Tag Archives: K-1

Hey, Little Ant

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IMG_9611 [405969]Authors: Phillip and Hannah Hoose

Illustrator: Debbie Tilley

Publisher and Year: Tricycle Press, 1998

Number of Pages: 22

Genre: Fantasy/Poetry
IMG_9613 [405970]Analysis:“Hey, Little Ant” is a story about a child that contemplates whether or not he should spare an ant’s life. After putting himself in the ant’s shoes, the boy sees that maybe he shouldn’t squish the bug after all. This text could primarily work as a window. It is common in America to carelessly step on small bugs, such as ants. This book could give us a glimpse of the bug’s perspective. This book also allows children to step out of the egocentric world that they live in, where everything is “I view it this way, so that’s how it must be.” In the story, the power somewhat shifts from the big and mighty kid to the ant, who ultimately could’ve convinced the boy not to step on him. When the ant tells the kid to imagine that he was the ant and the ant the kid, the boy starts to feel for the ant.

Perceptually, the emphasis on the boy’s size compared to the ant really shows how superior we, as humans, feel to bugs and nature. This book is a very rhythmic book so that younger students can read it easier. Specific words bolded for emphasis, and bright colors are used as attention grabbers and positivity. The book also ends with a cliffhanger: Does the boy squish the ant?

Structurally, the child is enormous compared to the ant. The ant is always pictured very small, meaning he is weak. On the other hand, the child is very large, meaning he is the strong character. At one point, the ant and child switch sizes—perhaps a power swap.

Ideologically, this book teaches readers that empathy and kindness are great traits to have.

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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Trouble with Trolls

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Title: Trouble with Trolls

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Author: Jan Brett

Illustrator: Jan Brett

Publisher and Year: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1992

Number of Pages: 30

Genre: Fantasy

Analysis: In Trouble with Trolls, a young girl Treva and her dog, Tuffi, like to go on hikes up the mountain and then to ski down the mountain. Whenever they go up the mountain they encounter trolls that try and take her dog. Each time Treva runs into a different troll, she uses manipulation in order to save her dog from the trolls.

This book can function as a window for an audience who does not know about mountains, hiking or dogs. This book gives an insight into what life is like in the mountains. However, another function could be a mirror because people who live near or in mountains and are used to hiking or other problems that may arise while hiking may see themselves throughout the book.

Perceptually, the words are easy to read and the length is just right per page. The images seem to stop or create their own framing around the words. Since this pattern within the text repeats itself, at first the images mirror the meaning of the text but as the pattern continues some of the images begin to add meaning to the text.

Structurally, each image is detailed and framed. The frame around each image is detailed as well. However, on some of the pages the images seem to be coming out of the frame. For example, the underground cave for the trolls comes out of the frame and allows the audience to feel part of the sneaky action with the trolls, while the framed pictures only allow the audience to see a glimpse into Treva’s world. The partially framed and unframed structure creates two different experiences, depending on what is first seen while looking at each page. The images that crawl out of the frame blend in which can go unnoticed while first reading the book. After re-reading the book, the reader picks up on the detail of the underground cave outside of the frame creating a more involved feeling with the book a second or third time reading it.

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Ideologically, this book teaches a negative message and a positive lesson. First off, Treva is intelligent and creative. She uses problem solving skills and techniques that can be applicable and interesting for young children to read about. Students could learn how to use their creativity and problem solving skills to fix a situation. However, Treva’s intelligence and creativity is sneaky and she is manipulative of the trolls. Although teachers strive to teach problem solving skills to students, problem-solving skills should not be sneaky.

My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay

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Title: My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay

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Author: Cari Best

Illustrator: Vanessa Brantley-Newton

Publisher and Year: Farrar Straus Giroux, 2015

Number of Pages: 31

Genre: Fiction

Analysis: My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay is about a blind African American girl, Zulay, her friends Maya, Nancy, and Chyng and how these four girls navigate their school day. Zulay experiences some challenges and differences in school, but she learns how to overcome those challenges with the help of her friends and teachers.

This book can act as a mirror for children who have a friend whom are blind. Another function this book could have is as a mirror for multicultural people because throughout the book different cultures are represented. This book can also function as a window for people who are not blind because children can read about the challenges that Zulay faces and learn about her daily life. A door can resemble this book as well because it can encourage people who know a blind person to help in any way possible.

Perceptually, the text is friendly and easy to read. For the most part, the text is well written and the length of the text per page is reasonable. However, there was one line in particular that is awful! The book states, “Then Ms. Turner will work with Zulay while the rest of us go to the gym” (p. 10). Zulay the child who is blind experiences social isolation during the school day.

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Structurally, the images are spot on to the way the text is read! The image of the classroom is inclusive, because every child’s nametag is also written in Braille. Zulay’s classroom even has a Brailler that Zulay can use to help her academically. On pages 10 and 11, Zulay’s independence and academic success can be seen through Zulay and Maya working together. Maya helps Zulay with drawing a 3D drawing, but then Zulay is able to help Maya with columns of tens and ones. The images on these two pages do not reflect Zulay’s disability at all. If a reader opened to these pages, they would see two girls in the classroom helping each other, not Zulay’s disability. Not visibly showing Zulay’s disability on each page, helped the audience to see Zulay as a academically succeeding student, not as a student with a disability.

