A PIZZA THE SIZE OF THE SUN

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Prelutsky, Jack. 1996. PIZZA THE SIZE OF THE SUN. Ill. by James Stevenson. New York: Greenwillow Books. ISBN 0688132359

PLOT SUMMARY
This is a delightful collection of poems that the entire family will love to share aloud.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
These outrageous poems will surely please any reader of any age. Teachers will love the concrete poems such as “A Triangular Tale” is written in the shape of a triangle. “I Am Your Mirror Image” is written backwards so that it can only be read by using a mirror. Stevenson's lineand wash illustrations are expressive and fun. This book would be an excellent choice for a teacher to introduce poetry in a fun and silly way.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “this book should be required reading for those out there who claim they don't like poetry. If you can only afford one poetry collection this year, make it this one.”
HORN BOOK: “Stevenson's spirited line and wash drawings effectively convey the tone of the jaunty, usually funny, often silly, sometimes gross, and always childlike poems.”

CONNECTIONS
More poetry collections by Jack Prelutsky:
Prelutsky, Jack. THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK. ISBN 0688022715
Prelutsky, Jack. IT’S RAINING PIGS AND NOODLES. ISBN 006076390

Picture credit: Amazon.com

STOP PRETENDING

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sones, Sonya. 1999. STOP PRETENDING. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN 0060283866

PLOT SUMMARY
A series of short intense poems describe the feelings of a thirteen year old girl when her older sister suffers a mental breakdown on Christmas Eve. She discusses visiting her sister, now a stranger, in the psych ward, wondering if her family will ever be the same. This is the author’s first verse novel based on her own life experiences.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This is a fairly mature book that illustrates the effects of a family member’s illness. The poems are written in falling verse. One poem titled, “Mass Pike,” shows how the world continues on when the father has an emotional breakdown on the side of the highway after a visit with his ill daughter…”he has to pull over…and we weep with him while cars filled with happy families whiz past.”

REVIEW EXCERPTS
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “An unpretentious, accessible book that could provide entry points for a discussion about mental illness-its stigma, its realities, and its affect on family members.”
KIRKUS REVIEWS: ”they[the poems] take on life and movement, telling a compelling tale and presenting a painful passage through young adolescence. The form, a story-in-poems, fits the story remarkably well, spotlighting the musings of the 13-year-old narrator, and pinpointing the emotions powerfully. She copes with friends who snub her, worries that she, too, will go mad, and watches her sister's slow recovery.

CONNECTIONS
Other verse novels by Sonya Sones:
Sones, Sonya. WHAT MY GIRLFRIEND DOESN’T KNOW. ISBN 0689876025
Sones, Sonya. ONE OF THOSE HIDEOUS BOOKS WHERE THE MOTHER DIES. ISBN 1416907882

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WHAT IS GOODBYE?

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Grimes, Nikki. 2004. WHAT IS GOODBYE? Ill. by Raul Colon. New York: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 078680778

PLOT SUMMARY

This beautiful book of poetry shows how a brother and sister cope with the loss of their older brother. Each sibling’s poems illustrate how everyone deals with grief differently and how everyone heals in their own time. Eventually the family comes to terms with the loss and moves on –a new family portrait is taken with “one piece missing, yet whole again.”

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The alternating poems by siblings Jesse and Jerilyn show how each of them are handling the loss of their brother in very different ways. Jerilyn’s poem “Getting the News” uses several similes to show how she felt when she heard the news of her brother’s death…”Daddy told me in a whisper sharp as a switchblade and just as sly.” In “Rush,” Jesse speaks of the how everyone is telling him it’s time to move on, that it has been long enough. Jesse says, “They’re telling me my heart is wrong for hurting past the date they set? Well, I’m not ready to move on yet.” Grimes often chooses rhymed couplets for Jesse's voice, and the singsong sounds and tight rhythm create a young tone that's indicative of Jesse's age. This book of poetry would be excellent for a grieving child. It really portrays the range of emotions that people encounter when coming to terms with the death of a loved one. This book teaches how people must handle things their own way and in their own time.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

BOOKLIST: “Moving and wise, these are poems that beautifully capture a family's heartache as well as the bewildering questions that death brings, and they reinforce the message in Grimes' warm author's note: "There's no right or wrong way to feel when someone close to you dies."

