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 Reading
& Math:
Three Fun Picture Books
Let’s look at 3 picture books about math: David Adler’s Fraction
Math, Stuart Murphy’s Spunky Monkeys on Parade,
and Greg Tang’s Math Fables. All three are beautiful
books, ones that children will enjoy. Each would be fun to read to a
child; all are about basic math skills.
Each takes a very different approach. These books can be used to lead
children through math skills. Sharing these books and
maintaining a child’s interest and excitement may require and
understanding of each book’s strengths. Our purpose is not to judge
any of these books. Each would be an appropriate book to share with a
young child.
Let’s start by identifying how these books are different and review
each book, suggesting ways that each book could be a fun way to help
children appreciate reading and math.
 Fraction
Fun
In many ways, this book is more like a “graphic novel.” The concept of
fractions is fairly abstract. Many believe that children are not ready
to work with fractions until the 4th or 5th grade. Adler’s book is not
your typical picture book. It is a non-fiction book that presents a
fairly sophisticated topic in a fun, visual manner. Like most picture
books, it is likely to be enjoyed by 4-8 year olds. The colorful,
imaginative, fun presentation will keep children’s attention.
The depth of the presentation is certainly beyond most picture book.
Don’t be surprised if the concepts seem advanced. This book
presents concepts, don't worry whether or not a child is fully ready
for everything in the book; the point is not to make children
“experts.” The book introduces important math concepts. As a child
becomes older, this book could be a useful reference tool, something
to "revisit" and review.
Fraction Fun would also be a great way to present
fractions to older, visual learners. Of our three books, this is the
most content rich. Children beyond 8 will enjoy and
benefit from the way concept of fractions are presented.
 Spunky
Monkeys on Parade
Of our three books, this one is what one would expect from an
outstanding children’s picture book. The illustrations are wonderful,
spanning the 2 page spreads. The text is light – a few sentences are
all that the illustrations need to tell the story. The story is
exciting, implying action and movement throughout. This book is a
celebration of pictures, words, and numbers with just enough silliness
to encourage giggles.
Probably this is the book that very young children will enjoy the
most. It is also the one that young children are likely to pick up and
try to read. There is never more than a sentence on a page and the
rhythmic, rhyming verses are clearly illustrated in the artwork. Using
the pictures as a guide, children can sound out these words, perhaps
filling in a few of their own if they get stuck. The book
counts by one's, then two's, three's, and four's; skip counting.
Spunky Monkeys on Parade presents some sophisticated
math, however. Implied in the skip counting are the concepts of
multiplication, division, and factors of 2, 3, and 4. This book
contains a helpful section at the end for adults, sharing ways that
the lessons in the book can be expanded to help a child learn more
about numbers.
 Math
Fables
Actually a series of 10 very short stories, this book uses brilliant,
deep colors and a variety of favorite animals to introduce children to
numbers. The book shows animals in groupings. Two birds are each
looked at individual, 1 and 1. Three turtles are looked at, 1 and 2.
Four squirrels are broken down into 3 and 1.
This continues up to ten, each number being illustrated as a whole,
and then broken down into a grouping. While Math Fables
does not directly talk about addition, it is clearly implied,
preparing children to do more than count. Each story in the book
also talks about important life and social skills – true to its name,
the animal stories are fables, showing how to live together and get
along.
In terms of text, there is more than Murphy’s Spunky Monkeys on
Parade, but less than Adler’s Fraction Fun. The
stories are written in rhyming verse. Each page represents a
wonderful, colorful piece of art that is broken down to clearly
illustrate each part of each fable. As a result, the book will provide
children with many ways to look at numbers and verify that the
different groupings always represent the same number of animals that
each story starts with.
Like Spunky Monkeys on Parade, Math Fables
contains a short section that tells children how they can use the book
to extend their number skills. This last 2-page spread shows the
entire set of animals from each story, lined up for a parade. This
provides an opportunity to practice the counting presented in the
book, adding a few more "tricks," such as counting backwards from 10.
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 Nonfiction Picture
Books:
A Comparison of 2 Bibliographies of
Dr. Martin Luther King
by Bill Breitsprecher
- Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King by Jean
Marzollo and illustrated by J. Brian Pinkey.
Scholastics, Inc., 1993 (16 pages). This book presents a
compelling look at the life and death of Martin Luther King. The main
aspects of his life and struggles for civil rights are covered in an
abbreviated format for young readers. The foreword includes
suggestions for "softening" the impact of his murder when reading the
book to children.
- A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr., by David
A. Adler and illustrated by Robert Casilla.
Holiday House, 1989 (16 pages). David Adler, a popular children's
book author, has written a series of picture books about important
American figures. While this book emphasizes his childhood and
families, it also encourages readers to imagine what racism and
segregation would feel like and documents his struggles for
non-violent change up to and including his assassination.
