Cheyenne’s Comments (group member since Aug 19, 2024)

Cheyenne’s comments from the 5183 Fall 2024 Information Resources and Services for Children group.

Clark, A.N. (1941). The people. In My Mother’s House. (1992 Picture Puffins ed.) Puffin Books.

The poem is about the people of the Tewa Native American Tribe and how the tribe works and rest together.

The People is one of about thirty poems written in the book In My Mother’s House. The book is filled with poems about the Tewa Native American Tribe. The People is one of the smaller poems that I think children would enjoy reading. I would use this book to teach how some Native American tribes lived and worked. I would use The People poem to show how similar the children are to the children in the poem. I can show them that in a community they will work with each other and that they sleep at the same time. The children go to school together, like the people that work in the corn fields work together.

Ramona Forever
Cleary, B. (1984). Ramona forever. New York: Morrow.

A lot of big things are happening to Ramona Quimby, such as her older sister becoming a teenager, a brand-new uncle, possibly moving away, and a new baby sibling. Ramona must work through all these big things while finding her way through third grade.

While Ramona Forever was written and published in the 1980s, it can read like it takes place during the 2020s. I feel like this book can portray the realities of todays children. Most children could relate to any of the events that Ramona experiences in the book. Some children may experience seeing their older siblings growing and changing, a family member getting married, possibly (or actually) moving because of a parent’s job or there being a new a baby in the house. One experience that Ramona and her older sister, Beezus, face is coming home from school and find their elderly cat has died in his sleep. Both Ramona and Beezus are shocked and then decide to bury the cat in the backyard before their pregnant mother comes home, so that their mother is not stressed out about the cat. Ramona and Beezus’ parents take the time to talk to both girls and treat the girls their age. I believe that book should be able to help children with how the family is portrayed. Ramona Forever could show children what different life experiences they may experience growing up and what different families are like.

L’Engle, M. (1962). A wrinkle in time. (Movie tie-in edition, 2017). Square Fish.

Meg Murry, her brother Charles Wallace, and new friend Calvin O’Keefe travel through space and time to rescue Meg’s and Charles Wallace father.

L’Engle does not mention what time the book take place; however, Meg’s mother mentions to Calvin that she will be giving Meg a typewriter for Christmas. With this statement I believe that book takes places in the 1960s, which was in the book was published. There is no one set place in the book. The book starts in a smalltown in the United States, before the children are taken to four different planets. In the smalltown, most of the adults, excluding Meg’s mother, are constantly gossiping or belittling Meg because her father is missing. They belittle Meg because they believe that she is not as smart as her scientist parents and that they can’t understand why Meg does not believe that her father is dead. I believe that the community in the book does reflect contemporary society because I have noticed that people, even now, tend to gossip and may their own opinions about things that they don’t understand.

Rowling, J.K. (1997). Harry Potter and the sorcerer’s stone. Scholastic, Inc.

Orphan Harry Potter, who has been raised by his aunt and her family, learns that he is a wizard and is invited to a wizarding school. Harry leaves his magic-hating family behind and makes friends with other wizards and has many adventures and misadventures at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is true to an extent. When people, no matter the age, live a tough or bad life they want to get away from that bad life. In some cases, they are able to leave or escape that bad life and move on to something that is better or that they believe is better. However, this idyllic life may not be all that seems, once the rose-tinted glasses are removed. Harry Potter grows up being neglected by the Dursleys, such as being forced to live and sometimes locked into the cupboard under the stairs. Harry wants nothing more than to be taken away from the Dursleys. His wish comes true on his eleventh birthday and is whisked away to the magical world. While Harry has, temporarily, escaped the Dursleys, Harry now has to live all of the expectations that come with being the Boy-Who-Lived.

Before They Were Famous: Walt Disney by Stephen Krensky and illustrated by Bobbie Houser

1. Krensky, S. (2024). Before they were famous: Walt Disney. (B. Houser, Illus.). Crabtree Publishing.

2. Before They Were Famous: Walt Disney is picture book of Walt Disney before he became a famous cartoon creator and animator. Real photographs of Disney are intertwined with cartoon illustrations that tell the story of Disney’s childhood and adult life.

