Tag Archives: Award Book

The Great Paper Caper

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IMG_9622 [405979]Author/Illustrator: Oliver Jeffers

Publisher and Year: Philomel Books, 2008

Number of Pages: 40

Genre: Fantasy/Fable

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Analysis: “The Great Paper Caper” is about an aspiring bear who dreams of winning a paper airplane competition finds himself in a pickle when he is exposed for cutting down a lot of trees. After he explains why he cut down the trees, the town takes interest in his ideas. This book works as a window into an imaginary world that most would otherwise never experience. Close to all of the power seems to be distributed throughout the jungle, as all of the animals come to the conclusion that someone must be held responsible for the missing trees. The jungle in this book seems somewhat like real life (with an interrogation process and “cops”) so some of the power also lies in their hands. Because the bear was interfering with the daily routines of the jungle (and ultimately the world), he was disliked and considered an enemy by the majority. The bear was ostracized because of his different ideas, which is typically how society deems what is normal and what is not.

Perceptually, this book has very little words and the words are spaced out, so the main focus was on the pictures. The bear never actually speaks in the book, we are only told what he is saying.

Structurally, this story is told with pictures and thought bubbles. The bear continuously walks to the right and appears lower on the page when he is confronted by everyone, but then appears on the top of the page when everyone applauds him for having such a great idea, perhaps to show a change in status.

The Faithful Friend

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Title: The Faithful Friend

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Author: Robert D. San Souci

Illustrator: Brian Pinkney

Publisher and Year: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Adults, 1995

Number of Pages: 36

Genre: Fable, Folktale

Analysis: The Faithful Friend is a book about two friends, Clement and Hippolyte, who take a journey to find a young girl named Pauline for Clement. Once arriving things take a turn for the worse and Hippolyte must keep trying to not let the zombie’s spells harm Clement and Pauline. In the end Hippolyte sacrifices himself so Clement and Pauline can live happily ever after.

This book can function as a mirror or a window for two friends. Friends who truly care for one another, grow close like siblings, similar to Clement and Hippolyte. The actions portrayed by Hippolyte were sacrificial. This book could function as either a mirror or a window because for the mirror, two friends would be sacrificing for the other friend in this exact moment, but this book could be a window for friends who could see themselves sacrificing for the better of the other friend in the future.

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Perceptually, the book cover has two silver honor awards, a Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Award, which stick out immediately. However, the colors on the cover are dark creating a bad feeling. The size and color of the text make it easy to read and flow from page to page.

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Structurally, the two boys are on the same level because of their similar status or power. However, Monsieur Zabocat, the plantation owner of Pauline, appears higher than Hippolyte, Clement and Pauline throughout the book. Since Zabocat is shown higher than the three friends, this shows that he has more power and status than the others. A horizon typically appears throughout the book, but the horizon disappears when Hippolyte is about to prevent the zombie’s spell from harming Clement and Pauline, which shows that danger is near. The text adds to the images because of the complexity of the message within. The words could cause some confusion if there was an absence of images. Both the images and the text work together to complete the message and story.

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Ideologically, sacrificial friendship is the main lesson to take away from the book. The author does a great job of showing the sacrifices that were made by one friend. However, some of the actions prior to the sacrifices like zombies, threats from Pauline’s owner, and spells are all actions and behaviors that children should not read about. The spells and zombies could easily scare young children. So, yes the lesson about friendship is important, but that lesson does not reveal itself until after the inappropriate action by some of the characters in the book. The concept as a whole is great, but some of the minor details are worrisome for children.

A Sick Day for Amos McGee

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Title: A Sick Day for Amos McGee

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Author: Philip C. Stead

Illustrator: Erin E. Stead

Publisher and Year: Roaring Brook Press, 2010

Number of Pages: 30

Tags: Award Book, Natalie Fletcher, Animals, Fiction, Friendship, Picture Book, K-1

Genre: Fiction

Analysis: A Sick Day for Amos McGee is a book about a zookeeper names Amos McGee who visits the zoo every day. However, one morning Amos wakes up sick and is not able to visit his friends at the zoo. The animals decide to go visit Amos McGee at his house instead. This book also is a Caldecott winner.

