Shapes Shapes Shapes

Hoban, T. (1996). Shapes Shapes Shapes. Tana Hoban. New York, New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

Annoation: This books uses picture images that children see in every day life. This books shows all the different ways in which we see shapes on a daily basis. There are certain shapes that the children are asked to look for when looking at the pictures.

Genre: Concept book

Grade Level: PreK-2nd

Readers who would like this: This would be a great book for parents in order to help their children learn shapes and be able to find shapes around them.

Ratings/Response: I give this book a 3. I like how the author/illustrator uses real life images to depict shapes. It steps away from drawings and painted images.

Question: Do you see a square anywhere in this room?

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

Bibliographic Information: Martin, B. (1996) Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? New York: Henry Holt and Co.

Annotation: Readers get to see a variety of animals in a variety of colors.

Genre: Nonfiction Picturebook

Grade level: Nursery (Birth to age 5)

Readers who will like this book: Children learning colors and animals. Emerging readers will benefit from the predictability of the book.

Reponse/Rating: I enjoy the simple bright color illustrations throughout the book. I like the pattern in the book and think that helps keep children interested. 3

Classroom question: Do you know the colors of other animals? What is your favorite color?

Actual Size

Bibliographic Information: Jenkins, S. (2004). Actual size. New York, New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Annotation: This nonfiction book illustrates the actual size of animals to real world objects as well as giving information about each animal.

Genre: Nonfiction

Grade Level: 1-5

Readers Who Will Like This Book: Anyone interested in animals and how big or small something might be.

Personal Response and Rating: I rate this book a 4. The illustrations are done with cut paper but maintain their realism. Not only is the reader given the perception of the size of animals or certain parts of them, in the back of the book more in depth information is provided along with a complete illustration of that animal.

Prereading Question: What do you think is the biggest or the smallest animal in the world.

Reading Strategy:

A. Reading Strategy - Internet Investigation

B. Description of Strategy - The teacher helps the students generate a list of questions they had about the book. Next, search terms are brainstormed that could be used to locate the answer to their questions. Websites and sources are listed as students compile information relating to their questions and then what was learned is shared with the class.

C. Rationale - Though the book provides further information about each animal, even more knowledge could be obtained through the Internet. Students may have questions that aren't answered in the book, questions that address traits other than size. The Internet is an excellent means in which students can continue to make discoveries. Students are also able to focus on something that they personally find interesting.

Color Dance

Bibliographic Information: Jonas, A. (1989). Color Dance. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books.

Brief Annotation: The children dance together to show what colors are made when they are mixed together.

Genre: Children's Picture Book

Grade Level: K-3

Readers who will like this: young readers; students learning colors.

Response/Rating (1-4): 4; The illustration is very simple and the text is easy to read-except for some of the color names. The different colors introduced can also make for a great lesson on the different shades of color.

One question you would ask before a read aloud: What is your favorite color?

Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf

Bibliographic Information: Ehlert, L. (1991). Red Lead, Yellow Leaf. Illus. Lois Ehlert. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Annotation: A gorgeously illustrated book (many different techniques) that follows a sugar maple's life development and intertwines the life of the child who planted and nourished it as well.

Genre: Picturebook

Grade Level: K-3

Readers who will like this book: Children learning about plant life and development. Teachers and educators may also like the book because it gives great detail in a "non-textbook" but educational/informational way.

Personal response: I think it is a really neat book, especially because of all of the work put into the illustrations. The techniques that Ehlert uses are appealing and interesting at any age. I would rate this book at a 4.

A question you would ask before reading: Has anyone heard of photosynthesis? What does it mean?

Iggy Peck, Architect

Bibliographic Information: Beaty, Andrea. (2007). Iggy Peck, Architect. Illus. David Roberts. New York, NY: Abrams Books for Young Readers.

Brief Annotation: Young Iggy Peck is a born architect, but his second grade teacher dashes his dreams until he helps rescue the class by building a bridge.

Genre: Concept

Grade Level: K - 5

Readers who will like this book: Anyone with a dream that makes them a little different from their peers.

Rating/Response: 4 out of 4. In addition to the wonderful rhyming, the illustrations add to the story and provide some details of the tools that architects use.

One question I would ask before a read aloud: Is there anything that you are good at and like to do that is different? What does an architect do?

10/40: Open-Mind Portraits from 50 Literacy Strategies, by Gail E. Tompkins
In this strategy, students are encouraged to consider story characters' thoughts and feelings, pushing them to make inferences, as these ideas may not be directly related in the text. Students first make a portrait of the character's head and neck (for this book, I would suggest either Iggy, or his teacher). Then they cut out the portrait and secure it to several other sheets of blank paper. These last pages will become the "thinking" pages, where students will draw and write about what the character thinks and feels at critical points in the story. After the open-mind portraits are completed, the students share with the class.

Color Dance

Bibliographic Information (APA) Jonas, A. (1989). Color Dance. Ann Jonas. New York, NY published: Greenwillow Books.

Brief Annotation: This book is about learning what colors mix together to get other colors. It uses the primary colors and shows how they can make purples, greens, and oranges.

Genre: Concept Book, Colors, Picture Book

Grade Level: PreK-2

Readers who will like this: Children who are learning colors or enjoy beautiful picture books.

Response/Rating (1-4): 4; This is a great book for children who are learning their colors and understanding how different colors are made.

One question you would ask before a read aloud: What colors do you think you can mix together to get Orange?

Reading Strategies Connection: I would use the "All About Books" strategy. In this strategy you would talk to the children about the book and assign them to small groups. The small groups would then get together to create thier own concept color book. They could use different animals to create colors. They would be able to use thier imaginations. This would help the children remember what colors make what and would also be a way to increase literacy and understanding