Genre #3 (Novel in Verse)

ONE OF THOSE HIDEOUS BOOKS WHERE THE MOTHER DIES

Bibliography:

Sones, Sonya. One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2004. 

ISBN: 0689858205

Plot Summary:

The novel in verse opens with the main character Ruby Millken on a plane to meet her famous father for the first time in her life. It has taken 16 years and her mothers death before she was finally able to meet her father. Ruby is not in love with the idea of uprooting her life and moving across the country from Boston, to Los Angeles leaving behind her "super hot" boyfriend Ray and best friend Lizzie, and live what she believes to be a father who forgot all about her. Ruby writes short stories in the form of a poems to convey her dramatic teenage angst about moving, love, being the new kid, and family struggles. 

Critical Analysis:
Sonya Sones does not use a specific rhyme scheme or measure meters of lines and verses, but she does arrange the lines with in a stanza in a way that keeps the thoughts of Ruby bound together making it easier for the reader follow. She does, however, use repetition of words in selected poems to invite the reader to pay close attention the the internal thoughts of Ruby. For example, in the first poem of the novel she rights "I am not that depressed considering..." at the beginning of each line in order to build this list of worries, fears, and sadness that Ruby is experiencing while sitting on the plane heading to her father's house. The use of this repetition allows for the reader to know upfront what Ruby is battling internally. 

In addition to repetition and line length, Sones sprinkles the use of onomatopoeia throughout the novel that makes the reader feel like they are their with Ruby in the moment. On page 56 Sones' writes a very eerie poem about Ruby's mother trying to escape her coffin, and it ends with "BEEP BEEP BEEP" of the alarm clock and Ruby wakes up. This use of the onomatopoeia alarms the reader just as it does Ruby and you want to know what was going to happen during this creepy dream, but just like with real dreams you cannot plan when you are going to wake up out of the dream; as the reader you feel that shock the same way Ruby does when she wakes up. Therefore, the use of this sound device allows the reader to connect with the protagonist. 

Furthermore Sones' uses hyperbole as a way to develop the dramatic teenage that Ruby can tend to be throughout the novel. In almost all of her emails to her best friend Lizzie the reader gets to know that Ruby is quite the dramatic teen using hyperbole's such as "... the biggest tart in the entire galaxy is trying to steal my boyfriend while I'm stuck here..." and "...I have a zit on my nose the size of a giraffe"(p.94). Sones uses this literary device to characterize Ruby and help the young readers connect to the character. 

Another literary device that Sones' uses is imagery in conjunction with similes and metaphors. On page 193 her poem is about some of Ruby's after school activities one of where she describes her and her fathers ",trainer/assistant," Max "lazing on two rubber rafts/in the middle of the pool/floating in a galaxy of sun stars." This description makes the reader want to be in the pool with this duo enjoying warm LA. Sones is especially good at creating imagery that is appealing for teenage readers. 

The emotions in this book are intense for the entire novel. Sones does a splendid job at making the reader feel like a teenager again. The reader is invested in the drama of Ruby's life, and you don't feel exasperated by it because Ruby is such a likable girl and you want her to have a happy ending, so you keep turning the pages hoping that she will get some solitude and peace with all of her life changes. 

The novel is written where almost every page is a poem and they vary in length from a full page of four lines per stanza to smaller poems of five stanzas of two lines. Each poems title also doubles as the first line of the poem, a clever trick and technique that should be pointed out to students trying to write their own poem. From time to time the novel breaks from poems to slip in a few emails and letters that Ruby writes to Ray, Lizzie, and her deceased mother. There are numerous teachable moments with in this text, including how to deal with change, death, loss of friendship, and how to forgive. 

