A Book or Two: Children's Literature Reviews

Find a perfect children’s book to share or read, and information on new, classic, and favorite children's literature, reviewed by university professors, teachers, librarians, graduate students, and teachers-to-be! Browse A Book or Two by title, genre, or topic! HAPPY READING! This is a closed site, to prevent inappropriate postings. You won't be able to add your own comments. Communication should be sent to the site organizer, Dr. Deb Marciano (dlmarciano@valdosta.edu).

Showing posts with label rhyming. Show all posts

10/23/14

I'm Your Bus

TITLE: I’m Your Bus

AUTHOR:Marilyn Singer ILLUSTRATOR: Evan Polenghi

PUBLISHER: Scholastics, Inc. PUBLICATION DATE: 2009

GENRE: Fiction PB READING LEVEL: age 6

BRIEF OVERVIEW: Describes the daylong job a bus has and how accountable a bus can be to a child to get them to school. No matter if it is morning or evening the children can count on the bus to keep them safe as well as their belongings. As the story is read aloud the students will clearly hear the rhyming text.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: This book will be great to introduce a lesson on transportation (most of the children ride the bus so they can relate to the book). Students will share their ways of transportation and other possible forms of transportation. They will categorize the forms of transportation by land, air, or water.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: (Nancy Guerrero, Valdosta State University ECSE)

LABELS: Fiction, school, transportation, rhyming

10/19/14

Oh, Brother!

TITLE: Oh, Brother!

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Nikki Grimes/Mike Benny

PUBLISHER: Greenwillow Books

PUBLICATION DATE: December 26, 2007

GENRE: Fiction

READING LEVEL: 1^st grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: A boy finds it difficult to accept his mom’s new marriage includes a new addition to the family: a step-brother.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students will complete a worksheet with a variety of rhyming words. For each question, there will be a word provided and the students will figure out which choice is the best selection that rhymes with the word.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: (Hannah Haynes, Valdosta State University ECSE)

LABELS: fiction, brother, rhyming

The Monster Who Ate My Peas

AUTHOR: Danny Schnitzlein

ILLUSTRATOR: Matt Faulkner
PUBLISHER: Peachtree Publishers
PUBLICATION DATE: 2010
GENRE: Fiction Picture Book
READING LEVEL: 2nd Grade
BRIEF OVERVIEW: A boy trades different prized possessions to a monster who agrees to eat his peas. When faced with the decision of whether to let the monster eat his peas for his dog or to eat the peas himself, he decides that eating his peas to keep his dog is his best option.
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Have students write a short story telling what food they would have the monster eat for them and what prized objects they would trade.
REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: (Desiree Robison-Juan,Valdosta State University ECSE)
LABELS: Compromise, Fantasy, Food , Monsters, Rhyming.

10/11/14

It Is the Wind

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Ferida Wolff/James Ransome

PUBLISHER: Harper Collins PUBLICATION DATE:April 12, 2005

GENRE:Fiction Pictuer Book READING LEVEL: First Grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: A little boy tries to figure out what the noise is that wakes him up in the night. He thinks it may be an animal such as owl, calf, etc.... and in the end he realizes it is the wind.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: As a class, talk about rhyming words before reading the book. After the book, make a class list of rhyming words they heard. Pair up students and have them write down other words that may rhyme.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Kasey Casey, Valdosta State University ECSE

LABELS: night, literacy, rhyming

10/9/14

The Very Cranky Bear

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Nick Bland

PUBLISHER: Orchard Books

PUBLICATION DATE: July 29, 2014

GENRE: Picture Book

READING LEVEL: Ages 5-7

BRIEF OVERVIEW: When a zebra, lion, sheep, and moose try to find shelter in a cave from the storm, they notice a very cranky bear. They try to cheer poor bear up by offering the very stripes off Zebras back, the mane off of Lions head, and even Mooses antelers! Will sheep have the answer to Bears problems?

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Provide students with a copy of brown bear picture and let them decorate him like the story. Stripes like Zebra, mane like Lion and antlers like Moose.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: (Mary McKenzie, Valdosta State University ECSE)

12/4/13

The Gruffalo

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Julia Donaldson/ Axel Scheffler
PUBLISHER: Penguin Young Readers Group    PUBLICATION DATE: March 23, 1999
AWARDS: The Children's Book of the Year at the British Book of the Year Awards in 2005
GENRE: Traditional/ European     READING LEVEL: 3rd
BRIEF OVERVIEW: Mouse escapes his predators by telling them he is on his way to meet his friend the Gruffalo, a creature with terrible claws, tusks, and jaws. The Gruffalo, however, is just in Mouse’s imagination.
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Have the children come up with their own imaginary monster. Once they have done this, they will come up with a name and have them displayed in the classroom. Have the students draw the monster big enough so they can write an adventurous story about a journey they went on with their monster! They can also share it with their classmates.
REVIEWER'S NAME AND AFFILIATION: Jasmine Johnson, Valdosta State University

