Tag Archives: Animals

Off to First Grade

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Author: Louise Borden

Illustrator: Joan Rankin

Publishing Information: Margaret K. McElderry, 2008

Number of Pages: 36

Genre: Realistic Fiction, Picture book

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Analysis:

The book illustrates twenty-three students’ morning of getting ready for their first day of school. They are nervous but excited. Each student has his or her own anticipation of school.

Off to First Grade serves the purpose of preparing children to get ready for their first day of school. From knowledge to habit cultivating, from having lunch to making friends, this book functions as a window for children to form an idea of what a school is actually like. The author and the illustrator have done an excellent job expressing diversity. It is possible for children with different backgrounds to find one or two characters who have similar family structure, hobby, or even favorite food with themselves. Once the connections are built, children may start to like school.

However, I found the illustration problematic for the following reasons. We can conclude from the book that students have different backgrounds and there are different races in this class. At the first glance, it seems clever for the illustrator to illustrate all students as animals. It is a smart analogy to make different kinds of animals stand for different people. However, it seems to me that the illustrator is trying to avoid diversity issues such as race and gender. Children might still get confused when they arrive at school and notice that people are different, not the way animals are. Therefore, I think it is proper to illustrate people of different races directly and show children what the real world is like.

Perceptually, the text uses short lines to depict every situation. It is like a poem to some degree which makes it easier for children to read. The whole book uses bright colors which give children an impression of school that is full of hope and energy. The pictures are not framed which help children to put themselves in the story. Structurally, text and images do not overlap. Ideologically, the book helps children to have a good attitude towards school. It also encourages children to communicate with teachers. For example, Polly wants to show Mrs. Miller her penny and Quinn wants to ask Mrs. Miller if she likes jazz (P. 18). Besides, family bond is stressed a lot in the book.

“Slowly, Slowly, Slowly” said the Sloth

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Author: Eric Carle

Illustrator: Eric Carle

Publishing Information: Philomel Books, 2002

Number of Pages: 24

Tags: Animals, Fiction, K-1, Picture Book

Genre: Fable

Analysis:

This book tells the story of a sloth living in the jungle, and going about his daily activities. The other animals wonder why he does things so differently than the other animals and start to ask him questions about it. Finally, the sloth explains that he enjoys his lifestyle and does things at his own pace.

This story is illustrated with bright watercolors, as the plot is fairly lighthearted. It also provides both a picture of each animal that is featured in the story, along with their name on the back pages. An interesting thing to note, however, is that the sloth is always featured on the left page of the book, until the other animals start to question his lifestyle. This shows readers that the sloth is secure with himself until this point. Once the other animals begin questioning him, he is featured on the right page, indicating that he is less secure and faces more of a conflict than he did prior.

My initial perception of this book was that it was merely a simple children’s picture narrative, for beginning readers. I felt this way because the text was fairly simple, and there was not an elaborate storyline to go along with the pictures. Furthermore, the illustrations were very eye-catching, leading me to believe that they were the intended focus. However, when analyzing the text on a deeper level, I was able to see a more important message reflected by the sloth and his story. The story provides children with a window to see that different people have different ways they like to do things, and that is perfectly acceptable; different people like different things. It is also a mirror to show them that they are unique and have a unique way of going about things that they like best. This book teaches children the importance of accepting your differences, and being happy in what you choose to do. As a result, I’ve found that while the illustrations are certainly to be admired, there is a deeper context to be found in this simple story of a sloth in the jungle.

Toot & Puddle: A New Friend

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Title: Toot & Puddle: The New Friend

Author: Holly Hobbie

Illustrator: Holly Hobbie

Publishing Information: Little, Brown and Company, 2004

Number of Pages: 29

Genre: Fable

Analysis:

Toot and Puddle are two pigs that are spending some time playing with their friend Opal, who introduces them to her new friend Daphne. Daphne seems to be very good at everything she does, and she certainly knows it as she shows off her talents and skills to the three other pigs, making her come across as a snob. Eventually, a conflict occurs in which Opal demonstrates a skill that Daphne does not have, and the friends realize that everyone has different skills and talents that they are good at.

