Module 6 The Great Fuzz Frenzy

Bibliographic Citation

Stevens, J., & Crummel, S. (2005). The great fuzz frenzy. New York: Harcourt, Inc.

Summary

Violet, a large brown dog, drops her green fuzzy tennis ball down a hole which was the home of many prairie dogs.  Little Pip Squeak was the first to touch the ball and a piece of fuzz got caught in his claw and so he put it on his head.  This started the frenzy of all the prairie dogs having to have some green fuzz.  The fuzz news spread to the other prairie dog homes and soon the tennis ball was naked.  Then their was a battle and all the prairie dogs became exhausted and fell sleep except one.  Big Bark had stolen all the fuzz and jumped out of the hole.  An eagle swooped down and picked Big Bark up, but he wiggled free from the fuzz.  All the prairie dogs caught him when he fell and they all escaped into the hole.  They were happy the green fuzz was gone.  But Violet is returning with an orange fuzz ball to drop in the prairie dog hole.


Impressions

This is a great picture book with great illustrations.  If a child did not know what a prairie dog was they could tell much about the kind of homes they have.  There were several pages that pull down so the reader can tell that the homes go way down in the ground.  Of course the prairie dogs are fictional since they talk and fight about the green fuzz.  It is a great way to show how a writer can imagine what might happen to prairie dogs if their home was invaded by just a ball.

Suggestions For Use in a Library

1.  It is great for discussion on how many ways the prairie dogs used the green fuzz.
2.  If a class was studying desert areas and what kind of animals might live in a dry climate.
3. Count the prairie dogs
4. Exclamation words and good vocabulary such as frenzy.

Reviews

PreS-Gr 2-- It all begins innocently enough, when Violet the dog drops a fuzzy green tennis ball down a prairie-dog hole on the title page. When it finally lands deep in the underground tunnels, dozens of little dogs are gazing at it with trepidation. The biggest prairie dog of all, the bully Big Bark, comes to take a look, but before he can get close enough, Pip Squeak runs up to the ball and exclaims, "'It's fuzzy!'" "'Oooooooh!'" gasped the other dogs. Soon, they all begin adorning themselves with pieces of lime-green fuzz, ignoring Big Bark's commands that they stop this foolishness. Prairie dogs come from all over to help themselves until the ball is plucked bare. War breaks out, leaving Pip Squeak feeling rather guilty for starting it all. While the embattled dogs collapse in exhaustion, Big Bark steals all of the fuzz, proclaiming himself "king of the fuzz," which makes him an easy target for an eagle, who swoops down and grabs him. Pip Squeak rallies the others to come to Big Bark's aid. The marvelously rendered mixed-media illustrations, with vivid blues, earthy browns, and that luminescent green, capture the true fuzzy nature and greenish glow of the ball. As in the author's popular Tops and Bottoms (Harcourt, 1995), this book employs both horizontal and vertical spreads, effectively taking readers deep into the underground realm. A wonderful addition for storyhours, this title will be requested again and again.

Kropp, L. (2005). The great fuzz frenzy. School Library Journal, 51(9), 186-187.

What would happen if a dog of the canine persuasion were to drop a green tennis ball down a prairie dogs' burrow? Why, the prairies would pick it apart, fashion all sorts of finery out of its fuzz and then get territorial about it when neighboring prairie dogs demanded their share. It's inevitable that a frenzy would ensue. After rescuing one of their own from an eagle's clutches, the prairies in this story finally realize that fuzz just isn't worth it. But along comes Violet the mutt again, this time with a red tennis ball, and then.… The energetic art and layout are the real standouts in this cute yet thin story. The dogs--both of the canis and burrow varieties--are expressive and hilarious, and readers can open up double-paged spreads and occasionally turn the volume vertically, a Stevens trademark. Dramatic font changes and words like Swoop! and Boink! add to the read-aloud fun. (Picture book. 3-7)

The great fuzz frenzy. (2005). Kirkus Reviews, 73(15), 859.