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: Colón's paintings in muted colors combine imagism with realism to create an emotional dreamscape on nearly every page. The clean design combined with the book's short, easy pace and small size give readers a comfortable place from which to listen to the characters as they make their way from "Getting the News" to "Anniversary," and finally to "Ordinary Days.

CONNECTIONS

Other books about coping with grief for children:

Vogel, Robin Helene. THE SNOWMAN. ISBN 1561230685

Romain, Trevor. WHAT ON EARTH DO YOU DO WHEN SOMEONE DIES? ISBN 1575420554

Picture credit: Barnes and Noble

HORSE HOOVES AND CHICKEN FEET: MEXICAN FOLKTALES

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Philip, Neil. 2003. HORSE HOOVES AND CHICKEN FEET: MEXICAN FOLKTALES. Ill. by Jacqueline Mair. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 0618194630

PLOT SUMMARY
Philip has collected fourteen tales from Mexico. There is a nice blend of religion and humor to make this uniquely Mexican.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This book captures the essence of the Mexican heritage. It is no wonder it won an Aesop award. Mair’s acrylic illustrations capture the bold flavor of the heritage right down to the chili pepper at the bottom of every page.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
BOOKLIST: “Adding considerably to the overall appeal of the book are Mair's exuberant illustrations, accomplished in the style of Mexican folk art.”
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Mair's primitive acrylic illustrations, based on Mexican folk art, are alive with bright color and a kinetic sensibility.”

CONNECTIONS
Folktales from other cultures:
Mandela, Nelson. NELSON MANDELA’S FAVORITE AFRICAN FOLKTALES. ISBN 0393052125
Philip Neil. STOCKINGS OF BUTTERMILK: AMERICAN FOLKTALES.ISBN 0395849802

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IKTOMI AND THE COYOTE

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Goble, Paul. 1998. IKTOMI AND THE COYOTE. Ill. by Paul Goble. New York: Orchard Books. ISBN 0531331083

PLOT SUMMARY
The trickster Iktomi begins yet another adventure of attempting to outwit the coyote. This folktale begins with Iktomi tricking some prairie dogs into becoming his dinner only to be outsmarted by the coyote who steals the cooked prairie dogs.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The addition of the gray italics to allow the readers and listeners to make their own comments was a fun addition to the ordinary children’s book. Reading Iktomi’s thoughts in the small print broke up the flow of the story. The illustrations are delightful, but small children may be bothered by the sight of the cooked prairie dogs and the prairies dogs in the coyote’s full stomach.

REVIEWS
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “kids will enjoy being in the know as they follow the humorous and inevitable downfall of this dubious hero.”
KIRKUS REVIEWS: “Goble's illustrations shine, while the endless interruptions of the main story with narrator asides, as well as with the comments of Iktomi and others, return the story to its oral roots.”

CONNECTIONS
Other stories in the IKTOMI series:
Goble, Paul. IKTOMI AND THE DUCKS: A PLAINS INDIAN STORY. ISBN 9780531058831
Goble, Paul. IKTOMI AND THE BUZZARD: A PLAINS INDIAN STORY. ISBN 9780531071007
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BUBBA THE COWBOY PRINCE

BIBLIOGRAPHY.
Ketteman, Helen. 1997. BUBBA THE COWBOY PRINCE. Ill. by James Warhola. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 0590255061

PLOT SUMMARY
BUBBA THE BOWBOY PRINCE is “Cinderella” with a Texas twist. Bubba is the stepson of a wicked rancher. The rancher and his sons treat Bubba terribly. Bubba’s fairy godcow helps turn Bubba into a handsome cowboy to attend Miz Lurlean’s ball. Much to his stepfamily’s chagrin, Bubba gets to live happily ever after.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This version of “Cinderella” almost forces the reader to read with a Texas twang. The hilarious dialect and illustrations of all things Texas make this story fun for the whole family. Children will immediately recognize the Cinderella story and will love the refreshing change of a male character getting ready to go to the ball to meet a successful woman. Warhola has done a fantastic job with the fairy godcow and the scenes of Bubba’s transformation from ranch hand to handsome cowboy are beautiful.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
KIRKUS reviews: “There are no surprises in this version except in the hilarious way the premise plays itself out and in Warhola's delightful visual surprises.”

CONNECTIONS
This story would be an excellent reeader's theater event. Children would love the western props that could be used and using the cowboy dialect would be entertaining as well.