This story serves as a window for children to understand that, although someone may be very talented at one thing, they should not view this as a shortcoming on their part; no one is good at everything, and different people have different talents. In the beginning of the story, Daphne has most of the power, because everyone is impressed that she has so many talents. However, this shifts when she begins to be a bit snobbish, and the friends are less enthralled with her because they dislike her attitude. This is evident, as the facial expressions and negative body language are reflected nicely in the illustrations.

In the beginning of the story, the colors are very bright and warm, signaling a freedom and happiness among Toot, Puddle, and Opal. However, there is a noticeable absence of illustrations and the colors begin to dull as the story proceeds, as a result of the frustration that emerges when Daphne is introduced. At the end of the story, Opal is seen looking out the window, which symbolizes her growth from the beginning of the story, as she finds a skill she is best at and learns the moral of the story.

As I touched upon, this story teaches children that everyone has different skills, and no one is better or worse than another person because of their individual skills. I perceived this book as one that had a conflict with showing off and how that impacted friendships when I read it for the first time, which is still a theme that is worth acknowledging. The illustrations are primarily framed, so they are experiencing the story as an outsider who can glean the message from our own point of view. I think that this book provides a creative way to teach children about the impacts of bragging, and how everyone has different abilities that make them special.

 

Clumsy Duck

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Author: Britta Teckentrup

Illustrator: Britta Teckentrup

Publishing Information: Boxer Books Limited, 2013

Number of Pages: 20

Genre: Fable

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Analysis:

Clumsy Duck is a small duck who has big feet, which causes her to fall quite a bit and bump into things. Her friend, Chick, tries to do different activities with Clumsy Duck in order to see just how clumsy she is, and if there are any activities she can do without being so clumsy. In the end, Chick and Clumsy Duck discover that Clumsy Duck’s big feet are perfect for swimming very gracefully in the water.

The story starts with Clumsy Duck feeling bad about herself, because she thinks she has a flaw (her feet) that prevents her from doing things that everyone else can. However, she finds in the end that this very thing she initially viewed as a flaw was actually one of her best strengths when she used it in a different context. This can serve as both a window and a mirror for children, as it teaches them that being different can work to their advantage, and they should not feel bad about the parts of them that are different. Furthermore, the story highlights the ways in which Chick assures her friend that they will find something she is good at and tries different activities to figure out what that is. This provides a door for children to apply the same practices with their peers, rather than treating their differences in a negative way. This book definitely reflects a theme of friendship and self-acceptance that can help kids with their self-perception.

The illustrations have bright colors that help to show the hopefulness that is seen throughout the process of finding Clumsy Duck’s best use for her big feet. Also, the illustrations are not framed, allowing the reader to experience the story with the characters. I thought it was also encouraging that both Clumsy Duck and Chick were always the same size as one another throughout the story, which shows readers that they are equals (despite Clumsy Duck’s differences). Finally, I found it interesting that, for most of the story, Clumsy Duck is on the right side of the page, as this indicates the conflict she is facing within herself throughout the story.

I had the phrase “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” as a mantra in my head as a reflected on the storyline, because of Chick’s persistence to find something her friend would do well. This can also help children to not be discouraged by their shortcomings, and to pick themselves up and move forward. Due to the ideologies of self-acceptance, acceptance of others, and friendship that were embedded in the story, I thought this book was a very cute way to present valuable life-lessons for young children.

Pinduli

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Author: Janell Cannon

Illustrator: Janell Cannon

Publisher and year: Scholastic 2004

Number of pages: 38

Genre: Fiction

          IMG_3392 Pinduli is the story of a beautiful hyena that wanders away from her mother into the East African wild. While Pinduli is wandering she runs into dogs, a lion and a zebra who all judged Pinduli’s looks. Pinduli becomes very self conscience and starts to change her looks to fit in, she gets to the point where she covers herself in dust making her look like a ghost. All the animals that once teased her were now afraid of her and begged her to forgive them for being mean since the believed she was a ghost. Pinduli told them they must find out why they were teasing others and give the one you teased food to be forgiven. Pinduli’s mother found her and reminded her of her inner and outer beauty

