The Grouchy Ladybug

Title: The Grouchy Ladybug 

Author: Eric Carle

Illustrated: Eric Carle

Published: 1996

Publisher: HarperColins Publishers

Interest Level: K-2
Reading Level: J

Plot: Circular/Cumulative

Theme: Implicit

• You certainly are left to infer why the lady bug does not fight the other animals, and simply flies away.

Genre: Fantasy/Picture Book

What is a Circular/Cumulative Plot Anyway?

 When a story is made up of phrases, or events that repeat with new things added each time. Image this story as a bunch of widening circles. 

The "grouchy" lady bug meets asks the "friendly" lady bug to fight. The "friendly" lady bug answers with a simple

              

                   "If you insist"

 It is safe to infer that the lady bug was scared or simply did not want to fight by its reply of 

  "Oh, you're not big enough for me to fight"

The "friendly" lady bug only tell his to go find someone bigger, and to prove some point the "grouchy" lady big does. We see the lady bug as he flies all over asking bigger, and bigger animals to fight repeating this same dialogue. 

Until the ladybug is finally meets a whale's tail who gives him a slap right back to the place he started. The "friendly" lady bug welcomes him back, and allows him to enjoy a nice dinner. I think  it safe to say that the "grouchy" ladybug has a new outlook on life. 

Characters:

They are simple and have simple characteristics. One ladybug is friendly, and one is grouchy. The other animals only have the characteristic that they are ready to fight.

Vocabulary:

The ladybugs are talking about Aphids. I had no clue what a Aphid was so I figured that I would let everyone know that:

Aphids are very small insects. They such the juice from the leaves and then the leaves die. This is why it is good to have ladybugs, because they eat the Aphids.(Carle) 

Is there more to this book that meets the eye?

This book teaches time. Every time the ladybug meets a new animal it gives the time on a small little clock in the right hand corner. It allows a the reader to see what that certain time looks like on a clock. 

A great activity would be to make a bigger clock so that if this book is read aloud to a large group of kids you can move the hands around at each encounter. 

Carle, E. The grouchy ladybug. 1996. Print.

Ginger Finds a Home

Title: Ginger Finds a Home

Author: Charlotte Voake

Illustrated: Charlotte Voake

Published: 2003

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Interest Level: 3-7 years old

Reading Level: P and UP (Grade 3)

Plot: Linear

Theme: Explicit

Genre: Picture Book/Contemporary Realism



Ginger...
This book is about a homeless cat who is thin and living in a small patch of weeds. It is a story about his search for food until everything changes. One day a bowl of cat food appears. Then the next night the cat food appears and so does a little girl. Ginger is frightened. The girl returns every day until she decides that the little cat should come live with her. Ginger runs out into the garden scared of his new home. The little girl is sad until Ginger returns home. Children tend to worry about Ginger, which captivates them and keeps their attention. 

• Beginning: Thin cat no home.
• Middle: Little girl names cat, brings him food.
• End: Ginger now has a home and a family who love him.

Who is Charlotte Voake?

Charlotte Voake is a highly acclaimed author and illustrator of books for children, including GINGER, for which she won the 1997 Smarties Book Prize Gold Award. She illustrated ELSIE PIDDOCK SKIPS IN HER SLEEP by Eleanor Farjeon and has been short-listed four times for the prestigious Kurt Maschler Award in Britain.(Barnes)

Side Bar Please...

What makes this amazing is the illustrations. The story itself is heartwarming. However, there is something about the illustration that make this book a must read, and a great addition to any classroom or personal library. 

Voake, Charlotte. Ginger Finds a Home. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2003. Print.

Barnes, Noble. Barnes Noble. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Sep 2012. <http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ginger-finds-a-home-charlotte-voake/1005413817>.

Biscuit and the Lost Teddy Bear

Title: Biscuit and the Lost Teddy Bear

Author:  Alyssa Satin Capucilli

Illustrated: Pat Schories

Published: 2011

Publisher: Scholastic Inc. arrangement with HarperCollins

Interest Level: PreK-1

Reading Level:  Shared Reading

• Basic language, word repetition, and whimsical illustrations, ideal for sharing with emergent readers

Genre: Picture Series

Plot: Linear

Theme: Explicit 

Whose Teddy Bear is it?

