Bread Comes to Life AND Why the Brown Bean was Blue (2 Books)

By George Levenson
Photography by Shmuel Thaler

Bread Comes to Life: A Garden of Wheat and a Loaf to Eat was a generous gift from Agriculture in the Classroom. This Richmond based organization bases its philosophy on educating students in Virginia about where the food on their lunch plate comes from. Agriculture, commerce, and natural resources are just several of the primary teaching objectives of Ag in the Class. In this book, the children are first introduced to the different types of bread that potentially show up at their home or in their school lunches. White, black, small, tall, thin, twin, dinner, and hard day-old bread a listed with photographs. The next several pages provide photographs that detail the process of wheat cultivation accompanied by words. "This baker makes his bread from scratch by sowing wheat in his backyard patch." The use of rhyme is continued throughout the text to include younger students. The beautiful pictures provide specific documentation of the wheat process. I must admit as a 24 year old man with a passion for food, I have never seen the process in its entirety. The process includes grinding the seeds after they have been differentiated from the chaff. At the close of the picture book, bread is made from yeast, honey, water, and flour. The last pages include several recipes to try at home with adult supervision. There is even a recipe for old-fashioned farmers gum (made from hard red winter wheat).

I believe that the value of such literature is imperative for our student's health. Many students are unaware of the processes responsible for the food that they eat everyday. By introducing students to these events, they become aware of their food surroundings. The classroom that I student teach in would be curious about the various techniques involved in bread making. I look forward to sharing this book in the spring.

Why the Brown Bean was Blue, written by Susan M. Pankey another book received from the Agriculture in the Classroom conference. This book begins much like Bread Comes to Life, yet this book documents the cultivation of soy from start to finish.

"A soybean is a seed, you know,
that farmers plant down in the ground....
But first they must prepare the soil.
And make rows in the fields up and down. "

Like in the other text, photography is used by the author to capture the process of growing soybeans. After the seeds are planted, they flourish into small green plants. From the plants, soy pods are picked. According to the author, the journey of the soil bean just begins after cultivation. Next, a two-page spread appears with an image containing several cosmetic and food products. Through the rest of the book, the author displays images of other products made from soy. In the back, a glossary and "fun-facts" section provides an opportunity for formative assessment of student comprehension. Like the book on bread, these informative non-fiction texts are important tools for the classroom. Awareness of these practices may contribute to increased student health. There is a potential that by introducing these materials to a classroom, students may begin to question some of the foods that they eat at home based upon the nutritional facts learned about soy beans and whole wheat bread.

Agriculture in the classroom offers many resources to Virginia educators, many of which contain materials to enrich students' understanding of natural resources.
http://www.agintheclass.org/Pages/default.aspx

If the World Were a Village

Written by David J. Smith
Illustrated by Shelagh Armstrong

If the World Were a Village takes the entire world and compresses the population to a size of 100 "global citizens." This number is used as a way for students to conceptualize the statistical data compiled by global researchers to determine the inequality of resources and the makeup of our global society. The first page gives a breakdown of nationalities, with 61 people from Asia. Language is discussed next, where readers can see that 22 citizens speak a Chinese dialect. The largest group of ages is 10-19 year olds, with 19 global citizens. Religions are next, with 32 Christians. For food consumption, there are 189 chickens, as compared to the 31 sheep and goats. 32 people breathe unhealthy air, only 31 attend school, 20 people live on less than a dollar a day, and 24 do not have electricity. The book is designed to teach "world-mindedness." This book is very successful at bringing the large population numbers and translating them to a scale that students can comprehend. The scope and sequence of the social sciences places importance in early elementary students on "self." This egocentric world that many students live in is not conducive to a natural understanding of such large numbers. 100 students could easily be represented as the number of kindergarteners in total. I feel that this number is so critical to model explicitly, that this book may serve a greater purpose by assembling the classes together. That way, the students can participate in an active lesson where some are asked to stand up, while the others remain seated.

In the back of the book, the author offers guidance for teaching children about the global village. First, students should have access to a map of the world. An up to date map displayed on a wall will help students to locate "self in the world." A wonderful strategy offered by the author is to ask some questions to which no known answers can be provided.

"If there's really enough food in the world, why do some people still go hungry?"

"What forms of government do different countries have? Why are they so many forms of government? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

The interdisciplinary value of If the World Were a Village is seminal to the book's purpose in the classroom. This text offers mathematical concepts, social studies of humanities, science, and reading. Portions of these interdisciplinary approaches could be adapted to any lesson plan. 

The animated version is also worth viewing in the classroom.

In Coal Country

By Judith Hendershot
Illustrated by Thomas B. Allen

"Christmas in the row was the best time of the year. The house smelled of Christmas tree and roast goose and all the good things that Mama had made. No whistle called Papa to the mine. Everything felt so special. And it was."

Judith Hendershot grew up in the family of a coal miner. She and her family lived on Company Row, containing many families whose fathers all worked for the local coal mine. Hendershot writes of her father with pride. She terms his work, "important." The descriptive language immediately enhances the story as the reader learns just how dark and dirty the environment was. Hendershot writes that she and the other children only received a bath once every Saturday, yet her father needed a bath every night. This black fog was so insidious that it peeled the paint away from the home. The process of coal transportation is then detailed from the mules to the trains. Each element of transportation is clouded with the black dust of coal. "The water than washed the coal ran back into the creek, and the dust from the coal turned it black as night." This theme of night is echoed in the next several pages. Hendershot describes her relationships with her friends who also lived in coal mining houses. Their antics occurred during the nighttime, while her father was at work. Washing clothes was especially hard for Hendershot's mother, who developed calloused and red hands from working with clothing in the washer. The only reprieve for the family occurred in sync with Christmas.

The imagery is incredibly powerful, as illustrated by Thomas B. Allen. Interestingly, Allen uses pastels to illustrate the story. Pastel, like charcoal, is very malleable. When a mark is made with pastels, a dust is created on the surface. This dust can then be manipulated with the artists finger to create a smudge of color. Pastels therefore resemble the dust of coal. When the color black appears on the pages, coal is indisputably referenced. Several two-paged spreads depict life during the nighttime. These pages are successful at truly arresting the viewer's perspective while hinting at the blackness of coal. The artists handling of color almost appears hyper stylized on page 24, when Allen depicts an image of the family garden. The green and bright blue imagery seems impossible in such a dark environment. Allen handles this by creating a layering effect with patterns of chromatic, intense colors with darker, subtle tones.

