The Rainbow Fish

Bibliography
Pfister, Marcus. 1992. The Rainbow Fish. NorthSouth Books. ISBN: 9781558580091.

Plot Summary
Rainbow Fish is the most beautiful fish in the sea, but nobody wants to play with him because he doesn’t want to share his shiny scales. Will he chose to be alone or share his shiny scales and look less beautiful?

Critical Analysis
A very beautiful story accompanied with even more beautiful illustrations. The eye catching illustrations are bright and colorful. The shiny scales stand out and make the rainbow fish truly look different and prettier than the other fish in the sea. The story is short, yet has a very subtle way of showing children to share with their friends. A very easy reader for young children and a great book for parents to read aloud to their children.

Dogs and Cats

Bibliography
Jenkins, Steve. 2007. Dogs and Cats. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN: 9780618507672.

Plot Summary
A fact filled book about man’s favorite pets – dogs and cats.

Critical Analysis
Steve Jenkins's, Dogs and Cats, stands out with its unique design, content, and illustrations. It’s a flip over book; half book covers dog facts and the other half the readers can flip over to read about cat facts. The illustrations are cut and torn paper collages. According to the authors note, many of the papers were made from hand and they also came from various parts of the world like Egypt and India. Steve Jenkins design and writing style is very appealing to children. He explains how dog breeds are created, how they came to live with humans, how dogs communicate within their breed, and provides some really interesting facts about dogs like, why dogs chase balls, why do dogs eat grass etc. He uses an identical style of providing facts about cats so that readers still have the same continuity from one section to the other and also can compare and contrast facts about cats and dogs. While reading the dog section readers will find teasers at the bottom of the page about cat facts and vice versa that will make the readers curious and want to read more.

This is an excellent informational book that not only informs but will also amuse the young readers.

The Boy on Fairfield Street: How Ted Geisel grew up to become Dr. Suess

Bibliography
Krull, Katherine. 2004. The Boy on Fairfield Street: How Ted Geisel grew up to become Dr. Suess. Illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. Decorative Illustrations by Dr. Suess. New York: Random House. ISBN: 0375922989.

Plot Summary
A biography on Ted Geisel, who is popular as children’s books author – Dr.Suess. The biography tells a story of young Geisel who was considered to be failure in school and college, but turned out to be a very good writer as an adult. The story tells how Ted Geisel explored his interest in books and animals and finally used it to be something that he loved doing – writing and drawing. The biography tells Dr. Suess story from his childhood until he was twenty two years old and a successful writer.

Critical Analysis
This book is an excellent picture book biography about one of children’s favorite author's. Children grow up reading some of Dr.Suess classic picture books and this is a perfect way to tell a story about the author. The front cover shows a plain looking boy with books in his hand and animals by his side. The front cover is intriguing enough to attract the young readers to the story of Dr. Suess. Katherine Krull has pointed out in the story was Ted Geisel was like any other normal boy whose parents had big dreams for him, but he has his own dreams. When children read biographies of famous people they expect them to be without flaws, but Ted Geisel had many flaws, was different from other kids, and was always shunned as a failure. The story shows that inspite of embarrassments and failure Ted Geisel never gave up on his dreams and grew up to be Dr. Suess, one of children’s most beloved authors. Children will have a new appreciation for Dr. Suess when they read what personal flaws and obstacles their hero had to overcome to become successful.

This book makes a great read aloud or an easy reader for young children. At the end the book also provides a short preview of Ted Geisel’s life after he was twenty-two until his death.

ZooBooks: Little Cats

Bibliography
Wexo, Bonnett John. 2007. Little Cats. Zoobooks, October. ISSN: 07379005.

Plot Summary
Zoobooks is a children’s magazine about various animals. This issue covers information about Little Cats. These are wild cats that scientist usually refer to as little because they can’t roar.

Critical Analysis
Zoobooks is a very informative magazine for animal lovers. The magazine has a very attractive cover page with a photobook like appearance. The magazine uses a blend of actual pictures and lively illustrations that makes the book very appealing. The magazine has very detailed information on the origin of little cats, the different kinds, and important facts. It’s interesting to read in this issue about little cats and how some cats are big in appearance and yet are categorized as little cats. The magazine has a few pages of activities that kids will enjoy to do.

Zoobooks magazine provides information that is accurate, amusing, enjoyable, and appealing to children.

Elizabeth I: The outcast who became England’s Queen

Bibliography
Adams, Simon. 2005. Elizabeth I: The outcast who became England’s Queen. Washington D.C.: National Geographic. ISBN: 078792236548.

Plot Summary
The biography of Elizabeth I from her birth, how she became queen, the glorious years during her reign, and her death.

Critical Analysis
This book is an informational biography on the life of Elizabeth I who was the Queen of England. Queen Elizabeth’s life and England’s royal family has always intrigued many people. Queen Elizabeth’s story is especially unique because she was a prisoner before she became Queen, she was also not married and consequently did not have a natural heir to the throne, yet she led the kingdom to one of its most glorious times in history. This book is perfect to quench the thirst of information seekers and young researchers. The book provides excellent pictures, facts, timelines, maps that will be very useful to children who are researching on England’s Queens or Queen Elizabeth. The book even has Queen Elizabeth I’s signature that children may find amusing and interesting. The book has lot of in-depth information and details so it is definitely not suitable as a read aloud, but is a great resource for research or just for information. The book is divided in four sections making it convenient for children to find exact information that they want to find. The book also provides a glossary of terms and a bibliography of resources at the end.

The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide

Bibliography
Diterlizzi, Tony and Holly Black. 2003. The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide. Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 0689859368.

Plot Summary
This is the first of the five books in the Spiderwick Chronicles series. Jared, Simon, and Mallory Grace along with their mother have to move into the old and worn out Victorian house of their great-aunt Lucinda. They children find the house very creepy and find unusual things happening to them in the house. They find a secret library in the house and also find a field guide that introduces them to the world of Faeries. The children realize that there is much more around the house than they can actually see.

