Tag Archives: K-1

Hey, Wall: A Story of Art and Community

Title: Hey, Wall: A Story of Art and Community

Author(s): Susan Verde

Illustrator/Photographer: John Parra

Publisher and Year: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers 2018

Number of pages: 28

Tags/Themes: Allison Henry, Diversity, Fiction, Picture Book, K-1,

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Descriptive Annotation: Hey, Wall is the story of a community coming together to beautify their neighborhood by painting the large wall. One young boy notices that the wall is ignored by most everyone in the town and decides to paint the wall. He recruits all his friends, family, and neighbors to paint the wall. They paint the wall to be a reflection of the members of the community. Students would need little background knowledge, besides the knowledge of the words used, to understand this book. At the end of the book is both an author’s note and an illustrator’s note. The illustrations are very colorful and cover the entire page. They are done in acrylics.

Classroom Application: This book could be used in a fine arts lesson in the classroom. A teacher could use this story to introduce a school beautification project to their students. It also connects to Social Emotional Learning Standard 2.C, “Use communication and social skills to interact effectively with others.” The narrator of the story must work convince the people around him to work together to accomplish the goal of making the wall beautiful again.

Linguistic and Cultural Diversity Analysis: The illustrations in this text feature people of every race. The author makes mentions to different cultures when the narrator is talking to the wall. It says, “Can you hear our music? We are salsa dancing [Latinx]. We are hip-hopping [African American]. We are dizzy from spinning.” When they are planning how to paint the wall, everyone contributes their own ideas and experiences to the mural, “We’ve all brought our ideas and imagination.”

Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters

Title: Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters

Author(s): Barack Obama

Illustrator/Photographer: Loren Long

Publisher and Year: Alfred A. Knopf 2010

Number of pages: 29

Tags/Themes: Allison Henry, Diversity, Family, Non-fiction, Picture Book, K-1, 2-3

Genre: Non-fiction

Descriptive Annotation:  Of Thee I Sing is a letter from former president Barack Obama to his daughters, Sasha and Malia. Throughout the story, Obama brings up many of the positive character traits that the girls have, and then introduces them to a historic American who also has that character trait. On the left side of each pair of pages is an illustration of Malia and Sasha looking to the right page at an image of a historically important American. Joining them on the page is a younger version of the individual being portrayed and the younger versions of each individual that has been featured in the book previously. Under the large illustration of each individual is a couple sentences explaining why that person was influential in American history. The last page shows all of the younger versions standing together facing the reader, with text that begins, “Have I told you that America is made up of people of every kind?” The illustrations are done in acrylic and at the end of the book is a page with brief bios on each of the individuals featured in the book. A knowledge of influential people in American history would be helpful for students to fully understand this book, but it is not necessary. Students should know what the various character traits mentioned in the book are, to understand why the individuals were influential.

Classroom Application: This text connects to many different academic areas and a Social Emotional Learning Standard. The individuals featured in the text’s occupational areas range from fine arts to science, math to social sciences and everything in between. This book could be used in early or late elementary to meet SELS 1.B, “Recognize personal qualities and external supports.” The character traits in this book are positive characteristics that students should develop throughout their lifetime. This book could be used to introduce a project where students pick someone influential from history that they have something in common with and then compare themselves to the historical figure.

Linguistic and Cultural Diversity Analysis: This book represents many cultures. Some of the historical figures featured in the book include: Jackie Robinson, the first African American baseball player; Sitting Bull, a Sioux leader; Maya Lin, a Chinese American who designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial; Martin Luther King Jr., who fought for the civil rights of African Americans; and Cesar Chavez, a Mexican-American who fought for farm worker’s rights. This book shows that valuable contributions have been made to American history by people of all races and that America is great because it has such a diverse population. On the last page it says, “People of all races, religions, and beliefs. People from the coastlines and the mountains. People who have made bright lights shine by sharing their unique gifts and giving us the courage to lift one another up, to keep up the fight, to work and build upon all that is good in our nation.”

