Picture Book 26

A.    Author: Margy Burns Knight and Mike Melnicove

B.     Title: Africa is Not a Country

C.     Illustrator:  Anne Sibley O’Brien

D.    Readability: Grades 1-4

E.     Genre: Diversity

F.      Subgenre: Fiction

G.    Theme: Africa, Social life, Customs.

H.    Primary and secondary characters: Arim and Efrem

I.       Award(s) date of publication: N/A

J.       Publishing company:

K.    ISBN number:

L.      Brief summary: Africa is not a country, it is a continent. It has 53 nations and is bigger than the US and China combined. It is completely divided by the equator, and is as wide as it is long.  Arim and Efrem prepare for school. The boys kiss their parents and say Yekenielai, meaning thank you in Tigrinya. In the village of Cameroon, Mantoh spends an hour selling milk. Then they hade for school. In Kenya Arangi and Kip run long distances so they can be marathon runners, they dream of being in races around the world. Mapula in Botswana pays for fresh bread with a pula so she can eat breakfast. In Lesotho, Thomas wraps up in a blanket as they travel down the mountain by horse. In Cario, Mona, Basma, and Hala rush to school, they stop at a kiosk to buy food, they then walk down by the Nile River. In 1957, Ghana declared independence from Great Britain, the students of Ghana learn about it. In Zimbabwe students practice for a choir concert. The rest of the book goes through major cities of importance in African history. It tells us how students live in Africa.  

M.   Description of how you would use the book with students: This book informs us of how students live and play in Africa. It also educates us about each region of Africa. We can have students pick a city and they can research it and bring it back to the classroom. 

Picture Book 25

A.    Author: Ed Young

B.     Title: My Mei Mei

C.     Illustrator:  

D.    Readability:ages 6and up

E.     Genre: Diversity

F.      Subgenre: Fiction

G.    Theme: Adoption, sisters, Chinese Americans

H.    Primary and secondary characters: Antonia

I.       Award(s) date of publication: N/A

J.       Publishing company:Albert Whitman and Company

K.    ISBN number: 0-399-24339-9

L.      Brief summary: Antonia is named after her Nonna, she was flown home from China to the US. As she grew older she would play Jieh-Jeih big sister and mommy. She would even pretend to change Bab’s diaper. She had an imaginary sister named Jian Hai. She asked her mother if oen day she could have a real sister. At the age of 3, Antonia took a trip to China to bring a real Mei Mei home. Her sister was scared and upset and cried a lot. Antonia offered her teddy bear to mei mei, she became quiet. Antonia realized thought that her sister was not what she expected. She didn’t play, talk and took all the attention away. Soon a teacher came to teach her how to crawl and walk and she was given treats. The teacher even gave Anotina a treat too. A boy took her shovel away at the park one day, she stood up for her sister, making her feel good. Her Mei Mei soon came to see her t school. That summer they went to Cape Cod, she showed her Mei Mei all sorts of fun and dangerous creatures, like a jellyfish. They used to play cats, and they now have cats, Antonia helps her Mei Mei by doing math and reading and more board games so they can play together. At the end of the story, they both wanted a new Mei Mei that they both can share.

M.   Description of how you would use the book with students: This book can be helpful for students to understand the growth of a family. It shows us that when a child is first brought into the family they cannot do everything like you and I, it takes time. We then can have students talk about or write about bringing a new sibling into the family. It can help students cope with adoption of a new member or just a birth of a new member. 