Real life stories read and sound to children like
fiction books - so they represent an excellent way to teach the
concept of fiction and nonfiction to young readers. Publishers and
educators have also recognized the value that this format provides
when introducing social issues and multi-culturism. Increasingly,
these books are written and published to reflect important figures
that are part of a typical school's curriculum.
A good biography has to be authentic - in the past,
this was not always the case. A trend towards more factually based
biographies began in about the 1980's and continues to this day. Like
all children's literature, biography does more than introduce students
to language arts, people, and facts about their lives. They provide a
framework to develop critical thinking skills. One important way to
utilize biographies in school is to have students compare and contrast
2 biographies that they have read that present the lives of one
person. Let's examine each of these books in terms of:
- Subject choices to include about Martin Luther King,
Jr.
- Accuracy and authenticity of each portrayal
- Style of each picture book
- How Martin Luther King, Jr. is characterized
- Use of theme to interpret the subject while
maintaining and accuracy
Both Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King and A Picture
Book of Marin Luther King, Jr. are picture books that are directed to
young audiences. School Library Journal identifies the former as being
appropriate for Preschool to Grade 2 and the latter for Kindergarten
to grade 2. Both are written to rely on the pictures to tell a major
part of the story. presented. This paper will look at the
contributions of the author and the illustrator to the overall work.
Subject
Both books choose the same subject - the life and death of Martin
Luther King, Jr. Jean Marzollo (Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King),
chooses the following aspects of his:
- When he was born, how much his parents loved him
- Education
- Becoming a pastor like his father
- His work as a pastor with an emphasis on helping people in need such
as sick people in the hospital
- His work advocating for non-violence
- His role in changing laws about segregation
- The "I Have Dream" speech
- His assassination
- Tombstone
- His legacy promoting freedom
David Adler (A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr.) chooses
aspects of his life such as:
- Place in history as a great American leader
- When he was born and information about the rest of the family
- Things he enjoyed in his youth
- How one day white boys told him they would no longer play football
with him because he was black
- How he felt about being abandoned by his white friends
- Segregation in Atlanta, where he lived
- How he learned to read and enjoyed books about black leaders
- Success at school, including college
- Marriage to Coretta Scott
- His role as a pastor in 1954 in Montgomery, Alabama
- The arrest of Rosa Parks for sitting down on a bus in the "Whites
Section"
- The protest he led as a result of Rosa Park's arrest
- An attempt to bomb his house
- How he advocated loving our white brother and "meeting hate with
love," even after an attempt on his life
- How the protest lasted almost a year, but resulted in change
- Moving back to Atlanta in 1960 and leading peaceful protests against
segregation
- The "I Have a Dream" speech
- Winning the Nobel Peace Prize in
1964
- His role in changing segregation laws
- How he advocated for peace even when peaceful protests were met with
violence
- Assassination in Memphis, Tennessee; identifying James Earl Ray
- His dream of a world free of hate, prejudice, and violence
- The last part of his epithet, "I'm free at last"
- Important dates in the life of Martin Luther King, Jr.
The J. Brian Pinkney's illustrations in Happy Birthday, Martin Luther
King scratchboard colored with oil pastels. They convey a feeling of
strength and illustrate Martin Luther King, Jr., as a gentle, loving
man. While the pictures are beautiful and effective, they tend to hide
the race of the parties being depicted. Each topic that Jean Marzollo
has chosen is illustrated with a 2-page spread. This partially
accounts for the more limited nature of the book and accounts for
School Library Journal's inclusion of PreKindergarten in its suggested
grade level.
Robert Casilla's illustrations in A Picture Book of Marin Luther King,
Jr. are watercolor paintings. He effectively uses this medium to
direct viewers to each illustration's subject and conveys a variety of
moods and emotions throughout the book. Each topic chosen by David A.
Adler is illustrated with a 1 page drawing, which accounts for School
Library Journal's suggested grade level of Kindergarten to 2nd Grade.
Accuracy and Authenticity
Each book contains accurate and authentic facts about the life of
Marin Luther King, Jr. Neither books contain attributions to the
source of the information contained in the book, nor does either
suggest sources for additional reading. This would be typical of
picture book biographies. The illustrations in each book appear to
feature people in authentic dress and surroundings for the time,
place, and setting. Each book presents its story as an impartial 3rd
party.
The illustrations in Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King, might cause
some to question if the impact of segregation is accurately and
authentically presented. Marzollo does not address the impact of
segregation on people's lives at all - merely mentioning that there
were laws about what black people and white people could do. This
writer believes that the accuracy and authenticity of Dr. King's life
suffers from the way Marzollo and Pinkney have minimized how race and
segregation, impact people's lives. While this book does celebrate
Martin Luther King, Jr. as a great American leader, how can children
appreciate his role in history without some mention as to how people
suffered under segregation? How can children appreciate his role in
history without mention of the resistance his peaceful civil rights
movement met? Even considering that this book is targeted towards
younger children, this seems to be a significant problem with Marzollo
and Pinkey's work.