The Dot

Title: The Dot

Author(s): Peter H. Reynolds

Illustrator/Photographer: Peter H. Reynolds

Publisher and Year: Candlewick Press 2003

Number of pages: 28

Tags/Themes: Allison Henry, Fiction, Fine Arts, Picture Book, K-1

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Descriptive Annotation: In The Dot, Vashti, a young girl is frustrated during art class because she believes that she can’t draw. Her art teacher challenges her to “just make a mark” and Vashti angerly makes a single dot on the page. The teacher has her sign the page and hangs it in the classroom. Seeing her art on the wall sparks something in Vashti and she begins to paint many different types of dots, eventually passing her love of art onto a young boy. A knowledge of art related words (i.e. colors, line types) would be beneficial to a read, but the images provide support to figuring out these words. The illustrations are done in tea, ink, and watercolor.

Classroom Application: This story is connected to fine arts and to the Social and Emotional Learning Standards. The entire story is about a girl developing a love of art. She paints many different colored and sized dots. Her artwork hangs on the wall in the school’s art show that “made quite a splash.” It also connects to the 3rd Social and Emotional Learning Standard. Vashti contributes to the school community by showing her art in the art show. She also helped the young boy to discover his love of art.

Linguistic and Cultural Diversity Analysis: The cultural diversity in this story lies in the main characters name. According to names.org, Vashti is a Persian name meaning “beautiful.” One of the Queens of Persia was named Vashti. This story could apply to many different cultures, as many different cultures value art. This book could be used to begin a student’s inquiry into different art forms and the ways that different cultures create and view art. In the illustrations, the characters are simply shaded, they are not shown as being any specific race. This allows all students to see themselves as Vashti, and see that they are capable of creating beautiful art.

Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book of Colors

Title: Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book of Colors

Author(s): Hena Khan

Illustrator/Photographer: Mehrdokht Amini

Publisher and Year: Scholastic Inc. 2012

Number of pages: 21

Tags/Themes: Allison Henry, Culture, Family, Fiction, Holidays, Picture Book, Poetry, K-1, 2-3, Social Science

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Descriptive Annotation: Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns follows a young girl as she explains the what the colors in her world are. Each page talks about a color and what object in the young girl’s religion are that color. A background knowledge of Muslim terms would be helpful, but there is a glossary in the back that defines many of the words. Each page is two sentences long and the sentences have end rhyme.

Classroom Application: This text can be used in the social sciences when talking about different religions. It could also be used to explain part of the culture of a student that is Muslim. This book could be used to introduce a unit on different religions and/or holidays, because it does talk a little about both Ramadan and Eid.

Linguistic and Cultural Diversity Analysis: As stated in the classroom application section, this text can be used to teach students about the Muslim religion. It is a brief introduction, so it could prompt students to look deeper into this religion or prompt them to ask questions and potentially research other religions. It can also be used in a unit on holidays as it says, “Brown is a date, plump and sweet. During Ramadan, it’s my favorite treat.” It also talks about Eid, “Purple is an Eid gift just for me. I open it up and love what I see.”

My Family, Your Family

Title: My Family, Your Family

Author(s): Lisa Bullard

Illustrator/Photographer: Renee Kurilla

Publisher and Year: Lerner Publishing 2015

Number of pages: 21

Tags/Themes: Allison Henry, Diversity, Family, Fiction, Picture Book, K-1, 2-3

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Descriptive Annotation: My Family, Your Family is a story that also has little bubbles with facts on each page. The story part follows Makayla as she travels around her neighborhood spending time with the various families that she knows. Makayla is about to have a little brother and she is very concerned that it will change their family. She sees, through the different families in town, that every family is great, and her new baby brother will make her family better. The fact bubbles include information about languages spoke at home, divorce, step-parents/siblings, and adoption. Young readers would be able to read and understand this book, and there is a glossary at the end that lists words mentioned in the story that relate to families. In addition to the glossary, there is a section titled “Make a ‘”One Great Thing”’ Poster” that provides step-by-step instructions for students to make a poster that shows one thing that makes their family great.

