THE GINGERBREAD BOY 

Author: Paul Galdone 

Illustrator: Paul Galdone 

Date Published: 1975 

About the Book: With warmth and humor, the beloved author and Caldecott Honor illustrator Paul Galdone masterfully retells the generations-old fairy tale of the Gingerbread Boy who escapes one mouth only to find himself in another.

Summary: The Gingerbread Boy eludes the hungry  grasp of everyone he meets until he happens upon a fox more cleaver than he. 

Genre: The genre of this book is folklore. "Folklore is composed of stories passed down through generations by word of mouth. As such, they have no known author. As people told the stories to one another, they changed and molded them to suit their fancy....Folklore reflects the values of the culture in which it grew; it encompasses universal experiences as shaped by the individual culture." (Galda, Cullinan, & Sipe. 2010, p.15) There are several types of folklore, this book falls under the subheading of fairy tale. This story has been told and re-told for centuries. "Two of the earliest versions to appear in print were "The Pancake" collected by Peter Asbjornsen and Jorgen Moe in Norway in the mid-1800's and "The Thick, Fat Pancake" collected by the Colshorns in Germany and published in 1854. "The Fleeing Pancake" was the most popular version on the European continent in the 19th century. The Gingerbread Man became more popular in the United States during that time." ( History of the Gingerbread Man, n.d) 

Illustration:

  

The illustrator uses a combination style of art consisting of representational art and surrealistic art. Talking animals and gingerbread boy coming alive are all surreal; Something you would see in a nightmare. However, their features do represent the real thing. The most used and emphases element of visual art used in this particular book is lines. The illustrator uses a variety of lines in his illustration to show texture and movement. He also uses a variety of colors to bring his illustrations to life. The technique of the illustration is drawing and the medium is pencils and colored pencils. 

Motivational Activity:

Activity 1-                   Decorating our Gingerbread Boy (younger students) 

• After the reading of the story, teacher will provide students with ready-made gingerbread boy, plastic plates, plastic knives, frosting, M&Ms, raisins, marshmallows, currents, cinnamon drops, and other assorted candies.  Students will decorate their gingerbread boy as they wish and have it with milk ( or juice for lactose students) for snack or during lunch. 

Activity 2-                                          Discussion & Story Retell 

• After the reading of the story, teacher and students will have a general discussion. 

1. Who is the main character in the story?
2. Where did the story take place?
3. Why did the old lady made a gingerbread boy?
4. Who gave chase to the gingerbread boy?
5. Why did the gingerbread boy did not go into the river?
6. Who took the gingerbread boy across the river? where did the gingerbread boy ride?
7. Who ate the gingerbread boy?
8. What did the people and animals do after the gingerbread boy was eaten?
9. What did the fox do after he ate the gingerbread boy?

• Using characters cut-out pasted onto fudge sticks, teacher and students will re-tell the story. Each student will get a character. As the story goes on, and students hear their character, they must get up and join the story sequence line. At the end, just for fun, take students outside and let them give chase to the gingerbread boy character. 

Personal Opinion: I grew up hearing about the gingerbread boy and gingerbread man. This story is a timeless classic that puts laughter in everyone's heart- from the young to the old. It doesn't matter how many times I listen to or read this story, I still enjoy it. Moreover, Galdone did a wonderful job retelling this folklore. 

Other books by the Author:

• Henny Penny. 

• The Three Billy Goats Gruff.

• Puss in Boots. 

• Rumpelstiltskin. 

References: 

Galda, L., Cullinan, B. E., & Sipe, L. R. (2010). Literature and the child (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning. 

Galdone, P. (1975). The gingerbread boy. New York, NY: Clarion Books.

SurLaLune Fairy Tales: History of Gingerbread Man. (n.d.). Retrieved April 17, 2016, from http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/gingerbread/history.html

TRAPPED!

                         A WHALE'S RESCUE

Author: Robert Burleigh 

Illustrator: Wendell Minor 

Date Published: 2015 

About the book: The book is based on an actual event. On December 11, 2005, fishermen off the California coast near San Francisco spotted a large humpback whale struggling to free itself from a network of strong ropes and nets. They radioed it into the local marine -mammal center. Rescuers, including divers and whale experts, worked for over an hour cutting more than 20 ropes measuring over 200 feet each off the whale. After being freed, the whale circled the rescuers gently touching each one.  

