Books to Begin On: Chapter 4
Booksharing #1
Rev. Fall 2007
Babies’ First Books; Toy Books; Mother Goose (see box pg 129); ABC/Counting (see box pg 141); Concept; Wordless; Finger Rhymes/Nursery Songs; Beginning Readers (Predictable, Big Books, or Controlled Vocabulary); Common Experiences
Booksharing Activity Session: (20 pts)
The objective of this activity is for all members of the group to become better acquainted with various types of books categorized as Books to Begin On for young children.
1.) For the Booksharing activity, select and read/study 5 books from the categories listed above. (Your best choices for any of the types of books for beginners will be those titles mentioned in Chapter 4.) Remember, you will create a “Must Own/Read” Annotated Bibliography for your Resource Project for this section. Now is a good time to do this.
2.) Using the Guidelines established in your text and class notes, prepare a 5-8 minute presentation for one of the books you have read. Consider the various characteristics that helped you determine your book to be categorized as Books to Begin On. In your presentation, show and describe specific examples of these elements found in your book.(See the sections for ‘body’ of your written evaluation given below to add more content to your presentation.) You should prepare notes, but you should not be tied to them. You will need to be able to show the book to members of your group as you are discussing it so that they can see the elements you are talking about. Consequently, you won’t be able to read your notes word for word—and it would be boring if you did anyway.
3.) Be prepared to answer questions your group members may have about your book.
As members of the group, you should feel free to ask a sharer relevant questions you may have and/or make comments. You will be asked to evaluate each member of your group on the quality and quantity of the information shared about the various types. Listen carefully and take a few notes as you hear the presentation; these should form the basis for your evaluation of the quality/quantity of information on each type.
******
Booksharing Written Evaluation: (30 pts)
Objective of the written evaluation: Provides an opportunity for you to develop an evaluation of a book you have chosen so that it can be used by you and other members of your group as a resource. (Your written evaluation is to be handed in to me the day of the oral presentation.) The written evaluation will be of the book you chose to present in class. (It must be typed, single-spaced, 10 or 12pt. Century Gothic—or some equally crisp font.) Writing counts: you may lose up to 20% of your grade (6 pts.) for writing errors…so DO edit/proofread!!
Tip: ALL book titles, journal and magazine titles, newspaper…. are underlined or italicized.
1)-2pts. In the upper left-hand corner of your paper, create the following headings and identify:
Name:
Date/Class:
Booksharing: Books to Begin On (in this case)
Title: (underlined or italicized)
Author/Illustrator:
Type:
Subtype:
Recommended AgeRange: (indicate your source)
2.)In the body of your paper, create the following headings:
Summary: (3pts.)brief summary of book (1 paragraph) Tip: When we write about literature, we stay in present tense.
Author/Illustrator: (4pts.)some background on the author and illustrator
(1 paragraph for each) Your goal is to find some background that connects to this book.
Justification of Type/Subtype: (4pts.)SHOW how the book fits the definitions for its type and subtype (length will vary)
Values: (4pts.)Discuss the Personal and Educational Values, Reading Interests and Preferences, and Area of Child Development(Growth Patterns): Refer to those key terms from Chap. 1 and 2 from your text and notes and handout.
What the Critics Say: (5pts.)Research twoscholarly resources to find what has been said about this book. (See list in back of text book for resources you might use.) Write a brief description of what you find (1 paragraph). Be certain you use proper documentation for quoting/citing these sources.* Include your opinion also.
Resources: (4pts.) Using MLA format, list the primary and secondary sources you have used to prepare this evaluation. You will have a minimum of four entries (the book you are sharing, the source you used to find info on the author, and the two reviews).
*Go to Children’s Literature Web Page at > Children’s Literature> Resources. Here you will find a Style Sheet and various helpful resource suggestions. Use KENT IM Center Reference section!!