My mother and father were both born and raised in Norton Virginia, which is located in Southwest Virgina. When they grew up there, Norton was a coal-mining town. My father's first job after he graduated from UVA asked him to return home to manage a coal mining team. My mother has often described leaving church on a Sunday morning only to find a layer of dust on the car windowshield. This imagery was racing through my head was I was reading Hendershot's text. The intensity of coal production is further amplified by the wonderful illustrations by Allen. A wonderful read that ties coal production to early 20th century American identity, In Coal Country is an entertaining tale of blue collar society. 

A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Written by David A. Adler
Illustrated by Robert Casilla
1989

"Martin cried. He didn't understand why the color of his skin should matter to anyone." 

A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr. is just that. The book begins with the birth of young Martin and ends with his eventual assassination in 1968. On the last page of the book, a timeline is provided that includes each major date in his precious life. The story of Martin Luther King, Jr. is undeniably one of the most important tales in American history. David Adler provides interested readers with a "bare-bones" account of his life. Beginning at birth, Martin grew in the church. During childhood, he was denied the right to play football with his friends based on the color of his skin. This saddened Martin, and he cried into his mother's arms. Atlanta was consumed by racial discrimination as Martin was finishing his degree in divinity from Morehouse College in Atlanta. After he was wed, Rosa Parks was arrested for sitting in the "White Only" section of the bus. Next, King led a march in protest. After his house was bombed, King advocated for non-violence as he called down his supporters who were ready to fight for his safety. King's 1963 speech is one of the most important recordings in history, and he earned the Nobel Prize in 1964. The last page describes King's assassination. 

Unfortunately, I feel that this non-fiction picture book may be attributed to the cannon of children's literature that is dated and inauthentic. Writing a picture book about a world figure would be quite a difficult task, yet this author has chosen to depict King's story like the entry from an Enclyclopedia. The poorly rendered watercolor paintings that fill the pages of this text resemble the book series titles that are mass produced for student consumption for emerging literacy. There are virtually no redeemable qualities about this picture book, other than the beautiful story that the text completely mangles. Void of any emotional connection, the reader is strung along a brief history of Martin Luther King, Jr. just as a teacher would introduce the topic before reading a successful picture book. With perhaps the most sensitive subject matter, Adler fails to activate any emotional response from the reader. If the writing was to be edited to meet this emotional connection, the story may be better expressed. Instead, very little colorful language is used in the book. Most lines read like scientific journals: "Dr. King told his followers to protest peacefully. But there were some riots and some violence." If for some reason the author was intended to shield this emotional bombardment from students, why did he opt for a chilling image of Dr. King right after he was murdered? With a massive collection of children's literature that is successful at bringing this story to students, this text is the one to place back on the book shelf.

Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart by Candace Fleming

"To her father she wrote: 'Hooray for the last grand adventure. I wish I had won, but it was worthwhile anyway.' To her mother, she said: 'My life as really been very happy, and I didn't mind contemplating its end in the midst of it.'"

Amelia wrote these letters to her parents before a transatlantic flight. These words suggested that Amelia had contemplated her life and was satisfied with her accomplishments thus far. By the time these letters were penned, Amelia was already a national hero. Fleming uses a massive collection of interviews, letters, and media clippings to detail the life of Amelia Earhart from birth to disappearance. Intermittent with this prescribed biographical approach, Fleming includes several pages that write of the recovery effort for Earhart's plane. These beautifully written and fascinating stories create a refreshing pace to the tale of Earhart's journey. At the beginning of the book, the rescue story begins with Earhart's failed attempt to refuel in the Pacific Ocean. As the life of Earhart progresses, the recovery effort is documented by actual accounts of radio transmissions received by ordinary citizens. Several American citizens may have interpreted the last words even spoken by Earhart as she was lost at sea with Fred Noonan. The majority of the text does contain information that could be accessed from any biographical source of Amelia Earhart. Fleming distinguishes her written tribute to Earhart by providing the varied textual elements and splicing the linear narrative with the failed search effort. Some readers will be able to immediately identify the story of Amelia Earhart, but Fleming includes these readers by enhancing the text with letters written by Earhart and interviews with family members and friends. The personal aspect of her writing brings the reader close to the heroine's actual life amidst celebrity.

Fleming purposefully provides the reader with images and captioned text boxes that activate essential knowledge to student understanding. I find this feature of the text to be extremely appropriate for young readers. Objects like radio transmitters and planes that existed almost a century ago are extremely difficult to imagine from only text. The pictures are framed like early twentieth century photographs, and thus authenticate the biographical account. On one spread, the Morse code is produced for the reader. The implications for this form of communication in the classroom are especially interesting. I found the book overall to be a successful at maintaining interest in a subject that I am familiar with. The magnificent and iconic status that Earhart reached in her lifetime is inspiring to anyone with a dream and an imagination. The gender roles that Earhart battled are motivational to the next generation of girls who will succeed and shape the landscape of our future civilization.

The following video is from the Smithsonian Museum. Dorothy Cochrane, curator of the National Air and Space Museum, gives the introduction.

Woodsong by Gary Paulsen

Paulsen with his team.

Woodsong is Gary Paulsen's biographical collection of memories with his beloved sled dogs in the wildness and beauty of nature. The story opens with one of the book's themes, blood. Paulsen is a young man and a beginning trapper when the story unfolds, caught amidst the brutality of nature. With one his first teams of dogs, he witnesses a doe being eaten alive by several wolves. This experience serves as a eye opening experience for Paulsen, who has never witnessed such barbaric lust for blood. Such an ignorance towards the natural world is the foundation upon which Paulsen documents further experiences in the woods. A native of Minnesota, Paulsen turns to beaver trapping with sled dogs as a means to pay the bills. His career path shifts, however, when he realizes that all living creatures contain certain characteristics that humans can identify with, rather than just the dogs that he works with. Paulsen then decides to defer from the trapping and killing of game, but continues to ride with his dogs. The story includes many dogs with distinct personalities. After being brutally injured by a tree branch, his dogs recognize the loss of their master and turn around to assist him. One licks Paulsen's wound just as they would tend to their own. The relationships between Paulsen and his team only flourish as the book continues. His sled dogs teach him to further understand the working nature of dogs, meditate on the meaning of life, and comprehend death. At the end of the story, Paulsen writes of his journey in the Iditarod dog race challenge. The meaning of competition takes on a whole new form as Paulsen writes of this experience, detailing the true nature of his relationships with his dogs. At the close of the race, Paulsen wishes to turn around and continue his journey alone with his dogs in a "primitive" state of being. His wife and best friend beckons him to the finish line, without whom Paulsen may never have returned.

