Rathmann, Peggy. Officer Buckle and Gloria. New York: G. P. Putnam1s Sons, 1995. 32 pages. Caldecott Medal Book. ISBN 0-399-22616-8.
A very cute story about friends - how they enrich our lives with their presence and how empty life can be when they1re gone. Officer Buckle loves collecting safety tips, and even more he loves sharing them with children. But the kids get bored and fall asleep during his lectures. Even the principal doesn1t follow his advice! One day the police give Officer Buckle a dog for a partner; her name is Gloria. Officer Buckle takes her along on his lectures, and suddenly he is a big hit! Everyone wants to see him. All the kids write thank you notes, including some strange drawings of Gloria. The two went on a grand tour, having the time of their lives. After 313 schools, they were on the news. Officer Buckle couldn1t believe what he saw - Gloria doing tricks! That1s what everyone had been paying attention to. So he quit. Gloria tried to do the lectures by herself, but it just wasn1t the same. One little girl convinced Officer Buckle to come back because they all missed him, especially Gloria. They were a team! So he went back. And they were both happy. This is an excellent story for exploring jealousy in friendships, and how they can be worked out. Gloria is so precious! The artist renders her expressions perfectly; children will love it.
Riley, Linnea. Mouse Mess.
Ringgold, Faith. My Dream of Martin Luther King.
Say, Allen. Grandfather1s Journey. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1993. 32 pages. Caldecott Medal Book. ISBN 0-395-57035-2.
This beautifully illustrated picturebook depicts the tale of a young Japanese man1s journey to America as told by his grandson. Each phase of his exploration of America is accompanied by detailed and breathtaking watercolor paintings. It tells the story of the grandfather1s life, beginning with his long ocean journey to America, his fascination with and awe of the scenery there, and his desire to make America his home. Over the years he longs for his native Japan and eventually returns. Of course, once he was there he missed America. He made plans to return, but World War II prevented that, and soon after he died. His grandson fulfilled his wish of returning to California; he also fell in love with it. Now he knows his grandfather so much better, even though he is long gone. This simple story is heartwarming and is really told through the paintings. It professes a love for one1s country, for the raw beauty of it, which is sorely lacking in today1s society.
Schade, Susan. Toad on the Road.
Scieszka, Jon. Illustrated by Steve Johnson. The Frog Prince Continued. New York: Viking, 1991. 28 pages. Caldecott Medal Book. ISBN 0-670-83421-1.
There once was a prince who was turned into a frog by a nasty witch. To turn back into a prince he had to get a princess to kiss him. One did, they married, and lived happily ever after.
... or so you think! It seems the Prince kept many of his frog-ly traits, like sticking out his tongue and croaking, which annoy the Princess to no end. She is always nagging him to change and he is always whining about how it used to be. They are miserably UN-happy. The Princess can stand it no more and in a fit of rage yells that she wishes he was still a frog. The idea hits the Prince like a lightning bolt! He runs into the forest in search of a witch to turn him back into a frog. He comes across the Witches from Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and Hansel and Gretel, barely escaping alive! Then he happens upon Cinderella's Fairy God-Mother who agrees to try to turn him back into a frog; he ends up a carriage instead! Now he is even more miserable. In the depths of his despair, a clock strikes midnight and the Prince is a prince again! He rushes home to his princess, so happy to see her. They kiss, both turning into frogs, and live happily ever after...
People don1t usually ever consider what happens after "Happily Ever After" because it is supposed to be happy. This unusual take on that premise offers a very different story. It will prompt kids to investigate the whole story and not just take everything at face value. The illustrations are wonderful and support the text very well. The text brings fairy tales into contemporary times, letting children be able to more readily relate.
Scieszka, Jon. Illustrated by Lane Smith. The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs. New York: Viking Kestrel, 1989. 28 pages. ISBN 0-670-82759-2.
Alexander T. Wolf, more widely known as "The Big Bad Wolf," has a story to tell. He claims it's the real story behind the tragedy of the three little pigs. He says he got a bad rap because he's a wolf - that's not his fault! Al was framed, pure and simple. All he wanted to do was make a birthday cake for his dear, sweet granny... But he ran out of sugar. He went to borrow some from his neighbors, the pigs, when his sneezing cold acted up. Their houses were so flimsy that when he sneezed, he blew the houses away! And the pigs died of fright. Now Al couldn't leave a perfectly good meal to spoil, so he ate them. But when he went to the third pig's house, this one strong and made of brick, Pig told him to beat it. How rude! And then he insulted Al's granny, sending him into a rage. The police showed up when Al was beating on Pig's door and misinterpreted the whole thing. Then the media found about him eating those other two pigs, and that was the end. Al went to jail, claiming he was framed... or was he?
