Reading Responses 2 (Wk5: 9/16-22): Picture books

[LINDSEY]

The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses

1. Goble, P. (1993). Girl who loved wild horses. Alladin Paperbacks.

2. This Caldecott Medal book tells the story of a young girl who loves horses. An unexpected storm finds her far away from her village and living with horses.

3. The words and illustrations in The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses work together to weave a beautifully rich and emotional story. The text is very poetic and reads almost like a fairy or folk tale, using language such as "There was and One day" to tell about a young girl who loves taking care of the horses in her village. The illustrations lend a hand by directly mimicking the text. For example, when a growing storm is mentioned one page has storm clouds building, while the next page shows dark storm clouds and the girl jumping on one of the horses back to flee the storm. The illustrations are also extremely detailed and colorful which works well to capture the attention of young audiences, while the poetic words work to hold their attention. This book does an amazing job at capturing the hearts of readers and encourages them to embrace what they love.

[Mandy]

1. Citation (APA Style)
Rathmann, P. (1994). Good night, Gorilla. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam’s Sons.
2. Annotation
Goodnight Gorilla is a board book in which a mischievous zoo gorilla quietly follows the zookeeper around on his nightly rounds, letting animals out of their cages until they all end up in the zookeeper’s bedroom. With very sparse text and expressive illustrations, the story could be engaging for very young children.
3. Commentary (~100 words)
Peggy Rathmann’s humorous, clever illustrations carry much of the storytelling. The artwork depicts expressive body language and small visual details (eg the mouse dragging a balloon) to build humor and narrative momentum without needing much text. The muted colors create a quiet nighttime atmosphere while the animals’ colorful accessories (the balloon, the zookeeper’s flashlight) draw the reader’s attention to certain details. The unique visual style makes the book accessible and engaging even for pre-readers, since children can interpret the story through the pictures. The art’s clarity and humor encourage repeated readings and support early literacy by fostering observational skills.

[Rita]

Cinderella
Perrault, C. (2007). Cinderella, or the little glass slipper (M. Brown, Trans.). Paw Prints.
Cinderella is a Caldecott book that was translated from the original French and illustrated by Marcia Brown. Cinderella is mocked and made fun of by her stepsisters when she says she wants to go to the ball, but she meets her fairy godmother, who helps her dream come true.
Cinderella is a popular story that has been told, re-told, and remixed many times, so what makes this book stand out is the illustrations done by Marcia Brown. Her illustrations are almost simple, simple pen use for outlines of the characters and some objects, with more of the details coming from the colors on some pages. Marcia Brown primarily uses blue, green, red, and yellow for her illustrations. Most of the illustrations before the fairy godmother shows up have the same colors used in the background and characters; only after does she start to use more contrast to distinguish characters from the background. I really enjoyed the illustrations because the details on the dresses were mainly done with just color and not as much with the black pen, except where necessary.

[Schelby]

Lignes
1. Lee, S. (2017). Lines. Chronicle Books LLC.

2. Lines tells an inspiring story about the resiliency of an ice skater and importance of community through simple pencil illustrations.

3. Suzy Lee's story is told without using a single word, so the illustrations are essential for understanding the plot. According to the inside cover, the illustrations were all drawn in pencil. The images have a child-like quality, appearing like a simple doodle until the climax of the story. The simplistic style of the illustrations throughout most of the book make it easy to follow the story, while the carefully placed color helps guide the attention of the reader. The majority of the book is black and white, with the only color being a red hat. However, the final pages of the story highlight the original girl in red getting up and joining a community of colorfully-drawn skaters. Lee also uses a page drawn within the pages of the book near the climax: when the main character falls near the middle of the book, the edge of the drawing paper appears. The following page shows the illustration crumpled up, with an eraser and pencil in the background; the third page of this section shows the crumpled paper flattened back out again, now wrinkled.

