The Giver By Lois Lowry

I loved this chapter book because it is very unique. This piece of literature opens the minds of it’s’ readers. Reading this book made me realize that some bad aspects of life are what make the good aspects so amazing. Living in a society where people are not allowed to make their own choices, feel pain and true love would not be a life at all. Without feelings, good and bad, life would have no purpose and no color. In addition, this book sends the message that being different is not a bad thing. The main character, Jonas, is one of the few individuals in his community that has pale eyes; everyone else in his community has dark eyes. Jonas also risks his own life to give people feelings. This book is very imaginative and paints visual images with written words. This book also reminded me of similar plots in A Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry. Both of these books are unique in their own ways but they all provide hypothetical situations that make readers appreciate life.

Knock Knock By Jan Wahl

I absolutely loved this picture book! Knock Knock begins as what seems to be just another ordinary fairy tale. As soon as you read past “once upon a time”, nothing is similar to the generic fairy tale. There are no pink puffy dresses or prince charmings. This picture book is about a young girl named Ella who whishes that someone would come keep her company. Ella is a witch with red hair and a down to earth personality. One day while she is spinning at her spinning wheel, a pair of enormous shoes come knocking on her door. Each time there is a knock at her door a, new body part comes in. On the last knock a big old Scottish giant wearing a kilt is sitting in her room. This book is great for boys and girls. The storyline is original and does not portray stereotypical gender roles. The illustrations are just as great as the storyline. The illustrations contain vibrant colors that make the story come alive.

The Happy Hocky Family By Lane Smith

This picture book is very unique. Instead of using plain white paper, the text is written on recycled paper with a brown tint. The book starts off by introducing everyone in the Hocky family. In this book there is a variety of stories. Each child from the Hocky family tells their own story. This book is also interactive. Smith invites readers to guess how many dishes can be made out of broken glass, to see how many items will survive the washing machine and asks the reader if they have ever had the same situations happen to them. This book also engages the reader by using illustrations that almost seem to have texture. The illustrator includes a variety of illustration styles. On some pages the illustration only takes up half the page, while on other pages there is no text and only illustrations. Although this book provides a variety of stories, the author brings it all together by providing some type of order. Smith begins and ends this book with baby Hocky telling his story. The author also provides a page that says goodbye to the reader that is written by the Hocky. I enjoyed reading this picture book because it sends the message to readers that each family can have fun in their own unique way.

One fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish By Dr. Seuss

Although I love books by Dr. Seuss, One fish Two fish Red fish Blue fish is not my favorite. This book is about a little boy and a little girl who go on an adventure and they see funny things everywhere. I did enjoy some parts this picture book but there were some aspects that I did not like. While this book provides very imaginative creatures, the plot was a little too random for me. One minute the author is describing a variety of fish and then on the next page is a completely different story about an imaginary creature. On the other hand, I did like how all the creatures were original. In addition, these illustrations fit perfectly with the storyline. Each character drawn fits the character being described flawlessly. I also like how the illustrator used simple coloring. The illustrations are filled with primary colors that make the black lining pop off the page. Dr. Seuss is very creative and it this is shown through his rhyming techniques and imaginary characters. Also, I love the message this book sends. The message of this book is that each day can be filled with a entertaining and crazy adventure as long as you use your imagination.

Captain Bob Takes Flight By Roni Schotter

This book is about a young boy named Bob who turns cleaning his room into a flying adventure. Bob uses his imagination and turns a chore into an exciting event. I like how some of the text wrapped around the illustrations in this book. I also enjoyed this book because the illustrations seemed to be created by using a sponge painting technique. The illustrations reminded me of a time in art class when children explore paint with their hands. Finger painting and sponge painting allow children to expand their creativity outside of the box. The character Bob in this picture book turns an ordinary cardboard box into an airplane. Bob lets his imagination soar similar to when children finger paint.

Two Scarlet Songbirds By Carole Lexa Schaefer

This picture book paints a picture into the past. Two Scarlet Songbirds includes history, music and two song birds. The main character of this picture book is a musician named Anton Dvorak. One day while sitting outside in Iowa, Anton is inspired to create a song when he hears two scarlet songbirds singing. This book sends the message to the readers that nature can inspire art. The illustrations in this book used bright colors and seemed to be created using watercolors. I like how the illustrator used this technique because the colors seemed to flow together. These illustrations also provide a calming sensation.