11/22/13

Marvelous Math

AUTHOR: Lee Bennett Hopkins

PUBLISHER: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

PUBLICATION DATE: 1997

GENRE: Theme Poetry

READING LEVEL: Kindergarten - 3rd grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW:A book of playful poems that shows how math can be a part of our daily lives. The poems cover a range of topics from multiplication and fractions to time, counting and measurement.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY:Make up a poem that has to do with mathematical vocabulary. Fractions, days of the week, measuring, etc. are all acceptable.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Jerre' Robinson - VSU Student

The Frogs Wore Red Suspenders

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Jack Prelustsky/ Petra Mathers

PUBLISHER: Greenwillow Books PUBLICATION DATE: 2002

GENRE: Poetry READING LEVEL: Ages 5-7

BRIEF OVERVIEW: Humorous rhyming poems featuring various animals.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students write poems, using multiple sets of rhyming words. (language arts)

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Chris Poppell

11/21/13

Monster Stew

AUTHOR: Janie Spaht

ILLUSTRATOR: Bob Reese

PUBLISHER: Aro Publishing
PUBLICATION DATE: 1997

GENRE: Fiction Picture Book READING LEVEL K-1

BRIEF OVERVIEW: This book tells of two monsters that are making monster stew. They use materials such as tire and wire, and shoes and glue.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: The class will create their own “monster stew” recipe. Students will suggest different ingredients and once they have a list the teacher will create a poster with the ingredients and directions. Poster will be hung in classroom.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Tori Meyers, Valdosta State University

Cha Cha Chimps

Author: Julia Durango Illustrator: Eleanor Taylor
Copyright: 2006
Genre: Concept book
Reading Level: 2-6yrs
Book Description: Rhyming book and incorporates counting (1-10). Listeners can sing along while counting. This book is great for getting students warmed up and it has beautiful illustrations.
Integrated Activity: (kindergarten/1st grade) Use this book as an activity during math to give students a chance to interact and do something out of the ordinary. Students can sing along and clap as we read the book.
Reviewers name/affiliation: Emma McGee-VSU

Goodnight. Goodnight, Construction Site

TITLE: Goodnight. Goodnight, Construction Site

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Sherri Duskey Rinker and Tom Lichtenheld

PUBLISHER: Chronicle Books PUBLICATION DATE: 2011

AWARDS: 2012 E.B. White Read-Aloud Honor Award

GENRE: Picture Book READING LEVEL: PreK-Kindergarten

BRIEF OVERVIEW: After a long day of hard work the crane, bulldozer, and dump truck all say goodnight in this early-reader rhyming book.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students will practice rhyming words by picking a word out of the book and writing it, along with rhyming words, on a paper truck.

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

LABELS: rhyming, trucks, construction

11/19/13

Chick Chicka 123

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Bill Martin Jr. & Michael Sampson/ Lois Ehlert

PUBLISHER: Library of Congress

PUBLICATION DATE: 2004

AWARDS: Bill Martin Jr. Picture Book Award Nominee (KS), Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award, Parenting Magazine's Best Books of the Year

GENRE: Nonfiction READING LEVEL: K-2^nd

BRIEF OVERVIEW: All the numbers are climbing the apple tree when bumblebees threaten the numbers but zero is there to save the day.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students will make their own apple trees. They will use two numbers and add them together.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Alexis Messer- Valdosta State University

Silly Sally

TITLE: Silly Sally

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Audrey Wood

PUBLISHER: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

PUBLICATION DATE: 1992

GENRE: Fiction

READING LEVEL: 0-4years

BRIEF OVERVIEW: Sally is a silly girl who walks to town backwards upside down. As the story goes Sally meets some friends along her journey to town. This is a great book for learning rhyming words at young age.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Have students use the rhyming words from the book to create new words that rhyme with the words from the story.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Jennifer Bacon – Valdosta State University

11/18/13

That Fat Cat

TITLE: That Fat Cat

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Katie Schultz

PUBLISHER: Cliff Road Books

PUBLICATION DATE: September 2006

GENRE: Board Book

READING LEVEL: 4-5 years

BRIEF OVERVIEW: This book talks about a fat cat that just sat and sat. The funny tale goes through a day in the life of a cat.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students can use this book to recognize rhyming words.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Jenna Fielding Valdosta State University