The illustrations in A Picture Book of Marin Luther King, Jr. identify
the race of each person illustrated and convey a sense of the emotions
for each of these persons. If Martin Luther King's greatest legacy was
how he brought about changes in American society through the use of
nonviolent protests and advocacy of civil rights for people of color
(and non-whites), then Adler and Casilla have presented a much more
accurate and authentic portrayal of Martin Luther King.
Style
Each book is written in a smooth style with each section of text and
illustration logically leading to the next. The narrative tone of each
is that of a outside observer and one gets the sense that one is
listening to someone describe each picture. Adler has included much
more in his narrative that takes his work beyond merely describing
simple aspects of Dr. King's life that are readily understandable to
young children. By comparison, Marzollo's writing is sparse and only
highlights the most basic parts of the King story in the broadest of
terms. In each case, the style is appropriate for the genre
(historical picture book), because the text guides the reader thought
the book and the pictures extend the text.
Marzollo has not quoted anyone, including Martin Luther King - though
does include a full quote of his epitaph. Adler sprinkles a few quotes
from Martin Luther King throughout his book and, interestingly enough,
chooses to only quote the last line of his epitaph. The difference
here may be attributed to the different audiences each book is
intended for, Marzollo writing for the needs of younger children.
Characterization
When reading the text of Marzollo's work, the life of Dr. Martin
Luther King comes across as "flat." Pinkney's pictures set the tone
and present Dr. King as a warm, caring person. Perhaps this is
appropriate for the youngest of readers, but the pictures can only
carry this so far. The characterization of Dr. King's murder is
reduced to being "…shot and killed in 1968." The illustration for this
statement is a scratchboard, oil pastel picture of a young family at
Dr. King's grave.
The book's foreword suggests that, for some young children, even this
might be too traumatic and tells those that read this book to children
to consider saying, "died." This writer believes it is a mistake to
assume that the pictures overcome the simplicity of the text and would
not recommend this book for any but the youngest of children, because
the achievements of Martin Luther King, Jr. cannot be appreciated
without more of an understanding of the suffering that segregation
caused and the anger and violence that Dr. King had to overcome with
his non-violent principles to start the civil rights movement. While
the book ends by quoting Dr. King's full epithet, "Free at last, free
at last! Thank God Almighty; I'm free at last (and the picture clearly
display the simple text on his gravestone), nothing in this book
really explains from what Dr. King has been relieved of.
Adler's book is written to introduce children to the pain of living
under segregation. It describes young Martin crying when he comes home
and tells his mother that the white boys won't let him play football
anymore. His mother tells him about how Africans where brought to
America in chains and sold as slaves and that even though they had
been set free, some people still did not treat blacks fairly. The
characterization of Dr. King's murder includes a powerful watercolor
that mimics a famous photograph of people on the balcony pointing in
the direction of the shots as Dr. King lies dying while an aide covers
his head wound with a handkerchief. The accompanying text identifies
James Earl Ray as hiding nearby, pointing a rifle, firing a gun.
Within an hour, King is dead.
Adler's narration and Casilla's powerful paintings characterize King
as a compassionate human being who was deeply moved by his people's
suffering. Likewise, the challenges and struggles of mounting
non-violent protests and the hostility and hate that he and his
followers had to endure are presented in a way that frames his role as
an American leader. In this writer's opinion, anything less cannot
possibly stand as a tribute to Dr. King's life and accomplishments.
Theme
Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King uses his birthday, now a national
holiday, as a theme to introduce Dr. King to children. If one accepts
that it is meant for only the youngest of children, perhaps the simple
characterization of Dr. King's life is appropriate with the theme. The
book identifies Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday as January 15,
1929 on its very first page and then proceeds to make simple
statements about his life with illustrations that extend the simple
narration. In many ways, this book is nothing more and nothing less
than an observation of an American leaders birthday presented in a
manner that tells children, in the simplest of ways, why that day has
been declared a holiday. This writer believes the theme is used
effectively and would make a great read to young children (PreKindergarten)
to observe the annual holiday that celebrates Dr. King's legacy as an
American hero.
A Picture Book of Marin Luther King, Jr. uses the theme of an
illustrated celebration of Dr. King's life and legacy as an American
leader. The information presented is upbeat and uses descriptions and
illustrations of Dr. King's family, leadership role during the
Montgomery bus strike, and his 1963 march on Washington DC to give
readers a sense of the man's integrity, conviction, and ultimate
sacrifice. Adler and Camilla have effectively used the picture book
format as a theme to present a collage of information that provides
readers with some insights into the strength, dignity, and courage of
a great fallen leader.