Summary: A female humpback whale migrating south along the California coast becomes tangled in forgotten fish nets and ropes, hidden in the water. The whale feels the tickle of the thread as she struggles to free herself. However, the ropes twist more tightly around her body, digging into her skin. The whale fights to free herself until she is too tired to continue. She is then rescued and set free by rescuers. 

Genre:  The genre of this book is non-fiction. "Non-fiction books are informational sources that explains a subject." (Galda, Cullinan, & Sipe. 2010, p.18)  This book teaches children about whales and whale rescue in deep detail. The book also provide fun facts about whales and websites that children can explore to learn more about whales. 

Illustration: 

  

The technique the illustrator used to create his art work is painting. The mediums are gouache on Strathmore 500 series Bristol paper. The breathtaking illustration shows the magnificence of the humpback whale in the blue undersea world and the amazing efforts of humans who are a fraction of her size, working hard to free her from the 200 feet ropes. The illustration is so vivid that one feels as if they are seeing the rescue personally. The contrasting colors makes the illustrations jumps off the pages at you and complements the text beautifully. Well done Mr. Minor. 

Motivational Activity:

Activity 1-                                                          Art

• After reading the story, students will create a poster raising awareness about the topic. These posters will be published throughout the school with permission of administrators.  This can also be a contest with the winner posting their poster at the marine wildlife center. 

Activity 2 -                                                 General Discussion 

• After reading the story, teacher and students will have a general discussion. Some of the questions that will be asked are; 

1. What animal was in the story?
2. What happened to the Animal?
3. Where was the animal when it got tangled?
4. Who called for the whale to be rescued?
5. What kind of whale is it? 
6. Do you know any other types of whales?
7. What did the whale do when she was freed?
8. How long were the ropes?
9. What do you think would have happened to the whale if she was not rescued?
10. Who rescued the whale? How?

Personal Opinion: There are plenty of reasons I like this book. It has extra resources at the back in the form of websites where children can read, listen, watch videos, and do interactive activities about marine life. The book is beautifully illustrated and easy to read.  I think children will love this book as it takes a serious problem and break it down to where they can understand it. I would recommend this book to everyone.  

Other books by the Author:

• Messenger! Messenger! 

• Langston's Train Ride. 

• Flight: The Journey of Charles Lindbergh.

•  Night Flight: Amelia Earhart Crosses the Atlantic

References: 


Burleigh, R., & Minor, W. (2015). Trapped!: A whale's rescue. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

Galda, L., Cullinan, B. E., & Sipe, L. R. (2010). Literature and the child (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning. 

BACK OF THE BUS 

Author: Aaron Reynolds

Illustrator: Floyd Cooper

Date Published: 2010 

About the book: The book commemorates Rosa Parks historic act of defiance that changed a nation. The story is told through the eyes of a boy child. The author dedicated this book to his parents, Paul and Barbara Reynolds, who taught him to believe in himself. 

Summary: On an ordinary Winter's day in Montgomery, Alabama, a boy and his mother rides the bus from way in back, exactly where they're supposed to be.  Many of the adults wear tired faces, but the boy finds joy in watching his shiny marble roll on the aisle's grooves, guided by the motion of the bus - up and back. Up and back. Like he's got it on a string. Before long the bus makes a stop and more passengers pile on. Now folks are jammed up tight, and soon a commotion breaks out up front. Angry looks are thrown at the boy and his mama. "We do somethin' wrong?" he asks her. "Don't you worry none," she says. "Tomorrow all of this will be forgot." But it won't.    

Genre: The genre of this book is historical fiction.  "Historical fiction tells stories set in the past; it portrays events that actually occur or possibly could have occurred.  Authors create plots and characters within an authentic historical setting. Once a genre where history was retold from an all-white, and usually all-male, point of view, today we are fortunate to have skilled authors writing from careful research and from various cultural perspectives. Historical fiction ranges from prehistoric times to those reflecting the issues and events of the twentieth century. The stories are usually told through the perspective of a child or adolescent who is living life in a particular time and place." (Galda, Cullinan, & Sipe. 2010, p.17)  The event on the bus is true. It took place on December 1, 1955. This is the historical part of the book. However, Aaron's recount of the event through the eyes of the little boy is fictitious. This is why the genre is historical fiction. 

