Brown, M. (1947). Stone soup.  New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. 

Stone Soup is an example of a realistic folktale. It is a realistic folktale because the characters, plot, and setting could really happen. There is no magic in the story, and nothing is over exaggerated. In the story, three french soldiers are hungry and looking for food. They come to a village full of greedy townspeople and they find a way to outsmart them into letting them have food.

Common to traditional literature, the number 3 is a motif that surfaces again in this story. There are THREE soldiers in the story, they visit THREE houses asking for food, and they ask for THREE round smooth stones for their soup. This is a characteristic that places this story in the folktale genre.

The setting of this story is unimportant and very vague. The first page describes the setting as "a strange country". In this book, as well as traditional literature in general, backdrop setting are commonly used. The setting is not integral to the story or the plot.

I find the theme to this book a bit confusing. One one end, it teaches that people should not be greedy, like the townspeople were being, denying the soldiers of their food. On the other hand, it teaches that people who are greedy should be tricked and lied to in order to "steal" their food from them. I am not sure that the moral of this story teaches a good lesson to children.

 Children may enjoy this book because it is similar to other children's books they may have read. I read a version of Stone Soup as a child that was similar in the way the soup was made, but did not involve soldiers or townspeople. I think they would find it interesting to compare the similarities and differences between the two texts.

Big Question:
What lesson does the book Stone Soup teach you? Do you think what the solders did was right or wrong? Explain why.

-Haley

Aardema, V. (1975). Why mosquitos buzz in people's ears. New York: Penguin Books USA Inc. 

My first traditional literature pick is Why Mosquitos Buzz in People's Ears. This book is an example of a pourquoi folktale. While reading chapter 6, I enjoyed reading about the pourquoi folktale because I took French in high school. Although there are not many words I remember from those classes, pourquoi is one of them, meaning why. This story explains why something that occurs in nature happens. In this case, it tells why mosquitos buzz in peoples ears, something most humans have experienced.

This folktale is of Kenyan descent, and the illustrations make this very clear. Although the reader can tell by the illustrations that the story is set in Africa, the setting is very underdeveloped, which is a characteristic of traditional literature. The first page sets the story at a watering hole, but that is the only detail given. It is known that the setting is earthly, and the characters are characters of nature, which is another element of the pourquoi folktale.

A motif present in this book is the reoccurrence of the number 3. "He flew into the forest crying kaa, kaa, kaa!', "all that day and all that night, she sat in her tree -- so sad, so sad, so sad!", "nge, nge, nge laughed the lion". On many occasions throughout the book a word or phrase is repeated three times. This motif is common in traditional literature.

This book will connect to all children for a couple of reasons. For one, most all students are familiar with mosquitos and ALL students are familiar with asking the question why. Children are curious beings and they are always wanting to know "the why" behind everything in nature. The pourquoi folktale is perfect for children for that reason. Another reason why this book connects to children's interests is because children have experienced a situation where they have made someone mad or done something wrong and been shunned by their friends for it. They will be able to connect to the mosquitos feelings in this story and maybe even feel sympathy for him.

At the end of the book, the mosquito may tweet:
"Why won't anyone talk to me, I messed up so long ago #forgiveandforget"

Big Questions:
 Have you ever done something wrong that you have not been forgiven for? Has someone ever done something to you that you have not been able to forgive them for? Describe it. Do you think it deserves to be forgiven?
Should mosquito be forgiven? Why or why not?
What did mosquito do that made iguana so upset with him? Describe a time when you lied and it caused a big problem with a friend.

-Haley

Lowry, L. (1993). The Giver. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Wow! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this Modern Fantasy chapter book. The Giver fits into the Modern Fantasy genre in the science fantasy category. There are unusual situations in which a scientific explanation is offered to leap into things that are unknown, although they are not necessarily possible. Lois Lowry does a remarkable job at making the culture and lifestyle of this book seem believable.

This book is a person-against-society conflict. The main character, Jonas, is assigned the very honorable position of "The Reciever". As he goes through his trainings, he becomes very aware of all of the choice and originality, as well as pain, that the citizens of his community are deprived of. As the story progresses and Jonas becomes closer to the Giver, they become very upset with the community and the Elders and how they choose to make the choices for the people, keeping them all the very same.

