BIBLIOGRAPHY
Jenkins, Steve.2009. Never Smile at a Monkey. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN-10: 061896620x ISBN-13: 978-0-618-96620-2

PLOT SUMMARY
Never Smile at a Monkey is about 18 wild animals, insects, birds, and reptiles. Steve Jenkins has put together a group of wild animals that are familiar to us and some that are not as well known. Whenever these animals feel threatened, they will defend themselves quickly and aggressively. “NEVER harass a hippopotamus” (Jenkins, 2009, 5-6) or it could result in a very violent attack, which could severely hurt you or even kill you. So read on and BEWARE of your surroundings when dealing with the world’s habitats and their inhabitants.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Science can be so wonderful and is a subject that seems to not be taught as thoroughly as it could be. Children love to learn all about animals and their habitats. Steve Jenkins, who was raised with a father who was a physicist, thought at one time that he would also go into science. Instead he went to art school and lucky us. He has written a wonderful, factual book about the aggressive instincts that animals will employ when they feel threatened. Steve has combined his love of science and art to bring us a book that will not only teach, but maybe inspire future scientists and artists alike.

Check out Steve Jenkins website (www.stevejenkinsbooks.com) to learn more about his science background and a wonderful step-by-step process that he goes through when constructing his cut paper collages. It is amazing how many different steps and the thought process it takes to just make one picture. There are many words to describe his work, but for me it would be a true mastery of colorful, detailed, informative depiction of animals as they appear in real life.
The text of this book is set in Adobe Garamond Pro. The illustrations are collages of cut and torn paper.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 1–4—A visually stunning book illustrated with cut paper and torn collages. Jenkins's introductory warnings are gently alliterative: "NEVER pet a platypus"; "NEVER touch a tang." The gentleness stops there, however. "NEVER jostle a jellyfish. A box jellyfish, that is. Most jellyfish can sting people, but….If you are unlucky enough to become really entangled with a box jellyfish, you can die very quickly." Readers may enjoy staring deadly danger in the face, knowing that it is distant and rare. They'll also be treated to fascinating facts about creatures like the cassowary, electric caterpillar, cane toad, and puffer fish. Further reading is provided in the back matter, including an explanation of animals' need for powerful protection from their predators in the wild. This exceptionally well-written portion of the book is generously illustrated. The most eloquent of these cut paper and torn collages are on the front and back covers, which feature a rhesus monkey looking solemnly out, and then opening its large mouth filled with scarily sharp teeth. This superlative illustrator has given children yet another work that educates and amazes.—Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY END

Children's Literature
Youngsters know that many creatures are dangerous. Here, Steve Jenkins chooses to focus on some whose threats are not obvious. He devotes one or two pages to each of eighteen animals that can be hazardous in a variety of ways. "Never " warns each informative introduction. The sentences finish "pet a platypus," "collect a cone shell," "harass a hippopotamus," "jostle a jellyfish," or "step on a stingray." This liberal use of alliteration leads to descriptions of the unfortunate consequences of such actions. The final advice—"NEVER smile at a monkey!"—warns that showing your teeth may be interpreted as an aggressive gesture, and the result may be violent. Jenkins achieves remarkable naturalistic results with his cut paper collages; he designs his pages using extra-large type for the headings and blocks of regular text for the descriptions. The final four pages offer further information along with a small picture of each creature included in the text and a bibliography. The strikingly contrasting pictures of the monkeys on the front and back of the jacket and cover are sure to attract attention. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

Kirkus Reviews
Judi Barrett may have cautioned readers to Never Take a Shark to the Dentist (illustrated by John Nickle, 2008), and Jean Conder Soule's sage advice to Never Tease a Weasel (illustrated by George Booth, 1964, 2007) has been passed on for generations. However, Jenkins's current list of instructions are for the more practical and realistic explorer. That is, if one happens to stumble upon a cassowary or a blue-ringed octopus. Eighteen alliterative rules showcase the dangerous defense mechanisms of animals found in the wild. Jenkins warns readers to "never pet a platypus," "never harass a hippopotamus" and, true to the title, "never smile at a monkey"-a Rhesus monkey to be precise. Baring teeth can be seen as an aggressive gesture and the monkey may attack. Illustrated with the author's trademark ingenious paper collage, the animals look serene and unassuming, as is often the case in nature. But turn to the detailed endnotes, and jaws and claws are out with a vengeance. Another stunning environmental lesson from an aficionado of animal behavior. (further reading) (Informational picture book. 5-8)

