the Mouse

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Pinkney, Jerry.  2009. The lion and the mouse. New York, NY: Little Brown Books for Young Readers. ISBN 978-0-316-01356-7

PLOT SUMMARY

This picture book, told almost entirely through pictures, takes the reader through the experiences of a little mouse who barely escapes the danger of a hungry whoot owl only to land on the tail of a lion.  Surprisingly, the lion is very gentle with the mouse, and after a brief examination, lets the mouse go.  The mouse returns to her family, and the lion goes on about his business.  The reader is warned that danger is near when a couple of hunters set a trap.  The lion steps into the trap, and when the mouse discovers the lion’s predicament, she makes her way to him and chews the ropes to set him free.  She returns to her babies with a piece of the rope as a token of her adventures.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Pinkney’s Caldecott award winning rendition of Aesop’s fable tells a beautiful story with multiple lessons to be learned although there are no words, only onomatopoeias to portray the sounds of the animals.  The choice to tell the story without words forces the reader to pay close attention to the very detailed pictures, and using the animal sounds brings the reader that much closer to the characters in the story.  The small mouse proves through her escape from the owl and her experience with the lion that the small and meek can triumph over the big and strong.  She enforces the importance of never giving up as she painstakingly gnaws through the ropes of the poachers’ trap.  Another lesson for the reader is that showing self control and caring for others can yield positive consequences as the little mouse pays forward the kindness that the lion showed her.

The illustrations in the book are created with pencils and watercolor.  They are very detailed and use the colors of nature like browns, yellows, greens and blues, to put the reader into the scene.  The reader can sense the tone of each scene through the eyes of the animals.  The mouse goes from wide almost glassy eyes in the intense moments, to very calm and muted eyes when she is in the comfort of her own home with her babies.  The lion’s eyes show definite curiosity as it discover the annoying mouse, examining it while holding it by the tail.  His eyes soften as he lets the mouse rest on his paw, but become wild with fury when he is trapped in the net.  His eyes show some cynicism as the little mouse begins to naw the ropes, but hold a grateful light when the mouse is successful at freeing him.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Starred Review in Kirkus - “A nearly wordless exploration of Aesop’s fable of symbiotic mercy that is nothing short of masterful.”

Starred Review in School Library Journal - “A must have, and a must purchase.”

CONNECTIONS

~Have students read the book and brainstorm their own morals of the story.

~Have students read and compare multiple versions of the story and analyze them for the choice to tell the story using words versus pictures.

Related books:

Burkert, Rand. 2011. Mouse and Lion. Ill: Nancy Ekholm Burkert. New York, NY:  Scholatic. ISBN

978-0-545-10147-9

Book Review - The Three Little PIgs

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Watts, Bernadette.  2012. The Three Little Pigs.  New York, NY: North-South Books Inc. ISBN  

978-0-7358-4058-4

PLOT SUMMARY

This traditional Fairytale begins with a poor mother who has to send her three little pigs out into the world.  Each pig comes across a kind man carrying building materials which are generously given to the pigs to build their homes.  The first little pig builds a house of straw, but when a hungry wolf shows up, the little pig refuses the wolf entry and the wolf blows the pig’s house down.  Fortunately, the pig is able to escape.  The second little pig acquires stick to build his house.  The same fate occurs for this pig as the wolf blows his house down and the pig runs away.  The third, more fortunate, pig gains bricks to build his house. Although the very hungry wolf begs to be admitted into the home, and even tries to come through the chimney, the little pig is able to deter him by building a hot fire.  The wolf eventually gives up on this little pig who invites his brothers and mother to move in with him where they live happily.  

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Watts’s interpretation of this age old story hits all of the traditional key points with phrases that most children who have heard them can recite from heart.  In many variations of the story, the wolf says the same lines at each house: “little pig, little pig, let me come in.”  Each pig denies the wolf, “by the hair on my chinny-chin-chin”.  The wolf then claims, “ I will huff and puff and blow your house in.”  These traditional lines make the story easy to retail, and lend themselves to an interactive reading with small children who have become familiar with the story.  One thing that is different about this version of the story from others that I have read is then ending.  In most versions that I have read, each little pig runs to the next little pig’s home until all three end up together in the brick house to outsmart the wolf.  Often, the wolf ends up in a burning kettle as it tries to enter through the chimney.  Watts’s version is much more peaceful, having the wolf scare off at the sign of smoke coming out of the chimney, and the mother rejoining her children in their new home.

