Module 3-Verse Novel by Sonya Sones- Book 3

1.Bibliography
Sones,Sonya.2004.One of those Hideous Books where the Mother Dies.New York,NY:Simon Pulse.ISBN:9781416907886.

2.Plot Summary
Told in verse, the novel follows teenager Ruby as she grieves over her mother's recent death and moves in with her previously unknown movie star father. Ruby misses her best friend Lizbeth and her boyfriend Ray and corresponds with them through email about her Hollywood father and her trendy,"new-age" high school.

3.Critical Analysis
With its emphasis on celebrity and predictable plot,this novel reads like a Jacqueline Susann novel for teens. Although fast paced and absorbing,this book is ultimately unsatisfying because protagonist Ruby's reactions are stereotypical,shallow and predictable.Sones displays a good command of pacing and contemporary teen language in individual poems. She creates a brisk rythym of short,everyday words to smoothly move the action forward in such poems as The Next Few Days Just Sort of Blur By.
[Ruby feels..]
"Like I'm riding on a train
through the pouring rain
trying to see out the window
wearing someone else's glasses".
The free verse style does not seemed forced and the natural use of language and steady action should capture the attention of reluctant readers. Yet, the poems do not stand up well on their own.Each poem must be read in context to be enjoyed.It has no meaning at all,or linguistic merit when removed from its place next to other poems.

Despite its predictability,uninteresting language,and stock Hollywood and best friend characters, this verse novel does have some genuine insights. Because Sonya Sones has worked in Hollywood,both as a personal assistant on a movie set and an animator,she is in a good position to document the culture shock someone would feel if they came from the heartland to Hollywood.This aspect of the novel should appeal to teens who follow celebrity tweets and blogs.

Still, the novel is hampered by the incomplete development of the main character. Although Sones attempts to capture Ruby's emotional turmoil with overwrought,dramatic imagery such as,"my[Ruby's] eyes threaten to turn into two gushing faucets",Ruby's reactions never develop beyond skin-deep excitement or rudeness and glumness.Ruby's grief never seems very genuine and Sones uses the contrived celebrity plot so that she can neatly create a verse novel that comes across as a typical problem novel.


4.Review Excerpts

School Library Journal.
"This is not just another one of those gimmicky novels written in poetry. It's solid and well written, and Sones has a lot to say about the importance of carefully assessing people and situations and about opening the door to one's own happiness. Despite several predictable particulars of plot, Ruby's story is gripping, enjoyable, and memorable."

The Horn Book
"Sones' novel is an unusual combination of over-the-top Hollywood fairy tale and sharp, honest story about overcoming grief."
Connections:

Another novel in verse about a teen dealing with grief:
Escaping Tornado Season:A Novel in Verse by Julie Williams.
ISBN:9780060086398

Teens might want to read other verse novels by Sonia Sones.
Stop Pretending ISBN:0064462188 (pbk.)
What my Girlfriend Doesn't Know ISBN:9780689876028
What my Mother doesn't Know. ISBN:9780689876028

If teens liked the Los Angeles setting of the book and the glimpse into the movie industry, they might enjoy
Boy Proof By Cecil Castelluci. ISBN:9780763623333

Module 3- Book 2 Poetry book by Nikki Grimes

1.Bibliography-Grimes,Nikki.2005.
Danitra Brown,Class Clown.
Ill.by E.B.Lewis.New York,NY:Amistad.
ISBN-13:978-0688172909

2.Plot Summary
Everyone should have a friend like Danitra Brown. Zuri, shy and bad at math, is certainly glad that she does. Told from Zuri's point of view,this book chronicles Zuri's difficulties at school. Luckily, the irrepressible Danitra helps Zuri and makes every school day memorable.


Danitra has
"One of a kind hairdo
One of a kind smile
Singular appetite
Singular style
Original thinker
Ignoring every trend
Matchless tutor
Matchless friend."


