Khadija's Book and Resource Share

If There's A Book, There's A Way..

Animal Strike at the Zoo. It's True!

By Karma Wilson

Illustrated by Margaret Spengler

When I first encountered Animal Strike at the Zoo. It's True!, I was struck by the unusual title. This may not be the typical “fairy tale” or “animal story” book that would be selected for children, however it definitely grabs the attention of the audience, both children and adults alike. As a teacher, just the title invoked a strong inner curiosity that this book would be entertaining providing a strong foundation for further critical analysis and study. It automatically has the reader ask questions such as “how would animals strike?” “What had caused the uproar (no pun intended)?“ and “What would be the outcome?”. The story begins with an emotional commotion started by an elephant; the strike ends when a tearful young visitor is saddened by the strike causing the animals to realize the importance and value in keeping the zoo alive. Wilson symbolically delivers the message to her young readers regarding the significance in fulfilling other’s needs above one's own.

Wilson’s method of comical poetry and rhythmic storytelling accompanied by large colorful illustrations keeps the audience immersed in the narrative. Picking this book, I wanted to introduce an illustrative book that is both educational and amusing for young boys and girls. This author is known for her inspiring picture books through giving young readers an understanding that the impossible may be attained through hard work and dedication; most importantly to overcome one’s fears. You can see more of her books on her website http://karmawilson.com/.

What Can You Do With a Rebozo?

by Carmen Tafolla

Illustrated by Amy Cordova

A Rebozo? This is a shawl primarily worn by women from Mexico and used for many purposes. During my visits to Mexico I remember these shawls displayed throughout the open markets, but the name never rung a bell until I read this book. Each page in the book flows with poetic storytelling and colorful illustrations. It tells the story of a Mexian girl and her family and the many ways in which the rebozo ties the family together. In each page we are introduced to the practical and cultural significance of this beautiful shawl. The story ends with a page that describes what a rebozo is and questions that teachers can pose to the students on creative ways they may like to use the rebozo.

This book, written by a Mexican-American poet was awarded the Pura Belpre Honor Award, introduces young readers to explore diverse cultures and their traditional wear. More importantly due to the growing diversity in the classrooms, especially with many Spanish-speaking students, this book educationally allows young readers to bond through an understanding of different cultural lifestyles.

Isabella Abnormella and the Very, Very Finicky Queen of Trouble

By J. Patrick Lewis

Illustrated by Kyrsten Brooker

Isabella Abnormella and the Very, Very Finicky Queen of Trouble is a fascinating and witty narrative by a young character, Isabella, and her astonishing feat at removing the Queen’s troubles. The story introduces the Queen’s dilemma (inability to find a proper bed to sleep), the town’s attempts and trials in providing imaginative suggestions (enormous wicker basket or Mister Tickle Dream Machine) and Isabella’s sensible innovation (water bed) in removing the Queens distress. This engaging story brings more than laughter and amusement to the audience, the children learn through collaboration and hard work that one may attain true success. After selecting this story, I have searched for more books by this author (he has many), since his story will capture the interest of young readers.

J. Patrick Lewis incorporates a strong vibe of poetry and humor, locking his audience attention with colorful pictures. The illustrations are alluring and attention grabbing, depicting the scenarios of the Queen’s encounters. This story will have young readers in want of having the story reread to them again and again.

Resources for Finding Tradebooks for Kids

Hedgehog Books, http://www.hedgehogbooks.com/index.html a site created by teachers, is an excellent resource for teachers or parents to explore a variety of books primarily for children from pre-K to middle school. When entering this site, visitors will be given a variety of options to fulfill their criteria. There are links to books suitable for read-aloud or read-alone for baby/toddlers, early readers, and fluent readers. Teachers will be drawn to the organizational layout of exclusive books selected and reviewed by other teachers for each grade level from pre K-8. Each book review describes the book, an excerpt, what the child will get out of the story, and the age level recommendation provided by Hedgie (the site). Furthermore, teacher and kids comments are invited for each book review, so that teachers may receive feedback about the novel from both audiences. A welcome resource for teachers and parents alike--this site is excellent!

The Reading Tub http://www.thereadingtub.com/index.asp is a wonderful website dedicated to promote literacy among young readers through a variety of channels (ex. blogs, learning to read articles and techniques, book reviews, etc). In this site teachers may utilize the various book links, categorized by age group, offering reviews that provide an invaluable amount of information for each story. Each review describes the plot of the story, the pros, cons, age appropriateness; a big kids/little kids response, the literary category, and other books with a similar narrative. There are links on this site on books that will appeal to reluctant as well as remedial readers, thereby enhancing the child’s literacy growth with interesting and educational novels. In this site, teachers can access books about adoption, alternatives to Harry Potter, and Mystery & Adventure books. In addition to a blog that invites visitors to share there own insights on promoting children literacy, this site a wonderful resource for teachers to generate literary awareness in their classrooms.