Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: B is for Bear

Posted on February 17, 2016 by carriegelson

This week I found B is for Bear: A Natural Alphabet by Hannah Viano (October 2015) and was absolutely charmed by it. Striking art work and all things lovely and wonderful from the natural world of North America. Part alphabet book, part celebration of nature, many parts simple beauty.

Each page holds an upper case word for the letter represented and a simple, descriptive sentence of additional information along with a stunning image (these are paper cuttings!)

For example:

“Standing still on one leg, an EGRET watches the water closely, waiting for his dinner to swim by.”

Some wonderful things selected P for PEBBLE, Q for QUEEN ANNE’s LACE, R for RAINSTORM

I particularly loved this book because it got me thinking about how to use it in the classroom. Last week Melissa Stewart wrote a post wondering about doing research with elementary students. “Is there a fun way to do research?” she asks. She has more posts to come (yippee!) but I have been thinking about this question a lot. I’ve been thinking about letting research first be part of a discovery, expressive process. Something that involves art, creativity, poetry, creating images while being a part of the process of wondering and finding new information. And then, what to do with it?

I love the idea of some simple pieces – like art work inspired by a book like this. Create an image of something, share a fact discovered by a little bit of reading or exploring a website or . . . Think about what fact feels the most important and how to share it.

Wouldn’t you like to create an alphabet book linked to a particular place – a country, a province (or state), a city, a neighbourhood? And include a number of interesting pieces of art with extra information. A piece of beautiful art and a simple, carefully crafted sentence. Seems like the ideal marriage of beginning fact finding and information honouring.

Already thinking of a book like this for my class to do on our neighbourhood . . . And about where we might find more information about things we might want to highlight . . .

I love books that both enrich and inspire – accessible and lovely mentor texts to imitate. This is a beautiful one indeed.

Thanks to Alyson from Kid Lit Frenzy for the inspiration to read and share more nonfiction picture books in 2016. Follow the link to Alyson’s blog to read about more nonfiction books you need to read!

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Monday September 16th, 2013

Posted on September 16, 2013 by carriegelson

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

Join Jen from Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers and share all of the reading you have done over the week from picture books to young adult reads! The #IMWAYR crowd always has so many fantastic titles to share.

The picture books I loved this week:

A Mountain of Friends written and illustrated by Kerstin Schoene

I shared this title when our K/1 reading buddies came to visit our classroom for the very first time. It was a hot and stuffy afternoon and there were 44 children ages 4 to 8 in my classroom and we survived it because of this beautiful little book. It is interactive. It is adorable. It is all about creativity and the strong will to help out a friend in need. Elements of Eric Rohmann‘s My Friend Rabbit.

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild written and illustrated by Peter Brown

I really, truly love this book. I don’t want to give anything away to spoil the experience. I can stay it is stunning. And slightly peculiar in the best of ways. And the message . . . ? Divine.

Oh and it is so beautifully illustrated, one just might swoon while reading it.

Fox and Squirrel written and illustrated by Ruth Ohi

Such a wonderful little story about celebrating similarities and differences and finding common ground. A book just made for sharing with a primary classroom to talk about all of the intricacies of friendship.

Warning: Do not Open this Book! written by Adam Lehrhaupt and illustrated by Matthew Forsythe

This story exemplifies the “pull you right into it” feeling a picture book can provide. Fun. Silly. Delightful. I can’t even imagine how much fun it would be to share this with a classroom of children. I know that my classroom of children would go crazy. I really must get my own copy of this title! I love a little crazy when it comes to picture book experiences!

Bugs in my Hair written and illustrated by David Shannon

Well done Mr. Shannon. Being a lice expert myself (not necessarily a talent I had wanted to cultivate but . . . ), I have the feeling David Shannon has some first hand experience with these itchy little critters. Or he is a very good listener. This title both entertains and informs in the most delightful of ways. You finish it with a smile and if lice and you have been intimately acquainted, you know it is all okay in the end. Until next time . . .

Doug Unplugged written and illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

Funny how a book can surprise you. I had seen this title around the blogosphere for a while. I knew it made suggestions that we shouldn’t be so wrapped up in technology that we miss out on real life. But I was reading the title incorrectly. I read unplugged as noun instead of verb. I saw Doug Unplugged as a name, not that Doug, unplugged (verb). Reading this book made it clear very quickly and honestly, I adored this book quite a bit more than I thought I might. A great story to spark discussion about many things – the difference between “book/internet knowledge” and the power of experience for one.

