Nadia's Hands by Karen English

Nadia's Hands by Karen English and Illustrated by Jonathan Weiner

I chose this book because of the unique cover and the visual appeal. It has a unique multicultural draw to it. This book is about a young girl who gets mehndi (paste from the leaves of the henna tree) on her hands because she is in a family wedding. Nadia is excited about being in the wedding but is nervous what the students in her class at school will say on Monday when they see her "orangey" hands from the paint. I thoroughly enjoyed this book because it definitely has relevance in a young child's life. Many of us in the United States may have never experienced having our hands painted for a celebration, but I'm sure we have all felt the worrying feelings of looking a little different due to certain circumstances like Nadia. I like the potential multicultural discussions that could arise when you read this with a child. It's a good chance to discuss different ethnic backgrounds and the tie that connects us as well.

Campfire Mallory by Laurie Friedman
"Camp Blue Lake Words of Wisdom: Don’t count the days, make the days count… "
This book is one of many in the “Mallory” series. This particular book is about the end of third grade for Mallory McDonald and her highly anticipated time at sleepaway camp during the summer. It is about all the anxieties and excitement that come along with being away from home for 2 weeks. I found this book particularly enjoyable because it caused me to reminisce about my time at camp in the summer. I found myself relating to the character of Mallory because I felt some of those same feelings-scared to be away from home, if I would make friends with any of the other campers, if I would like any of the camping activities etc. In this book it shows the letters that Mallory writes to her parents and it made me remember how alone I felt at camp at first and how I wrote home to my parents. Then by the end of my time at camp I hardly wrote home and didn’t want to leave the friends I had met! I believe Campfire Mallory will relate to a lot of readers because it deals with so many feelings and thoughts that are related to nine year olds!

Penguin Dreams

Penguin Dreams by J. Otto Seibold and V.L. Walsh
"They fly in the water."~Theadora Walsh
This book is basically about a penguin named Chongo Chingi and what what he is able to do in his dreams. (Pretty self-explanatory,huh?) Well, I totally disregarded the whole "in his dreams" aspect of the book when I read it. Chongo dreams of flying high in the sky, and when it started talking about him flying in the air I thought to myself...wait, penguins can't fly! I had to remind myself that I need to be looking and reading this book from an imaginative and creative state of mind-a state of mind that a young student could appreciate. So I re-read the book and found myself enjoying how Chongo was doing the opposite of what he was expected to do-places he doesn't normally go, animals he doesn't normally see and so forth. I would describe this book as being whimsical and slightly random; which somewhat makes sense since it's about dreams. I really enjoyed the visual appeal with the pictures and illustrations-very colorful!

Ballerina! by Peter Sis

Ballerina! by Peter Sis
"In my view, life without dance would be quite unthinkable. In this book, Peter Sis confirms it." - Mikhail Baryshnikov
This is a quote that is on the back of this book, and I believe it applies to this book quite appropriately. Even though this book is written for a very young audience, I found myself becoming enchanted with the costumes of a ballerina and the beautiful gracefulness that is so attractive. The illustrations in this book are presented very simply, but for me they left lingering memories of when I was in dance class as a young girl. This book basically follows a young girl who can't wait to dance and tries on all these different ballet costumes that are different colors and dreams of dancing in a professional ballet when she puts on the costumes. The book also shows the dynamic color differences of when the little girl puts on the costumes and then when she dreams of being the professional dancer. What I liked the best was at the end when the author showcased all the different ballet costumes with all the different colors. Easy and fun to read!

A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni

A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni
First, I want to say I was surprised that this book was written in 1975! But it's simple message of uniqueness and friendship still ring true. It's written very simply and the illustrations are definitely attractive to the eye! It's a story about a chameleon that notices all animals have a certain color that is unique to them; but as a chameleon, he changes color wherever he goes. He notices that he is yellow when he is on a lemon, purple among the heather flowers, and striped when on a tiger's tail. One day he thinks to himself, "If I remain on a leaf, I shall be green forever." He thinks then will have color specifically for him. But soon the chameleon realizes that with changing seasons come changing colors. So with each season change came a different leaf color and eventually the leaf falls off the tree and the chameleon goes with it. The chameleon endures the long winter and finally when spring comes he meets another chameleon friend. He poses the question to the other on if they will ever have colors of their own. The other older and wiser chameleon gently answers the other chameleon that they will not. But he offers his friendship to the other and together they can endure and enjoy their color changes throughout their life. I liked this book because it offered a simple message of friendship when one feels down about life. The most appealing thing about this book to young readers will probably be the colorful pages!