The Stevens sisters (Cook-a-Doodle-Doo) prove that there's a lot of mileage to be gained from a wacky premise and some roly-poly prairie dogs. When Violet the pooch accidentally drops a tennis ball into a prairie-dog town, the rodents discover the malleable properties of the ball's light green fuzz and go wild: "They fuzzed their ears, their heads, their noses." In her full-bleed spreads (sometimes extending into a gatefold to play up the depth of the tunnels), Stevens likens the furry crowd to kids playing dress-up. The prairie dogs fashion Mohawks, tutus, superhero outfits and big fuzzy slippers from the stuff. Only one prairie dog seems immune: Big Bark, a blowhard with a bottle-cap hat. But Big Bark's disdain is just a front; when the other prairie dogs collapse from exhaustion ("Fuzzled out"), he steals all the fuzz--and turns himself into a blob of green that catches the eye of a prey-seeking eagle (in a bravura spread, its mass of black feathers morphs into a maelstrom of menace). Not surprisingly, the prairie dogs put aside their fuzz-based differences, and Big Bark finds a useful purpose for his belligerence. Stevens's watercolors make heroes of these curious critters. She plunges readers into an animated, earthy underworld, endows her furry cast with winning goofiness and turns the winged symbol of America into a figure of fear. Ages 3-7. (Sept.)

The great fuzz frenzy. (2005). Publishers Weekly, 252(28), 204.

Module 5 Chato's Kitchen

Bibliographic Citation

Soto, G. (1995). Chato's kitchen. New York:  G. P. Putman's Sons.

Summary

Chato the cat and his best friend decide to fix dinner for the new neighbors.  A family of five mice have moved in next door, and he wants to eat them.  He cooks all kinds of mexican food for them.  The mice want to bring along one of their friends, who turns out to be a dog.  Chato ends up not being able to eat the mice after all and they all enjoy his meal of mexican food.

Impressions

This book was filled with lots of spanish vocabulary for young ESL readers to understand from their language.  It is also about moving to a new home, meeting new firends, and getting along with all kinds.  The two cats are depicted as cool indivduals that hispanic boys could easily identify with.

Suggestion For Use in a Library

1.  Good to read around Cinco de Mayo or another hispanic holiday or during hispanic month.

2.  Practice some spanish vocabulary

3.  Survey of favorite mexican food that the animals had.

Reviews

K-Gr. 2. In this Pura Belpré Illustrator Medal winner, Chato and his friend Novio Boy plan a dinner for the new mice next door, hoping that their neighbors will become one of the courses. But the mice bring a surprise guest named Chorizo, a truly low-riding dachshund. This humorous story is perfect for sharing and features Guevara's lively, expressive illustrations. Also see the sequel, Chato and the Party Animals (Putnam, 2000), another Pura Belpré Illustrator Medal winner.

Gonzalez, L. (2009). Chato's kitchen. Book Links, 18(3), 36. 

K-Gr. 4. Chato and his best friend are the coolest cats in the barrio of East Los Angeles. When a family of five fat mice moves in next door to Chato, he invites them for dinner-but he secretly plans for them to be dinner. All day, the two cats labor in Chato's kitchen preparing a feast to eat with the mice; however, plans change when the mouse family arrives, escorted by an unexpected guest. Spanish words peppered throughout the text add culturally authentic flavor to this mouth-watering comedy.

 Bedford, A.,  & Cuellar, R. (2006). Chato's kitchen. Book Links, 15(3), 26. 

Gr. 3-6. Soto captures the Latino flavor of Hast L.A. through the voice of Chato, a cat with barrio flare. When a family of mice moves in next door, Chato invites them for dinner with hunger pangs, not hospitality, in mind. The humorous storytelling and clever dialogue enhance this situation comedy, marked by Guevara's zany illustrations.

 Halls, K.  (2003). Chato's kitchen.  Book Links, 12(5), 54. 

Preschool-Gr. 3. Visions of a three-course dinner dance in the head of Chato, a streetwise cat, when he invites his new neighbors (a family of mice) to his home. Guevara's detailed, dark-lined city scenes add a razor-sharp edge to Soto's attitude-saturated text. Young children will be delighted to see the little mice outsmart their new feline friend at a meal full of surprises.