PEER EVALUATION SCORE SHEET
Rev. Fall 2006
Your Name:Type of Presentation: Books to Begin on Date:
Remember: the presentation is to last 6-9 minutes. Deduct a point for presentations that go over 8 or under 6 minutes. Write any notations in Comments.
Follow your Guidelines!
Presenter’s Name: / Title of Book / Time.Points / Criteria
/2 / Summary: brief, clear
/6 / Background on author and on illustrator reflects his/her connections to this book
/8 / Personal, EducationalValues are specified; Reading interests/preferences and stages of Child Development are acknowledged.
/4 / Critics’ opinions are included and clearly referenced.
/20 / Total possible:
Comments:
PEER EVALUATION SCORE SHEET
Rev. Spring 2007
Your Name:Type of Presentation: Books to Begin on Date:
Remember: the presentation is to last 6-9 minutes per book. Deduct a point for presentations that go over 9 or under 6 minutes. Write the time and any other notations in the Comment box.
Follow your Guidelines!
Presenter’s Name: / Title of Book / Time.Points / Criteria
/2 / Summary: brief, clear
/6 / Background on author and on illustrator reflects his/her connections to this book
/8 / Personal Values are specified, Educational Values are specified:
/4 / Critics opinions are included and clearly referenced.
/20 / Total possible:
Presenter’s Name: / Title of Book / Time.
Points / Criteria
/2 / Summary: brief, clear
/6 / Background on author and on illustrator reflects his/her connections to this book
/8 / Personal Values are specified, Educational Values are specified:
/4 / Critics opinions are included and clearly referenced.
/20 / Total possible:
Presenter’s Name: / Title of Book / Time.
Points / Criteria
/2 / Summary: brief, clear
/6 / Background on author and on illustrator reflects his/her connections to this book
/8 / Personal Values are specified, Educational Values are specified:
/4 / Critics opinions are included and clearly referenced.
/20 / Total possible:
Name: Jason Hertlein
Date/Class: 6 September 2005, Children’s Literature
Booksharing: Books to Begin On
Title: Spot’s First Christmas
Author Illustrator: Eric Hill
Type: Toy Book
Subtype: lift the flap
Recommended AgeRange: infant-preschool
Summary:
Spot’s First Christmas is a book about how a little puppy named Spot experiences his first Christmas. Spot willingly helps his mother Sally prepare for the big day: he pulls the tree home, he decorates the tree with ornamental dog bones, and he lends a paw in wrapping the presents. Of course, Sally makes Spot go to bed on time even though Spot can hardly contain his excitement. When Spot is finally asleep, Santa Claus quietly pays a visit. Early the next morning, Spot wakes up and opens all of his presents. He gets a bone, a brush, and a ball. However, his favorite present is his shiny new blue collar.
Author/Illustrator:
Eric Hill was born in North London in 1927. Due to World War II, he was forced to leave London for a short period of time, but he did return when he was 15. At this time, Eric took a job in a shipping office, and the next year he became a messenger at an art studio. It was at this studio that Eric met an Austrian cartoonist nicknamed ‘Tim’. Tim inspired Eric to begin drawing cartoons. Eric eventually went into the graphic design business, but it was not until he had his own son that he created Spot. The training he received from Tim in cartooning helped him create the character. Eric also noticed that his son liked using his little hands so he made his books with lift-up flaps to keep children entertained. Specifically, Spot’s First Christmas is actually a reflection of the glee Eric feels at Christmas time. He sees Spot as a puppy version of himself (Bradman).
Justification of Type/Subtype
Based on the textbook’s definition, Spot’s First Christmas qualifies as a toy book. The text states that toy books have “flaps to lift up and peek under…” (Huck et al. 124). On each set of pages in Spot’s First Christmas there is a lift-up flap incorporated into the background picture. Also, the text book listed the Spot series under the heading Toy Books (124).
