The Stolen Smile

Lewis, J. Patrick. The stolen smile. Illustrated by Gary Kelley. Mankato, Minn: Creative Editions, 2004. ISBN: 978-1568461922.

Author Website: http://www.jpatricklewis.com/

Illustrator Website: http://www.garykelleyonline.com/

Media: Pastel and Oil Paint

Use of Rhythm: (p. 3) “villain or victim? / Victor or vanquished?” / Savior or scoundrel?”

Use of Simile: (p. 20) “scratched their heads like monkeys.”

Use of Alliteration: (p. 3) “villain or victim? / Victor or vanquished?” / Savior or scoundrel?” (p. 5) “depths of delirium,”

Use of Metaphor: (p. 5) “I am drowning in gifts, flowers, tokens of love,”

Curricular Connection: Visual and Performing Arts Content Standards, Grades 9-12, 1.0 Artistic Perception: Processing, Analyzing, and Responding to Sensory Information Through the Language and Skills Unique to the Visual Arts Students perceive and respond to works of art, objects in nature, events, and the environment. They also use the vocabulary of the visual arts to express their observations.

Annotation: Author J. Patrick Lewis imagines the mindset of thief Vicenzo Peruggia, who stole the Mona Lisa in 1911. Peruggia walks readers through his daring theft and imagines the reactions of the world to the loss of da Vinci’s famous work.

Personal Reaction: 2011 Children’s Poet Laureate J. Patrick Lewis offers an interesting perspective on the real theft of Leonardo da Vinci’s painting, the Mona Lisa, from the Louvre Museum in 1911. Lewis offers the thief, Vicenzo Peruggia, as a narrator for this picture book for older readers. Reminiscing from his jail cell, Peruggia walks readers through the details of his bold undertaking, explaining that he actually used to work for the Louvre and had personally installed the protective glass over the Mona Lisa. Peruggia’s reason for the theft is to return Italian da Vinci’s masterpiece to Italy. When Peruggia attempts to sell the painting to an Italian collector, readers learn more about Peruggia’s unstable state of mind. Peruggia is surprised to learn that da Vinci personally sold the painting to the King of France and that Italy does share Peruggia’s sense of rightful ownership of the famous smiling lady. Gary Kelley’s illustrations are well-executed and worthy of a book about fine art. Kelley’s close up illustration of the Louvre director’s shocked face upon discovering the theft covers a full page and requires no text (p. 12). As museum employees search for the Mona Lisa, readers get a mini tour of the Louvre’s Oriental Art, Renaissance, sculpture and Egyptian galleries. My favorite illustration appears on pages 22 and 23 and shows a Parisian sidewalk café filled with café goers sipping coffee and reading newspapers which all show the theft as the front page story. Kelley’s paintings are fluid and full of color and shadows and the effect is lively and engaging. The end notes provide information about the Mona Lisa, the painting scene during the time of da Vinci, as well as an overview of the Louvre Museum and Uffizi Gallery.

Amelia and Eleanor go for a Ride

Ryan, Pam Muñoz, and Brian Selznick. 1999. Amelia and Eleanor go for a ride: based on a true story. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN: 978-0590960755.

Author Website: http://www.pammunozryan.com/

Illustrator Website: http://www.theinventionofhugocabret.com/about_brian_bio.htm

Awards: ALA Notable Children’s Book,
Book Sense Book of the Year Finalist

Media: Pencil on Paper

Use of Metaphor: (p. 5) “Amelia and Eleanor were birds of a feather.”

Use of Alliteration: (p. 17) “circled cities.”

Use of Onomatopoeia: (p. 16) “Amelia’s eyes sparkled.” “the stars glitter.”

Special Notations: Personal Top Ten

Annotation: Two famous women, Eleanor Roosevelt and Amelia Earhart, share a memorable dinner at The White House and a magical flight over Washington D.C. after dinner in this historical picture book.

