Mommy Laid An Egg

Title: Mommy Laid An Egg

Picture Book: Controversial
Author: Babette Cole
Age Level: 4-8
Rating: 2 out of 5

Summary
This book is about answering the question, where do babies come from?  The childrens parents give them crazy explanations but the children get a pencil and paper and draw out the actual answer to their question.

Opinion
I think that this book is a painless effort at trying to convey the details of conception and childbirth in a humorous manner and not-so-serious way to children but nontheless, I think that this book is too detailed for children the age this book is designed for.  The cartoon-illustrations provide a humorous edge to the serious talk with examples of babies coming out of tubes and greenhouses but I think they show things that are not appropriate for children.  Some of these things include different positions children can be concieved and could have been left out all together because this is something that is unnecessary for children to know.  The author was probably trying to add humor and try and make it less embarrassing but I think that it is more uncomfortable to read then anything.  Julie Wollman-Bonilla explains in her article that a text may be rejected as "inappropriate for children because it might frighten or corrupt them by introducing them to things they don’t or shouldn’t know about"(289).  In this case, I think that this is very true when reading through this book. 

Even though children need to learn about childbirth and conception, I do not think that this book represented this information in an appropriate way and would cause a lot of controversy if read within a classroom environment.  Most parents want to talk about this topic with their children first and reading this book to children in the classroom would cause a lot of problems, in my opinion. 

William's Doll

Picture Book: Controversial
Title: William's Doll
Author: Charlotte Zolotow
Illustrator: William Pene Du Bois
Age Level: 4+
Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary
William's Doll is about a boy, William, who wants a doll even though dolls are toys that are typically considered for only girls.  William's father is uncomfortable with the fact that William keeps asking for a doll so he gives him a basketball instead.  His brother makes fun of him for wanting a doll.  His grandmother is the one who finally fulfills William's wish and gets him a doll and explains to his father that he will use the doll to practice being a good father.

Opinion
This book is one that I would not consider a problem for children to read but I can see how some people may think that this book would not be appropriate for children of certain ages.  This book deals with topics of gender roles and stereotypes and challenges these roles that we have set up in our society by showing a boy who wants to play with toys that we see only girls should play with.  I think that this book is a predictable controversial book but it is also more of an unpredictable controversial book because many people might not share the stereotypical beliefs of only girls taking part in girl activities and boys taking part in only boy activities.  I do not think that this book should be considered a problem book in the classroom because I think that children should read literature that challenges the social norms that society has built up.  According to the article by Julie Wollman-Bonilla, one reason teachers conclude that a certain book is inappropriate, is because "it fails to represent dominant social values or myths"(289).  This book does challenge social values but I think that discussing these in the classroom is something that should be done.  Children need to see that their gender does not disclude them from taking part or doing things that may seem unnatural in their society. 


I would definitly use this book in my classroom to show that opportunities and activities do not and should not be stereotyped to one gender.  If children are able to see this, they may feel more comfortable taking part in things that they may have felt ashamed to do prior to discussion about this issue. 

Rumpelstiltskin

Picture Book: Fairytale
Title: Rumpelstiltskin
Author/Illustrator: Paul Zelinsky
Age Level: 4+
Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary
A poor miller tells the king that his beautiful daughter knows the art of spinning straw into gold so the king orders the millers daughter into the castle right away to make gold or else she was to die.  The girl did not know how to spin straw into gold until a little man comes in who will spin the straw into gold in return of the girls necklace. The king became greedier so asked for the girl to spin more straw into gold and the girl gave the man her ring, and then promised that if the king made her his wife that their first child would be the little mans.  When the queen gave birth, the little man appeared and wanted to child but finally agreed that if the queen knew his name after three days, she could keep the child.  When he came back, she guessed and guessed his name until one night she sent a servant who overheard the little man say his name. The next day the queen says that the mans name is Rumpelstiltskin and she gets to keep her baby.

Opinion
This is one book that I do not remember reading as a child but the story is one that allowed me to daze off into a fantasy world while I was reading.  I thought that the story was beautifully illustrated with the representational style and was very detailed which allowed you to take yourself back into the time of kings and queens in the castle.  It was a more sophisticated version of the book and I think that it plays nicely with the kind of time period that the book is trying to represent.  I think that the story of Rumpelstiltskin provides a lot of topics to be discussed with children.  There is the topic of greed, which is shown by the king, and also by Rumpelstiltskin himself.  Also, lying to get what you want is something that can be seen within the story by the girl who has no real magic power of turing straw into gold but whose father lies and says she can because he wants her to marry the king.  These are important things that children need to see and understand so that they can make good decisions and I think that this book helps them see this.

I think that this book could be used quite well in a discussion or introduction of literary elements.  While reading this book, I think that children will be able to apply elements like time, place, character, mood, etc. to build on their thoughts about the book and enhance their understanding of the greater story and meaning this book portrays.

The Three Little Pigs

Picture Book: Fairytale
Title: The Three Little Pigs
Author/Illustrator: James Marshall
Age Level: 3+
Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary
Retold and based on the classic, The Three Little Pigs, this story is about three pigs who are sent out to live in the world by themselves.  The first pig buys straw and builds a house out of it, the second pig buys sticks to make a house, and the third pig buys brick, however, along comes the big, bad wolf who knocks down the first two houses but the last little pig's house is too sturdy for the wolf to knock down and the third little pig is too clever for the wolf, too.