Being a dog owner and lover is not necessarily a prerequisite for enjoying this book, but I would be lying if I wrote that it didn't help. My one year old Jack Russell Terrier and Pug mix (Guy) was by my side as I read the majority of this book. In the opening chapters of Paulsen's accounts, he recognizes a disconnect from his preconceived notions of dogs with their actual behavior. One grueling journey, Paulsen writes, provided this awakening. A dog in his team began to bleed from his rear. Fearing death, Paulsen pulled him from the team and placed him in the sled. Surely disliking this action, the dog pulled at Paulsen and begged to be rereleased to the team, even if it meant he would lose his life. This passion and devotion for work was misunderstood by Paulsen who projected his human emotions onto the animal. Paulsen failed to realize that the drive to work is inherit in the dog's personality - that even when facing death the dog will work until he is left with nothing. Projecting human emotions on to the natural world is completely expected when one treats an animal like a truly domesticated animal. Even my small dog resembles the character of a wolf during play at times. His tendencies are not as pronounced or aggressive as the breed of dog that Paulsen works with, yet it is still unwise to attribute too much human emotion to any animal that would be just find without our intervention. The loss of one particular dog in the book left me completely emptied of emotions after crying for some time! Woodsong examines the relationship of man to all of nature. Paulsen's interpretations of nature inform his decision to cease killing beavers, love his dogs, and become an aware adventurer. The ending of the book provides a seamless close to the core narrative of the text by suggesting that Paulsen does not at all identify with the concept of overbearing competitiveness. During the running of the Iditarod, Paulsen describes his experiences by using the same descriptive language that served to project the earlier story. The race portion of the book does not take the reader into a completely new terrain, but rather reinforces the true bonds between man and nature. I enjoyed this book whole-heartedly and would recommend it to anyone who has taken notice of the stillness of the outdoors. The events that Paulsen writes of are intended for mature audiences who can digest some of the violent but truthful realities of nature. Taken out of order, Woodsong provides a well documented narrative of visceral experience with the outdoors. Read as a complete work, Paulsen orchestrates a symphony from the still, cold, and quiet identity of the woods.

Before I provide a link containing a possible extension to this text, I MUST attach a photograph of my little sled dog. He is my teammate and best friend.

Guy leMonde

And now, for more information on the grueling events that entail the Iditarod race in Alaska....
http://www.iditarod.com/

The BFG by Roald Dahl

"The Big Friendly-Giant picked Sophie off the table and carried her to the cave entrance. He rolled the huge stone to one side and said, 'Peep out over there little girl, and tell me what you is seeing.'" 

The BFG's protagonist, Sophie, peered out of the window and discovered tall, dark, and gruesome beasts that prey upon the bones of peoples from all over the world. Roald Dahl created Sophie to be an eight-year-old orphaned girl who awakes one evening to giants scurrying through the night. Fortunately for Sophie, the giant that picks her from her slumber happens to be the one giant who desists from eating children. The BFG is the runt of the pack of giants, and immediately befriends the young girl. As soon as Sophie discovers the menacing traits of the other giants, she is appalled by their violence. The reader quickly discovers that the BFG captures dreams from children all over the world. He uses these dreams out of the kindness of his heart to promote his love for all creatures. The plot frantically evolves as Sophie plots to end the giants reign of terror on the world. The plan devised is to travel all the way to London and meet the Queen. After impregnating the Queen with a carefully concocted dream, she will awake to discover the plea of a young girl with her giant friend. The end of Dahl's tale closes as the Queen and the Royal Air Force take their battle to the sleeping giants, seeking peace amidst the global unrest. The infectious bond between the young girl and the gentle giant is persuasive to the Queen's wishes, and justice is finally serviced to the wrong-doers. 

A wonderfully written tale of an unimaginable friendship, The BFG documents the larger than life story of an orphaned girl with a beautiful heart. The beast of the tale, measuring 24 feet tall, is just as sweet as Sophie. Their partnership is at first a tense bond. The BFG tells Sophie that she will never be able to return to her home, for fear that the girl will expose him. Even more frightening, Sophie believes that she may be gobbled up at any moment by the larger giants that can hear the slightest murmur of a human heartbeat. I was very tense during the quiet moments in the giant's house when the larger giants were searching the space for the existence of human flesh. Dahl is not afraid of painting a gruesome picture of this fictional world for his reader. The world of the giants is far from a fairy-tale land with poppies and lush fields of green. I was taken aback by the nasty descriptions of the beasts that Dahl eloquently described as being a part of the giant community. I found the investigations of the dream jars to be one of my favorite scenes from the book. Dahl's imagination runs wild with vivid descriptions of dreams intended for boys. I identified immediately with the dream of turning invisible. I had many dreams as a child that involved this super ability. I also thoroughly enjoyed the description of the Queen's reception breakfast for the girl and giant. The humorously put together furniture intended to accommodate the giant was a fun picture. The business of the Queen's headquarters, along with the journey in London, is definitely written by an author who has spent some time in the English city. I think that The BFG is an appropriate story for any reader who is willing to take the plunge into a fantasy world. Although the characters of Dahl's story exist in an unreal setting, the humanistic characteristics of the protagonists are relatable to the conditions of all of our lives. The evils of the world need not remain hidden behind fear. Real life heroes, if they find the right courage, can bring attention to even the Queen of England for assistance. 

Check out the Dahl museum next time you are in England: http://www.roalddahlmuseum.org/

"The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman

Illustrated by Dave McKean

Face your life

Its pain, it's pleasure, 

Leave no path untaken

These words mark the beginning of Bod Owens' life amongst the living, and the close of his childhood in a solemn graveyard. The Graveyard Book is the story of a young boy who, at the age of 2, is orphaned after the tragic murder of his entire family. Narrowly escaping the grips of a man known as Jack, the young boy escapes to a nearby graveyard. He is saved by a dark figure that lacks a shadow. His savior's name is Silas and he was born hundreds of years ago. The boy is adopted by two ghosts named Mr. and Mrs. Owens. Nobody Owens is the name given to the boy for secrecy. 