Critical Analysis
The Field Guide is a very enticing novel that is a real delight to fantasy lovers. The adventure of the Grace children begins from the very first page and does not end at the last page. This story begs for continued adventures, which the children will surely find in the sequels of the Spiderwick Chronicles. Children will find the setting of the story in the old Victorian house with many hidden secrets very exciting. Readers will identify with the characters who are normal kids with familiar problems in life. The plot is very believable yet takes the readers through a roller coaster ride into the magical world of faeries. The novel even has illustrations that will reinforce the visual imagery of the readers. The setting of the story holds the readers in suspense until the end. The ending simply introduces the readers to the problems the Grace children are yet to face tempting the readers to read the next sequel.

The novel is short yet gripping appealing to young readers.

Baby Mouse: Our Hero

Bibliography
Holm, Jennifer L. and Matthew Holm. 2005. Babymouse: Our Hero. New York: Random House. ISBN: 0375832300.

Plot Summary
In this second book of the Babymouse series, the unathletic Babymouse has to get over her fear for dogdeball. Dodgeball tournament is coming up and whatever excuse Babymouse has come up with she cannot make any excuses this time because it is part of the grade. As usual she has to play against the evil Felicia Furrypaws and she has her good old friend Wilson to help her. But at the Dodgeball tournament nobody can help Babymouse…she has to deal with the situation herself.

Critical Analysis
Babymouse is a cute graphic novel that will appeal to kids who love superhero’s. Babymouse is an everyday character who faces the normal perils that children face at school. Babymouse has weaknesses like any other kid, and this time the weakness is playing dogdeball. Babymouse has vivid and truly hilarious imagination. Children will be able to relate to the rodent character that has flaws but becomes a superhero at the end. The black and white illustrations with the mix of pink is very action oriented, continuously engaging, and speak a lot. The use of pink in the illustration may limit the readers to girls. Babymouse is a short and enjoyable graphic novel for younger children.

The Giver

Bibliography
Lowry, Lois. 1993. The Giver. New York: Dell Laurel Leaf. ISBN: 0440237688.

Plot Summary
Jonas, who is twelve years old, lives in perfect world where there is no sickness, no poverty, and no pains. He lives in a world where everything is mechanical and automatic; everything is already set in place and decided for everyone by a committee of elders. He and his sister were assigned as children to their parents to build a family unit. Nobody questions this world and everybody follows set of strict rules to run the community smoothly. When Jonas turns twelve he is assigned the honorable role of “Receiver of Memory”. Jonas slowly understands the depth and challenges of this role; he starts questioning his world. Through his teacher, the Giver, Jonas sees the world as nobody as seen.

Critical Analysis
Through the story of Jonas, the author, drives the readers through a fantasy world where nothing is normal. This book could be considered scientific fiction because its a world where everything from climate, to surroundings, to birth and death is controlled by human beings. This fantasy is based on the Utopian idea of a perfect world. The author, Lois Lowry, does an excellent job of creating and describing this fantasy world. Bits and pieces of this perfect world are disclosed throughout the novel keeping the element of awe until the end. The story is engaging and suspenseful from the beginning to the end. The ending is especially thought provoking keeping the readers guessing about what happened or what will happen; some readers might even find it unsatisfying. The story, especially the end, can spark a lot of rich discussions.

The Earth Dragon Awakes

Bibliography
Yep, Laurence. 2006. The Earth Dragon Awakes: The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN: 9780060275259.

Plot Summary
This is fictional story of two young boys Henry and Ching that experience the earthquake that truly happened on April 17, 1906. This earthquake was one of the most devastating ones that hit San Francisco and caused great loss of life and property. The boys see that their fathers were actually heroes in crisis.

Critical Analysis
This book is an unusual mixture of fiction and non-fiction. Readers get to experience the historic earthquake through the eyes of two young boys. The author gives two perspectives – one rich, one poor. The story shows that although people deal with crisis differently the disaster hit both the rich and the poor in the same way. Nobody was spared the wrath of the earth dragon. Laurence Yep has done careful research about this earthquake and gives important facts about it throughout the book. Emphasis is paid more on the historical part than the fictional part. The story is used as means for conveying the emotions and to give the readers a more personal journey through the earthquake. Young readers who like non-fiction might like the fresh approach to reading about earthquakes.

The Witch of the Blackbird Pond

Bibliography
Speare, George Elizabeth. 1986. The Witch of the Blackbird Pond. Laurel Leaf Books. ISBN: 04409955779.

Plot Summary
Kit Tyler who has been raised in Barbados is orphaned and has nobody to go to but her aunt who lives in Connecticut. Her upbringing is very different from the conservative and strict life of her Puritan aunt and her family. She realizes that she is not a fit there; whatever she does ends up with the wrong results in this new place. The only place she finds peace is in the meadows and with the old Hannah Tupper. Hannah Tupper lives alone in the meadows and is called the witch of Blackbird Pond. Kit is forbidden in meeting the witch, but Kit finds that Hannah Tupper is just an innocent old lady and is no witch at all. Nat, Kit’s young sailor friend, also likes to visit Hannah Tupper occasionally. When people find out Kit’s friendship with the so called Witch, Kit is also blamed of witchcraft.

Critical Analysis
The Witch of the Blackbird Pond is a thoroughly engaging story that readers won’t be able to put down. Kit is torn between staying who she is and what her relatives want her to be; but due to circumstances she is forced to blend in with the life of the relatives she is living with. Kit’s dilemma is very touching because she slowly starts understanding her new relatives and also can see their love for her, but longs for the freedom she is used to have. The historical conflicts of the time have been neatly woven into the conflicts of Kit’s life, without overshadowing Kit’s story. Preteen readers will enjoy the three budding romances that have been blended into the story making. A lovely story with a very satisfying end.