CONNECTIONS
Other Books
Jenkins, Steve. Biggest, Strongest, Fastest. ISBN-10: 0395861365 ISBN-13: 978-0395861363
Jenkins, Steve and Robin Page. What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? ISBN-10: 0439703840 ISBN-13: 978-0-618-25628-0
Steve Jenkins
www.stevejenkinsbooks.com
National Geographic
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/rehesus-monkey.html
Free Lesson Plan on Retile Adaptions K-5
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/reptileadaptations/

AWARDS/HONORS
Booklist Editor's Choice citation, 1995, for Biggest, Strongest, Fastest, and 2001, for Slap, Squeak, and Scatter: How Animals Communicate; Scientific American Young Readers Book Award, 1996, for Big and Little; Booklist Editor's Choice citation, 1997, and Outstanding Trade Book for Children citation, National Science Teachers Association, 1998, for What Do You Do When Something Wants to Eat You?; named to list of recommended books, National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), 1998, for Animal Dads; School Library Journal best books of the year citation, 1999, Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Nonfiction, and American Library Association Notable Children's Book designation, both 2000, all for The Top of the World: Climbing Mount Everest; Booklist Editor's Choice citation, and School Library Journal best books of the year citation, both 2002, and NCTE Orbis Pictus Recommended Book citation, 2003, all for Life on Earth: The Story of Evolution; Caldecott Honor book, 2004, for What Do You Do with a Tail like This?

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Deem, James M. 2008. Bodies from the Ice. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 978-0-618-80045-2

PLOT SUMMARY
Imagine hiking with a friend on an icy mountain range, enjoying being in nature and you discover a body buried in the ice. This book is just what the title says – Bodies in the Ice. Due to glaciers melting at rapid rates, many mysteries of our past are being discovered opening the door to answers about missing persons and insights to our past. The story takes you step by step through how scientists work to uncover the answers, while also providing detailed information about glaciers.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Here is a book that is written by James M. Deem who likes an adventure. Deem’s writing is very factual and compelling. The pictures are graphic in their details, but also illustrate what you should expect to see when looking at mummies that are hundreds to thousands of years old. He provides factual history about Otzi, a 5,300-year-old-body discovered in the Austrian Alps, George Mallory, who died climbing Mt. Everest, Inca children who were sacrificed to the gods, and the step-by-step process that scientist go through when investigating these mummies.

I really enjoyed the wealth of glaciological information (the study of glaciers). He provides information on types of glaciers, the father of glaciology - Louis Agassiz, mountain information, and personal ways we can help the environment. There are also great websites about glaciers, Otzi the Iceman, Inca discoveries, George Mallory and Kwaday Dan Ts’Inchi Archaeology. Be sure to check out his list of glaciers to visit with several that we have in Alaska and Canada.
This book offers lots of science, great authentic photographs, maps, sidebars, artifacts, historical paintings, bibliography and an index. Great for ages 9-adult.

The book design is by YAY! Design. The text of this book is set in Meridien. Maps by Jerry Malone

