Voice from Afar: Poems of Peace

Title:  Voice from Afar: Poems of Peace 

Author: Tony Johnston

Publisher: Holiday House

Year of publication: 2008

Photographer:  Susan Guevara

Genre: History

Age Level: 9 and up

Theme: Peace, Sympathy, and Reconciliation

About the author: Tony Johnston was a fourth grade teacher before becoming a publisher.  She is a renowned author of more than one hundred books for young readers. Among her award-winning books are The Iguana Brothers, illustrated by Mark Teague; the Sparky and Eddie books, illustrated by Susannah Ryan; The Quilt Story and The Badger and the Magic Fan, both illustrated by Tomie dePaola.  She has won the Southern California Award for her book Any Small Goodness: A Novel of the Barrio.  Tony is now a full-time writer living with her family in San Marino, California.

Synopsis: This book consists of a poetry collection concerning peace and war by a highly praised children's poet and author, Tony Johnston.  The book is attractively illustrated by Susan Guevara.  The poems in this collection present lasting images of war and peace.  The poems also depict the effects of war on ordinary people as well as the hope and joy that mark each person's journey to survive.  For instance, a brother told his sister to tell him a happy story and the sister made up a sweet story telling her brother about their house flying away from gunfire.  Then, a lentil was paradoxically asked to fling itself into boiling water so that a desperate family could be fed; a stubborn rosebush blooms, because no matter what it must endure.  There are twenty-six poems in the book, and the photographs in the book express personal feelings that send a peaceful message to children all over the world- from Belfast to Africa, Middle East, and so on.

About the photographer: Susan Guevara was trained at the San Francisco Art Academy and Belgium's Royal Academy of Fine Arts.  Her technical skills and creative interpretations have been highly praised by reviewers and readers alike.  Her picture books have been awarded many accolades, including the 1996 and 2002 Pura Belpré Award, the 1996 Tomás Rivera Award, and the 2005 New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year.  Susan has illustrated nearly twenty books for children, from traditional fairy tales to stories set in the East Los Angeles barrio, all in distinctly different styles.   Her painting is full of sweeping, vivid color and emotion, Susan Guevara's accompanying acrylic paintings astonish, move, and provide a fascinating interpretation of and tribute to Tony Johnston's call for peace.  She lives in a large live/work space in Santa Fe, New Mexico with her cat, Bulldozer, and several rosebushes. 

Pre-reading activities:  The children will read the book and tell the stories in their own words sharing what they think about the poems or the readings.

Post-reading activities:  In practical, students will be given a project of writing out the things that make for peace and how to reconcile with friends or others who hurt them.  This is to help them to learn how to live harmoniously with people through forgiveness.

Reflection:  This is an important book to read because it helps to know about what people go through in different parts of the world.  It helps to appreciate and value a person fortune knowing that there are other people who are suffering as a result of war and poverty.  The book also helps to learn to sympathize with people and to reach out to the underprivileged people as well as the victims of war.

Works cited:  http://www.lindaglaserauthor.com/index.html

http://www.amazon.com/Voice-Afar-Poems-Tony-Johnston/dp/0823420124

http://authors.simonandschuster.com.au/Tony-Johnston/1779508/biography

http://www.google.com/search?q=pictures+of+Susan+Guevara&hl=en&biw=1440&bih=690&prmd=imvnso&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=4q60ToY3w4mwApW4ydMD&ved=0CCYQsAQ

http://www.papertigers.org/gallery/Susan_Guevara/index.html

Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night

Title: Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night

Author: Joyce Sidman

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children

Year of publication: 2011

Photographer: Rick Allen 

Genre: Science

Age Level: 4 up

Theme: Different creatures and what they do 

About the author: Joyce Sidman was born on June 4, 1956 in Hartford, Connecticut.   She is a published author of children's books and young adult books.  She is a poet, children’s book author, writer, and a teacher.  She has written many books and some of the published credits of Joyce Sidman include The World According to Dog, This is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness, Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow, and Meow Ruff: A Story in Concrete Poetry.  She began to write at an early age.  Joyce attended Wesleyan University, and she later earned her teacher’s certificate. She writes poetry, fiction, journalism, and essays, although she currently is best known for her children’s books of poetry, which exhibit her love of the natural world. She currently lives with her family in Minnesota. Joyce's books have won more major awards.  For instance, she is an award winner of 2001 Children's Literature Choice Book; Children’s Book Council Showcase Book; Infolink Best Book of the Year 2000.  Her book, Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night had received a 2011 Newbery Honor, one of the most prestigious awards in the field of children's and young adult literature as well as her thoughts on the power of poetry in children’s lives.

