Little Penguin's Tale by Audrey Wood

Each picture in the book  helps the reader have a better understanding of what the books is saying. As the nanny penguin tells her story I noticed on each page whale looking from the water and I could foresee that there would be danger to the penguin at some point. I could not tell that the author will prevent each time the penguin gets into danger for it to escape. This truly is the book that used art to the fullest as it has outstanding color for each image. The story strikes me as cute example of what happens when you wander away from home alone.  I then recall the power of stories that are told from generation to generation. 
I would show the students pictures of penguins from magazines and Web sites.  We would listen to the sounds they make.  After reading the story we would come together as a group  and identify  parts of the story that are real and parts that were make-believe.

The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton

As I read the story of the little house I become worried for it at the perils of urban sprawl.  The story makes me think of nature,  countryside, and tranquility that sometimes can be only felt out of big cities. I almost felt for the house as if it were a human growing lonely in the huge city surrounded by the strangers.  The Little House is an call for an idyllic life in the countryside far away from the concrete and noises of the city.
After listening the story students would differentiate between the natural changes and man-made changes in the environment over time.  The students would then write about the feeling of the little house.  Students will compare and contrast what the little house saw in the country and in the city.
When I lived in Bosnia my desire was all the time to live in the city. Nowadays I am happy to live in the outskirts, further away close to the city but still in the country.

The Champion of Children; The Story of Janusz Korczak by Tomek Bogacki

It was very interesting to find about Janusz Korczak, who opened orphanage of his own design for Jewish children in Warsaw. What a visionary man! In the orphanage he formed  a kind of republic for children with its own small parliament, court and newspaper. The book made me think of Warsaw ghetto. I read about it in details first time I got hold of book Mila 18 by Leon Uris. It told the story of the Warsaw ghetto and its resistance at some point. Unfortunately resistance was eventually crushed and the people in the building  were burned. At the age of 18 I had an opportunity to listen to the story of Warsaw ghetto survivor. Reading the novel I found that Germans took great care in developing propaganda aimed at Polish people to make them believe that for all of their troubles Jews were guilty.  When I look illustration on the cover page of the picture book it makes me think of this brave man, who sacrificed his life to stay and help the children even though he had an opportunity to ran away.
After reading the story students can describe ways people get along in the community. Students would also offer explanations about why they think Dr. Korzcak  chose to lead the children and staff to the train and to Treblinka, concentration camp.
We would also touch upon the ways Korzcak's view of a child influenced  the general understanding of children's rights.

Number the Stars by Loid Lowry

When I visited the Yad Vashem, holocaust museum in Jerusalem long time ago I was able to see that the number of Jewish victims in Denmark was the smallest when compared to all other European countries. Reading this book I also was able to find that Jewish people were smuggled in boats to Sweden. I did not know that.
The novel made me think of what it meant growing up in the war, how children were forced to mature sooner.  I understand that parents had to conceal the truth from the young girls at times.  Not knowing is usually equated with being a child, but  in this story not knowing means being able to face danger, which is a mature trait.  So Anna Marie has to find a balance between demanding the truth and protecting herself from it.
The novel made me think of all the young children that suffered in the war in Bosnia, young people stuck in Sarajevo during the siege. It made me remember the war days and the sanctions Serbia and Serbian part of Bosnia had.  War seemed to last forever and there was so much uncertainty at when would it end.  People became nationalities and they were all judged not by their actions but by their nationality. So if you were a Serb in Zagreb it was not safe for  you, if you were Muslim and Croat in Banja Luka you were  equally not safe, and like that all over Bosnia and Croatia.  The war forces individuals conceal their true identities and actions. Unfortunately, in the wartime some sort of worst people come to prominence that other people are ashamed of and they did things that in the peacetime they would never dare. I didn't know now that the Danish king was such a brave man, whom people really loved and were willing to protect.  Ellen Rosen character made me think of my friend Danira. She and her family had to flee, town where I was born,Visegrad just because they were Muslims. Her family was lucky to escape and eventually leave for the  the US. Nowadays she lives in New Jersey.
I would have students write a journal where they would compare and contrast different characters in the story. They would write thoughts and questions as they read each chapter. I would show the students maps of prewar and postwar Europe.  We would research how Danish Resistance managed to smuggle almost  its entire Jewish population to safety nearly seven thousand people.