3.Critical Analysis


The vibrant watercolors by E.B. Lewis portray the purple-wearing Danitra and the shyer ,more subdued Zuri. The school yard and classroom are filled in with enough visual detail to seem extremely real. Even the less focused shapes of the classmates in the background are portrayed with verve and appeal,while in the foreground,the portrayal of Zuri and Danitra seems very natural and works like a snapshot by freezing an important moment in time.

The lively rhymes perfectly capture the friendship of Zuri and Danitra.
The poetry flows well and represents the progress of the school year from shyness and fear to admiration and hope. The words rhyme at the end of each line, creating a natural flow that does not sound forced.This perfect rhyme scheme creates an exciting yet reassuring pattern. Grimes creates a feeling of affection for Danitra by showing that Zuri calls her my Danitra.

The rythym of the verses mirror the subject matter. When Grimes writes in bursts that Danitra"twirled and leaped and stamped her feet" it is easy to hear the poem as a stamping sort of dance.In poems like Miss Volchek the poet uses consonance with the hard sound of the letter r in the middle of the words"mister",year",Wexler" and teacher" to convey a sense of slight resentment against the new teacher.

Grimes also masters the art of describing characteristics without resorting to mere lists of character traits. Instead, her descriptions are filled with little details,like the unconventional contents of Danitra's lunch,symbolic of Danitra's easygoing non-conformity. These details, conveyed in every-day language, bring the characters to life.Even the names like Ms.Volcheck and the name of Zuri's crush ,Wardell, seem realistically taken from a classroom roster.

The language effectively conveys the emotions of love,affection,admiration,fear through falling and rising ryhthym and either more reticient or more assertive sounds.

Review Excerpts
School Library Journal
Starred Review."Grimes's text, a running sequence of titled verses, neatly voices the critical self-examination of preadolescent girls. Lewis's detailed watercolor paintings create energy of their own, revealing the girls' emotions with visualization of both joyous expressions and thoughtful moments."

Horn Book
"Lewis's watercolors contrast the almost-bland, fearful Zuri and the purple-wearing, ebullient Danitra with effective use of body language, clothing, and facial expressions, conveying not only their differing personalities but also their great friendship,"

Connections:
This is a good book to start a discussion on friendship.

Before the discussion,have children perhaps read their favorite parts of this book in unison. This book must be read aloud to be fully appreciated.
Have children describe their best friends.What do they like about them? Does Danitra have the same qualities? How are their own best friends like Danitra and how are they different? What makes someone your best friend?
On her website, Nikki Grimes even suggests making a check list of all the special things about your best friend.

Gather other books that celebrate friendship such as:
One that younger children will enjoy, Girls Together by Sherley Anne Williams.Ill. By Synthia Saint James .ISBN:9780152309824

Other books in this series-
Book 1:Meet Danitra Brown
ISBN: 9780688120733

Book 2:Danitra Brown Leaves Town
ISBN:9780688131555

Module 3- Book 1:Poetry book by Douglas Florian-

1. Bibliography
Florian,Douglas.2003.Autumnblings Ill.by Douglas Florian.
New York,NY: Greenwillow. ISBN:0060092793

2.Plot Summary

Douglas Florian answers the questions "What do you like about autumn" and "What do you not like about autumn?" in poems that celebrate the particular joys and disappointments unique to the season of autumn in this companion
volume to Winter Eyes and Summersaults. This book is aimed at children ages 5 and up.

3.Critical Analysis
Florian uses a wide variety of poetry techniques in an unobtrusive way ,to celebrate with children, the joys of poetry and the delights and drawbacks of autumn.

Florian sometimes employs short simple lines with every line rhymed. This rhyme scheme is called identical rhyme.

The poet alters the rhythym of the poems according to the subject matter.
The quick,sharp,fast falling rhythym of the poem,"What I Love about Autumn."mimicks the rapid fall of autumn leaves in a strong wind,while other poems like "Autumnblings"trip over the tongue with a gradual rising and falling sound that gives the impression of tumbling and slowly descending.