Values:
At first glance, Spots First Christmas may seem like an average preschool book. However, upon closer inspection, one sees that this book will enhance a child’s life and future in several ways. As the text asserts, “Children need to discover delight in books before they are asked to master the skills of reading” (Huck et al. 6). This book is a delight simply because it takes place during Christmas. What child does not delight in Christmas? A child who reads Spot’s First Christmas will undoubtedly discover the joyful holiday feeling books can deliver. This book will also spark a child’s reading interest because the main character is a puppy. Research has proven that animals are the favored character of choice across many age groups (34). This book is a sure hit with children because it combines two things they love: Christmas and puppies.
Apart from the obvious appeal this book holds for children, it also subtly teaches several important concepts to children that will aid them as future readers. First, Spot’s First Christmas helps children develop a sense of story because it has a very specific time period. In the story, Spot helps during the day, goes to sleep, and wakes up the next day. Although simple, children begin to see how stories follow a logical time sequence. Second, this story aids in language and literacy development. When reading the book, one notices that it utilizes all the different sentence types: imperative, interrogative, declarative, and exclamatory. Even if a young child cannot read this book alone, parents can read it to them using a wide variety of tonal expressions; they can use a stern voice when reading an imperative sentence and act extremely excited when reading an exclamatory sentence. Though subtle, children are actually unconsciously learning the rules of grammar both in speech and writing. Third, the lift-up flaps give very young children practice in turning pages. A certain amount of dexterity is required to lift the flaps without tearing them apart. The flaps also contribute to critical thinking development because children will always be guessing what might be under each flap. Using the scaffold method, parents can help children turn these guesses into logical hypotheses.
What the Critics Say:
After reading Spot’s First Christmas, I felt very satisfied that this was a quality children’s book. Jean Hammond Zimmerman, in the School Library Journal, shared my sentiment. She noted that the pictures in the book were “clear” and “brightly colored”, and that Spot and Sally were two “winning characters”. I agreed wholeheartedly with her in my evaluation because I too thought that having a puppy as the main character was extremely alluring. I also felt that the pictures were simple enough for young children to follow easily. Interestingly, in his article in The School Librarian, Gill Vickery was not very impressed. He felt that in comparison to Hill’s first book, Where’s Spot, Spot’s First Christmas was substandard. Vickery indicated that the color in this book was “brash rather than bright” and that the lines were “crude shorthand”. I am not sure what basis Vickery had for these statements because I looked at several of Hill’s earlier books and could not discern any substantial difference. I did agree with Vickery when he commented how regrettable it was that this book leaned toward anthropomorphism. I understand what Vickery was saying because in Spot’s First Christmas, Spot wraps presents as if he were a child. In earlier books, Spot did more traditional puppy things like taking walks and sniffing around. Although I do not find it as lamentable as Vickery, I do realize that for people who were used to Spot as a true dog, his morphing into a human child may be disappointing. Still, Vickery was overly critical of the book; Spot’s First Christmas can no doubt be considered a quality read.
Works Cited
Bradman, Tony. “Tony Bradman Meet’s Spot’s Creator-Eric Hill.” Books for Keeps 23 (November 1983): 26. Children’s Literature Review, Vol. 13. Ed. Gerard J. Senick. Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research Company, 1987. 90-91.
Hill, Eric. Spot’s First Christmas. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1983.
Huck, Kiefer, et al. Children’s Literature in the Elementary School. 8th ed. New York, NY: McGraw Hill, 2004.
Vickery, Gill. “Spot’s First Christmas.” The School Librarian 32.1 (March 1984): 37. Children’s Literature Review, Vol. 13. Ed. Gerard J. Senick. Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research Company, 1987. 94-95.
Zimmerman, Jean Hammond. “Spot’s First Christmas.” School Library Journal 30.2 (October 1983): 176. Children’s Literature Review, Vol. 13. Ed. Gerard J. Senick. Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research Company, 1987. 94.
