Book Review: Me ... Jane

Author/Illustrator: Patrick McDonnell
Interest Level: Ages 4 and Up
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

From the Publisher: In his characteristic heartwarming style, Patrick McDonnell tells the story of the young Jane Goodall and her special childhood toy chimpanzee named Jubilee. As the young Jane observes the natural world around her with wonder, she dreams of "a life living with and helping all animals," until one day she find that her dream has come true.

One of the world's most inspiring women, Dr. Jane Goodall is a renowned humanitarian, conservationist, animal activist, environmentalist, and United Nations Messenger of Peace. In 1977 she founded the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), a global nonprofit organization that empowers people to make a difference for all living things.

With anecdotes taken directly from Jane Goodall's autobiography, McDonnell makes this very true story accessible for the very young -- and young at heart.

Why It's On My Bookshelf: Just when I think I'm done gushing about a book....another one takes my breath away. I am so head over heels for Me...Jane as were the students. The illustrations are darling. This was my chosen read for Earth Day last week. Yep, I even read it to the 5th graders and they were so engaged as they listened to Jane's dream to one day go to Africa and live a life helping animals. Then on the last page comes a REAL photograph of Jane Goodall living out this dream. GASP went the kids. The kind of gasp I love. Yes, dream big!

In a time of state testing and constant assessments it's a breath of fresh air to read such an encouraging uplifting TRUE story. I want kids to remember there is nothing wrong with having a dream of doing something special with their lives. 

Book Review: Arthur Turns Green

Author/Illustrator: Marc Brown
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Interest Level: Ages

From the Book Jacket: Arthur is full of ideas when it comes to doing his part to save the planet. But is he actually turning green?

Arthur comes home from school and begins sneaking around the house, taking notes and taking about a Big Green Machine. D.W. is suspicious of her brother's weird behavior, and when Arthur shows up late for dinner with green hands, she really gets the creeps! Will the Big Green Machine get her, too? Find out how Arthur's secret project convinces his entire family to turn green!

Why It's On My Bookshelf: Do your kids know what it means to Go Green? Well, your favorite aardvark is back after nearly a decade to teach them. It's Earth Day this Friday, April 22nd and all of our classrooms are taking on school wide green projects. I started reading Arthur Turns Green today to help honor Friday and a majority of kids had no idea what it meant to be green. We get to learn through Arthur's little sister D.W. just what this going green stuff means. She thinks the Big Green Machine is out to get her family. Lots of chuckles from students as they realized her perspective on the concept was all wrong. The story has a humorous element to it which author Marc Brown does so well in all of his Arthur books. If you want to teach about Earth Day or just encourage kids to be mindful of their everyday habits....Arthur is your guy.


A Link to This Book and Others You Might Find Helpful:

Book Review: You're Mean, Lily Jean!

Author: Frieda Wishinsky
Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton
Publisher: Albert Whitman
Interest Level: Ages 4-8

From the Book Jacket: When Lily Jean moves in next door, sisters Carly and Sandy are happy to have a new friend join their game. But Lily Jean changes everything. She decides they'll play house and orders Carly to be the baby. When they play king and queen, King Lily Jean tells Carly to be the royal dog! Tired of being bossed around, Carly comes up with a way to teach Lily Jean a lesson. With Sandy's help, can she turn a bully into a friend?

Why It's On My Bookshelf: Well, my 2011 favorites list just grew again! I am very passionate about the name of my blog because of books just like this one. I spend hours hunting for the ones with teachable moments that help children learn important social skills. Every K-3 class I read this to benefited in their friendships, sibling relationships, and helped curb bullying behavior.

There is a whole lot of bossing around going on in the story. Lily Jean is on a power trip and her behavior got a ton of disapproval from students. Carly is picked on because she is the little sister and Lily Jean wants to have Sandy all to herself. But what blessed my heart was how sweet and caring big sister Sandy is to Carly. She sticks up for her. It was a great stopping point to talk about how we need to look out for our siblings and make sure they are being treated with kindness. Carly sticks up for herself too and lets Lily Jean know she can hang with her and Sandy if she is nice. That's their friendship rule for Lily Jean. Stop being bossy and start being nice or go play alone. Lots of kids need to hear this truth. It's okay to say NO to bad behavior. Looking forward to reading this one to my own kiddo.  