Carger. C.,  (2002). Chato's kitchen. Book Links, 12(3), 38. 

Gary Soto's use of Spanish embedded within an English rendition provides a supportive context for understanding both Spanish terms and the story in Chato's Kitchen (P-M). Chato, a very "hip" cat, is overjoyed that a family of mice have moved in next door, and he invites them for dinner hoping, of course, they will become the main course. The mice, however, have their own surprise for Chato and arrive for dinner on the back of their friendly dog, Chorizo, thereby limiting the menu to cheese quesadillas brought by the mice and side dishes prepared by Chato and his friend, Novio boy. A glossary of Spanish terms and Chato's menu precede the story. Susan Guevara employs various perspectives in her paintings to accentuate the size differences between the cats and mice and the tensions of the evening.

Freeman, E., Lehman, B., & Scharer, P. (1997). Chato's kitchen. The Reading Teacher, 50(5), 426.  

Module 5 Goin' Someplace Special

Bibliographic Citation

McKissack, P. (2001). Goin' someplace special. New York:  Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Summary

Tricia Ann was all excited to go someplace special by herself for the first time.  Her excitement dwindered as she had to sit on the colored section of the bus, couldn't sit on the park bench, and couldn't go in the restaurant or hotel.  Finally Blooming Mary helped her to remember her grandmother's words about determination and holding her head high.  She made it to her Someplace Special which turned out to be the library which was where everyone was welcomed. 

Impressions

I thought this was an excellent book to read to children to help them understand about how it felt during Martin Luther King's time of growing up.  Many children do not understand discrimination and exactly what Martin Luther King was fighting for.  Since it was written from the view of a child I think it will lead them to a greater inderstanding.

Suggestion For Use in a Library

1.  Good introduction book on first day for emphasing that the library is a special place for everyone.

2.  Good to use during Black History Month.

3.  Write how you might have felt if you were not allowed to go to a restaurant, playground, or school.

Reviews

Follow ’Tricia Ann on her poignant journey in Coretta Scott King Book Award winner for excellence in illustration. Mama Frances empowers her granddaughter ’Tricia Ann to triumph over deep

prejudice in the 1950s segregated South. ’Tricia Ann travels with perseverance on her first solo trip through Nashville to a uniquely liberating “Someplace Special,” the public library. The recollection of Mama Frances’s model of confidence, respect, and steadfastness keep ’Tricia Ann walking on to her final destination. As a parenting grandparent, Mama Frances equips ’Tricia Ann for the reality of the world with the strength of independent learning and autonomous thinking. “Those signs can tell us where to sit, but they can’t tell us what to think,” she tells her granddaughter. Watercolor and pencil illustrations capture ’Tricia Ann’s big steps in the world, which the author notes, parallel events of her own childhood. This book has also been recognized as an ALA Notable Book and received a Parents’ Choice Award. Ages 4–8.

Leonette, C. (2009). Goin' someplace special. Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, 7(2), 350.

'Tricia Ann is ready to go "Someplace Special" by herself for the first time. But it is the 1950s in a southern town, and 'Tricia Ann still has to sit in the back of the bus. A series of situations confront her as she travels on her way, including seeing a "Whites Only" sign on the park bench and getting shooed out of a hotel lobby. She begins to cry about the unfairness of the Jim Crow laws when she hears her grandmother's advice in her head, "You are somebody, a human being-no better, no worse than anybody else in this world." 'Tricia Ann holds her head up high and heads to "Someplace Special"-the library where all are welcome.

 Scharer, P., Armstrong, K., Bushner, D.,  Pavonetti, L., & et al. (2003). Goin' someplace special. Language Arts, 80(4), 314. 

