Gathering the Sun

Title: Gathering the Sun

Author/Illustrator: Alma Flor Ada and Simon Silva

Publisher: Rayo

Publication Date:  2001
Genre: Multicultural Alphabet Book

Audience:  Kdg.- 2nd grade 

Overview: An alphabet book full of poems that represent the Hispanic culture in the eyes of agricultural farmers.  Written in English and in Spanish, readers will learn the different colors, foods, and traditions of the culture, along with learning a new language.

Activity:  Students will draw a picture of an item in the story that is new to them.  They will show the class their picture, state what it is, and how it was used in the story.

 Reviewer’s Name:  Emily Pike, VSU student

Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella

Title: Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella

Author/Illustrator: Robert San Souci and Brian Pinkney

Publisher:   Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers

Publication Date:  2002
Genre:  Multicultural Picture Book

Audience:  1st-4th grade 

Overview: This Caribbean Cinderella story is told in the view of the godmother.  A poor woman finds a magic wand left by her mother, and uses it to help her goddaughter.  She turns household items into wonderful creations.

Activity: Students will make predictions throughout the story based on their prior knowledge of Cinderella stories.  Students will paint a picture of a Cinderella character and design the background to show her origin.  Using color to show the mood and the feelings of the Cinderella.

Reviewer’s Name:  Emily Pike, VSU student

A Picture Book of Sacagawea

Title: A Picture Book of Sacagawea

Author/Illustrator: David Adler and Dan Brown
Publisher: Holiday House Publication Date:  2001

Genre:  Biography Picture Book

Audience:  1st-5th grade

Overview: This book shows the life story of Sacagawea.  Including how she was kidnapped as a young girl, and how she assisted Lewis and Clark on their journey to the Pacific.  The pictures in the book are eye catching and really bring the book to life.

Activity: Have the students make native American style necklaces by stringing beads.  Reinforce the idea of beginning, middle, and end by having the students make the necklace into a large pattern.  Example, have the students use large beads in the beginning, small beads in the middle, and large beads at the end.

Reviewer’s Name:  Emily Pike, VSU student

My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States

Title:  My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States

Author/Illustrator: Author- Lee Bennett Hopkins Illustrator- Stephen Alcorn

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers   Publication Date:  2000

Genre:Poetry                                    Audience: 3-4 grade

Overview: This is a compilation of Poems, organized by region, about the geography of all the states in the Union. Poets featured in the atlas include; Langston Hughes, Carl Sandburg, Nikki Giovanni, and Lilian Moore

Activity: The teacher will print out a map of the Northeastern United States and the students will pin point each place as they read them in the poem.

NOTE: Since this is a compilation of poems, the book can be spread out over several weeks or months and during short periods of time. For example, the teacher can read one poem after lunch every day until they have read and mapped all of the poems.

Reviewer’s Name: Suzi Mastrario, VSU student

Madeline and the Cats of Rome

Author/Illustrator: John Bemelmans Marciano

Publisher: Viking                                               Publication Date:  2008

Genre:      Fiction                                                Audience:  K- 3

Overview: Another of the famous Madeline books, thisone set as she and Ms. Clavel travel with the other girls to Rome. Follow Madeline in her mis-adventures through the historic Eternal City.

Activity: A fabulous way to coordinate a Google Earth tour, stopping at all the places illustrated in the book. A good start to a geographic landmark tour of Rome.

Reviewer’s Name: Dr. Deb L. Marciano