Pictures of the inside of this book will be posted tomorrow. Technical difficulties are preventing the pictures from popping up in the blog post,

A Link to This Book and Others You Might Find Helpful:

Book Review: Point to Happy (a book for kids on the autism spectrum)

 

Authors: Miriam Smith and Afton Fraser

Photographs by Margo Smithwick

Publisher: Workman 

Interest Level: Ages 4 and Up

From the Publisher: Children love to look at pictures and share them with others. For those children on the autism spectrum, communicating through pictures is sometimes the only way to express their feelings and emotions - and it can also open a door to further communication. Until now, there has been no book developed specifically for children with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) that could help them convey their immediate wants and needs, experiences, and most importantly, their feelings.

Miriam Smith and her daughter, Afton Fraser searched for a way to aid Afton's son, who is on the autism spectrum. Taking matters into their own hands, Point to Happy is the first book of its kind: one written and designed for children on the autism spectrum who benefit from visual support. Ingenious in its simplicity, the parent reads and the child points to photographs with the attached pointer. 

The text is clear, and the friendly photographs are compelling to look at and easy to understand. The simple motor task of using a pointer helps children focus as they select the appropriate pictures. Identifying everyday objects, knowing the rituals of going to bed and getting up in the morning, and choosing what to eat is all made clear through the photos. A child can describe polite language, prompt when he is thirsty, and recognize the colors of the rainbow. 

Why It's On My Bookshelf:  April is Autism Awareness Month so a great way to support and celebrate is by sharing an amazing discovery. Working in an inclusive school district I see an overwhelming need for more curriculum and resources to help our students affected by autism. Parents are also looking to us as educators to help them find appropriate tools for home to support the social and emotional needs of their child. Point to Happy is a new resource at our school that we are LUCKY to have and put to use. Our autistic students are mostly visual learners and need curriculum geared towards helping them overcome the communication deficit they struggle with on a daily basis.

Point to Happy helps break down those language barriers with pictures depicting feelings and daily routines. It also has a super COOL pointer for the child to use as you are reading. The last few pages are blank for you to put your own photos in...loving that. Another reason it caught my eye is because it's AFFORDABLE. I get counseling catalogs all the time with curriculum tools that are not very budget friendly. When you have a child with high needs husbanding your financial resources is essential. Enjoy this new find!

 

A Link to This Book and Others You Might Find Helpful:

Book Review: The LOUD Book

Author: Deborah Underwood
Illustrated by Renata Liwska 
Interest Level: Ages 4-8
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children 
Companion to the The Quiet Book 


From the Book Jacket: BANG! CRACKLE! BOO! Just as there are different kinds of quiet, there are also different kinds of loud: Good louds (HOORAY!). And bad louds (CRASH!). And accidental louds that make you the center of attention (BURP!). The Loud Book presents all of these kid-friendly noises in a way that is sure to make readers CHEER!  

Why It's On My Bookshelf: Don't you love it when you are a fan of an awesome book and then the author decides to do a cool companion to it!? I started to use The Quiet Book this year with my K-1 students to help support that concept in the classroom. A cute adorable read is always a nice way to help introduce the need for shhhhhh sometimes. But we aren't always required to be hush hush in school so I was so excited to see The Loud Book at my local bookstore. Another creative resource to add to my classroom management lessons! It can be pretty darn boring to hear your teacher instruct you on different voice levels - but not when you have two delightful books to help bring the message home.
 