Illustration: 

The beautiful illustrations done by Floyd Cooper compliments the text very well. The illustrations  correctly depicts the time period in which the event took place. The type of art the illustrator portray is representational art. This is literal, realistic depiction of characters, objects and events. The technique used to create the illustration seems to be painting and the medium is paint and possibly canvas. Majority of the colors used in the illustration are subdued colors; Subdue colors can express weariness, boredom, and serenity. The illustrator also uses texture, lines, and shape in his work. All elements of visual art came together beautifully in the illustrations. 

Motivational Activity:  

Activity 1:                                         General Discussion

• Before reading the story, teacher will show students the front cover of the book, read the title and ask students to guess what the story will be about. Teacher will note students prediction on the board for later reference. 

• After reading the story Back Of The Bus, by Aaron Reynolds, teacher and students will have a general discussion about the book.They will compare their prediction of the book to see if they were right about the story. Some questions that will be asked are; 

1. Do you know who Rosa Parks is?
2. What do you think of the story?
3. Do you believe it is a real story?
4. What did you not like about the story? Why?
5. What did you like about the story? Why?
6. What would you do if you were a passenger on the bus?
7. What would you do if you were Rosa Parks?
8. How does this story makes you feel? Explain. 
9. What does it mean to show respect?
10. Was Rosa Parks shown respect? What evidence do you have to support your answer? 

Activity 2:                 Protecting Human Rights (older students) 

• Using class computers, tablets, and cellphone,  students will research laws that protects people's right with the help of teachers. Students will cut and paste important information and laws. This information will be presented to the class and discussed. It is best if students work in small groups of mixed abilities. The information will then be used to create a chart for the classroom.                               

Personal Opinion: The book is a great book but the topic is a sensitive one. I love that the book took an historical event and turned it into something that children can easily read and relate to. I like how the author tweak the dialogue to represent how people back then would talk. This book is a great book that teachers can use to teach younger children about historical events in a fun way. The book is also well illustrated which is another reason why I like it. I would definitely recommend this book  to everyone. 

How the Suggested Activities Correlates with Saint Leo University's Core Value of Respect: 

Saint Leo University Core Value of Respect states that "Animated in the spirit of Jesus Christ, we value all individuals' unique talents, respect their dignity, and strive to foster their commitment to excellent in our work.  Our community's strength depends on the unity and diversity of our people on the free exchange of ideas, and on learning, living, and working harmoniously."  Activity 1 will help children to sympathize with Rosa Parks and the lack of respect she was shown on the bus by putting themselves in her shoe and stating how they think they would feel. Activity 2 will help us identify the right of humans, especially the right of freedom. By researching the different laws, students will learn that we are all equal and should be treated as such with respect. 

Other books by the Author:

• Chicks and Salsa.

• Metal Man. 

• Joey Fly Private Eye Series.

• Pirates Vs. Cowboys.

References: 

Galda, L., Cullinan, B. E., & Sipe, L. R. (2010). Literature and the child (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning. 

Reynolds, A., & Cooper, F. (2010). Back of the bus. New York: Philomel Books.

Falling Up 

Author: Shel Silverstein 

Illustrator: Shel Silverstein 

Date Published: 1996 

About the book: Falling Up is a collection of poetry for children written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein. The book was  published by Harper Collins Publisher in 1996. It features 144 poems and Shel Silverstein dedicated the book to his son, Matt. 

Summary: A collection of children poem from an array of topics. Poor Screamin' Millie is just one of the unforgettable characters in this wondrous new book of poems and drawings by the creator of Where the Sidewalk Ends and A Light in the Attic. Here you will also meet Allison Beals and her twenty-five eels; Danny O'Dare, the dancin' bear; the Human Balloon; and Headphone Harold. So come, wander through the Nose Garden, ride the Little Hoarse, eat in the Strange Restaurant, and let the magic of Shel Silverstein open your eyes and tickle your mind.