Sarah, Plain and Tall

Bibliography
MacLachlan, Sarah. 1985. Sarah, Plain and Tall. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. Inc. ISBN: 0064402053.

Plot Summary
Caleb and Anna’s mother died just after Caleb was born. Caleb and Anna’s father, who is a farmer, advertises for bride in the newspaper. He receives a letter from Sarah Elisabeth Wheaton of Maine who agrees to come and stay with them for a month before they can decide to get married. Sarah describes herself as plain and tall and that she is. Anna and Caleb instantly fall in love with her. She tells them stories about her family in Maine and describes the life by the sea to them. The children who have only seen the prairie farms are amazed by her stories of the sea. Anna and Caleb know that Sarah misses her home in Maine and are worried that Sarah will leave. Sarah leaves one day for town and the children are worried she will never come back. The children are delighted when Sarah returns and marries their father.

Critical Analysis
Patricia MacLachlan has written an adorable and heart warming story. It is a short story that carries a lot of delicate emotions. The children’s memories of their mother and the family’s loneliness without a mother and wife can be somewhat sad for younger children. But the story quickly becomes lively when Sarah arrives on the farm to live with the family. Anna and Caleb are very loveable characters and readers will hope along with them that Sarah stays with them for good. The children’s longing for motherly love has been handled very beautifully in this story.

The timeline when the story happens, the language, the settings make this a classic historical fiction story. Children will find it amusing to read about how people lived, what they wore, what work they did, what kind of transportation they had, and how they communicated with somebody living far away.

Because of Winn-Dixie

Bibliography
DeCamillo, Katie. 2000. Because of Winn-Dixie. Scholastic, Inc. ISBN: 043925051X.

Plot Summary
Opal and her father, who is preacher, move to Naomi, Florida. Opal is feeling very lonely in the new place and also misses her mother who had left Opal when she was little. One day Opal finds this funny dog creating chaos at the supermarket. Opal instantly falls in love with this dog and befriends this dog whom she calls, Winn-Dixie. Opal is able to talk about everything with Winn-Dixie and also makes new friends with the help of Winn-Dixie. After making friends Opal sees life from a new perspective.

Critican Analysis
Because of Winn-Dixie is a sensitive, yet delightful story. All characters are very well defined each contributing to the story in its own sweet way. The dog, Winn-Dixie is so loveable and seems to be the best friend a child could ever have. The dog seems to be in tune with the problems in Opal’s life and always provides Opal the comfort she needs. Children reading this book will be able to easily relate with the relationship Opal has with her pet. Opal is different from usual kids, has no friends, and the friends she makes are much older than her. The story deals with issues of separation from mother, being different, and being lonely. Opal is constantly trying to find out more about her mother and does not understand why her mother would leave her. The story is sad at times, but the lively characters bring the humor and energy into the story.

Rules

Bibliography
Lord, Cynthia. 2006. Rules. Scholastic, Inc. ISBN: 9780545036406

Plot Summary
Twelve year old Catherine just longs for a normal life but that doesn’t seem to happen as her brother has autism and her whole family’s life revolves around it. Catherine constantly has to make adjustments for her brother, feels neglected by her parents, and is sometimes embarrassed by her brother’s behaviour when she is around her friends. Catherine tries to find the friend she has always wanted in Kristi, the next door neighbour. She also makes friend with Jason who can only communicate using picture cards. Catherine’s experiences with both her friends make her rethink what is normal and what is more important to her.

Critical Analysis
A very touching story that will make readers analyze relationships. Catherine’s problems seems very real because she is torn between the love for her brother and his unending needs. Readers can emphatize with Catherine character who as a big sister always has to make adjustments for her autistic brother. Parents are also so engrossed in meeting the special needs of their son that they tend to forget the normal needs of their daughter. Everybody’s perspective seems to be valid and justified. Catherine’s relationship with Jason gives her a new paerspective about relationships. The theme of need for acceptance, feeling different, and growing up through experiences has been sensitively handled in this story. The story is a balanced blend of humor and emotions making it is good read for older readers. Readers will get an insight into life someone who does not suffer from a disability themself but still have to deal with the problems surrounding it everyday. Lot of attention is usually given to people suffering from disability but this story is written from the perspective of somebody who has a family member suffering from disability.

Review Excerpts
School Library Journal – A lovely, warm read and a great discussion starter (http://www.amazon.com/).
Booklist – A heart warming first novel (http://www.amazon.com/).

Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus

Bibliography
Park, Barbara. 1992. Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus. Illustrated by Denise Brunkus. ISBN: 0439136830.

Plot Summary
It’s Junie B. Jones first day at Kindergarten and first time riding the school bus. She does not like the yellow bus and the children are mean to her. Her new friend Lucille tells Junie B. that her brother told her that children pour chocolate milk on their head in the school bus. That just scared Junie B. Jones and she hid in her class so that nobody could find her and make her ride the school bus. Junie B. Jones is not found before she makes a big scene.

Critical Analysis
This book is the first of the many sequels in the Junie B. Jones series written by Barbara Park. It is brilliantly written and extremely funny. It deals with the normal anxieties about first day of school and riding the big, yellow school bus. The language is very simple and easy to understand for beginner chapter book readers. The sentences are sometimes not grammatically correct but it is how a six year old usually talks and also uniquely defines the character of Junie B. Jones. Junie B. Jones is a loveable character with an exuberant personality. Girls will especially enjoy the little adventures of Junie B. Jones.

This is a perfect for slightly confident readers who want to venture into reading chapter books. This book is a short novel that even parents can read aloud to their children to encourage reading chapter books. Reading short chapter books like Junie B. Jones books can boost reader’s confidence in their reading abilities.

Joey Pigza Loses Control

Bibliography
Gantos, Jack. 2000. Joey Pigza Loses Control. New York: Farrar Straus, and Giroux. ISBN: 0374399891.

