Module 5 - Let It Shine and Goin' Someplace Special

Goin' Someplace Special

by Patricia C. McKissack

2002 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Winner

ISBN 0-689-81885-8

Summary:

It's the 1950's and 'Tricia Ann wants to travel across town, by herself, to visit her Someplace Special.  Her grandmother allows her to go, reminding her as she leaves to, "hold yo' head up and act like you b'long to somebody."  Along her way she rides a bus, plays by a fountain, gets swept up into a crowd into a fancy hotel, meets a friend in a garden, gets embarrassed in front of the movie theater, all before arriving at her Someplace Special destination.  She also encounters Jim Crow signs and unfair treatment because of her skin color.  But when she gets to her Someplace Special, she is accepted for who she is, not because of the color of her skin.

My Impressions:

There is no doubt why this book is a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Winner.  The pencil and watercolor drawings are amazing.  The story is equally as wonderful, made even more touching by the author's note at the end of story, telling us it is her story as a young girl.  'Tricia Ann has some unfair and scary incidences on the way to the library (her Someplace Special) yet there are also friends close by to encourage her in her journey.  This book shows the wonder of the library in the life of a young girl who lives in a frustrating and unfair time.

Professional Reviews:

In a story that will endear itself to children's librarians and, for that matter, all library lovers, 'Tricia Ann begs her grandmother to be allowed to go alone to Someplace Special. Mama Frances acquiesces, sending her off with instructions: "'And no matter what, hold yo' head up and act like you b'long to somebody.'" 'Tricia Ann's special place is not revealed until the end, but on the way there, the humiliating racism she encounters on the city bus, in the park, and in a downtown hotel almost causes her to give up. "'Getting to Someplace Special isn't worth it,' she sobbed." When she recalls her grandmother's words: " 'You are somebody, a human being--no better, no worse than anybody else in this world,' “she regains the determination to continue her journey, in spite of blatant segregation and harsh Jim Crow laws. " Public Library: All Are Welcome" reads the sign above the front door of Someplace Special; Mama Frances calls it "a doorway to freedom." Every plot element contributes to the theme, leaving McKissack's autobiographical work open to charges of didacticism. But no one can argue with its main themes: segregation is bad, learning and libraries are good. Pinkney's trademark watercolors team with realistically drawn people, lush city scenes, and a spunky main character whose turquoise dress, enlivened with yellow flowers and trim, jumps out of every picture. A lengthy author's endnote fills in the background for adults on McKissack's childhood experiences with the Nashville Public Library. This library quietly integrated all of its facilities in the late 1950s, and provided her with the story's inspiration. A natural for group sharing; leave plenty of time for the questions and discussion that are sure to follow, (Picture book. 5-9)

Goin' someplace special [Review of the book Goin’ someplace special, by P. McKissack]. (2001). Kirkus Reviews, 69(18), 1362. Retrieved from www.kirkusreviews.com.

Young `Tricia Ann is off to Someplace Special--and about to "burst with excitement" because her grandmother is letting her go there alone for the very first time. The journey is not an easy one: she must face the indignities of life in the Jim Crow South. She has to sit behind the sign on the bus that says "COLORED SECTION." She is not allowed to sit in the park by the Peace Fountain her stonemason grandfather helped build. She visits her friend the doorman at the elegant Southland Hotel and is asked to leave. "What makes you think you can come inside? No colored people are allowed!" the manager says. Despite these humiliations, `Tricia Ann is strengthened at every turn by people who care about her and who bolster her with reminders to "Carry yo'self proud" and "Don't let those signs steal yo' happiness." Soon she reaches her beloved Someplace Special--the public library. The words carved in stone proclaim: "Public Library: All Are Welcome." Jerry Pinkney's illustrations place `Tricia Ann at the center of each page, willing to face the challenges the outside world throws at her. Whether `Tricia Ann is in her grandmother's kitchen (surrounded by bountiful fresh fruits and vegetables and the love they symbolize) or fearfully looking over her shoulder on the bus, Pinkney makes it clear that she will triumph. Though this story takes place in an unnamed Southern city, the helpful author's note states that McKissack was raised in Nashville, where, unlike many other Southern cities of the 1950s, the public libraries welcomed African Americans. The library pictured on the final pages, bathed in hopeful lemon sunshine, is the downtown library of 1950s Nashville. There are many books about a child's first trip alone, and many books about racism and the struggle for civil rights, but this book is about more than either: it is the story of a child facing a difficult time sustained by the support of the adults in her life. McKissack and Pinkney strike just the right balance in a picture book for young readers and listeners: informative without being preachy; hopeful without being sentimental.

