The Little Red Hen by Jerry Pinkney

Pinkney, Jerry. The Little Red Hen. New York: The Penguin Group, 2006.

In this classic tale of helping others out, Pinkney does a terrific job of using animals to get a positive message across. Four animals, a dog, pig, rat, and goat are offered several chances to help out a hen who finds some seeds to make bread. When they all decline every time the hen must tend and harvest the seeds with just the help of her chicks. When the bread is finally done the animals jump right in to have a chance to share, but soon learn the hen will not share anything since they decided not help. Each animal is written in its color which really brings the words out and allows word recognition amongst younger children. The illustrations are done in earthy tones with some bright colors on each page like the red hen or yellow flowers. They are created in full page art that is eye catching and artistic. The story is fun with a good valuable lesson at the end that children will enjoy.

Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Game by Yuyi Morales

Morales, Yuyi. Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Game. San Francisco: Chronicle Books LLG, 2003.

Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Game is a fun read for all ages. As Grandma Beetle is visited by Senor Calavera who beckons her to “come along,” she will keep telling him just a minute because there is something she needs to do. As she continues to do each chore that is linked from numbers one to ten, the skeleton just continues to wait. Morales use the numbers in both Spanish and English which is a great way to teach young readers how to spell in both ways, and simply adds to this wonderful book. Now, as she reaches number nine, there are nine children that show up for Grandma’s birthday party, but guess who is surprised to find out they are number ten. When Grandma Beetle is finally ready to go, she soon finds a note with a surprising ending that will have everyone smiling from ear to ear. The illustrations throughout the book are bright, full pages using colors like orange and pink that just grabs the eye. The skeleton, Senor Calavera, on each page is a treat alone to look at with his expressions and body language. This book is a true deserver of the Pura Belpre Award/Honor and I feel a must read for all ages.

Noah's Ark by Jerry Pinkney

Pinkney, Jerry. Noah's Ark. New York: SeaStar Books, 2002.

Jerry Pinkney, Caldecott Honor Book, Noah’s Ark is a story that interprets the Old Testament story of Noah’s Ark. Pinkney tells the story of how God approached Noah to build an Ark as he is going to flood the land, because he is not pleased with the people on earth. The illustrations done in an earthy tone with pencil and watercolor are full paged with much detail. Using the majority of earthy tones allows the occasional use of color, like the bright red apple, to stand out even more. The recreation of this story and the full page art will allow children to get a true understanding of the story’s message.

Horse Hooves and Chicken Feet: Mexican Folktales by Neil Philip

Philip, Neil. Horse Hooves and Chicken Feet: Mexican Folktales. New York: Clarion Books, 2003.


Illustrator – Jacqueline Mair

Neil Philip does an incredible job of picking out folktales and retelling them in simple versions that are about an average of five pages long. The stories are entertaining and fun to read that all will quite enjoy. This is a great book to read all at once or in sections. For example, a teacher or parent could pick one story a day or week to read out loud. The illustrations created by Jacqueline Mair are done in bright colors like red and orange, and each illustration gives a drawing of the person they are talking about. For example, the story called Horse Hooves and Chicken Feet about the prettiest girl whose feet were of a chicken. The illustration shows a couple dancing, but the girl actually has chicken feet. A red pepper can be found on almost every page which adds to the creativity of the book. The book has an interesting collection and ends with detailed notes of each story to give more of a background.

Ella Sarah Gets Dressed by Margaret Chodos-Irvine

Chodos-Irvine, Margaret. Ella Sarah Gets Dressed. New York: Harcourt, Inc., 2003.

Ella Sarah has one outfit that she wants to wear and she tells her family it is, “My pink polka-dot pants, my dress with orange-and-green flowers, my purple-and-blue striped socks, my yellow shoes, and my red hat.” As each of her family members try to talk her into wearing something else, she will not hear of it, because she has picked out the perfect outfit. The pictures are simple, but rewarding. The use of bold and bright illustrations helps bring much creativity to this book that just adds the perfect touch. The ending will have everyone laughing; especially those who love to play dress up. The creation of both the illustrations and storyline make this a perfect choice for a Caldecott Medal Honor book.