REVIEW EXCERPTS
From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 5–8—Deem's lucid account explores mummified remains recovered from several glacial locations and time periods. The many discoveries presented include the famous 5300-year-old Alpine Iceman Ötzi, the mummified Incan children of the Andes Mountains, and the identification of George Mallory's body on Mount Everest. The background and methodology of glaciology are examined, as are relevant issues in climate change and archaeology; historical photographs of glaciers are compared to modern photographs of the same, much-receded ice. Full-color photographs, reproductions, and maps are clearly captioned; grand images of glaciated mountain peaks span entire pages, and detailed pictures of recovered objects, including the mummies themselves, the Iceman's ax, and surviving fabric fragments are presented. To nitpick one point, Deem states that scientists "don't understand" why the Ice Age glaciers retreated, instead of mentioning the Milankovitch cycles as a consensus explanation. Nonetheless, this volume provides updated information, including new insights into the causes of the Iceman Ötzi's death. With its extensive bibliography, suggested Web sites, and a listing of glaciers to visit, Bodies is a fantastic resource. Deem superbly weaves diverse geographical settings, time periods, and climate issues into a readable work that reveals the increasing interdisciplinary dimensions of the sciences.—Jeff Meyer, Slater Public Library, IA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
There are books about melting glaciers and books about frozen bodies, but this attractive offering combines the topics in a way that will intrigue readers. It begins with a chance discovery by walkers in northern Italy who find a thawing corpse originally thought to be from the 1800s. Scientists later realized the body was more than 5,000 years old. As glaciers melt throughout the world, more frozen bodies are appearing, adding greatly to the knowledge researchers have about history and culture. Individual chapters cover types of glaciers and why they are fertile territory for housing bodies; the Chamonix glacier, which saw women climbers in the early 1800s; and the mystery of George Mallory, who died trying to climb Mt. Everest. Perhaps most fascinating to kids will be the chapter on recently discovered Incan children sacrificed to the gods. The pictures of these children, looking as though they might be sleeping, are arresting. Heavily illustrated with historical memorabilia as well as photos of bodies, scenery, artifacts, and rather simplistic maps, this offers a lot to look at and learn about. Grades 4-7. --Ilene Cooper

CONNECTIONS
Other Books
Deem, James M. Bodies from the Ash: Life and Death in ancient Pompeii. ISBN-10: 0618473084 ISBN-13: 978-0618473083
Deem, James M. Bodies from the Bog. ISBN-10: 0618354026 ISBN-13: 978-0618354023
James M. Deem Website
http://www.jamesmdeem.com
Glaciers – Student Activities
http://www.amphi.com
Hands on Lessons and Activities about Glaciers
http://beyondpenguins.nsdl.org

AWARDS/HONORS
2009 Robert F. Sibert Informational Award Honor Book
awarded by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association
Finalist for the 2010 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books
Kirkus Reviews' Best Children's Books of 2008
Notable Book for Children 2009
chosen by the American Library Association
2009 Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12
chosen by the National Science Teachers Association and the Children's Book Council
2008 New York Public Library, 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
Capitol Choices Noteworthy Book 2009 (10-14)
Nominated for:
the Young Hoosier Book Award, Middle Grades, 2010-2011
the South Dakota Library Association Prairie Pasque Awards for Grades 3-5, 2010-2011
the Garden State Teen Book Award for Nonfiction Grades 6-12, 2011

Quiet Night by Marilyn Singer and Illustrated by John Manders

Bibliography
Singer, Marilyn.2002.Quiet Night.Ill by John Manders.New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN: 0-618-12044-0


Plot Summary
Quiet Night by Marilyn Singer is really not that quiet, which becomes evident as one experiences the many night-time sounds made by the creatures that appear in sequence from page to page. One frog bar-rums, two owls whoo-hoo all the way to ten campers’ yawn-yawn. This was great fun, rhyming words while counting from one to ten.

Critical Analysis
Quiet Night is a wonderful rhyming poem that young children will enjoy listening to and then reading back to you. The nonsensical words like bar-rums, whap-slap and rowl-yowl are quickly remembered and will be repeated again and again. I also like that this is a counting book from one to ten. Rhyming poems and counting go hand in hand. The animals, birds and insects were by far my favorite part of this book. Frogs, owls, raccoons, coyotes and mosquitos, just to name a few, were perfect choices for the forest.
This book is not one to read before bed if you are planning on a soothing transition for sleep because you will have too much fun repeating the animal rhymes again and again.


John Manders illustrated this book with colors that coincide with the theme of a night in the forest. The opening page shows the large yellow moon, blue black background, the large green frog with his mouth open as large as the moon and long pink tongue will make you laugh and convince you to turn the page for more. The eyes of the animals were captured with watchful surprise the way forest animals would react to movement in their habitat. John Manders did a wonderful job with the moon shadows of the geese flying over the pond, the eyes of the animals, playfulness of the raccoons, the camper’s frustration over the noise and the frozen surprise of the forest animals. The illustrations were painted on Arches hot press watercolor paper using Winsor & Newton gouache and Prismacolor pencils.

