Module 6: Old Bear

Old Bear by Kevin Henkes

 

Summary: As Old Bear hibernates for the winter, he dreams fantastic dreams about the different seasons of the year.  He sees giant flowers in the spring, raining blueberries in the summer, leaf colored fish in the fall, and multi-colored stars in the winter.  When Old Bear wakes up, he realizes it is already spring, and his wonderful dreams have made his sleeping time go by fast. 

 

APA Reference: Henkes, K. (2008). Old bear. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books.

Impressions: Although the text in Old Bear is very simple, Kevin Henke's beautiful pastel water-color illustrations create a magical journey through the season's of the year.  The green, pink, and purple tones of spring bring a feeling similar to that of an Easter egg hunt, with the pleasant surprise of a flower being big enough to secretly pocket a large Bear.  The green and blue tones of summer feel refreshing, and the raining blueberries create a magical effect.  After all, who wouldn't love to eat raining blueberries?  The autumn stream seems almost as mesmerizing as jumping into a pile of leaves, and the winter stars bring a soft sparkly light to the winter sky.  This is a sweet yet simple story, that leaves the reader feeling warm and cozy. 

Professional Review:
Henkes returns to the artistic style of his Caldecott Medal winner, Kitten's First Full Moon (2004), and A Good Day (2007) in another picture-book celebration of simple, pure joy. All winter long, while snow falls outside his den, Old Bear lies silent and still in a deep sleep. In his dreams, though, he's an active explorer who roams the woods, savoring each season's pleasures: spring's blooms, summer's berries, fall's fiery colors, and winter's blazing stars. When Old Bear finally wakes, he finds a glorious and very real spring world. As in so many of Henkes' books, nothing is superfluous. Every word, line, color choice, and composition element feels essential and fits beautifully into a common theme. The circle of the seasons, so clearly illustrated in the exuberant images, is echoed throughout the book, even in the text's cyclical rhythms: "Old Bear slept and dreamed, dreamed and slept." The elemental words and graceful pacing make this a perfect read-aloud for preschoolers. They'll want to linger over the scenes of Old Bear's whimsical dreams, rendered in bold outlines and color washes that move with the seasons from pastel spring through icy-blue winter. Young children already know what Old Bear discovers: the lines between imagined and real worlds are blurry, and each place is filled with wonderment. 

Engberg, G. (2008, June 1-15). [Review of the book Old Bear, by K. Henkes]. Booklist, 104, 79. Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com/

Library Uses: Old Bear is a perfect book to use in conjunction with a story time about hibernation or about the seasons.  It would be fun to follow it with stations, which would allow the children to experience a bit of each season.  The children could role play being a seed and growing into a giant flower in the spring, eat real blueberries for the summer, Make leaf etchings for the fall, and make pastel colored snowflakes for the winter. 

Module 5: Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans

Heart and Soul: The Story of  America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson

 

Summary: Kadir Nelson uses both eloquent words and stunning illustrations to tell the story of African Americans throughout American history.  The story begins before the Revolutionary War, and chronicles the journey of African Americans through years of slavery, abolition, the Civil War, Reconstruction after the Civil War, movement to the west, involvement in World War II, and through the years of the civil right's movement. Kadir's historical account ends with an epilogue referencing the amazing accomplishments of African Americans today, including the election of the first African American President, Barack Obama. 

APA Reference: Nelson, K. (2011). Heart and soul: The story of America and African Americans. New York, NY: Harper Collins.

Impressions: There are many picture books available about different aspects of African American history, but this is the first one that I know about which combines the entire history in one book.  Because of this approach, I feel like my understanding of the topic is much more unified and comprehensive than it has been in the past.  Because the book is written in a first person narrative by an unknown African American woman, it is easy to feel extreme emotion throughout the book.  I found myself feeling angry and disillusioned by the way the slaves were treated, even by famous American leaders like George Washington.  I was proud to hear of the many black heroes who worked to help America like the Buffalo Soldiers, black inventors, musicians, and the young black boxer, Joe Louis.  The peaceful efforts of the Freedom Fighters and Martin Luther King showed that even though blacks suffered much, they were smart enough to know that real change could only happen through peaceful measures.  To go along with such a well-told story, are the vibrant, realistic, and detailed illustrations of Kadir which create a visual story on their own.  The only thing I found myself wishing was that Kadir would have ended his story by showing a modern day unification of America including blacks, whites, and all the cultures that help to make our country great today.