Watts’s illustrations soft and sweet with subtle details.  The colors are natural shades of brown, greens and blues, and the brush strokes are wispy, reflective of the rhythmic progression of the story and the “blowing down” of each home until the end.  The pictures on each pages appear to be broken into scenes that show different perspectives.  As the mother is sending her babies into the world, there are animals eating hay and looking on while in a very separate part of the page, the wolf is peeking around a tree in the woods at what is going on.  Each spread, not only features what is going on with the pigs, but also contains other small stories of the lives of the animals around.  Rabbits are gathering food.  Mothers are caring for their young.  Birds are flying above.  The details of the illustrations add depth to the story and the setting.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Kirkus  - “Devoid of energy, but greeting-card pretty. ”

CONNECTIONS

~Have students read and compare several versions of the book.  

~Have students focus on several different endings to the story and discuss what is most effective.

~ Have students read this book followed by The True Story of the Three Little Pigs and discuss credibility and point of view.

Related books:

Scieszka, Jon. 1989. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. New York, NY:  Penguin Group.

ISBN 0-670-82759-2

Book Review - The Three Samurai Cats

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kimmel, Eric.  2003. The Three Samurai Cats.  New York, NY: Holiday House Inc. ISBN  

0-8234-1742-5

PLOT SUMMARY

This Japanese Folktale features a daimyo, or lord, whose castle has been taken over by a terrible rat.  The daimyo seeks the help of a senior monk who sends one of his Samurai Cats to try to get rid of the rat.  The rat easily defeats the cat who is humiliated and leaves.  The daimyo returns to the monk who agrees to send “a real champion” to take on the rat.  Again, the rat easily defeats the Samurai.The daimyo returns to the monk who has one final “master of martial arts” to send.  When this cat appears, old and decrepit, the daimyo has very little hope for success.  The cat enters into a routine of eating and sleeping, and turns down all invitations from the rat to fight.  Finally, on day the rat gets himself into a tough situation and has to ask the cat for help.  The cat makes the rat agree that he must leave the castle if given assistance, and the rat does.  The lesson in the story is that one should “Draw strength from stillness.  Learn to act without acting.”

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The Japanese terminology in the story might be uncommon to most readers, but it does not get in the way of full understanding of the plot and lessons taught in this book.  While there are stated lessons at the end of the story, there are also some underlying things to be learned.  Readers are reminded that we should judge someone’s abilities on their appearance.  There is also a great lesson on patience that unfolds as the story progresses.  The book could be used as a foundation for many topics of research on Japanese culture and traditions.

The illustrations in the book combined with the story take the tone a very different direction than if there were no pictures.  The illustrator created humorous images of the characters, which helps take the edge off of the fighting and frustration.  While the rat is grotesque, the reader can’t help but find his mischievous activities funny along with the reactions of the patrons in the castle.  The monk is cast as an old hound dog in a robe.  The old cat who is finally successful at ridding the castle of the rat is appropriately irritated, but lazy, in true cat like fashion.  The illustrations were drawn with pen and oil paint and at times, are almost organized like a comic strip or comic book.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Kirkus  - “A sophisticated story designed to stimulate unconventional thinking.”

CONNECTIONS

~Have students read the story with a vocabulary list of the unfamiliar Japanese words.  Have them write their own definitions for what they think the words mean.  After reading, go over the actual definitions of the words.

Related books:

Yasuda, Yuri. 2010. A Treasury of Japanese Folktales. North Clarendon, TV:  Tuttle Publishing

ISBN 978-4-8053-1079-3

Picture Book Reviews

Book Review - This is Not My Hat

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Klassen, Jon. 2012. This is not hat. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 978-0-7636-5599-0

PLOT SUMMARY

This picture book takes the reader through the experience of a small fish who immediately admits that the had he is wearing is not his.  With each turn of the page, the fish gives small pieces of the story about where he got the hat and how he intends to keep it.  We find that he has stolen the had from a much larger fish who was asleep.  The small fish is confident that the large fish won’t know that it was he who took the hat, and will certainly not find him, as he is headed “where the plants are big and tall and close together”.  The small fish is wrong in his assumption, as the large fish gets his hat back in the end.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Klassen uses very simple short phrases to take us on a simple journey with a small fish, but there is a much bigger lesson to be learned.  It is immediately apparent that the fish has made a bad choice to steal a hat.  These circumstances lead to opportunities for conversations about stealing, but also about how you should behave even if people aren’t watching since the large fish is asleep when his hat is stolen.  The small fishes encounter with the crab can guide children into a discussion about trust.  The end of the book requires children to use higher order thinking skills because the last 3 pages of the book do not have any words on them.  Rather, there are illustrations for children to look and and decide what happens in the end.  Often, the words on the page oppose what is happening in the illustration which is another factor that contributes to building high level thinking.  For example, on one spread the small fish has gone into the thick weeds and says “nobody will ever find me”, but the illustration show that the large fish is entering the weeded area.