The story takes place in an integral setting. The story would not be the same without it. It is the fictional characteristics of the community that Lowry has created that gives the story its entire meaning and conflict.

The theme of this book is a very deep one, possibly too deep for many students younger than high school. It is based on morals and ethics and really makes the reader think. Would it be better to have every decision made for you- and be void of pain, or is it experiencing pain that makes living worthwhile?

The point of view of this book is third-person-omniscient. The narrator can see into the minds of all of the characters, bringing us closer to their feelings and emotions. Jonas goes through lots of pain and confusion and frustration during his training experiences as The Receiver. Without this third person point of view, we wouldn't be able to understand the depth of this evolution.

This book relates to students, specifically teens, because they have all been at a point in their lives where they think "I wish I didn't have to decide" or "life is too hard"or "I don't want to feel any more pain". However, this book helps them think that perhaps the hard decisions and the pain are what help you grow and develop and appreciate life when it is easy and painless.

Jonas may have tweeted:
"I am seeing everything in a new way- color is a beautiful thing! #youallaremissingout"

BIG QUESTION:
Choose a side. Would you rather live in a community where you did not have to experience pain, all decisions were made for you, and everything was the same or live in a place where you had choice, got to experience all of the wonderful things, but had tough decisions to make and had to experience pain. Support your answer.

-Haley

Henkes, K. (1996). Lilly's purple plastic purse. New York: Greenwillow Books. 

Kevin Henkes did a wonderful job as the author and illustrator of this children's picture book. His beautiful watercolor paints and black pen created full color art to complement each page of this book. The book does not contain any full page or double spread illustrations. Instead, Kenkes uses smaller illustrations to portray Lilly and her classmates. Many times, Henkes uses an interesting composition of several small illustrations on the page to show the progression of time. 

Lilly is the protagonist in the story. The author does a good job of fully describing Lilly's traits, good and bad. For example, we are told that lilly loves pointy pencils, squeaky chalk, how her boots click and clack, her own desk, fish sticks, and her teacher. We are told how she spends her time at home, and all of the things she wants to be when she grows up. We also learn that she can be a little impatient at times, which is one of her flaws, and the conflict in this story. 

The conflict is person-against-self. Lilly is SO excited to show the class her new quarters, purse, and sunglasses. However, when her favorite teacher does not give her time to share, she grows impatient and ends up making a big mistake and doing something she regrets. 

This is a story about patience as well as forgiveness and I think it is an excellent choice to teach children some character. 

 A twitter tweet by Lilly might be the following:

"I love love love LOVE my teacher-can't wait to be one when I grow up #imsorrymrslinger"

BIG QUESTION:

Describe a time when it was really hard for you to be patient. How did you react? How could you have acted differently?

Have you ever done something mean to someone and then later wished you hadn't? Describe it. What could you have done instead? How did you fix it?

-Haley

Rathmann, P. (1995). Officer Buckle and Gloria. New York: G.P.        Putnam's Sons.

This picture book is another Caldecott Medal winner for its illustrations. One of the things that jumps out to me about the illustrations is the color. Peggy Rathmann uses cartoon illustrations in this book with little or no background. In fact, on many pages there is a lot of negative space around Officer Buckle and Gloria. This use of negative space creates dominance and makes the relationship between Officer Buckle and Gloria really stick out to the reader. 

The conflict in this picture book is person-against-society. Officer Buckle goes to local schools sharing safety rules to the students, however, they do not listen. In fact, they all fall asleep. He gets very frustrated with this and can never seem to grab their attention and make them take his rules seriously. One day, the new police dog goes along with him, and suddenly the students pay attention. Officer Buckle thinks they have suddenly come to their senses, but it turns out they are paying attention for some other reason. In the end, Officer Buckle learns the most important rule- but you will have to read it to find out what that is!

The plot of this story is a chronological, progressive plot. A brief background is given at the beginning of the book and then the events follow in order as the conflict is introduced, it develops, and of course it is resolved. 

This is a cute and fun book that teaches students the value of a good friendship. It is also a cute way to introduce creating the rules in your classroom. All students have rules to follow and will probably relate to the students listening to Officer Buckle's rules. This is a good way to show students that rules are important and can have a fun side to them. It also shows students that even though the "silly" person in a friendship may get all of the laughs, every situation also needs someone who is going to be responsible or else chaos will break loose. 