Classroom Application: My Family, Your Family can be used to show students that different types of families exist, and that they are all valid. It can be used to help teach Social and Emotional Learning Standard 2, by showing relationships different from the students. It also shows various ways that families maintain those relationships, such as communication and cooperation. This text could be used in an early education classroom to introduce the idea of differences in families.

Linguistic and Cultural Diversity Analysis: This book represents many different family types. Makayla herself is part of a mixed-race family. She meets a family that speaks Spanish, a lesbian couple, a girl and her divorced dad who are Asian, a boy who lives with his grandparents, a gay couple and their adopted son (also a mixed-race family) and has dinner with her single aunt and three cousins. Every one of these families is spoken of positively and the focus is on the family dynamic, not necessarily who is part of the family. When meeting Parker, the adopted boy with two dads, Makayla says, “And Parker’s two dads knew he was meant to be their little boy.” The emphasis is that the dads love Parker, not that they are gay. In the bubble on that page it says, “Some children who are adopted were born in the United States. Some were born in other countries. Either way, their adoptive families fell like they were meant to be together.” This is validating the families, showing that no matter how they came to be a family, they still love each other.

Ten Little Rabits

Title: Ten Little Rabbits

Author: Virginia Grossman

Illustrator: Sylvia Long

Publisher and Year: The Trumpet Club, 1991

Number of pages: 24

Tags/Themes: Culture, Diversity, Animals, Fiction, Picture Book, K-1, 2-3 , Olivia Ruff

Genre: Fiction

Descriptive Annotation: This picture book is about rabbits participating in different activities that Native Americans participate in. The different activities include ritual dances, fishing, and storytelling which are all important aspects of Native American culture in a broad sense. The illustrations depict different tribes and their regalia/clothing. There is an author’s note describing the tribes represented in the novel in the back of the book.

Classroom Application: The book would help students learn about different cultures and learn about the traditions of tribes. This could be used in a social studies classroom. This novel could be a great introduction to Native American culture for younger children.

Linguistic and Cultural Diversity Analysis: This picture book would be great for younger students in K-1 to introduce other cultures in the classroom. For older students (2-3 grade) the book would be a good addition to a unit on Native Americans as a way to demonstrate the culture and customs within the illustrations. The rabbits are participating in activities in which they are wearing certain regalia, providing an opportunity for students to learn about the culture of the tribes represented. The language used in this book is simple, making it appropriate for very young children. Quotes: “Nine festive drummers beating on a drum”(17) and “Two graceful dancers asking for some rain” (4).

 

Skin Again

Author(s), Illustrator/Photographer: bell hooks; illustrated by Chris Raschka.

Publisher and Year/Number of pages: Disney-Jump at the Sun Books, 2004, 30 Pages.

Genre: Fiction, Picture Book.

Descriptive Annotation: The cover features two pastel drawings of children’s hands (one white and one black) clasping each other over the image of a patchwork quilt of skin colors. Also included is a heart-shaped icon on the quilt itself, and all of these are shown in pastel colors. This is a combination of both standard unifying imagery used by mankind for millennia, and the use of children’s hands as innocent figures who don’t notice superficial man-made differences, which can be seen for the entirety of the picture book .

Skin Again is the heartwarming story of a group of kids getting along famously despite their exterior differences, as they continually are told by the narrator, bell hooks, that “The skin I’m in is just a covering. It cannot tell my story” (hooks, pgs. 2-4). As the story goes on, it is evident that while this story is short on words due to its targeted young audience, it has plenty of heart, and indeed makes looking inside others’ hearts a key point of focus for the reader: “If you want to know who I am you have got to come inside” (hooks, p. 14).  The whole of the story is about acceptance and loving others no matter what they may look like, and realizing that others are always coming from different places in their lives (and in the world) from you. Growing up in a predominantly white and Asian suburb of Chicago, Palatine, I wish I had had more books like this one to read, as they might have helped ease some of the tensions that arose between the northern and southern halves of the town based on race and class. Others should have read this as well, because even one person reading the book could have made a difference. Absorbing and understanding the messages described in this story would foster better understanding in any community, and seeing such harmonious relations between different races would be a useful antidote to our current racially-charged era. These lessons would certainly be useful for students reading this novel in the primary school classroom.