Smith, R. (2001). Goin' someplace special. (Picture Books) [Review of the book Goin’ someplace special, by P. McKissack]. The Horn Book Magazine, 77(6), 736. Retrieved from www.hbook.com.

Having Fun in the Library:

This would be a good lead-in for a class that is about to study the Jim Crow era or to be read during Black History month. Pre-reading activity: ask the students what laws or rules they have to follow that they think are unfair.  I would also ask them to think of places they like to visit and why, or a place they consider "special".    I would write their responses on the board.  After reading the book, we could compare 'Tricia Ann's special place to the students'.  

McKissack, P. C. (2001).  Goin' someplace special.  New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

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Let It Shine: Three Favorite Spirituals

by Ashley Bryan

2008 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Winner

ISBN 978-0-689-84732-5

Summary:

Using vivid construction paper artwork, Ashley Bryan shares three spirituals in this book, This Little Light of Mine, Oh, When the Saints Go Marching In, and He's Got the Whole World in His Hands.  The lyrics are at the bottom of the page, with the artwork living out the song.  Musical notations are at the end of the book, as well as a note from the author/illustrator.

My Impression:

The artwork in this book is outstanding.  It truly enhances the spirituals and makes this a fun, energetic book to read.   Having the music notes at the end of the book beg for the teacher/librarian to play the music in the class.  One of my favorite pieces in the book is a picture of hands (He's Got the Whole World in His Hands) and the layering affect it has and the way Bryan makes the hands so many different colors.

Professional Reviews:

The inspiring words of three well-known spirituals, "This Little Light of Mine," "Oh, When the Saints Go Marching In," and "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands," are matched with powerful construction-paper collage illustrations.  Each double-page spread of this oversize picture book is an explosion of shapes and bright colors.  Stocky figures, silhouetted against swirling colors are created from geometric shapes woven together.  Rather than conceive a story to accompany the lyrics, Bryan presents series of scenes to reflect each set of lyrics.  Children dance around with candles and march with saints; God holds a world of colored objects in his hands.  The musical notation and lyrics for each song appear at the end of the book, as does a brief note from Bryan about the history of the spiritual and the changes he made in some of the lyrics.  This will be hard to read without breaking into song.  
Enos, R.  (2006, November 15).  Let it shine: Three favorite spirituals [Review of the book Let it shine; Three favorite spirituals].  Booklist, 103(6).

Having Fun in the Library:
Pre-reading: Discuss what spirituals are and give brief history.  Read book.  Ask students to vote on which of the three spirituals was their favorite.  Sing (with or without music) all three spirituals.  A great way to integrate this across the curriculum would be to have the art teacher allow the students to make construction paper projects in art class.

Bryan, A. (2007).  Let it shine, three favorite spirituals.  New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Module 4 - The Twenty-One Balloons and Crispin Cross of Lead

The Twenty-One Balloons

by William Pene du Bois

ISBN 0140320970

Summary:

Professor William Waterman Sherman wants to travel around the Pacific Ocean, by himself, in a hot air balloon.  He goes through careful and thorough preparations in order to get ready for his flight.  Unfortunately, his journey is soon derailed by seagulls.  He crash lands on an island, which he finds full of diamonds and eccentric habitants.  They accept him into their society and inform him he must stay, forever, and be part of their  lives.

