Module 8: The Doll People

APA Reference of Book: Martin, A. M., & Godwin, L. (2000). The doll people. New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children.

Summary: A collection of porcelain dolls, named the Doll Family, has been passed on from one generation to the next. The family has lived in the same house for one hundred years, so their lives completely change when a new doll family, the Funcrafts, moves in to live with them. The Funcrafts are different than them because they are made of plastic, laid back, and do not strictly follow the doll code of honor. Annabelle Doll, the daughter of the Doll Family, is determined to solve the mystery of Auntie Doll’s disappearance for 45 years. Annabelle and her new friend, Tiffany Funcraft, set out on an expedition to find Auntie Doll because the rest of the Doll Family is too afraid to do so. Throughout the course of the story, the dolls face challenges such as having to hide from their owner's pet cat, Captain, pretending not to be alive when humans are around, and avoiding Doll State and Permanent Doll State, which can both happen to dolls when they break the doll code of honor by being discovered by a human. In the end, after Annabelle and Tiffany find Auntie Sarah, the two families learn to accept their differences and fully love each other as neighbors and friends.

Impressions: Although this story reminded me of Pixar’s Toy Story film, it was unique in its own way. The idea of Doll State and Permanent Doll State was interesting. It added to the conflict and suspense of the story, especially when the dolls were in danger of being seen by their owners. The authors did a good job of instilling suspense when the dolls would peek around a corner, reach the top of the stairs, or pull open a door, because they were afraid of being seen by their owners or the intimidating pet cat, Captain, who could appear at any moment. I could sense the dolls’ fear when Papa Doll was captured inside Captain’s jaws. It was also interesting when the two doll families explained to each other the differences in technology. For example, the modern Funcrafts had to teach the old-fashioned Doll Family about microwaves and barbecues. The illustrations are whimsical and very detailed pencil drawings. The story was fun and reminded me of my childhood love for dolls.

Professional Review:  “A lighthearted touch and a dash of drama make this a satisfying read. When Annabelle Doll finds her Aunt Sarah's journal, she hopes it offers a clue to the whereabouts of her aunt, who has been missing for 45 years. Annabelle is forever eight years old-the same age as Kate, the current owner of the Victorian dollhouse in which she and her family have lived for the past century. Their new neighbors, the all-plastic Funcrafts, who arrive for Kate's younger sister's birthday, are modern and brashly confident. Their pink plastic house has a barbecue, a computer, and a VCR. Tiffany, the Funcraft doll-girl, is just the right age to be a first real friend for Annabelle, and her daring spirit inspires the child's quest for her aunt. Determined and brave, she persuades her cautious parents to let her venture out of the dollhouse in search of her relative. Along with the usual perils of moving about in the real world, there is the risk of being seen by a human and succumbing to "doll state" or even worse, "permanent doll state." Selznick's illustrations are perfectly suited to the innocent charm of the dolls and do much to draw readers into their world. The delightful endpapers, which resemble pages from toy catalogs past and present, tell their own tale about the characters. A light and uncomplicated fantasy/adventure in the tradition of Rumer Godden's doll stories or even Pam Conrad's The Tub People (HarperCollins, 1989).”

Meizner, K. (2000). The doll people [Review of the book The doll people, by A.M. Martin & L. Godwin]. School Library Journal, 46(11), 128. Retrieved from https://libproxy.library.unt.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/211709139?accountid=7113

Library Uses: Cut out blank ginger bread-shaped figures to represent the different dolls. Allow the children to draw faces on the dolls and design outfits for them with markers, buttons, stickers, glitter, etc. The children can recreate the doll families from the book or they can create their own doll characters.

Module 7: Frindle

APA Reference of Book: Clements, A. (1996). Frindle. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.