This text talks a lot about how you should always treat others how you want to be treated. The text also talks about being true to yourself and not changing to fit in. Since these are the main themes throughout the story I believe that this text might function as a door. I believe this because the readers can learn lessons from the text and apply those lessons to their own lives. Feeling like you don’t fit in is something that a lot of people are able to connect to. Since this books features animals there are no cultures represented besides the fact that the story is based in East Africa. At the end of the book there is diagram that shows the hyena family and other animals from East Africa, which gives readers some insight about the wild life in Africa that a lot of readers probably don’t know about. I really liked how the author put an explanation about the different animals in the book at the end because it made me as a reader feel more connected to the book after having more knowledge of the animals.

The illustrations throughout this book are beautifully done and the emotions of each animal is very clear in the text . While all different types of animals are teasing Pinduli she is always facing right showing that she is less secure. I have also noticed that all the animals that have teased her are much bigger and are higher up on the page showing that the have the power in that moment. As the story goes on and as the mean animals learn their lesson and apologize to Pinduli then she becomes more proud of her appearance and she starts facing left showing that she is more secure with herself. I really enjoyed this text because it teaches the important lesson of never changing yourself for someone else and also to treat others, as you want to be treated.IMG_3393

It’s a Book

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Author: Lane Smith

Illustrator: Lane Smith

Publisher and Year: Roaring Book Press 2010

Number of pages: 26 pages

Genre: Fiction

IIMG_3390t’s a Book is a story about a mouse, a monkey and a donkey (the donkey is considered a jackass in the book). The monkey has a book and the donkey is very confused by the book because he only has technology and asks the monkey many questions about the book. Throughout the whole story the monkey tries to explain the book to the donkey. In the end the monkey gives up on trying to explain the process of using books and the concept of libraries.

I believe that this text can function as a mirror for children and parents. It shows how new generations of children are so reliable on technology that books have become less interesting than they once were. I think that adults may pick this book up and see similarities with their children and their addiction to technology. This book could also function, as a window for the readers because they can pick it up and see that the future may be like this if the importance of books is not stressed. The book only has animals in it so no culture or diversity is really represented.The images of the book mirror the text. The images are cartoon like and the illustrator made sure the emotions of the animals can be seen in their eyes. The text makes it a reality that technology is taking over the lives of the younger generations and that finding the easier route is what they want. For example the monkey shows the donkey a page of his book he has read and the donkey says “Too many letters. Ill fix it” and he continues to abbreviate words into texting form. I believe that the donkey is meant to symbolize young children and the monkey is an adult or parent. The pictures are all large and do not contain frames making it feel like the reader is part of the picture. The text seems like it is supposed to be comical and make fun of the fact children are so drawn to technology. Although this book does a good job talking about the issue of technology I was uncomfortable with their use of the word “jackass.” This is meant to be a children’s book. I found it in the children’s section and using the word jackass instead of donkey is inappropriate. Before the book starts there is a picture of the monkey and by it the text says “It’s a monkey” and by the donkey it says, “It’s a jackass”. The author should of used donkey instead of jackass to be more child friendly. All throughout the book the word jackass isn’t used again till the last page where the mouse in frustration yells at the donkey “It’s a book, Jackass.” Without this inappropriate word the book would be so much better. It would be funny and also teach an important lesson at the same time. Sadly because of this word I did not like the text because I wouldn’t feel comfortable using it in my classroom or reading it to my niece.

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Dario and the Whale

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Author: Cheryl Lawton Malone

Illustrator/ Photographer: Bistra Masseva

Publisher and Year: Albert Whitman and Company, 2016

Number of Pages: 29 pages

Genre: Fiction

This book tells of the tale of Dario’s adventures at the shore every spring. Dario and his mother move to the shore every spring so Dario’s mom is able to work. Dario, a boy of Brazilian culture, struggles to fit in except when he befriends a whale in the ocean. This story serves as a window for the intended audience because it tells of Dario’s struggles to fit in at the seashore due to his cultural differences. For example, when Dario went to the shore, no one wanted to play with him because he wanted to play soccer while the other boys were playing baseball.