Review Excerpts: 
"A satisfying, moving novel."
- Booklist, starred review

"A winning portrayal of a teenage girl's loves and losses."
- Publishers Weekly

"Ruby's voice is pitch-perfect."
- Bookpage

"It's Ruby's first-person voice--acrimonious, raw, and very funny--that pulls everything together..."
-Booklist

"...Ruby's story is gripping, enjoyable, and memorable"
-School Library Journal

Iowa Teen Award 2007

Connections:
Other Books in Verse by Sonya Sones

• To Be Perfectly Honest
• Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy
• What My Mother Doesn't Know
• What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know

Content Connections:

Use in reading class for reluctant readers

Use in humanities class to teach tolerance and understanding

Genre #3 (Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book)

JAZZ

Bibliography:

Myers, Walter Dean. Jazz. Ill. by Christopher Myers. New York: Holiday House, 2006. ISBN:9780823415458

Plot Summary: 

The stories in verse, Jazz opens with an introduction to jazz and its impact on america music. Following the historic introduction Myers first poem reflects the beginning the jazz era, and ends with the most current state of jazz; he also includes a timeline, and a glossary to help the reader really understand and appreciate the piece of written art he has complied.  Walter Dean Myers does a beautiful job of writing poems that parallel the historic influence of jazz on the music culture in america. Myers incorporates real jazz musicians and their impact on the jazz community. Along with the tenacious poetry, the artwork that accompanies each poem is exquisite and heartfelt.

Critical Analysis:

After reading Jazz the reader wants to immediately hear a jazz song, or musician preforming the sincere melodies or the latest ragtime composition. Myers brings the reader into the poems through his use of rhythm, rhyme, language, and sound devices. In the second poem of the book titled "Louie, Louie How You Play so Sweet?" the lines "heard a bad tune/ spanked it like a naughty boy" make the reader chuckle at the cunning simile, yet you can hear the song being played in you heard through the use of rhythm. 

In the following poem "America's Music" Myers use of alliteration and assonance draws you into the poem and makes you want to sing the poem as if it were a refrain; "A clarinet sassing/its way through/a Sunday-night sermon." Not only do the sounds of these lines catch your tongue the word choice is alluring for the reader. 

In addition to rhythm, rhyme, and sound devices Myers uses language and imagery to develop not only a picture in your mind, but a feeling in your heart. As read in the poem "Good-bye to Old Bob Johnson" the reader can see the "white horse a-striding/ a sad deacon riding/ six men to lay him low," but you can also feel the pain in the poem with the next lines "the drums are solemn as we walk along/ the banjo twangs a gospel song." The imagery is clear, but the word choice is what speaks to the reader. The horse is not pacing or marching, but "a-striding" which paints the picture of a horse with its head mid-level moving with sadness. In that same line the six men are "to lay him low," not to bury with pride and honor, but lay low because they are not sure why this young musician has died. Myers does a seamless job of bringing in real musicians and historical figures to help shape the institution of jazz for the reader. 

In order to change the pace of the stories in poems, Myers very next poem is titled "Faster," in this poem you can feel the emotion of the story change to a sanguine eulogy for Bob Johnson. Even the pictures change from a light sky blue to a vibrant yellow. He uses words like "stepping, hipping, and dipping" to celebrate the life of Bob Johnson after recognizing that his death was unnecessary.   

One cannot read the poem book Jazz without recognizing his use of onomatopoeia, and its effect on the reader is unquestionable. In the poem "Twenty-Finger Jack" Myers highlights his use of the sound device by changing the font to a yellow script font. As you are reading the poem you naturally read the lines"be ba boodie, be ba boodie, boo/ Be ba boodie, ba ba ba ba, boodie, boo" as if they have a meaning all on their own. 

Myers poems alone are brilliantly written, and could easily be studied on their own, but the illustrations that accompany this book are a masterpiece of their own. They are true reflections of the feelings and thoughts created by Myers. The pictures match page for page the emotion that is being drawn out of the reader. The use of vibrant acrylics allow the reader to make inferences on the history and time period that Myers captures in his poetry. Myers has written a truly scintillating collection of poems that represent the jazz culture from all angles.  