Summary: Elementary school boy Nicholas Allen comes up with a new word, frindle, to replace the word pen. This is a challenge to his English teacher, Mrs. Granger, who believes that all the words in a dictionary have significant origin. Soon enough the entire town is enveloped in a battle over the word frindle. The students are sent to detention if they use the new word instead of the word pen. Businessman Bud Lawrence makes a profit on the word by selling merchandise that says frindle on it. It attracts the attention of the media, and soon the story gets aired on national television and Nicholas Allen is featured on talk shows and newspapers around the nation. In the end, Nicholas realizes the power of words and how small ideas can become something greater if one pursues it perseveringly.

Impressions: I really enjoyed this book. Clements’ writing style is humorous, lighthearted, conversational, and detailed without overloading the reader with too many details. The ending was unexpected and very inspiring, in which Nicholas’ invented word eventually gets accepted into the standard dictionary, and Mrs. Granger admits that she was challenging him in order to see him grow and achieve greater things as a student and ultimately as a person. The pencil illustrations are charming, soft, and detailed with textures and plenty of background objects. The illustrations come every so often throughout the story and complement the plot line well. They reinforce the vivid scenes that are playing through my mind as I read the story.

Professional Review: “Nicholas Allen, a sharp, creative, independent thinker starts fifth grade looking for a way to sabotage his Language Arts class. The teacher, Mrs. Granger, is a legend, and he believes her when she states that it is the people who decide what words go into the dictionary. Picking up a dropped pen triggers a brilliant idea. He coins a new word for pen-frindle. It's all for fun, but frindle catches on and Nick finds himself on the "Late Show" and "Good Morning America" explaining his new word. Readers will chuckle from beginning to end as they recognize themselves and their classrooms in the cast of characters. A remarkable teacher's belief in the power of words shines through the entire story, as does a young man's tenacity in proving his point. Outstanding and witty.”

Bomboy, P. K. (1996). Frindle (book review) [Review of the book Frindle, by A. Clements]. School Library Journal, 42, 201. Retrieved from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2308/ehost/detail/detail?sid=6758ace4-4764-4056-b42f-bf501dfebce3%40sessionmgr4008&vid=3&hid=4204&bdata=JnNjb3BlPXNpdGU%3d#AN=510517016&db=brd

Library Uses: Lay out some objects on a table such as a crayon, a banana, and a shoe. Let each child create their own words for the objects. After they finish, select one name per object from the lists that the children created. Play a memorization game in which the children are seated in a circle and need to take turns saying the new names, one object per person.

Module 5: Maria had a Little Llama/María Tenía una Llamita

Module 5: Maria had a Little Llama/María Tenía una Llamita

APA Reference of Book: Dominguez, A. (2013). Maria had a little llama/María tenía una llamita . New York, NY: Henry Holt.

Summary: This is a bilingual version of Mary Had a Little Lamb, in which the main character, Maria, lives in Peru and has a pet llama instead of a lamb. He shows his affection for Maria by following her to school, which is a distraction for the school children. The teacher makes the llama go outside, where he patiently waits for Maria to get out of school. In the end, the readers see how much Maria and the llama love each other.

Impressions: This is an excellent retelling of Mary Had a Little Lamb that children will surely enjoy. The full spread illustrations are colorful, friendly, inviting, and detailed. Maria and some of the other members of the community wear traditional Peruvian attire and hats, and at the very end there is an illustration of a group of Peruvian musicians who are playing traditional folk instruments. This book is a good way to reinforce the original nursery rhyme, and can open up children’s minds to the possibilities that nursery rhymes and stories can be adapted and retold based on one’s imagination and cultural background.

Professional Review: “The familiar nursery rhyme underpins this peek into the landscape and culture of Peru. Dominguez's (Let's Go, Hugo) gouache-and-ink spreads portray a red-cheeked Maria and a llama with a curiously human face in cultivated mountain fields and a tiled-roofed village. Some spreads show novel combinations of traditional and modern life: Maria wears an Andean hat with earflaps, a heavy cape, and sandals, but her knapsack looks like that of any North American schoolchild. Each line of the rhyme appears with Spanish text below it ("Why does the llama love Maria so?"/¿Por qué la llama le quiere tanto a María?"), and even readers unfamiliar with Spanish can probably decode a few nouns and verbs. As a bonus, the pages contain lots of visual information about Peruvian village life--the local market, the school, a traditional band-but Maria's story takes center stage. She's a gentle reminder that you don't have to be an English speaker to be a nursery-rhyme hero. Likely to be of special interest to bilingual families and in elementary school classrooms.”