'Tricia Ann-an African-American preteen-feels she's ready to go across town all by herself, but Mama Frances knows that her granddaughter's journey through 1950s Nashville is likely to challenge 'Tricia Ann's moral compass as much as her navigational ability. However, she lets the girl go with one last reminder-"hold yo' head up and act like you b'long to somebody"-and with that 'Tricia Ann skips out of the idealized verdure of Jerry Pinkney's impressionistic landscape into the sober reality of back-of-the-bus seating and whites-only park benches. The reader follows her turquoise yellow-flowered dress all the way to the mysterious "Someplace Special," the increasing drabness of the people and surroundings thrown into relief by 'Tricia Ann's vitality. The expressive narration and soft-focus illustrations of this forthrightly purposive picture book sometimes become oversweet, but there is a solid core of experiential detail in both the pencil sketches that underpin Pinkney's watercolors and the social (and personal) history that undergirds McKissack's story. And you'll be especially glad to know that 'Tricia Ann's "favorite spot in the world" turns out to be ... the public library, which a brief afterword by McKissack says "was one of the few places where there were no Jim Crow signs and blacks were treated with some respect." While a little lengthy for the youngest listeners, this shows the pervasiveness of segregation and celebrates the strength of mind of those who said to African-American children, "Don't let those signs steal yo' happiness."

Fern K. (2001). Goin' someplace special. Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 55(1), 28. 

Module 4 Walk Two Moons

Bibliographic Citation

Creech, S. (1994). Walk two moons. New York: Harper Collins Publishers.


Summary

Sal begins a journey with her grandparents from Ohio to Idaho to follow the route her mother took when she left home. Sal wants to reach her by her mother's birthday which is six days away. Along the way she tells the story of her move from Kentucky and her new best friend Phoebe, whose mother also left home and about a lunatic that appeared in their neighborhood.  Her father is seeing a woman that lives next door to Phoebe that Sal does not like.  But eventually Phoebe's mother returns home and explains that the lunatic is her son from her past.  During the trip Sal and her grandparents visit Native Americans, Old Faithful, Mount Rushmore, and grandma gets bitten by a snake.  Grandma has a heart attack on the day that Sal wants to find her mother.  Sal continues the journey alone leaving her grandparents at the hospital and finds the bus crash where her mother died and her grave.  Her grandmother dies at the hospital. Sal and her grandfather return home where they eventually move back to Kentucky along with her dad.

Impressions

This was a emotional book for me because as I read toward the end I felt there was a reason why her mother could not return home.  I thought it was very well written especially since it was a story about Sal telling a story to her grandparents on a trip to bring her mother home.  It demonstrates well the emotions that teenagers might experience when moving, young love, or losing a loved one.

Suggestions For Use in a Library

1.  As reading the journey made by Sal and her grandparents map the route.
2.  Discussion abou the name Indians versus Native Americans.
3.  Draw and write about your soul.

Reviews

Gr 6-9 An engaging story of love and loss, told with humor and suspense.  Thirteen-year-old Salamanca Tree Hiddle's mother leaves home suddenly on a spiritual quest, vowing to return, but can't keep her promise.  The girl and her father leave their farm in Kentucky and move to Ohio, where Sal meets Phoebe Winterbottom, also 13.  While Sal accompanies her eccentric grandparents on a six day drive to Idaho to retrace her mother's route, she entertains them with a tale of Phoebe, whose mother also left home.  While this story-within-a story is a potentially difficult device, in the hands of this capable author it works well to create suspense, keep readers' interest, and draw parallels between the situations and reactions of the two girls.  Sal's emotional journey through the grieving process-from denial to anger and finally to acceptance- is depicted realistically and with feeling.  Indeed, her initial confusion and repression of the truth are mirrored in the book; even readers are unaware until near the end, that Sal's mother has died.  Phoebe's mother does return home, bringing with her a son previously unknown to her family, who is accepted with alacrity.  Overall, a richly layered novel about real and metaphorical journeys.

Burns, C. (1984). Book review:  Junior high up. School Library Journal, 40(10), 142.

