The Stranger - Module 6

THE STRANGER

By Chris Van Allsburgh

Houghton Mifflin Company (1986)

ISBN 9780395423318

Grades: 2-4

Tale 

It was fall and Farmer Bailey was driving around when he hit a man. Confused, the stranger is taken to the farmer’s home and examined by the family’s doctor; he should stay until recovering his memory. Weeks passed without the stranger having any sign of remembering who he was and where he came from. That didn’t bother the Baileys that learned to like him. Mysterious things happen around the farm until one day the stranger leaves.

Thoughts

Beautifully illustrated in autumn colors, the illustration is intrinsically tied to the story. The book is full of mystery about the strange man who has lost his memory and became part of the Bailey family. His clothes, his manners, and his way with animals, all lead to questions about his identity. This is a great book for older readers who will become intrigued by the given clues.

About the author 

From Scholastic (Scholastic.com)

"As long as I can remember, I've always loved to draw. But my interest in drawing wasn't encouraged very much. Growing up in the 1950s, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, boys were supposed to be athletic. Certain peer pressures encouraged little fingers to learn how to hold footballs rather than crayons.

My early love for drawing developed into a love for telling stories through pictures. Stories begin as fragments of pictures in my mind. I create a story by posing questions to myself. I call it the “what if” and “what then” approach. For example, for my book Jumanji, I started out by thinking “What if two bored children discovered a board game? What if the board game came to life? What then?” The Polar Express began with the idea of a train standing alone in the woods. I asked myself, “What if a boy gets on that train? Where does he go?

From the time I come up with the idea, write and illustrate the book, and deliver it to the printer, it takes about seven months. First, I begin thinking of the idea (asking myself what if and what then). Then I imagine the pictures and the story. A good picture book should have events that are visually arresting - the pictures should call attention to what is happening in the story. I first consider scenes that are exciting to look at and then my challenge is to weave a story around those pictures. The next step is putting the illustrations and story down on paper. At that point, it becomes intense work - all day, every day, even on weekends!

When you first look at my illustrations, you see ordinary, everyday things. But if you look closer, things might not seem quite so simple. When I'm writing a book, I always try to create something strange or puzzling in each picture. By using artistic strategies of perspective, light, and point of view, I can give the drawing a kind of mysterious quality. In other words, the style I use allows me to make a drawing that has a little mystery to it, even if the actual things I am drawing are not strange or mysterious.

All of my books are picture books, so they are generally thought of as books for children. But when I make them, I think of the books as being for everybody - for people of all ages. When I was a kid, I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up, but now I'm really glad I became an artist and a storyteller."

Click here to go to Van Allsburgh’s official website.

Curiosity about the author: Van Allsburgh includes the drawing of a little white Bull Terrier in all his books, as part of the story or simply as a tiny part of the illustration. Here is why :

Why do you put that little white dog in all of your books? Do you have a dog like that?

The first story that I wrote, The Garden of Abdul Gasazi, had a dog in it named Fritz. When I thought about the kind of dog I wanted Fritz to be, I decided he should be a bull terrier. Unfortunately, I didn't know any bull terriers that could be my model for drawing pictures. I found some photographs, but they were not what I needed. What I needed was a real dog. My brother-in-law, David, visited one day, and told me he was thinking of getting a dog, possibly a golden retriever. I told him he should get himself something more interesting. Something really unusual. I showed him photos of bull terriers and he agreed that it was a most unusual and appealing dog.

Not long after that, he acquired a bull terrier puppy, and named him Winston. Winston became the model for Fritz, and because he was my brother-in-law's dog, I thought of Winston as a kind of nephew. Sadly, Winston had an accident that sent him to the big dog kennel in the sky at a young age. I decided to commemorate the contribution he made to my first book by including him (or at least a tiny part of him) in all of my books.

