Sergio and the Hurricane

Sergio and the Hurricane by Alexandra Wallner
2000

     Sergio lives in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  His house is across the street from the ocean.  He lives at home with his mama, papa, his dog Peanut, and cat Misu.  The ocean is usually turquoise, but today it looks dark green and the waves are too choppy for small boats.  Sergio knows that means that a storm is coming, but it isn't until he talks with his friend Raffi that he actually finds out that a hurricane is approaching the island.  Everybody around the island is preparing for the storm, buying groceries and supplies and boarding up the windows of homes and stores.  At home, Sergio's papa is reinforcing the shutters. Sergio is excited about the hurricane because he doesn't remember the last time one hit the island.
     The hurricane hits in the late afternoon and, as the night falls and the winds increase, Sergio begins to feel afraid. He spends the night in his parents' bed and wakes up to witness the devastation left behind by the hurricane.  Trees have been uprooted, roofs ripped off, and power lines snapped.  For weeks the family has no power or water.   "After many months, most people had repaired and painted their houses and cleaned up their streets."  Sergio knew he would never forget the hurricane and would never wish for one again.
     Sergio and the Hurricane provides a good description of the experience of living through a hurricane.  The illustrations complement the text and add details to the hurricane devastation.  My young son, who just went through the experience of a hurricane, identified himself with Sergio and commented on all the feelings he had during the hours we spent dealing with the storm.

Winston the Book Wolf

Winston the Book Wolf by Marni McGee
Illustrated by Ian Beck
2006

     A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a new version of The Little Red Riding Hood called Carmine: A Little More Red.  Today, we have another one: Winston the Book Wolf.  In fact, Winston the Book Wolf has a bit from Little Red and another bit from Three Little Pigs.  Winston is a wolf who loves to devour words, literally.  If he sees a sign with words in it, or a book, he just has to eat it.  That's why he's not allowed anywhere near the library.  One day, he ignores -in fact, he eats- the sign outside the library that says "No Wolves Allowed."  He goes in and the librarian calls for help.  Everybody starts chasing the wolf, trying to corner him.  But then, a little girl named Rosie (who wears a red hooded sweatshirt and carries a basket in her arm), comes to his rescue and shows him an escape route. They ran "through an alley, then under a bridge, and over a hill." When they finally stopped, Rosie asked Winston why he ate books.  Winston explained that words were delicious, "Why, words taste better than roasted skunk, even better than gopher stew!"  Rosie then told Winston that he couldn't eat books anymore, that there were other ways of tasting the wonderfull words inside. "Words taste even better when you eat them with your eyes!" She then teaches him to read.  Winston borrows clothes from Rosie's grandma and dressed up as a woman he heads back to the library with Rosie.  From that day on, he spent his time at the library reading stories to all that would come for story time hour.
     Winston the Book Wolf is thoroughly enjoyable. Readers will delight in finding subtle similarities between the classic tale and this story.  I loved the use of the same characters from the classic fairy tale but with a new story line.  This could be a model to follow in the writer's workshop in the classroom.  It is a great read aloud to do at home as well.

Duck! Rabbit!

Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
2009

     Is it a duck? Or is it a Rabbit?  It could be either, depending on how you look at it.  That's the premise of this clever book.  Two unseen characters argue, one convinced it is a a duck and the other firmly believing that it is in fact a rabbit.  After arguing back and forth, they loudly call the animal, who runs away scared.  And now they see an ant eater, or is it a brachiosaurus?
     Duck! Rabbit! will have readers taking sides during this entertaining read aloud.  The illustrations by Lichtenheld are bright and sharp and are a perfect companion to Krouse's snappy dialogue.  It's a fun tale that will be a great introduction to the theme of point of view, and to show how sometimes you can both disagree and still be right...depending on where you're standing.