A is for Musk Ox written by Erin Cabatingan and illustrated by Matthew Myers

I do have quite the thing for alphabet books. Who would have thought that authors and illustrators could get so creative with the abcs? Oh, but they do! And this book certainly is an ideal example. In the same vein as Z is for Moose but wordier and for the story time crowd with a little bit more listening stamina. Great book to model voice. Or just to share countless laughs!

I have been happily and carefully reading Catching Readers Before They Fall by Pat Johnson and Katie Keier and so find myself at the end of a week without having completed a novel. I am one good early morning reading session away from finishing Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library (talk about fast paced!) and am still enjoying reading my children The Fire Chronicle by John Stevens (also dramatic and hard to put down!)

In my classroom, we are loving our first chapter book read aloud together (for many students this is the first time they have ever been read a chapter book) – Marty McGuire Digs Worms by Kate Messner. We have been slowly making our way through Desmond and the Very Mean Word – a picture book that your classroom or school library MUST own. This is a story that has inspired so much discussion and passionate reader responses. What a book!

I look forward to many more exciting picture books in the next week and plan to begin Jinx by Sage Blackwood.

Monday July 29th, 2013

Posted on July 29, 2013 by carriegelson

It’s Monday! What are you Reading?

Join Jen from Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers and share all of the reading you have done over the week from picture books to young adult reads! These #IMWAYR posts are a great place to “shop” for new titles.

Favourite picture books from the week:

The Hueys in It Wasn’t Me by Oliver Jeffers The second title in The Hueys books by Jeffers. Sometimes an argument becomes bigger than the original source of conflict. This simple little picture book highlights exactly this phenomenon. For anyone who spends anytime with children, this story rings very true!

Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco An emotional historical fiction title set during the American civil war. Touches on themes of war, slavery, racism and survival. Definitely for older readers.

Carmine – A Little More Red by Melissa Sweet An extremely clever alphabetical retelling/fractured tale of Little Red Riding Hood. Wander through bolded words in ABC order and Sweet’s signature artistic style – part collage, part detailed panels and so expressive. Loved the vocabulary and the fresh approach to this classic tale.

A House is a House for Me written by Mary Ann Hoberman and illustrated by Betty Fraser I simply adore Mary Ann Hoberman and her gift for rhyme. And Fraser’s illustrations make me nostalgic for childhood ease. First published in 1978, this title is one long poem about everything that can be a house. All about homes/houses for just about everything. My favourite was no surprise: A book is a house for a story.

The Night Riders by Matt Furie One of my newest favourite wordless titles. This is some kind of adventure into the world of real and fantastical nocturnal creatures and amazing things that happen beneath the light of the moon. One of the best things about the book? The jacket unfolds into a double sided poster of images from the story. Here is a link to Matt Furie’s interview with The Beat (the daily news blog of comics news, reviews, and information) about this, his first book.

Looking for more wordless titles? I just created a Pinterest board with all of my favourites.

Bruno Munari’s ABC First published in 1960, a wonderful graphic ABC book.

Flora McDonnell’s ABC Bright, bold and beautiful. This has inspired some art project ideas . . . A study in letters, opposites and clever pairings. Each page has 2 objects beginning with a specific letter. Some of my favourites? The large giant with a tiny red glove perched on his thumb, a regal tiger with a teapot balanced on his head and a rhinoceros sniffing at a radish. So fun.

Anticipating fall book talks, I am trying to catch up on some graphic novels and early chapter book titles. This week I read two winners.

Violet Mackerel’s Natural Habitat written by Anna Branford with illustrations by Ellana Allen Loved the nature/science/ecology connection. Perfect for my Grade 2/3/4 readers just beginning to read chapter books. And how delightful that Violet names her ladybug Small Gloria.

Bird & Squirrel on the Run by James Burks What fun and absolutely full of silly escapades. Loved the contrast of the pessimistic and optimistic characters. Kids will love this!

I also finished two novels

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater A friend passed on her ARC of this book to me. I had resigned myself to impatiently waiting for September but, I was so thrilled to read it now! Let’s just say this – I am fully just as hooked and intrigued by these Aglionby boys and the character of Blue. Intrigue, mystery, twists, upsets, revelations. This second title has it all.

