Mrs. Wishy Washy

 AUTHOR: Joy Cowley

ILLUSTRATOR: Elizabeth Fuller

PUBLISHER:  Wright Group/ Mcgraw-Hill       PUBLICATION DATE: 1980

GENRE: Big Book                                                 READING LEVEL:  Kindergarten

BRIEF OVERVIEW: The cow, pig, and duck play in the mud throughout the story. Mrs. Wishy Washy notices the animals are messy and bathes them. Cow, pig, and duck went back to mud at the story’s end.

  INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students will recognize farm animals while reading; Students will tell the teacher what each animal is, the color of animals, sounds of animals. Students will learn the importance of the letter W” and its sound; Ask students to make “w” sounds. Students will be asked to think of other words that start with “w”.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Brittany Welch, Valdosta State University ECSE)

LABELS: Big Book, Farm Animals , Children’s Book, Sounds

Tar Beach

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Faith Ringgold

PUBLISHER: Dragonfly Books PUBLICATION DATE: 2006

AWARDS: Caldecott Honor , Coretta Scott King Award for Illustrator, Ezra Jack Keats Book Award for New Writer

GENRE: Big Book READING LEVEL: 3^rd Grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: The author uses 8 year old Cassie Louise Lightfoot to recall a few of her memories growing up in New York as a lower class African American as she “flies” over Tar Beach. Tar Beach is what Cassie calls the rooftop of her apartment. 

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY:The students uses the Prompt, If I could fly. They will then write a story and describes what they would see and who they will encounter on their journey.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: (Kia Hill, Valdosta State University ECSE)

A Meanie's Party

TITLE: A Meanie's Party
AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Joy Cowley/ David Lund
PUBLISHER: Wright Group/ McGraw Hill
PUBLICATION DATE: 2004
READING LEVEL: Kindergarten-2nd grade
BRIEF OVERVIEW: This book is about characters called meanies. Meanies do not like to share and are often very rude and obnoxious.
Meanies do not like to share and are often very rude and obnoxious.
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Use this to teach the importance of Manners. Have the students make a t-chart to compare and contrast how we should act and how the meanies act.
REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Kacy Flesher; VSU
LABELS: Big Book, Fiction, Monsters, Humor

Do Not Open This Book!

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Joy Crowley, David Lund

PUBLISHER: Wright Group/ Mcgraw Hill

PUBLICATION DATE: June 1997

GENRE: Big Book READING LEVEL: 1st Grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: This book takes us on a journey where the main character never wanted to be. We are met by a frightened mouse who really, really doesn’t want us to open this book because of the scary surprise at the end.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students will make their own flip book telling others why they should not open their book and they will also create their own unique monster at the end.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Charvondra Watson, Valdosta State University

LABELS: Big Book, Fiction, Monsters

The Money Book

TITLE:  The Money Book

AUTHOR: Jennifer Osborne

ILLUSTRATOR: R.W. Alley

PUBLISHER: Newbridge Educational Pub     PUBLICATION DATE: 1999

GENRE: Concept Picture Book           READING LEVEL: Age 5+

BRIEF OVERVIEW: Gives children the foundation for understanding and counting money. Also includes a smaller work book.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: I will introduce the concept of counting money using this book. Learning the value of the dime and quarter and laying the foundation.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Azimah Caines 

Mouse Mess

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Linnea Asplind Riley

PUBLISHER: Blue Sky Press          PUBLICATION DATE: 2000

GENRE: Picture Book/Big Book        READING LEVEL: PreK-3rd Grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: A mouse wakes up for a midnight snack, but ends up creating a huge mess in the kitchen.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: The class will explore the types of foods animals eat while creating a paper mouse and drawing things that a mouse might eat.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Kirsti Slaughter, Valdosta State University

Who Is the Beast?

TITLE: Who Is the Beast?

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Keith Baker

PUBLISHER: HMH Books for Young Readers    PUBLICATION DATE: 1990

GENRE: Big Book                  READING LEVEL: K-1st grades 

BRIEF OVERVIEW: As he lurks through the jungle a tiger notices that he is scaring off all the other creatures due to his "beastly like" appearance.  Once the tiger gets the other animals to look at themselves they notice that he is not so different and "beastly" after all.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students will go around the room and write one adjective on their classmate's paper to describe that particular person.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Jasmine Strickland- Valdosta State University

Mrs.Wishy Washy

TITLE: Mrs.Wishy-Washy
AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Joy Cowley and Elizabeth Fuller
PUBLISHER: Wright Group/McGraw-hill       PUBLICATION DATE: 1980
GENRE:  Big book /Picture book    
READING LEVEL:  1st-2nd grade
BRIEF OVERVIEW: The farm animals do not like to be washed so they decided to run away.
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students will act out a scene of their favorite part of the story.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Tameka Hughes. Valdosta State University

Flower Garden

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Even Bunting/Kathryn Hewitt

PUBLISHER: HMH Books for Young Readers           

PUBLICATION DATE: March 13, 2000

GENRE: Big Books                   
READING LEVEL: 5-8 years

BRIEF OVERVIEW:The author uses rhyming words to tell how a little girl and her father go to the store to buy a flower garden to display in their window pane for a special someone on a special occasion.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Have students create a group of three to four rhyming words to paste on an already made flower. Let the students act out one of the words on their flowers. Once they are finished, put all of the flowers together. In the end, your students will have created a garden filled with different types of rhyming families/flowers! 

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Tachovia Kendrick Valdosta State Teacher Candidate

I Like Me

TITLE:  I Like Me
AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Nancy Carlson
PUBLISHER: Puffin PUBLICATION DATE:  1990
GENRE: Children's Literature READING LEVEL:  3-5 years
BRIEF OVERVIEW: A sweet little piggy is her own best friend! She takes care of herself, and picks herself up when she is down. She is accepting of herself and all her imperfections! She is her own best friend, and she loves it! 
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Have children design a mini-book that is titled “I Like Me,” but with what the children like about themselves on the inside instead!  Depending on their grade level, students can write a sentence or phrase about a feature they like about themselves. They will also include an illustration. To add onto the creativity, teachers can attach a picture of the student to the front of the book to keep as a memoir. This will help children be more accepting of themselves in the future.
REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Patricia Price - VSU Teacher Candidate - LITR 3110 A