Martina the
Beautiful Cockroach
Deedy, C.A. (2007). Martina
the beautiful cockroach. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree Publishers.
At 21 days old, Martina is ready to married, and her beauty
lures in multiple suitors. Martina’s family members provide her with gifts to
make her even more appealing to the suitors’ eyes, but her wise grandmother
provides her with the best gift of all: the coffee test. Martina uses her
grandmother’s test to determine which suitor is right for her. Just when she
feels that she will never find a suitor, her grandmother and the coffee test
lead Martina to true love. Cultural markers are evident throughout this Cuban
folktale. The author and illustrator depict the Cuban culture through text and
images.
Link to book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x24kj8FwLBQ
The Legend of the Bluebonnet
DePaola, T. (1983). The
legend of the bluebonnet. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons.
Where the Wild Things Are
Sendak, M. (1962).
Where the wild things are. New York, NY: Harper Collins.
When Max is sent to his room without dinner for his
mischievous behavior, his imagination takes him on a journey to the land of the
wild things. Max tames the wild things and they crown him as their king.
Feeling lonely, Max decides to sail back home where he finds a hot supper
waiting for him. Sendak’s use of an earth tone color pallet helps set the mood
of the story, while his use of texture seems to make the creatures come to
life.
Mirror
Mirror
Famous fairy tales, such as Snow White and Cinderella, are presented in dual points of view in this clever and thought provoking book. The author presents this book in the reverso writing style, which provides two points of view if the lines are reversed. For example, Sleeping Beauty portrays that life is no fun while locked in a tower waiting for her love. By reversing the words, her prince reveals the struggles he encounters while out in the world searching for his love. This writing style reveals to young readers that there are two sides to every story.
The
Three Pigs
The story begins as the three pigs are gathering materials
for their homes. The first pig builds his house of straw. The big, bad wolf
comes along and blows so hard that he blows the pig right out of the story. The
second pig builds his house of sticks, and is also blown off the page by the
big, bad wolf. The two pigs find their brother and all exit their story. The
three pigs make a paper airplane and set out on an adventure where they
discover more story lands. Animals from each story escape the confinement of
their own stories to reach a new land in which they are able to create their
own fates. Wiesner puts an exciting
twist on the plot, in which first appears to be a version of the original fairy
tale. The characters illustration style changes as they enter each story which
displays Wiesner’s talent as an illustrator. The vivid and detailed
illustrations and the use of text bubbles really make this story come to life.
See the book trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U41VWexL6gE
It’s
a Book
Smith, L. (2010). It’s
a book. New York: Roaring Book Press.
A donkey asks a series of questions to a monkey who is
reading a book. The donkey has never seen a book due to his excessive use of
technology. He is surprised to learn that a book doesn’t have to be charged,
doesn’t come with a mouse, and that it can’t be used for blogging or tweeting.
The donkey takes the book from the monkey and begins to read. The monkey has to
ask for his book back because the donkey is so intrigued with the book. The donkey
lets the monkey know that he will recharge the book after he finishes in which
the donkey responds, “It’s a book, jackass.” The plot of this humorous story
depicts how today’s society heavily relies on technology to enhance our lives.
The illustrations enhance the story by reminding readers how fun and engaging
reading an actual book can be.
This is
Not My Hat
A small but bold fish steals the hat of a much larger fish who he assumes is taking a nap. The small fish is very confident that he will make his way to the tall plants without being caught. Little does he know, the large fish is following close behind. The large fish enters and leaves the tall plants with his hat leaving the readers to guess the fate of the small fish. Klassen uses the illustrations to tell a different story than the text. Though the small fish is certain he will get away with stealing the hat, the illustrations say otherwise.
Chapter 2: Picture Books
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