Skeleton Meets the Mummy!

Skeleton Meets the Mummy

Written by Steve Metzger

Illustrated by Aaron Zenz

Scholastic Inc., 2010

30 Pages

Fantasy

          I chose this book because I love Steve Metzgers book, and this one was no different! This book tells the story of Sammy, a skeleton who is ready to go trick-or-treating with his friend because they won’t even have to dress up! His mom puts a halt on his plan when she tells him he has to take soup to his grandmother. On his way to grandmother’s house, he hears noises and shadows that scare him. Something begins following him so he runs through the woods, but the thing is too fast. He turns around and it is a mummy, or is it?  You will have to read this book to find out.

          The illustrations in this book seem to be created digitally. The contrast of black and primary pops of color create the perfect illustrations for this book. The illustrations cover a two page spread featuring informal and very informal text placement. The cover features a double page spread. The use of proportion is important in the book. When Sammy sees the mummy, the focus of the page is on the mummy and the mummy looks much larger than Sammy, showing that the mummy has power over Sammy. 

          This book would be a great book to use as an introduction to onomatopoeia at Halloween. This book is full of onomatopoeia such as screech! Click! Clack! Scritch! Scratch! It would also be a great book to teach younger students that thinks aren’t always as they seem, Sammy saw monsters in the trees and is scared by a bat. Children often get scared and hear and see things that are not really there when they go out at night. This might help them overcome their fears. This could be used as an example in art class of a book created with digital media. Students could create their own art work on the computer.This book has not received any awards.

Every Thing On It

Every Thing on It

Written and Illustrated by Shel Silverstein

Scholastic Inc., 2011

195 Pages

Poetry

          I chose this book of poetry because Shel Silverstein is a very well-known poet, and I have not read any of his books since I was a child. This book is a wacky book that students in upper grades would enjoy. Through all of the wacky wording and ideas, there are good lessons that can be taught through his poetry. Such as in this poem, “Masks,”

She had blue skin,

And so did he.

He kept it hid,

And so did she.

They searched for blue

Their whole life through.

Then passed right by _

And never knew.

That is a great poem about being true to yourself and not hiding who you really are. I love that poem, and there are several more to explore that have great morals throughout this book. 

          Silverstein uses pen and paper to create his simple yet detailed illustrations. The illustrations are done in a vignette, single page, and double page illustrations. The lack of color and the use of negative space draw the reader’s eye to the illustrations that are as wacky as the poems! He uses formal and informal text placement in his book. 

          Every Thing on It is a great book to use in language arts to introduce poetry to second to fourth grade students, and have them write their own wacky poem. The poem, “Masks,” could be used as a character education lesson on being true to who you are and self-esteem. This book could also be an example in art of using pen and paper to create works of art, and have students create a drawing using pen and paper.  This book has not received any awards.

Shout! Little Poems That Roar!

Shout! Little Poems That Roar!

Written by Brod Bagert

Illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa

Scholastic Inc., 2008

30 pages

Poetry

          I chose this book because I have read several of the poems to the children in my class at the daycare where I work. The students love the poems and the illustrations are fun! This book of poems talks about everything from school to home to ketchup! There are poems to teach the alphabet, numbers one through ten, the five senses, and the seasons. This would make a great addition to any younger elementary school classroom library. My favorite poem in the book is entitled, “Sense Alive,” 

 

Senses, senses, I have five,

Senses make me feel alive.

In the bathroom Daddy goes…

I WISH I DIDN’T HAVE A NOSE!

The poem continues on to describe hearing, touching, tasting, and seeing. These poems make learning fun and funny for students! 

          Yoshikawa uses brightly colored acrylic paint to create her vibrant and eye catching illustrations. All of the illustrations in the book cover a double page spread. The lines in the book vary between smooth and jagged. The lines of the illustrations are very thin. This book features informal text placement. 

          This book would be great for upper preschool to third grade students. This book could be used in science to teach the five senses, the constellations, or seasons. It could be used in kindergarten to teach the alphabet and numbers. It could also be used in math as an introduction to addition. This book covers a wide range of subjects with poems that you are sure to love!  This book has not received any awards.

All About Lewis Carroll

Poetry for Young People: Lewis Carroll

Edited by Edward Mendelson

Illustrated by Eric Copeland
Sterling Publishing, 2008

48 Pages

Poetry

          I chose this book because I tend to choose books geared toward lower elementary students, and this compilation of poetry is more geared towards the older elementary school reader. The poems are longer, and in true Lewis Carroll fashion full of ridiculous characters and wild ideas. Throughout the book, Mendelson includes definitions of words that the students may not understand. I found this to be very beneficial to reading the poems since they were written in a different time period. Along with the definitions, Mendelson also added a brief description of when Carroll wrote the poem and if was included in any of his other works of literature. 

          Copeland uses several types of illustrations throughout the book. He uses double page, single page, and vignettes to bring the book to life. The book includes informal text placement highlighting the text most often in the negative space of the book. Copeland uses paint possibly watercolor and acrylic for his illustrations. In the majority of the illustrations, he uses dull colors and little detail; the lines are very smooth and lack definition. 

          I would use this specialized poetry book with older elementary students, probably fourth, fifth and sixth graders. This book could be used to introduce a new time period in history, the 1800s, and how writing and English have changed from then to now. Language arts could be incorporated by having the students create a Venn diagram and then write about how writing and English have changed. Students could also write their own wacky and ridiculous poem. The teacher could compile the poems into a class poetry book.This book has not received any awards.

BEWARE! These Poems Bite Back!

Big, Bad and a Little Bit Scary, Poems That Bite Back!

Compiled and Illustrated by Wade Zahares

Scholastic Inc., 2002

30 Pages

Poetry

          The alligator on the front cover and the title of the book caught my eye, and I had to read this book! This anthology of poems is as the title says, all about animals that bite! The animals range from viper to alligator to hippopotamus. The poems are humorous and will make you laugh out loud! There are poems included in this book that would be appropriate for students of all elementary school ages. All of the poems in this book were excellent, but my favorite was one by Ogden Nash entitled, “The Panther,”

 

The panther is like a leopard,

Except it hasn’t been peppered.

Should you behold a panther crouch,

Prepare to say Ouch.

Better yet, if called by a panther,

Don’t anther.

          Zahares uses pastels for his illustrations. He uses a variety of warm and cool colors in each double page illustration to match the feel of each individual poem. The poem features informal text placement. The book features an alligator on the wrap around cover. 

          This book would be a great book to recommend to boys who are not very interested in poetry.  It will make them laugh and learn all at the same time. It would make for a great introductory book into a unit on a variety of species of animals. It could be incorporated into an art and language arts lesson by having students write a poem about an animal of their choice and illustrate it using pastels. This book has not received any awards.