The illustrations in the book are digital creations in Chinese ink.  The pictures are simple, and the colors are dark tones, mostly blacks and browns,  that add to the seriousness of what is happening in the story.  The most impactful moment with the illustrations is the end of the book where they independently lead the reader to the conclusion.  The last three spreads show the reader what happens without any words which provides great opportunity for a teacher to help students to infer details about the ending of the story.

The combination of simple text and illustrations result in a book packed with life lessons and high level thinking skills.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Starred Review in Horn Book - “Darkly hilarious”

Starred Review in School Library Journal - “This not-to-be-missed title will delight children again and again.”

CONNECTIONS

~Use the book to start discussions with students about:

Stealing

Character (what you do when people aren’t looking)

Trust

~Have the students write words to go on the final three pages

Related books:

Cook, Julia. 2012. Ricky sticky fingers. Chattanooga, TN: National Center for Youth Issues. ISBN

978-1-937870-08-9

Klassen, Jon. 2011. I want my hat back. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 0763655988

Book Review - Make Way for Ducklings

BIBLIOGRAPHY

McCloskey, Robert. 1941. Make way for ducklings. New York, NY: The Viking Press. ISBN

978-0-670-45149-4

PLOT SUMMARY

Make Way for Ducklings is story of Mr. and Mrs. Mallard, two ducks looking to raise their children in the best setting possible.  After a picky Mrs. Mallard refuses several options due to the possible dangers, the ducks settle in Boston near the Public Garden.  They make friends with a local policeman who feeds them peanuts each day.  When Mr. Mallard decides to explore the river, Mrs. Mallard stays behind to train their ducklings.  Once she is confident in their behavior and skills, she leads them on a journey through Boston, with the help of the police who stop traffic, all the way to the Public Garden to meet their father and settle in their new home.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

McCloskey tells a story from the ducks perspective using personification to make them highly relatable.  A worried mother takes special care to nest and raise her babies with pride.  McCLoskey sets the ducks in a realistic Boston leading to discussions about the city’s landmarks.  McCloskey was inspired by actual experiences and stories that he heard about problems with ducks in Boston and traffic.  From the Mrs. Mallard’s perspective, though, the traffic is not an issue; the people are simply an audience for her to show her babies off to.

McCloskey’s  illustrations look like charcoal drawing void of color.  The detail is impressive with clear distinctions that make the male and female ducks very realistic in appearance.  The drawings of the landmarks in Boston are incredibly detailed from the bridge, to the statue, and swan boats.

This is a sweet story that children would enjoy, but also has many realistic features that could stem conversations about the setting as well as the animals.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

School Library Journal - “McCloskey’s attention to detail and marvelous storytelling are a magical combination.“

Horn Book - “When they take the time for this book, they’re rewarded with a duck’s-eye view tour of their hometown, where sometimes — maybe when the T’s running smoothly and the Red Sox are on a winning streak — people are in the mood to stop, smell the flowers, and make way for ducklings.”

CONNECTIONS

~Use the book to supplement discussions about Boston and the Public Gardens

~After reading the book, have students look at images of the Public Gardens today and research the events that inspired the book.

Related books:

Andersen, H. C., Stewart, A., & Laimgruber, M. (1985). The ugly duckling. New York: Greenwillow

Books.

