Graphic Novel Post #3

Title: The Adventures of Polo
Author: Regis Faller
Lauren's Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars

The Adventures of Polo is a wordless book about a playful dog, Polo. He takes a unique and enchanting journey that take him under the ocean, to a tropical island and to space! He returns home with the new friends he met along with way and writes all about his adventures!

This book was adventurous and fun! The images were drawn with ink and the pages had a glossed finish. This made the images brighter and more appealing to the eye. The story is followed through only the images. The dog gets through obstacles and finds the joy in going on such an amazing adventure! The only negative aspect of the book is it's size. It is quite a large book and children would not be able to hold it on their own. However, with that being said, it would be a good book to read with a parent or another student. The adventures that the dog encounters show that imagination is endless and if are creative, you can achieve anything! This is an phenomenal book that captivates its audience with its crystal clear images and crazy adventure stories!

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Publication date: 2002
ISBN: 1-59643-160-1

Graphic Novel Post #2

Title: Otto's Orange Day
Author: Frank Cammuso & Jay Lynch
Lauren's Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Otto's Orange Day is a story about a cat named Otto who loves the color orange. His aunt gives him a lamp that contains a genie. When asked what wish we wants to make, he decides to turn the entire world orange. Unfortunately he realizes that foods do not taste good and traffic lights are causing accidents! Otto and his aunt help to un-do his wish and the world goes back to normal. Otto realizes how beautiful all of the colors are.

This beautifully illustrated toon book is great! The book contained three short chapters that helped guide the reader through what was happening in the book. It is a small sized book, which makes it easier for a child to hold. The main character is a cat who can be related to a young child. The story is very interesting and unusual. It makes you want to find out what happens in the end faster! The illustrations are great with the use of different shades of orange. In the end, there is an explosion of colors on the pages. The pages had more text and illustrations on them. The story was easy to follow and it gave extra detail to the character. I would recommend this book to young children, teachers and parents. This would also be a good book to introduce children to this graphic novel style.

Publisher: The Little Lit Library
Publication date: 2008
ISBN: 978-0-9799238-8-3

Graphic Novel Post #1

Title: Benny and Penny in Just Pretend
Author: Geoffrey Hayes
Lauren's Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Benny and Penny in Just Pretend is a story about an older brother, Benny, who does not want to play with his little sister, Penny. Unlike what Benny thought, the toon book goes on to show that Penny is very brave and not annoying! In the end, Benny realizes that his little sister is very important to him and they play together.

This book was excellent. Not only was it realistic, but it was relatable and contains a good message. The message is that your siblings are very important and you should treat them nicely. This is a perfect message for young readers who think that their siblings just get in their way. I have never been a fan of graphic novels, but the pages were not crowded and there was an equal distribution of illustrations and words. This made the book very easy to read and to follow the plot-line. The sentences were short and the graphics were drawn with colored pencils. I liked this book a lot and I would recommend this to young readers!

Publisher: The Little Lit Library
Publication date: 2008
ISBN: 978-0-9799238-6-9

Poetry Post #3

Title: The Napping House
Author/Illustrator: Audrey Wood & Don Wood

Lauren's Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The Napping House is a poem about a house where all of its inhabitants are sleeping. On the bed, a sleeping grandmother, child, dog, cat, mouse and flea are found snoozing. Then the flea awakens that bites the mouse, who wakes everyone else in the bed up!

This New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book awarded book was adorable. This poem was my favorite out of all the others. Not only did the text rhyme, but it was repetitive. This made the book appropriate for very young audiences! The poem is simple but it captures the audience's attention. The illustrations are detailed and fit the text perfectly. The colors that were used matched the tempo of the house. When everyone was sleeping, the use of blues were evident. While, when they all awakened, their is a rainbow of colors that splash the page. The text on each page was kept to a minimum and it was a very fun and interesting poem that I believe others would love. I recommend this book to all children, for teachers to use for an introduction to poetry, and parents to read to their very young ones.

