Saturday, May 9, 2015

My Mom is Trying to Ruin My Life

Reader’s Annotation: Everyone feels like their parents are deliberately trying to ruin their lives at some point in time. But, like Emma, the alternative is much, much worse. Good thing our wishes don't always come true!

Author: Kate Feiffer
Illustrator: Diane Goode
Age: 4 - 8
genre/subject: Children's fiction, picture book
Plot Summary: Emma's mother is ruining her life because: she kisses her in public, brings a change of clothes to her school, talks loudly and doesn't let her eat junk food. Her father is ruining her life too, only in different ways. Once Emma thinks through what it would be like without her parents, she realizes just how much she loves them!
Evaluation: I love the point-of-view and tone of this book. It reflects so well how some children feel about their parents, only it takes an extra step to point out that all the things they do (to ruin their lives) are out of love.
Significance & Bibliographic Usefulness: Good dialogue and examples of correct punctuation.
Readalikes:
Awards/Lists: n/a
Links to reviews in professional review sources
Hook: Have you ever felt like your mom is ruining your life? Guess what? She is NOT!
Ideas, Uses: Theme: parents. Talk about the relationship between a mother and child or father and child.
ISBN: 978-1416941002
Page Count: 32
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
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May I Bring a Friend?

Reader’s Annotation: The king and queen are happy to meet any friend of their friend, even if it is a pride of lions or rowdy monkeys!


Author: Beatrice de Regniers 
Illustrator: Beni Montresor 
Age: 3 - 8
genre/subject: Children's fiction, fantasy, picture book
Plot Summary: The king and queen invite their young friend for a series of lunches, teas and dinners. The young friend always requests to bring a friend, and the king and queen always welcome his friend, even if it is a wild animal. In the end the friend requests that they all go to visit his friends, and they end up at the zoo.
Evaluation: This book won the Caldecott Medal. Perhaps because the award was given in 1964, I was unimpressed with the illustrations. The storyline is quite clever, and I feel like that is its strength.
Significance & Bibliographic Usefulness: poetic, rhyming verse.
Readalikes: A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead
Awards/Lists: Caldecott Medal (1965)
Links to reviews in professional review sources:
Hook: What friend would you bring to lunch with the King?
Ideas, Uses: Theme: friendship. Talk about friendship. Talk about how animals can be friends.
ISBN: 978-0689713538
Page Count: 48
Format: Hardcover, paperback
Publisher: Aladdin
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Bella and Stella Come Home

Reader’s Annotation: If you have ever moved to a new home, you know exactly how Bella and Stella feel. This book tells the story of their new house, and how it becomes home.


Author: Anika Denise 
Illustrator: Christopher Denise 
Age: 3 - 5
genre/subject: Children's fiction, picture book
Plot Summary: Bella and Stella move with their family to a new house. It does not look at all like their old home, and they have a hard time making the adjustment. But together, the two of them settle in.
Evaluation: This is a good story for young readers, because many kids have had to adjust to a new home and new friends. It is a relatable story. Also, the companion is a stuffed animal that comes to life. Excellent illustrations.
Significance & Bibliographic Usefulness: Excellent illustrations, good word placement to compliment the illustrations.
Readalikes: The Berenstain Bears' Moving Day
Awards/Lists: n/a
Links to reviews in professional review sources:
Hook: When does a house become a home?
Ideas, Uses: Talk about moving or new situations: new house, new friends, new school, new sibling.
ISBN: 978-0399242434
Page Count: 40 
Format: hardcover
Publisher: Philomel Books
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Crazy Hair

Reader’s Annotation: Do you have crazy hair? I know someone with such crazy hair, it swallowed up a girl!


Author: Neil Gaiman 
Illustrator: Dave McKean 
Age: 4 - 8
genre/subject: Children's fantasy, fiction, picturbook
Plot Summary: Bonnie meets a man with crazy hair. It is so crazy, all sorts of outlandish things happen inside his hair. Bonnie attempts to comb through his hair with her comb, and instead gets lost inside. Now she has lots of adventures inside that crazy hair of his!
Evaluation:
Significance & Bibliographic Usefulness: The is great use of visual aids, like arrows connecting words to images in this book. The illustrations are wild and downright fun to gaze at.
Readalikes: And other Neil Gaiman. Gaiman's fantasy will make the imagination soar!
Awards/Lists:
Links to reviews in professional review sources:
Hook: What's living in your crazy hair?
Ideas, Uses:
ISBN: 978-0060579104
Page Count: 40
Format: Hardback, paperback, audio

Publisher: HarperCollins
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Willoughby & the Lion

Reader’s Annotation: The love of a friend can make all our wishes come true! This story is about how Willoughby's act of true friendship saved a lion from a life of sorrow.


