Module 6: Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal (SLIS 5420 review)

Summary: Little Pea loves to do things like play with his friends and spend time with his mother and father. One thing he does not like to do is eat his candy for dinner. Mama Pea and Papa Pea promise that if he eats his candy dinner, he can have his favorite dessert— spinach!

Citation: Rosenthal, A. K., & Corace, J. (2005). Little Pea. San Francisco: Chronicle Books.

Impression: Like many of Rosenthal’s other books, Little Pea is extremely clever. The premise of this book— that peas eat candy for dinner and vegetables for dessert— is especially fun and unexpected. Corace’s bright, simple illustrations pop against the white background of the pages. She was able to give the peas, especially Little Pea, distinct facial expressions that are entertaining. (His expressions while he’s eating the five pieces of candy are priceless.) This charming book is short and simple enough to hold the attention of even the littlest “peas,” and is sure to please kids and parents alike. (Although it may have kids asking for candy for dinner and wanting to skip the spinach dessert.)

Review:
Publisher’s Weekly:
Peas, the oft-reviled legumes that can make dinnertime a battle, take center plate in Rosenthal's (Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, for adults) silly picture book about food choices--and picky eaters--turned topsy-turvy. Little Pea enjoys an ordinary life with his parents and pea pals playing, reading stories and getting lovingly tucked into bed. But the one thing Little Pea has trouble with is candy, the icky entrée that his parents insist he eat for dinner each night. As Mama and Papa Pea say, "If you want to grow up to be a big strong pea" or have dessert, candy must be eaten. Once Little Pea whines through his required five-piece serving of sweets, he's happy to top off his torture with a special treat-spinach! Young readers will take glee in Little Pea's absurd yet familiar predicament, while parents will surely identify with Mama and Papa Pea's universal struggle. Newcomer Corace's warmhearted ink-and-watercolor paintings plays up the most of ample white space, which plays up the vibrant greenness of the Pea family. Images of tiny, bouncing peas playing hopscotch, and Papa Pea flipping his boy off the end of a spoon are especially memorable. Kids are likely to view their veggies with new eyes when mealtime rolls around.

(2005, May 5). [Review of the book Little Pea, by A. Rosental and J. Corace]. Publishers Weekly, 252(19), 69. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/

Use in library: Little Pea would be a perfect book for a food-themed storytime. Kids would get a kick out of the fact that peas eat candy for dinner and spinach for dessert.

Module 5: Bad News for Outlaws by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson (SLIS 5420 review)

Summary: Vaunda Micheaux Nelson’s book tells the reader about the fascinating life of Bass Reeves, a black man who served as a Deputy U.S. Marshall from 1875 to 1907. Micheaux Nelson gives the reader information about his early life as a slave, his family life, and his 32-year career with the U.S. Marshalls.

Citation: Nelson, V. M., & Christie, R. G. (2009). Bad news for outlaws: the remarkable life of Bass Reeves, deputy U.S. marshal. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books.

Impression: Bad News for Outlaws is an extremely captivating read. I had never heard of Bass Reeves before, and this book brought him to life for me and made me want to learn more about him. First of all, Nelson’s text reads like fiction. Her writing is very descriptive, and she includes memorable details from several specific warrants Reeves carried out, including one for his own son, Benjamin. She uses lots of Western words and phrases, which help set the scene and transport the readers back in time. She defines these words in a helpful glossary in the back of the book. She also includes a timeline and bibliography for readers who are interested in learning more. Christie’s paintings compliment Nelson’s text. He uses lots of neutral colors and broad brush strokes match the rough, dusty life lived by Reeves and the outlaws he chased.