Classroom Application: In the book Skin Again, the characters are children of different races, based on the makeup of our nation, which would be ideal for instructing students from less racially or ethnically diverse communities. Different people from different settings are exposed to different realities on a daily basis, and that is more or less the theme that the book conveys. For instance, the last line of the book sums it up nicely: “For we are all inside made up of real history, real dreams, and the stuff of all we hope for when we can be real together on the inside” (hooks, pgs. 25-29).  This demonstrates how people should simply be authentic with each other as well, as authenticity is key in forming long-term relationships. This is a teachable moment, since it’s hook’s way of saying that race and racism, or discrimination of any kind, is arbitrary. It’s not only bad for the human race to think this way-it can be fatal, as we saw at Charlottesville last year. In short, we need less racism in the world, and this book here offers a way to start the anti-racist process at an impressionable age.

Linguistic and Cultural Diversity Analysis: hooks covers the interactions between children of different skin colors in a unique and innovative way, making sure to include culturally sensitive clothes and hair for the children of each race without overdoing it in the story. Not many people have used a picturebook format to do so before, or in this manner that acknowledges the categories of race without letting them get in the way of harmony between disparate peoples: “The skin I’m in looks good to me. It will let you know one small way to trace my identity” (hooks, pgs. 11-12). This is necessarily true- the author’s motivation was to do exactly this when they wrote the text. Exasperation with people not being able to get this message with traditional mediums of literature likely drove bell hooks to write this book, and that is why 14 years later, this is still an excellent (but still largely singular of its type) piece of work.  Another important message in this picture book is that the idea of forming perceptions based on race is misguided and skewered to a certain degree: “You can find all about me-coming close and letting go of who you might think I am” (hooks, pgs. 19-20). On those pages, a young black and young white boy are both pointing at one another from opposite pages, which is a metaphor for the pointing of fingers that happens all too much in today’s world. Such a metaphor may seem blatant and unnecessary to certain readers, but in the context of the age group that is reading this book, it is understandable that it is included to help eliminate biases at a tender age.

Muktar and the Camels

Author(s)/ Illustrator/Photographer: Janet Graber, Scott Mack

 Publisher and Year Number of pages: Henry Holt and Company, 2009, 29 pages.

Genre: Fiction

Descriptive Annotation: The cover features an artistic rendering of the protagonist, Muktar, with a camel, done in some lovely shades of watercolors that are throughout the book. There is a brown camel on a navy-blue background, and the shirt Muktar is wearing is a similar shade of blue, perhaps leading the reader to infer that Muktar himself is a fixture of the natural world as well, not disturbing the equilibrium that Mother Nature has set. As for the book itself, it involves the engrossing story of Muktar, a Somalian refugee who has found a refuge in Kenya but still misses his homeland and the tending of camels he used to do there. Muktar gets his chance to take up his old passion when a traveling librarian, Mr. Mohamed enters the refugee camp in Kenya in which he resides. Mr. Mohamed reached the town the camp is a part of, Garissa, by camel back, and soon Muktar’s troubles are alleviated somewhat by the presence of the three camels-a new, dynamic trio of mammalian friends. The teacher of the school Muktar attends, Mr. Hassan, always called him lazy and shiftless before in the classroom, but stops doing so now that he sees the young man’s ability to take care of Mr. Mohamed’s camels so well. Luckily for the reader, despite the complex geopolitical situation in East Africa, the story contains universal themes -feeling like an outsider, trying to fit in when in a new place, and getting a true sense of belonging in unfamiliar locales. This is accompanied by the equally universal themes of those three bad things hanging over your head until there is an activity or valve to release the feelings of loneliness and isolation that can easily plague even the most levelheaded person. There is some background information provided at the end to help the precocious reader truly enjoy this story as well learn about the turmoil Somalia has gone through since 1993, and how it has exacerbated the flow of refugees out of the nearly lawless country.