Maria had a little llama/María tenía una llamita [Review of the book Maria had a little llama/María tenía una llamita, by A. Dominguez]. (2013). Publishers Weekly, 260(21), 57. Retrieved from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2308/ehost/detail/detail?sid=3428501b-c724-43ea-b8da-5d917e4f9b3d%40sessionmgr4009&vid=8&hid=4107&bdata=JnNjb3BlPXNpdGU%3d#AN=87803923&db=brd

Library uses: Teach children how to say the first line or two of Mary Had a Little Lamb in Spanish and a few other languages such as German, French, Mandarin Chinese, and Tagalog (Filipino).

Module 6: The Day the Crayons Quit

Module 6: The Day the Crayons Quit

APA Reference of Book: Daywalt, D. (2013). The day the crayons quit. New York, NY: Philomel Books.

Summary: A boy named Duncan receives a package of letters from his box of crayons. Each crayon has handwritten a letter to him to let him know why they are unhappy and want to quit. For example, the red crayon is tired of being overworked because he colors the fire trucks, strawberries, Santa Clauses, etc., and the pink crayon is unhappy because Duncan hardly uses her because she is a “girly” color. In the end, Duncan makes all of his crayons happy by using them in one large colorful picture for a school assignment.

Impressions: I really enjoyed this book. The point of view from each crayon makes it unique. Each crayon has its own personality and complaint about why Duncan was misusing that particular color. The illustrations are childlike and colorful, created with crayons which add a sense of realism to the story. The story made me better appreciate each of the different colors of crayons that I have with my art supplies. Children can truly relate to this book since they generally enjoy coloring with crayons and they have do have certain preferences for which colors they like and dislike.

Professional Review: “In this delightfully imaginative take on a beloved childhood activity, a young boy's crayons have had enough. Fed up with their workload and eager to voice their grievances, they pen letters to Duncan detailing their frustrations. Energetic and off-the-wall, the complaints are always wildly funny, from the neurotically neat Purple ("If you DON'T START COLORING INSIDE the lines soon… I'm going to COMPLETELY LOSE IT") to the underappreciated White ("If I didn't have a black outline, you wouldn't even know I was THERE!"). Daywalt has an instinctive understanding of the kind of humor that will resonate with young children, such as Orange and Yellow duking it out over which of them represents the true color of the sun or Peach's lament that ever since its wrapper has fallen off, it feels naked. Though Jeffers's messily scrawled crayon illustrations are appropriately childlike, they're also infused with a sophisticated wit that perfectly accompanies the laugh-out-loud text; for example, a letter from Beige, in which he bemoans being tasked with drawing dull items like turkey dinners, is paired with an image of the crestfallen crayon drooping over beside a blade of wheat. Later on, Pink grumbles about constantly being passed over for less-feminine colors while the opposite page depicts a discomfited-looking pink monster and cowboy being derided by a similarly hued dinosaur. This colorful title should make for an uproarious storytime and may even inspire some equally creative art projects.”

Holland, A. (2013). The day the crayons quit [Review of the book The day the crayons quit, by D. Daywalt]. School Library Journal, 59(7), 59. Retrieved from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2200/ehost/detail/detail?vid=2&sid=c9f62acf-c841-4d70-af7f-4a429e1ba937%40sessionmgr103&hid=124&bdata=JnNjb3BlPXNpdGU%3d#AN=89221059&db=brd

Library uses: Challenge children to be creative by drawing a picture that uses every single crayon in the box, and then compare each drawing to see how each child interpreted the instructions in his or her own way.

Module 4: A Visit to William Blake's Inn

APA Reference of Book: Willard, N. (1981). A visit to William Blake’s inn. New York, NY: Voyager Books.

