Night-Night, Little One

Night-Night, Little One
by Angela McAllister
illustrated by Maggie Kneen

This is a sweet little story about a little baby bunny, who after a long day playing with his sisters, struggles to fall asleep. When he complains to his mother that he doesn't like the night, she opens his curtains and says "It;s only at night that you can see the starts." Baby bunny loves the stars, but wonders who will see the stars if everyone is asleep. Mommy bunny then tells baby bunny about all the night animals who come out to the forest at night; Mr. Fox, the Hedgehog family, Mrs. Bat and her children, and Mrs. Badger and her family. When mommy bunny tells baby bunny that Herbert the Hedgehog doesn't like day time and he has a hard time falling asleep, baby bunny is comforted and drifts off to sleep.

I thought this was a charming little story. Many kids can relate to struggling to sleep at night. I thought that the idea of discussing baby nocturnal animals struggling to go "day-day" (instead of night-night...) was a cute idea. The illustrations in this story are cute and loving. All in all, this is an enjoyable book.

A Rainbow Of My Own

A Rainbow of My Own
by, Don Freeman

This book caught my eye because I immediately recognized the illustrations as similar to Don Freeman's other classic book "Corduroy." In this story, a little boy imagines that he could have a rainbow all to himself, and play games with it, climb on it, play hide and seek with it, etc. In the end, he goes home to his room and finds the sun shining through his fish bowl, creating a rainbow in his room.

I was somewhat disappointed with this book. There was nothing specific that I didn't like about this book, but it really just left me feeling fairly neutral. I loved the book "Corduroy" so much, that I had high expectations for this story. I thought the text in the story was a bit bland and I didn't feel any emotional connection to the story.

I do think that many children imagine climbing and sliding on a rainbow. For this reason, young children may enjoy the story, and it may spark their own imaginative play.

Big Al

Big Al
by Andrew Clements
illustrated by Yoshi

This is the story a BIG ugly fish named Al. Although Al was the nicest fish you'd ever meet, he just couldn't make an friends! None of the little fish wanted to be friends with him, because he looked to big and scary. Al tried everything, disguising himself with seaweed, puffing himself up to make the fish laugh, but nothing seemed to work. In the end though, Al rescues the little fish from a giant net, and everyone realizes what a good friend Al can be.

I enjoyed this book. It addresses friendship issues in a light and humorous manner, while still capturing the sadness that a lonely fish(or kid!) feels. I definitely think this could be a good book to use with students when exploring issues of friendship. Yoshi's illustrations are bright and engaging.

Blueberries for Sal

Blueberries for Sal
by Robert McCloskey

I chose this story because it was one of my favorite childhood books. McCloskey's other books "Make Way for Ducklings" and "One Morning in Maine" are both books that I have read with my own children over and over again. I had positive memories of "Blueberries for Sal," and was eager to reread this book now as an adult.

In this charming story, Sal and her mother go to Blueberry Hill to pick blueberries to can for the winter. At the same time, a mother bear and her baby are munching on blueberries to fatten up for the winter as well. Sal and the baby bear inadvertently change places, and spend sometime following the wrong mother around the hill!

I still love this story. McCloskey's line drawings are endearing, and he really captures the image of a cute toddler, picking berries with her mother. The plot of the book is suspenseful, and as I read the book to my own children, they both made guesses about how the story would resolve. Although this book was first published in 1948, I think the story and illustrations will continue to capture the hearts of children and adults today.

Walking to School

Walking to School
A Story From Northern Ireland

by Eve Bunting
illustrated by Michael Dooling

This powerful picture book describes the experiences of a young Catholic girl who must walk through Protestant protests on her way to school in Belfast, Northern Ireland. She is frightened by the escalating violence, and feels upset about the threatening words her uncle uses when talking about Protestants.

Bunting effectively captures the tensions between Catholics and Protestants in Ireland, and offers a glimmer of hope as two young girls reach across these religious boundaries and express for a brief moment their frustrations with the adults in their lives that place them in such a difficult position. I enjoyed this book, and I think it could be used with students to begin exploring issues of racism and discrimination.

Michael Dooling's oil on canvas illustrations effectively portray the scenes of a tense Ireland, and a worried little girl.

The Author's notes at the end of the book also point out that this story could have easily been written about a Protestant child walking through "Catholic territory." Bunting points out that extremists on both sides keep the conflict in Ireland alive.

April Fool! Watch Out at School!

April Fool! Watch Out at School!
by, Diane DeGroat

In this story, Gilbert is excited that it is April Fool's Day, and has many plans to play tricks on his friends at school. But, when he is tricked over and over by his classmates, teacher, and even his mother, it starts to look like this will be Gilbert's worst April Fools Day ever. In the end though, he finds a clever way to fool Lewis, a classmate who has been bullying Gilbert all day long.

This is a fun little story, that I chose to read in honor of April Fools Day this week. The illustrations are particularly fun, and DeGroat has included hidden jokes and tricks within the illustrations on each page. For example, one illustrations depicts the friends playing kickball with a bowling ball. Another shows the numbers on the clock going background.

Year of Impossible Goodbyes

Year of Impossible Goodbyes
by Sook Nyul Choi

As with "So Far From the Bamboo Grove", reading this book leaves me feeling astonished about the resiliency of children and families experiencing such immense trauma. This book tells the story of 10 year old Sookan and her family, as they endure the Japanese occupation in Korea, followed by the Communist Russian control. Remarkably, Sookan and her younger brother make the incredible journey to safety in South Korea.

I have never been particularly good at remembering historical events, and I am somewhat embarrassed to admit how little I know about World War II and the events surrounding this conflict. Reading this novel, as well as "So Far From the Bamboo Grove," has helped me to gain a much better understanding of some of these events. I think that although this book is troubling and painful, reading it truly helps to gain a more deeper understanding of war and the consequences of war on families.