Russel the Sheep by Rob Scotton

 

What happens when a sheep cannot sleep?  The sheep Russel finds that counting his feet and starts doesn't work.  I loved the humorous and playful illustrations of the sheep in the picture book. It  was especially funny to see what sheep do in at the end of a long busy day when they were getting  ready for sleep. One sheep had a dentures in the glass of water like old people and the other one was knitting before going to sleep like some granny.  Russel is a very endearing character with his long sleeping hat. The story makes fun of the words and sleep myths. The idea that counting sheep will help you fall asleep is indeed funny.
Before reading the story we would discuss the front cover illustration about the possible story plot. After reading the story we would discuss the ways  children use to help themselves to fall asleep bedtime story, warm drink etc. We would also talk about sleep routines, the origin of counting sheep to sleep and find out whether sheep really do sleep on their backs. I would have children retell the story in their own words.

On the Day You Were Born by Debra Fraiser

I was inspired and touched when I read this book. It would be excellent to use as a way to expose a class to the beauty of language and the intricate way we can describe our thoughts and feelings through writing. It also teaches children that every one  is special and valued regardless of the life they lead outside  the classroom. The simple introduction of  different aspects from migration to parts of the universe can provide a great learning device for students.  I would have students bring their baby pictures. We would have them displayed without names and the students would try to guess who is who.  We would have discussion of their experiences of being an older  or younger sibling, welcoming a new baby to the family, or the stories how they were welcomed by their brothers and sisters. We would then talk about how our lives change when someone new enters our lives, whether that person is a new brother or sister,  a new parent,  a new neighbor,  or new classmate. Each student would tell one thing that makes them special.  Students would have to think about what parts of natural world  they would like to have welcome them and tell why they chose that particular thing.

The Little Island by Margaret Wise Brown

Mrs.Brown book visits the island in different seasons in fair weather and foul.  She describes the plants growing on the island and the animals that live or visit there which makes me feel the beauty of island and I start imaging it. It makes me feel to wish to be there, to stand on the shore, and look back across the bay at the mainland.  The book evokes the desire to be alone and apart, and yet a part of everything surrounding. I don't think I would love to live on an island which boundaries I can see, but I would like to spend some time there before returning to my family and home. The story makes me think of the series "Lost" where people were stranded on a mystical island for a long time. The island had a capacity to travel through time and space.
I would have students find some of the describing words and phrases that engage our senses sight, smell, hearing and touch.  We would get some items from the nature and the students would try to describe them with more than one of their senses.   I would also have students point out to things that mark each season on the island. We would talk about the different animals that migrate to the island and their reasons.

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton

Mike Mulligan tries to prove to everyone that his steam shovel, Mary Anne,  can dig up a huge cellar  for the new town hall in one day. The author has done an excellent job at  both illustration and writing the story about the importance of true friendship. I loved how Mike Mulligan was close to his steam shovel. I liked that he gave it a pretty name, Mary Anne since it truly shows that he treated it like a true friend. Mike seems to me to be such a caring and confident character, even after he was put out of the job because Marry Anne was too old to compete with newer steam shovels. Marry Ann looks like an old fashioned steam shovel but yet has a human expression as we see her smiling on every page. As I went through the story I was very concerned about the fate of cute little machine.  This is a true heartwarming story about importance of true friendship that will remain in many children's hearts.
I would have the children draw a machine and name its special features. Then I would have them draw a picture of object they use everyday but to give it human features and name it. Then they would have to write about  the things they and their objects do together and how it makes them feel.  We would also look online at the pictures of old steam shovels from the 30's when the type of steam shovels were used.