Plot Summary
In this sequel to Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key, Joey is taking medication for his attention deficit disorder and is much more in control of himself. In this book, Joey is going to spend his summer with his estranged father and is excited about getting to know his father. In the process of knowing his father Joey finds out that his father is an alcoholic and also as wired as he was. His father wants Joey to get rid of his medication believing that Joey is normal and does need any medication. Joey also wants so much to be part of his father’s life that he agrees to go without medication, but soon sees his old self coming out; Joey was getting out of control.

Critical Analysis
A very well told story written from the perspective of a person suffering from an attention deficit disorder. It is an interesting read as readers can see what is really going on in the head of a person with disability. Joey is a very loveable character, full of energy, and very mature too. Joey is fully aware of what is going on with him and with his new medication he has more self control. Jack Gantos has very nicely brought forth the vulnerability of Joey to get to know his father and his need to be loved by his father. Gantos has adeptly shown how Joey is torn between his mother and father and like any other normal child Joey secretly wishes for his separated parents to get together. The language in the story is very realistic and reflects the ways children usually talk and feel. The story deals with the typical facets of contemporary realism like need for acceptance, coping with disability, and coping with separation of parents. The story is very appealing and the plot is very fresh. Readers would never have thought that Joey’s father will force him to give up his medications and readers will want to know how Joey gets himself out of this situation. The story has a blend of humor, emotions, and excitement making it a very enjoyable book to read.

Children who loved Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key will also love this sequel.

The Penderwicks

Bibliography
Birdsall, Jeanne. 2005. The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Foour Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN: 9780375931437.

Plot Summary
The Penderwicks, father and four sisters, rent a cottage for the summer vacation and get more than what theyhad expected at this place. The Penderwick sisters – Rosalind, is 12 and the mother figure; Skye, 11, is adventurous and courageous; Jane, is 10 and is a creative writer and lives in her own fantasy world; Batty, is 4 and is a very shy person and likes to wear wings all the time – have lost their mother very early in their lives, but have a very supporting father who loves them immensely. The Penderwick sisters meet Jeffrey, the son of the cottage owner. Jeffrey’s mother is very mean and controlling person and the Penderwick girls always get into trouble with her. Through their summer adventures, Jeffrey becomes very good friends with the Penderwick girls. The Penderwick girls help Jeffrey speak up for himself and let his mother know what he really wants to do in his life.

Critical Analysis
The Penderwicks is a hilarious tale of friendship, standing up for each other, and being oneself. Each character is defined differently and has unique traits. The characters have many imperfections but are still lovable. They do many mistakes like any other child would but are still loved by their forgiving father. Birdsall has excellently shown the importance of family and how each character supports each member of the family. Friendship is valued in this story and the Penderwick girls would do anything to save their friend Jeffrey. Jeffrey also finds the fun and freedom he would love to have in the Penderwick sisters and reciprocates their friendship by saving the girls from many messy situations. The themes of finding ones own identity, friendship, blossoming romances, and learning from mistakes is all neatly packed into this story. The scenes are very funny allowing the readers to let their imaginations loose. Children will love this story as it will remind them of their own summer adventures. The characters are very natural and their experiences are very close to what children might experience. The language used in this book closely resembles how children of that age would talk and act. The plot is very engaging and will keep the readers glued to the book from the first page. The small town setting and the natural surroundings in the story gives that vacation home feeling where there is lot of fun adventures awaiting to be explored. The importance of family, friendship, and love is very subtly expressed through this story.

All in all it’s a very enjoyable story and readers will be laughing aloud as the read the comical escapades of the four Penderwick sisters, their friend Jeffrey, their dog Hound, the rabbits, and the bull!!

Review Excerpts
School Library Journal – Problems are solved and lessons learned in this wonderful, humorous book that features character whom readers will immediately love, as well as a superb writing style (www.Amazon.com).

Booklist – But what this family story does offer are four marvelously appealing sistes, true childhood behavior (disobeying, running away, a first crush), and a writing style that will draw readers close (Ilene Cooper, www.amazon.com).

Monumental Verses

Bibliography
Lewis, Patrick J. 2005. Monumental Verses. Washington D.C.: National Geographic. ISBN: 0792271394.

Plot Summary
Monumental Verses are poems that describe the 13 man made marvels of world. From the Empire State Building to the Eiffel Tower and from Great Pyramids of Egypt to Machu Picchu in Peru the poems pay homage to these wonders of the world.

Critical Analysis
J. Patrick Lewis has written remarkable poems that are just as breathtaking as the monuments he is describing. In addition to the 13 wonderful poems he has written an opening poem and also another poem admiring the Leaning Tower of Pisa on the back cover of the book. The poet has used the shape poem technique for some poems writing in the shape of the monument. The language of the poem is simple and easy to understand, yet the words strongly highlight the enormity of the structures. The rhythm and the sounds of the words in the poem are enjoyable. The poet has used some excellent photographs to display these monuments in the book.

The poems can be used in classrooms and by students to learn more about the wonders of the world. This book can also serve as a great connection while learning about different countries. Although this poetry book is intended for older readers, it is a small book and the poems are short, making it an easy reader even for younger children.

The Beauty of the Beast

Bibliography
Prelutsky, Jack. 1997. The Beauty of the Beast. Illustrated by Meilo So. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN: 0679970584.

Plot Summary
This book is an anthology of poems selected by Jack Prelutsky about different types of animals. Animal lovers will find more than 200 poems about various insects, sea creatures, reptiles and amphibians, birds, and mammals. Every child can find poems about the animal he or she loves or hates.

Critical Analysis
The Beauty of the Beast is a very interesting topical anthology about animals. This book is especially helpful to teachers and librarians as they can use it as a thematic connection while teaching about animals in the classroom. Since the poems deal with variety of animals, children will be able to find poems that refer to their favorite animal or maybe a not so favorite animal too. Although some poems could be hard to comprehend there is something for all ages and levels of understanding in this book.