Text extract from Chris Van Allsburg website at http://www.chrisvanallsburg.com/faq.html

Review

SLJ Reviews 1986 November

Website: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com

"Gr 2-4The Stranger is a down-homey modern myth about the phenomenon of Indian Summer, but the opening owes less to the folktale than to The Twilight Zone. Farmer Bailey, rapt on an end-of-summer day in his 1940s pickup, suddenly hits something: the next page shows a young man's body, dramatically foreshortened and stretched out at eye-level in the evening shadows. The terror-stricken victim quickly recovers but has lost both speech and memory. Invited to stay with the farmer, his wife, and little girl, he spends idyllic days with them while autumn's advance is unaccountably delayed. The text scatters clues to the stranger's identity (Jack Frost); but the moment of recognition is cleverly given over to the electrifying illustration alone. Characteristically, the bold simplifications of Van Allsburg's warm pastels look back to American regionalist paintings of the 1930s and '40sespecially to Thomas Hart Benton and Grant Wood. The story is too low-keyed for most children, although several compositions provide suspense with their unorthodox points-of-view, out-of-frame action, and play with effects of light. Here the interweaving of fantasy and reality is more complex than in Van Allsburg's earlier books, and the effects more subtle; but the surface pleasures of color and form are still enticing. Patricia Dooley, formerly at Drexel University, Phila . Copyright 1986 Cahners Business Information."

Activity

From Houghton Mifflin Harcourt publisher. Click here to visit HMH website.

Introduction:
Tell your students that you will be reading a book to them that contains a mystery—a man cannot remember who he is! Their job, as you read the book, will be to listen very carefully for clues in the words and pictures that will help them to solve the mystery of the man's identity. Paying attention to clues is an important skill to use when we are reading mystery stories, but it is also an important part of every kind of reading. When we pay attention to clues, we build theories that are based on what the book actually tells us. Authors are tricky that way—they hide information that we get to search out and use to figure out what's happening! Tell your students that today they are going to practice this—first in The Stranger, and then in their own books.

Teaching:
Read The Stranger to your class. As you read, ask the children to raise a thumb when they notice something that may be a clue to the man's identity. Write down what they notice on chart paper or on an overhead projector. They will be likely to notice such things as the way the rabbits behave around the man, his ability to work all day without sweating, or his confusion about simple things like buttons. Before you reach the page that describes the man blowing on the leaf, reread the list of clues the class has collected. Discuss how this list might help readers build a theory about the man's identity. The students are likely to have different theories to share, and you may want them to turn and talk to a neighbor about their theories before you discuss a few of these ideas with the entire class. Make sure to draw your students' focus back to the process of building theories with the clues they have collected. If they describe a nonsensical theory that is not related to the book, ask, "What in the book makes you think that?"

Tell your students that readers collect clues all the time, whether they are reading mysteries or other kinds of books. When we collect information about characters of all sorts, we are building theories about them as we read. Tell the students that during their independent reading time, they will be trying this out. Ask them to choose a character in the book they are reading and keep a written list of clues that help develop a picture of who that character is.

Nana Upstairs & Nana Downstairs - Module 6

Nana Upstairs &

    Nana Downstairs

By Tomie dePaola

Published by Putnam Juvenile (1998)

ISBN 9780399231087
Ages 3-7

Tale

Every Sunday Tommy and his family visit his grandmother and great-grandmother, which live in the same house. Because his great-grandmother is already ninety-four and cannot get around well anymore, he spends long periods of time with her upstairs (Nana upstairs) eating candy and talking, both tied onto chairs, side by side. When Nana upstairs passes away, Tommy feels very sad and his parents talk to him about death. Years later, an older Tommy loses his Nana downstairs too, and once more he needs to deal with the death of a loved one.  

Thoughts

This is a great book which may unveil emotions once hidden or forgotten in readers of all ages.  Talking about death with young children is not an easy task, especially when it is about loved members of the family. This book may open a path to engage in such a conversation and  help minimize the effects of such a hard loss.