In the beginning of the story, Dario’s mother holds the power because she brought Dario to the shore for her job. In addition, Dario does not fit in with the other children because his cultural likes are different from the other children’s likes. At the same time, the reader sees a parallel of a whale struggling to fit in with its atmosphere and fish in the ocean as well. The story follows the bonding of Dario and the whale throughout the rest of the story so that by the end of story, Dario gains power and confidence in realizing that he does indeed have a friend at the seashore. The story begins by stating that Dario and his mother come from a Brazilian background, which causes a struggle for Dario to fit in at the beach. Because his Brazilian traditions and culture is different from the other children at the beach, the other children do not want to interact with him. Regardless of Dario and the whale being different, they both manage to establish a positive friendship with each other. Through this book, my understanding of culture has not really changed from what I have already learned. Instead, it reiterates the importance and acceptance of diversity. It shows that though people have different cultures, it does not mean that all groups have to stay segregated. Dario and the Whale shows that people can have different interests and likes but can still be friends.

There is very little text while the images take up most the page to show the artwork speaks more than the text. The intermingling of Brazilian words with English honors two identities of Dario: Brazilian and American. For example, Dario holding a soccer ball stands for the importance of soccer to the Brazilian culture. At the same time, he wears the colors of the Brazilian flag, honoring the Brazilian culture. Dario’s struggles parallel with the whale’s struggle to fit in showing Dario is not alone in the struggle to feel welcomed. The text is next to the living figure in the story indicating that the character is completing what the text is saying. Colors and images are bright and cheerful to represent the excitement of Dario in finding a friend while also symbolizing the beautiful nautical colors of the ocean. This storybook conveys the messages that friends can be found in unlikely places, the ocean can connect people with nature, and differences among people make an individual special.

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The Turnip

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Author & Illustrator: Jan Brett (author and illustrator)

Publisher and Year: Penguin Random House LLC, 2015

Number of Pages: 30 Pages

Genre: Fantasy

Badger Girl comes across the biggest turnip she has ever seen in her vegetable garden. She asks for the help of family and friends to help her get the turnip out of the ground so the community can enjoy and eat the turnip.

The story serves as a window into how teamwork can accomplish many things. Even though it is unrealistic that animals perform these tasks, they represent how a community with a diverse group of individuals brings strength to the group. In the beginning, the turnip has the power because it will not come out of the ground. Badger Girl continues to fail because she is trying to pull the turnip out of the ground by herself. As the story continues on, other characters in the story attempt to help Badger Girl get the turnip out of the ground. Finally, the turnip finally comes out the ground when the power to help is distributed among all members of the community.

All the animals represent a different type of culture in society (not explicitly stated but they represent diverse groups of people in communities). The story shows that when all kinds of cultures come together to collaborate, things can be successfully accomplished. This theme can be applied to my understanding of culture as a whole because the more diverse cultures involved in a community, the better tasks can be completed. In addition, all animals had respect for one another’s differences. This is an important contribution to my understanding of culture because getting to know other cultures allows for barriers to be broken, which benefits the community as a whole. The pictures are very detailed, colorful, and large, which engages the reader into the artwork of the story. Also, all the animals have elaborate outfits, making them relatable to a human being. The borders include foreshadowing of the next images, which allow the reader to be creative and make predictions as to what will happen next in the story. The images are framed which make reader an observer of this fantasy world in the middle of the forest. The wide range of forest animals symbolizes different cultures among all kinds of people. The images and text once again mirror one other to allow the reader to follow along with the story visually and textually. The turnip symbolizes problems in a community that need teamwork of all members to be solved. Important ideologies from this story are teamwork, using differences to help one another, everyone offers a unique talent to help the group, and problems are not difficult to solve if everyone is involved to help.IMG_2821IMG_2822

 

A Dog Day for Susan

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Author: Maureen Fergus

Illustrator/ Photographer: Monica Arnaldo

Publisher and Year: Owlkids Books, 2016

Number of Pages: 31 Pages

Genre: Realistic Fiction

This book tells of Susan, Spencer’s Great Aunt Alice’s dog. Great Aunt Alice comes to visit Spencer’s family and treats Susan as one of the humans. Finding this odd, Spencer and his dog Barney are on a mission to teach Susan how to be a real dog.