Gr. 7--9. Thirteen-year-old Sal Hiddle can't deal with all the upheaval in her life. Her mother, Sugar, is in Idaho, and although Sugar promised to return before the tulips bloomed, she hasn't come back. Instead, Mr. Hiddle has moved Sal from the farm she loves so much and has even taken up company with the unpleasantly named Mrs. Cadaver. Multilayered, the book tells the story of Sal's trip to Idaho with her grandparents; and as the car clatters along, Sal tells her grandparents the story of her friend Phoebe, who receives messages from a "lunatic" and who must cope with the disappearance of her mother. The novel is ambitious and successful on many fronts: the characters, even the adults, are fully realized; the story certainly keeps readers' interest; and the pacing is good throughout. But Creech's surprises--that Phoebe's mother has an illegitimate son and that Sugar is buried in Idaho, where she died after a bus accident--are obvious in the first case and contrived in the second. Sal knows her mother is dead; that Creech makes readers think otherwise seems a cheat, though one, it must be admitted, that may bother adults more than kids. Still, when Sal's on the road with her grandparents, spinning Phoebe's yarn and trying to untangle her own, this story sings.

Cooper, I. (1994). Walk two moons. Booklist, 91(6), 590. Retrieved from    http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA15925338&v=2.1&u=txshracd2679&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w

Thirteen-year-old Salamanca Sugar Maple Tree Hiddle is a natural storyteller. As her grandparents drive her from Kentucky to Idaho, Sal entertains them with a story of her best friend, Phoebe, whose mother disappeared shortly after receiving mysterious letters. The trip is urgent to Sal. She believes she must get to Idaho for her mother's birthday. If there is any chance to bring her mother back home, it will happen on her birthday. Sal interweaves Phoebe's story with events in her own Life. One year ago, her mother left home, depressed after giving birth to a stillborn baby. She planned to return, but died in a bus accident in Idaho. Sal refused to accept her mother's death. Then her father rented his farm in Kentucky, and they moved to Ohio, where he befriended a widow. Sal's and Phoebe's stories are woven together to reveal both girls' agony at losing their mothers. Gran and Grams infuse the story with lively dialogue. Wading in a stream, Gran is bitten by a water moccasin, and although she recovers, she later dies of a stroke--just short of their destination. With her grandfather's blessing, Sal sets out alone to complete the journey and visit her mother's grave, where Sal at last accepts her mother's death. Sal's stories-within-stories are spiced with humor and sensitivity. Readers will demand a sequel with these lovable, irascible characters. Highly Recommended.

Litherland, T. (1994). Reviews: Fiction. Book Report, 13(3), 42.

Module 4 A Year Down Yonder

Bibliographic Citation

Peck, R. (2000). A year down yonder. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.

Summary

It was 1937 during the recession and Mary Alice's parents have sent her to live with Grandma in a hick-town outside of Chicago.   As soon as she is off the train Grandma Dowdel enrolls her in school and takes care of a bully right after school.  Grandma Dowdel shows her sense of humor at Halloween with playing pranks on the local boys at the outhouse.  Many people are afraid of Grandma Dowdel because she is a large and loud woman.  But she also has a gentle and caring nature because she helped raise more money than ever with the Ladies of the Legion Auxiliary.  She taught Mary Alice how to cook and trap foxes.  Together they survived a tornado.  Mary Alice became firends with the new boy, Royce.  She eventualy came back to Grandma Dowdel's house to marry him when she was older.

Impressions

I came to admire the character Grandma Dowdel as I read the book.  She had a strong personality that came out rough.  But underneath she was caring and loving.  Mary Alice came to admire her grandma as well by observing how she helped others.


Suggestions For Use in a Library

1.  If reading a chapter at a time, discuss if you think Grandma did the right thing in each chapter.
2.  What would it be like to leave your home for a year away from your parents?  Use this as an introduction to interest children in this book.