Publisher: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
Publication date: 1984
ISBN: 0-15-256708-9

Poetry Post #2

Title: Dirt on My Shirt
Author: Jess Foxworthy
Lauren's Rating: 4 out of 5

Dirt on My Shirt is a poem about a boy who enjoys going outside. He gets dirt, leaves and mud all over himself. However, he still loves to feel the sun on his skin and breathe in the fresh air!

Within the book, there contains several short poems. Although this poem was very short, it got to the point! The illustrations were sketches that were very colorful. I love the way he filled the page with color! The text was centered in clear, large font. This makes it easier to read the poem. Poetry can sometimes be tricky for children to grasp. I felt as if the author did a great job incorporating the poetry into the book, without losing the other great qualities of children's books! I would definitely recommend this book to children and parents!

Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: 2008
ISBN: 978-0-06-129847-8

Poetry Post #1

Title: The Missing Piece
Author: Shel Silverstein
Lauren's Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The Missing Piece is a story about an object that believes it is missing the rest of itself. It goes on a search and after many trials, the object finds the perfect piece. They roll away together, only for the object to find that it cannot be itself with this piece. It realizes that the piece was not what was important about his journey!

This story used a single line where a half of a circle was drawn onto, that was interacting with other objects along its journey. The imagery was simple with only a marker used to draw the basic objects. The story was a little bit confusing in the beginning, because it was hard to figure out what the object was and what it means that it was missing a piece. However, the text is basic, with only one or two words on a few pages. The story gives a good message that when you are too busy searching for something in life, you will pass by all the little things that are full of meaning on the way. The overall message of the story was my favorite part. This is a good book for children that want to follow the circle, but it is not a good book for children that would get bored easily. There are no colors and it is not an exciting book. Therefore, I would recommend this book for parents to read to children. They could elaborate to the children what the meaning of the book is.

Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: 1976
ISBN: 0-06-025671-0

Historical Fiction Post #3

Title: Mr. Wayne's Masterpiece
Author/Illustrator: Patricia Polacco
Lauren's Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Mr. Wayne's Masterpiece is about a young girl who is terrified to speak in front of an audience. Her teacher tells her to join in on the drama class. Mr Wayne, the drama teacher, tells her to let the play take her and not to focus on everyone else. He believed in her and when she went out on stage, she delivered her lines and did an amazing job without any problems!

This story is relatable to every person at any age. The way that the book resolves the children's fear is incredible. The teacher believed in her and gave her a chance for success, which in turn, made her believe in herself. The illustrations are unusual, in that, the sketch marks are still left on the page. The pencil marks show the fear in the child's face in the beginning of the book and toward the end, the illustrator used her pencil drawings to elicit confidence. The illustrations are very detailed and you could spend five minutes looking at each individual page. The text was longer but it did not use difficult language.
The message in the book is appropriate for the audience. I did some research and it turns out that the book was written about herself. The author had a fear of public speaking and this true story is how she overcame her fears! Children could read this book and become more confident in their abilities. I would recommend this to all advanced readers, parents and teachers. This book should be read in all classrooms.

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication date: 2014
ISBN: 978-0-399-16095-0

Historical Fiction Post #2

Title: Mouse Island
Author/Illustrator: Eve Bunting & Dominic Catalano
Lauren's Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Mouse Island is a story about a mouse who lived alone on an island. He felt empty and one day that emptiness disappeared when he rescued a cat on a ship from drowning. The two animals became best friends and lived on the island together.

This was a very cute and easily understood story. The minimal text and number of words on every page is appealing. The illustrations were incredible. There was so much detail incorporated into the pictures. The colors used made the pictures come to life. I liked the idea of an unlikely friendship because the mouse was nice to the cat, even though he knew he could eat him. That concept goes along well with the concept of not judging a book by its cover. Mouse Island is a real island located in Ohio. The island was inhabited once before by a lighthouse keeper and his wife. Now, no one lives there. The story could easily be read to a classroom of children or for individual reading.