Review Excerpts:

• The resulting chiaroscuro conjures the deep shadows and lurid reflections of low-lit after-dark jazz clubs.- Publishers Weekly
• The 15 selections also celebrate vocals, various instrumental combinations, a funeral procession, and Louis Armstrong; New Orleans as spirit and place is woven throughout. - School Library Journal
• Now, finally, the father-son Myers team has put together an absolutely airtight melding of words and pictures that is perfectly accessible to a younger audience.- Booklist
• 2007 ALA Notable Books for Children, 
• 2007 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award, 
• 2007 Golden Kite Award Winner – Picture Book Text, 
• 2008 Odyssey Award Winner for Excellence in Audiobook Production 

Connections: 

Other books by Walter Dean Myers

• Here In Harlem: Poems in Many Voices
• Harlem   
• Glorious Angels:  An Album of Pictures and Verse   

Illustrations by Christopher Myers

• Black Cat
• H.O.R.S.E
• Looking Like Me 

Content Connections:

• Use in music class to teach the history of jazz and the influence of music on society 
• Use in English to teach onomatopoeia and other sound devices
• Use in history to teach influence of jazz on society

Genre #3 Poetry (Author Choice Marilyn Singer)

FOLLOW FOLLOW

Bibliography:
Singer, Marilyn. Follow Follow. Ill. by Josee Masse. New York: Penguin Group, 2013.
ISBN: 9780803737693

Plot Summary:
Marilyn Singer's collection of "fairy tale" reverso poems is a companion to her first collection titled "Mirror Mirror." The poems address different classic fairy tales such as Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Puss in Boots. Each poem summarizes or highlights the theme of each story through verse. The book opens with a short introduction about Singer's process for writing the book, and ends with Singer giving a written explanation of reverso poetry and summary of the different classic fairy tales she used in the poetry collection.

Critical Analysis:
Singer uses several poetry techniques throughout the collection. The obvious one being the use of the reverso technique in which a poem is told one way on the left side, and then in the reverse order of lines on the right side. This pattern is kept throughout the entire book and gives the book an interesting, unparalleled style that keeps the reader engaged. Furthermore, in the second poem titled "Your Wish is My Command" Singer uses a sporadic rhyme scheme, but a rhyme nonetheless. The random rhyming keeps the reader a little tongue-tied and you have to take a step back and reread to first get the words straight, and then read again to make sure you have the meaning understood. The same random pattern continues in other poems such as "Birthday Suit," and "Will the Real Princess Please Stand Up?" In addition to the rhyming Singer uses alliteration to enhance the descriptions and the appeal of the words to the reader. While the word choice and language used throughout the book is powerful, the choice of punctuation is what really helps recite the poetic fairy tales in "reverso." Singer uses punctuation in addition to reverso to change the point of view of the story and even changes the perspective of the story to include different characters with in the same poem. For example, in the poem "Silly Goose" the left side poem is from the angry daughters point of view, and the right side is from the more content view point, but keeps the character the same. However, in "Ready, Steady, Go!" the left side is from the hare's perspective and the right is from the tortoise's perspective. While the words do not change the order of the lines does along with the type of punctuation in order to create a different meaning. The entire book is filled with so many divine uses of figurative language and sound devices it can be used to learn and explore so many different areas of poetry.

In addition to the elegant, intelligent, and rich poems the images that accompany the verse is equally as lavish. The book is illustrated by Josee Masse and he does an exquisite job of capturing the reverso technique in pictures. His paintings express the thoughts and feelings of all of the characters and their counterparts. He keeps with the clear division on each side so the reader can use the picture to help interpret the meaning of the poem. Masse also uses different perspective and points of views to help enhance the meaning of the poem.