3. I picked a Walt Disney autobiography because Disney (movies and the theme parks) were and still are a big part of life (also the Amelia Earhart book I wanted to read was checked out at my library). Before reading this book, I knew that Walt Disney was the creator of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Mickey Mouse & Friends, and the last ride he helped create was the Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland. The reason I chose this book specifically is because I was curious about Disney’s childhood. What I learned was that he wanted to be apart of the war effort during World War I. Since he was too young, his mother gave permission for Disney to become an ambulance driver in France. It was very interesting to learn that fact.

Malala: Activist for Girls’ Education by author Raphaële Frier, translated by Julie Cormier, and illustrated by Aurélia Fronty,

Frier, R. (2017). Malala: Activist for girls’ education. (J. Cormier, Trans; A. Fronty, Illus.). Charlesbridge Publishing. (Original work published 2015).

Malala: Activist for Girls’ Education is a picture book that tells the story of Malala Yousafzai and her journey as an education activist for girls’ education in Pakistan.

Malala: Activist for Girls’ Education won the Milred L. Batchelder honor award in 2018. This book was originally written in French in 2015 and translated into English in 2017. I am unsure the appeal of this book being a fun read for children. I can see teacher’s possibly using this book to show different counties view education for children, especially for girls. With the subject matter of this book, I believe that students in fourth and fifth grade would enjoy the book. I think that students from any country can relate to the book in some compacity. Students in the United States and in France can see how other countries view education rights and how some students are taught. Students will see how dangerous it was for Malala and her father to teach young girls in Pakistan during Taliban control.

Turtle and the Geese: An Indian Graphic Folktale by Chitra Soundar

Soundar, C. (2023). Turtle and the geese: An Indian graphic folktale. North Mankato, Minnesota, Picture Window Books.

This graphic novel follows the story of a young turtle and the issues he faces when his home, a shallow lake dries up. The young turtle must face the consequences of ignoring his friends, the geese.

While Turtle and the Geese is a nice graphic novel, it has a nonexistent source note. The only thing that states this graphic novel is an Indian folktale is the subtitle. The only other way that the graphic novel may be an Indian folktale are the illustrations. An example of this is the turtle, Spot, who wears a turban and there is an Indian style palace. The author or illustrator do not mention where they heard or got the folktale from. The author does not cite any sources stating where the folktale comes from. However, in the about the author section, Soundar is also an oral storyteller from India and her stories come from India and Hindu folktales.

Fox is Tiger by Corey R. Tabor

Tabor, C.R. (2018). Fox is tiger. HarperCollins.

Fox wants to be a tiger because tigers are cool. His friends help him learn who is cool.

I believe that Fox is Tiger is an effective beginner book. The writing and grammar are simple, and the story has a nice flow. The pictures in the book are simple and not over stimulating, which will allow the beginner reader to focus on the story. The pictures in Fox is Tiger also tell the story, which can allow the reader to understand the story. I also like the message the story, which I believe that young readers can understand. The message being that you don’t need to change yourself or copy someone cool, you are cool as the way you are.

Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall

Blackall, S. (2018). Hello lighthouse. Little, Brown and Company.

Hello Lighthouse is the 2019 winner of the Caldecott Medal. The story follows the career and life of a lighthouse attendant and his family while living and working in a lighthouse on a small island.

As a child, I was interested in lighthouses and would have loved this book as a child. The artwork is both simplistic, yet detailed and very beautiful. This book deserved to win the Caldecott Medal. If a child wanted to copy the pictures from this book, they would not have a hard time copying. The artwork in this book makes it easy to follow the story of the lighthouse attendant. The book also teaches kids what it took to care for lighthouses and how important they are to the people who need them. The book shows how time is constantly moving and changing, such as at the end of the book when the lighthouse attendant is replaced by a machine that can operate the lighthouse.

Where the Wild Things Are

Sendak, M. (1963). Where the wild things are (Anniversary edition). Harper Collins.

Winner of the Caldecott Medal in 1964

After getting in trouble and being sent to bed without dinner, Young Max goes on an adventure to where the wild things are.

I believe that this book received the Caldecott Medal based on its illustrations. The illustrations are vibrant, detailed, and eye-catching for both child readers and adults. Maurice Sendak was both the author and illustrator of the book. While the writing leaves a lot to be desired, children still enjoy looking at the illustrations of Max and the Wild Things. I would recommend this book to a child as a fun read. The grammar is not good, but the child would like to look at the illustrations. In my opinion, the story does not flow very well. My mom read the story out loud and kept stumbling over the words. I did the same when I read the book silently. My mom stated, “I think Sendak drew the pictures first, then wrote the story.”