I feel this is a wonderful book and should be added to your collection of poems for children.

Review Excerpts
From Publishers Weekly
"The moon is big. The moon is bright. A frog bar-rums on a quiet night." But the moonlit woods are actually far from idyllic. With each succeeding spread, Singer (Didi and Daddy on the Promenade) and Manders (Dirt Boy) add cumulatively larger groups of audibly antsy, comically exaggerated animals. "Somebody's got an appetite!" observes a narrator, as the gouaches reveal guilty-looking raccoons chowing down on garbage. These scavengers join a tally of critters ("Six raccoons churr-rurr, Five coyotes rowl-yowl, Four fish whap-slap, Three geese honk-honk, Two owls whoo-hoo," plus the original frog) while the animals' attention moves from general noise-making to approaching a dark tent. The species' convergence triggers a slapstick wildlife melee, which in turn provokes the appearance of "10 sleepy campers" and one very bright flashlight. Singer expertly builds her bumptious population to what should be a boffo finish, but the book ends on a weak note: "What a NOISY night!" Manders initially conveys the magic semi-stillness of a night outdoors; as the landscape gradually becomes standing room only, the rich, darker hues become a wonderful visual foil for the burgeoning, goofy critters who get carried away by just doing what comes naturally. Ages 2-6.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
reSchool-Grade 3--This fantastic counting book will strike a chord with young children and has all the right stuff to become an interactive storytime classic when used with small groups. It begins with a full yellow moon and a frog, and ends with a cacophony of rowdy, rambunctious activity during a night that's anything but quiet. The audience-participation options are almost limitless-the book could work performed as a round, in sequence with a gradually climbing crescendo, with stick puppets, or children could simply chime in whenever onomatopoeia is required. The illustrations are laugh-out-loud funny; Manders's owls don't just hoot, they really get into the action. So do his raccoons, fish, coyotes, and finally his tent full of campers. At last everybody scatters in a frantic, explosive display, leaving the dust to settle against the backdrop of a blue-black, tranquil night. The simple text rhymes nicely and boasts a wonderfully rhythmic cadence. (However, "The grass is white," to rhyme with "night," features green grass in the illustration.) Children will enjoy this delightful picture book for more than the racket it produces. Then again, any opportunity to create a din is always welcome. Buy several copies, and be sure to tuck one away on the storytime shelf.
Catherine Threadgill, Charleston County Public Library, SC
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Connections

