Evans, Lezlie. CAN YOU COUNT TEN TOES?
Can You Count Ten Toes is about counting to ten in ten different languages. This is a great way to incorporate learning about other languages. The students should master English numbers first, because English is not accounted for in this book. I don’t know if the students would be able to learn all of the other languages, but it would be a fun activity to learn a few of the numbers. One of the cool things about this book is the languages that the author chose to use. To me, the languages used are very unique dialogs that we don’t often hear about such as Zulu, Hindi, and Tagalog.
Each page counts to ten using different items such as toes, hats, and lightening bugs. There is a poem at the top of each page and it acknowledges which language is going to be used. Then numbered in English is one through ten and next to that is the featured language one through ten and also in parenthesis how to pronounce it. The font is large and spaced out so it is easy to read.
I don’t care for the pictures in this book because they are too simple and use very dull colors in my opinion. The characters have beady eyes and not much detail is put into the drawings.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
FIRST NUMBER BOOK
Kingfisher. FIRST NUMBER BOOK
This interactive book has large pictures representing different numbers and about three questions per page asking counting questions. For example, one question is “How many windows does each house have?” Although it is called First Number Book, I think it should be used with students who already know their numbers and are just getting used to applying them, because it does not actually step through the numbers. The author assumes that the audience already can count.
The pictures are bright and very simply drawn. There are about five or six large blocks of pictures on each page which is a great use of space.
I was kind of disappointed because there is not actual story. This book is more focused on thinking and working on beginning strategies in math. I think this would be a great book to use in a classroom, but not as a read aloud to the entire class. It is setup to be more of a one on one tool.
This interactive book has large pictures representing different numbers and about three questions per page asking counting questions. For example, one question is “How many windows does each house have?” Although it is called First Number Book, I think it should be used with students who already know their numbers and are just getting used to applying them, because it does not actually step through the numbers. The author assumes that the audience already can count.
The pictures are bright and very simply drawn. There are about five or six large blocks of pictures on each page which is a great use of space.
I was kind of disappointed because there is not actual story. This book is more focused on thinking and working on beginning strategies in math. I think this would be a great book to use in a classroom, but not as a read aloud to the entire class. It is setup to be more of a one on one tool.
CHICKA CHICKA BOOM BOOM
Martin, Bill Jr. CHICKA CHICKA BOOM BOOM.
I remember this book from when I was a child. It is such an enjoyable and fun book. This bright colored book is about the letters in the alphabet climbing up a coconut tree one by one. Once Z reaches the top they all fall out and it repeats the alphabet again. This is a great way to reinforce the alphabet. By seeing all of the letters twice in order is a great beginner learning tool.
This book is very simple but has powerful pictures. There is a polka dot boarder around each of the pages which I think is a good use of space since the illustrations are very plain. The letters of the alphabet are good size in the illustration so they are easy to visualize. The font also becomes bold when a letter is mentioned. Also, the story has a good rhythm and rhyme to it which makes it easy to read. All of the pages have a white background to them except for the two last pages. I think that is a strong ending and simply just the color of the background you can tell when it has changed from the day time to night in the story. This is a great book, it is so catchy and a favorite of mine growing up!
I remember this book from when I was a child. It is such an enjoyable and fun book. This bright colored book is about the letters in the alphabet climbing up a coconut tree one by one. Once Z reaches the top they all fall out and it repeats the alphabet again. This is a great way to reinforce the alphabet. By seeing all of the letters twice in order is a great beginner learning tool.
This book is very simple but has powerful pictures. There is a polka dot boarder around each of the pages which I think is a good use of space since the illustrations are very plain. The letters of the alphabet are good size in the illustration so they are easy to visualize. The font also becomes bold when a letter is mentioned. Also, the story has a good rhythm and rhyme to it which makes it easy to read. All of the pages have a white background to them except for the two last pages. I think that is a strong ending and simply just the color of the background you can tell when it has changed from the day time to night in the story. This is a great book, it is so catchy and a favorite of mine growing up!
NUMBERS IN A ROW, AN IOWA NUMBER BOOK
Pierce, Patricia A. NUMBERS IN A ROW, AN IOWA NUMBER BOOK
Each page in this book has a number 1-12 using different things that represent Iowa. This is a perfect book for classrooms in Iowa. I actually learned a lot about places and inventions in Iowa such as in a town called Burlington, Iowa there is the most crooked street in the world. After the number 12 it goes by tens through 100. The actual story is a simple counting book with only about a sentence per page. On the side of each page is a detailed description about the place, event, or invention. This reading is much more in-depth. A teacher may decide to read the side panels of each page before she reads it to the class and then simply explain a little more in detail about the event if there is time.
The illustrations are very close to real life photographs almost in a colored pencil type of look. I like how the numbers on each page are written and show the numeral. This is good to show a visual connection between the two for kids who are just learning their numbers.
I enjoyed this book. I think it was well written and good for many age groups because of the simplicity of the story and the further side information that are available but aren’t really part of the story.
Each page in this book has a number 1-12 using different things that represent Iowa. This is a perfect book for classrooms in Iowa. I actually learned a lot about places and inventions in Iowa such as in a town called Burlington, Iowa there is the most crooked street in the world. After the number 12 it goes by tens through 100. The actual story is a simple counting book with only about a sentence per page. On the side of each page is a detailed description about the place, event, or invention. This reading is much more in-depth. A teacher may decide to read the side panels of each page before she reads it to the class and then simply explain a little more in detail about the event if there is time.
