I Am the Book

Bibliography

Hopkins, Lee Bennett. 2011. I Am the Book. Ill. by Yayo. New York, NY: Holiday House. ISBN 978-0823421190.

Plot Summary

I Am the Book is a collection of 13 poems that celebrate the joy of reading. The poems, which share a common topic, are written by multiple authors. The poems are easy to read and navigate. At the end of the book is an “About the Poets” section that gives you background information on each of the contributing poets.

Critical Analysis

Some of the poems are written with rhyme, while others are free verse. Each poem showcases a collection of different poetic elements such as alliteration, personification, onomatopoeia, and metaphors. “A Poem Is” personifies words by having them run down the page dressed in sneakers. In “When I Read,” Beverly McLoughland describes enthusiastically diving into a book, like a swimmer dives into the sea.

I feel as if there is a sort of progression with the arrangement of the poems. The first couple of poems feel like the relationship is just beginning. As they continue on, the interest in books grows. By the end of the book, the poems are about being totally in love with books. The final line in the last poem signifies saying good-bye to a friend as the book is finished.

While I enjoyed the entire book, I believe my favorite poem was “This Book.” I can relate to the idea of being so engrossed in a book that I neglect dinner and stay up late into the night, reading by the light of my flashlight app. I agree with the poet that “Books are such mind-thrilling, spine-tingling friends.”

The double paged, acrylic paintings are a visual portrayal of what is being described in the poem. Books are not only the star of each poem, but also each illustration.

Review Excerpts

Booklist – “Fun for sharing with preschoolers, this will also spark discussion in grade-school writing and art classes.”

Connections

·         Students can write and illustrate their own poems about books.

·         Other poetry books about books:

o   Salas, Laura Purdie.  Book Speak!: Poems About Books.  ISBN: 978-0547223001.

o   Rosenthal, Amy Krouse.  The Wonder Book.  ISBN: 978-0061429743.

Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reverso Poems

Bibliography

Singer, Marilyn. 2010. Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reverso Poems. Ill. by Josee Masse. New York, NY: Dutton Children’s Books. ISBN 978-0-525-47901-7.

Plot Summary

This collection of 14 poems brings new meaning to classic fairy tales. There are two poems on each page. The poems show two sides to the same story. The words are the same, but the order of the lines is reversed on each one. The author uses slightly different punctuation to help give new meaning to the reverse poem. The book includes classic fairy tales such as Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast, and Snow White.  

Critical Analysis

Marilyn Singer’s idea of reversible poems breathes new life into these traditional fairy tales. The poems are written in free verse. The lack of need for rhyming words allows the author to choose the precise words to create meaning. Children of all ages will enjoy this unique spin on familiar tales.

The beautifully, detailed illustrations help show the varying perspectives of both poems. A line down the middle of the page helps to show the two points of view. The illustration for Little Red Riding Hood, has the lines of the wolf transform into the trees in the opposite illustration. While you only see the danger of the wolf on one side, the girl is shown on both sides since she is essential to both perspectives.

My favorite poem was “The Doubtful Duckling.” I loved how you were able to see the confidence of the duckling in the first poem, but his self-doubt in the second. I feel that children can relate to the mixed emotions of the duckling in this poem pairing.

Review Excerpts

Booklist – “Matching the cleverness of the text, Masse’s deep-hued paintings create split images that reflect the twisted meaning of the irreverently witty poems and brilliantly employ artistic elements of form and shape—Cinderella’s clock on one side morphs to the moon on the other. A must-purchase that will have readers marveling over a visual and verbal feast.”

School Library Journal – “This is a remarkably clever and versatile book that would work in any poetry or fairy-tale unit. A must-have for any library.”

Connections

·         Students can write their own reverso poems.

·         Students can read and study the fairy tales that inspired the poems.

·         Use as a point of discussion during a study of point of view.

·         Other poetry books about animals:

o   Singer, Marilyn.  Follow Follow.  ISBN: 978-0803737693.

o   Singer, Marilyn.  Echo Echo.  ISBN: 978-0803739925.