Synopsis: This book consists of many poems written about different creatures such as crawling and creeping, birds with and without feathers, insects, and nocturnal and animals that are active during the day as well as plants and non plants.  For instance, Joyce Sidman wrote about tree bats that spend all night on the wing, hunting for moths, mosquitoes, and other insects.  For poems about plants, the author of this book tells why plants need sunlight to grow and make energy, but mushrooms do not because mushrooms live on decaying matter such as rotting logs, stumps, and leaves.  The poem about where mushrooms come from is very interesting though there are many interesting poems in the book.                         

About the photographer: Rick Allen runs a business called Kenspeckle Letterpress with his wife Marian Lansky.  He is an excellent illustrator who started illustrating in the 19th Century.  Allen began his illustrations by painting his wood engravings and cuts in small editions by using multiple blocks and hand coloring.  Rick Allen made his stunning picture book debut with his illustrations for Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night, written by Joyce Sidman. The book explains a little about the process on the copyright page, which one should take a look at it.  But I was curious to find out more about this unique way of making pictures.

Pre-reading activities: With a picture book of different animals and plants I will tell the children stories about each of the pictures. After telling the story, I will ask each child to show me his or her best plant/animal from the picture book.

Post-reading activities:  The children will be given some blank picture drawings of various animals and trees and they will be asked to color their favorite pictures using the crayon given to them.  They will take their projects home to show their parents.

Reflection:  This is a great book and I recommend it to parents to read to their children.  Reading this book to children will help them acquire the knowledge of science before receiving formal education.  Children from 6 up who read this book, Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night by themselves will be very smart in science subjects and especially in biology.

Works cited:

http://www.childrensliteraturenetwork.org/aifolder/aipages/ai_s/sidman.html

http://www.joycesidman.com/

http://childrensbookalmanac.com/2011/04/joyce-sidman/

http://challengingthebookworm.wordpress.com/2011/04/15/friday-feature-interview-with-rick-allen/

http://www.kenspeckleletterpress.com/

I Like Trains!

Title:  I Like Trains!

Author: Philemon Sturges

Publisher: Harper Collins

Year of publication: 2001

Photographer: Shari Halpern

Genre: Hobby/Creativity

Age Level: 3 - 6

Theme: Vocation, and excitement

About the author: Philemon Sturges is an architect and the author of several books for children, including I Love Trains!, I Love Trucks!, I Love Planes!, I Love School!, and I Love Bugs!  All the above five book of Sturges were illustrated by Shari Halpern.

Synopsis:  This book is about a boy who likes trains; he tells readers what he likes most about a train.  For him, he likes trains that hoot and roar as they rumble by his door.  The illustrations in the book are bright showing scenes in a rural setting.  Some of the illustrations are very simple and others are filled with activities. The boy's father is mentioned and seen in the story.  The end pages show and describe the various kinds of train cars- the tender and engine, a hopper, boxcar, flatcars, a tanker, gondolas and the caboose.  

About the photographer: Shari Halpern is an illustrator of children’s book and has illustrated more than twenty books.  Besides her illustration work, Shari likes to quilt, paint pottery and make other things.  Mrs. Halpern is married with three young children.  She works with the following publishers: HarperCollins, North-South, Scholastic Press, and Macmillan.

Pre-reading activities: A picture book of different cars with colorful illustrations will be read to the children.  After reading the book to them, children will be point at familiar cars they see in the book. 

Post-reading activities:  Children will be given a project of drawing what their favorite vehicles are. 