The author also makes good use of the onomatopoeia words like "screech"in the poem
Up and Down
"Up in a tree a screeching jay
is teaching others:
Stay Away!"
This particular poem also makes use of a typed up and down word pattern that follows the rise and fall of the speaker's voice in a way that must naturally engage children.
Indeed,Douglas Florian pulls out all the stops and uses a wide assortment of techniques to grab the attention of his young readers

The poem "Plump Pumpkin" uses the color orange of the pumpkins, a play on words and the alliteration of the title,as well as silly humor,and vivid images to interest little children.

"Plump Orange Pumpkin.
Plump orange cat.
Plump orange full moon-
Orange you fat."


The language used in Autumnblings stirs up a variety of moods and energy levels;it is at times energetic,contemplative,silly or even playful like the knock-knock jokes that kids love.

The simple,spontaneous and bright watercolors that illustrate each poem really seem as they are done by children,but they are drawn by the author. He uses a style that seems deliberately clumsy,yet charmingly naive,especially when he draws hands and faces. This is very impressive.

Florian describes the joys of the season in poems such as "What I Love About Autumn"

He describes the autumn wind in a captivating way.
The Wind
"Blow-Drier
Kite-Flier
Leaf-Dancer
Seed-Prancer
Hat-Tosser
Earth-Crosser"

Florian uses direct, simple language in a way that reflects children's speech patterns. The poems contain a sense of joy and movement that helps introduce the season to South Texans,who only experience 2 seasons: "hot" and "not as hot."



4.Review Excerpts

School Library Journal:
"These delightful poems about the season are imbued with a sense of innocent wonder. Attractive watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations cheerfully capture the childlike whimsy and colors of fall."

Booklist:
"Using rhyme, meter, and puns to good effect, as well as changes in fonts and type, he adds to the sense of movement and joy in the poetry."

Connections:

This book of poems should be read aloud to a group.
After you read these poems try these ideas:
Collect autumn leaves and smell them.Write down all the words associated with the leaves.
Have students compose an acrostic about Autumn together.
Harper Collins website suggests leaf related crafts such as making leaf rubbings.Other ideas from the site include talking about other animals that hibernate and tying these discussions to the poem "HiBearNation".

Other poetry books by Douglas Florian about seasons.
Summersaults ISBN:0060292679
Winter Eyes ISBN:0688164587
Poetry books by other authors about a season.
Winter Friends by Mary Quattlebaum.
ISBN:9780385908689

Module 2-Book 3 Folk Poetry

1. Bibliography
Schwartz, Alvin. 1992. And the Green Grass Grew All Around:
Folk Poetry From Everyone. Ill.by Sue Truesdell.
New York,NY:Harper Collins.ISBN:0060227583

2. Plot Summary
"Stare,Stare like a bear
Sitting in your underwear."
A collection of the folk poetry, street chants, jump-rope rhymes,ball bouncing songs, and hide-n-go seek call-outs that make up the soundtrack to childhood.
Schwartz approaches his subject matter with an inexhaustible curiosity,an eye for detail and a good ear for the poetry of the street.

The author proves himself to be a keen observer of street-lore and collects his material from a wide variety of sources. He talks to children from many geographical regions ranging from Appalachia to New York City.

Author Alvin Schwartz,who is very thorough, has all the loony and hilarious rhymes,parodies, and poetry divided into categories such as Food, School, Teases and Taunts, Love and Marriage and Work. There are many other categories,but a listing of these particular categories proves that there is a ridiculous rhyme for every occasion. Schoolyard chants pretty much cover Birth, Death and everything in between. Through his collection,Schwartz proves that children are not that sheltered from the harsh realities of life. Instead,children prefer to deal with harsh realities by turning to nonsense.

