Book post: The House in the Night.

Book cover from Houghton Mifflin

Swanson, S.M. and Krommes, B. (2008). The house in the night. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin.

*Winner of the 2009 Caldecott Medal*

The scratchboard illustrations in this book are detailed but in simple shapes to give the pictures a dreamy look. The art is beautiful with its black background and illuminations of gold on random objects. The gold focuses on items that should stand out and be familiar to small children as they observe the house getting ready for the night. I personally didn't find the story very engaging, but I can see this as a calming type of bedtime story. It would be a good art study for learning emphasis, one of the principles of design, since the illustrator does a great job of emphasizing with the gold watercolor details.

Book post: Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons

Book cover from HarperCollins

Dean, J. and Litwin, E. (2012). Pete the Cat and his four groovy buttons. New York, NY: Harper.

*Winner of a 2013 Geisel Honor*

Pete the Cat is stoic as always in this story, in which Pete starts losing his buttons but just keeps singing. He teaches that we have to take what life throws at us, and keep a positive attitude through it all: a great message for kids and adults alike. This is a great book for early readers because of its repetition. One of the librarian aides at my local public library says the Pete the Cat books are like the new Dr. Seuss, and I am inclined to agree with her when it comes to books that are great for new readers. The book also teaches basic subtraction; when the first button pops off, it asks how many are left and answers "4-1=3" on the next page. One of the great features that is not to be missed is the free song included. There is a web address included on the book to go to HarperCollins Children's to watch Pete's song about his four groovy buttons and other videos featuring Pete.

Book post: Little Mouse Gets Ready

Book cover from Toon Books

Smith, J. (2009). Little mouse gets ready. New York, NY: Toon Books.

*Winner of a 2010 Geisel Honor*

This funny comic is about a little mouse getting ready to go to the barn with his family. As he gets dressed, he tells the reader all the fun things they will do when they get there. The surprise ending made me and my daughter laugh. This book would be an excellent introduction for how to make a simple comic, since it is done all in comic panels. It displays only one or two panels per page to make it easy for young readers to read themselves, making it a fun and quick read.

Book post: The Spider and the Fly

Book cover from Simon & Schuster

Howitt, M. and DiTerlizzi, T. (2002). The spider and the fly. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

*Winner of a 2003 Caldecott Honor*

This treacherous poem of a cunning spider trying to trap an innocent fly was written by Mary Howitt in 1829, but is modernized somewhat by DiTerlizzi's illustrations. They are all black and white and silvery. The book has panels that are reminiscent of silent movie captions with growing spider webs in the background, and the characters have a 1920s style of dress. I love the look of this book, and think it could be used to teach about early film because of the setup of the pages. Students could create their own silent films using this as an example. It also has a strong rhythm and rhyme scheme and would be great for studying poetry. The story behind it warns children against listening to flattery, because we know what happens to the fly in the end.

Book post: Rapunzel and the Seven Dwarfs

Book cover from August House

Claflin, W. (2011). Rapunzel and the seven dwarfs. [Tumblebook version]. Retrieved from tumblebooks.com

I watched the Tumblebook version of this book, which was an interesting format for this one. The book was read by the author, so it sounded more natural than some of the other Tumblebooks I listened to, and he even does voices. I liked how the Tumblebook zoomed in on details sometimes, and animated some of the pictures. It is a fractured fairy tale, and combines elements of other stories, along with a moose for a narrator, and a moose who saves the day in the end. The language of the story was interesting; I think the moose is supposed to sound like a simple country bumpkin (think Gomer Pyle). For example, he messes up his subject-verb agreement ("he don't") and says the witch was "distremely angrified" instead of "extremely angry." This would be a great book for teaching fairy tale elements, because it still has many of them, and mixes them around in crazy ways. I think that most children familiar with fairy tales would find this one funny.

Book post: Olivia

Book cover from Simon & Schuster

Falconer, I. (2000). Olivia. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

*Winner of a 2001 Caldecott Honor*

Olivia is a spunky pig who is always on the go. This book introduces us to the character and her favorite things. She loves playing dress up, going to the beach, and going to the museum. Art students could learn about strategically chosen color from the artwork in Olivia. Every page is in black and white, with touches of red throughout. It leaves plenty of white space on each page, which makes the book feel very clean and well planned. Olivia is very playful and ambitious, which makes her adventures fun to read.

Book post: Jimi Sounds like a Rainbow

Book cover from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Golio, G. and Steptoe, J. (2010). Jimi sounds like a rainbow: A story of the young Jimi Hendrix. New York, NY: Clarion Books.

* Winner of a 2011 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor*

The early life of Jimi Hendrix is conveyed through Golio's poetic words and Steptoe's vibrant mixed media illustrations. As a boy, Jimmy loved art, recognizing the beauty around him in sound and color. Getting his first guitar changed his life. This book has many possibilities for learning: it has many elements of poetry (metaphor, onomatopoeia, alliteration, etc.), descriptions of the musical experience, examples of tying art to words, and is a biography of a music legend's childhood. The title of Jimi Sounds like a Rainbow is perfect because of the bright colors and the descriptions of Jimmy's longing to paint pictures with his music.