The water color illustrations enhance the richness of the beautiful poems. The title suits the book very well as some of the poems are truly touching bringing out the beauty of the beast. Prelutsky has also written short opening poems at the beginning of each section that describes the animal category very nicely. My personal favorites in this anthology are - “The Ants Crawl” by Eleanor Schick, “Bumble Bee” by Margaret Wise Brown, “Cocoon” by David McCord, “Fish” and “Frog” by Mary Ann Hoberman, “Mud Turtles” by Grace Taber Hallock, “Naming the Turtle” by Patricia Hubbell, “Woodpecker” by Ted Hughes and many more.

Jack Prelutsky has carefully collected a variety of interesting poems for this anthology so that children will surely find something they will enjoy.

Please Bury Me in the Library

Bibliography
Lewis, Patrick J. 2005. Please Bury Me in the Library. Illustrated by Kyle M. Stone. Gulliver Books. ISBN: 0152163875.

Plot Summary
Please Bury Me in the Library is a compilation of poems by Patrick J. Lewis. He writes about the magic of books, importance of libraries, and the joys of reading.

Critical Analysis
This book celebrates reading, books, and libraries. Anyone who likes to read books will find these poems amusing and anyone who doesn’t like reading may be enthused to read after reading Patrick Lewis’s poems. The dark, vibrant illustration’s provides a unique visual imagery to the poems. The poet has used a variety of poetry writing techniques like haiku, acrostic, rhyming couplets etc to deliver a wonderful blend of poems. The short yet meaningful poems will make the children wanting to read more. The poems also have a touch of humor like the first poem “What if Books had Different Names” that switches words in book titles making it sound funny to the readers.

It’s a nice concoction of poems that can be read aloud with your child.

The Neighborhood Mother Goose Rhymes

Bibliography
Crews, Nina. 2004. The Neighborhood Mother Goose Rhymes. GreenWillow Books. ISBN: 9780060515744.

Plot Summary
This book is a collection of some very familiar mother goose rhymes that children like to sing everyday. Children will find their favorites like “Hey Diddle Diddle”, “Jack and Jill”, “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and many other enjoyable rhymes.

Critical Analysis
Nina Crews has done an excellent work in collecting these poetic gems and creating photographic illustrations that are a real treat to the children. Nina Crew has picked rhymes that will not only entertain children but will also encourage them to sing and enact as they read. The illustration’s brings out the beauty in this book and makes it different from other Mother Goose Rhymes books. The illustrations have been inspired by Nina Crew’s Brooklyn neighborhood experiences. The pictures are a blend of real photographs with imaginative manipulations that brilliantly tell the story in each rhyme. For example, in the song “Hey Diddle Diddle” a cat is holding the violin and you can see a cow near the moon. In “Jack, Be Nimble” song, pictures have been manipulated such that you can see a child jumping over a candle lit on a cupcake. The illustrations just add to the joy of reading the rhymes.

The book surely is a delight for the young readers.

The Magic Gourd

Bibliography
Diakite, Baba Wague. 2003. The Magic Gourd. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN: 9780439439602.

Plot Summary
While a rabbit is searching for food in a draught struck countryside, he finds a chameleon stuck in thorny bushes. Since the rabbit is helpful by nature he helps the chameleon. As a gift the chameleon gives the rabbit a magic gourd. With the magic gourd the rabbit not only feeds his family but also his friends and neighbors. The greedy king hears about this magic gourd and takes it away from the rabbit. The rabbit then gets another gift from the chameleon that helps him teach the king a lesson and get his magic gourd back.

Critical Analysis
Diakite retells a traditional folktale of good wins over evil from his native of Mali. The story like most traditional folktales involves magic and animals that talk and act like people. The values of helping others, kindness, friendship, and generosity are stressed in this story. Through this story Diakite introduces the rich culture of the native Mali. The beautiful ceramic art illustrations are bordered with traditional mud cloth designs that is a unique textile technique used in Mali. The illustrations are embossed on bright colored backgrounds making the illustrations stand out to the readers. The illustrations are ethnically authentic and give the readers an idea of African culture.

At the end Diakite presents a song of praise which is considered to be important in Mali. The authors note presents a background of himself and his inspiration to tell these rabbit stories. Diakite also gives a detailed description of the mud clothe pattern used in his illustrations. The author includes a glossary of words and meanings used in national language of Mali, Bambara. The author gives as interesting note about similar stories and their origins.

This book is winner of 2004 Aesop Prize winner for its folklore content and illustrations that accurately reflect the culture.

Ayat Jamilah: Beautiful Signs: A Treasury of Islamic Wisdom for Children and Parents.

Bibliography
Conover, Sarah and Freda Crane. 2004. Ayat Jamilah: Beautiful Signs: A Treasury of Islamic Wisdom for Children and Parents. Illustrations by Valerie Wahl. Washington: Eastern Washington University Press.

Plot Summary
This book is a anthology of stories drawn from the Muslim culture from the various parts of world. Each story carries a message of either wit, generosity, or honesty, or love, or wisdom, or God’s message or words. There are many stories in this book that are inspiring like the stories of the famous Mullah Nasruddin Hodja, story of Islam’s important women like Khadija, the first wife of the Prophet, the story of Infant Jesus as is in the Quran, and the story of Hajar and Ismael from Hadith.

Critical Analysis
This book is a rare collection of stories that reflects the Islamic faith. The beginning of each story is adorned with sayings, words of wisdom, or the name of God. These words of wisdom can be truly touching and meaningful to the readers. Belief in the words, signs, and message of God is the central theme of the stories.

The authors have done an excellent work of gathering valuable stories and sayings from different sources like the Holy Scriptures, ancient texts, and imaginative tales. The authors have taken great effort to collect stories from other countries besides the Middle East. This allows the book to reach a diverse audience. This anthology not only serves as a great source of important stories for Muslim children and families, but also serves a unique way for students to learn about Islamic culture and religion. The book has also incorporated some stories that might be of interest to Christians.