Never Take a Shark to the Dentist: and Other Things not to Do

Never Take a Shark to the Dentist: and Other Things Not to Do by Judi Barret
Illustrated by John Nickle
2008
Preschool-Grade 2

     Never Take a Shark to the Dentist: and Other Things Not to Do is a book full of very valuable advice.  You should never take a centipede shoe-shopping or sit next to a porcupine on the subway.  "Never share your lunch with a pig or hold hands with a lobster. Obviously!  There are some other pieces of advice that are not quite as obvious until you see the hilarious illustrations by Nickle, like never knitting a hat for a moose, or never taking a goat to the library, and my favorite, never go to the bank with a raccoon.  After all those "nevers", it's good to learn that you should "always go shopping with a pelican" (imagine how much you can fit in that beak of his!).
     Never Take a Shark to the Dentist: and Other Things Not to Do is a hilarious book.  The text by Barret (author of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs) is funny on its own, but Nickle's illustations take it to the next level.  Kids will laugh with this one!  The book can also be used in the classroom for text innovation activities: students can come up with their own advice following the book's format, and even create a whole classroom version of it.
 

I Am Too Absolutely Small for School

I Am Too Absolutely Small for School (Charlie and Lola) by Lauren Child
2003

     Charlie has a little sister, Lola.  She's almost big enough to go to school, but Lola doesn't think so. "I am absolutely not Big. I am still quite small."  Charlie tries to convince her, to explain to her all the things she'll learn when she goes to school: she'll learn to count, read and write.  Lola always comes up with counter arguments, like not needing to learn how to write because she likes to talk on the telephone..."It's more friendly and straightaway."  Or not wanting to learn how to read because she has all her books memorized and if she can't remember them, she "can just make them up."  Lola was really worried that  she wouldn't have any friends at school. But Charlie finally convinces Lola by telling her that Soren Lorensen (Lola's invisible friend) will be going to school too.  Worried that her friend Soren would be too nervous to be alone, Lola decides that she will go to school to make sure he's OK and keep him company.
     The reason why I love I Am Too Absolutely Small for School (Charlie and Lola) and all the other books in the Charlie and Lola series is because of the relationship between the two siblings.  There's no competition between Charlie and Lola.  Charlie is loving and understanding; a great big brother.  Lola is funny and clever.  The Illustrations and the way the text is presented (curving, spiraling and spreading out all over the pages) makes it a lot of fun to read and share.  I really like the way Lola's invisible friend comes alive in the pages as a see-through character.  Great book to share at home and as a first day of school read aloud.

Russell the Sheep

Russell the Sheep by Rob Scotton
2005

     Russell the sheep has a problem. After a long and busy day in the fields, all the sheep get ready for bed and are soon asleep.  All but Russell.  He tried everything to make himself sleepy; he covered his eyes with his cap, but was too afraid of the dark; he took his coat off, but then got too cold; he went for a walk to tire himself out and find a new spot to sleep, but the places he found were too cramped, too creepy or too crowded.  What if he tried counting things? He counted every star in the sky, but still nothing...he was wide awake. And then he decided to count sheep.  He counted all the sheep around him and still awake, "Russell realized he had forgotten to count one very important little sheep...himself!" Suddenly, he felt "a tickle, then a twitch, and then...sound asleep."  Too bad the sun was already coming up by then!
     Russell the Sheep is a fun bedtime story for those nights when the little ones at home just don't feel sleepy at all.  I love the illustrations by Rob Scotton and  I must confess that I've been tempted to get an extra copy of the book just so I can use the pages to decorate my kids's rooms.  Its blue and purple tones and the cotton like image of Russell have had a magical effect on my 4 year old during sleepless evenings.  Keep it close to your nightstand.    

A Grand Old Tree

The Grand Old Tree by Mary Newell Depalma
2005

     My son loves to make up stories. He's 4, so his stories are either really short or they go on and on and on.  Last week, he got in the car and said, "Once upon a time, there was an old tree. Then it died. But then a young tree came and sang to him and he was alive again."  I tell you all this, because I just read The Grand Old Tree and it made me think of his story again.
     "Once there was a grand old tree. Her roots sank deep into the earth, her arms reached high into the sky." She lived for many seasons, flowering, bearing fruit, sowing seeds, and shedding her leaves. "She basked in the sun, bathed in the rain, swayed in the breeze." Her children spread far and wide. Eventually she got too old, dried out, fell down to the ground, "and snow gently covered her."  While she no longer flowered or sowed seeds, she was still home to many creatures and her trunk became one with the soil.  "Today the roots of her grandchildren sink deep into this earth. Their arms reach high into the sky."
     The Grand Old Tree is the story of the circle of life as experienced by a tree.  The illustrations are bright and in some cases, mingle with the words to form concrete poems.  The text is very accessible for the K-2 groups and offers a good introduction to the life cycle.