The Princess Knight by Cornelia Funke

The Princess Knight by Cornelia Funke and illustrations by Kerstin Meyer
This book has a unique twist on the classic fairytale story. In the beginning you learn that the king has three sons and he raises them to be great knights in battle. Then the king learns that his wife, the queen, is going to be having a daughter. Tragically, the queen dies during childbirth and it is up to the king to raise his daughter. He was unsure of how to raise a little girl, so he decides to raise her like his sons. He teaches her use a sword, mount a horse, and practice jousting with her brothers. But his daughter, Violetta, felt defeated everytime she tried to do the same things her brothers did. Her brothers also taunted and laughed at her when she attempted to act like a knight. One night, when one of her nursemaids was tending to her bruises from jousting, Violetta made her mind up that she was going to be one of the greatest jousters in the castle area. She was determined to prove her brothers and to herself that she was just as capable as being a great night than being the traditional princess. So at night, when everyone else was sleeping and resting, Violetta sneaks out to practice her sword handling techniques, trained her horse with stealth, practiced everything her brothers could already do in battle. When a great jousting tournament comes to the castle area, Violetta wants in! But the king, her father, objects greatly and sentences her to her room for the night. But she is more determined than ever to compete! Violetta cleverly disguises herself for a great knight and eventually wins the tournament! She proves herself to her family that she can no longer be pushed around and made fun of because she is a girl in a mostly boy's context. I liked this story because of Violetta's determination in succeeding, although I'm not completely sold on the concept of her disguising herself so she wins the tournament. I also thought the ending was a little abrupt too. It ends with her running away for awhile and then eventually getting married and living happily ever after. But overall an enjoyable read!

Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae

Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae and illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees
This book was so enjoyable to read and the illustrations were so colorful and animated! This book is about a giraffe named Gerald who feels slightly awkward around other animals. He realizes that he can't be graceful like the other animals when they gather for the annual "Jungle Dance" in Africa. Gerald sees how elegant the lions, rhinos, and baboons dance; but when it is Gerald's turn to dance all the animals start to laugh at him and making fun. Gerald walks away feeling sad and alone. On his walk he discovers a friendly cricket that convinces him that he just needs a different song to dance and prance to. The cricket conjures up a song on his violin and all of a sudden Gerald can sway and shuffle to the music beautifully. Gerald realizes he is really dancing and was elated! I also like this book because it conveys a message that not everyone will learn and look the same when it comes to life lessons. I love that Gerald enjoys and embraces his uniqueness! I think one of my favorite lines of the book is "We can all dance, he said, when we find music that we love."

So Say the Little Monkeys by Nancy Van Laan

So Say The Little Monkeys by: Nancy Van Laan and pictures by Yumi Heo
..."A Note About the Story"..."In Brazil, a huge country in South America, there are many rivers. Second in size to the Amazon is the Rio Negro, the Black River, which got its name from its dark waters, black as coal. In the trees along its banks live tiny monkeys, which the Indians call "blackmouths." Their mouths are as dark as the waters of the river. These monkeys live in the tall palms which are full of sharp thorns. Unlike the birds, the monkeys do not make any type of permanent home. Even though the thorns must be very uncomfortable, they sleep on top of them each night. The Indians who live there created an amusing tale to explain why this is so." This is a little bit of insight from the author on the background of this book. I thought it was pretty pertinent to give a little bit of explanation to the story. I really like this book because you can really show some personality when reading it to students. For example, the book includes phrases such as, " Jump, Jabba Jabba, Run, Jabba Jabba...." I feel like you can just envision the monkeys saying such things, even if it is nonsense phrases. This book basically is about monkeys that like to play all day when they are supposed to be building a warm nest to sleep in. I think you can also really relate it to students by asking them what may happen if they constantly play and choose not to get some of their work done. It can really bring up conversation about the concept of cause and effect for some students.

Because of Winn Dixie by Kate Dicamillo

Because of Winn Dixie by Kate Dicamillo

This story is about a young girl named Opal who befriends an unruly dog and all the adventures that come with it during one summer. Opal didn't always have a dog; but when this four legged creature appears in her life, she has never been so attached to a living thing before in her life. Opal discovers the dog creating a commotion in a local grocery store; and when the manager demanded to know who's dog this is...Opal spoke up. She lovingly named him Winn-Dixie. I like this book because Opal is in a turning point in her life and it shows how the constant companionship of a pet play such a large part in it. All of her major life experiences such as: questions about her mother, discovering odd neighbors, befriending suspicious storeowners, and even making good with the local troublemakers are all shared with Winn-Dixie. It was also enjoyable to read about what kind of excitement Winn-Dixie was going to create next.

If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Numeroff

If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Numeroff

This book is an enjoyable sequel to If You Give a Mouse a Cookie... It is about a young boy who sets off a sequence of events by giving a moose a muffin. It is a fun story about the unlikely events that happen with the moose and the young boy such as borrowing a sweater, painting, making puppets, and many other silly events. The story comes full circle at the end with the moose wanting a muffin.