Professional Review:

In an undertaking even more ambitious than the multiple-award-winning We Are the Ship (2008), Nelson tells the story of African-Americans and their often central place in American history. Directly after the prologue, the narrative begins with the U.S. Capitol, built by slaves and freeman before Nelson steps back and shows the intricate ways American and African-American history were intertwined from the earliest days of the country's founding. Using an unnamed female narrator, Nelson fashions a unique mode of storytelling that is both historical and personal. The narrator guides readers through major events in American history through the perspective of, first, enslaved people, then those legally free but hindered by discrimination and, finally, citizens able to fully participate in American life following the Civil Rights Movement. As with any work by this talented artist, the accompanying illustrations are bold and arresting. The dramatic oil paintings heighten the dignity of this story, whether they are of well-known historical figures, common folk or landscape. With such a long time period to cover, the careful choices Nelson makes of which stories to tell make this a successful effort. While there is little room for historical nuance, Nelson does include the way events such as World War I and the fight for woman suffrage affected the Black community. This intimate narrative makes the stories accessible to young readers and powerfully conveys how personal this history feels for many African-Americans. (Nonfiction. 10 & up) 

[Review of the book Heart and soul: The story of America and African Americans by K. Nelson]. (2011, July). Kirkus reviews, LXXIX, 108. Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/

Library Uses: This is a perfect book to make use of during Black History Month.  Why not invite some local African Americans in and highlight their talents such as jazz musicians, artists, authors, etc.  Every week the library could host a different guest.  Also a program could be done for older children or teens allowing them to experience the African culture with games, crafts, and an introduction to specific highlights in the book. 

Module 5: Los Gatos Black on Halloween

Los Gatos Black on Halloween by Marisa Montes

 

Summary: This spooky Halloween story describes, through words and illustrations, all the spooky things one might meet on Halloween night including black cats, carved pumpkin heads, witches, skeletons, and vampires.  As these creatures parade through the town, they come together at a party where they meet the thing they are the most afraid of, kids trick-or-treating on Halloween.

APA Reference: Montes, M., & Morales, Y. (2006). Los gatos black on Halloween. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company.

Impressions: The words and illustrations are both spooky and flowing in Los Gatos Black on Halloween.  The jack-o-lanterns are really eerie, and you can practically hear the skeletons rattling and creaking as they walk.  While all the illustrations look like part of a spooky Mexican society, the words are an interesting combination of both English and Spanish.  This is the perfect book for a Halloween or Dia De Los Muertos celebration.

Professional Review:
K-Gr. 2. A spooky array of Spanish and English text describes fantastical Halloween happenings in this Pura Belpré Illustrator Medal winner set at the Monsters' Ball at Haunted Hall. Morales' playful illustrations, in muted Halloween tones, make this a good choice for Halloween or Day of the Dead- themed storytimes.

Lucia, M. G. (2009, January). [Review of the book Los gatos black on Halloween, by M. Montes & Y Morales]. Book links, 18, 37.  Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/offices/publishing/booklist/booklinks 


Library Uses: Read at a bilingual story time with either a Halloween or a Dia De Los Muertos theme.  A learning experience could be created if one page was read all in Spanish and another in English, substituting the Spanish words for English as needed.  Then activities could be done comparing Dia De Los Muertos to Halloween.  This would provide a rich cultural experience for all those in attendance.  It would also be fun to take the story out to the local elementary schools to share with specific classes or library groups. 

Module 4: Maniac Magee

Mania Magee by Jerry Spinelli

 

Summary: Jeffrey Magee's parents die in an unfortunate accident when he is only three years old.  After living with his non-functional aunt and uncle for several years, Jeffery just can't take it anymore so he decides to start running.  He ends up in a town two hundred miles away called Two Mills, that happens to be divided by a street which makes a line between the white and the black populations.  Maniac seems not to really care about skin color, and during all his running manages to start to pull the town together, where he eventually becomes known not only as Maniac Magee, but also as somewhat of a legend.


APA Reference: Spinelli, J. (1990). Maniac Magee. New York, NY: Little Brown & Company.

Impressions:
The writing style in Maniac Magee is amazing.  When Maniac goes out on Christmas morning with Grayson, an old man he is temporarily living with, the description makes you feel as if you are right there in the middle of this amazing enchanted snowy Christmas morning (p. 112-113).  The characters are depicted in such a way that it is like peeling them like an onion.  You gradually see more and more of their real characters and can't help but feel like you really know them.  One of the predominant themes of the book is that of race and racism.  The author eloquently portrays Maniac's thoughts about those who are black with his description that they are "...gingersnap and light fudge and dark fudge and acorn and butter rum and cinnamon and burnt orange. But never licorice, which, to him, was real black" (p. 51).  Maniac than described himself as,  "...at least seven shades of color right on his own skin, not one of them being what he would call white (except for his eyeballs, which weren't any whiter than the eyeballs of the kids in the East End)" (p. 58).  The somewhat mature themes in this book make it best geared to ages through middle school and up. 

