A. Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type

Reading Log – Set 1

February 24, 2010

1. Caldecott Honor (2001)

a. Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type

b. Author: Doreen Cronin; Illustrator: Betsy Lewin

d. Question 7

This book uses various visual techniques from the water colors used for the illustrations to the variations in font choice. The cover shows an inviting picture of cows, being looked upon by a curious duck and chicken, while using a typewriter. The reader is drawn in to wonder “why are the cows using a typewriter”. Throughout the book the text is changing depending upon which character is writing, talking, or even thinking. When the farmer is reading a letter written from the cows, the font takes on the classic typewriter form. The cows’ letters are often a bit jumbled in their typing, while the farmer’s letters are neatly typed. This shows how cows are not known for their typing skills, but the farmer’s usage is accurate. The animal sounds are also emphasized by using larger, bold print. The illustrations help to tell the story and not just rely on the text. Even young children would be successful story tellers by looking at the expressions on the face of the farmer and other characters.

2. Caldecott Honor (2004)

a. Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus

b. Author and Illustrator: Mo Willems

d. Question 3

The style and media used in the illustrations of this book are very simplistic. I found myself wanting to mimic the drawings that I saw. The illustrations are very cartoonish in nature from the inside of the opening cover to the very last page. This intrigue from the illustrations made me want to know if he was going to get to drive the transfer truck shown on the last pages of the book. The way the illustrations are drawn also reveals the emotions of the pigeon, whether he is begging or showing his frustrations. As I researched, briefly, about Mo Willems, I found out that the Pigeon was created as an “accident”. He used ideas from his sketch books to create this character. I think students would enjoy getting to try out his style, knowing that he began the whole Pigeon series from sketching. Students would learn that not all pictures in books have to be elaborate, but they can be simple to match the simple text from the story. This allows for students to form a connection with the book on all levels, not just the text.

3. Caldecott (1999)

a. Snowflake Bentley

b. Author: Jaqueline Briggs Martin; Illustrator: Mary Azarian

d. Question 11

Wilson Bentley grew up in Vermont, where “snow is as common as dirt.” His fascination never made him great amounts of money, but he learned to share about something he cared greatly about, snow. Even though people made fun of him for his studies, he did not let that stop him. He was determined to examine a snowflake in every detail. He discovered the hexagonal shape and became a great authority of snow. His intent was never to become wealthy, but to share with the world the great wonders found inside a snowflake. The book shares that he spent $15,000 on his work and only gained $4,000 for selling his photos. The author of this book shared the information through the informational captions, the plot, and through the illustrations. Snowflake Bentley is still remembered to this day through the monument created in his honor. His fifty years of hard work, even though some thought it was trivial, became a great authority that is looked upon even today to those who are fascinated by snow.

4. Newberry Medal (2005)

a. Kira-Kira

b. Author: Cynthia Kadohata

d. Question 12

The culture that was shared in this book was that of a Japanese American family. The culture portrayed is that of a very structured family with great focus on working hard to provide for their family. The parents of Katie, Lynn and later Sam were often described as working more than they slept. It was extremely important for them to own their own home no matter how much time the parents had to spend away from their family. I do feel that the author portrayed this culture fairly. Cynthia Kadohata herself is a Japanese American who grew up in Georgia, where her father worked as a chicken sexer. Lynn or Lynnie often talked of moving to California and buying a house when she grew up. Katie was described as having a southern drawl in her speech, which was rare for a Japanese American child. Cynthia shares a great love for traveling that inspires her writings. I found out that Cynthia also spoke with a deep southern accent when she was a child. Another commonality she portrayed in her writing of Kira-Kira that she jokingly shared on her website was the fact that as she grew up she often ate five tacos, just as Katie had done the night that her sister had passed away.

5. Coretta Scott King (2000)

a. Bud, Not Buddy

b. Author: Christopher Paul Curtis

d. Question 2

Buddy, “Bud,” Calloway, a ten year old boy, is the main character in this book. He travels on an epic journey to find his father, which he has never known. Bud is revealed as a compassionate character from the very beginning. You get to experience how Bud makes Jerry, another orphan, feel more comfortable with his foster home placement. He shows bravery through the foster homes that he is placed in, where he was often abused. He is a true survivor as he journeys to Michigan to find his father. He has experienced the loss of his mother at a young age, traveled through a cardboard city, and even come up with his own rules for living in his imaginary book, “Bud Caldwell’s Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar of Yourself”. He is courageous as he tries to jump a train to Chicago and gets left behind. Through all of his adventures and hardships, all Bud longs for is to find his family. He is reminiscent of the manners that his mother taught him and of the many trips they took to the library. He hopes that by finding his father he will begin to feel whole again.