Personal Reaction: Brian Selznick’s extraordinary pencil drawings open Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride with a page full of seashell shaped clouds beckoning readers to take flight along with Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt. Selznick’s trademark hatch marks and fine lines guide the reader’s perspective throughout the book. The title page shows a close up frontal view of an airplane and subsequent biographical pages of Earhart and Roosevelt highlight the women’s facial expressions. Later in the story, Selznick draws an incredible nighttime view of Washington D.C. to highlight the vantage point offered by flying this same airplane. Munoz Ryan provides a lively text that introduces us to Roosevelt’s warmth and Earhart’s passion for flying. “Bring your husband and come to dinner at my house!” says Eleanor; of course, “my house,” is the White House! Selznick draws a realistic-looking White House surrounded by cherry blossoms that mimic the spiral shape found in the clouds throughout the illustrations. The next page shows Amelia’s husband reading a newspaper with the headline, “Earhart Flies,” in order to share Earhart’s achievements and fame with readers. Munoz Ryan’s storytelling is balanced as she cleverly follows each page about Roosevelt with a page of similar content about Earhart. This book would be an excellent book to introduce a class project about famous American woman. It could also be used for an art lesson. The profile drawings of Roosevelt and Eleanor on pages 18 and 19 would be a nice inspiration for students sketching self-portraits. Students will find a recipe for Roosevelt’s angel food cake at the back of the book, as well as an excellent author note with biographical details about these two famous women. The book closes with a copy of a black and white photograph of the two women enjoying each other’s company.

Encounter

Yolen, Jane. Encounter. Illustrated by David Shannon. New York: Hyperion Books for Children, 2008. ISBN: 01-15-225962-7.

Author Website: http://janeyolen.com/

Illustrator website: None.

Media: acrylic

Use of Simile: (p. 6) “voices like thunder.” (p. 11) “hair growing like bushes on their chins.” (p. 12) “like the barking of a yellow dog,” (boy narrator’s perception of how Columbus’ men sound when they converse).

Use of Onomatopoeia: (p. 6) “clap of thunder.” (p. 10) “spat out many strange creatures.”

Use of Metaphor: (p. 8) “each great canoe gave birth to many little ones.” (p. 12) “the skin was moon to my sun.”

Use of Alliteration: (p. 18) “pepper pot,” “fresh fish,” “feasting fire.”

Curricular Connection: California Social Studies Standards, Grade Five, Standard 5.2: Students trace the routes of early explorers and describe the early explorations of the Americas and 5.3 Students describe the cooperation and conflict that existed among the American Indians and between the Indian nations and the new settlers.

Special Notations: 2009 Students' List

Annotation: A Taino boy dreams of scary sharp-toothed birds arriving on ships. The next day, the first Europeans arrive on American shores. The boy warns his people not to trust the pale visitors, but no one listens.

Personal Reaction: David Shannon’s dark, painterly illustrations set an ominous tone for Yolen’s tale of Columbus’ arrival in San Salvador. A young Taino boy is the first to see Columbus’ three boats coming to shore and realizes that his dream from the previous night was a premonition. This story of exploration and discovery is told from the Taino perspective, as imagined by the author. There are no Taino descendents alive today. Shannon’s paintings are drawn from the boy narrator’s perspective, too, allowing the reader to understand how frightening it was to be invaded and, later, to be taken away to become a slave. This is a good story for helping students in fifth grade understand that every story has at least two sides and that history is worth examining from different angles. Shannon is known for his humorous writing and drawing and it is nice to see his restraint in Encounter in order to convey the fears of the Taino boy. I would use this book along with another book told from the explorers’ perspective for a compare and contrast lesson. Students can be encouraged to empathize with the Taino and the explorers, in turn, to understand the differing perspectives of these two groups.