Review Excerpts:
"Genius!" - Wired.com

“Singer and Masse’s companion to Mirror Mirror is just as inspired as its predecessor.” – Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Fun, thoughtful, beautifully written poems that employ a poetic form called a reverso to spin a familiar fairy tale in a new direction.” – Shelf Awareness, starred review

"Singer’s poetry begs to be read aloud as listeners savor Masse’s accompanying illustrations. This is a must-have book for a library’s poetry section as well as for any personal collection." - Library Media Connection, starred review

"This volume is one to savor." – Kirkus Reviews

“Marilyn Singer's verse in Follow Follow practically dances down each page .  . . the effect is miraculous and pithy.” – The Wall Street Journal

"These are delightful to read and read aloud, and they’re a curricular dream for discussions of poetry, folklore, and point of view." – The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Masse’s two-sided illustrations capture the changes in point of view, tone, and color...Singer’s reversos present lyrical and evocative moments that will surprise and delight children and provide them with opportunities for critical discussion." – School Library Journal

Follow Follow is one of Booklist's 30 Best Books of the Year and a Cybils Award finalist.

Connections:
Other books by Marilyn Singer

• Rutherford B. Who Was He?
• A Strange Place to Call Home
• Mirror, Mirror

Content Connections:

• Use in English Language Arts- Reading to teach point of view, perspective, alliteration, and word choice.
• Use in Writing class to teach use of punctuation and its effect on meaning.
• Use in Art to teach how art can reflect writing.

Genre #2 Traditional Literature (Author Choice, Yuyi Morales)

JUST A MINUTE: A TRICKSTER TALE AND COUNTING BOOK

Bibliography:

Morales, Yuyi. Just a Mintue: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book. California, San Francisco: Raincoat Books, 2003. ISBN 0811837580

Plot Summary: 

Just a Minute is a tale of an abuela who is preparing for her birthday. Meanwhile, Senor Calavera is rushing Grandma Beetle to "come with him." Grandma Beetle delays Senor Calavera by preparing for her party. She starts out with just one thing to do, then continues on with two things, and then tres things, and cuartro... so forth and so on until her nine grandchildren show up to celebrate her birthday. Grandma Beetle acknowledges Calavera as the tenth guest only to discover he has left the party leaving behind a note. The note reads, "I had a great time, and I'll see you next you year you can count on that." We end the story by celebrating Grandma Beetle's Birthday. 

Critical Analysis:

Yuyi Morales does an exceptional job of incorporating Hispanic culture into a children's counting book. First off the reader notices that on each page Grandma Beetle is counting off chores she has to complete in order to be prepared for her grand children's arrival. Morales starts each paragraph with a number written in English and then uses the Spanish word for the same number in the second paragraph. The counting book keeps this pattern throughout the story. In both paragraphs the number is spelled out using a bolder, larger font, so that the readers can easily see the spelling and usage of the number. Morales does not limit the reader to just Spanish numbers she embeds within the story a Hispanic folktale of the Calavera. The Calavera is a decorated sugar skull used in Mexico on the Day of the Dead to tell humorous stories to the living. Because of this, Morales provides the teacher with an opportunity to introduce this cultural character and have the readers connect with the Hispanic symbol for Day of the Dead. 

The illustrations in this book are done with bright acrylics and mixed media on paper. The bright color scheme of pink, orange, and blue also reflect an aspect of the Hispanic culture. Morales also keeps true to the humorous nature of a Calavera by making the illustration of him comical and decorated with light heartened day of the day makeup. In addition to the bold colors and drawings, Morales uses two different fonts to help distinguish the English word and the Spanish word. Overall, the prints, patterns, and color usage throughout the book truly reflect the traditional Hispanic folktale. 