Other books by Marilyn Singer

Nine O’clock Lullaby ISBN-13: 978-0064433198 ISBN-10: 0064433196

I’m Your Bus ISBN-13: 978-0545089180 ISBN-10: 0545089182

Websites

Marilyn Singer http://www.marilynsinger.net

John Manders http://johnmanders.com


Awards/Honors
Children's Choice Award, International Reading Association, 1977, for The Dog Who Insisted He Wasn't, 1979, for It Can't Hurt Forever, 1988, for Ghost Host, and 1991, for Nine o'Clock Lullaby; Maud Hart Lovelace Award, Friends of the Minnesota Valley Regional Library, 1983, for It Can't Hurt Forever; American Library Association (ALA) best book for young adults citation, 1983, for The Course of True Love Never Did Run Smooth; Parents' Choice Award, Parents' Choice Foundation, 1983, for The Fido Frame-Up, and 2001, for A Pair of Wings; New York Times best illustrated children's book citation, and Time best children's book citation, both 1989, Notable Trade Book in the Language Arts, National Council of Teachers of English, 1990, and Texas Bluebonnet Award nomination, 1992, all for Turtle in July; South Carolina Book Award nomination, 1992-93, for Twenty Ways to Lose Your Best Friend; Iowa Teen Award nomination, 1993, for Charmed; Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, National Council for the Social Studies and Children's Book Council, 1995, for Family Reunion, and 2000, for On the Same Day in March; Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award nomination, 1996, for Chester the Out-of-Work Dog; Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award nomination, 1997-98, for All We Needed to Say; Society of School Librarians International Best Books, 1997-98, for Deal with a Ghost, 1998-99, for Bottoms Up, and 2001, for Tough Beginnings; Best Books for the Teen Age selection, New York Public Library, 1998, for Stay True: Short Stories for Strong Girls, 2001, for I Believe in Water: Twelve Brushes with Religion, and 2005, for Face Relations: Eleven Stories about Seeing beyond Color; Edgar Award nominee, 1998, for Deal with a Ghost; Tayshas List selections, 1998-99; for Deal with a Ghost, and 2001-02, for I Believe in Water: Twelve Brushes with Religion; Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults selection, Young Adult Library Services Association, 2000, for Stay True: Short Stories for Strong Girls; Top Ten Science Books for Children selection, Booklist, 2000, for On the Same Day in March; Animal Behavior Society Award, 2002, for A Pair of Wings; Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students, National Science Teachers Association/Children's Book Council, 2002, for Tough Beginnings; ten best books for babies citation, Beginning with Books, 2003, for Boo Hoo Boo-Boo; Children's Book of Distinction, Riverbank Review, 2003, for Footprints on the Roof: Poems about the Earth; best book citation, School Library Journal, 2003, for Fireflies at Midnight; honor book, Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, 2005, for Creature Carnival.

The Llama Who Had No Pajama by Mary Ann Hoberman and Illustrated by Betty Fraser

Bibliography
Hoberman, Mary Ann. 2006. The Llama Who Had No Pajama; 100 Favorite Poems.Ill by Betty Fraser. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN-13:978-0152-05571-4 ISBN-10: 0-15-205571-1

Plot Summary
There are 100 poems in this book covering a variety of themes. You can celebrate a birthday on The Birthday Bus, change from a tadpole to a frog, play in the snow, ice skate or take a ride to Poughkeepsie. Young and old will enjoy these poems over and over again with their rhyming words and colorful pictures.

Worm
Squiggly
Wiggly
Wriggly
Juggly
Ziggly
Higgly
Piggly
Worm.

Watch it wiggle
Watch it wriggle
See it squiggle
See it squirm!

This little poem is just an example of what you will experience in this collection of poems. Enjoy!

Critical Analysis
Mary Ann Hoberman complied 100 of her favorite poems and The Llama Who Had No Pajama is the result also offering several of her out of print poems. Her poems paired with the beautiful artwork of Betty Frasier will delight all readers. Most of the poems are about animals and insects totaling 52. The rhyme and rhythm of the words make it easy to visualize what the poems are about while encouraging you to participate in the fun and imagination of the reading. This collection is a wonderful way of introducing children to how much fun poetry can be. Children ages 5 to 10 will love the rhymes and reasons in this book of poems.

Betty Fraiser has illustrated many books for children and is a published author. The illustrations in this book were done in Winsor & Newton gouache and watercolor on Bristol paper. The display was set in Goudy Sans. The text type was set in Bembo.

Review Excerpts
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 4?Hoberman's poems, accompanied by Fraser's illustrations, have been delighting children for 40 years. Now, many poems from their out-of-print books are available in this satisfying collection. The selections are mostly humorous, sometimes contemplative, and deal with animals, family, play, and plain silliness. Hoberman's rhythms are lively and agile, and her imagination and sense of humor are still in tune with young readers. Fraser's simple but detailed gouache and watercolor illustrations exhibit the same qualities. The layout is masterfully varied and never overwhelms the poems. There is a table of contents as well as an index of first lines. Good for beginning or experienced readers of poetry, this should indeed become a favorite.?Nina Lindsay, Vista School, Albany, CA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"Hoberman's rhythms are lively and agile, and her imagination and sense of humor are still in tune with young readers. Fraser's simple but detailed gouache and watercolor illustrations exhibit the same qualities . . . Good for beginning or experienced readers of poetry, this should indeed become a favorite."--School Library Journal

"This collection of some forty years of Hoberman verse is a charmer."--The Horn Book

