Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss! Celebrating with our students!

We are excited to celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday - Friday, March 2nd - at our school. As part of Read Across America, students at Emerson School are sharing their love for all things Dr. Seuss.

Our 2nd graders have been practicing reading aloud Dr. Seuss's books, and will perform some of their favorite excerpts for the whole school at our monthly assembly Friday. Other 2nd graders are getting ready to make a video montage with their favorite Seuss Snippets - ranging from One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish to The Sneetches.

Our kindergarteners are connecting with John Muir School across town through a video chat. They'll sing "Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss" to a group of 2nd graders from John Muir. The 2nd graders will read aloud Green Eggs and Ham for our kindergartners. It's a big deal for the 2nd graders - reading in front of the camera for our kindergartners. They've been practicing all week.

Another group of kindergartners are excited to try the Dr. Seuss iPad book apps from Oceanhouse Media. We've had a lot of fun with the 1st and 2nd graders reading these, and it's time for the kindergartners to try them out. We will start by having them reading Dr. Seuss's Beginner Book Collection - which features classics such as Cat in the Hat, Mr. Brown Can Moo, and Fox in Sox.

iPad book app from Oceanhouse Media

This is a great collection to try - each book can either work as the interactive "Read to Me", where the story is narrated as children swipe pages, or in the autoplay format for younger children. Kids I've watched particularly like being able to tap images and have the words zoom up at them. The Oceanhouse Media apps are an excellent way to have fun reading while developing essential early literacy skills such as rhyming, word association and letter sounds.

To celebrate the release of the movie and also Seuss’s birthday, Oceanhouse Media is dropping the price of its book app of The Lorax to 99 cents.

Dr. Seuss books are wonderful to read aloud - to young children just absorbing the early sense of rhythm and rhyme, as well as for school children learning to read. Some 2nd graders looked at me, wondering if these were too easy to read. But the Dr. Seuss rhythm and rhyme helps build their fluency and expression, even if they can already read/decode all the words.

Are you celebrating Dr. Seuss's birthday with your children? You might have fun with this 20-page activity book, full of reading, math, and most importantly, fun! My Very Own Dr. Seuss Activity Book is free, courtesy of http://www.seussville.com/

Above all, have fun and share the gift of reading with a child in your life!

I have to give a special shout-out to my colleague Steve Healey, librarian with good humor and a twinkle in his eye, over at John Muir School, also in the Berkeley Unified School District. Neither of us have tried video chats with students before, but he's always game to try something new! Thanks, Steve, for trying this out with us! And a special thanks to the amazing teachers at Emerson School, who are game to try out all sorts of things with us in the library - whether it's getting the kids excited for a Dr. Seuss party, or experimenting with iPad book apps, or connecting with classes across town on video chat. Thanks to all of them.

©2012 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books

Tsunami! by Kimiko Kajikawa and Ed Young (ages 6 - 10)

Just this weekend, I read again about the after-effects of the terrible tsunami that devastated northern Japan last year. I find it hard to grapple with these images, and so I shied away from reading Tsunami! illustrated by the amazing Ed Young for several years. But I recently read this and think it will fascinate children, without terrifying them. I was really, truly impressed by the way both author and illustrator shared this story of bravery and courage.

Tsunami! 
by Kimiko Kajikawa
illustrated by Ed Young
NY: Philomel / Penguin, 2009
available at your local library, favorite bookstore or on Amazon
ages 6 - 10

Long ago in rural Japan, a grandfather was tending his rice fields high on a mountaintop overlooking his seaside village. That day, his family went down to the village to celebrate the rice harvest, but Ojiisan, the grandfather, told his family that something did not feel right. So he and his grandson Tada stayed behind on the mountain.

Later that day, an earthquake struck, “a long, slow, spongy motion.” But earthquakes are common in Japan, and this earthquake was not strong enough to alarm anyone. Ojiisan, however, was unnerved by this earthquake - it felt different from the many others he had felt. He turned to look down toward the village -- the sea was running away from the land! Remembering his own grandfather’s warnings, Ojiisan whispered to himself, “Tsunami - the monster wave.” All of Ojiisan’s family, all of the villagers were in danger, but they were too far away to hear Ojiisan’s cries. What could he do? How could he signal to the village?

Kajikawa shares this story with straightforward language that will engage a young audience. Kajikawa’s pacing works perfectly for a picture book to be read aloud.

“Ojiisan turned his keen old eyes anxiously toward the sea. It had darkened suddenly and was moving against the wind.” 