Recommendation
Unless this was going to be read specifically as an introduction to
the national holiday for Dr. Martin Luther King with prekindergarten
children, this writer would not recommend the book, Happy Birthday,
Martin Luther King. Adler's A Picture Book of Marin Luther King, Jr.
is a much richer look at Dr. King's life and the start of the civil
rights movement. Adler's work will allow young listeners/readers to
revisit the book and draw new meaning as they get older. Not only does
Adler's book present more facts and details, it provides its audience
with a glimpse into the times, trials, and tribulations that Dr. King
and African Americans have endured. This writer believes that Adler's
work could be read to the same young readers as Marzollo's, though the
reader might want to simplify the narrative to conform with the needs
and abilities to the listening children.
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 Picture
Book Review:
Mama Cat Has Three Kittens
Written and Illustrated by Denise Fleming
by Bill Breitsprecher
The idea that, within a family, one child prefers to
act differently is a recurring theme in children's books. This story
features Mama Cat and her three kittens, Fluffy, Skinny, and Boris.
Mama Cat does the things that you would expect a cat do, wash her
paws, walk on stone walls, sharpen her claws, chase leaves, dig in
sand, and take the proverbial "cat-nap."
Fluffy and Skinny stay close to Mama Cat and copy what
she does. Boris, on the other hand, seems to take little interest in
Mama Cat's activities - preferring to snooze. Eventually, Mama Cat,
Fluffy, and Skinny tire - and now its Boris's turn! The book ends with
a playful plot twist that is sure to be a hit with the toddlers for
whom the book is intended.
The book's simple phrases break down the action, using
repetition to lead children to anticipate the next event. When being
read out loud, the reader can easily engage children to participate by
asking them what they think will happen next. This approach will add
drama and heighten the enjoyment of the surprise ending.
Beautifully illustrated (covered more in detail later
in this paper), each picture not only features the cats, but contains
trios of other creatures including: caterpillars, ladybugs, snails,
and bumblebees. A mouse pokes his head in from time to time, being
careful to not attract the attention of the cats. These visual
elements introduce another plot line in the story. This book should be
a real "hit" with the "read to me" crowd, up to 5 years old.
Honors and Awards: Mama Cat Has Three Kittens
-
ALA Notable Book, 1998
-
1998 Charlotte Zolotow Award, Highly Recommended Title
-
New York Public Library's List of One Hundred Titles
for Reading and Sharing
-
Nick Jr. Magazine, Ten Can't Miss Classics, 2000
About the Author
Denise Fleming is an artist that lives in Toledo, Ohio
with her husband, David, her daughter, Indigo, seven cats, and one
dog. She loves her animals and her cat, Gigi, was the inspiration for
Mama Cat.
Her father built furniture when she was young and
Denise and her sister were always creating things in her father's
workshop or producing plays and events like "spook houses" for the
neighborhood. In the 3rd grade, she participated in classes at the
Toledo Museum of Art and had paintings featured in an international
art exchange program. Her first published work was used as a cover of
a teacher's magazine.
She continued to seriously study art in high school,
won several awards there for her work, and continued her education at
Kendall College of Art, where she met her husband, David, who is also
an artist. They were married after graduation and started working on a
variety of projects. Because they prefer to work as freelance artists,
the two have taught themselves all types of skills from carpentry to
furniture building.
Illustrations
The book is beautifully illustrated with vivid
pictures; bright, bold colors; interesting textures; depth; and
character. The illustrations are created with colored cotton fiber
pulp and stencils. The resulting stylized artwork is unique and gives
her books a flavor of their own. Working with this medium, Denise
Fleming is able to pepper her pictures with extra touches of
eye-catching colors. Mama Cat, for example, is a black cat, but
Fleming uses speckles of blue and bursts of fuchsia to give her a
multidimensional appearance. Cat lovers will especially appreciate the
way Ms. Fleming has captured the majestic nature and individuality of
felines. Combining her pulp painting techniques with different shades
of fluorescent colors, the cat's eyes glow and command viewers'
attention.
The pictures in this book are large enough to be
readily seen and appreciated from across the room - a real advantage
with "story time" reading groups. The artist skillfully uses
composition to draw attention to the activities of Mama Cat, Fluffy,
and Skinny. For most of the book, Boris is napping off to the side,
but his tabby orange fur makes sure that he stands out too. The
backgrounds used are all a delight to behold and the illustrations
make each page an adventure.
Since she started working with pulp painting (creating
paper), she has primarily focused her energies on this medium. Her
brilliant, vivid images are created by mixing colored paper pulps and
pouring them through hand-cut stencils. She believes that her artwork
has now come full circle - from startling, bright and colorful
paintings from her youth; through realistic and detailed images, and
now back to the types of images she imagined and created in her
childhood.
