HOW CHIPMUNK GOT HIS STRIPES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bruchac, Joseph and James Bruchac. 2001. HOW CHIPMUNK GOT HIS STRIPES. Ill. by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey. New York: Puffin Books. ISBN 0142500216.

PLOT SUMMARY

Bear is tromping around the woods claiming he is the best animal and can do anything.  So Little Brown Squirrel gives him a challenge to keep the sun from rising the next day.  Bear accepts the challenge and waits all night willing the sun to not rise.  All of the animals in the forest wait in anticipation as the sun rises in the morning, and of course Bear is angry.  Brown squirrel foolishly teases him, and Bear swipes him with his paw leaving white stripes down his back where the hair is sheared away.  So Brown Squirrel becomes chipmunk, and he is the first animal to rise in the morning and sing to the sun.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The simple and repetitive text of this story makes it a great read aloud for younger elementary age students.  Bear chants, “The sun will not come up, humph!” and Squirrel counters, “The sun is going to rise, oooh!”.  The cartoon-like watercolor illustrations are very juvenile and may deter older readers from choosing to read the story.  However, younger students will enjoy the colorful pages and animals. Like most folktales, the moral is a simple one about not being boastful or teasing others, and like many Native American tales, it explains something occurring in nature.

REVIEW EXERPTS

School Library Journal (February 01, 2001)-  “While the story begs to be told, Aruego and Dewey's vibrantly hued trademark watercolors add significantly to the humor.”

Booklist (February 01, 2001)- “The simplicity of the tale makes this ideal for introducing students to the concept of mythology.”

Kirkus Reviews (December 15, 2000)-  “The Bruchacs translate the orality of the tale to written text beautifully, including dialogue that invites audience participation. Aruego and Dewey’s (Mouse in Love, p. 886, etc.) signature cartoon-like illustrations extend the humor of the text “perfectly.”

CONNECTIONS

• Have the students choral read the sing-song lines of Bear and Squirrel.

• Read other Native American tales such Between Earth & Sky : Legends of Native American Sacred Places by Joseph Bruchac and Thomas Locker or Arrow to the Sun : A Pueblo Indian Tale by Gerald McDermott.

RUMPELSTILTSKIN

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Zelinsky, Paul O.  (1986).  RUMPELSTILTSKIN.  New York: Puffin books.  ISBN: 0140558640.

PLOT SUMMARY

While in town, a miller sees the king and wishes to impress him.  He tells him he has a beautiful daughter that can spin straw into gold.  Upon hearing this, the king locks the miller’s daughter in his castle and forces her to spin straw to gold.  For three nights, a strange man comes to her aid.  The first two nights he assists her in exchange for jewelry, but on the final night he demanded that she give him her first born child.  The woman agrees and in the morning upon seeing the room of gold, the king takes her as his queen.  Once their first born arrives, the man returns and demands the child.  The queen begs for his mercy and so the man tells her he will allow her to keep the child if she guesses his name in three days.  The first two days she has no luck, so on the third day she sends her servant to find the man.  The servant finds him in the woods and hears him chant his name.  When he returns to claim the child, he is shocked when the queen knows his name, and she is allowed to keep her child..

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Zelinksky’s retelling of Rumpelstiltskin is based mainly on the Grimm Brother’s 1819 version, and it is one that children will recognize.  It reads like a traditional fairy tale even starting with “Once there was a poor miller who had a beautiful daughter.”  Unlike in other versions of this fairy tale where Rumpelstiltskin rips himself in half, this story ends happily ever after.  A theme is presented as the overconfident Rumpelstiltskin learns his lesson after he foolishly shouts out his name while dancing around his fire and is spotted by the queen’s servant.

The extraordinary illustrations in the story are reminiscent of Renaissance paintings, and create a magical setting.  Also, through these paintings the character of Rumpelstiltskin is more defined as you observe his tiny stature and peculiar appearance.  With the turning of each page, you are introduced to an intriguing scene that adds to this beauty of this enchanted tale.

REVIEW EXERPTS

School Library Journal (October 01, 1986)- “Zelinsky's painterly style and rich colors provide an evocative backdrop to this story. The medieval setting and costumes and the spools of gold thread which shine on the page like real gold are suggestive of an illuminated manuscript.”

Booklist (January 01, 1987)-  “Zelinsky's jeweled tones and precise medieval backgrounds make this a particularly handsome rendering of the classic fairy tale.”

Publishers Weekly (August 22, 1986)-  “One of the most exquisite picture books of the season, Zelinsky's Rumplestiltskin will have strong appeal for children and for adult picture-book collectors alike.”

CONNECTIONS

•  Pair with Rumpelstiltskin’s Daughter. Stanley, Diane. RUMPELSTILTSKIN’S DAUGHTER. ISBN:  0064410951
• Visit Paul Zelinsky’s website http://www.paulozelinsky.com/
• Have students make up a short song using their name following the pattern of the song sung by Rumpelstiltskin when he inadvertently reveals himself to the queen’s servant.