After presenting for the first time with Gloria, Officer Buckle may have tweeted the following:

"These kids sure do love my #rules, I knew they'd come around"

Gloria may have tweeted this in response:

"They aren't excited about your #rules #turnaround"

BIG QUESTION: Imagine what school would be like if there were not any rules. Describe some problems that might occur during school day if rules were not in place or followed. 

-Haley

Willems, M. (2003). Don't let the pigeon drive the bus! New York: Hyperion Books for Children. 

After reading Knuffle Bunny, by Mo Willems, I was very excited to read Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. This is a title that I have heard a lot around my school, so I thought I would give it a try. I have to say I was a little disappointed. In Knuffle Bunny, Willems uses one of the most creative medias for his illustrations. However, in this book, he uses pencil cartoon drawings. They are cute drawings, but very very simple. This very much contrasts the detail in the Knuffle Bunny illustrations that I was looking forward to. Despite my opinion, this book won the Caldecott Honor Award for its illustrations.


I did like how the author uses the title page and copyright page to begin telling the story not only with illustrations, but with dialogue. He also begins the characterization of pigeon from the very beginning by using thought bubbles. There is a sense of personification as the reader gets inside the pigeons brain and gets to hear what a pigeon may be thinking. This story has a person (or bird) - against-society conflict. The pigeon is faced with a problem. He is never allowed to drive the bus. This is very frustrating for the bird which the illustration shows on pages 21 and 22. This is a double spread illustration using many diagonal lines to show motion and frustration. Here is an example of what the pigeon looks like in this illustration. 

This book can connect to student interest because all students, as well as adults, have been frustrated by their circumstances before, or have felt like they weren't being heard. This book allows them to sort through these feelings in a lighthearted way, and also opens up the door for discussion on this topic and how to process those feelings in a healthy way. 


If I had to choose the most important word for this story, I would choose "c'mon". This word is used on page 17 and I think it sums up the entire story. From beginning to end, the pigeon is pleading with everyone it encounters to drive the bus. I think "c'mon" captures that pleading perfectly. When you imagine a child who really wants something and keeps asking and asking and no one is listening, most people will imagine them saying this word. 


Big Question: Describe a time when you felt that no matter how hard you tried, or how loud you spoke, no one would listen to you. How did that make you feel? How did you handle it? Could it have been handled in a better way? 


-Haley

Willems, M. (2008). Knuffle bunny too: A case of mistaken       identity. NewYork: Scholastic Inc. 

The illustrations in this book are BRILLIANT! There is no question as to why it is in the picture book genre. Mo Willems has used one of the most creative medias for creating his illustrations that I have ever encountered. He mixes hand drawn ink cartoon sketches with digital photography. The contrast between the colored sketches and the black and white photography creates dominance throughout the book. The reader's eye is immediately drawn to the cartoon characters in the book. Although the sketches were in color, I found myself purposefully focusing on the small details included in the background photographs. These small details could go unnoticed but really deserve attention. For example, the illustration below shows Trixie, her father, and her bunny walking down the sidewalk. At first glance, you notice a street background, but that is it. If you look closely, you notice a pot of flowers on the front porch where a woman is watering them, as well as other small details that really bring the illustration to life. I really enjoy how Willems integrates the cartoons with the photography and has them interacting together.

I would definitely recommend this story to use in the classroom. The story is about a young girl, Trixie, who takes her favorite stuffed animal (which is her best friend)to school. While she is there she encounters a mix up and a bit of jealousy with a classroom. This is a realistic fiction story that focuses on problems with peers. Fortunately, it ends up turning out for the best in the end. 


I think this book is great for children because most can either identify with having a best "stuffed" friend, or being jealous of another peer at school. Children's literature should always connect to the student and their interests and experiences, and I think this book does this wonderfully. 


I think the most important word for this picture book is "one-of-a-kind". In the beginning of the book Trixie is excited because she was taking her "one-of-a-kind" Knuffle Bunny someplace special. During the story, it turns out that the Knuffle Bunny is not so one-of-a-kind, afterall. However, in the end she finds a special friend who IS one-of-a-kind. 