The book is mostly didactic in nature and requires the ability to comprehend the deeper meaning in the stories. Therefore, this book is intended for older children. There are a few stories though that are humorous and easy to understand for the younger audience to enjoy. There are very few illustrations but since the stories are mostly intended for older children it is not intended to be a picture book. Illustrations are mostly in the form of decorations on plaques that display the words of wisdom at the beginning of each chapter. The fine artworks on these plaques closely resemble the Islamic art that are seen in Mosques. There are also many symbols written in Arabic language throughout the book and their meaning has been explained very well in the book.

The authors provide a very detailed Preface at the beginning of the book explaining the sources of the stories and the intentions of the authors in writing this book. The readers are also given a short background of the life of Prophet Muhammad who spread the word of One God, Allah. The authors have cited the sources of quotes at the end of book and have explained the sources very well.

This is must read book that will enlighten the readers day and hopefully their lives.

Dona Flor

Bibliography
Mora, Pat. 2005. Dona Flor: A Tall Tale about a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart. Illustrated by Raul Colon. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN: 978375923373.

Plot Summary
Dona Flor’s mother used to sing to her as a baby. When Flor’s mother sang the plants and trees grew very tall and so did Flor. Dona Flor became so tall that she could reach the clouds. Although, children laughed at her for being different soon Flor’s friends and neighbors asked for her help. Flor was very helpful and she took care of her friends and neighbors. She would make biggest and the best tasting tortilla’s for her friends. When she stopped growing she made a house for herself and people, animals, and plants were all always welcome to come to her house. One day people in the village were frightened by the loud roar for a lion. Nobody wanted to step outside their house. Dona Flor had to help her neighbors! With the help of animal friends Dona Flor finally finds out who was making that loud noise.

Bibliography
Pat Mora has written a very enchanting tall tale of a larger than life woman. The story is very gripping and children will want to keep turning pages to find out who was making the loud noise that scared the people in the village. Raul Colon’s illustrations skillfully shows the largeness of the character who can play with clouds and touch the sun. If you have read Pat Mora’s Tomas and the Library Lady with Raul Colon’s illustration then the texture of the illustrations will be very familiar. Raul Colon uses the same illustrations techniques with lines and warm, sun burnt colors that gives the story unique movement and expressions. Pat Mora does not miss to add a scene where Dona Flor picks a book from the library and reads to her friends. Pat Mora has a distinguished style of conveying the message of the importance of reading.

Pat Mora uses a lot of Spanish words in the story and the transition between Spanish and English is very smooth. But it would have helped to have a list of Spanish words used in the story and their meanings for the English speaking readers.

Children will thoroughly enjoy this tall tale and is a great read aloud.

The Little Red Hen

Bibliography
Pinkney, Jerry. 2006. The Little Red Hen. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 9780803729353.

Plot Summary
The little red hen finds some wheat seeds and asks for her friends - the dog, goat, pig, and rat – to help her plant the seeds, thresh the wheat, take the grains to the miller, and bake the bread. But her friends are lazy and none of them want to help her. Do you think after all her hard work the little red hen should share the bread with her lazy friends?

Critical Analysis
The Little Red Hen is a very simple story with a very simple message. The story very implicitly teaches the value of helping each other and also the value of working hard. The little red hen is always busy and makes the bread from scratch all by herself. Her friends did not help her make the bread but wanted to eat the bread when it was baked. The little red hen gently refuses her friends as she was the only one who worked hard to make the bread. The outcome of little red hen’s hard work is clearly stated in the words “joy of joys” at the end.

The story is easy to understand as it has been written just as it would have been told. The phrase “Not I” has been repeated frequently allowing the children to chant the phrase as they are read aloud. The soft, yet detailed watercolor illustrations are a delight to watch. The words dog, rat, pig, and red hen are printed in the colors that describe the color of the animal. This will help children in word recognition and identification of the animals as they read the story.

PSSST!

Bibliography
Rex, Adam. 2007. Pssst! Harcourt, Inc. ISBN: 9780152058173.

Plot Summary
A girl visits the zoo one day and finds herself having conversations with the zoo animals. All the animals she meets want the girl to bring them something. The zoo animals tell the girl why they needs those things and even pay her money collected by the peacock from the water fountain to buy those things. At the end readers find out that the things were actually for a zoo mobile to help them escape from the zoo.

Critical Analysis
Adam Rex’s Pssst! is unusual and funny with a refreshing story line. Most of the story is very predictable to the children as they know the girl meets a zoo animal on every page with different requests. Adam Rex has been brilliant is providing sensible reasoning for the needs of each animal. For example, the sloth requests the girl to bring them bicycle helmets. When the girl wonders why sloths would need helmets the illustrations show that the sloths are hanging upside down on the tree and one them falls landing straight on his head. The sloths don’t have to explain but the girl knows what the helmets are for!

Illustrations are very lively and detailed. Conversation with each animal is shown on one page in six boxes providing a sequence to the story. The word PSSST! is illustrated creatively depending on the background of the scene. When the girl is talking to the bats, the word PSSST! is in black color with stars on it giving it a starry dark night look. When the girl meets the penguins the word PSSST! is illustrated in white looking like frozen ice.

As children read this book they will be curious to know what happens next. The ending is hilarious and brilliant. Children will want to read this book again and again.

Review Excerpts

School Library Journal - This is a clever title for visually sophisticated youngsters who will appreciate the off-the-wall humor (Martha Topol, 10/01/2007).

Publishers Weekly – A very funny excursion. (09/10/2007).

Tomas and the Library Lady

Bibliography
Mora, Pat. 1997. Tomas and the Library Lady. Illustrated by Raul Colon. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN: 0679904018.

Plot Summary
Tomas never enjoyed their trip to Iowa from Texas that he made every year with his parents during summer. Tomas’ parents are farm workers and pick fruits and vegetables in farms of Iowa during in summer. This summer was special as Tomas finds a local public library and the librarian helps him find books and inspires him to read. Tomas would tell the stories his read to his family. This time when he went back to Texas he had a book presented by the Library Lady to read along his way back home.