Neil Gaiman documents the development of Bod Owens from an infant to the age of fifteen. Bod is given the ability to roam freely in the graveyard. His conversations with men and women who died many years ago serve as educational tools. Mrs. Lupescu, Bod's instructor, teaches Bod to Fade, Haunt, Dreamwalk, and open portals to ghoulish dimensions. At the age of 5, Bod befriends a young girl named Scarlett. This friendship is the only living human friendship that Bod discovers in the graveyard, for his other friends are all most surely deceased. One such presence is named Liza, a supposed Witch. Liza was buried in unholy ground for her living actions and lacks a headstone. Eight-year-old Bod believes that she is deserving of such a necessity, and therefore gets into mischief out of the goodness of his heart to give Liza what she has always wanted. As Bod grows, he develops the ability to fade amongst the living and move between objects in the graveyard. This ability proves helpful upon early excursions into the living town nearby. Bod eventually goes to a local school and gains unwanted attention after being bullied. The development of Bod continues as he begins to question the tragedy of his living family. After reuniting with Scarlett, the girl from his youngest memories, the two discover that the house where his family was murdered is located nearby. Scarlett then learns that the adult man who has begun a courtship of her divorced mother may not be who he claims to be. The tale of Bod Owens reaching a gripping conclusion when violence erupts as the men who could not finish the job of killing Bod when he was 2 return to seek closure. Bod's dead friends step in give a helping hand as peril ensues. After the violence is resolved time passes and Bod loses the ability to walk amongst the dead. At the age of 15, Bod must go out into the world and begin life with the living. 

"Bod said, 'If I change my mind can I come back here?' And then he answered his own question. 'If I come back, it will be a place, but it wont be home any longer.'"

Gaiman's The Graveyard Book is an overwhelmingly heartfelt tale of a young boy who is raised by the dead. "The living have the opportunity to change the world," are the encouraging words of Bod's mentors. Bod Owens is a hero because he fights for the opportunity to live a life that was taken from his late family. His relationships with the non-living are incredibly fascinating. Many of the non-living characters in the book bring different historical events to light for the reader. Gaiman includes several characters who use ancient languages and diverse dialects. Worthy of the Newbery award Gaiman won in 2009, The Graveyard Book is excitement from the very beginning. Gaiman's lively tale is so cleverly written amidst the tombs of the long deceased. I was not able to put this book down after I was introduced to the characters. For any child or adult that was once a child, The Graveyard Book is a wonderful treat for this Fall season. 

An insight into the childhood of Neil Gaiman, from his 2009 acceptance speech for the Newbery Medal:

"When I was a boy, from about the ages of eight to fourteen, during my school holidays I used to haunt my local library. It was a mile and a half from my house, so I would get my parents to drop me off on their way to work, and when the library closed I would walk home. I was an awkward child, ill fitting, uncertain, and I loved my local library with a passion...I wanted books and made no distinction between good books or bad, only between the ones I loved, the ones that spoke to my soul, and the ones I liked." 

"Out of the Dust" by Karen Hesse

Scholastic, 1997

"Red's the color I've stayed ever since," proclaims Billy Jo in the opening poem of Karen Hesse's Out of the Dust. Billy Jo is caught in the dust of the Oklahoma panhandle amidst a trying time in our nation's history. The daughter of a farmer, Billy Jo and her mother rely on the success of her father's wheat farm to survive. Rain is sparse for the Joyce City family and dust is described by Hesse as covering everything. Billy Jo's mother is still exemplifies humility in these trying times, telling her daughter to return the two extra pennies that were given as change from a corrupt grocer. The color red appears again when Billy Jo recounts his time in France during the World War. Red poppies were present on the headstones of fallen soldiers, Billy Jo's father tells his family. A terrible accident occurs when Billy Jo accidentally burns her mother. Billy Jo suffers from burns to her hands, while her mother is almost destroyed by fire. The death of her mother and newly born brother create a strong silence in the household of dust between Billy Jo and her father. As time passes and missed opportunities for harvests come and go, Billy Jo's father remains hopeful of success. Billy Jo's once prosperous and lucrative piano playing declines after her hands were badly burned from the accident. The end of the novel tells of Billy Jo's partner in music, Mad Dog, making a new life outside of the dust at a radio station. Billy Jo continues to suffer from guilt and despair over the loss of her mother and brother as her father begins to show signs of skin cancer. An urge to truly breathe outside of the dust provokes Billy Jo to hop on a train and ride away from her old life. Billy Jo returns after the realization that she cannot truly escape and she returns to her father. Her father and Billy Jo begin to speak again when he starts to fall for a new woman. After accepting this new woman, Billy Jo sits down to play the piano again with her healed hands.

Gripping in language and narrative, Hesse crafts the feelings of a young heroine with free verse poetry. The rhythm of verse in Out of the Dust is very captivating. Hesse's story creates a character out of the dust that consumes the lives of Billy Jo's family. A hyperbole of dust, fire takes the lives of Billy Jo's mother and newly born brother, whom she names Franklin. The loss of Ma is definitely one of the novel's greatest tragedies, and this loss influences Billy Jo to contemplate her relationship with her father. I was shaken by the brutal realities faced by an ordinary American family caught in the draught of post-war resources. Truly worthy of the Newbury Medal for Excellence, analyzing such a dense work is daunting. Out of the Dust is an enormously heartfelt story.

Scholastic provides a discussion guide for teaching this novel: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/out-dust-discussion-guide

"Lily Renée, Escape Artist" by Trina Robbins, Anne Timmons, and Mo Oh

Lerner Publishing Group, 2011

Lily Renée, Escape Artist was written by Trina Robbins and illustrated by Anne Timmons and Mo Oh. This historical narrative is a graphic novel about the true story of Lily Renée Wilheim. The novel is documents the incredible journey of a young girl born in Vienna beginning in 1938. The story opens with pages detailing the extravagant lifestyle of a privileged girl with wealthy parents. Lily attended an art school, participated in cultural events, and was a member of the upper crust of Vienna. The story quickly changes when the unification of Germany and Austria begins. Lily is given the chance to travel to England, where she will be sponsored by an English family for the duration of conflict. This historically accurate program was offered to children 17 or under who were identified Jews. After traveling to England, Lily is immediately shocked by the treatment of her sponsor family. The family housekeeper is rather prejudiced towards Lily because of Lily's status in society. Lily eventually runs away from this household and joins the Red Cross as a nurse. War marks the end of communication between Lily and her parents, and she begins to fear for their livelihoods. Lily's character is tested when she is identified by the English government as an "enemy alien." Any immigrant from Austria that was living in England during this time was identified as an enemy alien because they were suspected spies. Women like Lily were forced to check in with the police on a weekly basis. After receiving news that her parents had escaped to America, Lily becomes extremely anxious to leave England. Lily is heartbroken when she learns that her title may prevent her from leaving the country, and possibly live in an internment camp. Guilt directs Lily to turn herself in to the police after several weeks avoiding check-ins. The police respond unexpectedly with wonderful news. Her parents have sent for her departure and she may leave the country immediately for New York. Lily finds herself in New York and sees her parents for the first time in several years. The three family members rejoice momentarily, but are quickly taken by the natural hardships of American life during the war. Lily eventually takes a job as a cartoonist, editing pencil lines made by the primary artists. Her own work blossoms as she takes on new assignments, working on comic books where heroes defeat the Nazis. Comics quickly better the lives of the Wilheim family and Lily pursues a life-long career in illustration. 

