Once Upon MacDonald's Farm...

Title Once Upon MacDonald's Farm
Author/Illustrator: Stephan Gammell
Genre: Fantasy
Major Awards: N/A
Age Group: 1st - 3rd
                                                    
Summary:
This book is about how Old MacDonald got his farm that we all sang about when we were younger. In this telling of the story, MacDonald wants animals on his farm so he decides to buy an elephant, a lion, and a baboon. While these animals are not farm animals, he does not acknowledge that and uses them like they were. The elephant plows the grass, milks the lion and gets the eggs from the baboon. Or at least tries. While MacDonald sleeps the animals decide to leave without a sound so when he wakes the next day he has no animals. However, his neighbor offers to help him and gives him a horse, a cow, and a chicken. He was eager to start working so he starts with the chicken plowing the grass.

This book is fun to read and quite hilarious. The age group for it is younger elementary which I find is appropriate. The students would laugh at the farmer's foolishness and be able to decipher if the animals actually do what the farmer wanted them to do.

I would use this in a lower elementary level class and have the students do matching with animals after we read it to tell me the purpose of the animals on the farm listed in the book.

Once Upon A Time

Title: Once Upon A Time
Author/Illustrator: John Prater
Genre: Fantasy
Major Awards: N/A
Age Group: K - 2nd grade

                                                    
Summary:
In the book, Once Upon A Time, a boy is in his neighborhood where nothing seems to happen so he makes up wild day. Throughout the story, you can see each page progresses with different illustrations from different fairy tales. Such as Humpty Dumpty, Little Red Ridinghood, and so on. As it progresses the different fairy tale characters are progressing as well as if they are in their original story, such as Little Red Riding Hood meets the wolf and Humpty Dumpty falls off. While that is going on, the dialog is brief and is just talking about what the little boy is doing with his mom until his dad gets home. It ends with the dad starting to read a story to his son and the fairytale characters are going home as well.

In my classroom, I would use this book to assess the students to make sure they were remembering and knowing about the different fairytales in the book. I would use this book after we went over the fairytales illustrated throughout the book.

I think K through second grade would benefit the most from this story because of how short it is, and it does not necessarily teach a moral lesson but it expresses imagination which is necessary for young children to have and keep.

In my classroom, I would use this for a sentence stem of "Once Upon A Time" and have the students write their own fairytale.

The Museum

Title: The Museum
Author/Illustrator: Susan Verde and Peter H. Reynolds
Genre: Poetry
Major Awards: N/A
Age Group: 2nd - 4th grade
                                                  
Summary:
This book takes a young girl through a museum to tour it. Every artwork excites her and makes her heart happy. From the paintings to the statues her heart is full and content. The museum is inspiring her so much that when she sees a blank canvas she imagines it being filled with all kinds of color on it and it is decorated like she wants it.
The museum closes but she is not sad about it because she knows that the art she loves lives inside of her.

I would use this book between the ages of 8-10. I think it is age-appropriate, it is long enough for them to practice reading longer books but also engaging.

I would read this book to my class before we did an art project. The art project would be to draw or paint something that they as an individual enjoys doing.

A Bear Sat on My Porch Today

 Title: A Bear Sat on My Porch Today
Author/Illustrator: Jane Yolen and Rilla Alexander
Genre: Poetry
Major Awards: N/A
Age Group: 3rd - 5th grade

                                                
Summary:
The book, like the title, says, starts with a bear sitting on the main character's porch and would not leave. Then all different animals show up. A squirrel, a skunk and so on all different kinds of forest critters, even a moose! A blue jay showed up and caused a ruckus and had to leave, which made the other forest animals happy. At the end of the book, a sign is put up that says "Everybody Welcome!" making the ending sweet and friendly.

I would use this in an upper elementary classroom to teach about being kind welcoming to all kinds of people no matter what they do or who they are. I think that is age-appropriate because around this time I feel like it is when students start to become not so nice towards people and this book shows kindness.

In my classroom, I would use this book for the purpose of showing hospitality. I would have my students write about their experiences of being welcomed somewhere and then have them share to their table.

A Giraffe and A Half

Title: A Giraffe and A Half
Author/Illustrator: Shel Silverstein
Genre: Poetry
Major Awards: N/A
Age Group: K - 2nd grade
                                                 
Summary:
Another book by Shel Silverstein, A Giraffe and A Half, is about a giraffe who keeps stepping into stuff, adding stuff to his attire, and gluing stuff on until he becomes a giraffe and a half with so much on. Each page, the lines get longer and the craziness increases. The giraffe before the end of the book has glue on his shoe, a chair in his hair, and so on. Silverstein rhymes whatever the main object of the stanza is to keep it funny and easy to remember with the repetition he has. While the pictures are black and white and are to look like a sketch he brightens up the writing with the pictures.

I would use this book in lower elementary. The book has a lot of rhyming in it, animals, and objects in it that would expand the children's knowledge.

I think that would be the appropriate grade level, K through 2nd grade. Since it has so many learning opportunities.

In my classroom, I would use this for a rhyming lesson. I would have the students clap whenever they heard the rhymes at the end of each page and would go over what rhyming is.

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Title: Where the Sidewalk Ends
Author and Illustrator: Shel Silverstein
Genre: Poetry
Major Awards: ALA Notable Books 1974
Age Group: 4 years old - first grade
                                                    
Summary:
This collection of poems, or anthology, is about children exploring nature and being adventurous. This was one of the first poetry books I had growing up, along with The Giving Tree. Throughout the poetry book, Shel Silverstein drew pictures to help show children what he was envisioning. Drawings are not on every page or for every poem but for the majority of it. He starts the anthology off with a poem called "Invitation" which is a poem about inviting people in to read all about what is in this book.
One of my favorite poems is called "Beard" ever since I was younger I always liked this poem in particular. It is about someone who has a very long beard, we do not know why or what the inspiration behind this was for but I would laugh all the time when I heard this poem. On the right side theres a little cartoon of a man running with a beard which adds a picture to this already funny picture. This collection of poems are just for fun.

In my classroom, I would use this book for free reading time in kindergarten. Just to get the sillies out with the students. I would also use this book to show how you can have a collection of poems that go together in a subtle way.

I think having this book for 4-year-olds to 7-year-olds is appropriate. It is short and silly enough for the students to enjoy it.

In my classroom, I would have each student pick a poem from the book and have them draw a picture to represent the poem and then go around and share what they drew.

Papa's Backpack

Title: Papa's Backpack
Author/Illustrator: James Christopher Carrol
Genre: Poetry
Major Awards: 2016 Children's Choice Award
Age Group: 6 - 8
                                                   
Summary:
This book uses animals instead of humans to represent an issue they are facing. The author chose to use bears for the main characters and the baby bear is trying to grasp the concept of his dad leaving because he serves in the military. In the story, he imagines being by his dad in his backpack and doing everything together while he is away. This book ends happily with the baby bear envisioning being with his dad and summing up the adventures he has had.

I would use this book in lower elementary to read to the children who are dealing with one of their parents going away for whatever reason because children do not understand how to control their emotions and I think this book would help.

I think the age group is appropriate. This would help them understand what is going on and how to cope.

In my classroom, I would have the students use this book and write a letter to someone they are missing and maybe send the letter if at all possible.