 
Professional Review: An occasionally long-winded, but always affecting, parable-like story about racism and ignorance. Jeffrey Magee is twice homeless--once involuntarily, at age three, when his parents plunge with a high-speed trolley off a bridge; the second time eight years later, when he voluntarily leaves the troubled home of his aunt and uncle. Jeffrey's subsequent yearlong flight generates a host of legends:, his sudden appearances and astonishing athletic prowess earn him the name "Maniac," and his just-as-sudden disappearances ensure his fame. Innocently, he crosses between two strictly segregated parts of town, the white East End and the black West End, making friends and enemies in both camps and managing to soften the lines of segregation; later, he finds a new home in the West. If this is sometimes a bit like a chalkboard lesson, it may be because racism is still a volatile subject that is more comfortably dealt with in parable form. The metaphorical style is a brave change from the realism of Spinelli's other books, while fans of his earlier, tongue-in-cheek, streetwise tone will find it also an integral part of this story--ballast for the mythic, shifting picture of Maniac's year on the run.  

[Review of the book Maniac Magee, by J. Spinelli]. (1990, March 05). Kobak's kirkus reviews, 6, 202. Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/
 

Library Uses: Pair this book with a teen program.  Have a local charity organization visit with a project for the teens to do that will benefit either homeless people in the community, or youth living in a local shelter.  Have a verbal judo instructor come to help teens learn how to react when people say things to them that they don't like, or when they are being bullied.  It was also be good to present this book at a cultural event that brings together the different cultural groups in the community.  Include a discussion of how we can be more unified as Americans. 

Module 4: The One and Only Ivan

The One and only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

 

Summary: Ivan, an artistic gorilla, tells the story of his life living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall.   Even though he seems not to mind living there at first, he begins to remember his past and realizes that maybe the mall is not the best place for him to live. When Ivan's elephant friend Stella dies, a new baby elephant arrives named Ruby.  Ivan becomes determined to make things change, so that Ruby does not have to live in the mall for years. This book is based on a true story of a gorilla named Ivan who lived in a mall for twenty-seven years. 


Apa Reference: Applegate, K., & Castelao, P. (2012). The one and only Ivan. New York, NY: Harper.

Impressions: Although the book is somewhat thick, the writing is in a unique verse like format, and there are lots of pictures which really add to the reading experience.  Both of these features will help make this book appealing, even to struggling readers.  At the beginning of the book, Ivan says that with enough time he can get used to anything.  This thought, along with the harsh glass enclosed conditions of Ivan's cage, and the author's note at the end of the book will lead to some interesting discussions about what it means to be humane to animals.  Ivan's ability to draw is also intriguing, and his final plot to help Ruby escape by using his artwork will keep readers guessing for several chapters. The author is so good at making Ivan life-like and endearing, the reader can't help but cheer for him throughout the book.   

Professional Review: 
How Ivan confronts his harrowing past yet stays true to his nature exemplifies everything youngsters need to know about courage. Living in a "domain" of glass, metal and cement at the Big Top Mall, Ivan sometimes forgets whether to act like a gorilla or a human--except Ivan does not think much of humans. He describes their behavior as frantic, whereas he is a peaceful artist. Fittingly, Ivan narrates his tale in short, image-rich sentences and acute, sometimes humorous, observations that are all the more heartbreaking for their simple delivery. His sorrow is palpable, but he stoically endures the cruelty of humans until Ruby the baby elephant is abused. In a pivotal scene, Ivan finally admits his domain is a cage, and, rather than let Ruby live and die in grim circumstances, he promises to save her. In order to express his plea in a painting, Ivan must bravely face buried memories of the lush jungle, his family and their brutal murder, which is recounted in a brief, powerful chapter sure to arouse readers' passions. In a compelling ending, the more challenging question Applegate poses is whether or not Ivan will remember what it was like to be a gorilla. Spot art captures poignant moments throughout. Utterly believable, this bittersweet story, complete with an author's note identifying the real Ivan, will inspire a new generation of advocates.  

 [Review of the book The one and only Ivan, by K. Applegate & P. Castelao]. (2011, October). Kirkus reviews, LXXIX, 320. Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/

Library Uses:  There is a lot of discussion that could go along with this book about the way humans treat animals, if animals can really think and converse with each other, if animals can understand humans, and if a gorilla could really learn to draw the way Ivan did.  It would be fun to pair this book with a visit from authorities at the local zoo.  You could have life-size cut outs of an adult gorilla for kids to compare their size against, an art project where kids could only use their fists, and serve some real gorilla snacks (like bananas). Also, there are some artworks which can be viewed online which were really made by elephants.  This would be an interesting tie-in to the book.