A Link to This Book and Others You Might Find Helpful: 

Review: Plummet

Plummet

Written by Tony and Jan Payne

Illustrated by Emily Bolam

Publication date: 2004
Publisher: Orion Children's Books

ISBN: 1-84255-169-8

Summary/back cover:
A Flying Frog who can't fly? Whoever heard of such a thing?
Plummet has become just that - a frog who can't get airborne.  And it's making him very sad.  Until he meets a fabulous Flying Frog called Be-Bop.  Can she help Plummet to get off the ground?
The sky's the limit in this inspiring story of frogs, friendship and flying.

Review:
This is a sweet wee story, which effectively shows how strange some things are named - Flying Frogs that don't actually fly - so is a good way to introduce some other oddities in the English language to your toddler (clotheshorse, which isn't actually a horse; dust bunnies that aren't actually bunnies; etc). It also shows that we can sometimes do things, even if we think we can't, because we've been trying to achieve something different.

My 2.5 year old liked this story, but did immediately launch himself off the edge of his bed, in order to become a flying frog - so do watch out for that, if you have a suggestable child!

My rating - 4/5.


Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Snap

Snap

Written by Damian Harvey

Illustrated by Lucy Richards

Publication date: 2007
Publisher: Orchard Books
ISBN: 978-1-84362-865-1

Summary/back cover:
Snap might look different to all Mother Duck's other little ducklings, but she thinks he is just adorable!
Families come in all shapes and sizes. This beautiful book celebrates the love that makes every family special.

Review:
This is a gorgeous wee book about a Mother Duck that finds a crocodile (or alligator?) egg and adopts it as her own.  My 2.5 year old finds it highly amusing that I kept calling the crocodile a 'duck' through the story, but he agreed that Mother Duck loved the crocodile, and the crocodile loved the ducks back.

I love the message in the story - the other animals laugh at Snap, because he doesn't look like the rest of his family, but Mother Duck repeats a number of times, "Some ducklings are different, but to me they're all wonderful."

A gorgeous wee read, I rate this one 4.5/5


Review writteb by Bronwyn

Book Review: Willow's Whispers

Author: Lana Button

Illustrated by Tania Howells

Publisher: Kids Can Press
Activities: Storytime Suggestions 

Interest Level: Ages 4-8

From the Book Jacket: Willows words came out in whispers. They were just too tiny to hear. Willow's voice, soft and shy as a secret, goes unheard by everyone at school and causes her no ends of troubles. Having to drink orange juice at snack time when she had asked so nicely for apple is just one disappointment.

After a night of wishing, thinking and planning for a way to make louder words, Willow wakes the next morning with the perfect idea: a magic microphone! But although she fashions it from the sturdiest recyclables, her beglittered invention doesn't last the school day. Will Willow find another way to make herself heard?

Why It's On My Bookshelf: I get a lot of requests from parents, teachers, blog followers etc asking for book suggestions to help kids overcome shyness. There's not a lot of good ones out there on the topic. But there is a really GREAT one out there.....Willow's Whispers. This was a discovery a couple of months ago. As I started to read the first pages, it almost seemed too good to be true - because I love the way it's written from beginning to end.

This was a powerful read for the shy kids and even the ones who are not. First of all, the shy kids got to hear DIRECTLY from me in the most validating way through Willow's story. I introduced the words...fears, confidence, inner strength, brave.....oh the list goes on. Also, it's okay to be shy. But when can our shyness get in the way of our own happiness and become a problem? This is what happens to Willow....she is misheard, gets bullied, has trouble making friends, and misses out on classroom opportunities. We quickly figured out her shyness was getting in the way. Good Stuff! And a wonderful way to introduce strategies for kids to practice.

For those kids who are not shy it was a good lesson in sensitivity and to be supportive to those children who do feel shy at times. Reach out to them, have understanding, and try to help them feel comfortable. I cannot wait to read this one again next year. This is always a sign of how much I adore a new book. My recommendation list just got a lot stronger in the shy department.