Publisher: Boyds Mills Press
Publication date: 2008
ISBN: 978-1-59078-447-1

Historical Fiction Post #1

Title: That's What Leprechauns Do
Author/Illustrator: Eve Bunting/ Emily Arnold McCully
Lauren's Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars

That's What Leprechauns Do is a story about three mischievous leprechauns that are on a mission to put a pot of gold under a rainbow. Along their journey, they find different ways to create trouble, such as painting a cow's hooves red and putting a tennis ball underneath a hen, as an egg! When the rain subsides and they reach the rainbow, they put a pot of gold underneath it. They sit around and wait for a person to come and find it; which no one ever does.

This was a great story. The legend that there is a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow was something I was always told as a child. This creative story was humorous and interesting. The illustrations were extraordinary with the use of watercolors. The landscape, which took place in Ireland, looked as real as the Irish country looks now. Even the way the leprechauns talked was accurate for an Irishman. Another accurate depiction in the book was the weather. It rains a lot in Ireland and when the rain subsides, a rainbow always appears. This story was brilliantly told and is very creative. The last page of the book included a brief, "about leprechauns" section that I thought was very appropriate. The story included more complicated text and the story was meant for an older audience of children. However, I would recommend this book to every child and to their parents to read to them if they cannot. This is a great book for Irish children to learn about a part of their culture and for other children to learn more about the mischievous Irish.

Publisher: Clarion Books
Publication date: 2005
ISBN: 0-618-35410-7

Informational Texts Post #3

Title: Penguin Chick
Author/Illustrator: Betty Tatham & Helen K. Davie
Lauren's Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Event though this book is an information text, it is written as a story. The mother and father penguin both take care of their egg and soon-to-be baby penguin. They describe the life cycle of the penguin as well as what happens with the parents while they wait for two months for the egg to hatch.

I liked this book a lot. Not only did it provide information, but it did so in a creative and interesting manner. The book is still a story and the illustrations were painted in watercolor. There is more text on each page, but the lettering is big and the pictures help describe the story. The colors that were used in the story are amazing. They used the black and white colors for the penguin. They used colorful pinks and blues for the landscape. The story is easy to comprehend and it includes the jobs of the parents when an egg is formed. I liked that the book showed the life cycle of the penguin. This book showed that it is possible to write an informational text that is intriguing and contains somewhat of a plot. I would recommend this book to all children that could read. It is a book that helps teach children while it enhances their reading abilities. I overall thought this was the best informational text I have read!

Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: 2002
ISBN: 0-06-028594

Informational Texts Post #2

Title: The Respiratory System

Author: Kay Manolis
Lauren's Rating: 2.8 out of 5 stars

This informational text talks all about the respiratory system. It describes the mechanisms of breathing, coughing and sneezing. It also explains the process of oxygen going into the body and carbon dioxide leaving the body.

This book was made for young children. It has very appealing colors, uses children as the pictures, and includes very short, simple sentences. The illustrations are photographs that are clear and of good quality. The content is challenging in itself, but the author made it easily readable and accessible for kids. It uses photographs of children and normal bodily functions, such as coughing, to help children be able to relate to this system. There is a glossary at the end of terms that can be utilized by the children. This is a great learning tool. This book would be great to use in a science class or to direct a child to read for more important about this system.

Publisher: Bellwether Media
Publication date: 2009
ISBN: 978-1-60014-246-8

Informational Texts Post #1

Title: Platypuses
Author: Rebecca Hirsch
Lauren's Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

This informational text is all about platypuses. It talks about their life cycle, compares them to other animals, and describes the foods that they eat. It describes all of the characteristics of a platypus and explains why it is considered a mammal. Finally, it describes where the platypuses live and fun facts about them.

This is a book that does not consist of a story, but rather, describes different features of platypuses. It is directed towards children because of its excessive use of pictures, different colors, and fun facts on each page. The book has chapters. This could help children look up the information that they need for a project for school or help them if they wanted to locate something specific about this animal. The pictures in the book are real photographs of the animal. The book goes into great detail of this animal as well. The one aspect of the book that I liked the most was the fact that they compared platypuses to all sorts of other animals, such as beavers, giraffes, and otters. The comparison charts would be very helpful for a child. It would help a child differentiate different animals. This in turn would make learning easier. I would recommend this book to an older child that wants to learn more about platypuses or to a child that has to do a report on this animal.