A Sick Day for Amos McGee could act as a window for a child learning about how to be a true friend and care for their friends even when friends are not able to reciprocate. This book could also act as a door for a child or person challenging them to act on their friendships. This book could encourage people to reach out to an old friend, check up on a current friend or make a new friend. Similarly, this picture book could function as a mirror too, for friends who are experiencing friendship in a similar way that Amos and the animals experience their friendship.

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Perceptually, the front cover has a bright pop of color, even though Amos and the animals are all in dull colors. Initially the book feels excited to read because of the bright yellow, but once looking closer to the images, the dull colors create a feeling of sadness and mystery. The colors throughout the book create a feeling for the reader throughout the book. The text is easy to read and helps the story flow from page to page.

Structurally, Amos and the animals are proportional throughout the novel demonstrating that the status or power of each character is equal. Prior to Amos’ illness, Amos takes care of the animals and entertains them, but once Amos falls sick, the animals step up and make Amos feel better or entertain him. The animals and Amos both have equal power to help the other, demonstrating their equivalent status throughout the book. With a lack of a frame, the audience feels part of the action that is occurring in the pictures. The images throughout the book mirror the text that is written, further expressing the text in a different manner. At times, the images can also add some clarity or details for readers while they read through the book. Amos2

The overarching message throughout the entire book is the importance of loyalty and friendship. This book shows these messages in a way that is entertaining for young children. Children can see loyalty through Amos’ action of visiting the zoo everyday to see his animal friends. They can also learn a lesson from Amos and the animals about friendship, because Amos does not just visit his friends, he also plays and interacts with them. Likewise, the animals visit Amos, take care of him and entertain him. Simple actions go a long way and can be demonstrated throughout this book.

Blueberries for Sal

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Title: Blueberries for Sal

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Author: Robert McCloskey

Illustrator: Robert McCloskey

Publisher and Year: The Viking Press, 1948

Number of Pages: 55

Genre: Fiction

Analysis: Blueberries for Sal is about a young girl, Sal, her mother, and a little bear and her mother bear who all go to the Blueberry Hill to get blueberries in order to save for the winter. While Sal and little bear are separated from their mothers, they encounter the other mother, but in the end and reunite with their own mothers and gather enough blueberries to save for winter. This book received a Caldecott Honor.

This book can function as a mirror for children who wander away or are selective listeners to their mothers, but could also function as a mirror for mothers whom children do not listen to instructions. The initial fear that both mother and child feel when getting lost is an emotion thoroughly expressed within this book. Not only does this book function as a mirror but can also function as a window for children nowadays to learn about a different time period, specifically about the role of mother and daughter.

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Perceptually, the book appears to be a happy book with the yellow and blue front cover.  The text throughout the book is easy to read and written in blue print and a white background. The words are also big enough to read from a distance and in a clean cut print. The length of the sentences and paragraphs is not too long, just enough to tell the story before turning the page. Although the images are detailed, they simply  mirror the text, not adding much detail to the story at all.

Structurally, the images are all in blue and white and appear to be pencil drawings, detailed and intricate. Both the human mother and bear mother are larger than their child, demonstrating that the mothers are stronger and the children are weaker. Often times throughout this book, the children are looking toward the right, showing that they are less secure, and the mothers are looking towards the left, which shows that they are more stable and secure. A child’s security can be less than the mother’s because the children get lost throughout the book, feeling insecure without their mothers.

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Ideologically, this book portrays stereotypical gender roles. Specifically speaking, the mother wears a skirt and does more feminine jobs, like pick and can blueberries. This book is from an older time period, so for the time period, the idea of collecting blueberries to save for the winter while wearing a skirt is appropriate for the time period. However nowadays the roles portrayed throughout the book are stereotypical. Society should want to move further away from stereotypical roles being reinforced. This book encouraged the audience that stereotypical roles are okay and that the women should be the ones collecting and canning blueberries, not the men or even the entire family. Throughout the book Sal and Little Bear are always wandering and not collecting blueberries. A lesson that children should not learn from this book is that it is not okay to wander away from adults.   Also, Sal and the cub were told by their mothers to save blueberries for the winter and both Sal and the cub did not listen to their mothers’ instructions, which again demonstrate a poor message to the readers.