Genre: The genre of the book is Poetry and verses. Poetry and Verses can be defined as "Condensed language, expression of imaginative thoughts and perceptions, often containing rhymes and other devices of sound, imagery, figurative language." (Galda, Cullinan, & Sipe. 2010, p.12)  Poetry is the shorthand of beauty; its distilled language captures the essence of an idea or experience and encompasses the universe in its vision....A lot of poetry is rhythmic and rhymed, appealing to the ear as well as to the mind and emotions, but many wonderful poems are in free-verse or concrete forms as well.   (Galda, Cullinan, & Sipe. 2010, p.13)

Illustration:

       
The illustration of this book is surrealistic art. This type of art has startling images and incongruities that often suggest an attitude or mockery about conventionalities. Surreal pictures are often composed of the kind of images experienced in dreams or nightmare or in a state of hallucination.  (Galda, Cullinan, & Sipe. 2010, p.82) The technique of the illustration is drawing and the medium is pencil. The illustrator did not use any colors in his illustration but he did used the other elements of visual. Some of the image are a bit scary, but in a fun way. The illustrations reflects  the content of the poem and they work coherently to convey meaning to readers. 

   

Motivational Activity:

Activity 1 -                                         What’s in a Name?
An acrostic poem uses letters from a name or a word to begin each line in a
poem. All the lines in the poem must relate to or describe the topic word. Your
poem can be about your name, the name of a friend, a famous person, or even
a favorite animal, hobby, or sport. Think of words that best describe your name
or topic and practice writing your poem below. For an ever greater challenge,
try to make the lines of your acrostic poem rhyme. 


Activity 2 -                                                 Poetry & Authors Chair 
After reading a few poems from the book and viewing the illustrations, children will create their own poem and illustration. Children will then read their poem to the class in the Author's Chair activity.

Personal Opinion: I absolutely love this book. I read a few of the poems and I could not stop laughing. The poems are short and funny and children will find them hilarious. The topics are diverse and I believe that children will relate to them. I also love the nonsensical illustration that accompany the text. I will definitely get a copy of this book for myself  and I would recommend this book to everyone. 

Other books by the Author:

• Where The Side Walk Ends.

• A Light In The Attic.

•  The Giving Tree. 

• The Missing Piece 

References: 

Silverstein, S. (1996). Falling up: Poems and drawings. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Galda, L., Cullinan, B. E., & Sipe, L. R. (2010). Literature and the child (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning. 


Celebrate National Poetry Month with Shel Silverstein [PDF]. (n.d.).

Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew

Scream for Ice Cream 

Author:  Carolyn Keene                   

Illustrator: Macky Pamintuna 

Date Published: 2008 

About the book: The mystery book written by Carolyn Keene is the second book in the Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew series. The book is written for children between the ages of 6 to 9 years old. 

Summary: Nancy and her friends think there is nothing more fun than ice cream in the summer. So when they find out that the owners of the local ice-cream factory Jim and Barry are hosting a contest, the Clue Crew can't wait to enter! Contestants must come up with brand-new flavors. And they can use whatever ingredients they want! Nancy is sure that her entry - Clue Berry - will win. But when a friend's secret recipe goes missing, Nancy suspects that someone not-so-sweet is up to no good. 

Genre: I consider the genre of this book to be contemporary realistic fiction. "Contemporary realistic fiction is set in modern times with events, settings, and characters that could occur in the real world. Author creates characters, plots, and settings, that stay withing the realm of possibility, and many readers respond to these stories as if the characters were actual people." (Galda, Cullinan, & Sipe. 2010, p.17) Businesses in the food industry have contest all the time. For example, the company that makes Lays Potato Chips is always having contest for new flavors. Therefore, the ice-cream contest is something realistic and modern. The book is also about three friends working together to win the contest and helping a friend to locate a missing recipe. Although the characters and events are all fictitious, these are all acts and behavior that real people do and display. These are the facts upon which I based my decision that this book is a contemporary realistic fiction literature.
  