There is also a charming introduction in which Schwartz recounts his first playground "hazing" and his personal discovery in the schoolyard of taunts and chants.
He also provides the musical notation for some of the songs. This way they can be reproduced by any school music teacher.
3 Critical Analysis
Although the latest rhymes in this collection come from the late 1980's,they still seem fresh and funny.
The notes in the back of the book should not be skipped over. They are especially interesting because they mention the name of the individual child who supplied each rhyme. This serves as wonderful proof that these goofy rhymes could never be fashioned by a professional writer,but are sung by real children from San Francisco to San Antonio. As they are so crucial to understanding the history and development of street rhymes,perhaps they should be interspersed as end notes at the conclusion of each chapter. It seems as if these very important list of sources and notes would be overlooked because they are stuck in the back of the book.

The author also helpfully supplies and index of first lines, a very exhaustive bibliography,and some very enlightening, surprising and memorable histories of these rhymes in the notes section. Before I read this book,for example, I had no idea that eeny,meeny, miny,moe was derived from the celtic numbers for counting sheep.This is a fascinating book that I will turn to again and again.

The whimsical illustrations by Sue Truesdell work well with the nonsensical nature of the rhymes.


4 Review Excerpts
School Library Journal " A marvelous book that is sure to become a classic if children have any say in the matter."

The Horn Book"Full of vigorous, swinging rhythms and funny, often nasty, sentiments, the pages are filled with well-known rhymes as well as new discoveries."


5 Connections
Children can tape record the playground chants that they know and share them with their friends. Have students collect some folk rhymes from their parents.

Other books about folk-rhymes and playground chants include:
Withers, Carl. Rocket in my pocket. ISBN-13: 978-0805008043
Sierra,Judy. Shoolyard Rhymes..ISBN-13: 978-0375825163
Yolen,Jane. Street Rhymes around the World.ISBN-13: 978-1563978944
Kids who loved the silly poems in this book will love the goofy poems in Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends. ISBN-13: 978-0060572341

Children might also enjoy clapping along with the songs on the compact Disc, Brazilian Playground, available through the Putumayo Kids record label.

Module 2-Book 2 Cinderella Variant

1 Bibliography
Fair Brown and Trembling :an Irish Cinderella Story. Daly,Jude.2000.
New York,NY: Farrar, Strauss and Giroux.ISBN 0374322473.

2.Plot Summary
In medieval Ireland, poor, beautiful sister "Trembling" is mistreated and hidden-away by her evil sisters "Fair" and "Brown", because they do not want her to marry before they do. One Sunday while she is doing chores because she is not allowed to attend church, a hen-wife appears to Trembling and exchanges the girl's rags with magic finery. The hen-wife sends her to church on a milk-white mare ,but issues a few warnings:"Do not go inside the church door. And the moment the service finishes ,ride home as fast as the mare will carry you!"Each successive Sunday after that, Trembling rides a different colored horse and stands at the entrance of the open village church wearing another magically colored dress. Soon the Prince of Emania and other princes from near and far crowd into the church to catch a glimpse of the mysterious beauty. The prince of Emania,who stayed outside the church during the service,reaches out and grabs Trembling's slipper as she flees the church on her horse.In an unusual continuation of the Cinderella story,after the Prince of Emania finds Trembling, he must still battle many foreign princes for her hand. Trembling and the Prince live happily ever after and have fourteen children.


3.Critical Analysis

It is possible that this Irish re-telling of the Cinderella story may not hold the attention of younger readers. The flat pictures, which show spindly-legged horses and characters with strangely-elongated fingers recall the medieval works such as The Bayeux tapestry and the Psalter of Saint Louis. These plain illustrations,done in a mixed media of watercolor and pastels, serve to emphasize the archetypal elements of the Cinderella story because of their lack of closely observed detail. Ms. Daly does make good use of the color green, so emblematic of "Erin" or Ireland where the story is set, because she creates vibrant hills and fields as a bacgkground for the figures in the story. Even though they are done with some bright colors, the simple illustrations with little detail will not hold children's interest.