Review:
School Library Journal:
Reeves is an unsung hero of the American West whose honesty and sense of duty are an inspiration to all. In a frontier brimming with treachery and lawlessness, this African-American peace officer stood out as a fearless figure of unparalleled integrity, arresting more than 3,000 outlaws during his 32 years of service as a deputy U.S. marshal, all without suffering an injury. He was a former slave who became a successful farmer and family man before accepting the appointment to serve as a lawman in the Indian Territory in 1875. While Gary Paulsen's The Legend of Bass Reeves (Random, 2006) mixes fact and fiction to great effect, Nelson chooses to keep her telling as close to documented research as possible. Selected anecdotes ranging from a humorous encounter with a skunk to an intense gunfight with an outlaw provide a sense of the man's courage and character. The text is chock-full of colorful turns of phrase that will engage readers who don't "cotton to" nonfiction (a glossary of "Western Words" is included). Christie's memorable paintings convey Reeves's determination and caring, while rugged brushstrokes form the frontier terrain. Youngsters will find much to admire here.

Glasscock, L. (2009). [Review of the book Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal, by V. Nelson and R. Christie]. School Library Journal, 55(11), 134-135. Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/

Uses in a library: Bad News for Outlaws could be used as part of booktalk highlighting books on little-know historical figures, or in a display for Black History Month in February.

Module 5: Goin’ Someplace Special (SLIS 5420 review)

Summary: In Goin’ Someplace Special, a young girl named ‘Tricia Ann asks her grandmother if she can go off on her own to a special place. As she travels to her special place, she sees the unfairness of segregation all around her— she has to sit at the back of the bus, and she can’t sit down on a bench and enjoy a beautiful fountain. When she gets caught up in a crowd and ends up inside a swanky hotel, she is yelled at and thrown out. Tricia Ann starts to despair that she will ever make it to her special place, and wants to turn around and go home. However, with the help and encouragement of her friends, she finally arrives at her special place where all are welcome— the public library. The illustrator of the book, Jerry Pinkney, won the 2002 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award for the book.

Citation: McKissack, P., & Pinkney, J. (2001). Goin' someplace special. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Impression: Goin’ Someplace Special is such a touching book. It is even more heartbreaking knowing that it was based on the author’s own experiences growing up in Nashville. Many books have been written about segregation and the Civil Rights movement. This book stands out because it comes from the perspective of a child and it shows the many ways in which segregation affected the daily lives of black people during that time. This combination and the picture book format make Goin’ Someplace Special a great tool for teaching children about segregation and the role it played in our history.

Ultimately, Goin’ Someplace Special is a hopeful book. Tricia Ann is one determined and spunky girl. I especially liked the scene where she told a little boy and his sister that she would never sit in the back rows of the movie theater, “even if watermelons bloomed in January.” I also liked how the support and advice of her like friends Jimmy Lee and Blooming Mary helped give her the strength to continue on her journey to her “someplace special.” (Of course, as a public librarian, I loved that her special place was the public library.)

Review:
Horn Book:
Young Tricia Ann is off to Someplace Special — and about to "burst with excitement" because her grandmother is letting her go there alone for the very first time. The journey is not an easy one: she must face the indignities of life in the Jim Crow South. She has to sit behind the sign on the bus that says "COLORED SECTION," She is not allowed to sit in the park by the Peace Fountain her stonemason grandfather helped build. She visits her friend the doorman at the elegant Southland Hotel and is asked to leave. "What makes you think you can come inside? No colored people are allowed!" the manager says. Despite these humiliations, Tricia Ann is strengthened at every turn by people who care about her and who bolster her with reminders to "Carry yo'self proud" and "Don't let those signs steal yo' happiness." Soon she reaches her beloved Someplace Special — the public library The words carved in stone proclaim: "Public Library: All Are Welcome." Jerry Pinkney's illustrations place Tricia Ann at the center of each page, willing to face the challenges the outside world throws at her. Whether Tricia Ann is in her grandmother's kitchen (surrounded by bountiful fresh fruits and vegetables and the love they symbolize) or fearfully looking over her shoulder on the bus, Pinkney makes it clear that she will triumph. Though this story takes place in an unnamed Southern city, the helpful author's note states that McKissack was raised in Nashville, where, unlike many other Southern cities of the 1950s, the public libraries welcomed African Americans. The library pictured on the final pages, bathed in hopeful lemon sunshine, is the downtown library of 1950s Nashville. There are many books about a child's first trip alone, and many books about racism and the struggle for civil rights, but this book is about more than either: it is the story of a child facing a difficult time sustained by the support of the adults in her life. McKissack and Pinkney strike just the right balance in a picture book for young readers and listeners: informative without being preachy; hopeful without being sentimental.