Illustration:

    

The illustration of this book seems to be done with graphite, pencils and possibly pens- using varying tones and shades. The technique of the illustration is drawing. This book is a chapter book. Hence, it does not have plenty of illustrations. The style of arts depicts representational art which consist of literal, realistic depiction of characters, objects, and events. Although the illustrations in the body of the book is graphite and pencils, the cover of the book was done with bright, contrasting saturated colors that gives life to the book and beckon to readers. I think this was a wise move on the illustrator's part. The illustration of the book complements the chapters and it's content very well and the illustrator did a wonderful job with the elements of visual arts. 

Motivational Activity:  

Activity 1:                                              We Scream for Ice Cream 

• After reading the story, teacher and students will use the ice-cream recipe and instruction in the back of the book to make their own favorite flavors of ice-cream. 

Activity 2:                                                   General Discussion

• After reading the book, teacher and students will have a general discussion about the book. Some questions that will be asked and addressed are; 

1. What is your personal opinion about the book? 
2. What is the genre of the book? What evidence/s do you have to support it? (older students) 
3. Who was your favorite character and why?
4. What did you not like about the book and why?
5. What connections can you make with the book?
6. What do you think about the illustration?
7. What do you think about the book in general?
8. What are some text features you noted in the book? 

Personal Opinion: I do like this book although I think that the illustrations could have been more since the book is geared towards readers ages 6 to 9. I love that the book is easy to read and I believe children will find it very interesting as they follow the group of friends on their quest to win the contest and locate the missing recipe. Another feature of the book that made me gravitate towards it was the text features. This book have a table of content, titles and subtitles, and pictures to aid children in reading and understanding. I love that the author included the easy to make ice-cream recipe and instruction that anyone can use- especially teachers in their classroom with limited resources. 

Other books by the Author:

• The Secret of the Old Clock.

• The Mystery at Lilac Lane. 

• The Hidden Staircase. 

•  Nancy Drew Diaries. 

References: 

Keene, C., & Pamintuan, M. (2008). Nancy Drew and the clue crew: Scream for Ice Cream. Edina, MN: Spotlight.

Galda, L., Cullinan, B. E., & Sipe, L. R. (2010). Literature and the child (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning. 

A Rain Forest Food Chain 

A WHO-EATS-WHAT Adventure in South America 

Author: Rebecca Hogue Wojahn and Donald Wojahn 

Illustrator: (See section mark Illustration) 

Date Published: 2009 

About the book: This interactive series shows animals in their habitats while illuminating curriculum concepts related to food webs and biomes. The game-like format allows readers to choose a starting animal, then follow a food chain by selecting among options of what each animal could eat.

Summary: As children navigate through the book, they learn about plants, animals, food chain and the South America rain forest. 

Genre: The genre of this book is non-fiction. "Non-fiction books are informational sources that explains a subject." (Galda, Cullinan, & Sipe. 2010, p.18) The book teaches children about animals, the rain forest and the food chain in South America. The format of this book is picturebook. Picturebooks are a format of literature with a unique combination of text and art. (Galda, Cullinan, & Sipe. 2010, p.12) This book has a lot of pictures of animals and plants. 

Illustration: The form of illustration of this book is photographs. These photographs were not taken deliberately for this book but the authors obtained permission to use the photos in their book from the photographers. These photographs are from a collection of about 20+ photographers from the National Geographic, Getty Images, The Image Bank, Minden Pictures, and Visual Unlimited- just to name a few. 

Motivational Activity:                                       Science 

Activity 1:                                          

• Teacher and students will have a general discussion about the book. Some questions that will be asked and addressed are; 

1. What is a food chain? 
2. Where is the rain forest located?
3. Define and list consumers.
4. What are the different levels of the food chain?
5. What are some animals and plants that call the rain forest home? 

Activity 2: 

• After reading the book, students will create their own food chain using  information stated in the book.

Personal Opinion: I love this book because it is very colorful and informative. "Children are naturally curious about the world they inhabit. They observe and explore, question and hypothesize about how this world works." (Galda, Cullinan, & Sipe. 2010, p.18) I feel this book answers all the possible questions a child might have on this topic. The book is also interactive. Children choose an animal/consumer and follow that animal and its food chain. There are several text features in this book such as pictures and captions, maps, titles and subtitles, bold words, glossary, and index. These all help children to better navigate through the book and learn more. I would definitely recommend this book. 