Publisher: Lerner
Publication date: 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4677-5581-8

Fantasy Post #3

Title: Bedtime Monsters
Author/Illustrator: Josh Schneider
Lauren's Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Bedtime Monsters is about a boy who is afraid of going to sleep alone because of the monsters that might be under his bed. When he sees the monster that he was afraid of, the monster tells him that he is afraid of another monster. After several monsters are afraid of each other and get under the covers with the boy, they realize that the scariest monster is an "Arnold" who eats the heads off of other animals. Arnold is the boy who plays and pretends to be a monster during the day.

This story is very clever and I liked the message it gave at the end. I think that the illustrations, especially the monster outline drawn around the boy, is creative and intriguing. The story is based off the of the usual idea that kid's fear monsters under their bed. However, this fantastical book plays on the fact that the monsters might be afraid of you. The use of cool colors, such as purple and blue, when the lights are turned off show the child and monster's fear in the dark. I liked the story and I would recommend this book to children that have this fear or want to read a very different book.

Publisher: Clarion Books
Publication date: 2013
ISBN: 978-0-544-00270-8

Fantasy Post #2

Title: Raising Dragons
Author/Illustrator: Jerdine Nolen and Elise Primavera
Lauren's Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Raising Dragons is a story about a boy who finds a dragon egg. His parents tell him to stay away but when the dragon hatches he takes care of him until he gets too big. He then sends him to Dragon Island, where Hank, the dragon, gives him a bunch of dragon eggs, so that, he can raise these babies.

This is a cute story that would perfect for a children who could read very well and who likes dragons. I think that the long paragraph-like text took away from the illustrations. I liked that the story featured an African American family. It showed that diversity can be shown in children's literature. I also enjoyed the cartoon like illustrations that were made with pastels. The details in the illustrations were beautiful, as well as, the colors. Each page was consistent with the text. The fantasy-like qualities in the book were excellent. The author also portrayed the dragon in a way that he seemed like a normal pet. I did enjoy this book but I feel like it would be too challenging for a young child and text might get boring.

Publisher: Harcourt Brace & Company
Publication date: 1998
ISBN: 0-15-201288-5

Fantasy Post #1

Title: The Day the Crayons Quit
Author/Illustrator: Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers
Lauren's Rating: 5 out of 5

The Day the Crayons Quit is a funny, fantasy story about the different colors of the crayons rebelling against their user, Duncan. Some of the colors like their use, others want to be used more, and others are fighting over the objects that they are being used to color in. In the end, Duncan draws a picture with all of the colors, according to the standards of the crayons.

This is a hysterical story that I would recommend to every child and their parents. This story not only present a fun story but it uses fantasy to make the crayons seem like real people.  The illustrations that include paper with writing on it from the crayons and the drawings that have been drawn with that crayon make it very easy to read and follow. There are lots of words on each page but they use simple words and the meaning behind the words are understandable. This would also be a great book to read to children who cannot read and it could help with color identification. In the end the boy's resolution is very appropriate to the audience. This story is relatable in the fact that children frequently use crayons but it has an awesome fantasy plot line to go along with it. If you have not read this book before, I would recommend to grab it for a quick read!

Publisher: The Penguin Group
Publication date: 2013
ISBN: 978-0-399-25537-3

Realistic Fiction Post #3

Title: Math Curse
Authors: Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith
Lauren's Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Math Curse is a story about a boy who was told by his teacher that everything in life is a math problem. Suddenly, the boy starts to panic because everything around him makes him think of math and how is he supposed to solve these problems? In the end, he thinks he broke the math curse that he thought his teacher put on him by solving his original problem of how long it takes him to get ready in the morning.