THE THREE LITTLE PIGS

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kellogg, Steven. 1997. THE THREE LITTLE PIGS. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN: 0064437795.

PLOT SUMMARY

In this variant of the classic story, Seraphina the pig has run a successful waffle business and decides to retire to The Gulf of Pasta.  She leaves her business and fortunes to her three children.  The three children each build a home:  one of straw, one of wood, and one of brick.  Much like in the classic version the wolf huffs and puffs and blows down the house of straw and the house of wood.  When he comes to the house of brick, he is unable to blow it down, and so he is ready to climb down the chimney.  Suddenly Seraphina returns and helps her children scorch the wolf with a waffle iron as he descends down the chimney.  The wolf decides to retire to the Gulf of Pasta, and the pigs continue to grow their waffle business.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Readers familiar with the traditional story of the three pigs will not be disappointed with Kellogg’s version.  The big bad wolf still huffs, puffs and tries to blow down the three pigs’ houses.  However Kellogg has made a few witty additions that make the story an entertaining read.  Such as when the wolf arrives at the third pig’s house and tells him, “I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blast this pigsty into pebbles!” The pictures support Kellogg’s witty writing with extremely detailed ink and watercolor scenes.  Much of the fun of this book is spending time looking for the play on words in the pictures such as the pig rehearsing Hamlet and La Toasta in the village where the pigs live.  Kellogg also includes onomatopoeias that can be read aloud as the wolf attempts to blow down the houses. The illustrations also help develop the characters like the robust mother, Seraphina, who starts the family waffle business or the tough wolf who is dressed like a biker with a “say yes to thugs” shirt and leather jacket.  I believe Kellogg has brought an entertaining, modern twist to a traditional tale that will make for an enjoyable read aloud.

REVIEW EXERPTS

Kirkus Review (July 01, 1997)-  “Kellogg puts a master's spin on another familiar tale.”

Booklist (August 01, 1997)- “Just as the pig family in this story soups up their old waffle iron with four wheels and various tanks, pipes, and hoses, so Kellogg takes a favorite folk tale and adds his own inventive touches of character, plot twists, and humor.”

Publishers Weekly (June 09, 1997)-  “Buoyant pictures and a pun-riddled text add gusto to Kellogg's lighthearted humor as he gives this classic caper more twists than are found in the average pig's tail.”

CONNECTION

• Pair with Jon Scieszka’s The True Story of the Three Little Pigs and compare the wolf in the two different stories (Scieszka, Jon. THE TRUE STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS. ISBN:  0140544518.
• Have students create paper airplanes like the first pig sent with a “help me” message.  Create a  Sherriff Sheep cut out and see who can fly their plane closest to the sheep.
• Make waffles using a waffle iron and enjoy after reading the story.

CHUBBO'S POOL

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Lewin, Betsy. 1996. CHUBBO’S POOL. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN: 039592863X.

PLOT SUMMARY

A selfish hippo will not allow other animals to enjoy his pool of cool water. Soon, the water dries up in Chubbo’s pool and he goes looking for another water hole. When he finally finds one, all of the animals he dismissed are enjoying the pool together. Chubbo turns away from the water hole feeling unwelcome and ashamed of his greedy actions and returns to his mud wallow. Suddenly, he is surprised by a band of elephants that fill his pool with their trunks. The animals all drink from the pool, and Chubbo is now happy to share his pool with his compassionate new friends.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The story of Chubbo is a simple one that teaches the moral of sharing and friendship. The adjectives and strong verbs Lewin uses make the book a good choice to read aloud to model during writing mini-lessons. The illustrations are done in soft watercolors with great detail. They create a very realistic quality to the book which doesn’t really match the personified animals of the story. However, they are dramatic illustrations that compelled me to flip through the book several times and appreciate the artistry.

REVIEW EXERPTS

School Library Journal (September 01, 1996 )- “This minimal story is maximized by Lewin's brilliant, dramatic, and softly realistic watercolor paintings of the wildlife and landscape of Botswana.”

Booklist (August 01, 1996)- “Inspired by the author's experience in Botswana, this is a delightful tale that humorously conveys the value of sharing and the joys of friendship.”

CONNECTIONS 

• Have students make a list of the strong verbs used in the book (trudged, bolted, beamed, etc) and add them to their word wall in the classroom 
• Visit Betsy Lewin’s website http://www.betsylewin.com/.
• Science connection- discuss evaporation and how it contributed to Chubbo’s pool drying up. Use a non-fiction text to explore evaporation and do an evaporation experiment.
• Non-fiction text suggestion: Harman, Rebecca. THE WATER CYCLE: EVAPORATION, CONDENSATION, AND EROSION. ISBN: 1403470669
• Science experiment: http://www.easy-science-fair-projects.net/water-evaporation.html

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Sendak, Maurice. 1963. WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE. New York: Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 0060254920.