Name: Amber Leible
Date/Class: February 14, 2006 TR 2:00
Booksharing: Books to Begin On
Title: Chicka, Chicka, 123
Authors: Bill Martin Jr. and Michael Sampson
Illustrator: Lois Ehlert
Type: Counting Book
Subtype: Number Stories and Puzzles
Recommended AgeRange: Preschool - Grade 2
Summary- This book tells the story of numbers one through twenty climbing the apple tree. As each climbs, the tree gets more full. After twenty, we begin counting by tens all the way up to ninety-nine. However, the tree becomes too full and all of the numbers topple out of the apple tree. Amazingly, ten manages to stay in the tree and is joined by zero to make one hundred. Then, after all of the other numbers see that they can make it back into the tree, they all climb back up. Zero become the hero of the number tree.
Author/ Illustrator- Author Bill Martin Jr.’s love for children’s literature stems back to his earlier days as an elementary principal. The stories that he writes for children almost become automatic favorites. Chicka, Chicka, 123 is no different. This book follows the success of Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom. He wrote it in the same catchy, rhyming style that serves to obtain and keep a child’s interest. As in many of Martin’s books, he uses repetition of key phrases (“Chicka, chicka, 1,2,3..will there be a place for me?”). According to The International Institute of Literacy Learning, it is writing in such a creative, catchy style that has helped Martin to become “America’s favorite children’s author” (Bill Martin Jr.).
Martin’s co-author, Michael Sampson can trace his love for children’s literature back to his childhood days. Sampson writes many of his children’s books based on actual life experiences. Even from the time when he was in fifth grade, Sampson’s writing style has been lively and creative. Chicka, Chicka, 123 is no different. He, along with Martin, continued to write in such a creative way that it appeals to both children and parents (Michael Sampson).
Illustrator, Lois Ehlert, is one of the premier names in children’s literature. From the time that she was a young girl, Ehlert loved to use various materials (fabric, paper, small objects) to create collage-style artwork. This same style rings true for her work in Chicka, Chicka, 123. In this story, she uses the same bright, tropical, collage-style art to bring the plot to life. The bright, contrasting colors are typical of her collaborative style (Ehlert).
Justification of Type/ Subtype- This particular story fits into the counting book category. For obvious reasons, this book’s main purpose is to teach counting skills and numeric identification. It is also obvious where the numbers are on each page which helps to classify it in this particular category. This book also falls into the number stories and puzzles subtype of the counting books. It is a numeric story because, as we count along in the book, we are also able to follow the light-hearted story of the numbers climbing the apple tree. This basic story line helps to keep the reader’s interest without overshadowing the main concept- counting. The concept of climbing the apple tree, falling out of the tree, and climbing back in it helps the children learn the concept of counting both up, down, and by tens.
Values- This book accommodates several literary values for children. It includes personal values for a couple of reasons. This story provides enjoyment and happiness through its colorful pictures, light-hearted story line, and interesting poetic way of counting. It also helps to develop a narrative way of thinking in that its story line helps children learn a chronological approach to telling a story. It also promotes imagination. Numbers do not really talk or climb trees. However, in this story they do, and that provides added delight for children. It appeals to vicarious experience in that zero is left to sit at the bottom of the apple tree. The reader can associate him/herself with the number and sort of see the entire counting event from the bottom of the tree, also. This story promotes educational values as well. Not only does reading the story help the child learn how to handle a book and enjoy a story, but it also allows him/her to develop a sense of language. By having the numeric digits on the page and reading their names in the story, children learn the names for numbers and develop language skills that will be helpful to them later in life. Simply reading this story (or any story) helps the child to develop fluency and better understanding of both language and the concept it is trying to get through to the reader (in this case, counting). This book also promotes critical thinking skills. Throughout the entire story, not only is the reader counting by ones and tens, but he/she is also trying to figure out what will happen to zero and if there will be enough room in the apple tree for everyone. This particular story also is appropriate for children in the preoperational stage of cognitive development because it is recommended for Preschool through Second Grade ages. This is a delightful story that provides many benefits for its reader.