Book Review - Locomotive

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Floca, Brian. 2013. Locomotive. New York, NY: Antheneum. ISBN 978-1-4169-9415-2

PLOT SUMMARY

Locomotive is a concept book intended to teach the reader about the first locomotive to take passengers across the United States.  The book gives detailed descriptions from the opening endsheets to the closing of the trains, workers, passengers and the experience.  There are even brief nods to what the travel and terrain was like before the locomotives.  The reader journeys through the construction of the tracks, boarding of the train, the actual trip and the inner-workings of the machines experiencing landmarks and cities along the way until the train reaches its final destination, California.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Floca incorporates tremendous historical detail into this book.  The front endsheet feature maps and historical images accompanied by blocks of text informing the reader about information leading up to the launch of the first locomotives.  The back endsheets contain a detailed drawing of the actual train with labels of its anatomy.  Inside the pages of the book, Floca brilliantly packs historical information in a variety of ways, and uses onomatopoeias and strong verbs that appeal to all of the senses and place the reader in the experience.  With descriptions like of the cab smelling, “of smoke, hot metal, and oil”, and the train, “rolling, running, lurching, leaning left and right”, the reader can truly imagine how it felt to be there.  The action even takes place in the typeface as many of the strong verbs are placed in italics and onomatopoeias are featured in a variety of fonts, sizes and colors to intensify the sounds and feelings of the experience.  Not only does Floca share the history of the experience, but he even takes care to include details like proper train etiquette that today’s reader might find a bit comedic with comments like, “Don’t wait for the train to stop-- it’s rude to use the toilet when the train is sitting at the station.”

Floca’s illustrations in the book are are watercolor images that depict incredibly detailed picture like images.  The book boasts a combination of aerial, landscape, and close up views of the journey.  The images are also used as tools to show the motion of the journey.  For example, when the train is approaching the station, there are three images of it coming: one from a distance; the next a little closer; the third a close up view of the train coming in.  The detail, though, is what is truly broadens the picture to give a well rounded experience.  In these three images there is a cowboy and his horse standing near the train track.  In the first image, the cowboy is on his horse who is standing and watching.  In the second picture, the train is very close to the horse who reacts by rearing up, and in the final picture, the cowboy has been bucked off and is chasing his horse.  This adds to the understanding of just how loud and foreign the locomotives were in the beginning.  Many images are enhanced with handwritten labels of who or what are in the picture to add another layer of learning to the book.  

This picture book is a bit lengthy and packed with information, so it would probably be best suited for older children.  It would even be a great learning suppliment in a high school history class.  It could be used with younger children, but I think it would be most effective broken down into sections at this level.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Starred Review in Kirkus - “Nothing short of spectacular, just like the journey it describes. “

Starred Review in Horn Book - “Talk about a youth librarian’s dream come true: a big new book about those ever-popular trains from a bona fide picture-book-nonfiction all-star.”

CONNECTIONS

~Use the book to supplement historical discussions about the Transcontinental Railroad.

~After reading the book, have students take a virtual tour on the computer to see some of the areas featured today.

Related books:

Crews, Donald. 1978. Freight Train. Malaysia: Harper Collins. ISBN

0-688-14900-6

Book Review - Giggle, Giggle, Quack

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Cronin, Doreen. 2002. Giggle, giggle, quack. Ill. by Betsy Lewin. New York, NY: Simon &

Schuster Children’s Publishing Division. ISBN 0-689-84506-5

PLOT SUMMARY

Giggle, Giggle, Quack is a humorous story of farm animals being mischievous while the farmer is away.  Farmer Brown goes on vacation and leaves his brother, Bob, in charge with written instructions and a strict warning to, “keep an eye on Duck” because, “He’s trouble”.  Despite the warning, Duck manages to pull one over on Bob when he gets a pencil and begins replacing Farmer Brown’s notes with his own instructions.  The results are pizzas for the animals at dinner, bubble bathes for the pigs, and more.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Cronin utilizes personification and onomatopoeia to bring life to and fun to this book.  Set on a farm, the story follows the actions of a mischievous duck with the human abilities to write and replace the farmer’s instructions with his own.  The animals don’t actually talk.  Each time the new set of silly instructions is carried out, the animals respond with a, “giggle, giggle, oink, quack, moo” as they snicker at the farmer’s brother carrying out the bogus tasks.  The language and storyline are simple and entertaining.

Lewin’s illustrations, black drawings with watercolor washes are vibrant yet simple.  The use of the watercolor brush strokes add a whimsical feel to the story.  The colorful pictures are attention capturing, great for young children.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Review in Kirkus - “...the second story stands not on top, but in the shadow of the innovative original.“

CONNECTIONS

~Use the book to introduce the literary device onomatopoeia and personification.

Related books:

Cronin, Doreen. 2000. Clack, clack, moo. Ill. by Betsy Lewin. New York, NY: Simon &

Schuster Children’s Publishing Division. ISBN 1-4814-6541-0