Reflection:  This is a simple book but very practical and enriching for readers and their little boys who are train lovers.   It is a nice book for kids to see.  I encourage parents and lovers of train to read this book.  By reading it, one will learn about different types of cars and including the roles they provide behind the engine.

Works cited:

http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/HarperChildrens/Kids/AuthorsAndIllustrators/ContributorDetail.aspx?CId=12784

http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/Kids/BookFinder/ContributorBooks.aspx?SCId=12784

http://www.sharihalpern.com/

Show Me Your Smiles!

Title:  Show me your smiles!

Author: Christine Ricci

Publisher: Simon Spotlight

Year of publication: 2005

Photographer:  Robert Roper

Genre: Hygiene

Age Level: 3 - 7

Theme: Health 

About the author:  Christine Ricci is an author of many children’s book.  Her books are known as Dora the explorer.  One of her books, go, Diego, Go!  is the perfect show to introduce children to the different animals that inhabit the world.  Her latest book is, Dora's Book of Manners. The author has written thirty-five books but she has no photos available on the web.  Synopsis:  The book is a about a little girl called Dora.  On her way to visit her dentist, she asked her friend Hola to go with her.  While waiting to be called in, Dora played with her friend and both were amazed how clean everything was at the dentist office.  Both Dora and Hola learned more in the office such as the x-ray, and the special tool used in the office before Dora’s teeth were checked and cleaned.

About the photographer: Robert Roper is a published author and an illustrator of children's books. Some of the published credits of Robert Roper include Dora and the Baby Crab (Dora the Explorer Ready-to-Read), Dora and the Stuck Truck (Dora the Explorer (8x8)), Jelly-Bean Jam (Totally Spies!), and Dora and the Rainbow Kite Festival (Dora the Explorer Ready-to-Read).  With over 20 years experience Robert has specialized in creating colorful and fun digital illustrations. One can check   Mr. Roper’s website for other samples of his work suitable for book publishing, magazines and advertising from the first website below.

                                                                        

  

Pre-reading activities: I will let students brainstorm the first time they visited places with their parents and what they saw.  Students will be divided into two groups based on those willing to share their stories and those willing to comments on the stories being shared.  Thus, one group of the students shares their stories with the class and another group responds to it.

Post-reading activities: The children will be given drawing sheets to draw at least, two places they visited that they felt adventurous and how neat those places were. 

Reflection: Dora’s story in this book is fascinating because it tells how observant and curious she was in the in the dentist’s office.  This book will encourage children to share their stories with their friends, which helps motivates their social life.  I will encourage parents to read the book to their children.  The book will help children learn how to be responsible. For instance, children will learn to do what they are supposed to do before and after meal such as brushing their teeth after breakfast and before bedtime.    This is an experience book for kids to learn about going to the dentist.   It is kind of gets the prepared to visit the dentist for their first time.  The book is good for parents too because it enables parents to help their children care for their teeth.  For children who like Dora, this is a fun book. 

Works cited:

http://www.jacketflap.com/robert-roper/133498

http://www.epinions.com/reviews/show_me_your_smile_a_visit_to_the_dentist_no_author_listed

http://www.colgate.com/app/Kids-World/US/HomePage.cvsp

http://www.colgate.com/app/CP/US/EN/OC/Information/Articles/Oral-and-Dental-Health-at-Any-Age/Infants-and-Children/Toddler-Child-Transitional-Care/article/Oral-Health-for-Children.cvsp

We Can Get Along

Title:  We Can Get Along

Author: Lauren Murphy Payne, M.S.W.

Publisher: Free Sprite Publishing Inc.

Year of publication: 1997

Photographer:  Lauren Murphy Payne, M.S.W.

Genre: Fiction

Age Level: 3 - 8

Theme: Friendship, and Good Manners

 About the author: Lauren Murphy Payne, M.S.W., is a psychotherapist in family practice.  She is cofounder of The Turning Point, a speaking and consulting service.  She is an author and illustrator.  She lives in Racine, Wisconsin.  Lauren has written four books.  She believes that Warm, simple words and enchanting illustrations strengthen and support young children's self-esteem.  Considers the affirming words and colorful illustrations can help educators teach children how to resolve conflict and making peace.