[Morgan]

1. Wang, A. (2021). Watercress. Holiday House.

2. In this Caldecott Honoree, a family yearns for, and learns about, life in China after discovering a patch of watercress in an unsuspecting place.

3. In Watercress, the style of art is a soft watercolor that depicts a family in present day America, with additional illustrations depicting the family’s past in China. The landscapes are on the softer side, but illustrations of the family are defined and easy to see if reading this book to a class or group. I particularly like how the gutter is used to separate a scene or define present day and the past. For example, one page depicts finding watercress by the side of the road in the present day on one page, and a scene harvesting watercress in China on the other side. Another example is of a wide view of the family at the dinner table, with the mother looking at a photo. On the other side, the picture is a close up of the framed photo that the mother is looking at, which is of her family when they were in China. This was a great way to illustrate the history and emotions within the story.

[AJ]

1. Dodd, E. (2000). Dog’s Colorful Day. Middlesex, England: Penguin Books, Ltd.

2. We follow Dog as his messy day introduces us to new colors and counting concepts.

3. The art is simple, but effective. The book follows Dog, who is white with one black spot, as he has several mishaps which end in him covered in many colorful spots. For instance, at the breakfast table, Dog's owner accidentally drops a spot of red jam on his back. Now Dog has two spots -- one black and one red. Dog's movements throughout the day end with him acquiring ten spots that are each different colors. The art is brightly colored and the pictures are drawn to showcase Dog's height and how Dog sees the world. I think this book provides good visual learning examples for both learning colors and counting.

[Bailey]

Where the Wild Things Are
1. Sendak, M. (1963). Where the Wild Things Are. Harper & Row.
2. The story of this Caldecott picture book follows a child named Max as he leaves his home to play with monsters. The unique illustrations resemblance to a slightly more refined version of children's drawings makes Sendak and this story specifically very engaging for children.
3. The wild imagery really helps sell how this is an imaginative romp this child is going through. Max is clearly imagining his bedroom becoming a jungle and sailing to an island of monsters. The wild setting and playing with monsters highlight how imagination is a wonderful thing and there is a time and place for wild, creative expression and exploration. Children should know there is space for them to explore concepts and ideas that interest them and they do have the freedom to cut loose and delve into those desires. Max's return to his normal life at the end also let's the children know how important it is to engage with your parents and moderate your behavior. Being wild is fun but is important to listen to your parents and know when to wind down.

[Kari]

Kwame Alexander


Book Name: The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander

Citation: Alexander, K. (2020). The Undefeated. Andersen Press.

Annotation: A beautiful ode to African American History through poetic words and beautiful illustrated pages that depict real moments and people in history.

Reason Why: This poetic picture book for children has powerful words and plays homage to African American history. Each line on each page told its own story of a prominent figure or history throughout time. African Americans have faced a lot through the racial highs and lows of living as a black person in America. We are resilient beings who believe in a future for our children to not face the hardships that have stripped us of our lives, homes, and safe spaces. This message transcends through any age and the illustration is beautifully done to reflect these past experiences and lives. The repetition of the title and the words starting with “un” highlight that we are NOT defeated, deniable, and more. The hardest part for me were the lines

/This is for the unspeakable/ This is for the unspeakable /

With pictures of slavery and the Birmingham Bombing in the 60s. The unspeakable things that happened in history but that still mean something to us to this day. A powerful book with a great message.

[Faith]

Day, A. (2010). Good dog, Carl. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Good Dog, Carl is a wordless picture book where a rottweiler named Carl who has to care for a baby while the mom is away. It has charming and impossible situations that showcase the bond and trust they share.

This book relies entirely on its illustrations to carry the story, and the art is both realistic while also showing impossible situations. It is very expressive with the richly detailed paintings that capture Carl's gentle nature and the baby's curiosity. For example, Carl helps the baby climb out of the crib and later supervises a messy adventure around the house, with the baby riding the dog like a horse, and conveys humor and warmth. The art's clarity tells the engaging story over trust, responsibility, and the bond they have.