Reviews

The year is 1937, and Mary Alice, age 15, is scheduled to spend an entire year in southern Illinois with Grandma Dowdel, due to her parents falling on hard times during the Great Depression. In this satisfying sequel to Pecks Newbery Honor, A Long Way from Chicago (Penguin Putnam, 1998), Grandma Dowdel is her usual crusty, hell-raising self. Mary Alice dreads the idea of leaving big-time Chicago, going to Grandma's "hick town" and enrolling in its small-town high school. As the year progresses, though, she realizes that underneath Grandma's rough exterior there is a caring, nurturing person whom Mary Alice learns to look to as her role model. Grandma is up to her usual mischief, which adds a lot of humor to the story line. Such incidents as finally catching the boys who damage the outhouses on Halloween and putting the DAR ladies in their places serve to portray Grandma as a truly memorable character who will keep readers hooked until the very end. We empathize with Mary Alice as she metamorphoses, and the depth of her character increases perceptively during her 15th year under Grandma Dowdel's guidance. Fans of Peck and of the first book will flock to this latest title, and their enthusiasm will be contagious.

A year down yonder. (2001). Book Report, 20(1), 61.

In this hilarious and poignant sequel to A Long Way to Chicago, Peck once again shows that country life is anything but boring. Chicago-bred Mary Alice (who has previously weathered annual week-long visits with Grandma Dowdel) has been sentenced to a year-long stay in rural Illinois with her irrepressible, rough and gruff grandmother, while Joey heads west with the Civilian Conservation Corps, and her parents struggle to get back on their feet during the 1937 recession. Each season brings new adventures to 15-year-old Mary Alice as she becomes Grandma's partner in crime, helping to carry out madcap schemes to benefit friends and avenge enemies. Around Halloween, for example, the woman, armed with wire, a railroad spike and a bucket of glue, outsmarts a gang of pranksters bent on upturning her privy. Later on, she proves just as apt at squeezing change out of the pockets of skinflints, putting prim and proper DAR ladies in their place and arranging an unlikely match between a schoolmarm and a WPA artist of nude models. Between antic capers, Peck reveals a marshmallow heart inside Grandma's rock-hard exterior and adroitly exposes the mutual, unspoken affection she shares with her granddaughter. Like Mary Alice, audience members will breathe a sigh of regret when the eventful year "down yonder" draws to a close. Ages 10-up. (Oct.)

A year down yonder. (2000). Publishers Weekly, 247(39), 118.

Gr 5-8 --Peck charms readers once again with this entertaining sequel to A Long Way from Chicago (Dial, 1998). This time, 15-year-old Mary Alice visits Grandma Dowdel alone for a one-year stay, while her parents struggle through the recession of 1937 looking for jobs and better housing. With her older brother, Joey, working out west in a government program, Mary Alice takes a turn at recounting memorable and pivotal moments of her year with Grandma. Beneath the woman's fierce independence and nonconformity, Mary Alice discovers compassion, humor, and intuition. She watches her grandmother exact the perfect revenge on a classmate who bullies her on the first day of school, and she witnesses her "shameless" tactics to solicit donations from Veteran's Day "burgoo' eaters whose contributions are given to Mrs. Abernathy's blind, paralyzed, war-veteran son. From her energetic, eccentric, but devoted Grandma, she learns not only how to cook but also how to deal honesty and fairly with people. At story's end, Mary Alice returns several years later to wed the soldier, Royce McNabb, who was her classmate during the year spent with Grandma. Again, Peck has created a delightful, insightful tale that resounds with a storyteller's wit, humor, and vivid description. Mary Alice's memories capture the atmosphere, attitudes, and lifestyle of the times while shedding light on human strengths and weaknesses.

Jones, T. E., Toth, L., Auerbach, B., Grabarek, D., Leiboff, J., & Larson, G. (2000). A year down yonder. School Library Journal, 46(9), 236.

Module 3 A Sick Day for Amos McGee

Bibliographic Citation

Stead, P. (2010). A sick day for Amos McGee. New York: Roaring Book Press.

Summary

Amos McGee, the zookeeper, rose early to ride the bus to work at the zoo.  He always made time for his friends. His friends included the elephant, the tortoise, the penguin, the rhinoceros, and the owl.  One day he was sick and could not go to work.  His animal friends were worried and rode the bus to his house to check on him.  Through the day they made him feel better and being such good friends they stayed the night with their friend Amos McGee.