Revisiting the stylistic drawings of childhood is why
Ms. Fleming uses pulp paper. She admires the expressive large shapes
and vibrant colors in children's paintings and believes this technique
helps re-create those feelings. When using traditional materials and
brushes, she states that she cannot capture the adventure and
brilliance of children's artwork. She says that she gets ideas for her
work from words the rhyme, phrases, animals, or colors in her garden.
Creating the Illustrations:
Pulp Painting
All the images for her books are created by pouring
colored cotton pulp through hand-cut stencils. This results in images
that are set in hand-made paper - the paper is the picture and the
picture is the paper. The results are truly stunning and lend a dreamy
feel that captures the imaginations of her readers.
Each image that accompanies Mama Cat Has Three Kittens
is created with cotton rag fiber that has been beaten to a fine pulp
and suspended in water. Adding pigments and chemicals, the pulp has
been colored and textured. This serves as her "paint." Squeeze bottles
and cups are used to apply the processed pulp to her underdrawings of
hand-cut stencils.
Sound like fun? Check out
Denise
Flemming's Web site. There is a link that describes her
papermaking process in detail. In April of 1999, Fleming conducted a
seminar on her techniques at the Baltimore County Public Library.
Step-by-step directs and illustrations of the process are available at
the
Baltimore County Public Library's Web site.
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When you're a kid, what day is more fun then your
BIRTHDAY! Sure, holidays like Halloween or Christmas are fun, but you
have to share them with everyone else. A birthday, however, is a
special celebration JUST FOR YOU! In this book, readers find out about
a wonderful place called Katroo, where a birthday is really a special
time for you. A Birthday Bird makes sure that the day is special and
memorable.
Written in typical Dr. Seuss whimsical poetic style,
the vividness of the descriptions as well as his stylistic drawings
are sure to delight readers of all ages. It starts with a blaring
blast from a Birthday Honk-Honker and meanders through lands filled
with Funicular Goats and Hippo-Heimers. And to think, we believe that
we are doing something special for someone when we buy him or her a
birthday card.
A birthday is a celebration of oneself - and in
Katroo, one proclaims to the world, "I AM I, ME, I AM I!" The
over-riding theme of Dr. Seuss's Happy Birthday to You is that we all
have a right to be and belong. This positive message rings throughout
the verses and illustrations. After re-reading this book (I enjoyed it
as a child as well), I have to wonder why so many of us start to
downplay our birthdays as we get older.
More Great Birthday -Themed Picture Books!
- Albert's Birthday, written and illustrated by Leslie
Tryon. Patsy Pig plans a
surprise birthday party for her friend Albert, giving
careful instructions to all their friends--but then she
forgets to invite the guest of honor!
- Birthday Blizzard, by Bonnie Pryor and illustrated by Molly
Delaney. The worst snowstorm in 20 years spoils
Jamie's plans for her seventh birthday party and occasions a
rather ordinary picture book. Blizzard conditions mean no
electricity, no heat, and-Jamie thinks-no fun. But then the
adventure begins.
- Bunny Cakes, written and illustrated by Rosemary Wells.
In his most hilarious escapade yet, Max learns a invaluable
lesson--in his irresistible way! For Grandma's birthday, Max
wants to make her an earthworm birthday cake. His sister
Ruby is going to make an angel surprise cake with
raspberry-fluff icing. When Grandma ends up with two cakes,
guess which one
- Bunny Party, written and illustrated by Rosemary Wells.
When Ruby invites seven stuffed toy guests to Grandma's
birthday party, each time she counts the number of places at
the table, another guest has mysteriously appeared. Is Ruby
having a bad counting day, or is Max playing tricks?
Full-color illustrations.
- Jimmy Boa And The Big Splash Birthday Bash, by Trinka
Hakes Noble and illustrated by Steven Kellogg.
Jimmy's birthday party at SeaLand turns out to be a big
splash when everyone ends up in the big tank
- Some Birthday! written and illustrated by Patricia
Polacco. Where is the cake
with the candles? And the presents? Not only has the family
apparently forgotten Patricia's birthday festivities, but
her dad suggests they take a trip to one of the scariest
places on earth--home of the Clay Pit Bottoms Monster!
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Born as Theodor Seuss Geisel in Springfield, Massachusetts, he
earned a doctorate in literature at Oxford University in 1927. He
started his writing career submitting cartoons and humorous articles
for Judge, which was at that time a leading humor magazine.
Inspired by the rhythm of a ship's engine while traveling to
Europe, he wrote his first book, And to Think That I Saw It on
Mulberry Street. Forty-three publishers promptly rejected it before a
friend intervened and published it in 1937.
In 1954, a report about children's literacy, published in Life,
stated that many kids weren't learning to read because there were not
interesting books for them. His publisher sent a list of 400 words
that were deemed important for children to learn. Geisel pared it down
to 250 (an amount it was believed that 1st graders could master) and
wrote a book with 220 of those words - The Cat in the Hat.