Synopsis: The book is about school children who are also friends.  Children need help learning to get along with others at school, in their neighborhood, and on the playground.  Children need to know that they have the power to make good choices.  In their everyday lifestyles, there are happiness and sadness.  When they are happy, they get along with each other, talk, laugh, play, and work together; they become joyful feeling good and safe.  On the other hand when they fight and ague, yell, hit, or cry and sometimes say and do mean things such as using bad words for each other when they do not get along.

About the photographer:  Lauren Murphy Payne, the author of this book is also the illustrator.  The illustrations in this book were done by Payne using the Berol Prismacolor Markers, pen, and ink on vellum.

Pre-reading activities:  Students will be asked to think about their words before they say them in all their relationships both at home and school.  I will tell them that they are in charge of their words and actions; therefore they should be careful and learn to be responsible for their words and actions.  

Post-reading activities: The students will be given different gifts in class and asked to share with one another choosing who they love to share their gifts with.  Each person exchanges his or her gifts with 3 people.  They learn to get along well with their peers. 

Reflection: This is a good book to be used in the classroom because it will help to teach children about the golden rule; choosing to treat others the way they themselves like to be treated.  This will also help them to treat others with kindness and respect instead of being mean.  With their post-reading activities, the children will always learn to talk, play, and laugh together even though they are different.  The book will also help children to learn make good choices.

Works cited:

http://www.freespirit.com/catalog/author_detail.cfm?AUTHOR_ID=47  

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/we-can-get-along-lauren-murphy-payne/1002365654

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/162581.Lauren_Murphy_Payne

Poetrees

Title:  Poetrees

Author: Douglas Floridan

Publisher: Beach Lane Books

Year of publication: 2010

Photographer:  Douglas Floridn

Genre: Science

Age Level: 6 up

Theme: elementary science 

About the author: Douglas Florian is an author and illustrator.  He is a native New Yorker and was both born there and attended Queen's College and The School of Visual Arts. He lives in New York with his wife and their five children. Florian was a good student as a child but never followed directions.  He still does not follow directions but continues to create his own path writing children’s poetry.  He has written 136 children’s poetry books.  Some of his books include Monster Hotel, Bing Bang, Boing, and Insectlopedia. They feature animals, colorful pictures he drew and lots of fun poems.

Synopsis: This book consists of many and different poems of trees.  Florian focuses on trees (seeds, bark, leaves, roots, and tree rings) and introduces readers to 13 species from around the world.  An oversize, double-page illustration accompanies each poem. Some of the poems are read lengthwise, which enables the artist to highlight the awesome height and size of trees. In the book, Douglas Florian focuses on several types of and parts of a tree, with poems about seeds, roots, bark, leaves, and tree rings.  For instance, the tree rings show how trees grow; the wide rings grow fast while the narrow rings grow slow.  The poems are solid in their meter and rhyme and are distinctive.  They give a mixture of information, wordplay, and artistic invention.  Douglas Florian generated the pictures of the trees on primed paper bags allowing him to combine interesting textures, chalk, colored pencils, stamps, and oil pastels.  In addition to familiar oaks and birches, Floridn’s poetrees also explore more unusual trees, including the dragon tree, monkey puzzle tree, and baobab.  The poem about seed describes what is inside the picture of the seed in the book; he states that inside the seed one will find a steam and leaf that grow with rain into a trunk and branch and leaf and seed that starts again.  The book is designed to be held and read vertically, which allows Douglas to showcase the height of trees like the giant sequoia ("Never destroy a/ Giant sequoia") or banyan from treetop to root bottom.  

About the photographer: Douglas Floridn

Pre-reading activities:  I will show the seeds and pictures of different trees to the students and tell them how they grow. 

Post-reading activities: Children will be asked to write a brief poem during science class.  They will be asked cut the shape of a leaf of any kind out of papers of their choices and write the poem on it. 