About the author

From dePaola's website at http://www.tomie.com/main.html

Tomie dePaola was born on September 15, 1934 in Meriden, Connecticut. He grew up there with his father and mother, Joseph and Florence (Downey) dePaola, and his brother and sisters, Joseph, Judie and Maureen

Tomie developed a love for books at an early age probably because his mother loved books and read to Tomie every day. At the age of four, Tomie told anyone who would listen that he wanted to write stories and draw pictures for books and to sing and tap dance on the stage when he grew up. (At age 69, Tomie can say he's done all of those things!)

Drawing and dancing continued to interest Tomie during his school years. Tomie and his dancing partner, Carol Morrissey, performed throughout Meriden and elsewhere during their years in school. Tomie continued to take art classes and create art for exhibitions, theater productions, posters and many other things.

When Tomie graduated from high school, he went to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York where his twin cousins, Franny and Fuffy, had previously attended art school. In art school, he said he "spent four years learning how to draw everything - tin cans, dogs, cats, horses, trees - and I practiced and practiced."

Tomie didn't get a contract for his first book for several years after graduating from Pratt. When he did get a children's book job, it was to illustrate a science book called SOUND. A year or so later, he wrote and illustrated his first book, THE WONDERFUL DRAGON OF TIMLIN.

That was 40 years ago when Tomie was asked to illustrate SOUND.

Tomie has now illustrated over 200 books and written the stories for over 100 of those books. He has book projects scheduled for years to come.

He works in a new studio attached to a renovated 200-year-old barn in New London, New Hampshire.

Review

Booklist Reviews 1998 February #2

Ages 3-7. Originally published in 1973, this autobiographical picture book was one of the first to introduce very young children to the concept of death. Given its graceful treatment of a difficult subject, it has been a parental staple ever since, and a new generations of readers will be glad to discover this timeless tale in a lovely new edition. In an appended note, dePaola says he approached this project "as a completely new book." Thus, the format is larger than formerly, the pictures have been re-done in full color, and even the text has been slightly modified, though the story remains the same: every Sunday four-year-old Tommy's family goes to visit his grandparents. His grandmother is always busy downstairs, but his great-grandmother is always to be found in bed upstairs, because she is 94 years old. Tommy loves both of his nanas and the time he spends with them. He is desolate when his upstairs nana dies, but his mother comforts him by explaining that "she will come back in your memory whenever you think about her." Although dePaola's book is a nostalgic tribute to his own family, its theme--that not only people but our love for them survives in our memories--is universally true and important. (Reviewed February 15, 1998) Copyright 2000 Booklist Reviews

Activity

Give the children a coloring page with a big family tree. Ask them to draw their relatives on it; both all their living relatives and the ones they have only in their memory.

The Tequila Worm - Module 5

The Tequila Worm

By Viola Canales

2006 PURA BELPRÈ AWARD

Published by Wendy Lamb Books (2005)

ISBN 9780385746748

Grades: 5-8

Tale

The book tells the story of Sofia, a smart and brave 14 years-old Hispanic girl who lives with her mother, father, and sister Lucy in a poor Mexican barrio (neighborhood) in the small Texas town of McAllen. Her cousin, best friend, and then comadre, Berta is an important part of the story and in Sofia’s life. Becoming a comadre is a concept revealed as the story advances. Sofia realizes how they have grown up to be quite different, yet have remained so close, when she is invited to be Berta’s quinceañera maid of honor. Berta wants a big and fancy quinceañera, has a boyfriend she intends to marry soon, loves to watch romantic movies, and knows how to sew (attributes of Berta’s and Sofia’s mothers). On the other hand, Sofia is just like her father and wants to learn things, discover the world, fight for herself, and experience more than the family traditions. Still, she is a loving sister and daughter that respects her family’s values and accepts their decisions. Sofia fights wisely against prejudice when it appears during the early school years when her classmates called her taco head, and later on when she receives a scholarship to attend St. Luke’s, a prestigious school in Austin. 