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

In this story young girl goes with her father deep into the forest to look for owls. Almost all children look forward to when they are old enough to do a certain activity, and that is how narrator of this story feels about it. The girl knows that she cannot talk when going owling, and she struggles to keep her thoughts inside her.  Through the descriptive language of the story I felt as though I am on the owling adventure with the girl and her father. The author has effectively detailed the young girl's experience  with exploring the forest with her father. I loved that the story was told from the young girl's perspective as she sees the winter world and the magical experience there. The book made me think of my childhood experiences with my parents, grandmother and friends when we went to explore the nature. One memory I recall was  in the 80's when we traveled from my home town  of Banja Luka to the place where mother was born. The little town of Glamoc was secluded high on the mountain plato far away from everything. On our way there we would pass through the deep and long evergreen forests. Father would stop the car in the dark if we would spot a wild animal so that I could watch. Then there were all those secrets and legends associated with small town. Apparently,  in the town where mother grew up, there was a big long stone, like a monument that stood erected in one village near by. There was a legend surrounding the stone, that when people tried to cut it, it actually bled. That type of stories initiate all sorts of curiosity. It is a nice memory I keep  whenever I think of mother's birthplace and travel to the Croatian seaside. That village  out of Glamoc is exactly on the way to the Croatian coast.
After reading the story I would divide children into groups. Their assignment would be to recall important story details that explain how to go owling.  They would have to describe how to dress, how to behave, and which sounds to make.  Then we would use the story details to compile  a list of things they know about the  great horned owl.  After they gather the facts they would share it with their classmates the following day.
I would also have children write about the special things and adventures they did with their parents, relatives or friends.

When Marian Sang by Pam Munoz Ryan

As I read the story of Marian Anderson, who was one of America's greatest singers it make me think of all the racial discrimination black people experienced and the obstacles they had to overcome. I wonder why society created prejudices and stereotyping. Have we come out of those bad habits? It makes me think what can we do make our society even more progressive and eliminate racism and discrimination of any sort. Then I think of our president and it makes me happy that we have come so far on that road. I am so glad that we have our president. Not for the sole reason of him being a president because of his race but simply because we have come to understand that the color does not really matter. All that matters is common sense, wisdom, vision and will to lead nation forward.
I would divide students into small groups and have them share what they know about biographies and to record their ideas. After they are done we would match their ideas about this genre with the actual definition of  it. Then  I would have students write down what they know about African American struggles in the past.
We would learn about Jim Craw laws. Students would find inspiring sentences in the story that tell about Marian personality and would discuss them in small groups.

A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead

As I read the story I felt compassion and sympathy for the lovely zookeeper who never forgets about his animal friends. Even though he works hard everyday in the zoo he finds time to spend with his friends: elephant, turtle, penguin, rhinoceros, and owl. What was very cute is that all the animals were given human like qualities. We hear of an owl that is afraid of dark and penguin who was shy.  That would certainly make children associate with the story as we all had our fears and troubles while growing up. The story has a deep and warm message of friendship, love for the others.  I loved the scene where elephant was playing chess with Amos and elephant thought before making each move in the game.  The story gives us some idea of comfort that when there are difficult times we have our friends to support and encourage us.
In the classroom we would talk about the zoo, animals we love. I would have students write about their best friends, the moments when their friends really did something special for them. We would discuss about friendship and why it is so important to us. I would have children brainstorm the words they associate  with friendship.

Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

Until reading this picture book I have never heard of Wilson Bentley. As I went through the story I developed respect for his persistence on doing what he really liked. I was also wondering how is exploration of the snowflakes going to result. Will he become famous and will the scientist hear of him. Those were my thoughts. The side panel in the book supplements the reader with additional facts about Bentley's life.  The story illustrates for me family love and character perseverance. Bentley had the vision to see that his photographs would  be his gift to the world.  To spend one's life trying to express something so complex, so perfect, so beautiful, and yet so fleeting and to do it with such appreciation, wonder and love is inspiring to me.
I would first talk with my students about snow, how snowflakes form and we would define some unique properties of snow. I would google Snowflake Bentley's photographs and print out two copies of the same photo and I would make many like those. Then I would have students match the same ones.  I would have them write the essay about things they really love doing, their hobbies and to state the reasons the hobbies make them happy and fulfilled.

Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say

I was immediately touched by this story as soon as I started reading it.  Everlasting pain, struggles and dilemma  that every immigrant has to go through in his/her life is my own story. You leave your country for another, and your country and the world you left behind lives in you, you cannot forget it. Sometimes memories torture me, and I miss the mountains and rivers of my homeland like the author's grandfather. I find myself thinking of my childhood a lot, happy memories, all those moments with people dear to me, that represent important figures in my life. You realize time is fleeting, if only you could go back to past to relieve some of those happy moments. Living abroad you end up being aware even more of time passage. If only I could go every six months and see my grandmother, parents and all the friends.  Good conversation, socializing is worth of gold and cannot be replaced by anything else in life.  I understand his grandfather's yearning for his old country.
 I was not surprised that he loved most California. I got to like it too. I loved the diversity of people and the landscape. Landscape reminded me of Bosnia. I miss the mountains, green rivers and streams, evergreen forests so much as Iowa is flat. I am not just used to it.   I loved the book so much that I bought it. It also made me think of the the struggles Asian people have to undergo when settling here in the US.  I have many friends that are from Asia and I try to learn a little bit from each culture. At the same time I realize I love the feeling of being able to meet  many diverse people from all over the world here in my new homeland. And those cross cultural influences change a person completely and deepen our understanding. I am sure I will be reading this book to my own children one day.
Before reading  I would ask students to describe a place they have visited on a vacation or a family visit. I would ask them to explain how it that place different than the place they live. Then after reading the story we would discuss about illustrations in the book.  I would ask them to give me their understanding of what is depicted by illustrations, who are the people they see, and  what is the time period they represent.
I would have children talk to the oldest person in their family to find out what was life like when that person was growing up. After that we would explore the medium of watercolor.  I would have students illustrate the favorite place using watercolors and then describe that place in a story.

What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins

What a great way to get children interested in studying animals. It also provides children with a chance to look at the world from different perspectives.  Looking at the illustrations  made of cut-paper collage students can learn about how animals have similar parts and how the animals use them. The author definitely made me wonder and guess which part will belong to which animals on the next page, where the secret will be revealed.
I would first read the book aloud to the students. Then we would research the animals in the book.  We would discuss how people and animals use various body parts. I would have students show where each animal lives on the globe. We would try to determine which animal in the book has the most unusual part and then make the collage of the various animal parts.

The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses by Paul Goble

I don't think I have ever read an American Indian folk story so this would be my first one. The first thing that I notice is the that American Indians have very close relationship with nature.  In my perception the horses in the story symbolize family and freedom. The girl wants to run and live with  horses making her spirit wild and free. She sees them as her family. The girl's true parents let her go because she symbolizes their desire to run wild and free among their distant relatives.  The book has wonderful illustrations. I loved the way the author made this story extremely dramatic, especially during the thunderstorm, as Paul Globe made  it seriously intense.  During the thunderstorm scene, I was very worried for the girl hoping that the girl and the horses would make it to the safety. I was also thinking how will the conflict be resolved and what the explanation for it would be.
I did not know that American Indians believe that horses are their distant relatives.  One almost feels happy when girl is allowed to return to the wild and live with the horses.
After reading the story to children I would ask them how they feel about the horses. I would then divide children into small groups and have them find out about one of the Native American group: Navajo, Sioux etc.
Each group can report on one of the aspects of Native American's lives, where they lived and what their customs and traditions were and still are. This book is very good to teach students about culture and history of American Indians.

Golem by David Wisniewski

I heard about the word Golem long time ago when I was fourteen and reading Isaak Bashevis Singer's novels.
At that time I did not understand what it represented.   This was the reason book draw my attention. Piter Sis mentioned Golem as one of the old legends of Prague in his picture book "The Three Goldern Keys" Illustration in the book are very beautiful. The story is based on the old Jewish legend created by the man to help prosecuted people imprisoned in the ghetto of Prague.  Golem grew too big, too strong and misused his powers. In the end he had to be destroyed by the same man who created him. The very idea that rabbi created Golem by reciting combination of letters of Hebrew alphabet  to create life seems very interesting. But not everybody could create life, only the most pious and righteous man.  The book inspired me to look more into the legends inspired by Cabala, Jewish mysticism, what kind of things they believed  and they created in the medieval times. I am not a believer, but the idea that uttering certain combination of letters can give humans certain powers seems very creative and appealing.
In oder to introduce and teach this story to children I would have to give some explanation of the Cabala, historical background of the legend of Golem.   Then I would explain the folktale genre to the students and the purpose it served in society. We would have discussion about universal truth or moral for the story.  Then I would encourage student to research other versions of Golem and  compare and contrast one of these versions to David Wisniewski's story.  I would ask students to describe the magical elements in the story and to determine how  they contribute to the story's resolution.