I was originally under the impression that this graphic novel was a historical fiction, but this incredible journey is the true account of an actual comic artist. Lily Wilheim illustrated many comics during WWII that inspired nationalistic community by introducing characters that resisted the tyranny of Hitler. Trina Robbins was a member of the Underground Comics Movement in the 1960's and is the illustrator of Wonder Woman. She is undoubtedly drawn to Lily Wilheim because of the powerful female role that she played in an industry consumed by male artists. With the help of Timmons and Oh, Robbins segments the life of Wilheim by dividing her story into concise chapters. I feel that the pacing of the novel is far too accelerated. The reader is left with predigested fragments of Lily's journey with very little transitional cues. For this reason, I found the story to be slightly monochromatic. Each chapter begins with bad news, and ends with a near miracle. The end result of this story is undoubtedly a wonderful victory, yet I was humorously entertained by the way the everything worked out for each character. Information relating to the actual tragedies of the war were contained in the last text bubble in each chapter. I wish that Robbins would have shown this information visually to the reader. I can not imagine attempting to write a story from WWII without a certain macabre or somber tone. Interestingly, the color palette used by Timmons and Oh was appropriately augmented to highlight this feature of the story. The beginning of the novel is sculpted through the use of light to represent a bright atmosphere. The middle passages are darker in color and emotion. The back of the book contains an appendix with additional information about Lily's life. There is information about high tea in England, internment and concentration camps, and the comics of Lily's professional career in America. 

Lily Renée, Escape Artist is a quick read for a graphic novel detailing an incredibly influential and powerful female comic book artist. The choice to illustrate this story in a graphic novel is a wonderful technique. I feel that many readers will be drawn to the compelling story line, but I would not place this text on my top-ten list. I think that this text would serve as a wonderful representation of story mapping. An extension to this text would be to have students depict their own stories and introduce key features of a comic book. The National Council of Teacher of English published an article in the Council Chronicle about the use of graphic novels in the English Curriculum: http://www.ncte.org/magazine/archives/122031

"Freak The Mighty" by Rodman Philbrick

Freak the Mighty was written by Rodman Philbrick in 2001 and published by Scholastic Press. Philbrick introduces the relationship of two young boys in middle school. During a time when even the most mainstream of children face bullying, these two boys encounter a world of prejudices. Max is a mentally challenged boy of grandiose proportions. Max is also the narrator of the story. Much larger than other boys of his age, Max faces discrimination from his classmates who call him terrible names. The other boy is named Kevin, a very small, physically handicapped, and brilliant individual. The two boys meet in eighth grade, after not seeing each other since day care. Max, the reader comes to learn, is from a torn family. His father ended the life of his mother in a horrific murder. As the novel progresses, the reader learns that Max's grandparents fear that Max also contains part of his father. The summer of the following year is filled with adventure from the two friends. Named Freak the Mighty, Kevin sits on the shoulders of Max and they rescue helpless maidens all over town. The two boys attribute their strength to the combination of their talents. Max is the strength of the operation, while Kevin acts as the brain power. After rescuing a friend of Max's newly released father, Max's father kidnaps Max and holds him hostage in an abandoned house. Kevin heroically rescues his friend by claiming to have a squirt gun full of acid. The two friends escape from danger and are relieved. Several days later, Kevin suffers from a stroke and passes away. Before Kevin passes, he gives Max a book without any pages. Kevin asks Max to fill the pages with the story of their adventures. This wish becomes the journey that the reader comes to learn is the story of Freak the Mighty. In a hear wrenching final chapter, Max expresses his grief over the loss of his best friend.

I rediscovered this book after reading it originally in high school. While technically realistic fiction, the adventures of these two friends are almost fantastical. The description of friendship is almost magical. I found the second reading of this text to be just as heartfelt as the first. Our current education system is at war with bullying. A buzzword in every school, the insults that occupy a modern elementary or middle school are insidious. As the digital landscape shapes the hatred that students project at one another, a story of genuine friendship between two disadvantaged students is a call for peace. Philbrick introduces very mature scenes of suspense and fear, perhaps not appropriate for elementary audiences whatsoever, as an explicit representation of what bullied children go through everyday. The hardships that these two fictional characters faced are present in the classrooms that we see everyday. Philbrick includes particular language and situations that I feel are inappropriate for perhaps all elementary students. I think that if this text was introduced shortly after matriculation into middle school with careful rehearsal for possibly tough questions, the story may captivate many readers and challenge the actions and words that they throw around so carelessly to students that may be different. My development as a young man was generic in many senses. I have maintained average health and grew up in a safe environment. I can recall feeling remorseful for students who were given a hard time for something beyond their control. Hatred and misunderstanding is contagious in a middle school with developing characters. I recommend this novel for teachers who desire to highlight the victories of two individuals who truly overcame all expectations.

For other Philbrick titles: http://www.rodmanphilbrick.com/

"Pictures of Hollis Woods" by Patricia Reilly Giff

Pictures of Hollis Woods, written by Patricia Reilly Giff, was published by Yearling Press in 2004. Giff's portrayal of a young artist received the Newbury Honor. Set in both upstate New York (Branches), and Long Island, Giff writes of a young girl who struggles with identifying where she belongs. Hollis Woods, orphaned at a young age, approached early life with resentment. Giff writes that Hollis displayed serious behavioral problems that paralleled her immediate disapproval of new foster parents. The reader finds Hollis at the start of the book describing images that she has created of a boy named Steven, a woman named Izzy, and a male figure simply called Old Man. The reader discovers through the descriptions of these images that these characters are members of Hollis' last foster home. Steven, the son of Izzy and Old Man, is described in Hollis' pictures as a lost partner in her scattered life. The book begins with internal, hypothetical conversations between Hollis and this past family. As a reader, one is unaware of why this relationship came to an end.

