A BALL FOR DAISY
1.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Raschka, Chris. 2011. A
BALL FOR DAISY. New York, NY: Random House. ISBN:
9780375958618
2.
PLOT
SUMMARY
Chris Raschka tells a story
of a dog who loves a ball, and does entirely through the use of only
pictures. Daisy loves to play, chase,
and cuddle with her red ball. One day,
Daisy’s owner takes her to the park to play and another dog accidently pops the
red ball. Daisy is devastated and leaves
the park with her owner. The following
day the dog that had ruined the red ball and its owner bring a blue ball for
both dogs to play with. The two dogs
play with the blue ball and at the end of the day, Daisy gets to happily take
the ball with her.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Raschka's illustrations
strategically showcase how much Daisy loves the red ball. He displays the stages of heartache for
Daisy’s ball, which include disappointment, anger, and even a painful
resignation. Wow! All of this without
using words? Yes, Raschka created a book
that will have readers feel the pain, but also feel uplifted at the end othe
story when the other dog brings the blue ball and allows Daisy to keep it.
This book is perfect to teach
young learners about character traits, feelings, and emotions. Readers can
create their own meaning and draw conclusions using only pictures. Wordless picture books are powerful literacy
tools! As a teacher and a parent, I am
thankful for books like this one that allows our children to think. Kids are so used to reading stories that have
a clear and obvious plot, it is nice to have them use their imagination.
Raschka clearly wanted to keep
the focus on Daisy, by only showing the body of Daisy’s owner and not the face
until the end of the story. This can
distract some readers (some of my students kept asking about the lacy without
the head), but it is very minimal and worth it.
Daisy’s facial expressions and actions allowed this wordless book to
speak for itself. All I ask is for Mr.
Raschka to make more books like this one.
I love this book!
Beautiful lesson at the end of
the story. Don’t give up just because
you lose something or don’t have it anymore, keep going and something better or
that makes you just as happy might come along.
Daisy could have stayed home heartbroken after her red ball popped, yet
she went back the following day to the park and was surprisingly given another
ball, which mad her just as happy.
4.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
2012 Caldecott Medal
Best Illustrated Children’s Book Awards by the New York Times
School Library Journal’s Best Books of 2011
Starred Review, SCHOOL
LIBRARY JOURNAL: "Raschka’s genius lies in capturing the essence of
situations that are deeply felt by children."
Starred Review, HORN BOOK: "a story that is noteworthy for both its artistry and its child appeal."
Starred Review, KIRKUS REVIEW: “Rarely, perhaps never, has so steep an emotional arc been drawn with such utter, winning simplicity.”
Starred Review, HORN BOOK: "a story that is noteworthy for both its artistry and its child appeal."
Starred Review, KIRKUS REVIEW: “Rarely, perhaps never, has so steep an emotional arc been drawn with such utter, winning simplicity.”
5.
CONNECTIONS
*Other books by Chris Raschka
Norton, Juster and Raschka, Chris. THE HELLO, GOODBYE WINDOW. ISBN 978078689141
Raschka, Chris.
YO! YES? ISBN 9780439921855
*Share this book during story time where the children
collaborate to tell the story from their own interpretations of the
illustrations.
*Children could create a puppet (Daisy) using a paper bag
and a red or blue construction paper circle (ball), to retell the story. Great opportunity to discuss characters and
emotions.
ELOISE
1.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Thompson, Kay. 1955. ELOISE. Ill. by Hilary Knight. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster
Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 9780671223502
2.
PLOT
SUMMARY
ELOISE is a story of a wealthy audacious six
year old girl who lives in The Plaza Hotel.
She has a nanny whom she loves very much, yet she is left to be raised on
her own. Eloise has more than enough
time on her hands that causes her a lot of trouble. Although she believes she uses her time to be
helpful, the hotel staff who knows her very well, does not appreciate her
help. Eloise loves to make up stories,
run up and down the elevator, and disturbs the guests by making noises while
running in the halls. She is certain the
hotel needs her assistance, which gives her more reasons to be energetic and
lively throughout hotel, and as a bonus she has a busy day that diminishes her
loneliness.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
ELOISE was written over sixty
years ago, and although I had seen it displayed in many libraries and
classrooms, I cannot believe it took me this long to actually sit down and read
it. I am so disappointed in myself for
waiting this long. This story is
absolutely magnificent! As I kept
reading and looking at the incredible illustrations, I could not wait to find
out what kind of trouble Eloise would get herself into next. Following the character as she goes through
her day in the hotel was so gracefully embedded with flawless illustrations and
entertaining narrations from Eloise.