The Adventures of Old Bo Bear By Alice Schertle

I absolutely loved the picture book entitled The Adventures of Old Bo Bear. Both the plot and the illustrations for this book are marvelous an imaginative. This book is about a young boy who has a bear named Old Bo Bear. These two individuals go on many adventures and both get very dirty along the way. One day, the boy’s mother decides Bo needs to be washed. The young boy anxiously waits for Bo to get out of the dryer. As soon as the washing and drying process is done, the young boy notices that Bo is missing an ear and just didn’t smell “right” anymore. To fix this problem the young boy and Bo go on many adventures. The young boy and Bo battle pirates to being courageous cowboys all while getting dirty along the way. These illustrations are very vibrant and seem to pop off of the page. In addition, these illustrations can tell their own story. The illustrations in this book are action packed and seemed to be moving across the pages. I loved this book because it sparks the imagination of the reader. It is so whimsical that the reader almost forgets they are reading a story. While I was reading this picture book I felt as though I was going on adventures with the young boy and Bo. This book shows children that it is great to expand their creativity and go on imaginative adventures with friends or even imaginary friends. It is books like these that make children excited about learning. It is books like these that inspire children to learn to love learning. Books are tools that allow children to escape from their daily lives and go on an adventure with characters. While reading, individuals expand their knowledge and inspiration. The Adventures of Old Bo Bear has illustration from cover to cover and a plot that triggers inventiveness.

Crazy Hair Day by Barney Saltzberg

Crazy Hair Day promotes school spirit and close friendships that only develop in a classroom. This book has brightly colored illustrations and a genuine plot. This picture book is about a young gopher named Stanley who is so excited for “crazy hair day” at his school. Stanley’s mom helps him make a crazy hair-do. When Stanley gets to school he realizes that instead of “crazy hair day” it is actually picture day. This picture book reminds me of all the school experience that children have. Schools are institutions that not only shape academic growth but they also help children grow as individuals. Although some school friendships slowly fade, and other friendships last, the memories children create together in school always stay. It is simple group projects, simple games on the playground and simple school jobs that bring children from all backgrounds together. Simple acts of kindness that are learned and done in schools are aspects of life that children take with them everywhere. Crazy Hair Day turns a crazy hair day for one individual into a memorable happy ending for a whole class.

Cowboy and Octopus By Jon Scieszki and Lane Smith

This book is very unique and inventive. I have never read a picture book like this before. The author and illustrator of this book are also the author and illustrator of the books The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! and The Stinky Cheese Man. The illustrations are made by using pop art and lettering that resembles letters that are cut out from magazines. In these illustrations you can see pieces of tape to make it seem as though the images are being held in place. You can tell that the cowboy and octopus are illustrated to resemble cut out pieces. Also, on the back cover, you can see the silhouettes of the cowboy and octopus along with scissors and scraps of paper. This picture book provides seven different short stories all about a friendship between a cowboy and an octopus. I like this picture book because although there is text, the pictures are part of the story. These illustrations are part of the story. Without the illustrations, the story would not be complete and the readers would be missing part of the plot. I like this picture book because it sends the message that two completely different people can end up being friends.

Found Alphabet By Ramon Shindler and Wojciech Graniczewski

This book introduces the letters of the alphabet by showing illustrations that are made out of random objects that can be found in daily life. Each page provides a rhyming passage that engages the reader to the wording and the illustrations. In addition, some of the text wraps around the found objects drawing extra attention to the illustrations. I like this picture book because it reminds children that concepts do not have to be learned in a dramatic way. On the cover of this book it states “the ordinary becomes the extraordinary”. I loved this book because it symbolizes what teaching is all about. Teaching is about educating individuals but also in an exciting memorable way. Although not all concepts taught in school can be made into a fun way, it is the teacher’s job to give children tools for their own success. When a child learns how to reach their full potential on their own, a teacher has done their job. I also liked how the illustrators used soft blue and yellow tones to make the illustrations pop off the page.

An Edible Alphabet By Bonnie Christensen

This book is a concept book and the purpose is to teach the letters of the alphabet. An Edible Alphabet describes the alphabet by providing edible items for each letter of the alphabet. Christensen provides fruits, vegetables, plants and berries found around the world for each letter of the alphabet. This book provides a tasty way to learn about the alphabet.
I like this book because of the illustrations. These illustrations seemed to use a woodcarving technique. I also like these illustrations because they include a boarder. This book also introduces diversity because it provides plants from all over the world. I also likes that the author included an index of the plants in the back of the book. This tells the reader what the plants are how to use them in cooking. I also like that this book includes the upper and lower cases of each letter. I did not like some aspects of this book. This book is a concept book. An Edible Alphabet does not have a plot, it just lists edible plants. Some of the plants the author included are very hard to pronounce and not used in daily life.