Opinion
While growing up, The Three Little Pigs, was one of my favorite books to read.  I remember checking this book out on various trips to the library but this version of the book is certainly different from the one I remember.  I thought that the author did a great job on retelling the story but adding a slight twist.  The language in this story was slightly more sophisticated than the original, for example, the third pig states, "Capital idea, my good fellow!", however, it does not detract from the original and classic story line but rather gives it an exciting new feel.  I also thought that the author did a great job on the cartoon illustrations.  They are bright and vibrant and catch the readers eye as they turn each page.

I would use this book in my classroom as one that introduces topics on character.  I think that this story line shows the importance of being nice and not being sneeky to get what you want.  Children can see from this book that only negative things happen when you continually act badly towards others and that if you treat others nicely you will be treated the same way.

Annie and the Wild Animals

Picture Book
Title: Annie and the Wild Animals
Author/Illustrator: Jan Brett
Age Level: 4-8
Rating: 3 out of 5

Summary
This book follows the story of Annie, who's cat, Taffy, has run away and Annie misses her very much.  She decides to put corn cakes at the edge of the forest to try and find a new animal that she could make her pet.  A moose, a wildcat, and a bear came but these animals were all too big and wild for her to have as pets and when she thought she was never going to get a new pet, Taffy comes home and shows Annie that she only left because she was having kittens.

Opinion
I thought that the illustrations in this book were very interesting and ones that I have never seen before.  Each page is bordered in a very unique and expressive way that subtly foreshadow what is going to happen next in the plot.  I did not pick up on the significance of these borders until I read this book a second time but it is something that I think is very creative and adds depth to the story.  I also think that the illustrations really added to the rustic feel that the story was trying to show with dull but variety of color and the portrayal of life living in a small cottage in the wilderness. The story line is something that I think children will appreciate because it deals with the relationship between a child and their pet and the hardship one goes through when a pet runs away or is lost.  The bright side of the story where Taffy comes home shows children that if they do have a pet that is missing that they should never lose hope and that there may be other animals that can be great pets as well.  This book also gives children a good description of different animals one can find in the forest as well as the idea that "wild" animals should not be kept as pets but live better in their natural environment.

I think that this book would be a good book to keep in the classroom library when I am a future teacher because it is a story that I think children will love to read and when I read this to my child study student she seemed to take a lot of interest to the character in the story and her determination to find a new pet.  Discussing with students the different environments that animals live in and if certain animals should be kept as pets is something that I would consider with this book, however, I do not think I would use this book in any classroom activity, but it still is a fun book to have on hand for students!

Clever Chameleon

Picture Book
Title: Clever Chameleon
Author/Illustrator: Ali Lodge
Age Level: 3-7
Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary


This book takes you on a trip through the jungle, led by a game of hide and seek by an elephant, and helps you see all the different ways that animals hide and blend into their natural surroundings. We come to learn that the chameleon has the best camouflage of them all.


Opinion


I loved this book!  This book was one that really drew my attention because of the clever rhyming and that it talked about different animals in the jungle because I used to love reading about animals in their habitats and still do.  I thought that the illustrations really made this book pop.  The colors were so vibrant and the animals seemed to jump off the page.  The drawing was also taken to the edge of the page so I think that added to the affect of the jungle being so large.  Ali Lodge's illustrations were acrylic-based but she used a variety of media, from watercolor pencils to computer-generated paint effects and I think that they all worked together really well and made the book very aesthetically appealing.  I also think that the book was very cleverly put together.  The chameleon, who is last to be found on the hide-and-seek hunt, is secretly placed on every page, using a particular camouflage that blends in with the rest of the scenery and it is the readers job to find him on each page.  This allows for an engaging activity with the readers and brings the book to life.

This book would definitly be one that I would use in my classroom because it provides a lesson on the different ways animals blend and hide in their surroundings as well as shows some characteristics of certain animals.  It is also a very engaging book and one that can be used with younger kids extremely well.  I think that this books gives children the chance to use their five senses while reading and would be a great follow up activity for children to do.  I also think that some fun art projects could come out of this book such as making stuffed paper animals that are in the jungle and have the students represent the different characteristics of the animals in their drawing.

Princess Penelope

Picture Book
Title: Princess Penelope
Author: Todd Mack
Illustrator: Julia Gran
Age Level: 4-8
Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary


This book is about the lifestyle of a little girl named Penelope.  Penelope thinks that she is a princess and explains all the activities that she does in a day as a princess. Some of these things include wearing a crown, having servants cook and clean for her, eating fancy food, and riding on a chariot.

Opinion


I think that this book was used in a way to help children use their imagination while reading.  Many children like to pretend that they live in fairytale worlds and live the life of a princess or king so a book like this would be really relatable to some childrens interests.  Although the book allows children to use their imagination and creativity while reading, I wonder if texts like this will give some children the wrong idea about what a "desired" lifestyle should look like.  This book could paint a picture in the childs head that living the life of a princess is the best way to live and that is something that is unrealistic.  Aside from this, I do like the cartoon illustrations in this book and think that they are very vibrant, animated, and eye-catching.  They also take up most of the pages so the reader's eye is drawn in to analyze the pictures before reading the text and readers can then use prediction based off the pictures to tell what is going to happen next.  One problem I did find with the text in this book was that is is in cursive. Many children at young ages have trouble reading cursive so I do not think that it is used wisely here.  It does add to the "fancy" affect the book is trying to portray but when I read this to my child study student, who is 7, she had to stop after the first page because she was not able to read it.

I do not think that I would use this book within my classroom as a future teacher because I do not think that a meaningful message is being portrayed.  Although the book is a very appealing to read and allows the children to step out into a fantasy world, I do not see and educational purpose this book could be used for.