Picture Book 24

A.    Author: Muriel Stanek

B.     Title: Don’t Hurt Me Mama

C.     Illustrator: Jill McElmurry

D.    Readability:ages 4 and up

E.     Genre: Diversity

F.      Subgenre: Fiction

G.    Theme: Abuse,

H.    Primary and secondary characters: Mama and Little Gril

I.       Award(s) date of publication: N/A

J.       Publishing company:Albert Whitman and Company

K.    ISBN number: 978-080716898

L.      Brief summary: Mother and the girl live together, they live alone since their father left them. They did not have enough money to stay in their house so they had to move to an apartment. Before they moved they used to go to church and learn how to be kind. She felt safe and happy. Once her father left, they did not go anymore and mom said nobody cared about her. The little girl would say she cared, but her mother wouldn’t listen. Mama couldn’t find a job and got mean, she hit the little girl. The little girl felt scared and alone. One day the little girl came home and she couldn’t find her. A nice women named, Sarah Hawkins and her dog Sam, the  two lived upstairs. The little girl waited till dark, then she saw her mama walking up the street, she asked where she was but she wouldn’t answer. Her mother fell asleep on the couch. The little girl awoke the next morning, she asked for breakfast but her mother only yelled to get her own. The little girl tried to make cereal but she spilt the glass of milk, and she said she was good-for-nothing like her father. Her mother then grabbed a belt and hit her. Her mom cries and said I didn’t mean it, don’t tell anyone. The teacher at school asked if she was okay, and when she did not respond he sent her to the office. The nurse asked what happened and the little girl wouldn’t tell After prying she began to cry and say she didn’t do anything bad but her mother hit her anyway. That same day a social worker had come to see her mama, once done with school she and mama went to the community health center together. The social working will help her get a job and make her feel better and take care of her better. The little girl stays with Mrs. Hawkins while her mother goes to the center to help others and herself with problems. The story ends with the little girl happy and they go to church again.

M.   Description of how you would use the book with students: This book can be used for an individual or group lesson about abuse. It seems to become more common in households today. If we encourage our students to report abuse it may help save one or two of the students. This can also be used in the guidance room as a key book to help students realize if their parents get help, they will have better lives. 

Picture Book 23

A.    Author: Stephanie Spinner  

B.     Title: It’s a Miracle!

C.     Illustrator: Jill McElmurry

D.    Readability:K- 2^nd grade

E.     Genre: Diversity

F.      Subgenre: Fiction

G.    Theme: Language Culture of Hanukkah

H.    Primary and secondary characters: Owen, Grandma Karen,

I.       Award(s) date of publication: N/A

J.       Publishing company: An Ann Schwartz Book

K.    ISBN number: 978-0689844935

L.      Brief summary: Owen was the official candle liter for Hanukkah, in his home. Grandma Karen asks Owen if he is ready for a story. It is about a little girl who loved to light candles, she knew all of the blessings. Owen who was 6 only knew one blessing by heart. This girl turned into a rabbi, she enjoyed the Torah so much. On the 2^nd night, Owen at potato latkes, and they tasted so good it was a miracle. That night his grandmother told him another story, this one was about a women who was in labor, and her husband was away at war. The women was project to not make it she was so ill. The husband called all the Jewish names in the phone book asking for prayers. The following day she had gotten better. The third day Owen enjoyed chocolate, the Gelt. His grandmother told him a story of a girl who wanted to be a cowgirl, she saved all her money and one day bought a horse. She named it lucky. The fourth day, Owen’s friends Buster came over and looked for the Christmas tree. Owen tells us that there is no tree, he told them that he celebrates Hanukkah, they light the menorah together. At night she tells a story of an alien which came to earth by mistake, he had lost his memory, but the menorah reminds him where he is from. On the 5^th night Owen burnt his hand, his grandmother came to tell him a story about a boy who cried all the time. This little boy was the class clown. The 6^th night Owens cousin Molly and her parents came to dinner, she gave him a wooden deridel. Again his grandmother told the story of a dentist who loved drilling and filling. On the 7^th night he sang the blessings and got most of the words right, again at bedtime a story was told. This story was about a boy who wouldn’t go to school, he only acted like a baby. Lastly, on the 8^th night of Hanukkah the whole family got together, and Owen lit the last candle. At dinner Uncle Ralph asked what all the stories were about, then he confesses it was about each person in the family. The last story was of a boy who wanted to light the menorah,

M.   Description of how you would use the book with students: I would be able to use this book for educating my students about holidays. We can have each student write about their holidays that their families observe. Then we can talk about other cultures. 

Picture Book 22

A.    Author: Rachel Isadora  

B.     Title: Say Hello!

C.     Illustrator: Rachel Isadora

D.    Readability:Pre K, to 1^st grade

E.     Genre: Diversity

F.      Subgenre: Fiction

G.    Theme: Languages, City and Town Life

H.    Primary and secondary characters: Carmelita

I.       Award(s) date of publication: N/A

J.       Publishing company: G. P. Putnams Sons  

K.    ISBN number:978-0-339-25530-3

L.     Brief summary: Carmelita wakes up one day to go to her Abuela Rosa’s house. She grabs her dog, Manny. On the way down 9^th avenue, Carmelita says Buenos Dias to Enrico. She she says Shalom to Mrs. Rosen’s children. Carmelita then goes to a Japanese restaurant to say hello, she says Konichiwa! Down the street after lunch they eat lunch they run into Joseph and his parents from Kenya, they all say Jambo. On their way back they go past a bakery and say let us make some cookies! They walk into the bakery, the women shouts Bonjour. They head home, seeing more friends at the meat market, past the pizza parlor, and then the park. Carmelita runs into her Abuela, she  says HELLO! Carmelita tells her Abuela that her dog, Manny knows many languages.

