"Flotsam" by David Wiesner

"Flotsam" 

by David Wiesner

40 pages /  Print / Science Fiction

Summary: A boy finds a strange camera on the shore at the beach. Curious about its contents, he goes to get the film developed at a nearby store. He is in shock when it is revealed that the photographs show sea creatures doing to most remarkable and strange things. The last picture is very special. It shows a photo of a girl holding a picture, and in the picture is a picture of a boy holding a picture. The boy is very interested in understanding why people are holding a picture of a picture. He gets his magnifying glass and sees that there are many people who have taken this picture of a picture. The boy decides to keep the tradition and take his own special picture with new film. The boy then throws the camera back in the ocean for another person to find one day. The book ends with another child finding the camera on a different beach.

 Evaluation: This book is a Caldecott Winner for its imaginative and illustrations and creative plotline. With many of Wiesner's books, there is little or no text, so the reader is forced to look closely at the illustrations to tell a story. The story being told here is that anything is possible. The ocean is so vast and unknown that maybe there are strange things happening that we cannot imagine. The theme of "adventure" and "journey" is also present in this book.

Appeal Terms: science fiction, lively, engrossing, mystical, magical

"Pumpkin Soup" by Helen Cooper

"Pumpkin Soup" 

by Helen Cooper

32 pages /  Print / Fantasy

Summary: A duck, a cat, and a squirrel all live together in a cabin in the woods. They make soup together and they all have a job to do. Squirrel stirs the soup, cat slices the pumpkin, and duck adds the salt to the pot. Everything is going fine until the duck decides that it wants to stir the soup. Duck carries the stirring spot to squirrel and asks, but squirrel does not want it to stir the soup. They both pull the spoon but it slips out of their hands and hits the cat. They all get in a fight about the soup and the duck decides to leave the house. Cat and squirrel feel bad so they go out and look for the duck. They search for hours but cannot find duck. Approaching the house after their search, they notice duck has come back. They let duck stir the soup but it makes a mess. Everyone is just happy to have each other.

Evaluation: An adorable telling of a group of animal friends that use teamwork to make pumpkin soup. This books explores themes of trying something new, and being accepting of others. Students and teachers can talk about the impact of actions and words and how they affect others. Trying something for the first time and failing is another theme, an important one to discuss with young learners.

Appeal Terms: animal, lively, heartwarming, plot centered, introspective

"Ten Hungry Pigs" by Derek Anderson

"Ten Hungry Pigs" 

by Derek Anderson

40 pages /  Print / Humorous

Summary: One hungry pig decides to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for itself. Ten other pigs smell the sandwich and decide to bring along food of their own. Before you know it, the pigs have made a sandwich so tall that it almost falls over! The pigs friend, a duck, disguises itself as a wolf and scares the ten pigs away, knocking over the sandwich. The original pig and duck get to enjoy their original sandwich of peanut butter and jelly.

Evaluation: The illustrations and repetitive storyline really make this book great. Each time a pig brings more food for the sandwich, the more ridiculous the sandwich looks ( pickles, ice cream, mac and cheese, fruit, fish, pancakes, peas). Children will think that the sandwich is hilarious and get excited for another pig to add the next food. Every pig is dressed in different clothes, and has a different personality. This book can lead to a great follow up activity where the children can draw and share their own tall sandwich and why they picked each food. This book works great in a unit about nutrition or food science.

Appeal Terms: animal, lively, humorous, plot centered, quirky

"The Lion and the Mouse" by Jerry Pinkney

 

"The Lion and the Mouse" 

by Jerry Pinkney

40 pages /  E-Book / Folktale

Summary: After escaping the grasp of a hungry owl, a mouse finds itself in the clutches of a lion. The lion does a noble thing and lets the mouse run away free. Some poachers set up a net to catch wild game. The lion gets caught in the netting and is trapped. The same mouse comes to rescue it.

Evaluation: This retelling of Aesop's Fable accompanied by Pinkney's illustrations makes for a delightful reading experience for the reader. There are no words ( just onomatopoeia ) in the story, which leaves the reader to fill in the noises and plot-line with his or her imagination. The warm colors used in the illustrations match the warmth inside of the lion and mouse's heart as they help each other in times of despair. Using this book to teach about humanity and compassion could prove as a successful hook for a classroom lesson.

Appeal Terms: fable, lively, heartwarming, inspirational, thought provoking, introspective