Thought

I enjoyed reading this book and agree that many of the characteristics portrayed in this book are a realistic portrayal of numerous Latin families I have met in Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela, and here in Texas. Family members care for each other and the rich traditions are respected, observed and transmitted from generation to generation. The concept of close family goes far beyond parents and children: aunts, uncles, godparents, cousins, grandparents…all are part of a close Latin family and provide many fertile role models. Decisions, both important and routine, are usually made after considering other family member opinions.

About the author

From http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/pdf/AuthorBioViolaCanales.pdf

As a kid growing up in McAllen, Texas, Viola Canales shared a bedroom with her grandmother . . . and a big statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe that her grandmother treated as if it were alive! Because her parents considered it disrespectful to speak English in front of her grandmother, Viola started school not speaking or reading English. So for her, it was the outside world that seemed alien, and not the world of her barrio where curanderas (folk healers) cured cases of evil eye with chicken eggs, her mother made dolls out of old stockings, and the heat of the canicula (the dog days of summer) made everyone a little bit crazy (crazier). Her barrio felt so wonderfully rich with the magic and mystery of traditions, family, friends, and foods that she didn’t realize she was

poor until she won a scholarship at the age of 15 to attend St. Stephen’s Episcopal School, an elite boarding school over 300 miles away in Austin. Although the school introduced her to another mundo and fostered her lifelong love of literature, she was so homesick that she started writing stories—to conjure up her family and the barrio that she missed so much. Over the next years, Viola graduated from Harvard College and

Harvard Law School, served as a captain in the U.S. Army, was a community organizer for the United Farm Workers, practiced law, held a presidential-level appointment in the Clinton Administration, worked with chief executive officers, but she never stopped writing stories to conjure up the magical world of her barrio. These stories and memories inspired her first book, a collection of short stories entitled Orange Candy Slices and Other Secret Tales, and her novel, The Tequila Worm, which was awarded the 2006 Pura

Belpré Medal for Narrative. She now lives in Stanford, California, with her family, and owns a house in McAllen, Texas, too, where her mother and many of her relatives still live, and where she often comes to visit.

Review

From Kirkus Reviews 2005 July #2

"Sofia, growing up in an urban Latino neighborhood in McAllen, Texas, has a chance to attend an expensive boarding school in Austin on scholarship. Like her father, Sofia lives the life of the mind, rich with story and possibility. How can she convince her mother to let her take this opportunity? By learning to dance and showing her that she can leave home and still learn to become a good comadre. Canales, the author of the story collection Orange Candy Slices and Other Secret Tales (2001), is a graduate of Harvard Law School, suggesting that Sofia's story at least closely parallels her own. She is an accomplished storyteller, though not yet, perhaps, a successful novelist. The episodic narrative has disconcerting leaps in time at the beginning, and a sense of completion, or a moral displayed, at several points throughout all lacking the tension to carry the reader forward. This said, the characters and setting are so real to life that readers who connect with Sofia at the start will find many riches here, from a perspective that is still hard to find in youth literature. (Fiction. 10-14) Copyright Kirkus 2005 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved."

Activity

In groups, students will discuss different cultures and their own culture and traditions. If students feel comfortable sharing experiences, they may expose any episode in which they felt discriminated. Finally and individually they will express how they would react if they were in Sofia’s place when she was called taco head.

Miracle's Boys - Module 5

Miracle’s Boys

By Jacqueline Woodson

2004 CORETTA SCOTT KING AWARD

New York, NY: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2000

ISBN 0399231137

Grades: 6-10.