Rebound By Yuriko Nishiyama

While reading this graphic novel I became overwhelmed. Not only is each page filled with many illustrations and text, readers also have to read from right to left. This graphic novel belongs to the Manga series. Rebound is the seventh novel of the series. Readers have to read these novels in chronological order. I do not recommend this novel to children. This novel would be age appropriate for some students in high school and adults. I would not recommend reading this book to anyone. I disliked a lot of aspects about this book. This book uses swear words, derogatory language and uses negative imagery towards women. This novel is about a big high school basket ball game. In addition, one of the basketball players, Nate, goes on a date with a girl named Tomomi. This novel also seems to include “commercial” pages. In random parts of the book, pages are added in order to promote other graphic novels. One of these “commercial” pages included illustrations of half naked women in bikinis. Readers can see right through these bathing suites and actually see the female body. Not only were these girls in revealing bathing suites, they were all seductively positioned. On a positive note, this novel provided an immense amount of detail in illustrations and provided a play by play for the basketball game. The majority of this novel was about the basketball game. I did like that at the end of the game the two teams showed some good sportsmanship. Also, two boys that were on opposing rival teams discovered that they could be friends. These two boys discovered at the mall they both shared a love for Michael Jordan. Lastly, I liked that Nate was respectful to his date, Tomomi. Although I did not like Rebound, learning how to read a graphic novel was an interesting experience.

Junie B. Jones Is a Party Animal by Barbara Park

I like this chapter book because even though it belongs to a chapter book series, each chapter book provides its own story. Readers do not need to read this chapter book series in chronologic order. Junie B. Jones is a spunky, spying, loud, speaks her mind type of six year old. Junie has two best friends, Grace and Lucille. Junie B. Jones Is a Party Animal is about how Junie spends the night at one of her friend’s rich grandmother’s house. This adventure began one day while Junie and Grace are riding on the school bus. After they see Lucille and her rich grandma in the school parking lot, Junie invites herself over for a sleepover at Lucille’s grandmother’s house. When Junie arrives at Lucille’s grandmother’s house she states it looks like a castle. There, her and her friends play dress up, sing, dance and have tons of fun. At one point in the night, the activities take a turn for the worse. Junie is somewhat clumsy and ends up breaking the grandmother’s glasses, spilling chocolate ice cream on an expensive couch and much more. After the sleepover is done, Junie realizes that no amount of money could compensate for the amount of love she receives from her own grandmother. Park uses language and describes behavior that a typical six year old would. The author cleverly and creatively uses slang language and humor to bring her characters alive. Although this book’s main character is a six year old, Junie captures a wide range of readers. Upper elementary readers will be engaged by the use of humor. Reading this book reminded me of sleepover memories I have when I was younger. Weather sleepovers take place in a castle like house, in a tent in the backyard or on the couch in your own living room; they produce sleepless nights full of laughter.

Martian Rock by Carol Diggory Shields

Martian Rock was poetic, creative, clever, unique and all around magnificent. Martian Rock is action packed from cover to cover. This picture book is about a group of aliens that travel the solar system looking for other forms of life. Instead of using the planets actual names, Shields uses creative names for each planet while incorporating actual facts about the solar system. Also, on the back page of Martian Rock, the author provides the “Martian name” for the planet and the “Earth name”. Thus, this actively engages the reader by giving reader the opportunity to participate in discovering facts about each planet. As the group of aliens traveled to each planet they discovered new surroundings, smells and sites. When the aliens were just about to give up they decided to visit Earth. While at Earth the aliens do not find human beings but cuddly, cute penguins. In addition to a great storyline and descriptive wording, Martian Rock also contains great illustrations. These illustrations painted creative depictions of the solar system and aliens. The aliens drove a spaceship that looked like a car symbolizing that these aliens were almost human. These illustrations were created using a cartoon technique. The cartoon technique combined with a solar system theme makes me ponder about the infinite amount of creativity and potential each child contains.

The Absolutely Awful Alphabet by Mordicai Gerstein

The Absolutely Awful Alphabet is not just another alphabet book. Gerstein cleverly and creatively describes each letter of the alphabet in one streaming sentence. Gerstein takes the simple concept of writing about the alphabet and turns it into a detailed, expressive flow of alphabet creatures. Gerstein also uniquely makes the descriptions of each letter flow into the description of the following letter. The title of this picture book, The Absolutely Awful Alphabet, oxymoronically describes the quality of the storyline and illustrations. This book contains magnificent illustrations that truly capture the descriptive wording provided for each alphabet letter. Each illustration took the form of a letter of the alphabet. Within the outlines of each letter of the alphabet contained a humorous, detailed creature. Each illustration contained an immense amount of detail intertwined with bright colors. The technique and colors used in these illustrations remind me of fun loving imaginary friends most children have. They are all unique, fueled by imagination and originality. These illustrations are truly wonderful.

