Traditional Literture

Kathey Smith

Book Review

1.    BIBLIOGRAPHY- Kimmel, Eric A.  1996.  THE TALE OF ALI BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES.  Ill. by Will Hillenbrand.  New York:  Holiday House 082341258

2.    PLOT SUMMARY- THE TALE OF ALI BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES is a retelling of an Arabian folktale. In this version a poor wood cutter who has a rich brother.  The wood cutter finds a cave full of gold.  He tells his brother about it his brother goes to the cave and gets caught and is killed.  He brings his brothers body by home and the thieves realizes that someone else knows about the cave.  When they find out its Ali Baba they plan to kill him.  A young servant girl of his brother’s helps him trick the commander and the forty thieves and kill them.

3.    CRITICAL ANALYSIS- This story has a moral built into it of being greedy.  Ali Baba’s brother lost his life by being greedy.  Kindness and friendship may also be viewed in this folktale from the young servant girl befriended Ali and helped him.  The illustrations depict Arabian dress.  Hillenbrand used a lot of vibrant colors and explicit details that presents the expressions on the characters faces which allows the reader to confirm feelings and behaviors of the characters.

        

4.    REVIEW EXCERPT(S)-  

          Publishers Weekly- “Kimmel retells it smoothly”

          School Library Journal “probably the second most recognized

          from the Arabian Nights reads smoothly”

          

5.    CONNECTIONS- This story would be  excellent for shared, group or teacher reading, this story could be a good resource to aide in teaching a moral unit. 

Kathey Smith

Book Review

1.     BIBLIOGRAPH- Wiesner, David.  2001.  THE THREE PIGS.  Ill. David Wiesner.  New York: Clarion Books.  ISBN 0618007016

2.     PLOT SUMMARY- THE THREE PIGS is a retelling of a popular piece of art.  Wiesner uses his talent of imagination to send the little pigs into stories of that era to escape the terrible wolf.  David Wiesner did a wonderful job with color and detail of the characters.

3.    CRITICAL ANALYSIS- This traditional story starts off with the well-known predictable activities.  Wiesner gave this traditional story a large twist by using the pigs to take paths that were unpredictable to escape.  This story may not be easy to understand if the listener is not familiar with the original story.

4.    REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Children’s Literature- “His porkers have real personalities”

Booklist- “He turned the favorite porkers’ story upside-down by allowing the grossly misjudged wolf to tell his side of the story”

5.    This story would be good as an extension to A Three Little Pig unit.

This story could also promote ideas for student to write and retell stories as well as compare and contrast.

·        Other stories that involves pigs.

E.B. White- CHARLOTTE’S WEB    ISBN- 0064400557

Charlotte Pomerantz- THE PIGGY IN THE PUDDLE   ISBN- 0027749002

Bruce Whatley-  WAIT NO PAINT   ISBN- 0040282703

  

        Kathey Smith

        Book Review

1.BIBLIOGRAPHY- Simms, Taback.  1997   THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY.  New York:  Penguin Group.   0670869392

2.PLOT SUMMARY- THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY is a retelling of a popular folk song with beautiful die cut art by Taback Simms.  In this story  an old woman swallows a fly and continues to swallow other things to catch previously swallowed  items and she gets bigger and bigger until she dies.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS- This story is full of drama, and humor.  This story also presents a type of repetition by the old woman doing the same thing over and over which  provides questions that promotes thinking skills for children.

 

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)- 

    Publishers Weekly- “ingenious Taback  use a die cut hole where the woman’s     

              stomach is so that the audience can see where everything ends up” SCHOOL       

              LIBRARY JOUNAL – “this cleverly illustrated version of an old folk favorite

              Will delight children”

5. CONNECTIONS- This story has a moral of do not swallow anything especially a  

              horse.  Could be used as a song or turned into a play

               

           

          

Book review 3 - All the World-

  

 1. BIBLIOGRAPHY- Scanlon, Elizabeth, 2009.  All the World. Ill. by Marla Frazee. New
York, NY: Beach Lane Books. ISBN9781416985808

2. PLOT SUMMARY- In this fun informational
picture book Elizabeth Scanlon shares many aspects of the world.  Scanlon presents the existence from land to
water and everything in between. Scanlon starts with family and friends, things
that grow, things to eat things, activities to have fun, things that are hot
and cold new and old, and she ends with a peaceful world.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS- Scanlon’s writing is simple and
easy to read.  She says a lot without
using a lot of words, her writing is open ended and really leaves space for advanced
thinking.  Scanlon produced a good book
for grades first – fourth grade.  This is
a short book that covers a great amount of information.