Review Excerpts:
The splendid paintings and spirited storytelling--along with useful math and multicultural elements--augur a long, full life for this original folktale.- BookList

Lit with dancing lines and warm colors, Morales' illustrations enhance the appeal of this winning story even further. - Kirkus Reviews, starred review

The Pura Belpré Award for Illustration (2004)

Connections:

Other Yuyi Morales- Author and/or Illustrator

• Niño Wrestles the World- 9781596436046
• My Abuelita- 978-0152163303
• Gatos Black on Halloween 9780805074291

Content Connections to JUST A MINUTE

• Use the book in the lower levels to introduce numbers in both English and Spanish
• Use in Mid-level to teach folktale qualities
• Use in World Cultures to teach how cultures have similar stories 
• Use in Art to show how culture influences illustrations 

Genre #2 Traditional Literature (Variant of 3 Little Pigs)

THE 3 LITTLE DASSIES

BY JAN BRETT

Bibliography:

Brett, Jan. The 3 Little Dassies. New York: Penguin Young Readers Group, 2010. 978039925499.

Plot Summary:

The story begins with three little dassies (desert rodents) leaving their families to live on their own with the help of Agama Man (from the lizard family). Like the classic three little pigs each of the dassies decides to build their shelter out of three different materials. The first out of grass, to keep cool; the second out of sticks because they were abundant; and finally the last dassies created her house out of stone. Just as the dassies think they are getting along nicely, the big bad eagle swoops in and threatens to "flap and clap" and blow their house in. And he does, he makes his round through the grass house, and the sticks house only to capture the dassies and leave them in his nest for dinner. However, just as in the three little pigs, the big bad eagle swoops in and makes the same threat, but this time he cannot "flap and clap" to blow the house in. He can only do so much flapping before he is out of breath, coughing, and sneezing. Just as he gives up and decides to return to his already capture dassies, they escape and head for their sisters stone house. The dassies reach the stone house and eagle makes an attempt at the chimney only to discover he cannot get in to ensnare the dassies he gives up and flies away, and the three dassies live happily ever after in the stone house. 

Critical Analysis:

Jan Brett does a splendid job of using a classic story (three little pigs) to teach children about other real animals and their natural habitats. Sure the story has its classic villain in which the hero escapes and lives happily every after, but that is not her intention with this book. Her intention is to rather educate children about the natural habitats of creatures all over the world. Hence, the fact that dassies are real desert creatures that indeed build their shelters within the stone crevasses in a desert. Furthermore, a real predator amongst the dassies are dark, tail-feathered, eagles. Therefore, Brett has created a children's book that educates children about the real life habitats and their necessities in the context of a folktale. In turn, creating an multipurpose folktale classic. 

Jan Brett also does an impeccable job of illustrating this folktale. She uses watercolors and gouche to create vivid and detailed pictures. She also frames each page with a unique bordering pattern for each page. This framing helps the reader focus on what is the main idea of the page, and outside the border you get a feel for what might happen next. Using this technique will help children make predictions and inferences about a text. For example, on page two of the story, the framed area has the dassies leaving home and following the agama man; but, off to the side, outside the border, we see the eagle looking on from his nest. This could be a great teaching moment to show students that making inferences, and predictions are an "outside the box" skill to be learned. Again, you see this technique use on page three when the first dassies is building her house out of grass in the frame; but outside the frame we see the next dassies gathering sticks. This choice of illustration is clever, and skillful of Brett. Because of this usage the picture book could be used at older age children to help teach basic inferencing concepts.  

Review Excerpts:

 "This tale will captivate children and introduce a setting and animals unfamiliar to most of them."School Library Journal.

 "The last page turns the story into an inspired pourquoi tale about dassies’ habitat and the sootlike coloring of native eagles."- BookList 

"Classic Brett: meticulously rendered animal characters, an authentically depicted setting, ornate borders, action-filled side panels, and lively storytelling." --Publishers Weekly

Connections:

Other Jan Brett Books (Folktale/variants)

Cinders- ISBN 978-0-399-25783-4

The Three Snow Bears- ISBN 978-0-399-24792-7

Gingerbread Baby- ISBN 0-399-23444-6

Use as an author's study and have students find the connections in all of Jan Brett's books.