Boxes for Katje

Fleming, Candace. Boxes for Katje. Illustrated by Stacey Dressen-McQueen. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2003. ISBN: 0-374-30922-1

Author Website: http://www.candacefleming.com/

Illustrator Website: None

Media: Colored Pencil, Oil Pastel and Acrylic Paint.

Use of Rhyme: (p. 15) “sweet beat.”

Use of Metaphor: (p. 16) “They have five children who are skin and bone.”

Use of Alliteration: (p. 24) “tulip bulbs buried beneath the snow.”

Use of Repetition: (multiple pages) “There is plenty to share,” Katje says after every package delivery.

Special Notations: 2009 Students’ List.

Detailed Artwork Discussion: Stacey Dressen-McQueen used a combination of colored pencils and oil pastel and acrylic paints to illustrate Boxes for Katje. Every page of the story features multiple patterns reminiscent of fabrics and wallpapers popular during the 1930’s and 9140’s in Holland. The illustrations contain a great deal of movement and drawings of people are frequently superimposed on backgrounds of gardens, snow, cobblestone and grass. The drawings are rich in details; heads of lettuce growing in a garden are painted with depth and dimension, emphasizing the layers of leaves (p. 13). People “move” with exaggerated motions, adding even more movement to the drawings. When the postman delivers a box, his leg is drawn lifting way up in the air, giving him a jaunty gait, obvious from just one drawing (p. 18). Katje’s family and friends’ joy upon opening the boxes from America is made obvious by the scattered placement of the objects in the illustrations. By looking at Dressen-McQueen’s haphazard location of teddy bears, chocolate bars, socks and coats, the reader senses that Katje might have joyfully flung each object out of the box as she opened it. Vibrant coloring paints a picture of the village of Olst that is endearing and optimistic. Dressen-McQueen’s style of folk art using mixed media is lively and more than competently conveys the emotions of Fleming’s characters in this story.

Curricular Connection: English-Language Arts/Writing, History/Social Science, Grade 5, Students connect social studies through literature analysis.

Annotation: An aid organization in the United States connects a girl from Indiana with a young girl in Holland after World War II. Care packages from Rosie to Katje provide nourishment, clothing and joy for Katje and her friends and family.

Personal Reaction: Boxes for Katje is a deceptively simple picture book loaded with meaning and lessons about caring and helping. The story is based on the similar real life experience of author Fleming’s mother just after World War II. Fleming’s spin on the story features a young Indiana girl named Rosie who makes a connection with a young girl named Katje in Holland via an American aid organization. Katje’s village is suffering from food and supply shortages after the war and Rosie sends Katje a care package. Katje generously shares the contents of the package with the postal carrier and her family. The girls strike up a correspondence and Rosie sends more care packages. While the text is brief, it suggests much about the devastation of war, the impact on resources, the necessary rebuilding after war and human kindness. This story would be a nice introduction for students studying the impact of World War II on the home front in the U.S. or for students working on compare and contract writing skills. The lives of Rosie and Katje are well suited for a comparison assignment. Social studies students might also examine the role of aid organizations during and after wars.

Starry Messenger

Sís, Peter. Starry messenger: a book depicting the life of a famous scientist, mathematician, astronomer, philosopher, physicist, Galileo Galilei. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1996. ISBN: 0-374-37191-1.

Author / Illustrator Website: http://www.petersis.com/index2.html

Media: Detailed Pen and Ink Drawings with Watercolor.

Use of Metaphor: (p. 8) “Italy was a quilt of city states,” (p. 10) “born with stars in his eyes.”

Special Notations: Non-fiction

Curricular Connection: California Science Standards, Grade 5, Standard 5. The solar system consists of planets and other bodies that orbit the Sun in predictable paths. As a basis for understanding this concept: a. Students know the Sun, an average star, is the central and largest body in the solar system and is composed primarily of hydrogen and helium. b. Students know the solar system includes the planet Earth, the Moon, the Sun, eight other planets and their satellites, and smaller objects, such as asteroids and comets.

c. Students know the path of a planet around the Sun is due to the gravitational attraction between the Sun and the planet.