6. Coretta Scott King(2005)

a. God Bless the Child

b. Author: Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog Jr.; Illustrator: Jerry Pinkney

d. Question 10

This book would easily be included in the Social Studies curriculum of fifth grade. Fifth grade studies in Competency Goal 4 describing the historical events that impacted people and land of the United States, including slavery and the “Great Migration”. This book begins by showing a sharecropping family who are very hard working as they begin the move to the city. By reading this book, students could be introduced to how African Americans moved from working for others to working for their own personal gains. Students could create a collage of the changes that occurred in the lives of African Americans from 1900’s to the 1950’s. The book includes a follow up page, a brief summary, of the Great Migration. Students could include pictures of sharecropping, working independently to make money, schooling, and living conditions. All these things impacted the peoples of the United States. Also, collaborating with the music teacher is a great idea to include with this book, since the words are based from the song of the jazz musician, Billie Holiday.

7. Robert F. Sibert (2008)

a. Lightship

b. Author: Brian Floca

d. Question 6

This book is greatly deserving of the Robert F. Sibert award/honor. It is an informational book about exactly what the title states, a “lightship”. I had never thought of such a ship before reading this book. As I read, I found myself wondering/predicting, is this lightship like a light house? Indeed it was. A lightship helps to guide ships at sea, where lighthouses cannot be built. It was an easy read that was filled with lots of information from the inside front cover to the inside of the back cover. On these covers, there are illustrations that highlight important parts of the ship. Throughout the text, these parts are described and also the people who work onboard. The author does not completely tell you what kind of ship the story is about until the last page. This is a good hook for young children to keep reading until the end. At the end, the author includes specific information through an author’s note about lightships. Here Floca shares exact dates of when the lightships were in service and how they have been replaced in more recent years. This book is great at sharing accurate, factual information with children.

8. Jane Addams (2009)

a. Silent Music

b. Author and Illustrator: James Rumford;

d. Question 6

I learned about the importance of calligraphy to the Islamic people. In the Muslim countries, calligraphy is used to decorate holy buildings and also in their holy book. Also, I learned about Yakut, the great calligrapher. The boy in the book strived to become as skilled in the art of calligraphy as he. He even used the Baghdad bombing tragedies of 2003 to practice his skills. This art was used as a relief for both Yakut and the young boy, although hundreds of years apart. The beauty in the way that calligraphy is written truly makes it a work of art. The flow of the writing is described as being musical because the letters all connect. No wonder this writing is used to decorate buildings and write the holy words of Islam. This information is backed up by the author’s note at the end of the story. He includes specific dates to reinforce his message.

9. Pura Belpre’ (2004)

a. Before We Were Free

b. Author: Julia Alvarez

d. Question 8

The story portrayed in Before We Were Free is very believable. You immediately feel connected to Anita, the main character, in the story. At the beginning of the story, her school day is interrupted by someone coming to pick up her and her cousins. Much to her surprise was that she would not see these close relatives, as they were to travel to America. Anita and her family live on a compound in the Dominican Republic, where most of her extended family had left. The only thing she longs for, Christmas is for a Diary like her older sister, Lucinda. Her diary becomes her safe-haven in the story, where she can write her thoughts and feelings. Her relationship with her sister is typical, where they banter, but in the end remain close. Having an older sister, I could definitely relate to where Anita’s sister did not always want her around when Lucinda had friends over. You also get to experience Anita’s first crush, Sammy, an American boy. A first crush is an experience that most readers could relate to. With these everyday connections made with the characters, the reader feels the anguish of when the Torres family is forced from their home as it becomes unsafe. Anita experiences love and loss throughout the book, a true sacrifice that she and her family faced to help her native country.

10. Pura Belpre’ (2002)

a. Chato and the Party Animals

b. Author: Gary Soto; Illustrator: Susan Guevara

d. Question 1

I really enjoyed the book’s use of Spanish. From the very beginning, the reader is exposed to Spanish by the glossary located at the beginning of the book. These are Spanish words that are written throughout the story. I personally know a little Spanish, but there were some words that I was unfamiliar with. Grito (loud yell), pachanga (party), and vastos (dudes) are all words used in the story that I was unfamiliar with. Each of these words enhances the story. Students can really relate to vastos or dudes. I enjoyed the “slang” words that the author chose, luring me to this book. The author truly writes in a conversational tone of the story. Students can truly relate to how the characters in the story talked to each other. For example, “Maybe our homecat’s lost!” Students can really learn from the friendship between the animals in the story.

11. Schneider Family Award (2005)

a. My Pal, Victor

b. Author: Diane Gonzales Bertrand; Illustrator: Robert L. Sweetland

d. Question 2

Victor is one of the main characters of this story. Victor is a creative boy, who creates stories from looking up at the clouds in the sky or sharing ghost stories at sleepovers. He likes to tell jokes to his friends. He’s a good sport when he cheers for Dominic. He enjoys playing in the water and with his dog. Also, he is adventurous when it comes to rides at an amusement park. Victor enjoys many things that other boys do, even though he is bound to a wheel chair. Victor is a very unique, believable character. You do not find out until the very end of the story that he is different from most young boys. His disability does not hinder his friendships at all. He can still ride, create, and play just like any other “regular” child. The author and illustrator do a great job at not “giving away” Victor’s disability. In most of the illustrations, Victor’s legs are hidden, whether it is by the dog in front of him, or when he is giving Dominic a high five. I think that by portraying Victor in this way, students don’t have the chance to stereotype him from the beginning of the story.