The language of the tale,while adequate, lacks poetry and never manages to create a sense of drama. The pacing of the story, which seems awkward and labored, also fails to create a feeling of suspense. The characters of the evil sisters,Fair and Brown,while mean,never really emerge as characters that we love to hate. The lack of this intensity robs many readers of the ability to really despise the villains. This is one of the joys of the fairy tale. The wicked sisters do, however, receive a satisfying and original punishment;They are put out to sea in a barrel. In addition to the punishment of the sisters,there are other unusual aspects to the story. The scenes between the battling princes are unusual and will appeal to boys who must ordinarily feel bored and excluded by the original Cinderella tale.

4.Review Excerpts
School Library Journal
"Daly's retelling is enhanced by the lusciously colored, somewhat fey illustrations. However, it is diminished by language that is less rich than that in Joseph Jacobs's version of the tale."

Booklist
"This is a traditional version of the Cinderella story--no fractured fairy tale with a feminist hero who runs the show."

5.Connections
Though limited in its appeal,this book could still serve as a good starting point for an activity.

Readers could try making some Irish inspired crafts like the ones suggested in the book, Crafts for Saint Patrick's Day by Kathy Ross.ISBN 0761313060


Children could research other Cinderella variants.

Gather other Cinderella stories such as Soot Face: An Ojibwa Cinderella Story By Daniel San Souci ISBN 0-440-41363-X or The Persian Cinderella by Shirley Climo. ISBN-13: 978-0060267650 and compare and contrast the elements of the story. See how many common elements the children can find. How do the stories differ from the Disney story everyone is familiar with?

Module 2- Book 1 Folktale: In the Moonlight Mist

1. Bibliography San Souci,Daniel.1999.In the Moonlight Mist:A Korean Tale Ill. by Eujin Kim Neilan. Honesdale, PA
Boyds Mills Press: 1999.ISBN1563977540


2.Plot Summary
In this Korean folk tale set during the Chosun dynasty, a kind-hearted woodcutter rescues an enchanted deer,who then then tells the woodcutter how to trick a celestial maiden into marriage. The maiden learns to love the woodcutter,but soon longs for her heavenly home. Always the dutiful son, the woodcutter also worries about his frail elderly mother and ultimately shows that he is willing to sacrifice his happiness for her maternal well-being.


3.Critical Analysis
The illustrator uses thick, textured,vigorous concentric strokes of acrylic to convey mood and expression. Ms. Eujin Kim Neilan shows great skill in portraying the intensely expressive faces of the characters. The look of sorrow on the face of the now earth-bound magical wife is especially moving. The illustrations incorporate cinematic perspective with the use of close-ups and angles that look like movie stills. Especially notable is the illustration that shows the woodcutter, his wife and his baby with the page divided into three frames.
Another well done scene,which demonstrates the illustrator's adept use of perspective, shows the wife floating up into the sky with the bereft woodcutter shouting in the background. The colors are carefully tied to the scenes of the plot with lighter yellow colors used to picture earth scenes while a darker blue,violet palette is used to represent, enchanted, celestial space.

This story portrays the values that are prized by Korean society. These values include self-sacrifice,self-denial and taking care of elders. Filial duty,which is very important in Korea,creates a culturally related family dilemma. This dilemma occurs when the son must choose between joining his wife in heaven or using the opportunity to send his mother to this wonderful paradise instead. As this story reflects the strongly held Korean values,influenced by Confucianism,of filial piety and self sacrifice,American readers,raised in a culture of individualism,may feel distanced from the story and could find it difficult to relate to this point of view.

4.Review Excerpts
Booklist."An evocative tale with a dulcet message."
The Horn Book."The acrylic paintings extend the well-told text and add cultural details."

5.Connections
Teachers could use this book as an impetus to study and teach more about Korean culture. The juvenile series Cultures of the World has a very informative and interesting book on Korea by Jill Dubois.

