Author/Illustrator Handout

Blog #29 Juan Bobo Goes to Work

Blog #29

Juan Bobo Goes to Work
Retold by Marisa Montes
Illustrated by Joe Cepeda
Harper Collins
2000
29 pages

Multicultural: Puerto Rican Folklore

                I chose this book because of the brightly detailed cover. This is the traditional Puerto Rican folktale about a boy who tries to do things right, but just leaves a disaster zone behind him no matter what he does. The boy gets asked to do a simple job on the farm, but he ends up causing a disaster. No matter how simple the task, Juan Bobo always seems to do something wrong. Once more, he gets plenty of jobs around his village, but he loses all of his money!

                The illustrations in this story are captivating and bold. They were rendered using what looks to be acrylic. The brush strokes are clearly visible and it looks as though the illustrator used a dry brush due to the thickness and opaqueness to the pictures. Several of the pages feature vignettes of Juan Bobo and other characters, but he is mostly depicted by himself working hard. 

                This book is appropriate for K-3^rd grade. It is a great way to introduce Spanish into the classroom. One of the best features of this book is the Spanish glossary in the back of the book. This help readers understand what the various Spanish words throughout the text mean. Another good way to incorporate this book into your classroom is to use it as a character education lesson on following directions.

Blog #28 Babushka

Blog #28

Babushka
Retold by Sandra Ann Horn
Illustrated by Sophie Fatus
Barefoot Books
2002
28 pages

Multicultural: Russian Folklore

                I chose this story because I liked the folk art style cover. This book is about an older woman who spends all day cleaning her house. One day she realizes that she’s been so busy cleaning her house that she has failed to notice more important things going on. She has a dream one night to awake and find a little baby. On her journey to find the little baby, she learns that the more one gives of oneself to others, the more he/she is rewarded.

                The illustrations in this book were rendered in acrylic. Like The Six Fools, the folk art style of the illustrations reflect the folktale basis of the story. The brush strokes are evident and it looks as though the illustrator wet her brush a lot before using the paint. This gives the paint an almost translucent quality on the page. The colors throughout the story use cool colors to mirror the calming and soothing message that is being stated in the book. 

                This would be an excellent story to read around Christmas time because it is about baby Jesus. However, teachers must be careful to read a variety of stories during holiday season so as to not discriminate. This may be a controversial book to read due to the statute that teachers can not openly begin a discussion and religion, but the message and giving of oneself is a universal one that can be profound no matter what one believes. This would be a good book to use for sequencing in middle elementary school and for counting in younger elementary school. 

To read more about Sandra Ann Horn, the author, click on her name. 

Blog #27 The Six Fools

Blog #27

The Six Fools
Adapted by Joyce Carol Thomas
Illustrated by Ann Tanksley
Harper Collins
2006
30 pages

Multicultural: African American Folklore

                In this story, the author used stories that she collected from the Deep South to put together this tale. It is a story of a man who falls in love with a woman. While she goes to fetch in something to drink, she gets sidetracked. Her mother goes to check on her to see what is taking her so long and gets sidetracked daydreaming with her daughter. Finally the father comes down to check on the women, but he ends up getting sidetracked as well. The young man comes down to see what has distracted the family, and he proclaims that he’s never seen anyone as foolish as they. He then says that he will travel for a year to search for three bigger fools than them to prove his point. You’ll just have to read the book to find out if he does!

                The illustrations look to be rendered with acrylic. They have a folk art feel and display bright, bold colors. There is no negative space in the book due to double-paged spreads throughout. Even the words are overlaid on bright blocks of color.  The folk art style of the illustrations perfectly reflects the folk tale origins of the story. 

                I think that this book is most appropriate for lower to middle elementary students due to its simplicity in vocabulary and storyline. For younger grades it would have to be read aloud. A way to use this in the classroom for older students would be to have them research oral folktales and present an oral folktale from their heritage.

 To learn more about Joyce Carol Thomas, click on her name to go to her website.

Blog #26 Through My Eyes

Blog #26

Through My Eyes
By Ruby Bridges
Photographs by various
Scholastic Inc.
2000
63 pages

Nonfiction

                I chose this nonfiction book because it depicts a firsthand account of a pivotal moment in the history of our nation. This is the story of the six-year old girl who was the first African American girl in her school. This story is told from a firsthand autobiographical view of that little girl as a grown woman. Ruby talks about the tension, innocence, and forgiveness she experience during that time in her life. 

                The illustrations in this book are photographs of the actual events of the story. They were taken and donated by many various people. Each photograph tells a story of its own while they all combine to support the story the Ruby tells. The style of the book is very formal. This reflects the seriousness of the issue that is addressed in the book. 

                I think this is a great book to introduce in the classroom during Black History Month to talk about how our schools and our country have changed since Ruby was a little girl. This book is most appropriate for middle to upper elementary but some parts could be segmented and read aloud to younger elementary students. Another way to use this book in the classroom is through a character education lesson about forgiving others even when it is difficult and they are wrong. This book was awarded  the 1999 Parents’ Choice Award; 2000 Jane Addams Children’s Book Award, and the 2000 Carter G. Woodson Book Award

Click on Ruby's name to go to her official website. 

Blog #25 Salt in His Shoes

Blog #25

Salt in His Shoes
By Deloris Jordan with Roslyn M. Jordan
Illustrated by Kadar Nelson
Scholastic Inc.
2000
30 pages

Nonfiction

                I chose this book because it was nonfiction, and I found it interesting and captivating. This is the story of a young boy who loves to play basketball with his older brothers when he gets the opportunity. Some days he sits on the bench and watches, but other days he gets to play when someone is not there. Because he is younger, the little boy is bullied by taller and bigger players on the other team. One day the boy decides to stay at home and practice until he gets taller. He doesn’t get taller, but he does get better. You’ll have to read the story to find out who the boy is!

                The detailed illustrations are rendered in oils. They are so detailed that they make the reader feel as though they are watching a television show. The colors are rich and bold with black outlining the characters and objects in the story. The style of the book is formal because the text in block style and does not interact with the pictures. The whole book is done in a double-page spread with the pictures painting the story in front of the reader’s eyes. 

                This would be an appropriate book for middle to upper elementary students. A way to use this book in the class room would be through a discussion of unexpected endings. The teacher could also use this book to practice prediction. Another way to use this book in the classroom would be as a character education lesson of perseverance and hard work.