That is the main conflict in this story. A girl and her dog on the quest to find the owner of the teddy bear. They ask around to everyone they seem to know. Everyone says that is it not their bear until they see a bunch of boxes. These bunch of boxes lead to little boy whom that teddy bear belong too. The teddy bear is returned, all is then right with the world again.

Who is Biscuit?

Biscuit is just a simply caring dog it seems. He has no human characteristics and his owner is simply a little girl. They can be said to determined and caring. 

There is no "bad guy", just a bad situation in which a little boy is teddy bear less. 

Satin Capucilli, Alyssa. Biscuit and the Lost Teddy Bear . New York, New York: Scholastic Inc, 2011. Print.

In and Out of the Toy Box

Title: In and Out of the Toy Box

Author: Adria Klein

Illustrated: Dennis Dittrich

Published: 1999

Publisher: Metropolitan Teaching and Learning Company

Interest Level: K-2

Reading Level: B

Genre: Picture Books

• This story allows for a child to understand mathematics. It allows them to add and subtract the number of toys that have entered the room, and hopped back into the box. 

Plot: Linear
Theme: Explicit

Beginning,Middle,End

This story's plot is simple. The children want to go outside so they put all their toys away. The toys, however have other ideas and begin to hop out. Each hopping out in certain numbers,and hopping back in. This book allows for child to start learning math skills in a creative manner, if they are at that age of course. At the end we see that all the toys are back in the toy box before the children are done playing. 

           ***please excuse the bad photography, I had to take this picture myself***

Klein, Adria. In and Out of the Toy Box. New York, New York: Metropolitan Teaching and Learning Company, 1999. Print.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

Title: The Tale of Peter Rabbit

Author: Beatrix Potter

Illustrated: Beatrix Potter

Published: First Published 1902, This edition 2002

Publisher: Fredrick Warne & Co

Interest Level: K-2

Genre: Classic Fantasy

• This book has animals that demonstrate humanist characteristics. They talk, wear human clothes, and walk on their feet. 

Plot: Linear

Theme: explicit 

What a Tale!

For those of you who do not know this tale, it is about a mischievous little rabbit who disobeys his mother , and enters McGregor's garden. He helps himself to bunch of delicious treats until  he feels sick and wanders off to look for parsley. However, who does he meet McGregor, himself. He runs around the garden trying to escape losing his shoes, jacket, and his way. His mother warned him to stay out of the garden, but the silly little rabbit disobeyed and found himself in a whole heap of trouble.

Holy Conflict

This book is full of conflicts.

• Potter uses the flash back of Peters father becoming an ingredient in the McGregor's pie as a warning to her little rabbits.
• The CHASE. Peter loses his shoes, and gets stuck in a fence. Just when you think its over for Peter some sparrows save the day. If that was not enough he still cannot find his way out and ends up in  watering can in which is filled with water, still Mr. McGregor continues on.
• After the chase has ended Peter can still not find his way home, so he wanders around looking for help. It seems as if he will never find his way home.
• Peter makes a mad dash to the gate (once he finds it) with Mr. Mcgregor close behind. Peter makes it under, and runs straight home.

Characters:

All the characters seem to be either good or bad. For example: Peter's siblings are well-behaved and listen to their mother. While Peter is indeed the opposite  Mr. McGregor is betrayed as a mean angry old man, which would be the bad character.










Potter, B. The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Frederick Warne & Co, 2002. Print.

Rattlebone Rock

Title: Rattlebone Rock

Author: Sylvia Andrews 

Illustrated: Jennifer Plecas 

Published: 1995

Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers 

Interest Level: Preschool-2

So What Is Book About?

BOOM! CLACKA-CLACK!

The skeletons dance

And rattle their bones.

Ghosts join in

With musical moans.

Mice squeak by

And bats swoop down.

The BOOMA beat echoes

All through the town.

Witches and goblins

Make the tombstones Knock.

It's time to dance

To the Rattlebone Rock!

This BOOK!:

This book is sensational. It uses rhyming and sounds to intrigue the reader. I love this book because it does not make it feel like reading but more like singing, and if you know me you know I love to sing or do anything musical. I mean who does not love a dancing skeleton, or some groovy ghosts. This for sure has became a new favorite in my home. The picture just make you want to smile. In fact I am going to read it again right now!

Even if you do not have any kids read this book. It is adorable!

