About us
Services
Teaching with art
Funding
Scheduling
Arts for Learning
The Playground
Contact us
Links
Young Audiences of Virginia is a chapter of a national organization that enhances education through the arts |
 |
||
| The Playground: Book Reviews | ||
| Stranded
at Plimoth Plantation, 1626
Halley's Comet Came to Jackson with audio cassette Carpenter, Mary Chapin (author) Andreason, Dan (illustrator) HarperCollins Publishers, NY:1998 15 pages, color illustrations ISBN 0-06-025400-9 Recommended Ages: 3 and up  As
if Mary Chapin Carpenter's voice was not enough, the gorgeous illustrations
will take you and your young reader to the heavens. Halley's Comet
inspires a young mother and father to wake their baby and share with
her the "bit of heaven shoot across the sky." They make a wish as
they put her to bed, and "in 1986 that wish came 'round," with the
now elderly lady once again sees the comet from her childhood home.
The accompanying music so lovely, you won't even mind when it get
played again and again in the car. (In fact, you may actually let
it stay in the tape deck for a while!) Score:  The Sky Is Always In The Sky, 1998 Karla Kuskin (Author) Isabelle Dervaux(Illustrator) HarperCollins(Publisher) 
Rich, vibrant colors illustrate Karla Kuskin's hilarious and sometimes
touching poetry in this collection of poems. The element of surprise
is sure to please young readers, while the use of rhyme, rhythm, alliteration
and assonance makes reading these poems aloud a pleasure.The poems themselves are varied in length, topic and style. A few poems are quite short without losing their poetic quality. For example, "I Am Watering The Plants", which reads: "I am watering the plants./ I'm also watering the ants." In these two lines, the reader encounters rhyme as well as parallel form. Almost all the poems in this collection offer a surprising ending, a humorous twist which makes each of these poems memorable. The perfect example of this technique is "A Bug Sat In A Silver Flower," in which a smaller bug is eaten by a larger bug. Just as the poem seems to end, Kuskin adds a short final line which will amuse readers as well as reinforce the rhyme scheme: "He also ate his underwear." The speakers tone is one of bewilderment at nature's way, and yet, a child-like silliness completes the poem and nullifies any discomfort at the bug's fate. In another surprising poem, "I Liked Growing," the reader must guess at the narrator's identity until almost the end. Other poems in the collection are more serious, at least, as serious as Kushkin can be. In "The Plan," the narrator comments on the order of the world, describing events in which subject and object are reversed, such as "Corn doesn't peck the crow." In characteristic style, the reader discovers that the narrator is speaking to an elephant, but the overall poignancy of the poem is not lost. In "Counting The Stars," Kushkin abandons all silliness in her description of the unending expanse of the evening sky, capturing the universal feeling of wonder. Each of the poems in this collection is unique and sure to capture the attention of readers of all ages. The saturated colors of the accompanying illustrations compliment the tone of the poems perfectly. The drawings appear to be hand-drawn in ink, with the bold, uniform, solid colors screened in. The images are appear almost child-like, and yet possess the balance and clarity of fine illustrations. Each page face is a different color, each vibrant: bright yellow, lime green, lavender, cerulean blue, firey-orange and pink are but a few examples. The fonts vary according to the poem as well, some text is formal, laid out in straight lines, while other poems circle the illustrations, curve, grow larger and then shrink. The typefaces range from formal, black type to thick, curvy letters in different colors. Overall, the book is visually stunning. Young readers will enjoy reading these poems to themselves and aloud. Even the most hesitant reader will find the poems easy to read, and yet imaginative and stimulating. Score: Big Tracks, Little Tracks 1995 How To Be A Nature Detective, 1966 (Originally) Millicent E. Selsam (Author) Marlene Hill Donnelly (Illustrator) HarperCollins (Publisher)  Readers
become young nature detectives as they hunt their way through the
basics of animal identification. Aided by clever activities and attractive
watercolor pictures, each reader has the opportunity to learn as well