Tale

The story is narrated by 13-year-old Lafayette. He is the youngest of three brothers that are struggling to overcome the difficulties which confront them, both emotional and financial, after loosing their father (past away before Lafayette was born) and, later on, their mother (for whose death Lafayette feels responsible). Lafayette has a good relationship with Ty’ree, the oldest brother, who was forced to drop out of school and work to maintain his siblings. Lafayette used to have a good relationship with Charlie too (the middle brother) but that changed after Charlie came back home after two years in a correctional facility. Lafayette even calls him Newcharlie, as he has no resemblance to the brother who used to be his buddy. Now Charlie is indifferent, distant, and always seems to be ready to get in trouble. Besides having the financial responsibility, Ty-ree is also accountable for the family’s overall wellbeing; if Charlie gets in trouble again, Lafayette will be sent to live with his great-aunt Cecile in South Caroline. This would definitely be against his wishes, as he wants to stay in New York with his brothers. The story is surrounded infused with revelations about what really happened concerning the deaths of their father and mother.

Thought

I enjoyed the reading from beginning to end. The story is easy to follow and portrays reality very well. It is inspiring, bringing hope back to our hearts, as we hope the boys are able to overcome the difficulties that stand in their way. The book title reveals a hidden meaning when the reader learns that Miracle is the English word for Milagro in Spanish, which happens to be the boys’ mother’s name.

About the author
Jacqueline Woodson

From Teenreads.com

“Jacqueline Woodson is a three-time Newbery Honor winner, a two-time National Book Award finalist, winner of a Coretta Scott King Award and three Coretta Scott King Honors, and the recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for her contributions to young adult literature. Her many award-winning novels include Locomotion, After Tupac and D Foster, Feathers and Miracle’s Boys. She lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York.”

Click here to visit Teenreads website to read Woodson’s complete interview.

To visit Woodson’s official website, click here.

Review

From SLJ Reviews 2000 May 
(Website: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com)
"Gr 6-10-A compelling novel about three streetwise New York City brothers trying to help one another confront their personal demons. Thirteen-year-old Lafayette still grieves for his mother, who died of diabetes two years earlier. He blames himself for not being able to save her. Older brother Ty'ree is more mature and responsible but he, too, is tormented by the past. He witnessed his father rescue a drowning woman and later die of hypothermia before Lafayette was born, and he continues to feel guilty for not being able to help him. Lafayette and Ty'ree take comfort in school, work, and other routines of daily life to keep their lives focused and their minds off the past. All of this changes, however, when a middle brother named Charlie returns from a juvenile-detention facility where he served a three-year sentence for an armed robbery. Having this angry, sometimes hostile presence in their lives forces Lafayette and Ty'ree to depend upon one another even more to work through their grief and figure out how to help Charlie survive. As usual, Woodson's characterizations and dialogue are right on. The dynamics among the brothers are beautifully rendered. The narrative is told through dialogue and Lafayette's introspections so there is not a lot of action, but readers should find this story of tough, self-sufficient young men to be powerful and engaging.-Edward Sullivan, New York Public Library Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information."

Activity

1. In groups, students will:

1.  Search the internet for organizations which help orphans. Explore them to learn what they do, what kind of help/services they offer, if there is a charge, if they accept volunteers,   minimum age for volunteering, etc.

2.  Visit the website DoSomething.com to become familiar with the project.

3.   Based on the same idea presented by DoSomething.com, create a fictitious project to help teenage orphans living in your own community.

4.   Groups will present their projects to the other groups in the classes and the students will vote to the best project.

2. From http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/cblp/change/middleschool/Miracle's%20Boys.pdf

Prompt every student to write a short product tied to today’s reading:

• Has anyone in your life (friend, family member) ever changed in a “negative” way?
• What was that like for you?
• What do you think caused the change?
• How do you wish the person would have acted and why?
• Was there anyway to support this person in making positive choices?

Maniac Magee - Module 4

Maniac Magee
by Jerry Spinelli


Newbery Medal 1991

Published by Little, Brown Books (1990)
ISBN 9780316807227
Grades: 6-10

Tale

Born as Jeffrey Lionel Magee, it is due to his amazing skills, his fearlessness nature, and impetus in straighten things up that he becomes simply Maniac Magee. Orphan at age of three, he is brought to live with his uncle and aunt, which are not example of a happy family. At 12, he runs away and finds out a reality of two worlds divided by one street and by racism: blacks in one side and whites on the other side of this small town. Although a white little boy, he becomes a legend on both worlds. The book portrays Magee adventures, and misadventures, around these two words.

