Reflection

I have really enjoyed the class reading and responding to children’s literature thus far. I have greatly enjoyed the amount of freedom we have in both discussion and in the choices of novels we pick out to read. Conversely, I also enjoy that we have been introduced to a variety of different genres of books. I enjoyed learning about wordless books, graphic novels, alphabet books, non fiction novels, historical books and so on. I also enjoyed learning about illustrations in picture books and how they are meaningful to the storyline. Additionally, I have learned about unique concepts about the history of picture books including the processes used in publishing and dye stamps. One of the main concepts I have learned from this class so far is that all individuals can read a book and extract different meanings from the text. Lastly, I like how we were asked to create a blog to write about our opinions. I have never seen, let alone created a blog before. Using blogs has expanded my knowledge about technology and also provided me with a new teaching opportunity to use in my own classroom.

The Misfits By James Howe

James Howe wrote in his book entitled The Misfits, “This business of really knowing people, deep down, including your own self, is not something you can learn in school or from a book. It takes your whole being to do it- your eyes and your ears, your brain and your heart”. I not only loved this quote but I also loved the whole book. Once I started reading The Misfits, I could not put it down. The Misfits is a clever story about a group of five friends who do not “fit in” with the “normal” student population. I love this book because it sends the message that everyone is different and there is no true normal way a person is suppose to look. Everyone is an individual and at one point in their life has felt out of place, self conscious or has been called a hurtful name. This book has an inspirational story that brings the characters alive and allows the readers to relate to the plot. In this novel the five friends start a campaign to stop the hurtful name calling that was going on in their school. Although this group of friends did not win the student election they made a lasting impact on the student body by creating a day where there was no name calling allowed. In reality, this book also impacts readers by sending the message to stop hurtful name calling.

King and King By Linda de Hann and Stern Nijland

This picture book took a classic fairy tale and put a controversial twist on it. The storyline of this book was about a Queen who wanted her son to get married so she could retire. The king met numerous princesses from all over the world but he was not interested in any of them. One day he met another king and it was love at first site. The two kings got married and lived happily ever after. I thought the illustrations in this book were great. These illustrations used a mixture of sketching, collages including newspaper clippings and bright colors. The technique used to make these illustrations reminded me of pop art. I did not find this picture book controversial. I believe that everyone has the right to be an individual. Love is not something that you chose or can hide. I believe that children should learn about the different family structures in our society.

Rose Blanche By Roberto Innocenti

This picture book was about a young girl named Rose Blanche living amongst the war and Holocaust without really understanding what was going on around her. One day Rose followed an army tanks to a concentration camp. She saw starving children behind barbed wire fences. Everyday after she found them she traveled into the woods and gave them food everyday. From my interpretation, Rose was shot and killed one day while visiting the concentration camp. The illustrations were very detailed and used dark colors until the last page when the author talks about how “the crocuses finally sprang up from the ground. The river swelled and overflowed its banks. Trees were green and full of birds”. Life had sprung from where the concentration camp was held. Additionally, Innocenti explains the significance of the title of this book; Rose Blanche was a group of young German citizen protesting the war. Every member of this group was killed. Personally I did not find this book controversial. I feel as though children need to learn about America’s history from multiple perspectives. This book was not gruesome and did not directly discus what the Holocaust was or about death. I believe that this book should be read aloud with the class and also hold a class discussion about the topics.

Way Home By Libby Hathorn

This controversial picture book is about a homeless boy named Shane. Shane faces numerous dangers including starvations, gangs on the street, vicious stray dogs and so on. Shane also befriends a stray cat and shows him around the city. While carrying his new friend, Shane introduces him to a prostitute and also a greedy fat cat who has a home and plenty of food. I enjoyed the illustrations of this book. The cover page looks as though it is crinkled trash and the bottom of each page looks as though it was torn off. The illustrations on each page seemed to use a sketch technique filled in with various colors. I feel as though this book was somewhat controversial. Although this book did hint at controversial subjects, the author did not directly discuses these topics. Personally, I do believe starvation, poverty and prostitution are issues in the United States. I also think that starvation and poverty should be discussed with elementary students. On the other hand, I do not think prostitution should be discussed in elementary school due to the age of the students. I would recommend this book to upper elementary students. I would also suggest that the educator reads this book aloud because the topics are not directly discussed in the book.

Arlene Sardine By Chris Raschka

This picture book is about a fished named Arlene who wants to become a sardine. Arlene has a short lived life because in the first few pages she is caught, dies on a ships deck and is processed. The illustrations in this picture book are unique because they take up the whole page. The illustrations also seemed to be created by using a watercolor technique. I did not like the font used in this picture book because I feel as though it could be difficult for young children to read. On the other hand, I liked how this book introduced fishing terminology and included definitions. Personally, I did not find this book controversial. This book discussed the topics of death and food processing. Although I love animals, I also love hamburgers, steak, chicken and so on. This book introduces the topic of meat processing in a subtle way. Raschka tells the viewers that it is Arlene’s dream to become a sardine. Also, after Arlene died, the author refers to her as though she is still alive. I feel as though this book is a good way to ease into the discussion of meat processing if the topic ever comes up in the classroom.

Walter the Farting Dog by William Kotzwinkle and Glenn Murray

This picture book is about an adoptive dog named Walter who farts all the time. Walter passes gas so much that his family takes him to the vet to see if there is a cure to end his farting. Walter tries a variety of methods to end his farting issue but he finds no cure. Betty and Billy, the owners of Walter, tell their parents that they do not care that Walter farts and they want to keep him. Betty and Billy realize that Walter’s farts are what makes him unique and they still love him. At the end of this story, Walter’s farts are what save the family from burglars. This picture book also contained unique illustrations. These illustrations seemed to be created by using a computer graphic technique. These illustrations also included bright neon colors and many details. Personally, I did not find this picture book controversial at all. I feel as though farting is a funny topic to discuses but it is not a subject that is inappropriate. Passing gas is a natural body function and there are appropriate ways to handle a farting situation. This book had sends a great message to children. I really liked the book’s dedication which was “for everyone who’s felt misjudged or misunderstood”. I believe that young children would enjoy this book because it discuses a unique topic. I feel as though this book will teach children that body functions are natural and they should not be embarrassed by them.