Annotation: Starry Messenger shares the incredible discovery by Galileo Galilei that the sun is the center of the universe. Peter Sis uses detailed artwork to explain Galileo’s work and contributions to science.

Personal Reaction: Peter Sis takes the incredible discovery of a prolific man and shares it with readers through detailed and evocative drawings that capture the life and times of Galileo beautifully. Sis includes minimal text in this book, choosing to rely on illustrations packed full of information. Galileo’s birth is told by way of a large drawing of nearly 100 babies wrapped in blankets (p. 10-11). Each baby’s blanket is decorated with a drawing that depicts the baby’s future line of work; Baby Galileo’s blanket is covered in stars, foreshadowing Galileo’s work studying the stars. The same page offers seemingly handwritten notes about Galileo’s family and the birth of Galileo’s famous contemporary Shakespeare. Every other page in the books contains similar “handwritten” script, often times presented in a spiral shape or as part of an illustration. Sis uses this script to include details from Galileo’s books and work notes, as well as facts about the Italian government and the Church. Starry Messenger is a work of art that contains many facts about the stars, planets and universe documented by Galileo using a homemade telescope. This book is surprisingly informative and could be used as a supplement for fifth grade students studying the solar system.

The Revolutionary John Adams

Harness, Cheryl. The Revolutionary John Adams. Washington, D.C: National Geographic, 2003. ISBN: 0-7922-6970-5

Awards: Beacon of Freedom Award, Nominee, 2006.

Author Website: None

Media: Rich watercolors on paper.

Use of Simile: (p.31) “news that plunked like a round black stone into the world of John and Abigail Adams.”

Use of Metaphor: (p.5) “stomach full of butterflies.” (p.26) “dug deep into his bag of political skills.” (p.29) “Two old lions, France and England.”

Use of Alliteration: (p.16) “soldiers froze and failed.” (p.24) “diamond-decked Marie Antoinette.” (p.32) “stump-stubbled Pennsylvania Avenue.”

Use of Onomatopoeia: (p.6) “John Adams fizzed with total and complete happiness.” (p.8) “People began to grumble.” (p.11) “plunk . . .plunk . . .plunked boxes of tea into Boston Harbor.”

Use of Sophisticated Language: (p. 26) “coaxed out of Holland official recognition and loans, lifeblood for his nation.”

Curricular Connection: California History / Social Science, Grade 5, California Standards: 5.6: Students understand the course and consequences of the American Revolution. 5.7: Students describe the people and events associated with the development of the U.S. Constitution and analyze the Constitution’s significance as the foundation of the American republic.

Special Notation: Non-fiction

Annotation: Harness traces the life of President John Adams from his humble beginnings on a farm to the White House. This biography offers details of Adams’ work as a revolutionary, politician, lawyer, statesman and leader.

Personal Reaction: This biography is steeped in facts, but it is also a very personal story of a man’s life. The author traces John Adams’ life from his birth on a farm in New England to his death on a farm not far away. In between, the reader learns about the role of Adams in revolting against England, building the government of new nation, working side by side with Washington, Jefferson and Franklin, serving as Vice-President and President, as well as working as a statesman abroad. The numerous quotes from Adams, familial details and excerpts from personal letters to his beloved wife Abigail allow for an insight into Adams life that makes this biography more memorable than others. Harness use sweeping watercolor paintings of people and maps to bring Adams’ time to life. In just 40 pages, Harness not only tells Adams’ story, but the history of our emerging and young nation. The personal perspective and illustrations provide an accessible history lesson for students in grades five to seven.

George vs. George: the American Revolution as Seen From Both Sides

Schanzer, Rosalyn. George vs. George: the American Revolution as seen from both sides. Washington, DC: National Geographic, 2004. ISBN: 0-7922-7349-4

Awards: ALA Notable Book for Children, 2005. NCTE Orbis Pictus Award Recommended Book, 2005.