Thoughts

While the other characters of the book sees Magee as an impetuous boy, which can run as fast as a lightening, and to be not afraid of anybody or anything, the reader meet a boy with a big heart, who does not support rivalry, who does not understand racism, who wants to have an address more than a house. He loses too many loved ones but he does win a big battle!

This is a great story which I would recommend for readers older than the ones primarily aimed (ages 9-12). Although lightened up by Spinelli’s skilled count, with funny characteristics on some of the personages, the book is a serious portrait of a heavy reality. To learn more about Maniac Magee and to listen to an excerpt read by Spinelli, click here.

About the author  

Born on February 1, 1941 in Norristown, Pennsylvania, Spinelli’s first published work as a writer was a poem about his school football team, published on the local newspaper. His first four adult novels didn’t have the same faith; they were all rejected by publishers. When the fifth one became rejected as an adult novel, based on the 13 years old protagonist, the story was published as a children’s book. Spinelli became, then, a noted children’s author with 25 published books.

To visit Jerry Spinelli official website, click here.

Review

SLJ Reviews 1990 June
Website: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/

"Gr 6-10-- Warning: this interesting book is a mythical story about racism. It should not be read as reality. Legend springs up about Jeffrey ``Maniac'' Magee, a white boy who runs faster and hits balls farther than anyone, who lives on his own with amazing grace, and is innocent as to racial affairs. After running away from a loveless home, he encounters several families, in and around Two Mills, a town sharply divided into the black East End and the white West End. Black, feisty Amanda Beale and her family lovingly open their home to Maniac, and tough, smart-talking ``Mars Bar'' Thompson and other characters are all, to varying degrees, full of prejudices and unaware of their own racism. Racial epithets are sprinkled throught the book; Mars Bar calls Maniac ``fishbelly,'' and blacks are described by a white character as being ``today's Indians.'' In the final, disjointed section of the book, Maniac confronts the hatred that perpetuates ignorance by bringing Mars Bar to meet the Pickwells--``the best the West End had to offer.'' In the feel-good ending, Mars and Maniac resolve their differences; Maniac gets a home and there is hope for at least improved racial relations. Unreal? Yes. It's a cop-out for Spinelli to have framed this story as a legend--it frees him from having to make it real, or even possible. Nevertheless, the book will stimulate thinking about racism, and it might help educate those readers who, like so many students, have no first-hand knowledge of people of other races. Pathos and compassion inform a short, relatively easy-to-read story with broad appeal, which suggests that to solve problems of racism, people must first know each other as individuals. --Joel Shoemaker, Tilford Middle School, Vinton, IA Copyright 1990 Cahners Business Information."

Activity

At Nancy Polette’s website I found three interesting activities to be promoted with Maniac Magee reading. I liked these activities because they approach distinct subjects that are important and still current. The first activity is a text comprehension exercise; the second activity relates to homeless people; and the third activity is about conflict resolution. To see the activities, click here.

The Cat Who Went to Heaven - Module 4

The CAT who went to HEAVEN
By Elizabeth Coatsworth
Illustrations by Lynd Ward


Published by Macmillan, NY (1930)
Ages: 8 UP

Tale

In Japan, a young, lonely, and poor artist shared his days with his housekeeper. Almost without any money, the housekeeper heads to the market, but instead of food, she comes back with a three-colored cat in her basket. The housekeeper named the cat Good Fortune. The artist is then hired by the temple’s head priest to paint the death of Buddha. Besides the honor, the invitation also meant the end of starvation for him, the housekeeper, and Good Fortune. The following chapters illustrate the artist meditating on Buddha’s life. After three days of meditation, the artist knew exactly how to do the portrait. Animals were added to the paint, one by one, but not a cat (according to legend, cats don’t go to heaven because they “…refused homage to Buddha”). With each animal, an important passage of Buddha’s life is narrated. Good Fortune, now part of the family, “pleas” to be added to the paint, causing a dilemma; the artist suffers with Good Fortune’s sadness, but including her in the paint could send all three of them back to starvation.