While the drama is exciting, it is appropriate to share with young children. No one is injured in the tsunami and, while the village is destroyed, the focus is on Ojiisan’s bravery and quick thinking.

Kajikawa has adapted this story from Lafcadio Hearn’s story, “A Living God”, in which he tells of the 19th century Japanese hero Hamaguchi Gohei. Kajikawa uses many of the key phrases from Hearn’s original story (see the SCBWI Tokyo Translation Group). Kajikawa acknowledges in her dedication that Hearn “had a special gift of getting to the kokoro (heart) of a people.”

Ed Young’s textured multimedia collage illustrations draw in the reader from the very beginning, taking up the vast majority of the large pages. The text is limited to the bottom two inches of every page, letting the eye feast on the dramatic illustrations. Young balances realistic period details with abstract images in a way that makes it interesting for young readers without making the events too realistic or frightening.

Children will be fascinated figuring what parts of the collage use photographs of real things like straw for the fields. Young’s dramatic use of color and diagonal lines add movement and heighten the tension in the scenes with the fire and the tsunami.

I enjoyed reading an interview with Ed Young over at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast. As Jules writes, "If I were asked to name a contemporary illustrator whose works provide a truly exciting visual experience, no matter the book’s tone, Young would be the first to come to mind.Whether he’s using the bold, bright collage of a book like The Emperor and the Kite (written by Jane Yolen and published in 1967) or bringing us ethereal impressionistic paintings, such as in 1989’s Lon Po Po: A Red Riding Hood Story from China, it’s always dramatic. Always striking. Always infused with an elegance. You look at his illustrations, and you can see the poet in him." I particularly liked reading about the heart and spirit that Young sees infusing each of his books - each person who's touched the book in the process of development finds a home in the book.

The review copy came from our home library. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion goes to Great Kid Books (at no cost to you!). Thank you for your support.

Review ©2012 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (ages 6 - 10)

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore won the Oscar for best animated short film last night at the 84th annual Academy Awards ceremony. William Joyce, with his Moonbot Studios, is forging a path telling stories across multiple platforms: animated movies, interactive book apps, and traditional print books. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is an ode to the imaginative power of stories, the magical way that books feed our soul and lift us up from our everyday surroundings. I am thrilled that it was recognized by the Academy.

William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg, his co-founder of Moonbot Studios, have had a long collaboration in film. Here they are accepting the Oscar for The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. Joyce and Oldenburge are currently co-directing The Guardians of Childhood, an animated feature for DreamWorks. Joyce has written picture books and chapter books for the Guardians of Childhood series. The Man in the Moon and E. Aster Bunnymund and the Warrior Eggs at the Earth's Core! have both gotten very positive reactions from my students.

The interactive book app for The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore was a finalist for the 2011 Cybils Book App award. I reviewed it last summer for the School Library Journal blog Touch and Go. I'd love to share that review with you here.

"With a stunning combination of computer animation, interactive features, and traditional picture-book elements, William Joyce and Moonbot Studios have developed an enchanting story about the power of books. Based on their award-winning short film, this production sets the bar high for picture-book apps.

Morris Lessmore, a man who loves words and stories, is swept away to a distant land when a terrible storm strikes. Luckily, “… a happy bit of happenstance came his way…Drifting through the sky above him, Morris saw a lovely lady…being pulled along by a festive squadron of flying books.” The young woman sends him a story that leads him to “an extraordinary building where many books apparently ‘nested.’” It is here that Morris discovers his true home, among the thousands of volumes, each “whispering an invitation to adventure.”

Joyce combines his background as a filmmaker, an illustrator, and an author to create a groundbreaking storybook app. The production flows seamlessly between a combination of media, with effective well-paced page turns. While the short film in the beginning of the app is silent, the writing is graceful and eloquent. In the end, what makes Morris Lessmore a story that readers will come back to again and again is the way it which it affirms the power of books to speak to us and carry us away."

This book app continues to enchant students at our library - ranging from kindergartners through 5th graders. They are drawn in by the blend of animation and the interactive features - it really does strike them as something completely new. And yet they are held by the magic of the story, the way that it strikes a chord so familiar to them, even with this new way of telling a story.

I'm fascinated by the way that William Joyce, author of such classic favorites as The Leaf Men and George Shrinks, is developing his new stories. He released Morris Lessmore first as a film, then an app - and this summer it will be published as a traditional picture book. And I think this will definitely work. These are all intertwined ways of enjoying a story, and children will want to experience the app and the book in different, complementary ways.