Smith, R. (2001). [Review of the book Goin' Someplace Special, by P. McKissack and J. Pinkney]. Horn Book Magazine, 77(6), 736-737. Retrieved from http://www.hbook.com/

Uses in a Library: A public library could use this as part of a display for Black History Month during February or in a display of award-winning books. A school library could use it as part of a display of book on the Civil Rights movement.

Module 4: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (SLIS 5420 review)

Summary: The residents of the Sunset Towers apartment building get wrapped up in a mystery masterminded by an eccentric millionaire named Samuel Westing. After Westing is found dead, his lawyer follows Westing’s instructions and gathers the 16 people named in his will for a reading of the document. In his will, Westing outlines the rules for what he calls the Westing game. He claims he was murdered (by one of the people in the room) and challenges them to find the culprit. The person who solves the mystery will inherit the substantial Westing fortune. The 16 “heirs” do their best to decipher Westing’s clues and unravel the mystery, but one of them isn’t who they claim to be. Westing keeps the contestants (and the reader) guessing until the very end, and it takes one especially clever contestant to win the Westing game.

Citation: Raskin, E. (2001). The Westing game. New York: Puffin Books.

Impression This wonderful mystery from Ellen Raskin won the 1979 Newbery, and I can see why. One of the biggest things that struck me about this book is that even though it was first published in 1978, it doesn’t feel dated at all. I started the book expecting to come across lots of technology and popular culture references that would date the book for modern readers. I was pleasantly surprised when I didn’t find many at all. (The only reference that really dates the book is Turtle listening to stock reports on a transistor radio.) The dialog and descriptions all have a timeless sort of feel that modern readers will connect with and appreciate.

Another strength of the book is pacing. Raskin reveals just enough information to help readers solve pieces of the puzzle. For example, most readers will realize the initial clues given to the heirs form the lyrics to a famous song. However, she keeps the answer to the big mystery under wraps until the very end. I am an avid mystery reader. I love trying to solve the mystery along with the characters, and I can usually figure out whodunit. The end of The Westing Game was a complete surprise to me, and it made me want to read it again so I could pick up on all the clues I missed the first time.

Review:
School Library Journal:
Another mystery puzzle for fans of Raskin’s earlier novels. This one centers on the challenge set forth in the will of eccentric millionaire Samuel Westing. Sixteen heirs of diverse backgrounds and ages are assembled in the old “Westing House,” paired off, and given clues to a puzzles they must solve— apparently in order to inherit. (Not so coincidently, most of these characters have recently moved into a new luxury apartment building behind the mansion.) So the race is on, intensified by the shifting identities and the suspicion that Westing was murdered by one of the heirs. Readers may solve the initial puzzle sooner than the characters, but the central mystery holds until the end. The heroine is 13-year-old Tabitha-Ruth “Turtle” Wexler, and she the only character that’s given more than one dimension— though most are wittily conceived that all serve admirably for this genre. Young readers will be satisfied that Turtle turns out to be the real winner and they will enjoy the process by which she learns— and earns— her reward.

Dorsey, M. A., (1978). [Review of the book The Westing Game, by E. Raskin]. School Library Journal, 24(8), 87. Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/

Uses in a library: A library could have their own version of the Westing Game. It would be a wonderful program for older elementary school or middle school students. Librarians could create their own murder mystery, scavenger hunt, or treasure hunt based on the book.

Module 4: The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo (SLIS 5420 review)

Summary: Kate DiCamillo’s Newbery-winning book tells the reader a story about a young mouse Despereaux Tilling. Mice like Despereaux are supposed to be scared of humans, but Despereaux falls in love with light and music and a human princess named Pea. He commits the ultimate mouse faux pas when he speaks to Pea. He is shunned by the rest of the mice and sent to the damp, dark dungeon with the rats. While there, he is saved by Gergory, the jailer. Before he escapes, he overhears a conversation between a rat named Roscuro and a serving girl named Miggery Sow. Roscuro plans to use Miggery to help him exact his revenge on humans by kidnapping Princess Pea. Despereaux realizes it’s up to him to become an unlikely hero and save the day.

