Sarah, Plain and Tall

I remember watching Sarah, Plain and Tall when it was a television series when I was growing up, and we loved watching the episodes as a family. It always reminded me of Little House on the Prairie. At the time I did not realize that the series was actually based off of a set of books by Patricia MacLachlan. 

While reading the first book with the same name as the television series, my memory was refreshed that it was about a woman from Maine answering a newspaper ad for a wife and mother. The kids anxiously await Sarah's arrival, and once she is there, they are preoccupied, wondering if she will stay or if she will miss the sea and her family too much and end up returning.

I once again made comparisons to the Laura Ingalls Wilder books. I thought about how the MacLachlan books are quick, relatively easy reads, ideal for a transitional reader. However, it would be ideal if the readers had some background about the time period so that they could better understand the book. That made me think about how it would be an excellent opportunity to pair up with a read aloud of a Laura Ingalls Wilder book. The read aloud would build background information to better enjoy reading MacLachlan's text independently. Another option that I could see as be for a parent to read aloud an Ingalls Wilder book to the child and to have the child read aloud the MacLachlan book. That way, both books would be a shared experience, discussing similarities and differences. I like that if the child is motivated by either of the books, there are more available from both of the authors.

What Can You Do With a Rebozo?

During my second exchange to Mexico one of the language teachers did a presentation for our class about the many uses of rebozos, including historical background. Not long after I returned to the US, I heard about a new book, What Can You Do With a Rebozo? It automatically caught my attention because of that personal connection. Almost four years later I finally bought a copy.

The book portrays traditional cultural uses that I heard about in the presentation or that I know from being in Mexico. However, there are also fun, creative ways to use a rebozo mixed in. For example, the first page illustrates the mother wearing a rebozo as a shawl and then to hold her baby on her back. Later in the book the main character (the girl shown on the front cover) uses it as a super hero cape for Halloween.

Initially, I was a little disappointed that it was a mixture, rather than solely showing the many uses that I have seen firsthand or that are well-known historically. However, then at the end of the book there is couple of paragraphs under the heading "About Rebozos". The next page has a heading identical to the title of the book, followed by four questions: "What is the silliest thing you can do with a rebozo? What is the most practical? The most beautiful? The most creative?" Once I read these pages, I realized that the mixture in the book was perfect - featuring "real" traditional uses and some background, while also sparking the imagination of many other personalities, a perfect lead into the questions.

I absolutely love the illustrations, which span the full two-pages spreads. I appreciate the way the family is portrayed and the way the images capture the culture represented in bright colors.

I am excited to see that the book is now available as a bilingual paperback as well.

My daughter snug in her abuelita's rebozo. Even though her head is sticking out this time, other times she was completely covered.

D is for Drinking Gourd

D is for Drinking Gourd: An African American Alphabet by Nancy I. Sanders and illustrated by E. B. Lewis caught my attention because I had recently read Gathering the Sun, another cultural alphabet book. I also absolutely loved the cover image.

The inside of the book has art consistent with the style that caught my attention on the cover. Aside from the art, another aspect that I loved right away was that each page told part of history and/or contributions that African Americans have made in the US. Letters featured a range of aspects such as: Harlem Renaissance, inventors, jazz, the Little Rock Nine, athletes, organizations, and holidays. Some pages had celebratory tones, while others were more somber, sharing difficult aspects of history.

With the letter A, the left hand side of the two-page spread had four lines of poetry, "'Let our people go!' they cried / in speeches or with a pen in hand. / A is for abolitionists / who were willing to take a stand." The featured letter, A, was in a larger font to catch the reader's attention. The water color image spanned the two page spread, but about 1/3 of the right hand page was set off by a solid background color. It had the featured letter in upper and lower case in large text, followed by more historical information in smaller font than the rest of the page. Many of the pages followed this same set up, while others featured two letters, each with the same components on a single page, rather than the double-page spread. As such the lay-out of the book was crisp, consistent.


When I got to letter E, I realized that at least 2 of the four lines of each of the poetry rhymed. As such, there is another added layer to the text, including both poetry and expository writing, making it a perfect mentor text for multi-genre writing.


I always love books like this when I find them because they can be read and enjoyed in multiple ways for multiple age groups and reading levels. For example, it is perfectly fine for some readers to simply read the left hand statements, while others will read all of the text, and some might elect to read the right hand text for the information that especially piques their interest.

While this book is appropriate for older primary readers, it would also provide a lot of background information for older students. For example, I can picture it being valuable for middle schoolers interested in any of the various aspects of history mentioned in the book. When reading the information correlated with the letter F, discussing African American's role in wars in the US, I thought about how it would complement books such as Laurie Halse Anderson's Chains. Other pages made me think of Christopher Paul Curtis' books. This is a book that I will want to buy a copy of for my 6th-8th grade classroom library!