PLOT SUMMARY

Max is wearing his wolf suit as he pursues some mischief, but instead his mother sends him to bed without supper calling him, “wild thing”. His room transforms into a forest, and then an ocean appears with a boat for him to sail away. He sails until he comes to the place where the wild things are. He tames the wild things and they make him their king. Max’s first act as king is to initiate a wild rumpus. Afterwards, Max sends the wild things off to bed without supper as he begins to think of home. He realizes he wants to go back to the comfort of his room, and it is here where he finds his warm supper waiting on him.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Sendak’s magical drawings lure readers into Max’s dream world. It is a place where a mischievous young boy can escape his consequences and have power over the wild things as their ruler. Sendak’s use of run on sentences emphasizes the dreamlike sequence of the story. The description of the wild things sounds frightening. Sendak writes, “they roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws.” However, the pictures of the wild things as they participate in Max’s wild rumpus are whimsical and entertaining. In the end, Max realizes that he is ready to face his consequences in order to delight in the comforts of home.

REVIEW EXERPTS

Booklist starred review (November 01, 2007)- “This simply written but subtle book became a classic not only because it legitimized children's angry feelings and their ability to use their imaginations to deal with those feelings but also because it showed punishment and love coexisting in a parent-child relationship”

Winner, 1964 Caldecott Medal

Notable Children's Books of 1940–1970 (ALA)

1981 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award for Illustration

CONNECTIONS

• Pre-reading activity: Have students illustrate what they believe a wild thing would look like.
• Lesson plan for a texture and pattern art lesson: http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/early/Jeryl-Wild.htm
• Other picture books with a theme related to consequences:
• Numeroff, Laura. IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE. ISBN: 006024586
•  dePaola, Tomie. STREGA NONA. ISBN: 1442416661
• Henkes, Kevin. LILY”S PURPLE PLASTIC PURSE. ISBN: 0688128971

FLOTSAM

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Wiesner, David. 2006. FLOTSAM. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 0618194576.

PLOT SUMMARY

In this wordless picture book, the pictures tell the story. In the beginning a curious young boy is exploring sea creatures next to the beach when suddenly a wave washes an intriguing artifact on shore. As the boy examines it closer, he realizes that it is an underwater camera. He quickly rushes to have the film from the camera developed, and he waits impatiently to see what the pictures will reveal.

Once he has the pictures he is shocked to see scenes of underwater life such as an octopus family relaxing in their living room, a group of fish flying in a blowfish hot air balloon, and a group of aliens trying to communicate with sea horses. In the final picture the boy sees a picture of a girl holding a picture with many children holding pictures spiraling all the way back to a sepia colored picture of a boy on the beach. The boy takes his own photograph holding this last picture and sends the camera back into the ocean where it came from. The creatures of the sea carry it along until it washes onto the beach to find a curious little girl.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The rich, vivid watercolors Wiesner uses to create this story establish a realistic feel to the story despite the fantasy elements of the underwater photographs. The main story is told using panels much like a comic book or graphic novel. The photographs the boy has developed, however, are more dramatic taking up a page or spreading across two pages. These larger pictures encouraged me to stop and explore the details of each underwater picture. Another noteworthy element to this story is the setting itself. The bottom of the ocean is a mysterious, undiscovered habitat which makes the photographs even more amusing and the adventure more intriguing.

REVIEW EXERPTS

Publisher’s Weekly (July 24, 2006), starred review-“New details swim into focus with every rereading of this immensely satisfying excursion.”

School Library Journal (September 01, 2006), starred review- “Filled with inventive details and delightful twists . . . a mind-bending journey of the imagination.”

Booklist (August 01, 2006 ), starred review- “this visual wonder offers an invitation for viewers of all ages to rethink how they see, out in the world and in their mind's eye."

Winner of the 2007 Caldecott medal

CONNECTIONS

• Allow students to narrate the story. For younger students they could narrate orally, as you write their words, and older students could write their own stories. 
• Have students create their own 2-3 photographs that could have been developed from the underwater camera’s film. Provide them with rich pastels or watercolors to create vivid pictures. 
• Watch the book trailer from Houghton Mifflin’s site: http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/authors/wiesner/books/books_flotsam.shtml 
• A fun tech project!:  http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/newsletters/newsletterbucketextrahelping/886657-443/a_class_project_inspired_by.html.csp
• Other wordless picture books 
• Wiesner, David. FREE FALL. ISBN 0061567418 
• Blake, Quentin. CLOWN. ISBN 0805059334 
• Lehman, Barbara. MUSEUM TRIP. ISBN 0618581251