Say Hello To Zorro!

Goodrich, Carter. 2011. SAY HELLO TO ZORRO! New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9781416938934 [Suggested Grade Levels PreK-2]

REVIEW

Mister Bud leads a perfect dog’s life. He has his own things and his own schedule which includes “nap time,” “shift-position-and-nap-some-more time” and “greet and make a fuss time.” Everyone sticks to the schedule and things go just as they should until …. Zorro. When this bossy little pug moves in, Mister Bud’s schedule is completely disrupted. Eventually, the two find common ground and develop a pleasing new friendship.

Carter Goodrich combines delightful watercolor illustrations and tight, clever text to tell this amusing tale of cantankerous canines. The softly colored views of the dogs in their settings accented by the surrounding white space, sparse text, and glimpses of the owner’s arms and legs aptly show a pet’s point-of-view. The exaggerated features of the hilarious dogs take center stage while the owner’s attempts at direction and control are shown in the wings. Goodrich perfectly captures the endearing attributes and charm of dogs while also depicting the larger theme of the difficulty of adjusting to unwelcome change.

CONNECTIONS

This book can be used to focus on schedules, time, and chronological order. Children can list and illustrate their own preferred schedule or order a provided list of typical daily activities. The book can also be used to prompt a discussion about pets and their unique personalities. Or, it can lead listeners to consider and discuss changes in their lives, such as the addition of a new sibling to the family, and ways to positively handle these disruptions.

RELATED BOOKS

Other books about unexpected change and new friendships:

Henkes, Kevin. JULIUS, THE BABY OF THE WORLD. 9780688089443

Marcus, Kimberly. SCRITCH-SCRATCH A PERFECT MATCH. 9780399250040

By Jill Bellomy

Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide To Not Reading

Greenwald, Tommy. 2011. CHARLIE JOE JACKSON’S GUIDE TO NOT READING. Ill by J. P. Coovert. New York: Roaring Brook Press. ISBN 9781596436916 [Suggested Grade Levels 4-7]

REVIEW

Charlie Joe, a smart, self-effacing and endearing middle school underachiever, will go to any length NOT to read a book. This chronicle of his efforts to write the dreaded 7th grade Position Paper without actually cracking a book involves the strategic use of friends, cliques, deception, and romance. Revelations at the school dance demolish these well-laid plans, and Charlie has to choose between two punishments that truly fit the crime. Reading tips (“Never read a book by someone whose name you can’t pronounce”) interspersed throughout the book contribute to Charlie Joe’s case against reading and to the reader’s enjoyment.

Written in first person, Charlie Joe’s keen observations on middle school life are both hilarious and insightful. Clever line drawings and the 25 exclusive non-reading tips contribute to the story’s humor and energy. Avid and reluctant readers alike should find Charlie Joe’s account of his middle school year a thoroughly enjoyable story.

CONNECTIONS

Think of book trailer possibilities! Divide readers into small groups and assign the task of creating a book trailer. Provide instructions on designing book trailers and sites to help with the design and music. Use the trailers as a reading promotion tool.

RELATED BOOKS

Other humorous books about middle school life:

Angleberger, Tom. DARTH PAPER STRIKES BACK: AN ORIGAMI YODA BOOK.

ISBN 9781419700279

Korman, Gordon SCHOOLED. ISBN 9781439581711

Peirce, Lincoln. BIG NATE: IN A CLASS BY HIMSELF. ISBN 9780061944345

By Susi Parks Grissom

Perfect Square

Hall, Michael. 2011. PERFECT SQUARE. New York: Greenwillow. ISBN 9780061915130 [Suggested Grade Levels PreK–2]

REVIEW

Michael Hall’s use of vivid colors draws the readers in and takes them on an out-of-the-box adventure with a perfect square. It all begins with a perfectly happy square. Each day the square takes what might be considered a bad situation and turns it into something beautiful. “On Wednesday, the square was shredded in strips. So it made itself into a park.” Readers are taken on a weeklong journey of endless possibilities that a perfect square and an imagination can bring. When the week ends, the square waits to see what will happen next, but nothing happens. The square feels “confined, rigid and cramped,” so it makes itself a window. This simple, yet inspiring book teaches readers not to sit around and wait for others to do something for you. You are in charge of your own destiny.

The author could have used simple vocabulary, but instead chose action words that will lead to discussions and a chance for even the youngest of readers to build their vocabulary. Vivid colors reminiscent of Eric Carle’s artwork fill each square page. Colors, shapes, days of the week and a word study of predicates are all wrapped up in this nice little square package.

CONNECTIONS

Children can take a colored square and scissors then change the square into something else. Or they can pretend they are the square and act out the action words from the story. Introduce children to tangram puzzles. Invite children to move the tiles around to create a picture.

RELATED BOOKS

Other books for children with art concepts:

Hall, Michael. MY HEART IS LIKE A ZOO. ISBN 9780061915109

Saltzberg, Barney. BEAUTIFUL OOPS! ISBN 9780761157281

By Jane Jergensen

Why We Broke Up

Handler, Daniel. 2011. WHY WE BROKE UP. New York: Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316127257 [Suggested Grades Levels 9-12]

REVIEW

When smart artsy film aficionado, Min and popular basketball playing Ed, start dating, many people asked “why?” While the answer to that question is not given here, we do have Min’s reasoning for WHY WE BROKE UP.