Book post: Ellen's Broom

Book cover from Penguin

Lyons, K.S. and Minter, D. (2012). Ellen's broom. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

*Winner of a 2013 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor*

In Ellen's Broom, Ellen is a little girl whose parents are former slaves. A law has just been enacted to recognize the marriages of emancipated slaves, and her family is going to the courthouse to get a marriage license for her parents. They tell the children about how slaves had married symbolically with a ceremony in which they jumped over a broom together to begin a new life as husband and wife. Ellen loves the idea of the tradition and declares that the broom is important to their family history. Reading Ellen's Broom is a great way to introduce children to the injustices of slavery and to get them thinking about their own family's traditions. Ellen is a great role model; she is a curious and strong-willed girl who loves her family above all else.

Book post: My People

Book cover from Charles R. Smith, Jr.

Hughes, L. and Smith, C.R. (2009). My people. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

*Winner of the 2010 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award*

Langston Hughes' poignant poem "My People" is turned into a book with photographs by Charles R. Smith, Jr. Hughes wanted to lift up his race through his poetry. The book, like the poem, celebrates black people, showcasing shared culture and diversity within the race. This would be a great way to talk about the importance of respecting one's family and heritage, and introduce one of America's greatest poets. I love the variety of faces shown in the book and the way their facial expressions match the tone of the poem perfectly.

Book post: ABC

Book cover from Penguin

Jay, A. (2003). ABC: A child's first alphabet book. New York, NY: Dutton Children's Books.

This beautifully illustrated alphabet books has many things going for it. The colors are calming and the pictures are detailed but simple. I love the "crackle" effect that each page has; after looking at a few more books illustrated by Alison Jay, I realized this is her style. It gives the pictures a somewhat antique look. Each page features the next letter in the alphabet, with the uppercase and lowercase, and a brief sentence such as "c is for cow." One fun thing I noticed is that even though the cow may be the main "c" on the page, it includes many more things that begin with that page's letter (chickens, car, cabbages, cat). This would be fun for children learning to read, because they could have a challenge to find all the words that begin with the letter on the page. Even more sneaky of Jay is that she puts the next letter's featured picture somewhere on the page (the d page's dog is on the c page). I didn't realize this until I was on page "o," but once I did, it was fun to go back and find them all!

Book post: Count!

Book cover from Macmillan

Fleming, D. (1992). Count! New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company.

This counting book counts from one to ten, and then by tens up to fifty. It represents each number with that number of animals, the Arabic numeral, the number in rectangles or marks, and spelled out. Count! could be used for children just learning to count, recognize numbers, or read, and I think new readers would like the various ways the numbers are represented. The cover art shows the number one animal: one gnu. I like that the colors are all bright and the animals are designed simply.

Book post: I Read Signs

Book cover from HarperCollins

Hoban, T. (1983). I read signs. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books.

I Read Signs is a book of photographs, all of street signs. It contains many different types of signs. This book can help new readers start to identify words in their own communities. I think this could start a conversation about what types of signs are in our neighborhoods, and why they are important. Knowing the concept of what signs mean is practical knowledge that can keep kids safe. Even if the pictures now look a bit dated since the book is over 30 years old, I like that it includes photographs of actual signs because it will make it easier for children to identify them in real life.

Book post: Here comes Mother Goose

Book cover from Candlewick Press

Opie, I. (Ed.). (1999). Here comes Mother Goose. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

This book is a collection of Mother Goose songs and rhymes. Many of them are fairly obscure. I feel like I know a lot of nursery rhymes because my mom taught them to me at a young age and I had many Mother Goose types of books when I was younger, and my daughter has some now, but I didn't recognize a great deal of these. I suppose this speaks to the fact that the editor did a lot of digging to find them for this compilation, but I thought it was just too many. The book is over one hundred pages, which is daunting for a child. My daughter definitely wouldn't sit through a reading of this book, since it is not a continuous story. It is more of a skimmable (flip through and randomly find something to read) kind of book. The illustrations, done by Rosemary Wells, are adorable, though. I even recognized her characters Max and Ruby, or rabbits that look just like them. 

Book post: Frog and Toad are Friends

Book cover from HarperCollins

Lobel, A. (1970). Frog and Toad are friends. New York, NY: Harper and Row.

*Winner of a 1971 Caldecott Honor*

This series of stories revolves around the lives of two loyal friends, a laidback frog and an uptight toad.  It contains five stories that introduce the reader to these characters who care greatly for each other. As an I Can Read title, this book is great for young readers because it has short stories (less than 15 pages each) with short words. Because of these features, it can be encouraging for new readers who will feel accomplishment at being able to read a whole story by themselves. I remember this being a favorite book when I was just learning to read for this reason. For early elementary teachers, it would make a great practice book for new readers to judge their reading progress. I like that the book's illustrations are colored simply, in greens, browns, and grays, but also have interesting textures and values within the limited color palette. 