Tiger on a Tree by Anushka Ravishankar

I greatly enjoyed reading Tiger on a Tree! This book used simple coloring and rhyming which resulted in detailed illustrations and a creative plot. Tiger on a Tree is about a tiger who is enjoying his day roaming through the tall grass, swimming by moonlight and climbing trees. One day a group of tribal men catch the tiger and do not know what to do with him. This rhythmic riddle ends well and all are cheerful. I loved the illustrations because the only colors used are black, white and orange but these pictures were all very detailed. Using these simple colors made objects, shapes and lines jump off the page. In addition, the illustrations seemed to be made by using a woodcut style or engraving technique. The way the illustrator used these techniques reminded me of cave paintings which really captures the mood of this book. These illustrations and techniques used reminded me of ancient times, artifacts and the smell of museums with lingering aroma of knowledge still out there to gain.

The Someday House by Annie Shelby

The Someday House picture book has a very creative storyline and sparks imagination. The storyline of this book is about a bunch of children that discus what their dream houses look like. The houses the children dream up reminded me very much of tents and cardboard boxes I use to play with when I was younger. I use to imagine these tents made out of blankets and box forts were magical rooms in far away places. Every child is an individual with their own distinctive imagination. Some children can turn a stick into sword preparing for battle, others can turn a playground into a miraculous kingdom but every child can read to spark imagination. The Someday house is one picture book that is relatable to children and uses illustrations and descriptive wording to ignite creativity found in children. Also, these illustrations were detailed and used soft colors. The children drawn in this picture book were cartoons with simple coloring and use of lines. These simple illustrations that contain many details reminded me of how simple objects in life can lead to so much amusement and enjoyment.

Widdermaker by Pattie Schnetzler

Widdermaker was about a cowboy named Pete trying to tame a bull named Widdermaker in a rodeo. Widdermaker is so wild he escapes the rodeo and Pete and his trusty horse chase Widdermaker across Arizona deserts. Although I enjoyed the illustrations in this book I did not like the wording and language used in this picture book. Slang language, misspelled words and difficult words most upper elementary students would not understand were used in this picture book. The use of informal language and misspelled words could confuse students and also takes away from the storyline. For example, “That bull’s plumb loco,” is one phrased used in this picture book that I believe did not fit cohesively into the storyline. On the other hand, I really enjoyed the illustrations. They were unique and spicy. These illustrations were created by using hot colors that reminded me of shades you would find in sizzling salsa. The colors and drawing techniques captured the wild essences and dry beauty that is only found along the desert. These illustrations also included big cowboy hats, spontaneous saddles, crazy eyes and contagious cacti. Lastly, these fun, exaggerated illustrations take on a cartoonist from reminding me of silly, creative, spontaneous times only found out in the wilderness.

Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventures: The Great Egyptian Grave Robbery by Jeff Brown

I really enjoyed this chapter book series for many reasons. Initially, the author re-introduces the charters in each novel thus you do not need to read the books in order. Flat Stanley is a boy who got flattened by a bulletin board therefore he can fit into an envelope and travel by mail around the world whenever he desires. This book also started with talking about French toast, bacon and a letter from someone needing help with an archaeological project in Egypt. Personally, French toast and bacon is my favorite meal and I find anything about Egypt interesting so this book had me hooked at the beginning. I also liked this book because it is relatable to children. Stanley has a younger brother Arthur, thus there are two viewpoints to this story. The Great Egyptian Grave Robbery was about how flat Stanley flew to Egypt hoping to help someone. When he got there he soon realized the man that asked for help tricked him and was actually a pyramid thief named Sir Hawara. This book includes a clever adventure with museum mischief, pyramids, snakes, bats and more! Flat Stanley represents children as adventurous, polite, and eager to learn about the world around them. Flat Stanley allows children to join him on his adventures around the world by simply reading this series. In addition, Brown provides facts about each place Stanley visits at the end of the book. I love this series because it is educational and exciting.