This very different and unique book is perfect for an elementary student that struggles with math. The fun use of illustrations and boxes that surround the main questions, makes a child realize that math is in everyday life. As the book continues, the boy realizes that he can solve these problems and he is confident with math. This will help children feel more confident about math, and if they are having problems, then they can relate themselves to the boy. On one page, the text is written on the edge of the page, going all around. This requires the reader to turn the book while reading, which helps make the book even more exciting. This is a great book for more advanced, school-aged children!

Publisher: Penguin Group
Publication date: 1995
ISBN:0-670-86194-4

Realistic Fiction Post #2

Title: Underground
Author/Illustrator: Denise Fleming
Lauren's Rating: 4 out of 5

Underground is about all of the creatures and what happens under the soil. It includes rabbits, moles, earthworms, and garter snakes. It starts and ends above ground, but it shows that there is a huge underground world.

This is not as much of a story, as it is, an informational and informative text. The lyrical text, use of pictures, and limited amount of text makes this a great beginner reader book. I liked that the book showed images that a child would understand, such as, a dog digging into the ground to hide his bone. It makes the story more easily understood. My favorite part of the book, and the reason why I rated this book so highly, was because of its last page. It included the name and description of each of the animals and insects shown previously. Although some of the animals were scary, such as, spiders and snakes, they used this book to describe the purpose of these animals. I think that this book is a great way to educate children as well as have them enjoy a fun story at the same time. I also think that is would be a good book for children that are interested in soil and digging outside!

Publisher: Beach Lane Books
Publication date: 2012
ISBN:978-1-4424-5882-6

Realistic Fiction Post #1

Title: Knuffle Bunny
Author/ Illustrator: Mo Willems
Lauren's Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Knuffle Bunny is a story about a little girl named Trixie who goes to the laundromat with her father and her stuffed animal. She cannot tell her father that she forgot her bunny in the washing machine because she cannot talk yet. Her mother realizes that the bunny is missing, so the whole family runs back to the laundromat and finds the bunny!

This is an adorable tale that not only broke the family dynamic stereotypes, but also used photographs and cartoon art to illustrate. The photographs are real black and white pictures from New York City and the cartoons are drawn in with colors. The story included both parents in a caring and loving way. The story is fun and relatable and the illustrator used space outside of the photograph to show movement. The illustrations are exciting and the story is creative. I love that the child cannot talk, but tries to, with her father. I also love that the child has her first words at the end of the book. This is a book that a picture walk could be used with a younger child. I would recommend this story to every parent and young child. The text is simple and the illustrations are amazing.

Publisher: Hyperion Books
Publication date: 2004
ISBN: 078681870-0

Traditional Literature Post #3

Title: Coyote in Love with a Star
Author/Illustrator: Marty Kreipe de Montano and Tom Coffin
Lauren's Ratings: 3 out of 5 stars

Coyote in Love with a Star is about a coyote who left his home on the Potawatomi reservation in Kansas and moved to New York City to find a job at the World Trade Center. He was homesick so he went to the top of the building and saw a beautiful star. The star and him danced together while the star lifted him into space. When he fell back to earth, he created a huge hole which turned into a reservoir. Currently, coyotes howl around the reservoir to yell at the star for killing their grandfather.

This story was created with the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian in order to celebrate the Native American culture. This folktale talks about the hardships of someone leaving behind their home. I love how they incorporated different aspects of both communities to show how strange New York seemed to this person. The photos were used to compliment the text, but the focus was the story. The story was a bit strange, but it would be a great book for a child with an incredible imagination to read. The folktale included paragraphs on each page. Therefore, the reader would have to be advanced. The cultural aspect of this book was very impressive.  I also liked the use of a coyote as the main character. I feel like this helped get rid of the barriers between races. Overall, I think that this would be a good book to read to children or have them read, in order to, open up the conversation about different cultures.