My Impressions:

This is an imaginative, fun book.  The book is told from the viewpoint of Professional Sherman, after he has returned from his voyage.  He is adamant that he cannot tell his story until he has first told the members of his Western American Explorers' Club in San Francisco.  The entire country is waiting with baited breath for the story of Sherman's balloon flight.  The story unfolds as Sherman lays in a bed in the meeting hall admid much fanfare and hoopla.  He tells of his careful preparations, his unfortunate encounter with some seagulls, and his crash landing on the mysterious island of Krakatoa.  He tells of meeting the people who live there and how they have adapted to life on an active volcanic island, which so happens to be filled with diamonds.  Since Sherman has discovered their secret island and secret lifestyle, they tell him he must stay forever and adopt their customs and rituals, such as taking a single alphabet letter for his last name (Mr. V, for example, and Mr. U was declared too confusing) and serving a meals that correspond with a country that begins with the letter of his last name.  He is shown all of their remarkable houses and inventions, one of which they must use when they are all forced to flee the island when it erupts.  

I love the subtle humor in the book-for example, when he arrives in San Francisco, the band plays Marching Through Georgia and, "...It was thought afterwards by many that the slim connection between that last song and Professor William Sherman was a bit far-fetched" (p. 37). 

Professional Reviews:

Krakatoa is a legendary island surrounded by a cloud of folklore and mystery. Located next to the Southeast Asian islands of Java and Sumatra, it has been an object of interest since its discovery by the western world in the 1600s. After the great volcanic eruption on the island in 1883, Krakatoa found itself thrown into the public spotlight. Now uninhabited and volatile, Krakatoa has nonetheless become the inspiration for numerous movies, plays and books.

One of these books is "The Twenty-One Balloons" by William Pene du Bois. Pene du Bois brings the island to life in the story of Professor William Waterman Sherman who, on Aug. 15, 1883 sets off in a hot-air balloon from San Francisco Bay with the goal of becoming the first man to travel across the Pacific Ocean. Three weeks later, Professor Sherman was found in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, starving, among the remains of 20 deflated balloons.

"The Twenty-One Balloons" presents Sherman's journey, from the start of his fascination with balloons and travel, to his presentation to the Western American Explorers' Club following his travels. Sherman has quite a story to tell. After his take-off, Sherman crashes his balloon into Krakatoa, and discovers a fabulous new society: for in Pene du Bois' world, Krakatoa is a luxurious land, chock full of diamonds. But after Sherman learns the secrets of Krakatoa and the 20 fabulously wealthy and creative families who inhabit the island, he is forbidden to leave. This presents the reader with a mystery: If Sherman was not allowed to leave this paradise, how did he end up in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean?

Pene du Bois explains this and more in his enchanting novel. I give this book a 9 out of 10. An imaginative tale, "The Twenty-One Balloons" captivates the reader with the author's Krakatoa, a world of immense wealth and incredible inventions. I was immediately intrigued by the story of Krakatoa's inhabitants and the mystery surrounding Sherman's explorations. Though "The Twenty-One Balloons" is written for a preteen audience, it is a story that can be enjoyed by all ages and a great read for the holiday season.

Miyachi, M.  (2008, January 2).  'Twenty-one balloons' lifts young readers with imaginative tale [Review of the book The twenty-one balloons].  The Andover Townsend Online.  Retrieved from http://www.andovertownsman.com/education/x645341982/Twenty-One-Balloons-lifts-young-readers-with-imaginative-tale

Having Fun in the Library:

1.  I would divide the students into small groups of 4 or 5 and have them, as a group, decide which letter of the alphabet they would like to be if they lived on the island of Krakatoa.  They need to design a house, a restaurant, and a menu based on their letter then present it to the class.  

2.  Ahead of time, I would hide die cut diamonds inside books.  The students would then have to go on a scavenger hunt in the library, using the library computer catalog, to learn how to find nonfiction and fiction books.  The books I choose to hide the diamonds in could include books thematically related to the story: seagulls, hot air balloons, flying, islands, weather.