The illustrations are very close to real life photographs almost in a colored pencil type of look. I like how the numbers on each page are written and show the numeral. This is good to show a visual connection between the two for kids who are just learning their numbers.
I enjoyed this book. I think it was well written and good for many age groups because of the simplicity of the story and the further side information that are available but aren’t really part of the story.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Mama’s Kiss
Mama’s Kiss by Jane Yolen
Ages 3-6
I thought this was a really sweet book. I really enjoyed this book, but probably wouldn’t read it in front of my classroom just because it may be kind of more geared towards girls. Either sex could read and enjoy it but I think it has more appeal for girls. It’s about a mom who blows her daughter a kiss and it misses her but catches her brother and then bounces around to different things and places. Near the end of the book the kiss hits a runner who then comes home and kisses his wife which is the mom from the beginning of the story, who then kisses her daughter, so it finally makes it back to who it was intended for. It’s kind of like passing love around and if you share it with someone else they will share it with someone and eventually it will make it back to you again.
The pictures are spaced around each page so they all look a little different. All of the characters look very happy, they have huge smiles on their faces which I liked. There’s only one sentence on each page, so it is a pretty basic read.
Ages 3-6
I thought this was a really sweet book. I really enjoyed this book, but probably wouldn’t read it in front of my classroom just because it may be kind of more geared towards girls. Either sex could read and enjoy it but I think it has more appeal for girls. It’s about a mom who blows her daughter a kiss and it misses her but catches her brother and then bounces around to different things and places. Near the end of the book the kiss hits a runner who then comes home and kisses his wife which is the mom from the beginning of the story, who then kisses her daughter, so it finally makes it back to who it was intended for. It’s kind of like passing love around and if you share it with someone else they will share it with someone and eventually it will make it back to you again.
The pictures are spaced around each page so they all look a little different. All of the characters look very happy, they have huge smiles on their faces which I liked. There’s only one sentence on each page, so it is a pretty basic read.
Don’t Sit There!
Don’t Sit There! By Jill Newton
Ages 5 and above
I did not care for this book. The story was about Fat Aunt Marylyn who sits on the couch and it breaks in half. The family gets a new big couch and the all of these things start randomly disappearing. I was very confused at this point in the book because people and things would just magically vanish. Then Fat Aunt Marilyn tries to sit on this couch and it again breaks in half. The catch this time was that all of the things that disappeared like the workers who brought the couch in, grandma, and her birthday cake all were back because they were stuck inside the new big couch.
I think this book was rude and sends a bad vibe towards their overweight aunt who they actually call “fat Aunt Marilyn.” The kids also make fun of how Aunt Marilyn broke the couch on the first page of the book which I think also sends off a bad message. This book in a way shows that making fun of overweight people and calling them names are okay to do.
Ages 5 and above
I did not care for this book. The story was about Fat Aunt Marylyn who sits on the couch and it breaks in half. The family gets a new big couch and the all of these things start randomly disappearing. I was very confused at this point in the book because people and things would just magically vanish. Then Fat Aunt Marilyn tries to sit on this couch and it again breaks in half. The catch this time was that all of the things that disappeared like the workers who brought the couch in, grandma, and her birthday cake all were back because they were stuck inside the new big couch.
I think this book was rude and sends a bad vibe towards their overweight aunt who they actually call “fat Aunt Marilyn.” The kids also make fun of how Aunt Marilyn broke the couch on the first page of the book which I think also sends off a bad message. This book in a way shows that making fun of overweight people and calling them names are okay to do.
There was an Old Monster!
There was an Old Monster! By Rebecca, Adrian, and Ed Emberley
Preschool-grade 2
This book is a modern version of the book: There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. It was identical to the book except for in this story it was a monster swallowing things. I really liked There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly when I was younger, but I didn’t care for this one as much. It was a good book, but I couldn’t help but think about the original. It’s kind of like how there are a ton of versions of Cinderella but usually the original one you read is your favorite.
The illustrations were cool because it was always on a black background and so the colors that were used were neon colors. The pictures took up the entire page which I always think is more attractive when reading picture books. The print was large, and the font kind of reminded me of a Halloween writing, which matches the theme of the monster.
This story is neat because the words flow so you can sing it while you are reading it. Also written on the cover it says you can download the song off line, and it gives you a website so it is an interactive book too.
Preschool-grade 2
This book is a modern version of the book: There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. It was identical to the book except for in this story it was a monster swallowing things. I really liked There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly when I was younger, but I didn’t care for this one as much. It was a good book, but I couldn’t help but think about the original. It’s kind of like how there are a ton of versions of Cinderella but usually the original one you read is your favorite.
The illustrations were cool because it was always on a black background and so the colors that were used were neon colors. The pictures took up the entire page which I always think is more attractive when reading picture books. The print was large, and the font kind of reminded me of a Halloween writing, which matches the theme of the monster.
This story is neat because the words flow so you can sing it while you are reading it. Also written on the cover it says you can download the song off line, and it gives you a website so it is an interactive book too.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)