Use as a publishing option for children in other subject areas. For example, after studying a certain species in science class the teacher could have students write a folktale explaining why that animal lives where it lives. 

Use Jan Brett's website (http://www.janbrettvideos.com/) to show children where she got her inspiration to write and other collections of facts. 

Genre #2 Traditional Literature (Caldecott Honor 1998)

THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY

Bibliography:

Taback, Simms. There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. Ill. by Simms Taback. New York: Penguin Group. 1997. ISBN: 0670869392.

Plot Summary:

This is a folktale that begins with a lady who swallowed a fly. We the reader, do not know why she swallowed the fly, but the exposition moves us to think we might find an answer or solution to this poor old lady. The lady continues to swallow different creatures, one bigger than the next, in order to try and catch the previous creature. At the quick climax of the story she swallows everything from a bird to a dog to a cow, and we are left with the resolution of swallowing a horse which is her ultimate demise. 

Critical Analysis:

The first thing the reader notices about the story is the rhythm and rhyme. From the second page we can see that the sentence endings are going to rhyme. For example, "I don't know why she swallowed a the fly. Perhaps she'll die." The rest of the story continues with this pattern: introduction of new creature that the lady eats, in order to try and catch the previous creature she has swallowed, which leads us to a new rhyme on each page.   One of the most enthralling features of the book are the captions at the bottom of each page. Taback so cleverly places captions of what the other animals are thinking as the story is being read aloud. For instance, on page two the Old Lady has swallowed the fly, then Taback writes "perhaps she'll die," and the captions from the other animals read "But it's only a fly," "I think I'll cry," "She gulped it out of the sky," "OH MY!." This is keen of Taback for a couple of reasons; first, they give a moment for the teacher to talk about perspective and others reactions to situations; second, it acknowledges possible reader reactions; finally, it shows the reader different words that rhyme together with the initial ending word. Lastly, at the end of the book the reader is left with a moral that is plainly stated: never swallow a horse. However, the teacher and students can use this book to teach different symbols of what might horse represent to the reader in order to gain a deeper meaning. 

The illustrations in this book become the second author of the story; in that, the combination of drawing, collage, and  paper cutouts help tell the story. For example, on page one the paper is cut in a circle around the Old Lady's stomach area only then to be framing a fly when you turn the page. As the story continues we can see the circular hole on the page expand to frame the rest of the creatures the women swallows. This helps the readers visualize the hyperbole Taback is creating throughout his story. In addition to the paper cutouts, the illustrator uses collages to create the setting for most of the pictures. For instance, on page eight the illustrator creates a tree using drawings, and paint, but also uses real pictures of different birds, and text with different kinds of birds labeling the tree. This effect the illustrator uses on the tree can keep readers engaged with the text; they might wonder how the illustrator will capture the next setting, and it helps new readers make the connection between words and pictures. The illustrator continues this pattern on the preceding pages and even brings in snips of common products such as Doublemint gum, and Hershey's chocolate bars. This technique helps the reader make connections to the setting, and therefore make connections to the book. 

Review Excerpts:

 All in all, this illustrator provides an eye-catching, energy-filled interpretation that could easily become a classic in itself. - School Library Journal

 It is good fun to watch the old lady bulge and bloat, and the sheer corniness of the verse continues to be deeply gratifying.- Kirkus

Taback has graciously crammed the back cover with a widely varied gallery of flies that is worthy of at least one bedtime session all by itself.- The New York Times

New York Times Best Illustrated Book 1998

Caldecott Honor Book 1998

Connections:

Other Caldecott Medal Books by Simms Taback

Taback, Simms. JOSEPH HAD A LITTLE OVERCOAT. 9780439216975

Other books by Simms Taback that include rhythm and rhyme

I MISS YOU EVERYDAY-9780670061921

THIS IS THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT- 9780788203459

Use in music class to have students create the next few pages that continue the rhyme. 

Use in art class to mimic ways to incorporate art techniques.