You can download the silent film from iTunes, and the app is also available on iTunes. The review copy of the app was kindly sent by Moonbot Studios. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion goes to Great Kid Books (at no cost to you!). Thank you for your support.

©2012 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books

Introducing mysteries with picture books (ages 8 - 10)

I've had a great time this week introducing mysteries to 3rd graders. Reading mysteries is such fun, but it also sharpens your reading skills - getting you to notice clues as you read, pay attention to character's motives, and making predictions. All of these are important skills. We kicked off our unit in the library by reading Private I. Guana, by Nina Laden - it was such a fun picture book that really set the tone for reading mysteries. Kids (and parents) who love word play and puns will especially like this book.

Private I. Guana
by Nina Laden
CA: Chronicle, 1995
ages 7 - 11
available at your local library, favorite bookstore or on Amazon

Can Private I. Guana help find Leon, the missing chameleon? It's tricky, finding an animal that can change colors at will. But this ace detective searches high and low, until he comes across the Lizard Lounge - a slimy sort of place, where only the most cold-blooded reptiles hang out (pause, get it - cold-blooded reptiles?). Yes, this book was full of puns like that. We had fun talking about the different meanings.

I have to tell you, the best part of reading this was telling the kids how much fun it is reading mysteries more than one time. It wasn't until my 3rd time reading this, that I got the joke that Leon's name is part of the word chameleon. They loved that - that they got something before I did. It also let me encourage them to reread mysteries they loved in 2nd grade, like the A to Z mysteries. Now that they're stronger readers, they'll pick up more of the clues along the way. It can really help readers' fluency to reread favorite books. They can then use these strategies to read new books.

Here are some of the mysteries that flew off our shelves this week:

Chet Gecko series, by Bruce Hale - kids who like puns, jokes and the tone of Private I. Guana will love the Chet Gecko series. Just wait until they find out the Chet is the finest detective lizard at Emerson Elementary! This is great for 3rd and 4th graders who want to get into a new series that makes them laugh, but also solve crimes along the way.

A to Z Mysteries, the A to Z Mysteries Super Editions, and the Capitol Mysteries, by Ron Roy - our 2nd and 3rd graders love getting into these mysteries. They have just the right blend of consistent characters and engaging plots. Dink, Josh and Ruth Rose are 3rd graders who know just how to solve their town's mysteries - with some good sleuthing and clever thinking. In the longer "Super Editions", the kids travel to new places for some exciting adventures.

Joe Sherlock, Kid Detective, by Dave Keane - I had a lot of fun reading the Joe Sherlock mysteries. Joe's a kid I could relate to. No matter how hard he tries, he keeps bungling things up. Dave Keane mixes in lots of jokes, absurd situations and plenty of laughs in this series for 2nd and 3rd graders. Amazon is listing this as only available for the Kindle right now, but it would work just fine on a Kindle if you're traveling and want a funny mystery.

Thea Stilton adventure mysteries - our kids have already been Geronimo Stilton fans, and they're excited to read the Thea Stilton books. While the Geronimo Stilton books seem to be more adventures with funny twists, Thea Stilton loves solving mysteries. Here's the description from the first in the series, Thea Stilton and the Dragon's Code:

"When Geronimo's sister, Thea, is invited to teach a journalism class at a college on Mouse Island, she has no idea that she's going to be called on to help solve a mystery. But when a student disappears, it's up to Thea and five of her students to find out what happened. A nail-biting mystery ensues, complete with secret passages, underground tunnels, and more than a few surprises along the way. Readers will love following the clues to help Thea and her new friends through their first adventure together!"

What are your favorite mysteries to read with your children? I'm especially looking for picture book mysteries to read aloud so we can talk about how we read mysteries.

The review copy came from our school library. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion goes to Great Kid Books (at no cost to you!). Thank you for your support.

Review ©2012 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books

And Then It's Spring, by Julie Fogliano and Erin Stead (ages 3 - 8)

Just last weekend, my youngest told me I needed some "outside time" and we were going to go garden. She dug out the gardening gloves, shovels and seeds. Yes, she's one determined young 7 year old who know she needs to lead the way and claim her mother's attention. Children have an innate sense of the seasons and they marvel in the magic of watching a plant grow. In many ways, it's a microcosm of all the changes their little bodies are going through. And Then It's Spring, by Julie Fogliano and Erin Stead, is a beautiful, beautiful new book that celebrates this magical change in a wonderfully quiet way.