4. REVIEW EXCERT (S)

Winner of 2010 Caldecott Honor

A Kirkus Best Book of 2009

A 2010 Indies Choice Honor Award

“Masterful”- Shelf Awareness

“Perfection”- School Library Journal, Starred
Review

5.    CONNECTIONS- This book can be paired with other
resources to aide in teaching lessons about families, the world, things that
are opposite, and cause and effect.

Book review - Pat Mora's Listen to the Desert

Kathey Smith

Book Review

1.        BIBLIOGRAPHY- Mora, Pat. 1994. Listen to the Desert: Oye al desierto. Ill. By Francisco X. Mora. New York, NY. Clarion Books ISBN 039562929

2.       PLOT SUMMARY- In this nicely designed book Pat Mora uses both English and Spanish words to describe sounds that may be found in the desert. Mora presented sounds of both animals and elements of the earth. Francisco Mora uses a lot of vibrant colors and clearly defined the sun, sky, clouds, and ground.  The eyes on the animals were very captivating and gave the appearance that the animals really felt the activities of the desert.

3.       CRITICAL ANALYSIS- Mora’s writing is simple and an easy read, this book offers anticipation, and repetition, from page to page.  Mora’s writing promotes the use of two languages and provides a good opportunity for readers and listeners to use the senses of hearing, feeling, and listing at the same time. Francisco Mora’s use of bold colors draws full attention to the pictures on each page displaying a fun active   environment.

4.       REVIEW EXCERTS(S)

"The sounds of the desert can be heard in this bilingual story as an owl hoots, a toad hops, and a snake hisses...Librarians will want to use this title with story time groups, whose participants will enjoy pointing out the animals pictures and making   appropriate, noises".

       School Library Journal

     

A very simple text, with each line (“listen to coyote call, ar-ar-aooo, ar-ar-aooo/Elcoyote  canta, ahuuu, ahuuu, ahuuu”, “listen to wind spin, zoom, zoom, zoom…”) repeated  twice in English and Spanish, becomes a rhythmic, lyrical bilingual chant suggesting the onomatopoeic powers of both tongues… An attractive book for introducing the desert- and a second language- to young children.”- Kirkus Reviews 

5.       CONNECTIONS- This book is a good starter when teaching ESL students or teaching young students Spanish, it may also aide in a lesson about the desert and or a lesson about the five senses as an ice breaker or a tool to lead in the lesson.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit-

Kathey Smith

Picture Book Review- The Tale of Peter Rabbit

1.     BIBLIOGRAPHY
Potter, Beatrix. 1988. The Tale of
Peter Rabbit. Ill. by Michael Hague.
Hong Kong: SeaStar Books. ISBN
1587170523

2.     PLOT SUMMARY
In this picture book, Beatrix
Potter writes about a mother rabbit and her four young rabbits.  Potter presents the mother providing
instructions for her young while she goes to the bakery.  One of the young rabbits by the name of peter
does not follow his mother’s instructions and ends up in a scary situation that
takes a lot of work to get out of.  When
the young rabbit returns home he is so exhausted his mother thinks he may not
feel well and gives him some medicine and put him to bed.  This young rabbit does not get to enjoy the goodies that his mother brings back from the bakery.

3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Potter’s writing is simple and straight to
the point.  She is very descriptive and
applies a sense of humor throughout the book.

Michael Hague does a wonderful job with the
illustrations.  Hague’s pictures are full
of color, energy and humor.  The expressions
on the characters faces are captured and make the reader really connect with
the emotion that is presented at that time.

This book may be an easy read for gradessecond and higher, however it offers interest a
understanding, this book has a story line that can be linked to cause and effect.

  4. REVIEW EXCERPT (S)

Library Talk- First published in hardcover in 2001, Michael Hague's
version of the classic tale of Peter Rabbit and his foray into Farmer McGregor's
garden makes a perfect Easter gift. “Nicely updated version of Potter's
charming tale."  

5.     CONNECTIONS

This book could be a good resource to aide in teaching young children about obedience and consequences or cause and effect.