A Hidden Gem

Stories are meant to be told. Please accept my invitation to tell these stories. That is why they exist! Read them, learn them, change them, and , most important of all, enjoy them!

It is not often that you find a collection of tales that doesn't have one or two "duds". A Pride of African Tales by Donna L. Washington is an unexpected gem because every single one of the stories is read aloud quality. It is a phenomenal collection of 6 folk tales from central Africa. The stories come from Ghana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo, Nigeria, and Cameroon, and they reflect a wide variety of cultures and traditions. There is a great map in the front of the book that you can use to show children where these stories come from. Donna L. Washington is a professional storyteller, and she brings each story to life. James Ransome’s dynamic watercolor illustrations add character to the already ear-catching tales. Because Ransome conducted detailed research about the context of each story, the reader can be sure that the character’s outfits and the stories settings are realistically depicted.  Ransome is both a Coretta Scott King and Coretta Scott King Honor Award winner.

Each story follows a different format. There is a trickster tale, a pourquoi tale, a cautionary tale, a tale of anger and forgiveness, a taboo story, and a fable. The author included an introductory note about each type of story, and also at the end of the book she included information about where she found the stories. I found this extra information very interesting and helpful. For example I learned that a pourquoi tale is a story that is told to explain why the world is the way it is. This makes sense to me because I know that pourquoi is the French word for why. I also learned that one of the stories, “The Wedding Basket” may never have been recorded on paper before, and that another story, “The Roof of Leaves”, is based off an actual event. Each story had a moral or lesson connected to it.

The first story “Anansi’s Fishing Expedition” is one of many stories about the trickster Anansi that are told all over Africa and the Caribbean. I remember hearing a story about Anansi as a spider when I was a child. I thought that because there are so many different stories about this classic African folk character, it might be cool to have a mini-unit on them and have my students read different Anansi stories from different areas. Although many things change, the one thing that seems consistent is that Anansi is a trickster, and that he tends to get caught in funny situations because of his actions. In this story Anansi is a man who wants to get money for fish without actually having to do all the work of catching the fish. He enlists Onini to help him with his enterprise, but Onini is not as dumb as he pretends to be. Read the story to find out how Onini turns lazy Anansi into a honest hard worker.

The next story, “The Boy Who Wanted the Moon” is a pourquoi tale that explains why monkeys are in the world. It is a story about a spoiled prince and his foolish father who tries to steal the moon from the gods. “Shansa Mutongo Shima” is a very popular tale that teaches readers why “What lies inside a person is much more important than what you see on the outside. You must take your time, watch, and listen before you make your final decision about a person.”

“The Roof of Leaves” is a story based on a real incident that happened in the Congo when a man and wife got mad at each other, and the quick thinking that stopped them from making a huge mistake. My favorite tale, “The Wedding Basket,” is about a rich man who lost an incredible woman because he did not respect her. However, he learns from his mistakes and the story ends with him passing on these words of wisdom to his children, “You must respect people’s dreams. You see, my children, anyone who cannot respect others is not worthy of respect himself.”  The last tale, “The Talking Skull” would be amusing to elementary school children because it tells a story about a man who talks too much, and how he makes a fool of himself.

All of these stories are relatively short (4-6 pages) and carry great lessons with them. Upon further research, I discovered that Donna Washington has a website, www.dlwstoryteller.com, off of which you can buy CDs of her stories. She also visits many schools and tells stories in person. I think this would be an incredible opportunity for students to have. It doesn’t look like she is in Virginia too much in the next year, and I couldn’t find out how much it would cost to have her come to your school, but it is definitely a resource worth knowing about.

Camping Chaos!!!

"It didn't exactly look like summer camp. But then, summer didn't exactly look like summer in the Nice Icy Land."

Any child who as been camping will love this story. Tacky, the penguin, is on a mission to show kids it's ok to be different. It's ok to be a little "weird". Whereas Goodly, Lovely, Angel, Neatly, and Perfect like to keep things nice and neat, Tacky always has to do things a little differently.

In this Tacky adventure, the penguins are at summer camp. At the end of the day, they decide to tell each other scary stories, the only problem is that one of the stories comes true! But don't worry, Tacky comes to the rescue just in time.

This book has a couple neat features that make it an especially good interactive book for children. At one place the author, Helen Lester,  uses pictures as an integral part of the text, so that readers must be able to switch back and forth between comprehending written text, and integrating the meaning of the pictures. At another point, she has included the camp song, and has even provided a tune.