Another tale that exposes children to Korean customs and history is:
Park, Linda Sue. The Firekeeper's Son. Ill. By Jill Dowling.
ISBN-13: 978-0618133376

Another fairy tale about self-sacrifice and filial duty is The Green Frogs: A Korean Folk Tale. Written and Illustrated by Yumi Heo.
ISBN-13: 978-0395683781.
This story is also a "pour-qoi" tale.


Teach some of the Korean games found in the book Look What we Bought You From Korea : Crafts,Games,Stories and Other Cultural Activities from Korean Americans By Phyllis Shalant. Illustrations by Sooyoo Hyunjoo Park. ISBN :0671887025

This book includes many fun Korean games,such as the Korean version of Paper,Scissors,Rock called Kawi/Pawi/Po.

Module 1 Picture Books -Book 3

1. Bibliography
Marcus,Leonard S.2001.
Side by Side:Five Favorite Picture-Book Teams go to Work.
New York,NY:Walker and Company. ISBN:0802787797

2.Plot Summary
A look at the collaborations that produced some of our most beloved picture books.

The author and illustrator interviews,photographs,drawings and handwritten notes help readers gain an understanding of all the labor that goes into creating a good children's book. The handwritten lists, as well as the thumbnail sketches which serve as very early rough drafts give the reader an insight into the creative process.Information about each collaboration is supplemented with examples of the illustrators' artwork in other publications such as Lane Smith's travel magazine illustrations. A helpful time line and biographical information are provided for each team.

3. Critical Analysis
The examination of the entire process is fascinating,but the "dummies" or page mock-ups of what will eventually become the final layout are especially interesting. All the chapters are worthwhile. However,the most memorable chapter of the book takes a look at writer Julius Lester's and illustrator Jerry Pinkney's artistic choices as they improve upon and update the negative portrayals of African Americans in Helen Bannerman's Little Black Sambo. Leonard Marcus portrays the history of this troubling book without resorting to inflammatory language,yet deals honestly with the underlying issues of stereotypes in a way that respects the intelligence of his readers. Side by Side is written in an easy-to-follow and engaging style aimed at the intermediate reader.

4.Review Excerpts
Publisher's Weekly Review
"Readers snared by their interest in the teams behind favorites such as the Magic School Bus series and The Stinky Cheese Man will appreciate the insights into the inner workings of bookmaking, and may well end up appreciating the books more for the energy and ingenuity it takes to create them."

The Horn Book
With his broad knowledge of the field and the imagination to communicate that knowledge to others, Leonard Marcus here provides unusual insight into the topic of artistic partnerships.

5.Connections
Encourage teams of older children to collaborate on their own story-telling project with original text and artwork.
Gather the books mentioned in Side-by-Side and talk about the specific illustrations reproduced in the book and what makes them special.

Other books about the artistry of children's literature:
Evans,Dilys.Show and Tell: Explore the Fine Art of Children's Book.ISBN:9780811849715

Graham,Paula W. (ed.)Speaking of Journals:Children's Book Writers Talk About their Diaries,Notebooks, and Sketchbooks.
ISBN:1563977419

Module 1 Picture Books- Books 2

June 13,2009

1.Bibliography
Swanson,Susan Marie. 2008.
The House in the Night.Ill.by Beth Krommes.
New York,NY:Houghton Mifflin.
ISBN 0780618862443


2.Plot Summary
The verses,starting with
"Here is the key to the house.
In the house burns a light.
In that light rests a bed.
On that bed waits a book..."
make up a poem with cumulative patterns modeled after such famous rhymes as "This is the house that Jack built."