Other versions and variants of Cinderella :
Lowery, Susan. CINDY-ELLEN:A WILD WESTERN CINDERELLA.ISBN 0064438643
Brucker, Meredith Babeaux and Lila Mehta. 2002. ANKLET FOR A PRINCESS: A CINDERELLA STORY FROM INDIA. ISBN 1885008201

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SIDE BY SIDE: FIVE FAVORITE PICTURE-BOOK TEAMS GO TO WORK

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Marcus, Leonard S.2001. SIDE BY SIDE: FIVE FAVORITE PICTURE-BOOK TEAMS GO TO WORK.
New York: Walker and Company. ISBN 0802787797

PLOT SUMMARY
The reader is introduced to five award winning author/illustrator teams. We are taken behind the scenes to when their books were in the works. The reader learns how each set of collaborators have a unique experience and that the process of producing a book together may take several years.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Marcus takes us on a journey of watching five picture books take form. It is interesting to learn that many times, the author and illustrator never even meet. Watching the process of how some of our favorite books came into being and seeing the rough sketches was exciting. Hearing the collaboration team’s own words in describing their experiences made the book even more fun to read.

REVIEW EXCERPT
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “even those who have not seen some of the featured books will be engaged by the creativity and cooperation exhibited here.”

CONNECTIONS
Other books by Leoanrd S. Marcus about the making of picture books:
Marcus, Leonard S. A CALDECOTT CELEBRATION. ISBN 9780802797032
Marcus, Leonard S. PASS IT DOWN:FIVE PICTURE BOOK FAMILIES MAKE THEIR MARK
ISBN 9780802796004

Picture credit: Barnes and Noble.com

HE'S GOT THE WHOLE WORLD IN HIS HANDS

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Nelson, Kadir. 2005. HE’S GOT THE WHOL WORLD IN HIS HANDS. Ill. by Kadir Nelson. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0803725806

PLOT SUMMARY
One of the country’s best-known spiritual songs is now a picture book. A boy and his family are the characters in this narrative that shows the joy of living and engaging in the world.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Nelson has chosen a multi-ethnic family to illustrate the world’s diversity. The setting of San Francisco was selected to show the mountains, the ocean, and all things beautiful in our world. Nelson has portrayed the world as a child may see it. The inclusion of the
boy’s own drawings truly show us the beauty of life and nature.

Nelson’s illustrations depict beautiful landscapes and accurately demonstrate how people and nature are connected. The artwork and song lyrics doing a great job of spreading the message of hope and faith in a world sometimes overwhelmed with tragedy and heartache.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
Starred review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Nelson's vibrant signature illustrations rendered in pencil, oil, and watercolor breathe new meaning and life into this favorite Sunday school spiritual in which families, communities, and forces of nature are celebrated with lively images and inspiring scenes.”

Starred review in BOOKLIST: “Nelson envisions the song in a highly personal and involving manner while embodying its strength and spirit.”

CONNECTIONS
Gather other books written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson. Examine his use of celebrating the

diversity in our world.

Picture credit: Amazon.com

THE MAN WHO WALKED BETWEEN THE TOWERS

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Gerstein, Mordicai. 2003. The Man Who Walked Between the Towers. Ill. by Mordecai Gerstein. Brookfield, CT: Roaring Brook Press. ISBN 0761317910

PLOT SUMMARY
In August of 1974, French tightrope walker Philippe Petit risks his life to walk a cable traversing the newly constructed Twin Towers in New York City. Petit’s high wire walk has remained a part of NYC history.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Gerstein captures the magic of this feat in an amazing story. Children and adults alike will marvel at the bravery involved in walking 1,340 feet in the air. The author’s final words of “Now the towers are gone,” leave the reader in quiet reflection.

Gerstein’s ink and oil painting illustrations are beautiful. The detail of the fold out spreads showing his trek across the expanse is entertaining and adds an element of awe and a sense of the danger involved.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
Starred review in School Library Journal: “The pacing of the narrative is as masterful as the placement and quality of the oil-and-ink paintings.”

Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor award

CONNECTIONS
Other books for children about the World Trade Center and September 11, 2001:
Kalman, Maira. FIREBOAT:THE LEGEND OF JOHN J. HARVEY. ISBN 0142403628
Winter, Jeanette. SEPTEMBER ROSES. ISBN 0374367361

Picture credit: Amazon.com