In 1960, humorist Bennet Cerf bet Geisel that he could not write a
book with less than 50 words - a bet Cerf lost when Geisel succeeded
in producing Green Eggs and Ham. Dr. Suess's legacy includes a
Pulitzer's Prize in 1984, three Academy Awards, and almost 50
children's books (which he authored and illustrated). Perhaps the most
enduring of these accomplishments is the joy of reading that Dr.
Seuss's books continue to bring to new generations of children.
Complete Listing of Dr. Suess's
Children's Books
- And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street.
Marco is in a pickle. His father has instructed him to keep his eyes
peeled for interesting sights on the way to and from school, but all
Marco has seen is a boring old horse and wagon. Imagine if he had
something more to report, say, a zebra pulling the wagon. Or better
yet, the zebra could be pulling a blue and gold chariot. Marco's
story grows ever more elaborate.
- Bartholomew & the Oobleck. The King, tired of rain,
snow, sun and fog, commands his magicians to make something else
come down from the sky, but when oobleck falls, in sticky greenish
droplets, Bartholomew Cubbins shames the King and saves the kingdom.
- The Butter Battle Book. Engaged in a long-running
battle, the Yooks and the Zooks develop more and more sophisticated
weaponry as they attempt to outdo each other.
- Cat in the Hat. Two children sitting at home on a
rainy day are visited by the cat in the hat who shows them some
tricks and games.
- Cat in the Hat Comes Back. The Cat in the Hat
leaves a big pink ring in the tub and moves it from place to place
with the help of his alphabet friends.
- Cat in the Hat Songbook. A hit parade of critters
and the ever-loving fun songbook from The Cat in the Hat. It
features Seuss's brilliant lyrics married to the tiptop score of
Eugene Poddany, who also had a hand in composing the Grinch tunes.
- The Cat's Quizzer. The Cat in the Hat challenges
readers with seemingly silly questions: Do pineapples grow on pine
or apple trees? Do roosters sleep on their backs or sides? Kids will
pick up a host of oddball facts, have fun juggling sense and
nonsense, and exercise their imaginations.
- Daisy-Head Mayzie. Young Mayzie McGrew becomes a
worldwide sensation when a daisy grows out of the top of her head,
and everyone attempts to get rid of it.
- Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? Compared to
the problems of some of the creatures the old man describes, the boy
is really quite lucky.
- Dr. Seuss's ABC. An alphabet book with zany
drawings and nonsensical verse provides an entertaining way for
small children to learn the letters and their sounds.
- Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book. Tells, in verse, what
happens when all ninety-nine zillion nine trillion and three
creatures in the world go to sleep.
- The Five Hundred Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins. Each
time Bartholomew Cubbins attempts to obey the King's order to take
off his hat, he finds there is another one on his head.
- Foot Book. Bright and Early Board Books presents
The Foot Book, Dr. Seuss's wacky book of opposites in a format just
right for little hands.
- Fox in Socks. A collection of tongue twisters that
is "an amusing exercise for beginning readers.
- Great Day for Up! Rhymed text and illustrations
introduce the many meanings of "up".
- Green Eggs and Ham. Sam-I-Am mounts a determined
campaign to convince another Seuss character to eat a plate of green
eggs and ham. Limited vocabulary but unlimited exuberance of
illustration.
- Happy Birthday to You. Describes a birthday
celebration in Katroo presided over by the Birthday Bird.
- Hop on Pop. Pairs of rhyming words are introduced
and used in simple sentences, such as "Day. Play. We play all day.
Night. Fight. We fight all night."
- Horton Hatches the Egg. When a lazy bird hatching
an egg wants a vacation, she asks Horton, the elephant, to sit on
her egg--which he does through all sorts of hazards until he is
rewarded for doing what he said he would.
- Horton Hears a Who. A city of Whos on a speck of
dust are threatened with destruction until the smallest Who of all
helps convince Horton's friends that Whos really exist.
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The Grinch tries to
stop Christmas from arriving by stealing all the presents and food
from the village, but much to his surprise it comes anyway.
- Hunches in Bunches. A boy has a difficult time
making decisions even though there is a vocal bunch of Hunches to
help him.
- I Am Not Going to Get up Today! A boy is so sleepy
that he vows nothing will get him out of his morning bed, neither
peas and beans nor the United States Marines.
- I Can Draw It Myself: By Me, Myself with a Little Help from
My Friend Dr. Seuss. A delightful coloring book where
childrend are encouraged to finish and color drawings that Dr. Suess
has conveniently "started." The direction are all in the
whimsical, rhythmic, rhyming style that we expect from Dr. Suess.
- I Can Lick Thirty Tigers Today & Other Stories. The
Cat in the Hat tells us three zany stories-in-verse about his son,
his daughter, and his great-great-grandfather.