Lynn Munsinger, the illustrator, does a great job of incorporating Tacky's differences in a humorous way. In one illustration, she shows all the other penguins at Camp Whoopihaha rock climbing, while Tacky just lets them pull him up by his safety belt.

I look forward to reading about all of Tacky's other adventures, which include: Tacky and the Emperor, Tacky in Trouble, Three Cheers for Tacky, Tacky and the Winter Games, Tackylocks and the Three Bears, and Tacky the Penguin.

Understanding Autism

My Brother Charlie by Holly Robinson Peete
Uploaded by expandedbooks. - Explore more family videos.

My Brother Charlie is a wonderful way to help kids start to understand Autism. It tells the story of a little girl, Callie, and her twin brother, Charlie who has Autism. It is easy for children to relate to because it is told from Callie's perspective. Callie talks about what Charlie is good at, and what Charlie struggles with. She talks about being frustrated with Charlie, but she also talks about how important Charlie is to her. All in all, she explains some of the symptoms of Autism in a way that reaffirms the worth of the individuals who have to live with the illness, and she provides a positive example of how families can come together to deal with the difficulties that arise.

The story is primarily based on the life experiences of the co-authors Holly Robinson Peete and Ryan Elizabeth Peete. Ryan's twin brother R.J. was diagnosed with Autism when he was 3 years old. Holly and Ryan wrote this book because they felt like there were not any good children's books that addressed Autism in a way that kids could understand. Ryan had for main lessons that people should understand about Autism:

•  If someone who has autism doesn't respond right away when you speak to him, it doesn't mean he's being rude. Socializing can be challenging for people with autism.
• Many people have trouble making friends, but it's even harder for boys and girls with autism. Include people with autism even more than you would others.
• We are all special in our own way. Focus on what kids do well. Ask others about their strengths, and acknowledge that everyone has strengths and weaknesses.
• People with autism are exceptionally smart, but their brains are wired differently. It can take them longer to process information. Please be patient.

The illustrations were done by Shane W. Evans using mixed mediums. They are simple, colorful, and wonderful. The paint brush strokes are very distinct. I tried to find further information about how they were constructed, but I didn't find anything. However, I did discover that Shane W. Evans keeps a very extensive blog site at http://www.shaneevans.com/blog/.

Five percent of Holly and Ryan Peete's royalty earnings from this book go to the HollyRod4Kids Foundation "to help children with autism gain access to affordable treatments and therapies."  For more informationa bout the HollyRod Foundation, Autism, or the Peete family, go to http://www.hollyrod.org/ .

I encourage every teacher to add this book to their class library!

The Red Thread: An Adoption Fairy Tale

"There is an ancient Chinese belief that an invisible, unbreakable red thread connects all those who are destined to be together."

The Red Thread: An Adoption Fairy Tale is a heartwarming fairy tale about a king and queen who wake up one morning with a strange pain in their hearts. They try every manner of remedy, but still the ache remains. Then one day a traveling peddler shows them his magic glasses. The glasses reveal that the king and queen have an entwined red thread leading from their hearts. 

The peddler tells them that they must follow the thread and find out who or what is pulling it if they want to make the aching stop. They follow the thread uphill and downhill, through good weather and bad, across the wide ocean, until finally they come to a small Chinese village. In that village they discover there is a little baby girl holding on the other end of their threads, and the baby has been tugging at the thread all along. They bring the child home to their kingdom and raise her as their own.

Perhaps one of the cutest things about this book is that it is actually a story inside a story. The opening page has two Caucasian parents sitting in a living room with their little girl who appears to be of Asian descent. She asks them to read her the story about the king and queen, and the king and queen in the story closely resemble the parents. This is a great book for anyone who has adopted children, or who wants to discuss different family structures with children in a classroom. It is so original, and yet so straight forward. It addresses the idea of adoption in a way that reaffirms the natural and loving bonds that form between the parents and their children. It would also be a good addition to any study of fairytales.

The illustrations are extremely colorful and Grace Lin uses a spiral pattern to enhance the background of the sky. The looks of sorrow and emptiness on the faces of the king and queen are heart wrenching. This story is a new kind of fairy tale, because it addresses a topic that can't be found in older stories, but it does it in a way that stays true to the genre. The book is dedicated to "all children adopted, the parents who loved them but could not keep them, and the parents who traveled far to find them." 