Du Bois, W. P.  (1947).  The twenty-one balloons.  New York: Puffin Books.

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Crispin: The Cross of Lead

by Avi

ISBN 978-078680828-1

Summary:

An orphaned boy has been accused of murder and theft and must flee his village in 14th century England.  His only possession is a cross his mother left him, but the boy (called Asta's son) cannot read the writing on it.  Running for his life, he stumbles across a traveling minstrel, Bear, who at first enslaves Asta's son, then apprentices him, and eventually sets him free.  The pair travel to the city of Great Wexley, where a festival is going on where Bear has some clandestine meetings and Asta's son must keep escaping the clutches of the evil village steward.  Asta's son learns his true identity and his true name.

My Impressions:

I enjoyed this book but was confused by one part in the beginning: we are told Asta's speech is slow and ill formed.  On page 4 we even see it, "'But...sir,' I said... "if I do...I...I wouldn't be able to work the fields."'  But after that example, we never see or hear of Crispin's struggling speech again.  Maybe it disappears as matures and learns to look people in the eye.  Other than that minor issue, I followed the story easily.  The clues are laid out for us to follow; there is obviously more to Crispin than even he is aware.  We follow him throughout the countryside as he escapes the soldiers and learns who he really is.  Yes, belief has to be suspended in order for the storyline to flow.  But, to me, that was ok because I wanted Crispin to succeed, to escape with Bear and discover his true lineage.  

Professional Reviews:

 In his fiftieth book Avi sets his story in fourteenth-- century England and introduces some of his most unforgettable characters-a 13-year-- old orphan, seemingly without a name, and a huge, odd juggler named Bear. At first, the boy is known as Asta's Son, but when his mother dies, he learns from a priest that his name is really Crispin. He also quickly comes to realize that he is in grave trouble. John Acliffe, the steward of the manor, reveals himself to be Crispin's mortal enemy and declares the boy a "wolf's-head," which means he is anyone's prey. Clutching his only possession, a lead cross, Crispin flees his village into a vast new world of opportunity-and terror. At his lowest ebb, Crispin meets Bear and reluctantly swears an oath to be his servant. Yet Bear becomes much more than a master-he's Crispin's teacher, protector, and liberator. Avi builds an impressive backdrop for his arresting characters: a tense medieval world in which hostility against the landowners and their cruelties is increasing. There's also other nail-biting tension in the story that builds to a gripping, somewhat confusing ending, which finds Crispin, once weak, now strong. Readers may not understand every nuance of the political machinations that propel the story, but they will feel the shifting winds of change beginning to blow through a feudal society. 

Cooper, I. (2002). Crispin: The cross of lead. The Booklist, 98(18), 1604. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/235501467?accountid=7113

Having Fun in the Library:

1.  Have students summarize the story in 100 words.  Then 50 words.  Then 10 words.

2.  Building upon the students' knowledge of friendly letters, have them each write a letter from Lady Furnival to Crispin, encouraging him not to reveal who his father was.

Avi (2002).  Crispin: the cross of lead.  New York: Hyperion Books for Children.

Module 3 - The Biggest Bear and Officer Buckle and Gloria

The Biggest Bear

by Lynd Ward

1953 Caldecott Medal winner

ISBN 978-0-395-14806-8

Summary:

Young Johnny goes on a bear hunt so he can hang up a bear skin on his barn.  Instead, he comes home with a bear cub.  The neighbors are unhappy with the mischief the bear gets into, so Johnny tries to return the large bear to the woods, three separate times.  