A Pocket for Corduroy by Don Freeman

Experiences, situations, beliefs and values are a just a few aspects that make up personal identities. Children can come from different cultures, have different hobbies, likes and dislikes. Children are just as diverse as adults. Freeman presents different cultures, personalities and identities in his book A Pocket for Corduroy. Although the character Corduroy belongs to a picture book series, I greatly enjoyed the plot and uniqueness of the characters in this book. I also enjoyed the author’s representation of children and creativity. A Pocket for Corduroy is a story about a young girl named Lisa taking her teddy bear to the Laundromat. There Corduroy discovers the concept of a pocket and wants one of his own. Corduroy then begins to wander the Laundromat for fabric to make a pocket. Wandering the Laundromat turned into an adventure. Corduroy turned a bag full of damp clothes into a cave, a box of laundry chips into snow and looking at laundry swirling in a dryer as inspiration for art work. Personally, I believe that Corduroy symbolizes that children are creative and free spirited. In addition, I loved the variety of characters which included an authentic artist, a spunky Spanish speaking friend, and a loving little girl. Including a variety of characters with different personalities represents that children, as well as adults, are all unique.

Horton Hears a Who! by Dr. Suess

Horton Hears a Who! is another picture book that I greatly enjoyed. This picture book sends a message that everyone is a unique individual. Horton the elephant who has great hearing ability was able to hear a small community of “whos” living on a speck of dust. Horton makes a promise to save the whos by carrying the speck of dust to a safe place. Horton sends the message that “a person is a person no matter how small”. I believe Horton symbolizes the innocence and caring side of children. I also enjoyed the illustrations in this picture book. These illustrations included simple shading and coloring but had an immense amount of detail in sketching. I also liked how Dr. Sues uses repetition, alliteration and rhyming to capture the reader with a creative storyline.

Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Suess

Horton is a very gentle and caring elephant. He is a picture book character that always makes morally correct decisions. In the book Horton Hears a Who! Horton defends a village of miniscule “whos” who can not been seen with the naked eye. Similarly, in Horton Hatches the Egg, Horton defends a small egg even though others laugh at him. The plot of Horton Hatches the Egg includes a lazy bird named Mayzie who tricks Horton into taking care of her egg while she goes on a vacation. Mayzie made Horton sit on her egg for months, even in snow and ice while she was tanning on the beach. Horton is so loyal that he does not care about the weather and continues to take care of the egg. At one point in time hunters threaten Horton with riffles but Horton would not move because he made a promise to take care of the egg. Horton sends a message to children to do the right thing, to say what you mean and be faithful. Although Horton is an enormous elephant he is very gentle and kind. Personally, I believe Horton symbolizes a representation of children. Even though Horton is large he is also clumsy just like children and has a big heart like most children do. I really enjoyed this series and the message it sends to children. Horton shows children that if you do the right thing, you will get rewarded in the end.

Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

Madeline represents the daring, carefree, curious and adventurous side of children. She is the smallest child out of twelve other girls that she lives with. The picture book Madeline is relatable for all children. Some of the girls in this picture book are obedient while others are mischievous. Although this picture book presents a variety of personalities the author still indicates that all children need comforting and direction from adults. The book Madeline is about a young girl who is very brave but had to get rushed to the hospital due to problems with her appendix. I loved the character Madeline because of her spunky personality but I did not particularly enjoy the plot of this picture book. On the other hand, I thought the illustrations were great. Instead of using typical sketches it seemed as though the illustrations were made using water colors.

Madeline and the Cats of Rome by John Bemelmans Marciano

Madeline is still presented as the same curious, brave little girl in the book entitled Madeline and the Cats of Rome. In addition, there are the same twelve little girls in this book along with the same caring Miss Clavel. Madeline and the Cats of Rome is about how Madeline, Miss Clavel and her twelve friends visit Rome in the spring time. On the other hand, some new characters are introduced in this storyline. Miss Clavel, Madeline and her friends take a trip to Rome. While in Rome Miss Clavel decides to take photographs of all the sites they visit. Miss Clavel was getting ready to take the last photograph for the day when a small child named Caterina stole the camera. Madeline and her dog chased after the thief only to find her hiding in an abandoned building full of cats. Caterina gives Madeline the camera back even though Caterina said she stole so she could feed her numerous cats. Madeline scolds Caterina for stealing because stealing is wrong no mater what the reasoning is. Personally, I believe that children were being presented as wide eyed and curious just like the cats that were included in this picture book. I did not like that this book sent the message that things are only seen as right and wrong. Many moral decisions are not simply right or wrong. On the other hand, I liked how Madeline forgave Caterina for stealing and helped her take care of her cats.