Flotsam

Prior to reading the jacket of David Wiesner's Flotsam, I was not aware of the meaning of the word. The wordless book highlights different materials that could be floating in the sea, washing up on shore for people to explore.

When I saw the title page with various objects, including shells and a feather, I thought about how my girls would probably love this book. Then the first page zooms in on a crustacean with a large eye closely examining it in the background. Something about the way it is presented, made me want to laugh, instantly hooking my attention and making me want to see more.

The next page zooms out to show more of the background scene, including the boy looking at the creature through a magnifying glass. Shortly after, the curios boy notices a mysterious camera that has washed up on the beach. That is when the book shifts from realistic to imaginative. He rushes to develop the film inside and sees glimpses into life under the sea. Amazed at what he is seeing, he zooms in to examine the little details of photos using his microscope.

Similar to the other two wordless books that I have reviewed in the series this week, there are many details in the pictures that spark the imagination. Kids would be able to talk about where fact and fiction blend, considering which aspects occur in real life. They can also consider the possibilities of what else might wash up on the shores of beaches and make them excited for a trip to the coast.

*Caldecott Medal Book

The Red Book

Barbara Lehman's The Red Book tells the story of many adventures surrounding a red book. Walking toward school on a snowy day, a girl finds a red book in a snow bank. While in class, she opens it up to find a picture of a boy on a beach who finds a red book in the sand. The next couple of pages reveal a surprising twist - sparking curiosity for both the readers and the kids experiencing the magic of the red book.

Opening up a world of imagination for kids, this wordless book prompts readers to look closely at the details and consider the relationships between the characters, as well as wonder about possibilities in this introduction into the fantasy genre.

Readers can enjoy this book for different reasons each time as they discover new details that add additional layers to the magic of the story. As a result, it is a perfect book to enjoy as a community of readers being able to share different thoughts and ideas.

Targeted to emergent readers, this book can also foster a sense of appreciation for pictures. With writing development, I am used to the concept of valuing pictures as writing prior to kids being able to write words. This book is perfect, reaffirming the worth of wordless stories.


*Caldecott Honor Book

My Very Own Room/Mi propio cuartito

Similar to In My Family/En mi familia, My Very Own Room/My propio cuartito by Amada Irma Pérez is a bilingual Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children's Award book. In the first person narrative, the author retells experiences from her life when she was almost nine years old.

Illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez, the book opens with a two page spread of six kids sleeping in two beds. Amada is getting kicked in the face by her baby brother and reflecting on how she is getting too old to have to share a room with her five younger brothers. With mixed emotions and humor Amada recognizes family dynamics while living in close quarters. She is bound and determined to find a creative solution. The vibrant pictures capture the emotions in the book well.

Children who have wished that they could have their own room will be able to relate to Amada's experiences. Despite Amada wanting to have some space from her brothers the central role of family is still prevalent throughout the book, providing avenues to consider families and communities.

In the author's note, Amada states, "My parents, like many of the parents of the children I now teach (and learn from), wanted to provide us with more space, but could not. However, they taught us strong values, supported our education, and insisted that we become bilingual. Their children to be successful." The picture book portrays these family values.

This book can inspire students to share the stories of their own families and all of the emotions involved. This would also be a good book to incorporate around Thanksgiving to talk about dreams, as well as being thankful for what kids have. Kids from a range of grades could read and enjoy this book at different levels.

In My Family/En mi familia

I love cultures and traditions and value sharing everyday experiences. Carmen Lomas Garza's My Family/En mi familia captures glimpses into her childhood through her art and words. As the title indicates, the full book is bilingual.

Before beginning her stories, Lomas Garza notes, "Every time I paint, it serves a purpose -- to bring about pride in our Mexican American culture. When I was growing up [...] we were punished for being who we were, and we were made to feel ashamed of our culture. [...] My art is a way of healing these wounds," (n.p.). When I first saw the book, I thought about how it was a great celebration of culture, and I am glad that she shares background of how she felt others perceived her culture while growing up, an important aspect of our country's history.

Each page contains a painting on one page accompanied by a quick memory in both languages on the other side. The experiences link to various part of life, such as: regional geography, religion, cultural beliefs, legends, and customs. Throughout it all there is a strong presence of family and community. Kids can enjoy the book as a whole or individual two-page spreads as stand-alones.

As a reading and writing workshop teacher, I can see a lot of potential for Slice of Life Story mentor texts, focusing on the idea that everybody has stories to tell. For those who have experiences with Mexican culture, they will be able to connect and consider what aligns to their (or their friends') lives. Others can enjoy learning about another culture. In addition, the paintings have a lot of details to prompt discussions.

I also love that there is a kid friendly Question and Answer at the end of the book to prompt younger readers to think about the process of writing books and to consider who the authors of their favorite books are as people.

This is Lomas Garza's second children's book. Her first, Family Pictures/Cuadros de familia is very similar in format.