Other books by the Author: 

• Dr. Kate 

• A Coral Reef Food Chain.

• A Desert Food Chain.

• An Australian Outback Food Chain 

References: 

Wojahn, R. H., & Wojahn, D. (2009). A rain forest food chain: A who-eats-what adventure in South America. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications.

Galda, L., Cullinan, B. E., & Sipe, L. R. (2010). Literature and the child (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning. 

The Legend of Old Befana

Author: Tomie De Paola 

Illustrator: Tomie De Paola 

Date Published: 1980 

About the book: The Legend of Old Befana is an Italian Christmas folklore retold by Tomie De Paola. The celebration of Befana, who flies across the sky on Twelfth Night, leaving cakes and cookies for children as they sleep, is a beloved story in Europe. It is timeworn only by its many versions, and Tomie De Paola's retelling is unique in its resplendent settings and carefully researched detail. His story also broadens the character of the eccentric old recluse of the small Italian village, who is always sweeping. While Befana is sometimes called a witch, Tomie De Paola gives his readers a chance to make their own decisions, imbuing Old Befana with more humanity than most have offered the lonely old woman in her endless search for the Christ Child.

Summary: Old Befana is a lonely old lady that sweeps all day, every day and never lets anyone into her home. One day, while sweeping her walkway, she learned about the child king from three kings in search of him. Later, Old Befana went on her own search. In search of the Christ child, every year on the Feast of the Kings celebrated on January the sixth,  Old Befana visits all the children of Italy and  leaves them homemade candies, cookies, gifts and sweep their rooms clean. 

Genre: The genre of this book is folklore. "Folklore is composed of stories passed down through generations by word of mouth. As such, they have no known author. As people told the stories to one another, they changed and molded them to suit their fancy....Folklore reflects the values of the culture in which it grew; it encompasses universal experiences as shaped by the individual culture." (Galda, Cullinan, & Sipe. 2010, p.15) The Legend of Old Befana has been told for generations and generations in Europe. It has no known author and has been modified many times. 

Illustration:  

  

The illustration of the book reflects folk art which correlates with the type of literature it is, folklore. The colors are beautiful and complements each other very well.  Tomie De Paola use of lines is spectacular and eclectic, and his use of shape is representational and realistic. The technique of the illustration seems to be drawing and the medium colored pencils and regular pencils. The illustration complements the text wonderfully as they both reflects folklore. Children will find the illustration interesting and captivating as they move from page to page.  

Motivational Activity: 

• Activity 1 -                  Christmas Around the World

After reading The Legend of Old Befana, teacher and students will compare and contrast the story to other Christmas stories from around the world. 

• Activity 2 -                          Tomie De Paola Author Study

Using a collection of Tomie De Paola books - including a book Tomie wrote about himself- and the internet, children will complete a research on the life and work about Tomie. They can present the information any way they choose. 

Personal Opinion: I love this book. Although it is a folklore, its a multicultural book that children can learn about another's culture. Children can also relate to this book as it is similar to the famous Santa Clause story. The story is easy to read and beautifully illustrated. Another reason I like this book is because of its religious ties. Most books do not implement religion in its literature so this is a rarity. There is also a ton of activities that can be derive from this book and I would recommend this book to everyone. 

How the Suggested Activities Correlates with Saint Leo University's Core Value of Respect.  

Saint Leo University Core Value of Respect states that "Animated in the spirit of Jesus Christ, we value all individuals' unique talents, respect their dignity, and strive to foster their commitment to excellent in our work.  Our community's strength depends on the unity and diversity of our people on the free exchange of ideas, and on learning, living, and working harmoniously." The activity Christmas Around the World will help students to learn about and respect other people's tradition. It fosters diversity and shows that others are valued. The Author Study activity elaborates on Tomie De Paola's unique talent and his commitment to excellent through his work. 

Other books by the Author: 

• Nana Upstairs & Nana Downstairs

• Pancakes for Breakfast

• The Art Lesson 

• The Legend of the Bluebonnet 

References: 

DePaola, T. (1980). The legend of Old Befana: An Italian Christmas story. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanich.

Galda, L., Cullinan, B. E., & Sipe, L. R. (2010). Literature and the child (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.