Author/Illustrator: Greg Foley
Age: 4-7
genre/subject: Children's fantasy
Plot Summary: Willoughby recently moved to a new home and discovers a gold lion statue on a rock. The lion says he can grant him 10 wishes, but if he does not wish the most important of all wishes, the lion will remain stuck as a statue on the rock. Willoughby wishes for all sorts of amazing things, a larger home, a roller coaster...As he approaches his last wish, he notices the lion is sad. The lion misses his home, so as they fall asleep together that night, Willoughby spends his last wish on the lion, that he may return home. The lion leaves Willoughby a coin that reads: TRUE FRIEND.
Evaluation: Good story to convey the importance of giving and sacrificing. The color scheme is black, white and gold, which is different and quite pleasing.
Significance & Bibliographic Usefulness: The artwork is interesting, Foley uses a metalic gold that really pops.
Readalikes: Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (same concepts, careful what you wish for)
Awards/Lists: Golden Sower Primary 2011-2012 for series
Links to reviews in professional review sources:
Hook: A true friend is worth 1,000 wishes!
Ideas, Uses: Talk about friendship. Talk about wishes. How did Willoughby demonstrate true friendship?
ISBN: 978-0061547508
Page Count: 40
Format: hardcover
Publisher: The Bowen Press
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Clever Crow

Reader’s Annotation: The clever crow takes what he wants! But Emma is more clever than the crow. See how she out-smarts him.


Author: Cynthia DeFelice
Illustrator: S.D. Schindler
Age: 3 and up 
genre/subject: children's fiction, picture book
Plot Summary: A clever crow lives to steal things from Emma and her mother. One day the crow swipes her mothers car keys right off the kitchen table. Emma thinks hard and runs to get something to trade. Her trade is a success and crow surrenders the car keys for a shinny ball of foil! As Emma and her mother drive away, crow swoops in to steal something new!
Evaluation: I did not care for the fragmented sentence structure. I think it is meant to be poetic, but it is mostly a distraction to me, as a reader, and possibly introduces poor grammar to young readers.
Significance & Bibliographic Usefulness: There is repetition of bird calls. "maw, maw, maw." Also young readers may enjoy the meter. Each page ends with a word repeated three times.
Readalikes:
Awards/Lists: n/a
Links to reviews in professional review sources:
Hook: "We haven't heard the last of crow!"
Ideas, Uses: Bird discussions. Why would a crow like to take things and store them in his nest? Possible science education.
ISBN: 978-0689806711
Page Count: 32 
Format: hardcover

Publisher: Atheneum
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Mr. Wuffles

Reader’s Annotation: Can cats see things we can't see? Mr. Wuffles found aliens hiding inside one of his toys! What else could be hidden, in plain sight?


Author/Illustrator: David Wiesner
Age: 2-4
genre/subject: children's sci-fi, picture book
Plot Summary: Mr. Wuffles is a spoiled house cat. He has many toys laying around that he does not play with. One toy, however, is a UFO with tiny aliens inside. As the aliens plot to explore the home, Mr. Wuffles, suddenly becomes keenly interested in the new toy. The aliens make allies with the bugs and creatures living the home and outsmart Mr. Wuffles!
Evaluation: Wiesner delivers another visual masterpiece. He captures the mannerisms and behaviors of a cat so brilliantly.
Significance & Bibliographic Usefulness: The layout teaches young readers how to read a graphic novel. Also, the alien "speak" is an assortment of cleverly selected symbols. Fun for young readers, perhaps more advanced, to pick up on the humor in the alien comments.
Readalikes: Other graphic novel-type picture books like Bluebird by Bob Staake
Awards/Lists: Caldecott Medal Honor Book
Links to reviews in professional review sources
Hook: Mr. Wuffles vs. Alien Intruders!
Ideas, Uses:
ISBN: 978-0618756612
Page Count: 32
Format: hardcover, paperback

Publisher: Clarion Books
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