Critical Analysis
This is inspiring story is a true story of Tomas Riveria who became a writer, a professor, a university administrator, and a national education leader. The end note gives a brief introduction to Tomas Riveria. The story shows how a librarian can inspire and motivate somebody to read. The library lady would give Tomas a drink of water on a hot day and guide him to find the books he might be interested in reading. This simple gesture was enough to motivate this little boy, Tomas, who was thirsty for both water and knowledge. The dark colors and lines in the illustrations give the story a dreamy look. The illustrations show Tomas right in the middle of the story he is reading showing that Tomas was engrossed in the stories he was reading. The illustrations brilliantly portray Tomas’ love for reading.

A great book to inspire children to read and to show the impact of librarian’s in motivating children to read.

Pancakes for Breakfast

Bibliography
DePaola, Tomie. 1978. Pancakes for Breakfast. Scholastic Inc. ISBN: 0590451367.

Plot Summary
A little woman desires to eat pancakes for breakfast but doesn’t have the required ingredients for making pancakes. She has to bring fresh eggs, milk her cow for the milk, make butter, bring maple syrup…but her cat and dog are impatient and ruin her ingredients. Now how can she eat pancakes?

Critical Analysis
Pancakes for Breakfast is very well illustrated wordless picture book. There are no words in this story except for the pancake recipe and the final motto at the end. The actions and expressions in the illustrations are enough to tell the story. The illustrations are either full pages or have multiple pictures in frames describing a sequence of events. The little imagination blurbs tell how the little woman feels as she tried to make pancakes.

Children’s imagination and creativity can be encouraged by asking them to tell the story in their own words as they see the pictures. Wordless picture books are an excellent way to motivate language development in children learning to read.

Zen Shorts

Bibliography
Muth, Jon J. 2005. Zen Shorts. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN:9780439339111

Plot Summary
Stillwater, who is giant panda, moves into Addy, Michael, and Karl’s neighborhood. Addy, Michael, and Karl each go to visit Panda and the wise Panda tells them stories that they love to hear.
Critical Analysis
Jon Muth, the author and illustrator of this book, has delivered a well written story with deep meaning. Panda is shown as a very lovable yet wise character that gently attempts to make children understand the deeper meaning in life. Panda tells Addy, Michael, and Karl stories that touch their different personalities. Panda tells Addy a story about giving even when you don’t have anything. Panda tells Michael a story that teaches that luck cannot be predicted or judged. And Panda tells Karl a story that tells him to not carry his anger from the past but enjoy the moments in the present.

At the end Jon Muth provides an author’s note that explains the meaning of Zen Shorts and provides a background about Zen method of meditation and learning the deeper meaning life. The story has a didactic tone, but at the same time is presented very gently. Any child would love a big, round cuddly Panda and enjoy hearing stories from Panda. The relationship between the siblings and the Panda has been explored very well in the book. The soft water color illustrations are pleasant to watch. Each story is painted in black and white brush stroke to introduce it differently from the main story. The illustrations are just calm and soothing as the messages in the story.

Although the book is suggested for Kindergarten to fourth grade readers younger readers might have a difficult time understanding the underlying meaning in the story. Inspite of this, children will still enjoy reading this story. Zen Shorts is also a 2006 Caldecott Honor Book.

Dahlia

Bibliography
McClintock, Barbara. 2002. Dahlia. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN: 9780374316785.

Plot Summary
Charlotte receives a doll as a gift from her Aunt Edme. Charlotte is not a typical girl who plays with dolls so she hates her new doll at first. But soon Charlotte realizes that her doll that she named, Dahlia, doesn’t mind digging in the dirt, climbing trees, and racing on the wagon with boys. Charlotte and Dahlia become very good friends.

Critical Analysis
Girls who like to pretend play will love Dahlia. Charlotte is a tom boyish girl who likes play her bear and does things that boys would usually do. She likes the way she is and does not want to change herself for her new doll. Charlotte’s new doll, Dahlia, is well dressed in linen, lace, and delicate silk ribbons. Charlotte takes her pretty doll on her adventurous day and soon Dahlia winds up looking just like Charlotte – dirty, untidy, and her hair tangled in knots. Charlotte’s Aunt Edme admits to her that she bought the doll as she thought the doll needed some sunshine, somebody to play with, and to be loved.

Little girls will love this story as they can identify with Charlotte who believes her toys are real and plays and treats them like real people. Bruno the bear and Dahlia, the doll have become Charlotte’s best friends and she treats them with love and plays with them just like she would with her real friends. The illustrations with pencil drawing and soft pastel colors are very detailed. Each and every page has beautiful pictures that show the expressions of the characters and fine details of the surroundings. Dahlia’s room has no toys and dolls instead they have bird nests, shells, mushrooms, plants, and even a little snake. These illustrations show that Charlotte is not a typical girl. The story has an old fashioned European era setting giving the story a classic look and feel.

Dahlia is a very sweet story with lovable characters.

Move Over, Rover!

Bibliography
Beaumont, Karen. 2006. Move Over, Rover! Illustrated by Jane Dyer. Harcourt, Inc. ISBN: 9780152019792.

Plot Summary
One fine day Rover is all alone and has nobody to play with. But suddenly it starts raining and all the animals who are trying to stay warm in the storm want to squeeze into Rover’s doghouse. Does Rover really want all this company now?

Critical Analysis
Move Over, Rover! is a very delightful read aloud book for young readers. The repetitive text is easily comprehendible by little children. Children usually like books where they know what phrases are going to be repeated so that they can say it aloud with the reader. As the children read the book they will be curious to know what happens next. Children will also enjoy the unexpected ending. The watercolor and acrylic illustrations are lively, colorful, and beautiful. The fall colors, the storm, the different animals have been illustrated very nicely in the book. The text and illustrations blend very smoothly to tell an enjoyable story.