Book Summary: This is a book of poems as a tribute to the poet William Blake. It allows the reader to meet the different characters who are staying at the inn, including a tiger, a rat, the King of Cats, the Man with the Marmalade hat, and two sunflowers. It is a fantastical world where anything can happen at the inn. For example, two dragons bake the bread for the guests at the inn, and two angels are in charge of washing and shaking the feather beds. William Blake is also included as a character in the book, as the one in charge of the inn. He is an eccentric, magical man who even takes the guests on a walk down the Milky Way.

Impressions: Besides reading “The Tiger,” I am not familiar with William Blake’s poetry, so this picture book of poems was a good introduction to Blake and his characters. Depending on the reader, it might spark some interest in children to also look up William Blake’s poetry. The inn is a non-threatening place to stay, and one never knows what to expect there. The illustrations are full-page, colorful, detailed, and whimsical. I especially like the large artwork of two different airships, as well as the illustrations of the inn that show a side view of each room and the occupants within them. This is a good book to read aloud to children, but one must be willing to explain certain words and phrases to young children who may be unfamiliar with them.

Professional Review: (Original punctuation of this review was retained) “Nancy Willard has written a magical and original collection of metrical verses emanating from “William Blake’s Inn,” habited by Blake’s creatures. Dragons brew and bake, angels wash and shake feather beds, a rabbit shows the rooms, and guests are such as the man with the marmalade hat, the King of Cats and the poetical child-narrator who, for breakfast, is served “Brisket with Basilisk Treat.” Although the poems tell their own story of bedding down and waking up in the magical inn, knowledgeable adults may take pleasure recognizing the elliptical references to Blake’s own poems (“ ‘Ah, William, we’re weary of weather,’/ said the sunflowers, shining with dew.”) or Blake’s rhythms (“William, William, writing late”/ by the chill and sooty grate,/ what immortal story can,/ make your tiger roar again?”). The poems are rich verbally, seldom labored and happily loony at times. The spell is momentarily broken by the Father William tone of “ ‘I’m terribly cold,’ said the rabbit./ ‘My paws are becoming quite blue.’ ” But overall, Willard’s conception and execution are inspired. She is the rarest jewel among children’s verse writers – a poet never cloying, never cute. The book is doubly to be treasured for the splendid illustrations. Poems and pictures, integrated in spirit, flow into each other across double-page spreads. Sunflowers, a celestial limousine, cats, tigers, rabbits, birds in a gazebo – here, truly, is God’s plenty.”

Neumeyer, P. (1981). A visit to William Blake's inn (book review) [Review of the book A visit to William Blake’s inn, by N. Willard]. School Library Journal, 28(4), 69. Retrieved from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2200/ehost/detail/detail?sid=ab866f71-0d8a-42f5-94fa-0c11dcd65de0%40sessionmgr106&vid=4&hid=115&bdata=JnNjb3BlPXNpdGU%3d#AN=5573383&db=a9h

Library Uses: Children can use art/craft supplies to create their own characters who will stay at William Blake's inn (human, animal, or even a fantasy creature) on paper, and if desired they can create a short poem to go with the character.

Module 3: They Were Strong and Good

APA Reference of Book: Lawson, R. (1940). They were strong and good. New York, NY: Viking Press.

Book Summary: The narrator tells the story of his parents and grandparents and how it represents the family tree history of Americans in general. His intention is to instill a sense of pride in Americans for their country, their family heritage, and history. Each page features detailed full page ink illustrations depicting how his parents and grandparents met their spouses and made a living. For example, his maternal grandfather was a Scotch sea captain who met his wife, the narrator’s maternal grandmother, at a wharf in New Jersey. The narrator’s father joined the army during the Civil War and met his wife, the narrator’s mother, when he moved up North to New York to make a living after the war.