Classroom Application: A central theme is the acceptance of others despite their differences, and the description of world events make this an ideal text to teach those lessons to students. The author and illustrator demonstrate that stigmatization isn’t the best avenue to pursue when new or different people enter your community, and how the children best learn this lesson would be up to the teacher. The passion shown by the main character in pursuing his goal of camel tending and acceptance from his peers in the camp (and Kenyans in general) is certainly a good lesson for teaching purposes. One possible lesson after reading the book would be to follow the news coming out of two current conflicts-Syria as mentioned in the Stepping Stones review, and Yemen-or even Somalia, which is still run by a weak government, and tie that into classroom curriculum. Students will also hopefully recognize, as Mr. Hassan does at the end of the story about Muktar, that we all have a purpose on this Earth, and at some point, we all need a person to “take care of the…ornery beasts” (Graber, p. 25) in our lives.

Linguistic and Cultural Diversity Analysis: The book’s setting is along the Kenyan-Somalian border, and the unique cultural blend formed in that region in recent years due to the combination of cultures from refugee movements is depicted and would be great material for a social studies-type course. The traditions of the Somali peoples that originally only stayed in Somalia have dispersed everywhere from Nairobi to Minneapolis, and are now present in the fabric of each city’s social structure. Graber explains this concept to the reader through the character of Muktar, who is an orphaned young man that ran away from a war-torn country with his nomadic family. Tragically, he was the only one who made it out alive, and his “…mother and father rest in graves beneath piles of stones” (Graber, p. 6). The Somali people from Muktar’s region of the country have always been committed to maintaining and supporting their camel herds, and Muktar’s father hammered that lesson home whenever he could: “Camels first. Always camels first. Camels are treasure” (Graber, p. 5). His zeal that he got from his late parents to take care of these animals convinces Mr. Mohamed to take him on his travels across the continent, and Mr. Hassan allows it when he sees the boy so happy about caring for the animals rather than depressed about his situation.

We’re all wonders

Author(s) Illustrator/Photographer: written and illustrated by R.J. Palacio

Publisher and Year Number of pages: Alfred A. Knopf, 2017, 29 pages.

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Descriptive Annotation: The cover features a simple artistic rendering of a boy with a facial deformity inside a giant white astronaut’s helmet, very similar to the cover artwork of another famous book by R.J. Palacio, Wonder, which features similar cover artwork in a less elaborate design. The lush sketches featured on the cover continue for the whole of the book, and the results are pleasing to both the eye and the heart. As for the book itself, it involves the story of Auggie Wonder, the protagonist of Wonder, who is used to being an ordinary kid that just happens to have an extraordinary face, and a lovable dog named Daisy. Whenever Auggie is sad about how he is not the same as other kids at his school, he is reminded by his family of his true potential: “My mom says I’m unique. She says I’m a wonder. My dog, Daisy, agrees!” (Palacio, p. 10). Eventually, despite this encouragement, Auggie has to decide whether or not to face the bullies who say cruel things about his condition face to face, or take a break from it all. Auggie goes with door number two: “It hurts my feelings. It hurts Daisy’s feelings, too. When that happens, I put on my helmet. I put Daisy’s helmet on, too. And then we blast off!” (Palacio, pgs. 14-18). Out in space, Auggie gets a much better perspective of how big the world is, and sees that “Earth is big enough for all kinds of people” (Palacio, p. 24). He takes this knowledge back down to his fellow kids, and they start to realize that they, too, are all wonders in their own special ways and should treat another with care and respect. No background knowledge is necessary to enjoy this book, but leafing through this wholesome tome may spark an interest in the full novel to be read, which is never a bad flame for an educator to spark.

Classroom Application: Since the book makes the mutual respect of all an enormous priority by depicting kids of completely different backgrounds on the playground and in its text, it’s an ideal text to teach lessons on being decent to one another and not bullying. The author/illustrator also demonstrates that sometimes it is right and just to withdraw from a situation to decompress and take stock. Direct action towards bullies is never good if pursued in anger; one must “look with kindness and…always find wonder” (Palacio, p. 29). One possible lesson after reading the book would be to tie it into school anti-bullying campaigns, and then also review the classroom bullying standards and see if they need to be revised in any way, shape or form. Students would also do well to recognize, as Auggie does, that minds can be changed, and perceptions altered, and how to best go about changing them is always dependent on the situation.