My Impressions:

This book won the Caldecott Medal in 1953 for excellence in illustration in children's books.  Mr. Ward used opaque watercolors to illustrate this book.  I find the pictures captivating.  They are so detailed and precise, the story could be told without words.  Johnny sets off into the woods to find the biggest bear hide he can, but instead, finds a bear cub that he immeditaly falls in love with.  The bear, in order to feed his huge appetite, destroys a neghbor's corn field, a smokehouse, and even Johnny's own kitchen.  Johnny is supposed to take the bear into the woods and leave him,  only to have him show back up at Johnny's house.  The fourth time Johnny takes the bear into the woods he is supposed to shoot him.  The illustrations are perfect for conveying the tenderness of the relationship between the boy and his bear.  And, thankfully, there is a happy ending to the book where the bear is taken to a zoo and able to eat all the maple syrup squares Johnny brings him.

Professional Reviews:

"This is one of my favorite books of the year. Mr. Ward has told a story full of action, suspense and humor, in the fewest possible words (not another word is needed and not one should be left out). Some of his best pictures supplement the story. It concerns young Johnny Orchard, who decided to shoot a bear so that his farm would not be the only one without a bearskin nailed to the barn. He found a bear, all right. But did he shoot him? That’s the exciting part of the story. An outstanding book in every way."

No author. (2013, April 5).  Horn Book reviews of Caldecott Medal winners, 1950-1959 [Review of the book The biggest bear].  Retrieved from http://www.hbook.com/2013/04/choosing-books/reviews/horn-book-reviews-of-caldecott-medal-winners-1950-1959/

Having Fun in the Library:

Maps/Compass/Directions.  Johnny takes the bear west, east, south and north.  Have a sheet with a simple map of the neighborhood on it. Have students complete sheet.  Show them which wall in the library faces west, east, south and north.

Venn Diagram.  Have a sheet for each student with a Venn Diagram on it.  On one side, have the students list foods they like to eat.  On the other side, have students list the things the bear liked to eat.  In the middle, write the foods they have in common, if any.

Math.  Display the book on the Promethean Board.  Give each student a piece of paper and a pencil.  Page by page, have them tally how many chickens, pigs, apples, trees, etc. they see.

Ward. L. (1952). The biggest bear.  Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. 

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Officer Buckle and Gloria

by Peggy Rathmann

1996 Caldecott Medal winner

ISBN 0-399-22616-8

Summary:  

Officer Buckle loves to teach children safety rules.  The problem is that he's very boring. Then he acquires a police dog, Gloria, who livens up his safety presentations.

My Impressions:

This is just a fun story with fun illustrations.  Officer Buckle really wants to do the right thing but he's just so boring.  Gloria is entertaining and cute and kids usually gravitate toward animals in books so she is always a hit.  This story is a good lesson in learning to laugh at yourself and shows that pouting gets you nowhere.

Professional Reviews:

When rotund, good-natured Officer Buckle visits school assemblies to read off his sensible safety tips, the children listen, bored and polite, dozing off one by one. But when the new police dog, Gloria, stands behind him, secretly miming the dire consequences of acting imprudently, the children suddenly become attentive, laughing uproariously and applauding loudly. The good policeman is first gratified with the response, then deflated to learn that Gloria was stealing the show. Finally, he realizes that he and Gloria make a great team, and they take their show on the road again, adding a new message, "ALWAYS STICK WITH YOUR BUDDY!" Like Officer Buckle and Gloria, the deadpan humor of the text and slapstick wit of the illustrations make a terrific combination. Large, expressive line drawings illustrate the characters with finesse, and the Kool-Aid-bright washes add energy and pizzazz. Children will enjoy the many safety-tip notes tacked up on the endpapers and around the borders of the jacket front. Somehow, the familiar advice (like "Never leave a bar of soap where someone might step on it" or "Never tilt your chair back on two legs" ) is more entertaining accompanied by little drawings of Gloria hamming it up.

Phelan, C. (1995, November 1).  Officer Buckle and Gloria [Review of Office Buckle and Gloria].  Booklist.  Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA17756662&v=2.1&u=txshracd2679&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w

Having Fun in the Library:

Basic personal information.  Have students write down, on an index card, their name, address, and phone number.  They should also be able to write the names of their primary caregivers.