as apply new skills.The text and illustrations work together to introduce, reinforce and apply new knowledge. Introducing the concept of matching animal tracks to their owners, the narrative compares the reader to a detective using clues to answer various questions: "What animal walked here? Where did it go? What did it do? What did it eat?" The first activity presents a dog and a cat and their well-marked food dishes. On a two-page spread of a kitchen floor marked with two sets of winding tracks, the text provides clear information about the tracks left by dogs and cats. Armed with this information, the reader can figure out the surprising answer to the problem. Other animals are then described according to their tracks, with short detective activities following each description which require the reader to examine the illustrations carefully. Arrows and illustrative text further clarify new information, pointing out relevant parts of the drawings. Using the text and illustrations together, the reader really acts as a detective, learning and applying information synchronously. The final pages provide reinforcement and activities for further exploration. One full page is filled with winding animal tracks which the reader has learned about, which can be traced to the animal, which is labeled and drawn in detail. The experiment page provides directions for two activities, one demonstrating the role of scent detection in nature and the other demonstrating a way to catch animal tracks in a plaster mold. The first activity can be accomplished by the reader alone (with a young partner for experimentation), while the second would be best accomplished with an adult helper. These follow-up activities are clearly described and understandable- a wonderful addition to the text. Overall, this informational book is enjoyable and educational. Because the book is highly interactive, the reader becomes instantly involved with the content, paving the way to authentic learning. Score: The Planets In Our Solar System, 1998 Franklyn M. Branley (Author) Keven O'Malley (Illustrator) HarperCollins (Publisher)  A
charming professor and her cat guide readers through the wonders of
the solar system in this volume of the Let's-Read-And-Find-Out Science
series. Through a combination of astro-photography and watercolor
and pastel drawings, each planet and their satellites comes to life,
while the narrative is accessible and interesting.The book presents the basic information for each planet with relevant and entertaining visual guides. Readers begin their adventure with the professor presenting real photographs of each planet. She then takes them through each member of the solar family, and including supporting information about telescopes, space flights, and the smaller member of the solar system: asteroids, comets and meteorites. Clear pictures serve to accurately portray the important proportions of the planets, with one such painting depicting children filling a hollow Jupiter with tiny Earths, which in turn sit next to minuscule Plutos. Overall, the narrative is clear and concise with the visual elements providing the necessary examples and representations. The illustrator's humor serves to enliven the informative element of the book. When describing the orbital paths of the planets, for example, a drawing of the solar system is included with youngsters sitting, hanging and pushing on the planets as they travel around the sun. The description of Pluto's and Neptune's orbits, the professor and her cat are aboard a futuristic rocket, both complete with the science fiction-inspired glass helmet. The temperature variations between planets is appropriately demonstrated with two contrasting, facing pages: on the page describing the frigid temperature of the furthest planets, a heavily-clad person sits atop an icy Pluto, while the description of the hottest planets is accompanied by a person in summer attire atop a yellow Mercury. In addition to these specific examples, the children and animals throughout the book are depicted in an amusing, almost cartoonish way, making the overall visual elements pleasing and lighthearted. The addition of activities at the conclusion of the book serves as the application element of the learning process. Readers can create a solar system mobile, using information from the book as well as in the activity directions. This activity could be performed alone by the older reader. The second activity is ideal for larger groups, as it describes a way to create a scale model of the solar system with distances measured in inches and feet. For example, with Mercury 2 inches away from the sun representing 35,898,000 miles, Pluto is placed 13 feet, 3 inches away from the sun, representing 3,658,000,000 miles. The final page includes creative activities which involve writing, observing, drawing and experimentation, all highly effective methods of applying new knowledge. The addition of web site which the reader can visit is highly useful, as these sites proved to include images and activities not in the book, encouraging independent learning. This book paired education with entertainment in a highly relevant manner. The visual elements provided the necessary excitement to the informational text, creating a book useful for both the young reader and the teacher. Score: |
||
"May 16, 1627, Since our animals were licking their hooves all day,
we were not surprised when high winds brought a sudden storm that
collapsed the Allerton's chicken house..." • Activities
• Contests
• General interest
• Book reviews
• Poets
• Calendar