Linguistic and Cultural Diversity Analysis: The book is diversely cast; on page 8, children of every race and faith are depicted with a high degree of accuracy and tact. The unique cultural blend of each school, therefore, can easily fit into the framework of the picture book and be used to great effect in any classroom, regardless of subject. Palacio does a great job explaining how tolerance works to the reader through the simple depiction of all the different groups peacefully coexisting; the only outlier is Auggie, and eventually, the children overcome that difference as well.

Kate Shelley: Bound for Legend

Author/Illustrator: Robert D. San Souci, Max Ginsburg

Publisher and Year Number of pages: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1995, 30 pages.

Genre: Nonfiction

Descriptive Annotation: The cover features a detailed artistic rendering of a girl with a brown coat, tan straw hat, and an orange, glowing oil lamp typical of the mid-to-late 1800s when the book is set. The lush paintings of Iowa featured inside the book continue for the whole of the narrative, and the results are pleasing to both the historian in me for their accuracy and to my inner child due to their exciting events that really drew me in. As for the text itself, it involves the story of Kate Shelley who manages to warn another train hurtling down the tracks to her farm that there has been a wreck at her family’s property and that they need to stop in order to avoid an accident. She is an ordinary kid that just happens to have been in the right place at the right time and is eager to help in any way she can to prevent a preventable tragedy. When Kate sets off on her journey to stop the second accident, she is not helped by anybody. Despite that, she manages to locate some survivors from the wreck, and crawl over the slippery, 700-foot-high railroad bridge that leads to the other incoming train. She does so with full knowledge of the danger that awaits her: “A misstep would send me down below the ties into the flood that was boiling below. I got down on my hands and knees, carrying my useless lantern and guiding myself by the stretch of rail” (Souci, p. 18-19). Eventually, Kate makes it to the station and warns the men inside of the accident waiting to happen, collapsing soon afterward from the exhaustion her ordeal: “Much later she would learn that the train had been halted forty miles to the west, at the edge of the storm. The passengers were safe” (Souci, p. 22). Out in the cold, there are still railroad workers in trouble, and Kate gets up from her resting spot and goes out with the men from the station to help save their lives. Lucky for her and them, the rain and wind that had been blowing that whole time and causing all the trouble stops. This allows a safe rescue of the workers and for Kate to get some real rest, which lasts for a long while until she can get her strength back up: “It was nearly three months before Kate’s strength came back. During this time as she lay in bed, she was greeted by the trains that blew their whistles when they passed the Shelley farmhouse” (Souci, p. 27). She takes this and many other commendations for her bravery in stride, not yet realizing the full power of her actions in a time of need until much later in life. The father of Kate is very proud of his daughter, as is the state of Iowa and most of the country at the time.

Classroom Application: Since the book makes the idea of selfless sacrifice for others and mutual respect of all people an enormous priority, it’s an ideal text to teach lessons on being decent to one another and how to step up when the situation demands one do so. The author/illustrator also demonstrate that direct action towards a problem that needs solving is best, and always good if pursued correctly; one must work hard and think creatively in order to accomplish a “deed bound for legend” (Souci, p. 1). One possible lesson after reading the book would be to tie it into Pay It Forward campaigns, and then also review the classroom bullying standards and see if they need to be revised in order to be more selfless. Students would also do well to recognize, as Kate does, that while actions are important, the intent is what really saves the day.

Linguistic and Cultural Diversity Analysis: The book is set in Iowa, but not in the present-day that we are necessarily used to. There isn’t much of a unique cultural blend of the North American continent in those days, but the differences from our modern-day society come through in the names and clothing of the characters, and could be used to great effect to teach about the historical and present significance of the railroad industry in any history classroom, regardless of grade level. Souci does a great job explaining all this, and his words should definitely be heeded when it comes time to plan your lessons.