When to call 9-1-1.  Discuss with the students when and how to call 911.  Make up some scenarios.  Should you call 9-1-1 if your dog is sick?   Should you call 9-1-1 if your pet goldfish jumps out of his bowl?   Should you call 9-1-1 if mommy falls down the stairway and can't get up?  Child should know what situations are considered enough of an emergency to call 911.

Working dogs.  For older students, discuss working dogs.  There are all kinds of different jobs that dogs can do.  Gloria was a police dog, but dogs can help people in a great number of other ways.  If time permits, read Ben: The Very Best Furry Friend - A children's book about a therapy dog and the friends he makes at the library and nursing home by Holly Raus

Rathmann, P. (1995). Office Buckle and Gloria. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons.

Module 2 - The Snowman and A boy, a dog, and a frog

The Snowman

by Raymond Briggs

ISBN 0-394-83973-0

Summary:

Raymond Briggs uses illustrations to show us the story of a boy who rushes outside on a snowy day to build a snowman.  Unable to sleep that night, he goes outside and discovers that his snowman is alive.  The boys takes the snowman on a tour of his house and they have a snack, try on the dad's clothes, even drive the car around the block.  The snowman then takes the boy outside and on a flying journey around the world.  They return home as the sun rises.

My Impressions:

I love the illustrations and this truly is a children's book as it allows anyone to follow the story since there are no words involved.  The soft color pencil drawings are effective at not only telling the story, but drawing the reader into the story and invoking emotions for the characters.  Who doesn't feel a sense of loss at the end of the book when the boy runs outside and discovers his snowman is a puddle? I think the sequence in the middle is particularly touching when the boy takes the snowman into his house; the snowman recognizes a picture of the boy that sits on the father's dresser.  The snowman points to the picture, then to the boy.

Professional Reviews:

The Snowman is such a memorable story in large measure because it uses no words. Even in the first frames, where a boy awakes on a winter morning to find the ground covered with snow and thick flakes falling, the silence is part of the effect. He wakes, looks out of the window, hurriedly dresses, and rushes into the garden. He is absorbed in his own world, cut off by his excitement from any conversation with his mother. Only in one frame might he speak, when he shows her what he is doing by pointing outside, and even here he hardly needs to say anything. In the last frame of the page, she watches from a window as he runs across the snow, his woollen hat falling off disregarded behind him.

The story's silence is enclosing. The sky is dark with snow and light is dimmed to greys and greens. Everything is muffled. The story brilliantly recalls how, with heavy snow, the world is made quiet. Slowly the boy builds the snowman, the process pausing in one frame where he silently eats his breakfast, watched by his mother. All his thoughts are bent on this. Human exchange is at a minimum: on the third page, where he attaches clothes and facial features to the fully formed snowman, he comes back into the house for one frame to ask for a hat and scarf, but this is reduced to the single gesture of pointing outside again. By the last frame of the page the snowman is completed, his benign smile the boy's last thought.

Back indoors, afternoon has darkened into evening, and in every frame, as his parents make toast or watch TV, or later as he prepares for bed, he looks out of the window. It is important that he is an only child, and that his parents, while affectionate, seem elderly, distant. This is the background to the tale's odd melancholy. The wordlessness of the narrative focuses his rapt attention on the snowman he has made. So on the page where he wakes in the night, hurries downstairs, and opens the back door, the final frame - where the snowman cheerfully doffs his hat - is almost not surprising. He and we were prepared for this.

Of course, Briggs is not wedded to wordless stories. Another of his classics, Fungus the Bogeyman, is almost overwhelmed with words. We see the Bogeymen's modus vivendi, and the pictures are encrusted with detailed labels and explanatory panels charting Fungus and Mildew's slimey but affectionate life together. The story is a veritable encyclopedia of Bogey-dom. In Father Christmas, in contrast, the words are important but minimal, and nearly all spoken by the eponymous protagonist. Father Christmas leads a solitary life, up north somewhere with his cat and his dog and his stabled reindeer. He has no one to speak to, so the only words are (mostly exasperated) exclamations. Waking in his striped pyjamas under his thick eiderdown (home comforts tend to have a 1950s quality in Briggs's stories), he looks at the calendar ("Dec 24") and announces, "Blooming Christmas here again!" Words are forced out of him ("I hate winter!" he exclaims as he sits on the chilly outdoor lavatory) or are a self-reassuring solace in the face of discomfort ("Good pot of tea," he says as he pours the boiling water into the pot). The only other voice is the radio, which drives him to even greater grumpiness.