After the split, Min returns the artifacts of their relationship in a box to Ed. Traveling through the box and its seemingly random items (bottle caps, an empty match box, an undeveloped roll of film), Min tells the story of how the couple met, how their relationship developed and the significance of each item. Many of the chapters end with the recurring phrase “that’s WHY WE BROKE UP.”

Handler’s writing is beautiful and alternates between page long, detailed descriptions, to the terse, shorthand like way in which teens communicate. Chapters are peppered with obscure move title references that will have many readers running to IMDB. Who can say why people come together, but Min is eloquent in her reasons about WHY WE BROKE UP.

CONNECTIONS

What are the relics or artifacts of your life? Use cigar boxes and have readers collect items whose meaning may not be apparent at first glance. Create a background story that tells what these items are and what they signify about your life.

RELATED BOOKS

Other smart heartbreaks:

Green, John. AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES. ISBN 9780142410707

Tibensky, Arlaina. AND THEN THINGS FALL APART. ISBN 9781442413238

Vivian, Siobhan. NOT THAT KIND OF GIRL. ISBN 9780545169165

By Marianne Follis

Bedtime For Bear

Helquist, Brett. 2011. BEDTIME FOR BEAR. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 9780060502058 [Suggested Grade Levels PreK-2]

REVIEW

Just as Bear lays down for his long winter’s nap, his friends urge him to come outside and join them in one last adventure before spring. Bear attempts to stave off his friends’ request, but eventually they force him out of bed. Though angry at first, bear “slips” into fun and enjoys a snowy day of winter activities with his raccoon buddies. When the day finally draws to a close, bear is not the only one ready for bed.

Helquist’s mixed media illustrations, involving various layouts and speech bubbles, play off of the humorous onomatopoeia-filled text resulting in a comical presentation that children and adults will both enjoy.

CONNECTIONS

Play a twist on the game “Quiet Mouse” to determine who is the best hibernator. Encourage children to keep their eyes closed for as long as they can while you tempt them with various sounds. Once children opens their eyes, allow them to help you watch for other children as you continue until all children have opened their eyes. Suggestions for noises include: ringing a bell, opening a package/present, words/phrases such as “Look!” or “Eww! What is that?!”

Once all children have opened their eyes, discuss why it was hard for them to keep their eyes closed and why it might have been hard for Bear to sleep. Next, discuss the importance of getting plenty of sleep and consequences of not getting enough sleep. Finally, brainstorm some solutions for ignoring and/or eliminating noise when trying to sleep.

RELATED BOOKS

Other books for children about bears and hibernation:

Fleming, Denise. TIME TO SLEEP. ISBN 9780805067675

Hall, Margaret. HIBERNATION. ISBN 0736896163

Wilson, Karma. BEAR SNORES ON. Ill. by Jane Chapman. ISBN 0689831870

By Maria Cahill

Hush, Baby, Hush!: Lullabies From Around The World

Henderson, Kathy. HUSH, BABY, HUSH!: LULLABIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD. New York: Frances Lincoln. ISBN 978-1845079673 [Suggested Grade Levels PreK-2]

REVIEW

Hush, Baby, Hush! is a book of traditional lullabies gathered from all over the world to entertain children of all ages. These beautiful, simple songs and poems give a flavor of different parts of the world as well as show that soothing children to sleep is the same the world over. With words in the original language plus the English version, together with a melody line and delightful illustrations, this global collection is truly a book for all children; parents and educators can select from the songs to lull young children to sleep or to read and sing along with older children. 
The lullabies included in Hush, Baby, Hush! come from Australia (Aboriginal), Austria, Bangladesh, Brazil, Czech Republic, England, France, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, India, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Korea, Malawi, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, Russia, Spain, Turkey, USA (Hopi), Wales, and West Africa (Yoruba).

It’s really a gem— lovely for laptime or storytime sharing— with many cultures represented and engagingly illustrated. It’s quite an achievement to capture multiple languages and cultures, but this collection hits the mark.


CONNECTIONS

This book includes the music for the songs in the backmatter, so collaborate with a musician or music teacher to learn a sample song and perform it. Invite kids to interview family members about lullabies shared in the past. Translate familiar lullabies from English into other languages of the community or vice versa.

RELATED BOOKS

Other collections of global lullabies and verses:

Delacre, Lulu. ARRORRÓ MI NIÑO: LATINO LULLABIES AND GENTLE GAMES. ISBN 978-1584301592

Benjamin, Floella. SKIP ACROSS THE OCEAN: NURSERY RHYMES FROM AROUND THE WORLD. ISBN 978-1845077884

Orozco, Jose-Luis. DIEZ DEDITOS: TEN LITTLE FINGERS & OTHER PLAY RHYMES AND ACTION SONGS FROM LATIN AMERICA. ISBN 978-0525457367

By Sylvia M. Vardell