Hollis Woods finds herself placed in the home of an elderly woman, named Josie Cahill. Hollis is immediately drawn to Josie because she is also an artists. Josie creates wood carvings on the surfaces of tree branches from her backyard garden. Josie is very poor, and is best friends with a woman called Beatrice that operates a movie theater in town. Beatrice and Josie immediately recognize the talent of the young girl, and the three enjoy many meals and adventures. Amidst this picture perfect scenario, Hollis recalls, in fragments, the pictures of the family that she left behind when she last ran. While Josie begins her depiction of Hollis on a tree branch, Hollis records her surroundings as they are influenced by her experiences. The character of Josie's cat, Henry, and the interactions with Beatrice inform the compositions that Hollis creates. Hollis' temperament is influenced, however, by the sadness of her lost family.

The fragments of her past family are revealed as the book continues. The reader learns that the Old man and Steven argued over minute details of family life. The mother, Izzy, the reader learns is completely taken by Hollis' character exclaiming, "I have always wanted a daughter." The relationship of Steven and Hollis was a true partnership. Giff decides to reveal this relationship as an emotional friendship, rather than a romance. The last segment of the novel reveals the past and informs the future relationship of Hollis and Josie. The two travel to Branches to the old house of Steven, Izzy, and Old Man. With the family gone, the two break in to the house and live during the christmas holiday. The end of the book reveals the tragic accident that led Hollis to run away from the previous family. Giff also beautifully describes the continued relationship between Josie and Hollis during the holiday. The fate of Hollis' family membership is decided as Josie ages.

Pictures of Hollis Woods is a magnificent story for dissecting family dynamics and addressing the hardships of an orphan. The relationship of Josie and Hollis is beautifully crafted because both characters are on the same plane. Giff describes Josie as being a mentor and an influence in Hollis' life, just as Hollis gives guidance to Josie. The inventory of history that Hollis collects and recalls from her previous journeys is a wonderful way to document Hollis' development throughout the text. I do, however, find it surprising that there are no images in the text. Perhaps wishing to not explicitly address these images, Giff leaves out the opportunity for the reader to view Hollis' craft.

I am fortunate to have both a mother and a father. My experiences as a developing child were almost entirely privileged. As a young reader, I would have struggled in identifying with a twelve year old character that takes a bus across the state alone and is unsure of whether or not she will have a meal at the end of the day. A child with a potentially disadvantaged upbringing may access this text is a completely different manner. I feel that the challenges Hollis encounters are life-like in many ways. The severity of one's obstacles is undoubtedly varied in comparison to the challenges that Hollis faced, yet the themes of care and friendship that Giff explores are more than accommodating to all audiences.

To remain updated on news from Patricia Reilly Giff, her webpage can be found on the Random House Books website: http://www.randomhouse.com/features/patriciareillygiff/

"My Parents Think Im Sleeping" poems by Jack Prelutsky

My Parents Think Im Sleeping is a wonderful collection of short poems crafted by Jack Prelutsky with illustrations by Yossi Abolafia. Each poem explores the inverse qualities of day and night from the eyes of a young boy. The main character has a relationship with light and dark because during the dark hours of the night he is falling asleep. His experiences are written from the imaginative perspective of a child who views the night as an explorer. Yossi Abolafia illustrates the stories using charcoal with ink wash. Charcoal has the ability to create wonderful gradients of color. Applied heavily, this material can create a matte finish. Using a brush or a finger, one can remove charcoal to create an almost smoky effect. Interestingly, the illustrator only uses ink wash for the characters and immediate surrounding within the bedroom. The night sky, our stage, is left very dark in anticipation of its audience.

One poem titled The Clouds I Watched this Afternoon begins, "The clouds I watched this afternoon were flocks of silent sheep, but now they've turned to smoky wolves that watch me while I sleep." The night sky fills the top half of the two-page poem depicting the intersection between white sheep and dark wolves. The sheep are the negative spaces between the menacing wolves, and the wolves are in pursuit of the sheep. When the main character rises, the poem continues, "then once again white fleecy sheep will float across the skies."

A Spooky Sort of Shadow explores the fear that occurs when a shadow of unknown origin appears on the wall in the middle of the night. I find this connection to be personally significant. "...its a creature that I've never seen before, it's creepy, and it's eerie, and so positively tall, that it stretches from the ceiling to the floor" The poem continues as the boy reacts to the scary, needle like teeth that appear on the wall. This fear leads the boy to cry out, "I hope it's had enough to eat today." The poem closes with a revealing image that places the boy as the creator of this beast upon the wall. The boy is holding two combs in his hands and smiling at the wall. Prelutsky leaves the ending subjective, since the reader is unaware of whether or not the boy is truly scared or is playing a scary game with shadow. Many adult readers of this poem may immediately recall similar feelings when trying to fall asleep as a youth. I know that I battled for many years to get over the fear of what laid beneath my bed. Yet during the day, the bed was a safe and uneventful place. Once night ensued, however, the bed transformed into a different place of unknown territory.

Chocolate Cake documents the midnight hunger pain. "I am lying in the darkness with a smile upon my face, as I'm thinking of my stomach, which has got an empty space..." We learn immediately after this declaration that there is a piece of chocolate cake waiting to eaten in the kitchen. The boy then believes that he can surely have this cake tonight if he is able to sneak past his sleeping parents. The noise of snoring will inform him of whether or not they are asleep. "...and if I'm really careful, I will have that cake tonight." As the poem closes, the illustration shows the boy tiptoeing into the kitchen with a look of shock on his face. Before him in the kitchen, his father is eating the cake. The illustration beautifully captures this moment before dialogue between a hungry father and son.

Each poem in this collection is written with very colorful and exciting language. The rhythm of each poem would serve as a powerful read aloud for any age group. I think that for younger elementary students, these fears and misconceptions about the night would be daily experiences. Personally, I could identify with this text when I was very young. My mother read these poems to me when I was little, my name is printed on the front cover of the book. They each bring such tactile memories to my childhood, and I know they would contribute to the lives of any young audience who is mesmerized by just how different the night time can seem.

Here is a wonderful link on the properties of light and energy. One may wish to introduce a science topic after this read aloud to investigate why things really do appear differently at night. http://www.explainthatstuff.com/light.html

"Sixty Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm" -by Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm Illustrations by Arthur Rackham

Published in three volumes from 1812 to 1824, Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm compiled their collection of folklore in the Nursery and Household Tales. Several stories from this massive collection are rewritten classics such as Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella. Arthur Rackham is considered by many scholars of fairy tales to be a master artist of fantasy.