- I Can Read with My Eyes Shut! In Seuss's familiar
rhymed couplets and illustrations, the Cat in the Hat shows Young
Cat some wonderful stuff about reading with both eyes open.
- I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew. The hero
of this hilarious tale discovers that in attempting to avoid trouble
one often encounters even greater difficulties. Seuss fans will be
enthralled.
- If I Ran the Circus. A young boy imagines the
fantastic animals and incredible acts he will have for his greatest
of all circuses.
- If I Ran the Zoo. Young Gerald McGrew thinks of all
sorts of unusual animals he'd have in a zoo.
- King's Stilts. Every afternoon King Birtram raced
around the palace on a pair of old red stilts, until they were
stolen. An uproarious tale.
- Lorax. In this cautionary tale of greed and
environmental destruction, the lovable Lorax tries to save the
Truffula Forest and its inhabitants from disaster at the hands of
the cantankerous Once-ler.
- McElligot's Pool. A boy imagines the rare and
wonderful fish he might catch in McElligot's pool.
- Marvin K. Mooney, Will You Please Go Now. In merry
verse and illustrations, Marvin is asked to leave by every
conceivable means of transportation.
- Mister Brown Can Moo, Can You. Mr. Brown is an
expert at imitating all sorts of noises. This is a great book
to read to young children and have them repeat the sounds.
- My Book About Me. This book has an unusual
interactive twist--you make it up as you go along. On each page
there's something new to complete, from "I weigh ___ pounds" to "My
teeth. I counted them. I have ___ up top. I have ___ downstairs."
It's a simple idea, but with a surprising amount of educational
value--getting children to name their home country, to recognize and
draw in the color of their own eyes, learn their telephone number
and address, to name favorite clothes, foods, and colors, and more.
- Oh, Say Can You Say? A collection of nonsensical
tongue twisters.
- Oh, the Places You'll Go! In this joyous ode to
life, Dr. Seuss addresses graduates of all ages--from nursery school
to medical school--and gives them the get-up-and-go to move
mountains with the unrivaled exuberance and charm that have made Dr.
Seuss books favorites for years.
- Oh! The Thinks You Can Think!
A mad outpouring of
made-up words, and intriguing ideas. "Contains one of Dr. Seuss's
solid-gold morals, the joy of letting one's imagination rip".--The
New York Times.
- On Beyond Zebra. A wonderful book that tells
children about the fun letters of the alphabet that come after "z."
- One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. More of
Dr. Suess's fun poetry, kids will love verses like, "Did you ever
fly a kite in bed? Did you ever walk with ten cats on your head?"
- Scrambled Eggs Super!
Starring the same perky boy who captured Thing One and Thing Two in
The Cat in the Hat, this is a first-person tall tale about cooking.
Peter T. Hooper is bored to bits by his mother's habit of always
making scrambled eggs out of hen's eggs.
- The Seven Lady Godivas. An
adult book of humor by the famous children's book author. Originally
published in 1939, this revisionist farce attempts to rectify the
"shameful" story of "a big blond nude trotting around the town on a
horse" and Peeping Tom, the "illicit snooper."
- Shape of Me & Other Stuff.
Rhyme and silhouette drawings introduce the shape of bugs, balloons,
peanuts, camels, spider webs, and many other familiar objects.
- Sneetches & Other Stories.
Includes four humorous verse fantasies: The Sneetches, The Zax,
Too Many Daves, and What was I Scared of?
- There's a Wocket in My Pocket!
A host of inventive creatures help beginning readers
recognize many common "household" words
- Thidwick, the Big-Hearted Moose.
The story of a moose who was
too hospitable for his own good is told in verses which march in
double-quick time. The pictures are scenes of happy confusion.
- Yertle the Turtle & Other Stories.
Includes three humorous
stories in verse; Yertle the Turtle, Gertrude McFuzz, and The Big
Brag.
- You're Only Old Once!
Not a children's book, Dr. Seuss lightens the aches and pains of
growing old with his inimitable wit and wisdom. In this new defense
against aging, we follow our hapless hero through his checkup with
the experts at the Golden Years Clinic.
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 Multi-Cultural Literature for Teenagers:
Acknowledging the
Strength and Richness of Human Diversity
Like it or not, the world is full of people and
countries that do not live their lives or view the world as typical
Americans do. Is this a problem? I don't know, but it really is just
the way things are. Have you ever tried to discuss personal religious
beliefs with a group of people that hold different faiths? If so,
maybe you saw that people can hold strong views about what they
believe.
Now imagine you were having the same type of
discussion of personal views with people from around the world. Do you
think there would be even more disagreement? Now please consider this,
who has the right to judge, which views are "correct" and which ones
are "wrong." Once we make that judgment, what good does it do? Sure,
America is an economic and military superpower and we have allies and
friends all around the world - but does that mean that everyone else
wants to be just like us?