Book review: Dave the Potter

Book cover from Bryan Collier

Hill, L.C. (2010). Dave the potter: Artist, poet, slave. New York, NY: Little, Brown, and Company.

*Winner of the 2011 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award (Bryan Collier)*

Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave is a wonderful historical account of Dave, a slave who was an unlikely artisan.  Most slaves were not allowed to do skilled labor, so Dave's work is that much more impressive. Written in verse, the book takes the reader through the process of Dave’s work, showcasing his strength, attention to detail, and devotion to his work. The poem compares our modern-day perspective—“To us/it is just dirt”—to Dave’s—“But to Dave/it was clay.” This gives the reader a stronger insight into how important his work was to him.  He had a vision in his art that he was able to share with the world. Pottery is a practical art, but Dave even inscribed his with short poems that he wrote. Bryan Collier’s watercolor and collage illustrations are created in natural colors, and the detail of each scene is breathtaking. I often felt like I was looking at a photograph until I looked closer at the collaged pictures. 

There are many important things to be learned from this book.  Lovers of history and lovers of art will both love the story it tells. It is a great discussion starter about American slavery, and a way to learn about the life of a slave. It is also an introduction into earlier methods of making pottery. Yet another draw is studying the simple poetic lines that Dave added to his work. Dave the Potter is a must read for everyone.

Recommended Grade Level: 3-5

Recommendation: Recommended

Book post: The Snowy Day

Book cover from Ezra Jack Keats

Keats, E.J. (1962). The snowy day. New York, NY: Viking Press.

*Winner of the 1963 Caldecott Medal*

Peter is a young boy who wakes up to find his city covered in snow.  He spends his day exploring all the fun experiences he can have in the snow.  The collage style of illustrations in this book are simple and beautiful. The simplicity of the pages fits perfectly with that of Peter's day. The colors of the city are vibrant and the snow looks marbled with hints of pink, purple, and blue throughout.  This book would be a fun introduction to creating pictures with collage; students could make their own snowy day scenes or choose another favorite time of year to depict in collage. This book was one of my favorites when I was young because of Peter's wonderment at the snow and the way snow is shown as something magical and fun for kids.  I have always felt this way, and that's why I still love reading it today.

Book post: Kitten's First Full Moon

Book cover from Kevin Henkes

Henkes, K. (2004). Kitten's first full moon. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books.

*Winner of the 2005 Caldecott Medal*

This curious kitten thinks the moon is a bowl of milk, and she is determined to get a drink. The beautiful illustrations are all in black and white, which adds to their depth: the night scenes are intensified by their lack of color.  After reading the book, children would benefit from sharing their own experiences of being confused or being determined about something. It is a great way to teach empathy, with its refrain of "Poor kitten!" My daughter loves this book, and we have now read it so many times that she has memorized sections.  She loves when the kitten falls in the water, and will recite with me, in a sad voice: "Poor kitten! She was wet and sad and tired and hungry."  

Book post: A Ball for Daisy

Book cover from Random House

Raschka, C. (2011). A ball for Daisy. New York, NY: Schwartz and Wade Books.

*Winner of the 2012 Caldecott Medal*

Daisy is a playful puppy who loves her red ball.  An accident happens when she is playing with friends, which makes Daisy sad until her friends come through for her.  This is a great book for teaching inferences because it is completely wordless.  Children can infer Daisy's feelings as she experiences a day with and without her red ball.  My two-year-old daughter loved reading this book together, and then telling me the story herself.  It is a heartwarming story of dealing with loss and having supportive friends from a puppy's point of view.

Book post: Flotsam

Book cover from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Wiesner, David. (2006). Flotsam. New York, NY: Clarion Books.

*Winner of the 2007 Caldecott Medal*

Flotsam is about a boy's discovery of a mysterious underwater camera that washes up on the beach.  The photos that come from the camera shock him as he realizes he is seeing a secret side of sea life, known only by the few who have found the camera before him.  This book would be an excellent way to teach surrealism in the art classroom because the underwater illustrations are fantastical and meticulously detailed.  Surrealism must have unreal elements to realistic paintings, and this book does that wonderfully with its mechanical fish, reading octopus, and more.  The illustrations are all able to stand as artwork on their own because the book is also entirely wordless.  I loved that this meant I was able to experience the boy's wonder in examining the photos silently along with him.

Book post: The Lion and the Mouse

Book cover from Little, Brown, and Company

Pinkney, Jerry. (2009). The lion and the mouse. New York, NY: Little, Brown, and Company.

*Winner of the 2010 Caldecott Medal*

This beautifully illustrated book takes the reader through the fable of the king of the jungle and a lowly mouse.  The lion spares the mouse's life, only to be saved by the mouse later in the story.  With the extreme details of the paintings, and the natural color landscapes, the African savanna comes to life.  I love that the only words in the book are onomatopoeia.  This would be a great book to introduce young readers to the idea of onomatopoeia, or to discuss the benefits of being kind to others--even those who you may think don't deserve kindness.  For a nearly-wordless book, I spent an inordinate amount of time gazing at the artwork and contemplating the emotions of the animals, and it was well worth the time.