Publisher:Abbeville Press Publishers
Publication date: 1998
ISBN: 0-7892-0162-3

Traditional Literature Post #2

Title: Dinorella: A Prehistoric Fairy Tale
Author/Illustrator: Pamela Duncan Edwards and Henry Cole
Lauren's Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Dinorella follows the traditional cinderella story with dinosaurs as its characters. Dinorella gets dressed up, with the help of a fairy, and heads to a party. On her way there, the boy dinosaur, Duke, that everyone wants to be with is being attacked by a carnivore. Dinorella is brave and fends off the bad dinosaur with a diamond that she threw at him. Duke finds the diamond that leads him to Dinorella. They live happily ever after.

This book consists of that happily ever after aspect that most fairy tale books do. I do like how the woman is the one to save the man, rather than, vice versa. This book is easy to follow because of its resemblance to the cinderella story. However, with its excessive use of words beginning with the letter 'd', it is very hard to understand what is being said. A lot of the words are very complex and hard to understand for a young reader. The placement of the words within the illustrations are clever. The story consists of excellent illustrations that contain lots of detail. The use of space and composition are especially important within the book. Without the words, this book would have gotten a higher rating. The text takes away from the story. I would only recommend this book to children that are advanced readers or I would suggest a picture walk for a younger audience.

Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Publication date: 1998
ISBN: 0-590-63503-4

Traditional Literature Post #1

Title: Shrek!
Author: William Steig
Lauren's Rating: 4 out of 5

Shrek! is a fairy tale story about a hideous ogre and his continuos adventures after his parents set him off into the world. He runs into a witch who tells him to go find an ugly princess. Shrek is overjoyed. Finally, after defeating a dragon and knight, he finds his princess and they live happily ever after together.

After watching the very popular movie series based on this book, I was surprised by some of its details. A lot of the ogre's powers, including the fire-breathing and laser-beam powers, were not included in the movie. This story is similar to all fairy tale stories, in that, the guy finds the girl in the end and they live happily ever after. I liked the simplicity of the illustrations. However, even simple, the story could be determined through the images. The colors that were used for the illustrations were captivating. The vocabulary, number of words, and content are definitely geared towards a child who is an experienced reader. I liked this book and I would recommend it, especially because of the popularity of the movies.

Publisher: D&M Ltd.
Publication date: 1990
ISBN: 0-606-06000-6

Picture Books Post #3

Title: No, David
Author/Illustrator: David Shannon
Lauren's Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

No, David is a story about a mischievous boy named David and how his mother always tells him to stop all of the bad things that he is doing. David is always doing something that he is not supposed to be such as coming into the house with mud all over him and playing with his food. At the end, David is upset because he broke a vase in the house, but his mother explains to David that she still loves him.

This classic picture book is very simple. However, it is an excellent book with a powerful ending. The illustrations are amazing and unusual. The author drew the pictures when he was a little kid so all of the pictures are cartoon-like and intriguing. I think that children would love to look at a book with this type of illustration. It might also entice a child to draw or write a book for themselves. The colors are very bright, there is minimal text and the illustrations take up the full page. These are very good qualities to have in a book to start kids off with or to get them interested in reading. The story is very relatable for young kids who are always getting into trouble. However, no matter how much the mother yells at this child and tells him to stop when he does not, she still loves him unconditionally. That is a very important message that children should know. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to parents that want to get there kids into reading!


Publisher: The Blue Sky Press
Publication date: 1998
ISBN: 0-590-93002-8

Picture Books Post #2

Title: Where the Wild Things Are
Author/Illustrator: Maurice Sendak
Lauren's Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Where the Wild Things Are is an adventure story about a boy named Max who gets in trouble with his mom and gets sent to his room without dinner.  He creates this crazy world with wild creatures where he is the king and all of these creatures do everything that he says. At the end, he smells something good so he goes back to his world and his mother left his dinner waiting for him.

I read this book because it is a classic and it won the Caldecott Medal. I find this story to be amazing. Firstly, the little boy in the story is very relatable to boys that age. He has a huge imagination and wants to create mischief in his house. The boy's imagination is extraordinary and I think that children would want to dive into their imagination after reading this. To tell a child that he or she is in charge of their own imagination is important. I also love how the illustration in the beginning of the book is small but as the boy's imagination grows, the pictures grow larger and larger, until the whole page is filled! The creatures have that scary quality to them, but are not terrifying which is perfect for some children that want scary things and others who would not. I would definitely remind this book, especially to any children that wants to be crazy! The book sends a message that sometimes the fun and mischief has to happen in your head, rather than in person!

Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: 1963
ISBN: 0-06-025493-9

Picture Books Post #1

Title: The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Author/Illustrator: Eric Carle
Lauren's Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a story about a tiny caterpillar who eats every food comes into his sight including an apple, lollipop, and a pickle. After eating all of this food, he becomes very big and fat and so he wraps himself into a cocoon. He then emerges from the cocoon two weeks later and has transformed into a beautiful butterfly!

This classic picture book included several aspects that I enjoyed immensely. Firstly, the colors are magnificent. They make every page pop out and each illustration is engaging. I loved how he used the book to also help children learn how to count numbers and be able to identify different types of foods. The tiny wholes in the food that the caterpillar ate also made it fun because it made the story come to life. Finally, I love how the story described the transformation from caterpillars to butterflies accurately. Carle did an amazing job on this children's picture book.

Publisher: Philomel Books
Publication year: 1987
ISBN: 0-399-20853-4

Decodable Texts Post #3

Title: What Can I Be?
Author: Cari Meister
Illustrator: Matt Phillips
Lauren's Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

What Can I Be? is a story about a little girl who wants to discover who she can be. She goes through her toy chest and tries on different outfits that she finds to be "too scary, too hairy, and too silly." In the end she realizes that she does not need to be anyone else but herself!

This story has a low word count and is a good way to learn how to read. It is also a rhyming book. The book has one or two words on each page that correlates with a specific adjective that is then drawn out with a detailed picture. The concept is also good for children to realize that they are special all by themselves and do not need to change anything about themselves. However, this book is not the best phonics book. There are at least four words that are non-decodable. This makes it harder for children to try and sound out a word.

Publisher: Children's Press
Publication date: 2003
ISBN: 0-516-22876-5

Decodable Texts Post #2

Title: The Pup Speaks Up
Author: Anna Jane Hays
Illustrator: Valeria Petrone
Lauren's Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The Pup Speaks Up is about a boy named, Bo, and his new puppy named, Pal. Bo wants to know what sound the dog makes. Him and Pal pass by other animals, cars, and even babies that all make different noises. Then Pal sees a cat and finally makes a noise and Bo is happy!

This phonic reader simplified its reading so that new readers can enjoy a book. I liked how the book rhymed and there were not a lot of words on each page. However, the dog does not 'woof' at the end, which is typically described as a dog's sound. I enjoyed the detailed illustrations that were bright and colorful. I also enjoyed how they used a little boy and his new dog as the main characters. It makes the story more relatable to a child of that age. It was a good book but it would not be my first choice for decodable texts.

Publisher: Random House
Publication date: 2003
ISBN: 0-375-91232-0

Decodable Texts Post #1

Title: My Pup Jed
Author: Susana Foster
Illustrator: Ingela Peterson
Lauren's Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The story of My Pup Jed is about a little girl that describes to the audience what her dog, Jed, can do. Jed acts as though a puppy would do and hops up on her, runs in mud and wags his tail. Before all of the activities, Jed would not take a nap but after all of his playing he takes a nap at end of the day.

The focus of this book is to help children learn how to read using their phonic skills. The book overall has a story but it is not congruent with the previous sentences. However, the several decodable
words rhyme and are simple so I do think that this book would be suitable for children. I also think that it would be appealing to children because of the cute dog that plays throughout the book.

Publisher: Harcourt School Publishers
Publication date: 2006
ISBN: 0-15-364085-5

Wordless Picture Book Post #3

Title: ZOOM
Author: Istvan Banyai
Lauren's Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

ZOOM is a wordless picture book that moves from a farm to a city to an island and then into space! Every picture is a magnified version of what will be seen on the following page. What starts off as a huge roaster turns into a very small piece within the entire galaxy!