Reflection: This book is very useful and educative for children.  It has variety of poems for children to choose and learn.  Though the book is meant for children, I recommend adults to read it because it is an interesting book, a kind of aide memoir for adults and parents who read it.  It is a great reminder science book for those who are science inclined and those who like nature.  The book is useful because it is filled with facts about the trees described in the poems; it also includes a brief bibliography and author's note describing the author’s lifelong fascination with trees.  It is of great value reading Douglas’ poetrees because the Glossary at the end of the book explains what every tree that he wrote about is.  What I like most about the book is the origin of trees and how every tree grows.    

Works cited:

http://www.youseemore.com/sylvester/hotpicks.asp?isbn=9781416986720&Author=Douglas+Florian&Title=Poetrees

http://www.douglasflorian.com/

http://www.douglasflorian.com/index.html

http://www.childrensliteraturenetwork.org/birthbios/brthpage/03mar/3-18florian.html

What's Wrong with Timmy?

Title: What's Wrong with Timmy?  
Author: Maria Shriver
Photographer: Sandra Speidel
Publisher: Warner Books/Little, Brown, and Company/AOL Time Warner Co.

Genre:Fiction
Age Level: 7-9
Theme:Mentally handicapped/Friendship
Synopsis: This book is about a boy born with disabilities; as a result, he was not able to do all the things that other children were able to do. Kate who was born one month apart in the same hospital with Timmy grew up curious about everything.  She asked what was wrong with Timmy and when her mother told her about Timmy's problems, she became friendly with him.  Other children made fun of Timmy for being different but Kate was always there for Timmy.  Here friendship with Timmy became stronger.  She even allowed Timmy to be in her team while others did not want him.  According to Kate, "Mom, I think Timmy and I are going to be friends for a long time, too.  I can just feel it.... and if anyone ever asks me 'What's wrong with Timmy?' .....I'm going to smile and say, 'Why, nothing....nothing at all!' "               

About the Author: Maria Shriver was born on November 6, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois.  She is the niece of John F. Kennedy. She started as a news writer and producer at a Philadelphia TV station.  She joined NBC in 1986 as a correspondent.  She resigned in 2003 when her husband, Arnold Schwarzenegger, became the Governor of California.  She is an advocate for several causes including playgrounds in lower income neighborhoods.  MARIA SHRIVER is a mother, wife, daughter, sister and friend. She is also a best selling author and an award-winning broadcast journalist.  She is the author of the following books: What’s Heaven? - Ten Things I Wish I’d known-before I Went Out into the Real World.

About the Photographer:  
Sandra Speidel lives in northern California.  She grew up in a mostly artless environment; as a child, Speidel filled countless sketchbooks.  She studied fine art at San Francisco Academy of Art University and San Francisco Art Institute. She specializes in figurative and abstract painting.  She has degrees in English, and journalism.  She danced for eight years, studied acting for 5 years, and is a published poet, all of which inform her paintings.  She was an award winning illustrator before turning to painting.  She teaches both graduate and undergraduate figurative drawing and painting at the Academy of Art.                                                                           
Pre-Reading: After reading this book with the children, I will ask them about how they feel when someone makes fun of them.  Do you want to make fun of someone who is different from you? 

Post Reading Activity: This lesson is meant for children to learn that each of them is special and has a different talent and gift regardless of their differences.  They will learn about the golden rule, do to no one what you would not like to be done unto you.  Children will write about someone they have not been nice to and how they would like to make up with the person.  They will write how they would like to forgive someone who has hurt them by words or action.  They will also write how  they will ask forgiveness from someone they hurt by words and action.
Reflection:  This book is worth reading because it shows the uniqueness of every child.  Parents will learn from this book how to help their children to accept children who are different from them and teach them how to reach out to their fellow children who need help.  After reading this book, one will appreciate the uniqueness of every person.  We should always look at the things that children can do and feel compassion for them for the things they cannot do due to their disabilities. 
Works cited: 

http://www.afterschoolallstars.org/site/pp.asp?c=enJJKMNpFmG&b=7456075

http://sandraspeidel.com/

http://sandraspeidelart.blogspot.com/ 

http://www.afterschoolallstars.org/site/pp.asp?c=enJJKMNpFmG&b=7456075