Mapping Penny's World

Mapping Penny's World

Written and Illustrated by: Loreen Leedy

"Lisa and her dog from Measuring Penny (Holt, 1998) are back. Since the girl's class is learning about maps, she decides to draw one of her bedroom and then makes a few for her Boston terrier. These maps show where the pet has hidden her toys and treats, the best route for a neighboring animal to take to their house, biking and hiking trails (Penny rides in the bike basket), and a 3-D map of places where the pup likes to play. Lisa explains terms such as "key," "scale," and "symbol," and introduces tools such as pedometers and odometers. This book is as a complement to other books that introduce spatial concepts such as Gail Hartman's As the Crow Flies (Aladdin, 1993) and Joan Sweeney's Me on the Map (Crown, 1996)."

School Library Journal Review

Online Resources:
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/SSLAMappingPennysWorldK2.htm#

My Map Book

My Map Book

Written and Illustrated by: Sara Fanelli

"In non-narrative form, Fanelli (Button) challenges the concept of "map" as she earnestly demonstrates that places aren't the only things that can be charted. Exploring everyday aspects of a child's world, the author mixes the expected, such as "Map of My Neighborhood," with more conceptual subjects: "Map of My Family," "Map of My Day," "Map of My Heart" and even "Map of My Dog." In some ways, the volume resembles a kit: the dust jacket unfolds, revealing a poster of the contents, and empty areas on most spreads encourage readers to personalize the book (on "Map of My Tummy," space is reserved under the heading "my favorite foods"). Fanelli's abstract, mixed-media art includes heavy, blended oil pastels, waxy crayon lettering and snippings from printed matter. Fields of rich color and easygoing disregard of perspective make the work seem approachable and sophisticated at the same time."

Publishers Weekly Review

Online Resources:
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/13140817/Geography-Lesson-Plan

Cherry Pies and Lullabies

Cherry Pies and Lullabies

Written by: Lynn Reiser

"In a story that celebrates maternal love across the generations, a child reflects on gifts that are given again and again. The narrator relates how her great-grandmother baked a cherry pie for her grandmother, who in turn baked one for her mother, who baked for her. In the end, the little girl pretends to bake a pie for her teddy bear. The pictures, which are simply drawn yet rich in color and detail, reflect the changes that time brings to the baking process. While great-grandmother rolls her own crust and uses fresh fruit, grandmother can call on a frozen crust and canned pie filling. The mother of today, dressed for success, slips a home-style pie into the microwave. "Every time it was the same, but different."

The following "chapters" trace the same women as they weave crowns of flowers (meadow picked, garden grown, and now purchased at the florist) and wrap their daughters in quilts (hand stitched, machine stitched, and then mail ordered). The final chapter maintains the warm feeling as each mother sings her daughter a lullaby. This time, in spite of changing scenery, "Every time it was the same." The words and music (sung to Brahms's "Lullaby") are included. Reiser's Tortillas and Lullabies (Greenwillow, 1998) tells essentially "the same, but different" story, narrated by a little girl in Costa Rica. The warmth and energy of these books make them perfect choices for inter-generational sharing."

School Library Journal Review

How My Family Lives in America

How My Family Lives in America

Written and Illustrated by: Susan Kuklin

"A glimpse at how three families impart a sense of ethnic identity to their children. Five-year-old Sanu's father is from Senegal. Her mother grew up in Baltimore. Sanu and her father buy food for a traditional dish he will prepare and share with other relatives. Eric and his mother were born in New York City, while his father is from Puerto Rico. When relatives gather at their house, they like to dance the merengue. April's parents were born and raised in Taiwan. On Saturdays she and her siblings go to Chinese school to learn calligraphy. All three families live in middle-class urban settings. All three children have sensitive, caring parents; two of them have strong ties with extended families. Religion is not discussed directly, but there are hints of Christian backgrounds in two cases. Each child's first-person narration is simple and uncomplicated, with occasional humorous touches. One can almost hear them speaking. The full-color photographs are well composed and serviceable. As there is a growing demand for books depicting multicultural heritages, this one will be useful."

School Library Journal Review

Online Resources:
http://www.susankuklin.com/how_my_family_lives_in_america_18794.htm

How My Parents Learned to Eat

How My Parents Learned to Eat

Written by: Ina R. Freedman
Illustrated by: Alan Say

"A bi-racial child tells the story of how her Japanese mother and American father met, fell in love, struggled to understand each other's ways, and finally married. It's a wonderful portrait of diversity, showing children that superficial differences in cultures don't really mean much and shouldn't get in the way of people appreciating each other."

Amazon.com Review

Online Resources:
http://stancock.iweb.bsu.edu/cyberlessons/Eat.html

Oh What a Thanksgiving

Oh What a Thanksgiving

Written by: Steven Kroll
Illustrated by: S.D. Schindler

"David uses his vivid imagination to visualize the first Thanksgiving while he's preparing for his own. The school bus ride home fades into the arrival of the Mayflower, a trip to the supermarket becomes a wild turkey hunt, and to top things off he imagines the feast complete with a parade of 90 Indian braves to celebrate peace. Not surprisingly, David finds that he's dissatisfied with the present, which lacks the adventure of the past. Just in time, a chance encounter with his teacher helps him realize that he's got a lot for which he should be thankful, and the meal at Grandma's turns out just fine."

School Library Journal Review

Online Resources:
http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/TLresources/units/MonsonUnits/amychr/index.htm

Cool Ali

Cool Ali

Written and Illustrated by: Nancy Podair

"As her neighbors relax outside their apartment building, Ali helps them beat the intense summer heat by drawing refreshing scenes in chalk: grass and flowers, a lake, a beach umbrella, the North Wind, a polar bear, and even a snow storm. Her sidewalk pictures create such pleasure that at first no one notices the rain. Ali's creations are washed away, but her friends hail her as a heroine. The text, which exudes an air of coziness as friendly as the building's multiethnic inhabitants, comes full circle with Ali drawing once again. This time she's indoors, and her subject is the sun. Poydar's cartoon illustrations, executed in watercolor, oil pastels, and colored pencils, depict several generations. The stoop and sidewalk, awash in shades of brown that suggest desert heat, are transformed into cool blues once the downpour begins. The neighbors move from lethargic stillness to whimsical play to joyful splashing in the rain."

School Library Journal Review