Impressions

This is a wonderful book about friendship and what is meant by being a good friend.  It shows children also that it is possible to have more than just one best friend.  I always found that to be an issue at the elementary level.  The artist had very detailed pen drawings and added only color to highlight or emphasize parts of the illustration to go along with the story better.  It helps children to focus on the colored pictures as a read aloud.

Suggestions For Use in a Library

1.  After reading as a read aloud, discuss what a good friend is and how a person can have more than one good friend.
2.  Have a discussion about the things Amos McGee did with each animal and what could be other possibilities and why he did not do the same with each animal.

Reviews

K-Gr 2--Amos McGee, an elderly man who works at the zoo, finds time each day for five special friends. With empathy and understanding he gives the elephant, tortoise, penguin, rhinoceros, and owl the attention they need. One morning, Amos wakes up with a bad cold and stays home in bed. His friends wait patiently and then leave the zoo to visit him. Their trip mirrors his daily bus ride to the zoo and spans three nearly wordless spreads. Amos, sitting up in bed, clasps his hands in delight when his friends arrive. The elephant plays chess with him, and the tortoise plays hide-and-seek. The penguin keeps Amos's feet warm, while the rhinoceros offers a handkerchief when Amos sneezes. They all share a pot of tea. Then the owl, knowing that Amos is afraid of the dark, reads a bedtime story as the other animals listen. They all sleep in Amos's room the rest of the night. The artwork in this quiet tale of good deeds rewarded uses woodblock-printing techniques, soft flat colors, and occasional bits of red. Illustrations are positioned on the white space to move the tale along and underscore the bonds of friendship and loyalty. Whether read individually or shared, this gentle story will resonate with youngsters.

Smith, M. (2010). A sick day for Amos McGee. School Library Journal, 56(5), 92.


Kindly zookeeper Amos McGee is a creature of habit, much like his animal charges.  Every day Amos follows the same morning routine; and when he gets to work, he "always [makes] time to visit his good friends.''  Amos has a special relationship with each one of his pals: he plays chess with the thoughtful elephant, races the tortoise "who never ever lost," quietly keeps the shy penguin company, has a handkerchief ready for the runny-nosed rhino, and reads stories to the owl "who was afraid of the dark."  Erin Stead attentively detailed pencil and woodblock illustrations reveal character and enhance the cozy mood of Philip Stead's gentle text.  Wiry, elderly Amos has a kindly Mister Rogers air about him; the animals while realistically rendered overall, display distinct personalities without uttering a word.  When Amos stays home one day to nurse a cold, his friends have just the right medicine: they make time to visit their good friend.  Two wordless spreads showing the animals (and one peripatetic red balloon) taking the bus to Amos's house have an almost surreal quality, which adds some low-key anticipation to the understated story.

Flynn, K. (2010). A sick day for Amos McGee. Horn Book Magazine, 86(3), 72-73.


Amos works at a zoo. He befriends a shy penguin, he reads to an owl, and he races with a tortoise.  Amos takes care of the animals who also happen to be his friends.  He is a dedicated employee who takes his job seriously, and the animals rely on Amos to perform his caretaker duties.  But what happens when the zookeeper gets sick?  The animals come and take care of him.  This is a sweet, but simple story about the value of friendship, loyalty, dedication, and duty.

Swan, P. (2010). A sick day for Amos McGee. Library Media Connection, 29(1), 71.

Module 3 Time of Wonder

Bibliographic Citation

McCloskey, R. (1957). Time of wonder. New York: The Viking Press.

Summary

A family of four have a vacation home on a island off Penolscot Bay that they visit through the year.  It is a place where one can watch the time of the world go by the minute, hour, day, and season.  Two girls and their pet watch the rain come from across the bay to them.  They experience a foggy morning and all at once the clouds lift and it becomes a sunny day.  In the summer they have a sailboat and friends come to swim in the high tide and make castles off the rocks at low tide.  At night they watch the lights of the stars and the reflections off the water.  As the fall begins and the days are shorter, the winds begin to blow and birds have migrated.  The girls feel the weather is changing.  Their family goes to the mainland for supplies and their boats are secured and they prepare for the hurricane coming.  The family is safe inside their house as the hurricane passes by with its roaring wind.  The next morning they investigate the fallen trees and haul seaweed to the garden to use for fertilizer.  After the cleanup is finished, it is time for them to return home for school is about to begin.