This is book children will not put down and want to read over and over again. This book is an excellent choice for children's storytimes.

Review Excerpts
Children’s Literature – Kids will enjoy reading along the rhymes that accompany each animal’s entrance (2006).

School Library Journal - The marvelously textured watercolor-and-acrylic illustrations convey the feeling of a driving rain, the fur and feathers of the various creatures, and the joy of Rover when his house is once again his sole domain (Tamara E. Richman, 2006).

I Am Not Sleepy and I Will Not Go to Bed

Bibliography
Child, Lauren. 2001. I Am Not Sleepy And I will Not Go To Bed. Massachusetts: Candlewick Press. ISBN: 9780763615703

Plot Summary
Big brother, Charlie, has to put Lola to bed, which according to him is one of the hardest things his parents ask him to do sometime. Lola has crazy imaginations and finds excuses not to go to bed. First she sees tigers at the table waiting for their bedtime drink, then she sees a lion brushing his teeth, then she imagines a whale in the bathtub, she wants Charlie to talk to the two dogs, and finally she sees a hippopotamus in Charlie’s bed. Will she ever go to bed?

Critical Analysis
Lauren Child has written and illustrated a perfect bed time story. Children are sure to giggle as they read this book as they read the funny sequences between Charlie and Lola. The title is in bold letters and words like “NOT Sleepy” “Not…Bed” are even larger highlighting the strong and stubborn tone in Lola’s voice. The illustrations are very eye catching with a mixture of pencil drawing, crayon coloring, and real pictures. The large sized pictures enhance the story’s plot. The characters of imaginative, curios, stubborn, and playful Lola and a patient brother have been drawn and told very well.

Review Excerpts
Booklist – Young ones will enjoy this exuberant, hilarious spin on the bedtime story
(Gillian Engberg, 08/01/2001).

Kirkus Reviews – Charlie and Lola’s expressive body language and facial features will be easily recognized by all. An inventive, entertaining bedtime tale. (08/01/2001).

Los Gatos Black on Halloween

Bibliography
Montes, Maria. 2006. Los Gatos Black on Halloween. Illustrated by Yuyi Morales. New York: Henry Holt and Company, LLC.

Plot Summary
The story describes a scary Halloween night scene where things we dread become real. On halloween night monsters are having a ball in the haunted house. Black cats, witches, skeleton, wolf’s, ghosts, and even the dead rise from their tombs to attend the ball only to be scared by little kids that are trick-or-treating on Halloween.

Critical Analysis
This picture book’s illustrator, Yuyi Morales has rightfully been awarded the 2008 Pura Belpre Illustrator Award. The illustrations depict the spookiness of the dark Halloween night very well. The illustrations look very real and scary. The pictures have been drawn with utmost details like the glowing eyes of the black cats, the wicked eyes carved on the pumpkins, the broken neck of the old lady’s ghost, the pointed branches on the trees that look like hands and fingers etc. Although the illustrations draw the spookiness of Halloween very well, the realism can be frightening to little children.

The rhyming and poetic text makes this a great read aloud book. Children will enjoy the surprise ending where the Halloween characters are actually horrified by the children who come for treats on Halloween. The book is more appropriate for children who are able to understand the humor behind Halloween.

My Librarian is a Camel

Bibliography
Ruurs, Margriet. 2005. My Librarian is a Camel: How Books are Brought to Children Around the World. Pennsylvania: Boyd Mills Press. ISBN: 978159078930.

Plot Summary
The book is a photo essay of librarians and volunteers efforts to take books to children in remote areas of the world. Margaret Ruurs contacted librarians in 13 different countries and collected pictures and stories of how they deliver books to children that are enthusiastic to read. The book tells the story of these dedicated librarians who have become creative and have used camels, elephants, and boats to deliver books to needy children.

Critical Analysis
My Librarian is Camel by Margriet Ruurs is an inspiring book that shows the zeal of librarians to take books to the children that do not have easy access to books. In Australia books are delivered by solar-powered trucks. In Canada a Borrower-by-Mail program enables children in far north to receive books in mail. In Finland a book boat delivers books to children. In Kenya camels bring books to children in remote villages. The book is enriched with these and other amazing stories about mobile libraries around the world. The book also provides a small map and a little fact sheet about each country.

Children who take school and public library collections for granted will learn a lot about how books are made available to children in hard to reach places in the world. Students will appreciate the books they have and see how children in remote places eagerly wait to access these books.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

Bibliography
Potter, Beatrix. 2002. The Tale of Peter Rabbit. London, England: Penguin Books Ltd. ISBN: 9780723247708

Plot Summary
Peter Rabbit is the naughtiest of the four siblings. One morning, Peter Rabbit ventures into Mr.McGregor’s garden inspite of his mother’s strict warning not to go there. Peter Rabbit is spotted by Mr.McGregor and is chased all over the garden. Peter Rabbit finally escapes, but he is frightened and tired from being chased by Mr.McGregor.

Critical Analysis
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter is a remarkable classic. Each page has a neat illustration to go with the text which does the job of telling the story very nicely. The text is simple and easy to understand for beginner readers. The small sized book is comfortable to hold for little children. Children will relate to the story as they do things that their mother warns them against. Children will also learn the consequences of not listening to their mother, but at the same time the story is not trying to teach right or wrong behavior.

The story Peter Rabbit’s mother tells children about their father is a little odd and can raise many questions amongst children reading the book.

At the end of the story Peter Rabbit’s mother notices that Peter Rabbit has lost a second pair of shirt and shoe in a fortnight. This will allow the children to imagine what had happened when Peter Rabbit lost his things the first time. Children will also know that Peter Rabbit is always getting into trouble.

About this Blog

I am a Master of Library Science student at Texas Women's Unviersity (TWU). This blog is part of an required assignment in the Children's Literature course I am currently taking at TWU. I will be posting reviews on the children's books I read. This is a learning process for me and I am excited about this venture of online blogging. I hope you will find my work interesting.