Big Question: Did you ever have a stuffed animal that was really important to you? How was this stuffed animal SIMILAR to a human friend? How was the stuffed animal DIFFERENT than a human friend? 


-Haley

Numeroff, Laura. (2005). If you give a pig a party. U.S.A.: HarperCollins Publishers.

When I was a child I very much enjoyed the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, like most children in America. When I was browsing over the recommended picture book lists I was THRILLED to see there had been an addition to the If You Give series created by Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond. Their books would be GREAT for teaching cause and effect in the classroom as well as inferring skills. For example, on page 21 the book reads "when she sees the pillows, she'll probably start a...". The sentence cuts off and continues after you turn the page. This is a wonderful opportunity to ask your students what they think will happen next. Then she will start a what? 

Felicia Bond creates very colorful illustrations to engage the reader. She uses a double spread illustration a few times which grabbed my attention and gave me the impression that the event described on that page was extended over a period of time. She also uses page bleed on every page which fills the entire book with color to captivate the reader. On page 21, she uses horizontal lines to create a calm mood as the animals are getting their pillows ready for bedtime at their sleepover. 

If You Give a Pig a Party is a fun story full of a chain of events that all begins with throwing Pig (who is a character from the other If You Give books) a party. It is a very cute story and it made me a little nostalgic remembering my childhood as I read it. 

BIG QUESTION:

Have you ever had one thing happen that led to another thing, that led to another thing, and got out of control? Tell me about it. 

-Haley

Cronin, Doreen. (2000). Click,clack, moo: cows that type. New York: Scholastic Inc.

I chose Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type for my first picture book selection. The cover in itself was enough to make me want to pick this book off of the shelf. I recently inherited this book from a retiring teacher, so I was thrilled to find it on the list of recommended picture books. I teach in a very rural area where many of my students live on or near farms. I know my students would love this book because it would open up their imaginations to think "what are MY farm animals doing out there all day?" 

Betsy Lewin did a fantastic job on the illustrations in this book and her method of creating the pictures is very unique and creative. She begins each page with the black lines in watercolor and then photocopies that page. She then adds color to the photocopied page, and then photocopies that page. She explains how this method allows her to get as many copies as she wants and she can really experiment with the color, choosing finishes that she likes best. Her images really capture the essence of this story. 

This book brilliantly uses personification to give a number of farm animals human qualities. Farmer Brown is the only human character in the story. He finds himself in a stand-off with his farm animals when they get their hands on his typewriter and begin to make demands. It is a lighthearted story, and it is lots of fun! 

One of my favorite aspects of the story is how the author uses foreshadowing to set the stage for another book, where the ducks get a hold of the typewriter and have some fun of their own. The words "click, clack, QUACK" are all you need to read to know the story is not over yet. 

BIG IDEA QUESTION:

What are some requests animals on a farm or in your home might ask you for if they had a voice?

-Haley

Hello!

My name is Haley Bathiany, although my students call me Mrs. B (too tricky of a name for the little ones). I am 24 years old and I teach in a Central Kentucky town called Lebanon. For the last two years I have taught science, on a cart, to grades 1-5. I made my rounds to each class everyday, teaching science hands on, and I had a blast! With that being said, I am very excited that I will be getting my very own classroom next year. I have been hired as a 4th grade teacher in the same school that I have grown to love so dearly.

Me and my husband Bert

My husband and I are both originally from Fort Thomas, Kentucky, which is the northernmost area in the state. We got married last July and we have a golden retriever named Paisley that is our pride and joy. You may be asking what brought us down south... the asnwer is FOOTBALL. My husband, Bert, is a college football coach. He was hired three years ago to be apart of the staff to start a new football program at Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia, Kentucky. Moving to the country was a HUGE culture shock, but we have adjusted and we are really starting to love the country life style.

Our little girl, Paisley

I recently finished the Hunger Games series and I am so thrilled when I see my students with a copy on their desk. I love how you can escape to different worlds when you dive into a book and I love sharing that love for reading with my students. I also enjoy reading books to help myself improve as a teacher. Currently, I am reading "No More Molasses Classes" by Ron Clark. He is an inspiration and I love integrating his ideas.

I am very excited to be in this class and become more familiar and aware of the wonderful children's literature that is out there to use in the classroom as well as for our student's to enjoy.  

-Haley