Impressions: The illustrations are excellent even though they are not colored. There is so much detail, including shadows, textures of clothing, and wisps of hair. The story shows how complex and interconnected a family tree is and how rich with history it is. I liked seeing the historical aspects of the story (Civil War, a Minnesota town with Native Americans, etc.) and the cultural backgrounds of the characters (Southern preacher, Scottish sea captain, etc.). It really made the characters’ life stories seem realistic. My only concern is that some readers, especially the parents of children who will read the book to their child, will find that some aspects are offensive and racist, such as depictions of dark faced “Negroe” slaves, as well as Native American Indians being chased away because they intruded into someone’s home for some food.

Professional Review: “In this title, brief historical vignettes of the author- illustrator's family are meant to show the lives of ordinary Americans of past generations. Robert Lawson is the only person who has won both a Caldecott Medal and a Newbery Medal (for Rabbit Hill, in 1945). But he is best remembered, however, not for either of these books but as the illustrator of The Story of Ferdinand, published in 1936, a year before the Caldecott Medal was established. He employed the same technique for They Were Strong and Good that he had perfected for Ferdinand, using a fine-line brush and black tempera to create the portraits of his parents and grandparents in his telling of his own family's history. Unfortunately, his depictions of Native Americans and African Americans in both the text and illustrations are extremely dated - even a slight revision to the text in 1969, beginning with the sixteenth printing, couldn't save it from justifiable obscurity. (See the classroom activities below for discussion ideas with older students about the dated depictions.) Lawson used vertical lines in his human figures to give a sense of pride and formality, and diagonal lines to depict action. His illustrations also provide an excellent example of the use of cross-hatching to create contrasts and texture.”

Horning, K. (2012). They were strong and good [Review of the book They were strong and good, by R. Lawson]. Book Links, 22(2), 12. Retrieved from https://libproxy.library.unt.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1146268908?accountid=7113

Library Uses: Help children construct their own family tree on poster board. It can be as simple or as complex as they want it to be. They can draw pictures of each family member or use stickers to represent each relative.

Module 2: Strega Nona

APA Reference of Book: dePaola, T. (1975). Strega nona. New York, NY: Aladdin Paperbacks.

Book Summary: In an Italian town there is a respected old woman named Strega Nona, who helps the townspeople with their medical ailments. She accepts Big Anthony into her home to help her with the household chores and the garden. She instructs him not to touch a magic pot that has the ability to fill up with pasta. Big Anthony disobeys and uses the magic pot to show off to the townspeople. When Big Anthony cannot stop the pot from overflowing and flooding the town with pasta, Strega Nona returns to say the magic words that make the pot stop bubbling over. Strega Nona lets Big Anthony eat all the extra pasta as his punishment.

Impressions: I have always enjoyed the illustrations of Tomie dePaola since I was a child. The pictures in this book are colorful with soft, warm tones. The characters are charming and childlike with little eyes, small heads, and large, rounded bodies. dePaola’s retelling of Strega Nona is a good introduction to the folktale for those who are unfamiliar with the story. He tells it in a humorous way and gives a sense of realism to the setting of the story by including a few Italian phrases such as si and grazie. It was a fun and lighthearted story to read. I look forward to reading the rest of dePaola’s Strega Nona books.

Professional Review: “When Strega Nona, “Grandma Witch,” leaves Big Anthony alone with her magic pasta pot, he decides to give the townspeople a treat. What happens is reminiscent of the Sorcerer’s Apprentice – Big Anthony doesn’t know how to make the pot stop. The town is practically buried in spaghetti before Strega Nona returns to save the day and to figure out a punishment for Big Anthony that fits his crime. De Paola’s colorful cartoon-style pictures are filled with deadpan humor that sets the tone for this lighthearted Italian folk tale.”

Maxwell, M. (1975). Strega nona (book) [Review of the book Strega nona, by T. dePaola]. School Library Journal, 22(1), 79. Retrieved from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2308/ehost/detail/detail?sid=a33f0f72-5cca-4913-bc24-ed7ebacc9791%40sessionmgr4006&vid=0&hid=4214&bdata=JnNjb3BlPXNpdGU%3d#db=a9h&AN=6508154

Library Uses: Host a spaghetti dinner for the children, including a read-aloud of the book and teaching them some basic Italian phrases written on brightly decorated poster board.