Thompson truly made the
character come to life, as she wrote the story the way a six-year-old child
would probably speak, with touches of adult like phrases such as, “Oh my Lord I
am absolutely so busy I don’t know how I can possibly get everything
done.” This made the story feel humorous
and real, by offsetting the character’s witty personality and the displaying
the reality of the need for her parental support. Young readers might not completely understand
the underlying message of the story, because it is cleverly instilled within
the text. Eloise is being mischievous
and impertinence throughout her day in the hotel to fill the void of her
parents, just like others may go through different measures to feel accompanied
and fill their emptiness.
Hilary Knight’s simple black
and white illustrations were so powerful and connected seamlessly with the
story. I believe the pencil drawings
represented Eloise’s self-contained lifestyle and the pops of pink throughout
the book signifies her optimistic personality.
Looking closely at the drawings, readers can spot a couple of times
where Eloise’s facial expressions demonstrate the relationship she has with her
mother. Oh, how she longs to be with he,
as she brags about the people her mother knows and how much what stocks she
has. When she says, “I am always packed
in case I have to leave on TWA at a moment’s notice or something like that”,
completely breaks my heart. You can see
Eloise ready with her suitcase, a toy, and even pets, just waiting to go with
her mom and looking disheartened. This
book was definitely a page turner!
This is an enjoyable book to
share with young readers! ELOISE allows
many opportunities to discuss several types of behavior and emotions that
requires the readers to think about the character’s actions. I highly recommend this book, and it’s
absolutely going to be one of my go to books during story time in my classroom,
as there are many teachable moments throughout.
4.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Top
100 Picture Books #76 by SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
SCHOOL
LIBRARY JOURNAL: “One of the most iconic six-year-olds in children’s
literature.”
THE
NEW YORK TIMES: “Eloise is one of the most recognizable characters in children’s
literature.”
PUBLISHER’S
WEEKLY: “In the history of book properties, brands, and licensing, Kay Thompson’s
Eloise, first published in 1955,
stands as a prototype for success.”
5. CONNECTIONS
*Bemelmans,
Ludwig. MADELINE. ISBN 978-0140564396
*Holabird,
Katharine, ANGELINA BALLERINA. ISBN
978-0670016747 *Have students use a Venn Diagram to compare the positive and
negative sides of being an independent child.
ORSON BLASTS OFF!
1.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Colón, Raul. 2004. ORSON
BLASTS OFF! New York, NY:
Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 0-689-84278-3
2.
PLOT
SUMMARY
Orson loves computer games! One day, his computer brakes and it makes him
feel like there is nothing in the world that he can possibly do without his
electronic games. As he is voicing his
technological misfortune in bed, a small Jack-in-the-Box named Weasel asks him
to step outside. Orson negatively
expresses that there is nothing of interest to do outside, when suddenly he
realizes it is snowing in July and a Jack-in-the-Box is actually speaking. He excitingly gathers items to use outside in
the snow and takes Weasel with him on his cold outdoor adventure. Orson and the nervous yet supporting Weasel,
go on an extraordinary quest through the snow, ocean, and even the orbit. After landing from a rocket, Orson is in his
bed thinking of the exciting trip he and his friend just had. Making the imaginary journey changed Orson’s
view of the infinite enjoyment of the outdoors and the limited entertainment
video games provide him.
3.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
ORSON BLASTS OFF!, confronts a current problem children
are having these days. Technology is not
allowing children to use their imagination.
Kids are constantly on their electronic devices, that it limits their imagination when
technology is not available. I
absolutely love this book! As I read
this book, I couldn’t stop but think of my own son. He is the typical kid that is dependent on
technology and feels almost forced to go play outside. This book was an eye opener for my son, and
helped him reflect on how much he uses his devices and how little he uses his
creativity. As a parent and a teacher,
this book is a great tool to promote inventive play which we all know it can
advance a child’s cognitive development.
Colón’s charming and lively illustrations support the story in an
amazing way. I appreciate the facial
expressions throughout the story, showing the change of emotions of both
characters. As I read the story the
illustrations made it easy to understand the events a little bit more. Orson was shown being upset, confused, happy,
insecure, scared, relieved, and even motivated at the end. It is hard to make a character demonstrating
so many feelings, and I believe Colón did a remarkable job. My favorite character is Weasel, with his
small figure and top hat that reminded me of Jimmy Cricket from Pinocchio. It is noteworthy to say Weasel’s complete
support towards Orson (even when he did not want to) and his formal way of
speaking, gave the book a little sense of humor.
What can I say about the use of idioms in this story? They are magnificently exercised! The fact that Colón gave us in the last page
a list of their meanings, is greatly appreciated. This gives us more ammunition to explore and
further our children’s reading skills, especially our English Language
Learners, who have a more difficult time understanding the concept that not all
phrases have a literal meaning. The
illustration of the cloud with the eye compliments the idiom that mentions “the
eye of the storm”, and it allows the reader to visualize the story and proceed
reading. Colón even included some
astronomy vocabulary for us to discuss furthermore. What an incredible reading tool this book is!