And have you considered this, can the rest of the
world be just like us? Could this planet actually support the
ambitions of a 2-car household and all the things that many Americans
take for granted? The answer is NO - there simply are not enough
resources in the world for everyone to live like Americans.
So how do different countries and cultures live their
lives and what to they believe in? Remember, we have to share this
planet with them regardless. Currently, we are fighting wars in Iraq
and Afghanistan - for those people and for many of our troops, it is
an ugly situation. Can we eliminate some of these problems by having a
better understanding of how others see the world? Is there value in
understanding other's point of view?
That is what multiculturalism is all about. Its a
philosophy that acknowledges the strength and richness of human
diversity. It is not about who is good or bad - it is
about finding something positive that can be used to build
understanding. Do you think we would be at war if everyone involved
had a better appreciation of each other's attitudes, values, and
beliefs?
When we look at other cultures, we obtain more insight
into our own lives and culture. One way to think about our own life is
to learn more about others. Today I would like to present three books
to you that are set in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Each of these books
offers one perspective as to what it would be like to grow up in that
culture.
Suzanne Fisher Staples wrote the first two I would
like to talk about. She is an interesting writer because of her
background in journalism. She was a reporter in and worked with people
in Pakistan, where these first two books are set. She has the gift of
presenting complex ideas in a simple, straightforward way that does
not pass judgment.
In an interview with Teenread.com, she talks about her
writing and multiculturalism by saying, "We're born accepting, but we
learn to fear. The difficult thing is getting adults to give up their
fears so they don't pass them on to their children. Literature, film,
visual arts, television, magazine articles, music - these express what
we all have in common. Art makes the differences among cultures
appealing."
Shabanu: Daughter of the
Wind.
This award winning book (Newbery Honor, ALA Best Book
of Young Adults, New York Times Notable Book of the Year, Horn Book
Fanfare) propelled the author into the YA Lit spotlight. This is a
remarkable feat, because it is her first book and the author, Suzanne
Fisher, states in a Teenreads.com interview that she states, "I never
decided to write for teens. I simply write my stories, and that's how
they're published."
Her stories are compelling - and based on real people
and situations. In this book, set in the Cholistan Desert of eastern
Pakistan, a young woman shares what it is like growing up in a
traditional society. Do you know where Cholistan is and what the
country of Pakistan is like? This book offers an inside look into that
region of the world and nomadic, desert culture yet still speaks to
issues that Westerners should be able to relate to.
As you can see, this family lives a humble life in the
desert, yet they seem content. How do they cope? And what do they mean
when they talk about "If god had blessed you with sons?" What would it
be like growing up as a young woman in this society and how would that
compare and contrast with the lives of young women in America? The
answers to these questions would make a fascinating class discussion.
In the process, I am sure that most of you will enjoy this book.
Haveli
This sequel to Ms. Staples award winning book, Shabanu:
Daughter of the Wind, picks up the story 5 years later - but don't
worry, they need not be read in sequence to enjoy either book. Stories
about poor peasant girls marrying into nobility are common in folklore
and fairytales. Perhaps this book is compelling because it occurs in a
traditional culture where women do not expect to have the rights and
freedoms that many in the West take for granted.
The main character, young Shabanu, has married an
elderly, powerful clan leader. While he adores his youngest wife - he
has other wives in the household that despise Shabanu and her young
daughter, Mumtaz. This book contains many of the same fascinating
story lines as the first book, Shabanu, but examines those issues
through the eyes of Shabanu as an adult.
The Breadwinner
Deborah Ellis wrote this last book. She works as a
mental health counselor in Toronto and is an advocate for Women for
Women in Afghanistan, which is an organization that works to help
Afghan girls in the refuge camps in Pakistan receive an education. All
royalties from this book are donated to that cause.
Because the war in Afghanistan and the war on
terrorism are ongoing struggles that some predict will require
American intervention for years, if not generations, understanding
this part of the world is important. Just what is the Taliban and what
would it be like to live under their command? This YA Lit masterpiece
provides some insight from the perspective of a young woman.
The extreme religious views of the Taliban prevent
women from appearing in public without totally covering their bodies.
Even then, they are not allowed out without a male escort. What would
it be like to survive in such a situation, especially if the man of
the house was arrested without charges? How would a mother and her
daughters survive? Read this book to find out.
Conclusion
Many believe that understanding different cultures is
the key to resolving conflicts across cultures. Novels like Shabanu:
Daughter of the Wind, Haveli, and The Breadwinner provide insight into
the lives of people living in other countries by going beyond
presentations of historic and contemporary facts - these books offer a
look through the eyes and minds of different people. If it is
important to acknowledge the strength and richness of human diversity,
then realistic fiction like the books I have shown you today can be
powerful tools to enhance understanding of both other cultures and
that of our own. But don't take my word for it - why not read one of
these books and decide for yourself. I'd love to hear what you think.
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