The story serves as a window and mirror into how humans see animals and the idea of individuality. Alice views Susan as an equal and even shares how she refuses to go anywhere that treats dogs as “second class citizens” (Arnaldo, 2016). At the same time, Spencer wants to show Susan what a “real” dog is supposed to act like because he feels that Susan did not sound like him and Barney’s “kind” of dog (Arnaldo, 2016). The moment that Great Aunt Alice arrives, Susan is treated as one of the humans. So, Susan and Alice hold the power over Spencer and Barney. In response, Spencer goes on a mission to show Susan how to be a real dog so that by the end of the story, Spencer has gained power by showing her how to be a real dog at the park.

The illustrator depicted the family in the story as Caucasian so not much diversity is involved in the story. Instead, the culture represented in this book is the relationship of humans and their pets. Alice cares for her dog Susan and wants to make sure she is treated with kindness and respect. Great Aunt Alice’s attitude reflects as a mirror that shows how people in society now see pets as more than just an animal, but as a friend. In addition, another theme comes into play as to who Susan really is. She acts one way with Alice but another with Spencer and Barney. This can symbolize the attempt to influence who an individual is supposed to be. This story has shown me that it is acceptable to be more than just one type of person; an individual can have many personality traits that make him or her unique. The text is clear to find on the page which shows that what is being said is important. At the same time, there are more images than text showing that the artwork is very important to the story and should be paid attention to. Also, communication between two characters is a closer-up image meaning the dialogue is significant to the plot. The text correlates with the image on each page, allowing the reader to hear and see the story. Flashbacks are represented in a dark blue color, which can stand for times that were not good for Great Aunt Alice. This storybook portrays core themes such as the bond between animals and humans, and the importance of self-discovery and individuality.

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Abracadabra, It’s Spring!

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Author: Anne Sibley O’ Brien

Illustrator/ Photographer: Susan Gal

Publisher and Year: Abrams Appleseed, 2016

Number of Pages: 42 Pages

Genre: Poetry, Realistic Fiction

This story tells of the reawakening of nature and its inhabitants when the spring season comes around. The snow and cold melt away and the blossoming of flowers, sunshine, and green engulf the world.

The story serves as a window for the audience to show the beauty of the spring season. In the spring, nature and all the animals reawaken to beautiful and lively colors. At the same time, humans can be outdoors once again with fresh air and sunshine on their faces. The book also serves as a mirror to remind the reader how beautiful the spring season is. If humans want to enjoy the beauty depicted in this book, then humans have to care for the Earth and protect it. The book has a unique approach to the distribution of power in the sense that nature has the power. Each year, the Earth allows the spring to bring all plants back to life and animals out of hibernation after a long and cold winter. The author and illustrator focus on the “magic” of the spring season that brings the community of animals and people together to enjoy the wonders of nature. In this story, the artwork speaks more than the text because the elaborate and detailed pictures depict the liveliness spring brings to all. By the artwork of the illustrator, my understanding of culture has broadened to mean more than just people. Nature can be its own culture as well.

The book symbolizes the magic and joy that spring brings to the world. At the same time, it sends a message to current generations to protect the earth and its exquisiteness so that spring can continue to bloom flowers with many bursts of color for future generations to enjoy. Just as the last page of the story shows, nature is able to bring children and adults of all types and cultures to enjoy the magnificence of the season. Nature welcomes all and does not exclude based on race, religion, or gender. The artwork is more important because the text is small, and one page opens to another flap to reveal the artwork of spring season. In addition, the animals are noticeably large and close up, which allows the reader to pay attention to the artwork portrayed in the story. The text is simple with words such as “presto change”, “alakazam”, and “open sesame.” This shows that the season of spring is like a magic trick and can bring wonderful things out of the seemingly impossible. This is emphasized by the artwork being very colorful and busy, just like the season of spring. In the end, the main themes of this book are nature reawakens in the spring, humans must protect the Earth to allow spring to continue, spring brings color to the Earth, and spring weather brings people of all kinds outdoors to come together.      IMG_2815IMG_2817