Thoughts

This is a beautiful story and I encourage you to read it. Besides the end, I greatly appreciated the passage in which the young artist summarizes what he have learned about Buddha during his meditation: “…now at least he understood that the Buddha he painted must have the look of one who has been gently brought up and unquestioningly  obeyed (that he learned from the first day); and he must have the look of one who has suffered greatly and sacrificed himself (that he learned from the second day); and he must have the look of one who has found peace and given it to others (that he learned on the last day)”.

About the author  

Elizabeth Coatsworth (1893-1986)
Born in Buffalo, New York, Elizabeth Coatsworth had a passion for travel, history, geography, among others.  She wrote more than 90 books for children, based on facts and myths she has learned in places she lived and visited.

Review

The Celebrity Cafe

3/23/2003

Lynda Dale MacLean

Of all the magical beasts, one little cat brought the most magical of blessings.

The Cat Who Went to Heaven was awarded the John Newbery Medal for the Most Distinguished Contribution to American Literature for Children. Elizabeth Coatsworth's brilliant, immensely touching, and spiritually celebrated story was given new luster and care by illustrator Lynd Ward with great warmth, talent, and insight.


This is the story of a Japanese painter who comes into hardship and struggles each day with it. His housekeeper's support will keep the painter living each day with honesty, truth, and the outlook that things will get better all in good time.


One day, the housekeeper brings an unexpected offering into the house to her master to help him with his troubles. This tiny little creature is a cat--an animal who has been marked as a Devil in Disguise, and a most unlikely creature to hold such great admiration in the animal world.


The painter agrees to keep the cat and calls her Good Fortune. As time goes on, Good Fortune's presence is unlike that of any other cat; she has a special, remarkable quality about her that the painter notices.


Soon the painter gets a calling from the temple's priest requesting him to paint the passing of their Lord Buddha, which is to hang in the village temple. Once the painter knew how the Buddha should be portrayed, Good Fortune was there after every image was painted, and in her own way was showing her admiration, and respect towards the painter's vision, until it seemed that her own voice, her own wish was not being acknowledged.


After the painting is presented to the priest, the painter is not granted the right to have it hung in the temple for he has painted an image that has not been blessed by the Buddha.


With sorrow heavy in his mind, the painter knows his future is far from bright, but his heart is heavy with compassion, joy, and the love that was transcending with gratitude and happiness through his last painting. With such joy and love being shown, perhaps there is more to the story of the painter and his Good Fortune.


After every chapter, there is one beautiful and bitter sweet poem that is written by the housekeeper. An uplifting message of the power, kindness, and the beauty of the spirit that is all around life.


I was gently pulled with the emotional chimes in this story--breathtaking with an unforgettable ending sure to touch your heart, and leave you wiping your eyes. I loved it!

Activity

Play a educational DVD about Japan and their culture.

Kitten's First Full Moon - Module 3

   

Kitten’s First Full Moon

by Kevin Henkes

2005 Caldecott Medal winner

Published by Greenwillow Books (2005)
ISBN 9780060588281
Audience: PreSchool-K

Tale

Kitten seems hungry as she views the full moon in the sky to be a big bowl full of delicious milk. She goes through a lot trying to reach the big bowl; can she get it?

Thoughts

This 2005 Caldecott Medal winner presents a simple tale, easily followed by the youngest readers. The black and white drawings are very detailed, done with clean lines. Each illustration focuses only on the main event, which makes them very supportive of the plot, character, and setting.

About the author

He always enjoyed drawing, and became a published author and illustrator at nineteen years old. His first published work was 1981’s All Alone. That was just the beginning of a great career writing picture books and novels.