Drums Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick Wow. This book subtly and not so subtly sneaks right up on you pretty quickly and holds fast. It is at times teary and heartbreaking, other times hilarious and witty and all the while, just plain good. A very human and honest look at a family hit hard by childhood illness and how they navigate the complicated business of hospitals, emotions and changing family dynamics. Stayed up half the night to finish this title. Now I get the Sonnenblick love. I’m in. Thank you to everyone who raved about this title to me. And yes, I am planning to read After Ever After – already requested from the library 🙂

Next up? Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner and some more graphic novels in my pile!

Happy reading everyone!

ABCDEFG . . . Alphabet books for you and me!

Posted on February 23, 2012 by carriegelson

The alphabet. The basis for all we write and read. Let’s celebrate our letters! We can do it with rhyme, with nonsense, in quiet or noisy ways. Our letters tell many stories. Some wonderful books to celebrate the A, B, Cs!

Achoo! Bang! Crash! The Noisy Alphabet by Ross MacDonald

Noisy letters. Yippee! Wahoo! Ding Dang, Eeek, Fwip, Grunt, Honk Honk and on it goes. This book delivers our 26 letters marching across the pages with much exuberance and the aid of a vintage printing press. Noisy! But gorgeous!

LMNO peas created by Keith Baker

These little green peas inspire many different ideas for occupations. Painters. poets. plumbers, pilots, parachutists? That covers the “P”s! Want to guess the “S” occupations? Come on! This is a great way to share this book as a read aloud!

Dr. Seuss’s ABC

Nobody does nonsense better than Dr. Seuss! He is the King of Silly 🙂 My class loved this book and begged me to read certain pages over and over so we could try to recite particular pages together as a class. A taste. Big M little m: Many mumbling mice are making midnight music in the moonlight . . . mighty nice

Alphabetter written by Dan Bar-el and illustrated by Graham Ross.

This book invites the reader to do many things on each page. First, enjoy a story that weaves through letter by letter.

Alberto had an alligator, but he didn’t have a bathing suit.

Benoit had a bathing suit, but he didn’t have a clarinet.

Second, search each page (sometimes you need to search and search and search) for a hidden letter. (a on A page, b on B page, etc)

My Little Sister Hugged an Ape written by Bill Grossman and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes.

This alphabet book has much more text than others and carries us along in delightful rhymes. The little sister, on a hugging spree, hugs animals from A to Z. Fun!! And then some more! A sample:

She gave an OCTOPUS a hug. Those eight long arms felt nice and snug,

Gripping my sister in eight different spots. And tangling themselves into eight different knots.

The Dangerous Alphabet written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Gris Grimly

Follow not just letters through the pages. This is is a superbly edgy journey through the land of adventure. Pirates. Monsters. Bats. Creepy tunnels by boat. Eyes are watching you. Will you make it to safety? Follow two children and their pet gazelle through a world beneath the city. Beautifully creepy.

H is for “Help me!” – a cry, and a warning . . .

Z is for Moose by Kelly Bingham and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky

This book could be a very simple, run of the mill ABC book. B is for Ball, C is for Cat, etc. But. . . a very impatient moose cannot wait for his turn and M is very far away when we begin with A! Full of moose mishaps, much humour and a lovely act of kindness. This is easily one of the most shared book during buddy reading time in my room.

Bruno Munari’s ABC

First published in 1960, travel through interesting pairings and graphically interesting pages.

A piano, a Package, Peanuts, a Pear a Pea Pod for a . . . (turn the page) a Quail.

Each page flows and connects in the most interesting of ways

Flora McDonnell’s ABC

A study in letters, opposites and clever pairings. Each page has 2 objects beginning with a specific letter. Some of my favourites? The large giant with a tiny red glove perched on his thumb, a regal tiger with a teapot balanced on his head and a rhinoceros sniffing at a radish. Bright, bold and beautiful.

Caveman a B.C. Story by Janee Trasler

A hilarious tale told one word at a time in ABC order. Much humour and much to infer.

These books are not just for our children learning their letters. Read them right into the intermediate grades. They let us guess, wonder and delight in the magic of language – from one letter to long strands of text! Enjoy!