Goldilocks and the Three Bears!

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Retold by Sarah Delmege

Illustrated by Gavin Scott

Parragon Books, 2011

24 Pages

Traditional Literature

          Goldilocks was walking through the woods when she smelled a yummy smell that led her to a little house in the woods. She knocked on the door, and it opened! She looked around and no one was home! She came to the kitchen and found three bowls of porridge. The first was too hot, the second was too cold, but the last was just right! So she ate it all! Goldilocks decided that she needed to sit down. The first chair was too big; the second chair was also too big, the third chair was just right. As soon as she was comfortable, the chair broke! Then Goldilocks decided it would be a good idea to just lie down. The first bed was too hard, the second was too soft, but the third, of course, was just right! While Goldilocks was in the bed, the owners of the home arrived, and to Goldilocks surprise, they were bears! They found her in Baby Bear’s bed; Goldilocks woke up, and ran out of the house. She has never returned to the three bear’s house!

          Scott uses double page and single page spreads along with a few vignettes to display his child friendly and bright illustrations. His illustrations are created using acrylic paint.  He uses informal as well as very informal text placement to invite the child into reading the book, and it works! I did not want to stop reading this book! Many of the pages use negative space to emphasize the importance of the pages, such as the bears. Scott uses smooth lines to create a soft texture for the book to match the front cover of the book which is soft. 

          This book would be great when discussing Traditional Literature because this is a classic piece that the majority of the students have heard all of their lives. The teacher could have the students retell the book in their own words. It could be used as an introduction to teaching onomatopoeias because there are several mentioned in the book such as rumble, knock and roar! This book has not received any awards.

Cinderella!

Cinderella

Adapted by Dawn Prescott

Illustrated by Michelle McBride

Creative Publishing, 2003

20 Pages

Traditional Literature

          Cinderella is the story of a girl whose father died, and she was forced to become the servant of her stepmother and stepsister. Her stepmother and stepsisters gave her the name Cinderella after the cinders that gathered on her clothes from the fireplace. There was a ball coming to town where the prince would find his bride, despite her stepmothers wishes, Cinderella went to the ball. With the help of her fairy godmother, a rat, four mice, and a pumpkin, she was the most beautiful girl at the ball! At the stroke of midnight she had to leave her beloved prince, leaving behind only a glass slipper. The prince went door to door getting every young woman to try on the slipper. Cinderella’s foot was the perfect fit! He carried her back to the castle; they were married, and lived happily ever after as all great fairytale characters do. 

          Michelle McBride creates the illustrations digitally. The illustrations are very crisp and look like a cartoon. The use of thick lines creates definition for all of the illustrations in the book. The illustrations cover a double page spread, and McBride uses informal text placement. The illustrations flow across the gutter with no interruption of the illustration. The end papers are a full double page illustration of Cinderella, which makes a great introduction into the book. 

          This book is wonderful for teaching about traditional literature. Most students know the story of Cinderella, and students could act out the story of Cinderella to incorporate drama into the classroom. The teacher could use this book in a character education lesson to show students how the way we treat people affects people, and bullying because Cinderella was bullied by her stepmother and stepsisters. Students could write their own version of Cinderella and the teacher could form them into a classroom book.This book has not received any awards.

Johnny Appleseed!

Johnny Appleseed

Written by Jodie Shepherd

Illustrated by Masumi Furukawa

Scholastic Inc., 2010

29 Pages

Traditional Literature

          This book tells the tale of Johnny Appleseed, a man who worked in an apple orchard and decided to move west. As he walked with a pot on his head and no shoes on his feet, he planted apple seeds all across America. Johnny made friends with everyone.  He would plant trees of his own, or give the seedlings to settlers or Native Americans to grow their own trees. The next apple you eat could have come from one of Johnny Appleseed’s apple trees!

          Furukawa uses acrylic and watercolor paint for her illustrations. The book mainly features single page illustrations, but it does include double page spreads as well as vignettes. The illustrations are simple and lack definition.  Though the illustrations are simple, the use of texture is outstanding; the dirt, trees, and grass look like you could reach down and touch them. The illustrations are created using thin lines, and the illustrations seem to flow and blend together flawlessly. She uses bright colors that catch the essence of Johnny’s personality. 

          You could of course use this book when teaching a unit about apples, and have the student’s write a journal entry about whether or not they believe that this is a true story. The teacher could incorporate this book into science by reading the book, having students plant their own apple tree seedlings, and then monitoring the progress with a chart or graph. Students could create apple prints using apples and paint, and the teacher could read this book to introduce the activity. This book has not received any awards.

The Biggest Leaf Pile!

The Biggest Leaf Pile

Written by Steve Metzger

Illustrated by Jill Dublin

Scholastic Inc., 2003

29 Pages

Fantasy

          Four autumn leaves are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the wind to come and blow them off of their trees. They knew exactly where they wanted to land, in the biggest leaf pile. When the wind came they were so excited that they would all be together. The leaves love their new home. They decide that someone has to be on top, and they begin telling each other why they should be on the top of the biggest leaf pile. In the end, a bear was on the top of the leaf pile as he ran across the forest and jumped in! They had a great time, and now they do not have to fight about who should be on top!

          The illustrations in this book are created with watercolor and color pencil. The lines are smooth and thin. The illustrations seem to flow across the double page spread. The colors are warm and reflect the season of fall perfectly. The majority of the book features informal text placement. 

          This book would be best suited for children age 4-7. This book could be used to teach the primary colors and students could create a picture using a primary watercolor paint. You could also use this book to teach about arguing among friends, how to settle an argument, and make the best out of a bad situation. Many great lessons could be taught using this simple book.This book has not received any awards.

Huggapotamus!

Huggapotamus

Written by Steve Metzger

Illustrated by Gabriele Antonini

Scholastic Inc., 2011

27 Pages

Fantasy

          Albert has been hugged his whole life, and one day, he asks his parents why they hug him all the time? His parents say because they love him and now the “huggapotamus” wants to show his friends how much he cares for them, but he is too rough, too sudden, and too strong. His friends do not want to play with him! Finally his friends want to play with him, and they gather up and hug him too! 

          The illustrations in this book are created digitally. The colors used by Antonini perfectly reflect Albert’s bright and cheerful personality. The illustrations vary between formal and informal text placement. The book includes double page, single page, and vignette illustrations. The use of the vignette illustration is used when Albert is thinking back on his friends rejecting his hug, and this illustrates how Albert is feeling at the time. 

          This book would be a great book for younger elementary school children, Kindergarten through Second grade. This book would be great for teaching feelings, how we show our emotions, and how our actions affect people. It also shows the right way to socially interact with your peers. Students could write about a time when they felt left out or rejected by their friends. Art could be incorporated by having the students draw a picture to illustrate their writing.This book has not received any awards.