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Ideologically, there is a  positive lesson and a negative lesson that could be taken from this picture book. First, instances of social isolation occur when Zulay must go work with Ms. Turner while all the other kids participate in a different activity. This negative lesson can teach children that it is okay to treat their peers with disabilities differently. Even though Zulay initially felt isolated and excluded, Ms. Turner and Zulay end up conquering a life skill. A positive lesson that the audience can take away is that children with disabilities are successful academically, socially and physically. Zulay was able to succeed academically by using Braille to help her read and write, she succeeded socially because by having three best friends and she succeeded physically by being able to walk with a cane and run with Ms. Turner.

The Name Jar

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Title: The Name Jar

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Author: Yangsook Choi

Illustrator: Yangsook Choi

Publisher and Year: Alfred A. Knopf, 2001

Number of Pages: 30

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Analysis: The Name Jar is about a young girl, Unhei, and her family’s adjustment after their move from Korea to America. Once in America, Unhei realizes that her name is different and she decides that she is going to come up with a new name using her classmates’ suggestions in the name jar. At the end of the book, Unhei realizes that she doesn’t feel like herself with any of the American names and decides to keep her Korean name because it makes her unique.

This book can function as a window for people not from Korea. The culture portrayed throughout the book teaches the audience lessons about differences between the American and Korean culture. Another function of this book is a mirror for people who move from Korea to the United States. This book allows Korean children who move to the United States to understand and relate to Unhei and her family.

Perceptually, the front cover leaves the reader with a mysterious feeling and numerous thoughts and questions about the entirety of the book.  The ambiguity of the front cover draws the audience in to read more of the book. Once starting to read the book, there is a lot of text per page, which means the author has a lot of information to share. Along with the length of the text, the color of the text was typically black on a white or light background. Occasionally the text was white on a dark background, but either way the text was simple and easy to read.

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Structurally, Unhei faces to the right, representing that she is less secure, but after she decides to keep her Korean name she faces towards the left. Unhei’s security within herself could be based off of lack of security after moving to a new country, making new friends, and having a new school. However, once she adjusts and learns that her name is special after all, Unhei has gained security within herself. Throughout most of the book, the images mirror the text further emphasizing what the text is saying in a different way.  However a couple times the text adds to the images. Typically the text is added to the images when something is written in Korean. Unhei’s stamp or letter from her grandmother were written in Korean and the reader could not have known what the stamp or letter said without having the text to support the images.

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Ideologically, this book portrays important life lessons for school age children. One lesson that is taught to the reader is that individuality helps make one unique and special! This book also demonstrates the meaning and importance of true friendship through Joey and Unhei’s friendship. From the beginning of the book, Joey was friendly to Unhei and wanted to get to know more about her. Joey was such an incredible friend that it was actually he who indirectly showed Unhei how special and important her name truly was.

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Marc Just Couldn’t Sleep

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Title: Marc Just Couldn’t Sleep

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Author: Gabriela Keselman

Illustrator/Photographer: Noewmí Vilamuza

Publisher and Year: Kane/Miller Book Publishers and 2004

Number of pages: 24 pgs

Tags: Olivia Simkins, Realistic Fiction, 2-3, K-1, Culture, Picture Book, Family

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Analysis:

Marc is a little boy who is scared of everything. In order to go to sleep, he makes sure his mom does everything she can to make sure nothing will be able to scare him anymore so he can fall asleep. Finally, his mom can do nothing more than sit on his bed with him and he finally falls asleep. This book could function as a mirror for the intended audience. I feel that it is a window because the audience reading this may be a parent or child that have experienced being afraid or not being able to fall asleep because something scared them. This book can also relate to parents because parents make a lot of scarifies for their children, even if it means going out of their way to make sure their child is not afraid of anything. The readers could relate in many ways. They could relate to it because their guardian or mom used to tuck them into bed or comfort them when they were scared. The audience can apply their schema and relate to it in some way. This book depicts an African American boy and his mother whose family culture is seen through out the different images in the book. Although, without the illustrations we would not be able to decided on our own what race or culture the main characters are. The illustrations add to the text giving us a visual as to what the characters and setting look like. It also helps to define unknown terms for readers and fill in the gaps so the audience can visually see what is happening in the story.

The story shows Marc rather small in the beginning of the story and as it goes on, he grows bigger and bigger. This shows that his character is getting stronger and stronger and in the parts where Marc is scared he appears to be small which shows his character as weak and frightened. The story does not have frames until the very end where Marc is shown in a round frame when he finally falls asleep showing that Marc is content and secure. When a picture book has frames in it, the audience is not apart of the story. They are just looking into it. However, this book does not have frames so, us as readers, are apart of the story and experiencing the story as it happens.

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