Beast Feast

Bibliography

Florian, Douglas. 1994. Beast Feast. San Diego, California: Harcourt Brace & Company. ISBN 0-15-295178-4

Plot Summary

This is a collection of 21 funny poems about real animals. Each poem is paired with a colorful illustration. There are a variety of creatures, both large and small, and familiar and unfamiliar featured.

Critical Analysis

This collection of short, humorous poems is sure to appeal to children of all ages. My teenage daughter read the book to me, and we both busted out in laughter at some of the silly rhymes. The lighthearted rhymes are perfect to be read aloud both in and out of the classroom.

The author uses spacing and arrangement to create visual appeal in many of the poems. In the poem about bats, the author flips some of the words when describing how bats sleep upside down.  The watercolor illustrations add to the humor of each poem. I especially liked the illustration that accompanied the boa poem. I’m sure children will laugh at boa wrapped around the man.

Review Excerpts

Publisher’s Weekly – “An ideal read-aloud, this volume will leave young listeners as lighthearted as its own contents.”

School Library Journal – “The book's design is as appealing as the verses themselves, pairing each selection with a full-page, splashy, bordered watercolor. Large type, surrounded by plenty of white space, will appeal to younger readers. This collection is an uncluttered, short presentation by an author/illustrator who knows what children will find funny-add to that the bonus of factual information tucked into each poem, and the result is a winner."

Connections

·         Students can write and illustrate their own animal poetry.

·         Invite an animal worker to visit and talk with students.

·         Other poetry books about animals:

o   Carle, Eric.  Eric Carle’s Animals Animals.  ISBN: 978-0698118553.

o   Paben, Gayle.  The Poetry of Animals.  ISBN: 978-1614934141.

o   Lewis, J. Patrick. National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry. ISBN: 978-1426310096.

Joha Makes a Wish

Bibliography

Kimmel, Eric A. 2010. Joha Makes a Wish: A Middle Eastern Tale. Ill. by Omar Rayyan. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Children. ISBN 978-0-7614-5599-8.

Plot Summary

When Joha stopd to rest while on a long walk to Baghdad, he falls through a wall and discovers a hidden jar. Inside the jar is a wishing wand. Joha excitedly wishes for new shoes, but instead his worn out shoes disappear, and he is left with nothing. In anger he wishes for the stick to disappear. Instead the stick becomes stuck to his hand. When the Sultan’s guards ride past him, he wishes that he had a donkey to ride. The guards overhear him and decide to pick on him by forcing him to carry the donkey on his back. In the city, the guards become angry when he doesn’t wish the Sultan a long life. He explains why he feared to make the Sultan a wish. After discovering that Joha has a wishing stick, the Sultan orders him to wish away a wart from his nose. Instead of disappearing, the wart begins growing and dividing. The guards begin chasing Joha and he finds refuge with an old man. After the coast is clear, Joha explains his situation to the old man. The old man explains that he has been holding the stick upside down so his wishes have been granted backwards. Joha turns the stick and is able to correct his wishes. He returns to the Sultan and wishes his wart away. The Sultan confiscates the wishing stick for himself and gives Joha a donkey. Joha rides away wondering if the Sultan will know which way to hold the wishing stick. On the last page, we see the Sultan poor and desolate and discover that he never did learn how to hold the stick.

Critical Analysis

The book begins with a note from the author that explains the history and origins of Joha tales.
A variation of the main character, Joha, often appears in stories from turkey, Iran, and central Asia. Joha is a simple man. This is obvious when he makes a practical wish for shoes rather than be greedy. In Western literature, he is known as Sancho Panza, Don Quixote’s companion. I remember reading stories about Sancho Panza in Spanish class in middle school. I always found his silly ways to be humorous and entertaining. 

The illustrator used detailed watercolors to tell this story through pictures. The facial expressions on the characters show their emotions and feelings. You can see the annoyance on Joha’s face when the Sultan takes the wishing stick. My favorite page is when the stick becomes stuck to Joha’s hand and you see multiple pictures of him trying to remove the stick. I think the earth tone color palette works perfectly with the Middle Eastern setting. In the Sultan’s palace, the incorporation of richer tones of purple, gold and red are fitting of royalty. 