This book is truly original! A twist on the classic tale of the Three Little Pigs, Scieszka makes us look at the story from another angle. This lesson of looking for all sides of the story is useful in our daily lives as well as in out studies, especially history. The drawings are clever and contain many hidden surprises. The text flows smoothly and offers some repetition. The dialogue and actions make this a great book to read aloud.
Seibold, J. Otto and Vivian Walsh. Olive, the Other Reindeer.
Seuss, Dr. The Cat in the Hat. New York: Random House, 1957. 61 pages. ISBN 0-394-80001-X.
A little boy and his sister are home alone with their fish, waiting for their mother to return, when who should walk through the door but the Cat in the Hat! The fish objects, but the Cat stays, showing off his juggling talents - and his talent for making a mess. Then the Cat brings in his friends, Thing One and Thing Two, who manage to make an even bigger mess. When they spot Mother coming up the front walk, the little boy manages to get the Cat in the Hat to leave, wearing a sad look on his face. But the mess remains. They are wondering how they will explain it to Mother when the Cat comes back with his nifty cleaning machine that puts the house back in order. It1s just in time too, as Mother walks in the front door and asks what the kids did while she was gone.
This story is original and fun. The Cat in the Hat is just so silly with his crazy antics that kids will love him. It is told in rhyme, making it a treat to read out loud as well as to listen to. The rhyming pattern will helps kids learn to read if they attempt this book on their own.
Seuss, Dr. Hop on Pop.
Silverstein, Shel. Falling Up.
Silverstein, Shel. A Light in the Attic.
Silverstein, Shel. Where the Sidewalk Ends.
Sis, Peter. Starry Messenger.
Stanley, Diane. Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter.
Stanley, Diane. Illustrated by G. Brian Karas. Saving Sweetness. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1996. 29 pages. ISBN 0-399-22645-1.
Sweetness is an orphan at Mrs. Sump's orphanage. All the orphans ever do is scrub floors with toothbrushes; Sweetness decides she has had enough so she runs away. Mrs. Sump gets the Sheriff to go save Sweetness from the desert elements and the old desperado Coyote Pete. The Sheriff heads out into the desert with just his badge and his gun, nothing else. When the Sheriff passes out from dehydration, Sweetness comes to his rescue with her canteen of water. She runs off again when the Sheriff says he has to take her home. Sweetness saves the Sheriff again that night with toasted marshmallows and a blanket, and again the next day from Coyote Pete and his six-shooter. After quite a bit of prompting from Sweetness, the Sheriff decides to "save" Sweetness by adopting her. She convinces him to adopt the other seven orphans too, putting mean Mrs. Sump out of business. That is, until Coyote Pete gets out on parole; his parole officer is none other than Mrs. Sump! Now he scrubs the floor with a toothbrush, but he doesn't mind.
This book shows that sometimes children can "save" adults. It sends a positive message to kids. The drawings are delicate yet they manage to convey the spirit of this brave girl named Sweetness. The story is intriguing; children will enjoy Sweetness adventures and the irony of her saving the Sheriff when he is supposed to be rescuing her.
Stewart, Sarah. Illustrated by David Small. The Gardener. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1997. 34 pages. Caldecott Honor Book. ISBN 0-374-32517-0.
Lydia Grace Finch must leave her family on the farm and go live with her Uncle Jim in the city. The Great Depression is on and her Papa lost his job, so she has to go until things get better. Lydia Grace tells her story through letters - first to Uncle Jim, saying how excited she is to go, and then home to Mama, Papa, and Grandma about how wonderful the city is. Uncle Jim is a baker and a bit of a sourpuss. Lydia Grace is able to brighten his bakery, as well as the lives of everyone in the neighborhood, with her love of flowers and gardening. She is able to turn their corner of the city into a beautiful, colorful place. It takes almost a year, but Lydia Grace finally gets Uncle Jim to smile - in the form of a frosty, flower-covered cake. Through her optimism and love of gardening, Lydia Grace is able bring joy to others' lives in a bleak time.
This is an absolutely beautiful book; the illustrations are bright and colorful, conveying the story well. This helps because the only text is the letters of Lydia Grace; they are short and are dated far apart, leaving out large chunks of what happens. However, it opens another world to children, when kids were sent to live with relatives when times got tough. It also shows children they can make a difference in others1 lives, how they can brighten our lives with their creativity and their very existence.
Sykes, Julie. Santa's Noisy Night.