This book challenges your imagination to explore what will be on the next page. Although, it is never what you expect! This book also brings into perspective the fact that we are very tiny dot in the entire universe! The creativity and planning that went into this book is well executed in this unique wordless masterpiece.


Publisher: The Penguin Group
Publication date: 1995
ISBN: 0-670-85804-8

Wordless Picture Book Post #2

Title: Pancakes for Breakfast
Author: Tomie DePaola
Lauren's Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Pancakes for Breakfast is a book about a woman who fantasizes about making the most incredible stack of pancakes; but she does not have any of the ingredients that she needs to make them. When she comes home with the last ingredient she finds that her dog and cat had knocked everything over. After being defeated, she smells pancakes and walks to her neighbor's house where there is a perfect stack of pancakes that she eats!

On the last page of this book a framed picture reads, "If at first you don't succeed try, try, again." This main message was very clever considering that you do not think that all of her dedication and work would fail. This story was very well thought out and although short, it makes you care about the main character. At the end when she becomes defeated she does not let it get her down and she works around the situation instead of giving up. This book told a cute and almost comical story and I would recommend this to everyone.

Publisher: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers
Publication Date: 1978
ISBN:0-15-259455-8

Wordless Picture Book Post #1

Title: Do You Want To Be My Friend?
Author: Eric Carle
Lauren's Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

Do you want to be my friend? is a wordless picture book that follows the story of a eager mouse who is searching for a friend. He passes an array of animals including a lion, seal, horse and snake but none of them want to be his friend. He then finds another mouse, who looks similar to him, and they become friends.

I enjoyed how this story was colorfully illustrated with pictures of different animals. I did not like this book for the sole reason that it sends a negative message. In my opinion, it is stating that a person can only be friends with someone else because they look alike or are similar. I think that it is important for children to understand that they should be friends with people with differences including likes and dislikes and race or ethnicity.

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date: 1976
ISBN: 0-8085-9434-6

Board Books Post #3

Title: The Little Gorilla
Author/Illustrator: Ruth Bornstein
Lauren's Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The Little Gorilla is a board book story about a baby gorilla who explores the forests. All of the animals he meets along the way including a pink butterfly, a red monkey, and a giraffe love this monkey. When he grows up and becomes a big gorilla, the whole forest celebrates his birthday!

This story is incredibly important for children to be read to by their parents or have their parents encourage them to read it. This little monkey was loved immensely by both his parents and all of his neighbors. Even when he grew up and changed, everybody around him supported and loved him. It is important for children to know that they are unconditionally loved by so many people no matter how much they grow up or change. It also uses colors and animal names to help children learn.

Publisher: Clarion Books
Publication date: 1976
ISBN: 0-618-05158-9

Board Books Post #2

Title: The Mitten
Author/Illustrator: Jan Brett
Lauren's Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The Mitten is a Ukrainian Folktale about Nicki, a boy who wants to have white mittens. Baba, his grandmother, told Nicki that she would make the white mittens but that he might lose them in the snow. Nicki does lose one of his mittens but eventually finds it had been the warm cozy home for several animals including a hedgehog, mole, rabbit and a big bear.

This board book cleverly incorporated the importance of sharing, which I believe is a good teaching moment for children. I would recommend this book to children or parents to read to them because it is an easy read and also indicates important messages including that sometimes adults know what is best for their children. The illustration in this book is incredibly detailed and it always shows what will happen next on the current page.

Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons
Publication year: 1989
ISBN:0-399-23109-9

Board Books Post #1

Title: Barnyard Dance
Author/Illustrator: Sandra Bounton
Lauren's Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Barnyard Dance is a colorfully illustrated board book about a group of farm-yard animals having a fun time dancing. These animals all grabbed a friend within the same animal kingdom and danced around in a field. The way that they knew they would start and end the dance was by bowing to their friends.

I think that this a great young children's book. It introduces a plethora of animals, which could help children learn different names as well as the sounds the animals make. It also rhymes, which made the book more fun to read. I also enjoyed the illustrations that were very colorful. I would

Publisher: Workman Publishing
Publication date: 1993
ISBN: 978-1563-054426