3.Critical Analysis
This ultimate bed time story should lull children to sleep.
The prominent and eye-catching scratchboard illustrations in black and white with touches of gold jump out at the reader. They have a dimensionality and depth created by the cross hatching and stipling. The verses,along with the art, which abounds with fine,precise detail and texture, help create a dimly lit but comforting world. The restful mood created by the repetition of the verse is also nurtured by the recurring use of such motifs as the bird,who eventually carries a dreaming child on his back in each illustration.The carefully placed accents of luminous gold in the illustrations serve to emphasize the important nouns in the rhyme,such as book and house,while the lulling rythym of the text gives the book a quality of a lullaby and creates a sense of well-being. The appearance of yellow colored text subtly signals the climax in the book and puts the readers' focus on the bird.

4. Review Excerpts
2009 Randolph Caldecott Medal
Publisher's Weekly Best Books of 2008.
Starred review in Publisher's Weekly:
"This volume's artful simplicity, homely wisdom and quiet tone demonstrate the interconnected beauty and order of the world in a way that both children and adults will treasure."
Starred review in Booklist:
*"Here, the art is spectacular. Executed in scratchboard decorated in droplets of gold, Krommes' illustrations expand on Swanson's reassuring story (inspired by a nursery rhyme that begins, This is the key of the kingdom ) to create a world as cozy inside the house as it is majestic outside."


5. Connections
Gather other books with cumulative rhymes such as The Napping House by Audrey and Don Wood. Ask students to notice changes in the colors used in this book and also have them look for visual patterns and recurring motifs such as the flea.

Children could talk about their own houses and draw pictures of them.

Shining a flashlight on each page while reading to children with the lights dimmed would mimic the feeling of a getting ready for bed storytime while allowing children a new way to experience the contrast between light and dark.

Other books with cumulative rhyme patterns:
Winter,Jeannette.The House that Jack Built.ISBN978-0803728202
Galdone,Paul.The Gingerbread Boy.ISBN 9780899191638

Module 1 Picture Books-Book 1

1.BIB
LIOGRAPHY

Willems,Mo.2008.
The Pigeon Wants A Puppy.
New York,NY: Hyperion Books.
ISBN 9781423109600

2.Plot Summary
In this lively picture book,Mo Willems brings back the character of The Pigeon, a headstong and whimsical creature.The Pigeon starts with an introduction. Then, much like a petulant child,he continues to demand a puppy. From the beginning it is clear that he has confused puppy care with houseplant care. He gets his wish with hilarious results.

3. Critical Analysis
Willems's writing is whimsical and sharp-witted. The Pigeon draws the reader in by addressing him directly with escalating demands for a puppy. The pigeon declares in a gesture of self-importance, "I am a puppy-lovin' pigeon." The sheer absurdity of the statements build with a climactic flourish that will entrance children.

Willems uses bold,simple lines that create a sense of energy and movement. His witty, minimalist line drawings of the iconic pigeon and the uncluttered, clean composition of each page with its neutral or muted background , work with the rythym of the words to build momentum and anticipation. The sharp,strong typeface of the text adds to the artistry of the book by further complementing the spare drawings and emphasizing the silly emotional state of the bird with each change in font size. Much like Daffy Duck ,his better known but equally self-deluded avian counterpart,the pigeon is an unforgettable quirky character who will continue to delight children with his obviously ridiculous ways.

4.Review Excerpts
Starred review in Library School Journal : "Willems's hilariously expressive illustrations and engaging text are cinematic in their interplay. Maybe kids won't appreciate the genius behind it the way adults will, but that won't stop them from asking for this book again and again."

5.CONNECTIONS
Discuss why getting a puppy wouldn't be such a good idea. Why is pigeon's wish silly?

Gather other picture books about puppies such as the Bark,George by Jules Feiffer. Ask children to identify typical dog and other animal sounds.Feiffer's witty book about a puppy who does everything but bark will delight pre-schoolers who enjoy The Pigeon books.

Older"puppy-lovin' " readers of The Pigeon Wants a Puppy will enjoy The Perfect Puppy for Me by Jane O'Connor and Jessie Hart(illustrator).

Other books by Mo Willems:
Knuffle Bunny.ISBN-13: 978-0786818709
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus.ISBN-13: 978-0786819881