To find out more about his work go to http://www.kevinhenkes.com/default.asp

Review

SLJ Reviews 2004 April
Website: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/

"PreS-K-An irresistible offering from the multifaceted Henkes. The spare and suspense-filled story concerns a kitten that mistakes the moon for a bowl of milk. When she opens her mouth to lick the treat, she ends up with a bug on her tongue. Next, she launches herself into the air, paws reaching out for the object of her desire, only to tumble down the stairs, "bumping her nose and banging her ear and pinching her tail. Poor Kitten." Again and again, the feline's persistent attempts to reach her goal lead to pain, frustration, and exhaustion. Repetitive phrases introduce each sequence of desire, action, and consequence, until the animal's instincts lead her home to a satisfying resolution. Done in a charcoal and cream-colored palette, the understated illustrations feature thick black outlines, pleasing curves, and swiftly changing expressions that are full of nuance. The rhythmic text and delightful artwork ensure storytime success. Kids will surely applaud this cat's irrepressible spirit. Pair this tale with Frank Asch's classic Moongame (S & S, 1987) and Nancy Elizabeth Wallace's The Sun, the Moon and the Stars (Houghton, 2003) for nocturnal celebrations.-Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information."

Activities

Ask the children about the shapes of the moon. Showing them paper cutouts with these shapes, ask the children what they think the shapes look like. Ask them if they can think about other things that can be related to the moon’s shape.

Flotsam - Module 3

 

FLOTSAM

By David Wiesner

2007 Caldecott Medal winner

Published by Clarion Books (2006)
ISBN: 9780618194575
Audience: K-G4

Tale

While beachcombing, a boy finds an old picture camera and discover that a roll of film is still inside it. Intrigued to see what kind of pictures the roll holds, he takes the camera to a one hour photo store to be developed. To his surprise, the pictures are a mix of fantasy and nature from two worlds that seem to overcome their limitations and overlap. He also finds out that he is not the first kid to have the pictures developed; is he going to be the last one?

Thoughts

Is there anything more exciting that finding shells, coins, and other treasures on the seashore? Imagine finding a special treasure that holds fantastic images buried within it. Caldecott Medal winner David Wiesner does a wonderful job telling a tale without any words that will intrigue readers of all ages. The pictures are great and they deliver the story perfectly. The beautiful colors, the exceptional details on facial expressions, the extraordinary creativity, the clear sequence of events, and the inclusion of multicultural elements, all make this a remarkable work.

About the author

Author and illustrator, Wiesner won many awards for his picture book creations. Some of them have been translated into many languages.

To read more about his work, his biography, and the awards received, visit http://www.hmhbooks.com/wiesner/

Activities

3^rd grade and up: Ask students to write commentary for the illustrations.

All grades: Ask students to tell what is going to happen next in the story.

All grades: Ask students to create their own wordless story through illustrations.

Review

Kirkus Reviews 2006 August #1

"From arguably the most inventive and cerebral visual storyteller in children's literature, comes a wordless invitation to drift with the tide, with the story, with your eyes, with your imagination. A boy at the beach picks up a barnacle-encrusted underwater camera. He develops the film, which produces, first, pictures of a surreal undersea world filled with extraordinary details (i.e., giant starfish bestride the sea carrying mountainous islands on their backs), and then a portrait of a girl holding a picture of a boy holding a picture of another boy . . . and so on . . . and on. Finally, the boy needs a microscope to reveal portraits of children going back in time to a sepia portrait of a turn-of-the-century lad in knickers. The boy adds his own self-portrait to the others, casts the camera back into the waves, and it is carried by a sea creature back to its fantastic depths to be returned as flotsam for another child to find. In Wiesner's much-honored style, the paintings are cinematic, coolly restrained and deliberate, beguiling in their sibylline images and limned with symbolic allusions. An invitation not to be resisted. (Picture book. 6-11) Copyright Kirkus 2006 Kirkus/BPI Communications.All rights reserved."