The first tale I discovered is titled The Twelve Dancing Princesses. A King is introduced with twelve beautiful princesses. Every morning, the princesses shoes suggest that they have been dancing all through the night. In an effort to find a solution to this mystery, the King declares that any man who can successfully solve this mystery and find where the princesses travel within the span of three nights will win a hand in marriage from one of the princesses. If three nights expire without a solution the man will forfeit his own life. Immediately, several men attempt the challenge and fail. Eventually, a man who is a soldier attempts the challenge after a conversation with a wise old woman. The old woman gives the man an invisibility cloak and warns the solider to stay away from the wine produced at the end of the night. After taking this advice, the soldier is able to track the princesses to a secret, underground castle with princes. The princesses dance the night away with these underground princes, and the solider collects artifacts that give evidence of his findings. After three nights of following the princesses, the solider explains the mystery to the King and is awarded the hand of one daughter in marriage. This tale contains some material that I believe is slightly inappropriate for young readers. I feel that a 4th or 5th grade reader would enjoy this take on Cinderella.

The Dog and the Sparrow is a very violent tale of a small sparrow. The beginning of the tale opens with a sparrow meeting a starving dog. The emaciated dog is in dire need of assistance. The dog asks for meat, bread, and rest. The sparrow returns these requests with meat from the butcher, bread from the baker, and finally the sparrow rests on a pole while the dog rests. While the dog is sleeping, a carter carrying wine on his carriage runs over and kills the dog. The tale then becomes a story of revenge as the sparrow empties the carter's wine casks, severely injures his horses, and destroys his house. After the sparrow destroys the carter's house, the wife of the carter entraps the small sparrow in between her arms. "Shall I kill it?", questions the wife. The carter decides that the sparrow deserves a firmer punishment and swallows the small bird. As the bird struggles to escape, the carter calls for his wife to strike the bird. The wife misses the bird and kills the carter. As a dog lover and sensitive pre-service teacher, I would not entertain the idea of having this book within the walls of my future classroom library. Under the careful supervision of an adult, I feel that this story may be fun for an appropriately aged child, but I do not believe that age is contained within elementary school.

The Wolf and the Man is the last tale I will share from this enormous text. A wolf and a fox, caught together in the woods, have a conversation about combatting man. The first individual they see is a discharged soldier. The fox informs the wolf that this was a man. The second individual to walk into the woods is a small boy. The fox tells the wolf that this is not yet a man. The last individual to appear is a grown man with a gun. The fox prods the wolf to attack the man. The man's gun is not loaded, and he fires gunpowder into the wolf's face. The man then unsheathes a knife and swings at the wolf. The wolf interprets these actions in a retelling to the fox as a stick with something that blew into his nose and a sharp rib produced from the hunter's body. "'Now, you see,' said the fox ' what a braggart you are. You throw your hatchet so far that you cant get it back again." I find this text to be slightly more accessible to a young reader. Discussions could cover the misinterpretations of the wolf's experience. Ultimately, however, I find this text to be inappropriate for an elementary classroom.

I find it interesting that, in the time these works were produced, literature of this nature was deemed completely appropriate for children. I admit that censorship of children's literature can be taken to extremes. Creating perfect balance of multicultural ideologies and sociopolitical outlooks is almost impossible when crafting a book. Should every book that a child is exposed to contain a happily married, white, middle class family with 2.5 kids and a dog? Absolutely not. This literature is unfortunately no longer applicable to the elementary landscape. I would expect school administrators to be very unhappy with such a collection. The literary value of this collection may serve as a wonderful foundation for language structure, 19th century vocabulary, and a representation of classic folk tales. In conclusion, I would love for interested readers of a mature audience to explore the dark and gripping fantasy tales of the Brothers Grimm. Elementary students and parents of elementary students - stay away!

"The Little Island" by Margaret Wise Brown and Leonard Weisgard

The Little Island is both a classic text and a Caldecott award winning picture book. Published in 1946, Margaret Wise Brown is also known for writing Goodnight Moon. Wise Brown and Weisgard begin The Little Island by introducing the main character, the island. The island is depicted as a living, breathing land that shares its days with the animals and plants that call the island a resting place. "The morning was very quiet on the Island with only the spiders sailing their webs against a gentle wind." The authors use an upper case "I" when referring to the island, giving the land a true character. The illustrations inform the reader of how the seasons influence growth on the island. The animals in and out of the water rely on the island for a foundation.  The descriptions of the wildlife are very beautiful. Giving identifications of various different plants, Wise Brown and Weisgard create many characters within the text that are, in reality, considered non-living. A visit from a cat and two human boaters is the arch of the book. Once reaching land, the cat begins to question the island's place in the world. The cat claims to be a part of the world because his feet are upon the earth. When the island claims to be an equal part of the world, the cat is doubtful. The cat then relies upon faith to trust a fish that supports the island's claim to be a part of the world. In a beautifully poetic and surreal moment, the cat flies into the air and views the small island from above. The book closes with the continued observation of seasons, long after the cat and his owners leave.

The chronology of the book is magnificent at creating a strong character out of the island. The visitation of the cat occurs in the middle of the text, surrounded by the quiet and slow seasonal changes. The Little Island is supportive of the idea that we are as much a part of the earth as the earth is a part of us. I find the surreal qualities of the book to be appropriate for young imaginations. The text is somewhat abstract at an adult level, yet with such powerful imagery I believe that children would be completely captivated. As timeless as Goodnight Moon, Wise Brown does not create an endpoint to the interpretation of this text. Welcoming imagination, The Little Island is a text that will never tire from re-reading. I will look to this book as a story to share through a read aloud and to encourage further exploration. The continuity of the Island will preserve this text for generations.

Here is a link to Wise Brown's approach to the creative process and the task of writing for 5 year olds :
http://www.margaretwisebrown.com/ideas%20for%205%20year%20olds.pdf

"No, David!" by David Shannon

Contained within this blog entry is a review of a Caldecott Honor award winning book, No David, by David Shannon. Shannon received a series of illustrations from his mother that he had created when he was a child, titled No David. The author originally reflected upon this commonly repeated phrase in his childhood house. After reformatting his original text and revising the illustrations Shannon published No David as a memoir to his childhood. In the forward, Shannon dedicates the book to the two women in his life that have put up with him during his worst behaviors, his mother and his wife.