Author / Illustrator Website: http://www.rosalynschanzer.com/

Media: Watercolor on paper.

Use of Alliteration: (p. 13) “gentlemen in fancy white wigs wearing all the latest fashions.” (p. 13) “from Borneo to the Bay of Botega.” (p. 14) “wealthy widow.” (p. 18) “drowning in debt.”

Use of Sophisticated Language: (p. 34) “Washington despaired over the inexperience of his volunteers, the constant desertions, and a paralyzing lack of food and military supplies.”

Use of Metaphor: (p. 11) “fabric binding America to Great Britain was about to unravel”

Curricular Connection: California History / Social Science, Grade 5, California Standard: 5.6: Students understand the course and consequences of the American Revolution.

Special Notation: Non-fiction, Lesson Plan (available at http://picturebooksforbigkids.blogspot.com/2011/08/5th-grade-language-arts-lesson-plan_03.html).

Annotation: George vs. George provides detailed coverage of the American Revolution from the perspectives of George Washington and George III, King of England. Details about the underlying causes of the war and the lives of both Georges contribute to a fascinating book.

Personal Reaction: Watercolor illustrations of George Washington and George III on the introductory page of this book set the tone for this rare, balanced presentation of the facts surrounding the American Revolution. Author Schanzer presents each George in an oval portrait glaring at each other. Washington is frowning and giving King George the evil eye and King George simply looks repulsed by Washington. From page one, I knew this book was going to give me both George’s stories and the chance to decide for myself what I thought of this period of history. Providing students with the opportunity to decide what they think about history is like giving the gift of higher order thinking. Schanzer doesn’t just offer a simplified version of these two men’s perspectives, either. George vs. George is packed with information about George Washington, his family, various other key figures of the time, details about King George, his family, England’s recent history and quotations from both men and their contemporaries that give readers a comprehensive sense of this period in history. The book offers a wealth of background material on the circumstances and environment in both the colonies and England before, during and after the war. Schanzer’s cheerful voice kept me interested as I read through this dense 60-page dual perspective story. I truly gained a sense of both sides of this historic story and appreciated that this author did not favor the U.S. perspective by glossing over details such as the fact that most Native Americans fought on the British side in hopes of protecting their land from colonists. Also, this book is definitely a picture book for older readers as indicated by the complex information about the structure of government, battle logistics, political posturing and mature verbiage. For example, on page 30, Schanzer writes, “Rebel newspapers reported that bloodthirsty redcoats burned houses, drove naked women into the streets and butchered old men and infants. The King was told that rebel savages broke the rules of war by ambushing his army. Then they scalped fallen British infantry and cut off their ears.”

Rosa

Giovanni, Nikki. Rosa. Illustrated by Bryan Collier New York: Henry Holt, 2005. ISBN:0-8050-7106-7

Awards: ALA Notable Book, 2006. Caldecott Honor, 2006. Coretta Scott King Award, 2006.

Author Website: http://www.nikki-giovanni.com/

Illustrator Website: http://www.bryancollier.com/

Media: Combination of watercolor paint and collage on paper

Use of Simile: (p. 5) “The needle and thread flew through her hands like the gold,” (p. 25) “justice runs down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream”

Use of Allusion: (p. 5) “like the gold spinning from Rumpelstiltskin’s loom” intimates that Rosa’s work as a seamstress is high caliber and alludes to the fairytale, Rumpelstiltskin.

Use of Repetition: (p. 15) “She was tired of ‘Colored’ entrances . . . she was tired of getting somewhere . . . tired of ‘separate,’ and definitely tired of ‘not equal’.” (p.27) “people walked . . . walked in the rain . . . walked in the hot sun . . . walked early in the morning”

Use of Metaphor: (p. 15) “stand under the umbrella of courage”

Curricular Connection: California History / Social Science, Grades 11, California Standard 11.10.4 Examine the roles of civil rights advocates (e.g. Rosa Parks).