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Last Stop on Market Street

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Title: Last Stop on Market Street

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Author: Matt de la Pena

Illustrator/Photographer: Christian Robinson

Publisher and Year: The Penguin Group in 2015

Number of pages: 29 pgs

Tags: Olivia Simkins, Realistic Fiction, 2-3, 4-5, Culture, Picture Book, Family, Award Book

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Analysis:

This book is about a little boy named CJ who is taking a trip to the soup kitchen with his Nana. Along the way CJ questions his Nana about why they are walking in the rain, why they have to ride the bus and why he does not have an iPod. He learns along the way to enjoy the things he has. This book has won the Coretta Scott King Award and the Newberry Award and is a Caldecott Honor book as well.

This story could serve as a door, and a mirror. The readers can view it as a mirror because they connect to a part in the novel. They might be able to connect about the time they rode on the bus or the time they volunteered at a soup kitchen or some place else. It can also serve as a door to inspire the readers to help at their local soup kitchen or volunteer in their community. I also feel like the illustrator wanted to represent all the different cultures in the story but I found out some underlying ideological features in this book. I feel that there is stereotypes represented when CJ is asking his Nana about not having a car. His friend who has a car is Caucasian and CJ is African American. This could be problematic for some readers because it could make them feel like this book is presenting racist stereotypes.

After analyzing the perceptual features of this book, I have noticed the use of colors. In the beginning of the book CJ talks about walking out of church and how he felt free. The use of colors in this book supports that statement as well. The colors are all very bright, and when looking into what bright color represent, it states that they represent freedom.

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Have You Filled A Bucket Today?

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Title: Have You Filled A Bucket Today? A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids Bucket1

Author: Carol McCloud

Illustrator: David Messing

Publisher and Year: Ferne Press, 2006

Number of Pages: 31

Genre: Fiction 

Analysis: Have You Filled a Bucket Today? is a children’s picture book which received a Mom’s Choice Award, and teaches children the benefits of kindness to everyone, even complete strangers. Throughout the book a bucket is used as a symbol of a person’s happiness. If the bucket is full, then a person is happy, but if the bucket is empty a person is sad. 

Have You Filled a Bucket Today? includes five different cultures on the first page and continues to show people of different races and ages throughout the book. Not only are different races and ages exhibited throughout the book but also a child in a wheelchair is represented. This book can serve as a mirror for a reader who is acting in a caring and loving manner towards others, but this book could also be considered a door since it encourages others to act and fill other people’s buckets. Society often thinks that adults have the influence, but this book shows that through simple actions, children can impact their peers, adults, teachers, and even strangers.

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Perceptually, this book appears to be a happy and joyful book. The text is big,clear and easy for students to read. The  amount of text represented on each page is just enough to grasp the understanding and then move on to the next page. Each page adds onto the previous page, while still reflecting the same message.

Structurally, the diverse characters vary, but the image of the bucket remains the same. The bucket reflects a character’s outward appearance. For example, characters that wear glasses have a bucket that wears glasses. This artistic style shows the audience that the bucket is not an item separate from the person. A bucket is symbolic of the person’s feelings and emotions on the inside. Since this book suggests that children have the power to impact a person’s happiness, the images of children and adults are on the same level. This image is a powerful point because it shows that children can impact adults just as much if not more than adults can impact children. Throughout the book, the images mirror the text, showing exactly what is written, but in some instances the images add to the text further explaining the story through pictures.

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Finally, ideologically this book’s positive message will have a lasting effect on children more than the negative lesson. One aspect that was negative was when the author points out that a bully is a “bucket dipper” (p. 15). The illustrator adds onto these words by creating images that show bullying actions. These words and images give children examples of ways that they should not behave towards their peers. The first positive message shows children the affect that happiness can have on other people as well as their own happiness. Not only does this book portray a positive message overall, but also there are relatable examples that students can take away from this book.