Citation: DiCamillo, K., & Ering, T. B. (2003). The tale of Despereaux. Cambridge, Mass.: Candlewick Press.

Impression: I was sucked into this book from the very beginning. It has the feeling of an old-fashioned fairy tale, which is enhanced by the occasional illustrations from Timothy Basil Ering. DiCamillo’s language is formal and elegant and weighty, without using an advanced vocabulary with too many words that children won’t know. Sometimes DiCamillo’s omniscient narrator address the reader directly and asks questions, which will lend well to reading out loud and interacting with kids.

The characterization is another one of the book’s strongest elements. It’s easy for the reader to sympathize with the humans, mice, and rats in the story. I was rooting for poor, sweet Despearaux from the moment when his mother named him Despereaux “for all the sadness, for the many despairs in this place” (p. 3). There are and there are even moments when you feel for the villainous rat Roscuro. In the dedication for the book DiCamillo says the book is for “Luke, who asked for the story of an unlikely hero.” DiCamillo has definitely created that hero I in Despereaux, I think the underdog aspects of the story will really appeal to kids.


Review:
Horn Book:
Despereaux Tilling is not like the other mice in the castle. He's smaller than average, with larger than average ears. He'd rather read books than eat them. And he's in love with a human being--Princess Pea. Because he dares to consort with humans, the Mouse Council votes to send him to the dungeon. Book the First ends with Despereaux befriending a jailer who resides there. Books two and three introduce Roscuro, a rat with a vendetta against Princess Pea, and Miggery Sow, a young castle servant who longs to become a princess. Despereaux disappears from the story for too long during this lengthy middle section, but all the characters unite in the final book when Roscuro and Miggery kidnap Princess Pea at knifepoint and Despereaux, armed with a needle and a spool of thread, makes a daring rescue. Framing the book with the conventions of a Victorian novel ("Reader, do you believe that there is such a thing as happily ever after?"), DiCamillo tells an engaging tale. The novel also makes good use of metaphor, with the major characters evoked in images of light and illumination; Ering's black-and-white illustrations also emphasize the interplay of light and shadow. The metaphor becomes heavy-handed only in the author's brief, self-serving coda. Many readers will be enchanted by this story of mice and princesses, brave deeds, hearts "shaded with dark and dappled with light," and forgiveness.

Sieruta, P. D. (2003). [Review of the book The Tale of Despereaux, by K. DiCamillo]. Horn Book Magazine, 79(5), 609-610. Retrieved from http://www.hbook.com/

Uses in a library: The Tale of Despereaux would be a great choice for a book club for elementary students. It would lead to a great discussion about bravery, friendship, and good versus evil. It would also be a great read aloud for a library or a classroom.

Module 3: Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig (SLIS 5420 review)

Summary: Sylvester is a young donkey who loves to collect rocks. One day he finds a bright red pebble and discovers that it can grant wishes. He makes several wishes to test out the rock’s power, then starts home to share his amazing discovery with his family. On the way home he crosses paths with a lion, and in his panic he wishes to become a rock so he can avoid the lion. Without the magic pebble, Sylvester can’t turn himself back. Sylvester is afraid that he will have to stay a rock forever, but a happy coincidence turns him back into a donkey and reunites him with his loving family.

Citation: Steig, W. (1969). Sylvester and the magic pebble. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Impression: I can see why Steig’s Caldecott-winning book has stood the test of time.
The premise of the book is interesting and doesn’t become dated easily. The idea of an ordinary object having such extraordinary powers will always be fascinating to children and adults alike. Even though Sylvester and the Magic Pebble was originally published in 1969, Steig’s illustrations don’t feel old fashioned. He used many bright colors, especially in the characters’ clothes and home furnishings. His drawings are simple enough that children could try to replicate them, but detailed enough to provide lots of visual interest.

