Secrets of the Sphinx

Secrets of the Sphinx

Written by: James Cross Giblin

Illustrated by: Bagram Ibatoulline

Scholastic Press, 2004

48 pages

Picture Book: Non-Fiction

            I chose this book because anything about Egypt is fascinating. Most children that I know are very curious about pyramids, mummies, and anything that has to do with Egypt. This book tells the secrets of the Great Sphinx of Giza. The reader learns secrets about how the Sphinx was made, who the Sphinx represents, and much more. This book also talks about famous artifacts and other famous monuments.

            The illustrator of this book is Bagram Ibatoulline. Bagram used gouache and watercolor to create these illustrations. Each illustration is realistic and extremely detailed. Most of the illustrations look like photographs, but they are hand drawn. Bagram uses soft colors to illustrate the desert. Yellows and oranges are used throughout the entire book.

            This book is appropriate for 9-12 year olds. I would use this book in a 5^th grade classroom. I would use this book for a history lesson. I would read this book to my students as an introduction to the Great Sphinx of Giza. I would also use this book as an introduction to a math lesson. I would read this book to my 5^th graders and discuss the meticulous measuring the Egyptians did when building the Great Sphinx of Giza. I would begin a lesson on rulers and measuring area. I might also use this book for a creative writing lesson. I would read this book and then prompt my students to write by saying, “If someone were to make a monument of you, what would it look like?” This book has won the Orbis Pictus Honor for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children.

Book Fiesta!

Book Fiesta!

Written by: Pat Mora

Illustrated by: Rafael Lopez

Rayo, 2009

40 pages

Picture Book: Multicultural

            I chose this book because a large portion of our students are Hispanic. This book is written in English and Spanish. This book celebrates all cultures, not just the Hispanic culture. The entire book is a celebration of reading. Reading at the library, reading on an elephant, and reading in the yard are just a couple of places that you can read. This book encourages children to read anywhere they go. 

            The illustrator of this book is Rafael Lopez. He used acrylics to create these illustrations. These illustrations were very intricate and detailed. I was intrigued by the illustrations Lopez created because each page had so much to look at. On one page, the illustrations were done vertically instead of horizontally. I really enjoyed the creativity of that page. Each illustration is painted with bright colors, very much like a real fiesta.

This book is appropriate for ages 4-8. I would use this book in a first grade classroom. I would use this book for a history lesson on Spanish culture. I would read this book to my students and discuss some of the Spanish words in the book, as well as the Spanish culture. I would also use this book for a creative writing lesson. I would read this book to my first graders and then prompt them to write by saying, “Tell me about some of your favorite places to read.” I might also use this book for a math lesson. I would read this book to my students and then discuss the Spanish numbers 1-10. I would teach my students how to count to 10 in Spanish. This book won the Pura Belpre’ Award. This award is given to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth. 

Chocolate Me!

Chocolate Me!

Written by: Taye Diggs

Illustrated by: Shane W. Evans

Fewiwel and Friends,  2011

36 pages

Picture Book: Multicultural

            I chose this book because it reminded me of some of my practicums students this semester. I was in a predominantly African American school this semester, and I fell in love with the children there. This book is about a little boy who gets teased because of the dark, chocolate color of his skin. He gets teased about his nose, name, and hair. His mother helps him see what he cannot see with his own eyes. She helps him the beauty and uniqueness that he holds. The little boy is able to accept himself and share chocolate cupcakes with his Caucasian friends.

            The illustrator of this book is Shane W. Evans. He is a very popular African American illustrator. He uses pencils, watercolor, real images, and digital art to create his illustrations. Shane uses vivid, bright colors to tell this story. He uses a lot of blue, yellow, orange, and chocolate brown. He does an excellent job of blending the watercolor, real images, and digital art to make these illustrations. 

            This book is appropriate for ages 4-8. I would use this book in a first grade classroom. I would read this book to lead into a discussion about diversity for a character education lesson. I would read this book and discuss diversity and how each child is made to be unique and special. I would use this book for a history lesson on Black History Month. I would use this book to introduce a lesson about famous African American people who have who were significant citizens of this country. I would also use this book to introduce a science lesson on chocolate. I would bring chocolate for the students to eat, and we would discuss how chocolate is made and what it means to us. We would discuss the different uses of the word “chocolate” in this story.

Daisy Comes Home

Daisy Comes Home
Written and illustrated by: Jan Brett

G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2002.

32 pages

Picture Book: Multicultural

            I chose this book because I haven’t read many books about Chinese culture. This book tells a story about Mei Mei and her hens. She takes good care of her hens and each hen’s egg basket has “Happy Hens” written on it in red Chinese letters. You would think that all of these hens would be “happy” because Mei Mei took such good care of them, but one of the hens, Daisy, gets picked on by the other hens. One night, Daisy is kicked out of the coop and accidentally falls asleep in a basket that is picked up by the river. Daisy awakes in an unfamiliar place, and she defends herself against other animals. She is found by a fisherman who takes her to the market to sell her. Mei Mei realizes Daisy is gone, and she looks for her at the market. Mei Mei must save Daisy, and Daisy must stand up to the hens that bully her. 

            Jan Brett wrote and illustrated this book. She used watercolors and gouache to create the beautiful illustrations. Joseph Hearne created the backgrounds using airbrush. These illustrations are realistic, detailed pictures defining authentic Chinese culture. Brett and Hearne use vivid and rich colors in every illustration. 

            This book is appropriate for ages 5-8. I would use this book to introduce a history lesson to 2^nd graders. This book could be used to highlight Chinese culture, and give students a quick look into the life of a young Chinese girl. I would also use this book to introduce a science lesson for 1^st graders. This would be a great book to read to 1^st graders when discussing farm animals, particularly hens. Students would learn about hens and where eggs come from. I would also use this book for character education. In this book, Daisy stands up to her bullies. I think this book might be helpful for 2^nd graders dealing with bullying.

The Miraculous Tale of the Two Maries

The Miraculous Tale of the Two Maries

Written by: Rosemary Wells

Illustrated by: Petra Mathers

Viking, 2006

32 pages

Picture Book: Multicultural

      I chose this book because I love stories about the supernatural. This is a story about two French girls who died in a boating accident. They go to heaven and beg God to let them have one more chance at life. They come back to earth as angels and perform good deeds for the people of their town. They would fly through the sky in their boat and help wherever help was needed. 

Petra Mathers is the illustrator of this story. She used watercolors and pencils to create her illustrations for this book. French villages and landscapes are portrayed with soft colors and subtle lines. Mathers visited the South of France when writing this book. The reader gets a good perspective of France through eyes as an artist. I imagine that France looks just like her illustrations.

This book is appropriate for ages 5 and up. I would use this book in a 3^rd grade classroom. I don’t think I would use this book for any grade lower than third because it does talk about death. I might use this book to introduce a history lesson on France and its culture. I would read this book to my students and discuss the story and the pictures. We would also discuss some of the French language used in this book. I would also use this book for a science lesson about the ocean. The girls were killed by an incoming storm tide, and we would discuss tides and the ocean. I would also read this book to introduce a creative writing lesson. I would read this book to my students and then prompt them to write by saying, “Write about what you could do to help the people of your community.”