And Then It's Spring
by Julie Fogliano
illustrated by Erin E. Stead
NY: Roaring Brook Press, 2012
ages 3 - 8
available at your local library, favorite bookstore or on Amazon

A young boy waits and waits for winter to end, with quiet determination of a young boy who knows that if he can just wait long enough, change will happen. With spare, poetic text, Fogliano conveys the quiet waiting as winter keeps its hold on the earth.

The small boy and his dog venture outside to carefully plant seeds in his garden. All around the earth is brown. They wait for the rain to come and the seeds to grow, but winter holds on: “... and it is still brown, but a hopeful, very possible sort of brown.”

© Erin E. Stead, 2012

With just a few phrases on each page, the measured pacing of this book makes the reader slow down and notice the world around, as the anticipation builds. This works beautifully either as a read aloud - the illustrations draw listeners in with their large blocks of color, even from afar - or as a quiet book to read by yourself, pouring over each illustration.

Erin Stead uses woodblock prints and colored pencil, the same technique she used with her Caldecott winning book A Sick Day for Amos McGee. Her soft palette helps create the sense of quiet waiting - this winter is not dreary, but still, as if on the cusp of something about to change. The wide open spaces created by the fields, the sky and the clouds give a peaceful quality to the images. The pencil drawings of the busy animals draw the reader’s eye to notice small details in every page.

The climax will bring smiles and satisfaction, as green spreads across the hills in a sure sign that spring has come.

Watch this lovely book trailer to get a sense of the quiet magic of this book:



I have been waiting and waiting to share this book ever since it took my breath away the first time I read it last summer. It was released last week, and already people are talking about it. It is truly special. The review copy was kindly sent by the publisher Neal Porter / Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion goes to Great Kid Books (at no cost to you!). Thank you for your support.

Review ©2012 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books

Abe's Honest Words, by Doreen Rappaport and Kadir Nelson (ages 7 - 11)

As our country celebrates President's Day, I would love to share my favorite book about Abraham Lincoln: Abe's Honest Words, by Doreen Rappaport and Kadir Nelson. This stirring book captures the span of Lincoln's life, the strength of his words and convictions, and the dignity in his stance - all in a way that a child just growing into an awareness of our nation's history can grasp. It is a beautiful book, one that you'll want to have at home to come back to again and again.

Abe's Honest Words
The Life of Abraham Lincoln
by Doreen Rappaport
illustrated by Kadir Nelson
NY: Hyperion / Disney, 2008
ages 7 - 11
available at your local library, bookstore or on Amazon
look inside this book at Kadir Nelson's site

Starting with Lincoln's humble beginnings, Rappaport traces his journey from the rural slave state of Kentucky to the statehouse in Illinois, to the nation's capital. Kadir Nelson's illustrations draw immediate attention and make this a wonderful book to read aloud to younger children. He expresses so much of Lincoln's character, whether it's as a determined lawyer working late into the night by candlelight, or looking up at him as he gives the Gettysburg address. Nelson's illustrations complement Rappaport's text on each page, conveying the scene Lincoln describes seeing slaves chained as he worked along the Mississippi River, or the steely gray scene of the U.S. Capitol during Lincoln's second inaugural address.

On each page, Rappaport presents a straightforward account of Lincoln's life, told in clear, direct prose, and then in a bold, slightly scripted font, she shares quotes from Lincoln's own words. This juxtaposition works well, making this both an excellent book to read aloud to a 2nd or 3rd grader or an introductory biography for an older student. For example, Rappaport writes of Lincoln's decision during the Civil War to free the slaves:

"Lincoln believe that true liberty could not permit slavery. He decided to use his wartime powers as commander in chief to end slavery.

In the third year of the war, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation. It freed over three million black men, women, and children and called for black men to join the Union army."

Below this is a quote from Lincoln:

"In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free."

© Kadir Nelson, 2008

While Rappaport does not provide the sources for each quote, readers will be very interested in the materials she provides for further investigation: a timeline, recommending reading for children who want to learn more about Lincoln, and selected research sources.

If you live near Northampton, Massachusetts, make sure to visit the R. Michelson Galleries, which has a special display of Kadir Nelson's work this month. As the announcement on the Children's Book Council page states, "One of the preeminent artists working today. Nelson is a two-time Caldecott Honor Award winner, an NAACP Image Award winner, and a four-time Coretta Scott King Award Winner, including the 2012 Book Award.R. Michaelson Galleries will be exhibiting a selection from a half dozen Nelson books, including his collaborations with Spike Lee, and work from Abe's Honest Words, the Life of Abraham Lincoln."

The review copy came from our home library. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion goes to Great Kid Books (at no cost to you!). Thank you for your support.

Review ©2012 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books