Batty Beasts

Title: Batty Beasts

Author: Louise Gardner, Linda Jennings 

Illustrated: Richard Jewitt

Published: 1999

Publisher: Sterling Publishing 

Interest Level: Preschool-2

So What Is Book About?

A hatted bat who is rather fat? a mummy who is quite a dummy? What vampire has a teddy bear? These creatures wont even give you a scare! From the witch on the bike to the monster who cannot walk straight.....you will never meet battier beast in you life!

WHO DOES NOT LOVE A CUTE POP-UP!

This book is a pop-up which makes it amazing. It is cute with its rhyming techniques. I would not recommend you leave your child alone with a book such as this only because the pop may become a little less "poppy" after a few seconds with a younger child. Get involved! read with your child not just too them. For example: I love to have my son sit on my lap, and flip the pages with me. Even though, occasionally he likes to flip before I am done reading.

Where can I get this book:

Amazon! Ebay! all those online stores have all the book I am blogging about. However, you can always try your local library like I did! It is not only a great tool for getting new books, but it is a fun adventure for a child.

Happy reading!

Pumpkin Trouble

Title: Pumpkin Trouble

Author: Jan Thomas

Illustrated: Jan Thomas

Published: 2011

Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers 

Interest Level: Preschool-2

So What Is Book About?

Duck find a pumpkin in which he wants to make into a jack-o-lantern for his friends. He accidentally falls into the pumpkin and precedes to walk around with the pumpkin on top of him. His friends see him and run away from "the pumpkin with legs". Will they ever discover it is just duck with a pumpkin on his head?

This Book and Me:

This book was cute. It is simple, yet funny at the same time. The pictures are very colorful which makes the story more interesting in my opinion. There is not much words, so really it is a good book to read to child whom may not be at the level of reading longer books too. Even a infant would enjoy just looking at the animals and the picture in general.

Just for fun here is a picture from the book

SOOOO SIMPLE, BUT SO ADORABLE RIGHT?

Big Pumpkin

Title: Big Pumpkin

Author: Erica Silverman 

Illustrated: S.D Schlinder

Published: 1995

Publisher: Aladdin

Interest Level: Preschool-2

So What Is Book About?

The witch has grown the biggest pumpkin ever, and now she wants to make herself a pumpkin pie for Halloween. However, the pumpkin is so big she cannot get it off the vine. It is so big the ghost cannot even move it,either. Neither can the vampire, not even the mummy. It looks like there will be no pumpkin pit for Halloween, until along comes the bat with an idea to save the day!

What is really cool about this book:

This book is available as a audio book on Itunes, Kindle etc. This comes in handy when you have a little one on a car ride.  They may not yet know how to read, but they can flip the pages along with the narrator. Each time it it is time to turn the page a bing is played. Very handy when you are in a pinch and need some car ride entertainment. 

What I Thought of This Book:

This was actually my first time reading this book. It was cute, and teaching children how working together is better. Oops, just spoiled the ending so do not read this aloud to any children. It shows children, and adults that just because you may be bigger it doesn't mean you are better. Sometimes the littlest people can have the biggest, and most brilliant ideas.

Look What I Found!!:

Here are some potential activities to do with your children/class:

www.teachingheart.net/halloweenbook.html

Halloween with Morris and Boris

Title: Halloween with Morris and Boris

Author: Bernard Wiseman 

Illustrated: Bernard Wiseman

Published: 1986

Publisher: Scholastic Book Services

Interest Level: K-2

So What Is Book About?
Boris the bear tries to teach Morris the Moose about Halloween costumes. The two friends trick or treat and attend a Halloween party where children play games and share ghost stories. 

IF YOU LIKE THIS BOOK TRY:

Morris and Boris at The Circus

Morris The Moose

Morris Goes to School

Morris Has a Cold

All written and illustrated by B.Wiseman



WHAT I REALLY THINK ABOUT THIS BOOK!

This book to this day still brings me overwhelming joy to read. It is entertaining, and simply quite adorable. It has a simply yet funny story line, and will surely bring laughter to any child and even adult. 
As a child,  I could have told you this story from heart without even looking at the words. In fact I am almost positive that I knew this book before I could even read. The pictures are brilliantly done, and really enhance the story beautifully.  This book would make a wonderful addition to any collection. I can only hope that my son loves it as much as I did.