Impressions

A beautifully illustrated book that has become a classic.  It is a book that can travel through time by demonstrating what living on an island would be like or spending a vacation by the seashore.  It has very colorful illustrations that look like McCloskey captured with watercolors.  This is a different kind of shoreline than Texas since this shows what it is like near the shoreline of Maine.

Suggestions For Use in a Library

1. Read this book along with a book depicting the gulf coast shoreline and do a compare and contrast with kids of the two different places.
2. Have children after listening to the book tell what their favorite activity they would have liked to have done from this book and why they chose that activity.

Reviews

From the rush of the waves to the laughter of seagull, Time of Wonder paints a vivid picture of summer spent on a Maine island. It captures the joy and excitement of two young children as they discover the rhythm of nature.  Arriving in early spring the girls see the ferns pushing their way through the dead leaves.  The days lengthen, and hummingbirds return to the island.  With warmer weather comes days spent swimming, sailing, and building sand castles.  The girls know that fall is on the way with rougher ways and strong winds.  Soon the hurricanes will begin, and it will be time for the girls to pack their bags and head for home and school.  They will leave behind the sea and salt air until the following year.  Robert McCloskey's poetic language combined with Christina Moore's lyrical narration will transport listeners to the innocence and delight that is a Time of Wonder.

Time of Wonder. (n.d.). Retrieved  February 6, 2012, from Children's Literature Reviews:
     http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2378/cgi-bin/member/search/f?./temp/~Cur2I8:1


Robert McCloskey's book "Time of Wonder" is a breath of fresh air. It is a classic picture book that, even though it was first published in 1958, never loses its freshness and joy.  "Time of Wonder" is a book about the beauty of the outdoors and the life we weave around the sun, the sky, the sea and the weather. In its 63 pages it reminds us of the smell of rain before it starts to fall, the cold, squishy feeling of wet sand between our toes on a hot summer day, the sound of the wind between the tall pines on a rocky shore, the way the sun shimmers on the bay andthe color of it melting below the horizon.  It's a story about a family that spends its summers in a cottage on an island in Maine. The main mode of travel is by boat, be it outboard, lobster boat or sailing dinghy. Clams are often on the menu, freshly dug up from the beach, and everybody knows everybody.  It's a story about the way life used to be, when kids could feel free to explore on their own, sailing around the bay for hours, exploring islands, having picnics and jumping off of rocks into salty water.  The first time I read "Time of Wonder" I felt a longing for a youth I never had! Not having grown up in Maine, of course, I never even heard of a lobster boat until I became an adult, but I immediately wanted to share this story with my kids. I wanted them to feel that same longing as I did, and want deep down in their hearts to have that kind of fun in their childhood. It is a book for dreamers, for quiet contemplation and admiration of the world around us.  "Take a farewell look at the waves and the sky. Take a farewell sniff of the salty sea. A little bit sad about the place you are leaving, a little bit glad about the place you are going. It is a time of quiet wonder- for wondering, for instance: Where do hummingbirds go in a hurricane?"  Robert McCloskey illustrated this book himself, and was awarded a Caldecott Medal for his work. I can't recommend it enough! Treat yourself and your family with this book. It is worth it.

Tucker, L. (2007, May). Book Review-Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey. Retrieved February 6, 2012  from http://www.kidsaboard.com/magazine/book_reviews/time_of_wonder_mccloskey.shtml


The author has succeeded in transferring his love for the Maine islands to the printed page and as you listen to his words and look at his pictures you feel that every day and every season is a "time of wonder." This is a [book] of great beauty.

Printed on the inside book flap written by The Horn Book.