Although I would have loved to
see an extended ending to this story, I really enjoyed this book. Perhaps Weasel could have blinked at the end,
on his own page, as if letting the reader know he was the voice of reason for
Orson and the story will continue. Could
you imagine? We could read more about
Orson and Weasel’s adventures! My hats
off to Colón for coming up with a book that can be used for many learning
lessons. I know ultimately his lesson is
to remind children that their imagination can provide endless amount of
wonderful experiences and to turn off their electronics devices for a while, it
doesn’t hurt for us to use it as an educational tool in different
subjects. I know I will be referring to
this book often.
4.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
SCHOOL LIBRARY
JOURNAL:
“A flight not only into imaginary realms but also into the delicious world of
language awaits readers in this fanciful journey.”
PUBLISHER’S
WEEKLY:
“Colón’s rainbow of warm watercolor and pencil hues on textured paper, and his
illusory images backlit with a yolky, golden yellow, emphasize the appeal of
good old-fashioned make-believe over electronic games.”
5.
CONNECTIONS
*Colon, Raul.
DRAW! ISBN 978-1442494923
*Dr. Seuss. THE
CAT IN THE HAT. ISBN 978-0375834929
*Keane, Claire. ONCE UPON A CLOUD. ISBN
978-0803739116
*Provide a list of settings
to students and have them play pretend
and use their imagination to act out scenarios.
THIS IS NOT MY HAT
1.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Klassen, Jon.
2012. THIS
IS NOT MY HAT. Sommerville, MA. Candlewick Press. ISBN: 978-0-7636-5599-0
2.
PLOT
SUMMARY
In a dark
underwater setting, a little fish decides to steal a
hat from a big fish who is asleep. The little fish knows that stealing is wrong
yet still wants the hat and takes it anyways.
He thinks he will get away with it and makes excuses and justifications
along the way as to why it is fine to take it.
As the little fish swims away with the hat, the big fish wakes up and
begins to follow it. The little fish
discovers a crab has seen him, but does not feel apprehensive since the crab
promises not to tell which way the little fish was going. However as soon as the fish makes his way to
the big, tall and close together plants, the crab sees the big fish and quickly
points to the direction the small fish had traveled. The big fish swims into the big, tall, and
close together plants and exits with his hat on his head. The little fish is not seen again, leaving
the ending to the reader’s imagination.
3.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
I highly recommend this book as an opening for
teaching moral issues to young children.
Children can relate to the characters and their actions and form their
own views regarding actions and consequences.
We are used to seeing children’s literature with happy positive lessons,
yet Klassen makes this learning lesson unconventional. He creates his main character to choose into
temptation and stealing, then having the victim resolve his problem in a
non-passive way. Readers can get a
chance to assess their own actions when they want something they do not have
and still make reasons to have it anyways, just like the little fish. They also have the opportunity to value
promises and the importance to keep those promises, by seeing how the crab
betrayed the little fish in the story.
It is notable how Klassen used many tough subjects in this short story,
like stealing, breaking promises, and even revenge. The best part of it all, is that he lets
children make their own choice in what is right or wrong, without preaching
them.
This book has a universal theme that can be
utilized with any group of people, because it does not have cultural indicators
that may offend anyone in particular.
The illustrations are amazing placed in each page, as the narrator leads
children to visualize and question the actions of the characters. For instance, readers inferred that the big
fish used violence or retaliation to get his hat back at the end of the story.
Although I appreciate Klassen’s creative way
to end the story which allows the reader to make predictions and inferences, it
may send a negative message to children when it comes to manners that are
acceptable.
4.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
2013
Caldecott Medal
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL:
“The black underwater provides the perfect background for the mostly gray-toned
fish and seaweed while the monochromatic palette strips the artwork down to
essential, yet exquisite design. Movement is indicated with a trail of small
white bubbles. This not-to-be-missed title will delight children again and
again.”
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: “Klassen excels at
using pictures to tell the parts of the story his unreliable narrators omit or
evade.”
5. CONNECTIONS
*Klassen, Jon.
I WANT MY HAT. ISBN
978-0763655883
*Berry, Joy.
A CHILDREN’S BOOK ABOUT STEALING.
ISBN 978-1627180931
*Cook, Julia.
RICKY STICKY FINGERS. ISBN
978-1937870089
*Have children share if they have ever had anything stolen from them and how it made them feel.
*Have children share if they have ever had anything stolen from them and how it made them feel.