I also think the book still resonates because young readers can connect with the different emotions Sylvester experiences. Seig’s words and illustrations work together perfectly to convey emotions, like Sylvester’s excitement at finding a treasure like the magic pebble, his fright at running into the lion, the despair of his parents when he goes missing, and their joy at being reunited. One of best examples of this is a panel where Sylvester’s mother sits in a rocking chair, a tear coming down her check. Part of the text on the page reads “Mr. and Mrs. Duncan no longer knew what to do,” and there is a vase with wilted flowers in the background. Steig was great at including those little details in the illustrations to help readers get the whole story.

Review:
Kirkus:
Sylvester's "only chance of becoming himself again was for someone to find the red pebble and to wish that the rock next to it would be a donkey"--surely the prize predicament of the year and, in William Steig's pearly colors, one of the prettiest. How Mother and Father Duncan (donkey), despairing of finding their son, do eventually break the red pebble's spell and bring back Sylvester is a fable of happy families of all breeds.

(1969, March 1). [Review of the book Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, by W. Steig]. Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved from http://www.kirkusreviews.com/

Uses in a library: Sylvester and the Magic Pebble could be used in a storytime about magic. Afterwards, the children could decorate their own magic pebble. If the students or patrons are a little bit older, they could write a simple story about their pebble’s magic powers.

Module 3: A Sick Day for Amos McGee (SLIS 5420 review)

Summary:

This sweet picture book was the winner of the 2011 of the Caldecott Medal. Amos McGee is a faithful zookeeper who has made friends with all the animals at the zoo. One day, Amos is sick and can’t come to work. The animals go in search of their friend and when they find him sick at home, they all help take care of him and make him feel better.

Citation: Stead, P. C., & Stead, E. E. (2010). A sick day for Amos McGee. New York: Roaring Brook.

Impression: A Sick Day for Amos McGee is one of the sweetest books I have read in a long, long time. I’m a sucker for a good animal story, so I loved the plot of this book. The way Amos interacts with the animals at the zoo and the way they repaid the favor when he was sick is so touching. (I especially loved how he plays games with the elephant and the tortoise.) I was also impressed with how Erin E. Stead’s illustrations compliment her husband Philip C. Stead’s story perfectly. Stead’s illustrations are reminiscent of Robert McCloskey and have a slightly old-fashioned feel, but that’s not a bad thing. Stead uses lots of soft, muted colors with pops of brighter color (a red balloon, a red scarf, etc.) for emphasis. Her illustrations give the book a cozy, homey feel. All the elements of the book combine to make a story that feels warm and soft like a favorite blanket, and just begs to be read at bedtime.

Review:
Publisher’s Weekly:
With quiet affection, this husband-and-wife team tells the story of a zookeeper whose devotion is repaid when he falls ill. On most days, the angular, elderly Amos rides the bus to the zoo, plays chess with the elephant ("who thought and thought before making a move"), sits quietly with the penguin, and spends time with his other animal friends. But when Amos catches a cold, the animals ride the bus to pay him a visit, each, in a charming turnabout, doing for Amos whatever he usually does for them. The elephant sets up the chessboard; the shy penguin sits on the bed, "keeping Amos's feet warm." Newcomer Erin Stead's elegant woodblock prints, breathtaking in their delicacy, contribute to the story's tranquility and draw subtle elements to viewers' attention: the grain of the woodblocks themselves, Amos's handsome peacock feather coverlet. Every face--Amos's as well as the animals'--brims with personality. Philip Stead's (Creamed Tuna Fish and Peas on Toast) narrative moves with deliberate speed, dreaming up a joyous life for the sort of man likely to be passed on the street without a thought. Ages 2-6.

(2010, May 10). [Review of the book A Sick Day for Amos McGee by P. Stead and E. Stead]. Publishers Weekly, 257(19), 41. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/

Uses in a library:
A library could use A Sick Day for Amos McGee as a part of a storytime. It would fit in with several different themes, including friendship and being sick. It could also be a part of any display or program about the Caldecott Award.