In The Snowman, the absence of any words suits the magical communication between snowman and boy. Does the Snowman understand English? He does not need to, because he has found a companion who immediately understands his wonder at the human world. In the still hours, the boy and the snowman, communicating by smiles and gestures, explore the house. Its mysteries - light switches, hot water, the freezer - can only be understood by demonstration. In their bedroom, the parents sleep as their son's new companion silently dons an assortment of their clothes. Then, in the sequence that the animated film was to make famous, the snowman takes the boy into the air. He does not need to ask him if this is what he wants. It is simply where the story must lead. Soon the two of them are over some exotic Russian clime - but dawn approaches and they evidently have to hurry back.

The Snowman takes up his silent station in the garden, and the boy watches him again from his window. In the final pages, the boy gets up in the morning and rushes without speaking past his parents at breakfast, only to find, inevitably, that the Snowman is but a pile of melted snow. It is a famous ending, the moment at which the boy must abandon his own special world. But before this there is a more remarkable passage of illustrations: a whole page of 12 individual frames is given over to the boy in bed. Frame by frame the restiveness of his sleep is captured, as the light slowly changes to morning. Watching a character sleep is a strange experience. Here it simply lets us see that this solitary child is possessed by unspoken dreams.

Mullan, J. (2008, December 12).  The Snowman and Father Christmas by Raymond Briggs [Review of the book The snowman]  The Guardian.  Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/dec/13/raymond-briggs-snowman

Having Fun in the Library:

The librarian will preselect illustrations from the book and assign particular ones to student groups.  The students will then write text to accompany this wordless book. This can be done on the computer or by hand.  Collect all the text pieces and read the story aloud as a whole.  As an additional activity, have the students create a sound recording for the story.  This could be the text that the class wrote or a soundtrack.

After sharing the book, watch the video.  Discuss similarities and differences.

Reviews & Awards:

In 1978, The Snowman received the following honors: School Library Journal Best Books of the Year; Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Winner; Horn Book Fanfare; ALA Notable Children's Books; and Library of Congress Children's Books of the Year. Official Website for The Snowman: http://www.thesnowman.co.uk Briggs, R. (1978).  The snowman.  New York: Random House.  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  A boy, a dog and a frog by Mercer Mayer ISBN 0-8037-2880-8 Summary: Without using text, Mercer Mayer conveys the story of a boy and his dog and their journey in the forest.  They meet a frog who does not want to be caught in their net, but is willing to become friends. My Impressions: I chose another wordless book for my blog this week.  This book has a happier ending than The Snowman and a surprise ending.  Wordless books teach so much to students and are a nice alternative for story time.   Professional Reviews: A small trim size, subtle line work, and the absence of color invite readers to pay close attention to the hilarious antics of an enthusiastic frog-catcher, his canine sidekick, and the elusive amphibian as they cavort in the creek. A "hoppy" surprise awaits the long-suffering boy at bath time  (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. Lukehart, W. (2011, April1).  Picture perfect [Review of the book a boy, a dog and a frog].  School Library Journal, 57(4), 50-54.   Having Fun in the Library: Have students write down a journal entry that the boy might have made at the end of his day. Divide the students into groups of two or three.  Have them go on a prearranged scavenger hunt around the library, looking for fiction and nonfiction books about dogs and frogs.   Draw a simple map of the neighborhood.  Draw little frog footprints hopping around.  Have children determine which direction the frog is heading (north or south, east or west) and ask them which road would he travel to get from the pond to the school.   Mayer, M. (1967).  A boy, a dog and a frog. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.