Detailed Artwork Discussion: Bryan Collier mixes vibrant watercolor paint and collage on paper to create his signature style of picture book illustrations. Collier’s mixed media approach results in rich, eye-popping works that convey depth of emotion of his subjects. In Rosa, Collier uses shading to illustrate strength and weariness in Rosa’s face as she boards the bus prior to her famous arrest. Collier draws a strong nose and jaw line on Rosa, but shows her with her eyes closed as waits for her bus (p. 7). Later, Collier uses a close-up illustration of Rosa’s hands as she grips a bag. The painting is so realistic that the subject’s hands appear to actually be tightened around the bag’s handle. The subject’s clothing takes on dimension through the use of collage that has been painted over in rich red and grey tones (p. 18).

Annotation: While riding the bus home from work, Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat for a seat in the “colored” section of the bus. Rosa shares how Parks’ subsequent arrest inspires people to stand up for civil rights.

Personal Reaction: Montgomery, Alabama resident Rosa Parks is tired of being treated like a second-class citizen because of the color of her skin. She is tired of being forced to use separate entrances and drinking fountains. Nikki Giovanni’s repetitious phrasing emphasizes the inequalities of daily life for African-Americans before the passage of civil rights legislation that I take for granted today. Rosa Parks’ story is well known, but when told by Giovanni through Rosa’s eyes and shown in Collier’s artwork, the importance of Rosa’s defiant and brave act comes through more clearly than ever. Readers get to know Rosa Parks and walk through a day in her life as a hardworking seamstress caring for her ailing mother and husband. Collier’s illustrations show us Rosa’s determined eyes as the bus driver threatens to call the police. Readers discover that Rosa “realized she was tired. Not tired from work tired of people putting white people first.” The need for the battle for civil rights crystallizes as Rosa’s role in history is told from her perspective.

Constitution Construction

Boyd, Bentley. Constitution Construction. Williamsburg, VA: By Chester Comix, 2003. 24 pag es. ISBN: 0-9729616-2-3

Awards: Virginia Council for the Social Studies Friend of Education Award, 2003

Author and Illustrator Website:

http://www.chestercomix.com/comics/

Media: Black ink and colored markers on paper.

Graphic Novel: Comic book style book with multiple chapters.

Use of Metaphor: (p.22) The ship from Star Trek is a metaphor for the United States government.

Use of Onomatopoeia: (p.3) “Wam” enliven the action as Locke fights for his rights against the gorilla and a tiger.

Use of Personification: (p. 5) A gorilla personifies the concept of a monarchy government.

Curricular Connection: California History / Social Science, Grades 5, 8 and 10

Annotation: Chester the Crab has a dream about the United States Constitution. The dream is in the form of a comic book and explains the plan for the government of the United States.

Personal Reaction: So many kids, particularly reluctant readers, love reading comics. Chester Comix is a great way to engage students in grades 5, 8 and 10 in the content of the California subject standards for American history. In just 24 pages, Bentley Boyd, under the guise of Chester the Crab, covers a lot of material related to the construction of the United States Constitution. John Locke shares his ideas about life, liberty and property from a perch in a jungle wearing a loincloth. Newspaperman John Peter Zenger fights for freedom of speech and freedom of press after transforming into Superman. An especially funny comic featuring Thomas Jefferson proves that comics can make complex and contentious subjects such as religious freedom easy to digest for students. Chester’s last dream turns the creation of the Articles of Confederation into a comic spin on Star Trek. Chester Comix are colorful, action-packed and fact-filled and the result is a fresh approach to teaching history to students ages 9 to 15 years. Boyd succeeds in succinctly presenting an important period of American history in an easy to understand format that will entertain and educate. The book includes a comic-free index that will allow students to review key points of information with ease. A website for Chester Comix features teaching guides and information about state education standards covered in Boyd’s creative work.