The story has a theme of good triumphing over evil. The Sultan is cruel when he threatens to lock up Joha for not wishing his wart away. He then shows his greedy nature when he keeps the wishing stick for himself. In the end, Joha seems to be better off than the Sultan.

Review Excerpts

School Library Journal – “The wishing scheme and fulsome pictures promise read-aloud fun.”

Connections

·        * Read “The Answered Prayer,” that this tale was based on. Discuss the blend of wisdom and foolishness in both stories.

·        * Read other Joha tales. Students can compare and contrast the various versions.

·         *Other Middle Eastern children’s picture books:

o   Hickox, Rebecca.  The Golden Sandal: A Middle Eastern Cinderella Story.  ISBN: 978-0823415137.

o   Cleveland, Rob.  The Magic Apples: A Folktale from the Middle East.  ISBN: 978-0874838008.

o   Weedn, Flavia. The Ragged Peddler: Inspired by an Old Middle Eastern Tale. ISBN: 978-0786800469.

The Three Ninja Pigs

Bibliography

Schwartz, Corey Rosen. 2012. The Three Ninja Pigs. Ill. by Dan Santat. New York, NY: G. P. Putnam’s Son. ISBN 978-0-399-25514-4

Plot Summary

In this modern retelling, three pigs get fed up with a wolf that has been blowing houses down. They decide to stand up to the bully and begin training at Ninja school. Each of the pigs chooses a different martial art to study, but only pig three finishes her training. The other two pigs quit their training and don’t put in the needed work. When the wolf comes, the first two pigs are unable to fight the wolf off since their skills were lacking. The third pig scares the wolf away after showing him her karate skills. This inspires her brother pigs to return to school to finish their training. After earning their degrees, the three pigs lived the rest of their lives wolf-free.

Critical Analysis

The Three Ninja Pigs stars three pigs that are terrorized by a wolf. The smart-aleck dialect and sassy rhymes will delight children and have them dying of laughter. While reading this, I could imagine my students busting out in laughter at some of the lines. Children will recognize some of the lines from the traditional version of the story. The author’s inclusion of lines such as, “hair of my chinny-chin-chin,” help to perfectly blend the traditional tale with this modern twist. 

Children can relate to this story because they understand the idea of having bullies in their life. The author is very mindful in how he has the characters deal with the bully. Pig three does not have to resort to violence to defeat the bully. She is able to stand up for herself by showing off her skills and scaring the wolf away. The book also gives young girls the opportunity to see themselves as the hero.

The moral of the story is that hard work pays off. Children can easily recognize that the pigs that quit were not successful in their endeavors. The third pig put in time and a lot of practice and she was victorious in the end. Kids can relate to the embedded lesson of dedication to their chosen craft, whether it is sports, piano, or karate. 

The illustrations are beautiful with their calming colors. While the pigs are the stars of each page, the use of subtle details help set the stage for the story. The illustrator included Japanese details such as cherry blossoms, mountains, and traditional rooftops to help develop the setting. The book uses traditional text and speech bubbles to help tell the story. 

While reading, I made a mental note to look up some of the words that I was unfamiliar with, such as “aikido,” so imagine my delight when I found that the author included a glossary at the end of the book. I think this is an essential inclusion because it helps the reader gain a greater understanding of the book.

Review Excerpts

New York Times Book Review - "A fractured fairy tale to out charm the original, “The Three Ninja Pigs” manages to one-up the well-worn story by setting it in Japan, sprinkling it with the language and discipline of martial arts. All in hilarious, impeccable rhyme."

Booklist – “Anyone who knows the original story will be well aware of what comes next, but this standout version has so much motion, action, and laughs, kids will feel like they’re hearing it for the first time.”

Connections

·        * Students can write their own fractured fairy tale based on The Three Pigs.

·         *Use this book to introduce a discussion about bullying.

·        * Art connection: Make origami ninja stars.

·         *Students can compare and contrast this version with another version of the tale. 

·         *Other children’s book versions of The Three Pigs:

o   Scieszka, Jon.  The True Story of the Three Little Pigs.  ISBN: 0140544518.

o   Kimmel, Eric A.  The Three Little Tamales.  ISBN: 0761455191

o   Ketteman, Helen. The Three Little Gators. ISBN: 978-0807578247