Show Way

Woodson, Jacqueline. Show Way. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2005.

Woodson traces eight generations in her family, starting it off with Soonie’s great-grandmother being sold into slavery at the age of seven. Soonie’s skills and creativity is past down to each generation that will help each of the girls in their own way. Going from slavery to freedom with this timeline shows readers how life and this family changed throughout history and using the skills that have been given to them. Illustrator, Hudson Talbott, creates each page as if it was a part of the quilt that adds to the words and the history this story is portraying. Talbott uses a contrast between dark and bright colors like pink, purple, and yellow that truly makes each page stand out. The quilt patterns are amazing to look at as they are portrayed throughout the book. When reading this a person needs to take a moment and examine the art that is absolutely remarkable, and adds such a reality to this story. Between the amazing story that is being shared and the creation of each page this book is definitely a deserved Newbery Medal Honor.

The Three Questions: Based on a story by Leo Tolstoy by Jon J. Muth

Muth, Jon J. The Three Questions: Based on a story by Leo Tolstoy. New York: Scholastic Press, 2002.

Muth takes the story of Tolstoy’s about a tsar who asks three important questions. In this simpler version, a boy asks three questions to his animal friends: What is the best time to do things? Who is the most important one? What is the right thing to do? When trying to discover the answers to the following questions from his friends and then consulting the wise old turtle, he manages to discover it on his own after saving a panda and her child. The illustrations for this book are done in smooth watercolors that blend very well. They are full page creations that allow the texture of the painting to make the pictures pop out. The shading is done with much detail to create drawings that portray the characters as standing out. Muth ends this story describing Tolstoy and his work. I would definitely recommend this book for readers.

Dahlia by Barbara McClintock

McClintock, Barbara. Dahlia. New York: Fances Foster Books, 2002.

Charlotte, who prefers to play in the mud and climb trees, receives a beautiful doll from her Aunt Edme. The doll, Dahlia, is dressed in beautiful attire, but do not fit into Charlotte and her toy bear Bruno's lifestyle. Charlotte excepting Dahlia begins her adventures of climbing trees and making mud pies and the looks of Dahlia begins to show this. Soon the doll falls out of the tree, and Charlotte is worried so she rushes to clean her and make her better. Aunt Edme soon arrives and wants to see the precious Dahlia. As she is looking at the doll, readers are waiting for her to become upset over this, but her response is totally different. She states, “She needed to be out in the sunshine, and played with, and loved.” The story line and the writing is just one part of this extraordinary book, the illustrations throughout are very detailed, precise, and has a wonderful Victorian appeal to it. The colors are muted, but grabbing to the eye. This book will capture the hearts of all its readers.

I Am Not Sleepy and I Will Not Go to Bed by Lauren Child

Child, Lauren. I Am Not Sleepy and I Will Not Go to Bed. Cambridge: Candlewick Press, 2001.

Lauren Child did an impressive job with I am Not Sleepy and I Will Not Go to Bed, with both the writing and the illustrations. Charlie, Lola’s older brother is trying to get her into bed, but her imagination is helping her stall for time. From a whale in the tub to the three tigers needing something to drink, Lola has an energetic mind that will have readers laughing. Child also does a fabulous job with the designs of the layout for each page. The words are printed in different patterns on each page that will intrigue all readers of all ages. The illustrations are bright and eye catching. Some of the pages offer few words, but the illustrations presented tell much more to the story. The one thing I liked about this book is Child discusses things Lola needs to do like brushing her teeth or take a bath, and she uses large illustrations of the items to enhance the words. Like the large bathtub with a whale in it or a large bottle of bubble bath with a sponge. This is great for students to match pictures and words. Also, this can be used as an educational book for any adult to read to their children that have this same conflict, and use this as a fun motivation to teach them the things to do before bed. This is an exceedingly fun read with a good flow to keep reader’s attention.