M.   Description of how you would use the book with students: This story opens up culture. It tells us how to say hello in 10 or so different languages. With schools becoming more diverse this story will help students understand how to say hello to new friends or the students can explain a little bit about their culture. We can also can study a little bit of the areas where Shalom or Jambo is said. 

Picture Book 21

A.    Author: Kathryn Heling and Deborah Hembrook

B.     Title: I Wish I had Freckles Like Abby

C.     Illustrator: Bonnie Adamson

D.    Readability: 2.2

E.     Genre: Diversity

F.      Subgenre: Fiction

G.    Theme: Self-esteem, Friendship

H.    Primary and secondary characters: No Name Girl and Abby

I.       Award(s) date of publication: N/A

J.       Publishing company: Raven Tree Press

K.    ISBN number:0-9770906-6-3

L.     Brief summary: This little girl wishes she had freckles like Abby, because they make you look beautiful. When they paint they draw freckles, when she wants freckles, she takes her sisters makeup and paints freckles on her face. But it takes her all day to clean them off her face. She had paint splashed on her at the playground. But the teacher made her wash it off. Then she makes chocolate pudding freckles and mud freckles. Her mom doesn’t think it is funny. Then she got chicken pox, she really had freckles, but these freckles itched. Then one day she found out that Abby wanted glasses just like her.   

M.   Description of how you would use the book with students: This book is told in Spanish as well as English, giving a choice to the reader. This book would be perfect when a student is uncomfortable with their body image, their glasses or freckles. It can be used for a student to understand that they may envy someone but someone else may envy them.

Picture Book 20

A.    Author: Dori Hillestad Butler

B.     Title: My Mom’s Having a Baby

C.     Illustrator: Carol Thompson

D.    Readability: Unknown

E.     Genre: Diversity

F.      Subgenre: Non-fiction

G.    Theme: Pregnancy and Childbirth

H.    Primary and secondary characters: Mom, dad, baby, Elizabeth

I.       Award(s) date of publication: N/A

J.       Publishing company: Albert Whitman and Company

K.    ISBN number:0-8075-5344-1

L.     Brief summary: My Mom’s Having a Baby, follows the mothers 9 months of pregnancy. It starts by telling us that the baby is floating in a uterus, it is the size of the tooth. The next month describes the mothers uterus as a balloon, keeping the baby at the right temperature is the amniotic fluids. She also tells us that all of the food consumed goes directly to the baby. The mother also goes to the doctor to check to see how the baby is, they place a Doppler on her stomach to hear the heartbeat. By 12 weeks the baby has all of the body parts, fingers, teeth, toes and eyes. The next few pages explain how to make a baby. The month the baby is the size of Elizabeth’s foot. At the 5^th month, Elizabeth and her parents find out that we can know the sex of the baby but Elizabeth’s mom wants to be surprised. At 6 months the baby can open its eyes, Elizabeth can now put her hands on her mom’s stomach and feel her baby move. 7^th and 8^th month the baby turns itself upside down. In may Elizabeth’s grandma comes to visit to help before the baby comes. Two days later, her mom yells that the water has broken and she is having contractions. Dad and Mom go to the hospital while Elizabeth stays at home. In order for the child to come, the cervix has to open wide enough. The baby arrives and to Elizabeth’s hopes it is a boy. When he arrives home, they give him a bath, there is a stump on his belly button, that is what is left of the umbilical cord. It falls off on its own. Now there is 4 in the family, Elizabeth, dad, mom and Michael.  

M.   Description of how you would use the book with students: Being in special education, we will encounter students who will be unfamiliar with topics of having babies. If a mother comes in and informs us that he child is having a hard time coping, or if we see it, we can have a resource to tell our parents to read to the student. I believe it is not my place to read this book so I will have the parent read it and then the child can come and ask if they have question and we can write them down, OR we can have them write the questions before and then read the book, therefore the parents will have something to go off of.