A Link to This Book and Others You Might Find Helpful:

Review: Ten Wriggly Wiggly Caterpillars

Ten Wriggly Wiggly Caterpillars

Written and Illustrated by Debbie Tarbett

Publication date: 2005

Publisher: Backpack Books

ISBN: 0-7607-7057-3

Summary:

Ten crunching caterpillars in the bright sunshine.  One fell asleep, so that left... nine!

Follow the adventures of these bright bold 3-D caterpillars in this fun and funky counting book with a surprise pop-up page at the end!

Review:

Another fun book, with the added interest of the 3-D, plastic caterpillars.  We start with 10 and they drop off one by one for different reasons.  But at the end you have a beautiful pop-up illustration of the 10 beautiful butterflies that the caterpillars have become. 

I have to confess to being just as delighted as my little one the first time we read this book and got to the end page and I like seeing first time readers have the same reaction.  The illustrations are bright and very cute, the text is simple and rhyming, but it really is the inclusion of the caterpillars and the end pop-up that makes this quite special.

5/5

Review written by QTCass

Review: The Bad Good Manners Book

The Bad Good Manners Book

Written and Illustrated by Babette Cole

Publication date: 1997

Publisher: Puffin Books (NZ) Ltd

ISBN: 0-14-055480-7

Summary:

Good manners, bad manners, no manners at all!  Babette Cole's hilarious tips on being an angel - or a little devil...

"Good behaviour does not begin with Babette Cole, a good read does" - Observer

Review:

Anyone who has had anything to do with childrens books over the past 30 years will instantly recognise Cole's work.  Her distinctive illustrations and humourous writing has seen over 70 of her children's picture books be published and has received numerous awards.

The Bad Good Manners Book is, as the title states, all about what not to do.  I love to place special emphasis on "Don't mess around in the kitchen", which usually falls on deaf ears, and "Don't tell your mother she's fat" which generally receives a giggle or two from those within earshot.

A fun read, every child's bookshelf deserves at least one Babette Cole, and you couldn't go wrong if this was it.

4/5.

Review written by QTCass

Review: I Like Myself

I Like Myself

Written by Karen Beaumont

Illustrated by David Catrow

Publication date: 2005

Publisher: Koala Books

ISBN: 0-86461-611-2

Summary:

I like myself--inside and out! Why? Just because I'm ME! At once silly and serious, this exuberant ode to self-esteem is sassy, soulful--and straight from the heart.

Review:

As the title says, this book is about liking yourself.  The opening page states "I like myself! I'm glad I'm me" and the book closes with "I like myself because I'm ME!"

It is full of imaginative eye-catching illustrations and while the text may be a bit repetitive (it finds a number of different ways of saying the same thing; I like myself!) it is a positive affirmation that any parent would want their child to pick up on and start believing for themselves.  The rhyming will hold younger listeners attention and is simple enough for early readers.

4/5

Review written by QTCass

Review: I Love my Mummy

I Love my Mummy

Written by Giles Andreae

Illustrated by Emma Dodd

Publication date: 2011
Publisher: Orchard Books
ISBN: 978-1-40830-957-5


Summary:
"I love my mummy very much,
She's great to cuddle, soft to touch!"

Told with humour and charm, this is a book to be loved and shared time and again. From the bestselling and award-winning writer Giles Andreae and acclaimed illustrator Emma Dodd.


Review:
I was lucky enough to be sent a review copy of this book from the publisher, and was very pleased to receive it.  I'm a huge fan of Giles Andreae's work - the author of Giraffes Can't Dance and The Lion who Wanted to Love - and this book has immediately become one of the most-requested books in our house (it's also really nice to hear your 2.5 year old toddler say "I Love Mummu" over and over!)

This books is written in much more of a Purple Ronnie style than Giles's other childrens books, but this adds to the humour and gentle rhyming of the book.

I thoroughly recommend this book - I'm hoping there will be one called I Love my Daddy at some point too, to add to our collection!

If you're interested in purchasing this book, you can pick it up here at Fishpond.

My rating: 5/5 - a lovely wee book, all about why Mums are great!

Review written by Bronwyn