No David contains two-page illustrations of a young David Shannon being told "No!" as he pushes the boundaries of proper behavior. We find David covered in mud and leaves walking though the house trailing the outdoors with a sharp "No, no, no David" etched into the frame. Shannon's use of perspective is taken directly from that of a child. Objects appear to exist out of reach of the viewer. I find the most amusing page to be an image of David in a living room filled with scattered toys. The viewer can only see the back of David, however, because he is sitting inches away from the television. David's mother asks her son to, "Put the toys away David." The momentum of the text is reaches its peak when David is called by his mother to come to her for a hug. The reader is finally introduced to a new word, "yes, David."

Shannon owes his success to both his honest account of early childhood and his ability to create images that are in one sense refined and in another completely childlike. The illustrations within No David appear to have been produced by a child, yet color and perspective are so carefully considered that the outcome is cathartic. David's character resonates with my own childhood experiences, yet I am unsure of how this text would be digested from the girls in the classroom. For this reason, I am left undecided on whether or not No David would be appropriate for a whole class read aloud. The unconditional love of a mother to her child is critical to Shannon's message. Even though David is seemingly unable to stay out of trouble, there is the assurance at the end of the day that he will always be loved. As a young man with a loving mother I melt at Shannon's ending. Lastly, I find No David to be a text that an educator may need to refer to after an especially difficult day. Students must feel safe and cared for to gain anything from our instruction. David Shannon will appear on the bookshelf of my future school library.

"Can I Play Too?" by Mo Willems

Can I Play Too? is Mo Willems masterfully illustrates and writes about the inner workings of a friendship in this tale of three friends playing catch. Part of the Elephant and Piggie series, Willems has chosen to explore the recognition of differences that define us all. As the story unfolds, Elephant and Piggie are beginning a game of catch. Before the two friends begin, a small snake approaches. The snake asks to join the game and this request is met with misunderstanding. Piggie and Elephant, eager to include Snake in the game, are unable to grasp how Snake will be able to participate. "You do not have arms", says Piggie. Piggie and Elephant will not accept the thought of giving up, so they try to throw the ball at Snake. Several attempts lead to a frustrated group of friends, but at last Piggie has the best idea of all! The last frame of the book depicts Piggie and Elephant throwing Snake up into the air. "I love playing catch with my friends!"

I am astounded at how effectively Willems uses this small tale to encourage young readers to never look at physical attributes as any indication of whether or not one can participate. The message of this story is as resounding with adults as it is with children. I find that the use of animal characters is particularly appropriate. Explicit representations of wonderful children with physical disabilities are hidden behind the animals, yet as emerging educators we may choose to discuss this similarity with our students. The yearning for friendship and belonging are present in every child, yet unfortunately some individuals judge solely on outward appearance. I believe that the Snake is a character we can locate in every classroom. The timing of such a work is pitch perfect. I am eager to share this book with my Kindergarten classroom. They will undoubtedly enjoy the silliness of the characters with the colorful illustrations. I will be sure to allow time to explain what Snake may look like in real life. Only after learning the identity of Snake, children have the exposure to never give up on sharing with friends of all shapes and sizes.

"Accessible, appealing, and full of authentic emotions about what makes friendships tick, these titles will put a contemporary shone on easy reader collections." (Booklist - starred review)

Willems blog can be found at http://mowillemsdoodles.blogspot.com/

"Harry the Dirty Dog" by Gene Zion with pictures by Margaret Bloy Graham

Gene Zion introduced Harry the Dirty Dog in 1956. This classic picture book follows the eventful day of a  family dog. Harry, as the reader learns immediately, loathes bathing. Upon hearing the bathtub one morning, Harry buries his bathing brush in the front yard and takes off into the town. Throughout the next several pages, our small and white with black spotted main character plays all over town. Harry becomes very dirty as he plays and eventually returns home, in order to prevent his family from worrying over his whereabouts. Once Harry returns, however, he has become black with white spots and his family does not recognize him. Harry performs tricks to affirm his identity, but the family is unable to recognize this dirty dog. Harry eventually realizes that he must face his greatest fear, and take a bath. He retrieves his hidden brush and runs to the bathtub, at which time the family feels sympathetic enough to give the poor dog a bath...

"'It's Harry! It's Harry! It's Harry!' they cried." Harry the Dirty Dog, although written over 50 years ago, contains a story that fills the hearts of every child that has a dog or pet in their life. While leash laws and the concern of a family with a wandering dog are certainly outdated, the core of this text is a timeless appreciation for a family's best friend. The underlying theme, however, is that cleanliness is next to dogliness.

Readers may be able to recall an early relationship they formed with bathing. The intended audience of this book, K-2, may identify with the small dog. Dancing, running, and laughing often accompany being outside and returning home covered in mud. Harry was unidentifiable upon returning. I can see a continued parallel between our main character and the young readers. Zion is calling his readers to giggle and play, but even dirty dogs need a bath.

The language of this book, I feel, is completely appropriate for an exciting read aloud on a rainy day much like today. Imaginative, silly, and adventurous; Harry the Dirty Dog is a must for your classroom library.

"Press Here" by Herve Tullet

Press Here is Herve Tullet's narrative of color and shape. Originally published in France under the title Un Livre (translation: A Book) in 2010, Tullet's english translation first appeared on U.S. bookshelves in 2011. At the turn of every page, the reader is asked to interact with the colored dot/dots that contrast a static background. The actions of the reader direct the outcome that appears on the following page. Tapping on the yellow dot five times, for example, will create 5 new yellow dots on the next page. As the book progresses, the tasks become varied and the outcomes are truly exciting.

Tullet creates a visual screenplay using acrylic paint that occasionally is marked by his own fingers. Red, yellow, blue, black and white restrict Tullet's palate to bright, childlike color. The characters of this book are the colors that Tullet has explicitly choreographed. Movement and light are the influences that create a theme within the text. Not intended to be a read-aloud, Press Here was designed to put in the hands of a young learner. "The single touch of a finger sparks a whimsical dance of color and motion in this joyful celebration of the power of imagination," boasts Tullet. This sentiment expressed by the author is foundational to the continued efforts of children's authors to spark life-long literacy. However, the text in Press Here is inaccessible to the desired audience. "Fabulous! Five quick tapes on the yellow...There. Well done. Now tilt the page to the left...just to see what happens." The transformation of shape and color within this book is gripping, yet the language is far beyond the average primary student. Press Here, in my opinion, would not be exciting in a 5th grade classroom. Primary learners would love this book, yet they would not be able to understand the complicated expressions. I was extremely excited to find a book with color and movement, imagining students jumping up and down to manipulate the colors and turning to the next page only to see that they have changed. I am disappointed, though, that those children are unable to access the language to follow the directions.