Sitti's Secrets by Naomi Shihab Nye

Mona's grandmother lives on the other side of the world and there are many things dividing them- physical things like oceans and land and fish and cities and clotheslines. She visits her grandmother and even though they do not speak the same language they develop the bond. Mona's grandmother probably lives in the West Bank in the Middle East. This is a great book for children who have extended family abroad. The story touches me immediately as it makes me recall my childhood, my grandmother who plays a big part in my life.
 My grandmother did not live abroad, but now that I immigrated to the US she does and I often wish I could visit her more often. To all my relative I say I wish there was a magic door, that I could open and just go visit them, stay for a coffee, dinner, and socializing and then come back to US through that same door. If only distance was not so huge between America and Europe.
My understanding is that author recalls her childhood as her father is Palestinian and she must have visited her extended family  back in the Middle East. I understand why she would wish to write a letter to the president as a child. Unfortunately, conflict between Palestinians and Israelis is still ongoing one.  I wish peace would come to that part of world.
After reading this book I would have children write a journal about one relative that they really love and that affects their life, be it a grandmother or someone else.

Luba; The Angel of Bergen- Belzen

Who is Luba Tryszynska? Just an immigrant from Poland to America? Why did they give her the nickname the angel of Bergen- Belsen? From what I read in this picture book about her just made even more clear to me that in times of war, difficult times there are some people who stand out, and show unbelievable courage and humanity. Judging from our safe life and homes it is not easy to fully grasp what it meant to risk your own life to save and hide some children in the concentration camp under Germans. For the guards and soldiers in the camp life of the prisoners did not have much value. People were shot for simple trifle things like asking for a piece of bread.
Children that Luba saved stayed in contact with her and it was very interesting to me that they met for many reunions after the war ended. I even came across blogs of the people that knew her and wrote about her recent death in 2009. What was exceptionally touching was what the youngest child she saved said about her:
" My mother always told me that she gave birth to me but Luba gave me life." I coud not help but feel great respect for such a woman.
After reading this picture book I would have children write what were some moments in their life where they had to show some courage and persistence.

For Good Measure; The Ways we Say How Much, How Far, How Heavy, How Big, How Old

 In this wonderful non-fiction picture book author teaches the children metric and imperial measuring system through examples of human body, nature, architecture and various objects people use. Everything is represented through photographs that in my opinion gives the reader clear idea and understanding of measuring units. What a wonderful way to teach measuring systems in the classroom. How would I use this book in the classroom?
I would first read it aloud and show all the photographs on the pages to the children.
Then I would have children draw different objects that come to their mind in order to represent different units of measurement and ways of measuring objects, distances and time. After reading the book children will definitely learn better concepts of dimensions. 

The Anne Frank Case by Susan Goldman Rubin

In this non fiction picture book we are told a story of Simon Wiesenthal, holocaust survivor from Galicia, nowadays part of Ukraine. He survived several concentration camps and in 1947 he co-founded the Jewish Historical Documentation Center in Linz, Austria. Later he opened one in Vienna and then he dedicated most of his life tracking and hunting down  Nazi war criminals.  Part of his quest was to find the Gestapo officer who arrested Anne Frank. It was very interesting to find all the details of Wiesenthal's life, his search for the Nazis. I read the Diary of Anne Frank, but I did not know that it was Wiesenthal that was searching for the officer who captured her. I have heard of Wiesenthal but I never realized that his documentation center was actually in Vienna. I thought it was in America. This book gives a lot of historical information and it would be  useful tool in teaching history of the  WWII. It further inspired me to look up Wiesenthal's biography and  everything he has done during his life.