Always Room for One More!!!

This book has always held a special place in my heart. My Scottish grandmother gave it to when I was 6 or 7, and for years she and my father would read it too me. I can still hear her reading in her thick Scottish brogue,

"There's room galore. Och, come awa' in! There's room for one more, Always room for one more!"

 These memories have become even more precious to me of late, because for about 5 years now she has suffered from severe diabetes-related memory loss, and can no longer communicate clearly.

I ran across this book recently when I was looking for a Caldecott Medal winner at the local library. As a child, I had no idea that it had won any kind of award, and it was a special treat to run into the book again.

The book "Always Room for One More" was written by Sorche Nic Leodhas , and illustrated by Nonny Hogrogian. It tells the story of Lachie MacLachlan, his wife and 10 bairns (children), as they invite every traveling passerby into their home. No matter how many people come, Lachie continues to call out and invite travelers into his home. Finally, one day the little house falls down because so many people are in it, but all the neighbors and visitors help build Lachie another house.

The story is a popular Scottish song, that has been passed down for generations, but this is the first time that it appeared in print. It is a story of hospitality and community, and its sing-song rhythm is part of what makes it appealing for children. As you may have noticed from my opening quote, this book does incorporate some Scottish words and dialect into the text. There is a small glossary in the back of the book, but it is possible to read and understand the main story without the glossary. If you are using this book as a read aloud in class, it could serve as a good introduction to talking about dialects and how people talk differently in different places. It would also make a great addition to any international folktale collection.

The illustrations are done using pen and ink cross-hatching, and sponge painting. They are truly unique. I don't know if I have ever seen another picture book using the same style, but it is very catching. I would suggest anyone who is going to read this book aloud to practice a couple of times, because it takes a little bit to get the rhythm of the story, but once you get it this book can serve as a wonderful read aloud.

Chester Steals the Day!!!

The second graders in my student teaching placement roared with laughter when the school librarian introduced Chester, the naughty cat. Even the boys who had spent the morning playing pencil wars sat silently, perched on the edge of their seats, waiting to see what Chester would do next.

To me, this is what good children's literature is all about. Any book that can capture the imagination of an entire classroom of students deserves to be bragged about, and this is such a book. It wasn't just my second grade class either. Chester has won the Grand Canyon Reader Award (2010), the Nevada Young Reader’s Award (2010), the Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award and the Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award (2009). The book is currently one of 10 books being considered for the Virginia Reader's Choice Award (K-2).

So what is all the fuss about? Chester, by Melanie Watt, was suppose to be a story about a country mouse, but one of Melanie's illustrations, Chester the egotistic cat, got a little out of control. He decided that he wanted the story to be all about him. With his red marker, Chester edited the story. Melanie fought back by responding to Chester's changes with changes of her own. For example, when Chester sends the mouse packing, Melanie has the mouse return from vacation with a big dog, but then Chester makes the dog a vegetarian. The back and forth banter between Chester and the author makes this book a perfect read-aloud, but it does require the reader to adopt two distinct voices.

The illustrations are wonderful. The inside front cover says that they are pencil and watercolor pictures that are assembled digitally. I wasn't exactly sure what it meant to assemble a watercolor digitally. I tried to find out information online but wasn't successful, so I would love some more information about that if anyone knows more. Anyway, the pictures are very crisp and colorful, and Chester's appearance as a large calico cat complements his personality perfectly.

Melanie Watt is both the author and illustrator of her books. She received a Bachelors of Arts in Graphic Design from the University of Quebec, and she originally got involved in children's books when her illustration professor asked the students to design a book about color. That project became her first published book Leon the Chameleon. In an interview with Kids Can Press, Melanie said that the thing she liked most about creating children's books was the opportunity to both write and illustrate her ideas because it allowed her to create stories and settings precisely as she saw them in her mind. Chester is a wonderful example of how she seamlessly connects both the illustrations and text of her stories.

I was excited to learn that there are two sequels to Chester. I am looking forward to asking my cooperating teacher if I can read one of them to the class. In the first sequel, Chester's Back, Melanie attempts to write a story about Chester, but Chester just isn't satisfied with the way she is telling it. In the second sequel, Chester's Masterpiece, Chester has stolen Melanie's writing supplies, and is trying to write a book all by himself. This one is particularly good because it explores some of the difficulties of the writing process in a humorous way that kids can understand. I think the entire Chester series is a must have for parents and teachers with primary age children.