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 shapes. Show all posts

10/22/14

My Apron

TITLE: My Apron

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Eric Carle

PUBLISHER: Philomel PUBLICATION DATE: July 18, 1995

GENRE: Realistic Fiction READING LEVEL: 2^nd grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: A young boy visits his aunt and uncle. He winds up liking his uncle's apron and the idea of working in his shop. He wants a white apron just like his uncles work uniform. His aunt makes him the apron. And he spends the day working along side his uncle who is a plasterer.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: FINE ARTS: Have your students bring in a piece of clothing or item that represents a parent, aunt, uncle, or grandparent's profession. They will then act out these different professions and create conversations centered around these items. Can also be used alongside a show and tell day.

ENGLISH: Have the students write down three to five things that they know their parents do within their profession. Create a story about what they want to be when they grow up.

MATH: Cut out aprons from paper bags. Have students decorate them with shapes. Count the shapes, name the shapes, and have the students design their very own apron.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: (Heather Ganas, Valdosta State University ECSE)

LABELS: shapes, relationships, family

10/19/14

It Looked Like Spilt Milk

TITLE: It Looked Like Spilt Milk

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Charles G. Shaw

PUBLISHER: Harper Collins PUBLICATION DATE: 1947

GENRE: Children's Picture Book - Fiction
READING LEVEL: Second grade
BRIEF OVERVIEW: Sometimes it looks like spilt milk, but it’s not. Sometimes it looks like a rabbit, a bird, a tree, an ice cream cone and other familiar things, but it isn't what it looks like. The picture book keeps children guessing until the last page, where they find out that it is a cloud in the sky.
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Cloud Blots -

· Blue construction paper, and white paint

· After reading the book have students make their own “spilt milk” by putting a drop of paint in the middle of the paper and folding it in half

Have them write down what objects they see in their clouds

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: (Jasmine Nall, Valdosta State University ECED)

LABELS: Animals, shapes, sky

11/21/13

If You Were a Circle

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Molly Blaisdell/Francesca Carabelli

PUBLISHER: Picture Window Books

PUBLICATION DATE: July 1, 2009

GENRE: Concept Book READING LEVEL: 2nd Grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: This book introduces the properties of a circle in math and shows everyday items that are circles.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Have the students compete against each other to find as many circles around the classroom as they can.

REVIEWER'S NAME & AFFILIATION: Megan Powell, Valdosta State University

11/20/13

The Shape of Things

AUTHOR: Dayle Ann Dodds ILLUSTRATOR: Julie Lacome

PUBLISHER: Scholastic PUBLICATION DATE: 1994

GENRE: Nonfiction Picture Book READING LEVEL: Ages 0-4

BRIEF OVERVIEW: This book shows how common objects in our everyday lives are made up of shapes. The illustrations are vivid and colorful.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Cut a variety of shapes out of construction paper and have the students use the shapes to create their own house (or sailboats, trees, etc.).

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Amber Myers - VSU

Round is a Mooncake

TITLE: Round is a Mooncake

AUTHOR: Roseanne Thong

ILLUSTRATOR: Grace Lin

PUBLISHER: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition

PUBLICATION DATE: Chronicle Books LLC

GENRE: Multicultural Fiction

READING LEVEL: Kindergarten- 1^st grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: A little girl identifies shapes throughout her house and neighborhood.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: With teachers help, children can identify and label objects in the classroom that are circular like a mooncake.

REVIEWER'S NAME AND AFFILIATION: Shannon Davis - Valdosta State University

Moo Moo, Brown Cow

AUTHOR: Jakki Wood

ILLUSTRATOR: Rog Bonner

PUBLISHER: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

PUBLICATION DATE: June 1, 1992

GENRE: Fiction

READING LEVEL: Grade-Pre-K

BRIEF OVERVIEW: Kitten visits barnyard asking mother animals about their babies. While in the barnyard she learns about colors and numbers.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Children will learn the sounds that each animal on the farm makes. Also to go along with sound the class can learn nursery rhymes about farm animals.