Connections

Other books by Mary Ann Hoberman

A House Is a House for Me ISBN-13: 9780142407738 ISBN-10: 014240779

The Seven Silly Eaters ISBN-13: 9780152024406 ISBN-10: 0152024409


Website

Mary Ann Hoberman http://www.maryannhoberman.com/

Awards/Honors
Gold Award Winner - 1998 National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA)
Best Books of the Year - Child Magazine

what my mother doesn't know by Sonya Sones

Bibliography
Sones, Sonya. 2003. what my mother doesn't know. New York: Simon Pulse.
ISBN-13:978-0-689-85553-5 ISBN-10:0-689-85553-2

Plot Summary
Great Book! This is about coming of age through the eyes of 15 year old Sophie. Moving from a young girl into maturity is a passage that we all have gone through experiencing the ups and downs of this journey. Sophie is a typical girl having best friends, looking for love, dealing with her changing body and issues with her parents. She learns to trust herself while transforming into a confident young adult.


Critical Analysis
what my mother doesn’t know by Sonya Sones is a novel written in verse of one poem after another. Teenagers will really enjoy how the poems are written in Sophie’s own voice as if she is talking to you and how easy the text flows from one emotion to another. Adolescence is one of the worst periods of a teenagers’ life. Sophie manages to find herself, deal with her peers, cope with parental issues, and finds true love. Teenagers will truly relate to Sophie and the issues she addresses. Sophie emerges with confidence in herself.

I had never read a young adult book in poetry verse and once I started it I could not put it down. The title alone will capture the interest of teenagers looking for a book to read. The cover was designed by Russell Gordon at Simon & Schuster. Sonya Sones drew the flipbook in the right hand corner on pages 231-259 patterned after the painting mentioned in the book called “Le Bal a Bougival” by Jean Renior. Sonya Sones was inspired to draw this flipbook due to the years she spent as an animator, and then later worked as a film editor for TV and movies. The text of this book was set in Tekton.

Review Excerpts
Amazon.com Review
Meet Sophie. She sees herself as the too-tall "Mount Everest of teenage girls," who, along with her friends, often suffers from "lackonookie disease." She's dating smoky, sexy Dylan, covertly chatting online with "cybersoul"-mate Chaz, and secretly nursing a crush on sweet, geeky Murphy. Her two best friends are closer to her than sisters, and she "hates hating" her soap opera-addicted mom, wishing "she would show half as much interest in my life as she does in Luke and Laura's." In other words, Sophie is a typical teenage girl. What is not so typical is how author Sonia Sones records all of Sophie's thoughts in a freewheeling verse that is such a naked outpouring of inner longing, most readers will blush in embarrassed recognition of their own remembered or current teenage desires. Sones gently leads both the reader and Sophie towards an understanding of the difference between love and lust as Sophie slowly comes to realize that Dylan's outsides are no match for Murphy's insides. Autobiographical of Sones, perhaps? The author claims it isn't so, and she's probably right. With her frank manner, lusty thoughts, and hidden insecurities, Sophie reflects many teenage girls, past and present. No woman will be able to read this heartfelt verse novel and not find a bit of herself in Sophie's secret, sexy thoughts. Sones's decadent, almost shamefully delicious collection of angst poems is a loving and amazingly accurate tribute to adolescent girlhood. (Ages 12 and older) --Jennifer Hubert --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly
*Starred Review* Drawing on the recognizable cadences of teenage speech, Sones (Stop Pretending) poignantly captures the tingle and heartache of being young and boy-crazy. The author keenly portrays ninth-grader Sophie's trajectory of lusty crushes and disillusionment whether she is gazing at Dylan's "smoldery dark eyes" or dancing with a mystery man to music that "is slow/ and/ saxophony." Best friends Rachel and Grace provide anchoring friendships for Sophie as she navigates her home life as an only child with a distant father and a soap opera-devotee mother whose "shrieking whips around inside me/ like a tornado." Some images of adolescent changes carry a more contemporary cachet, "I got my period I prefer/ to think of it as/ rebooting my ovarian operating system," others are consciously clich‚d, "my molehills/ have turned into mountains/ overnight" this just makes Sophie seem that much more familiar. With its separate free verse poems woven into a fluid and coherent narrative with a satisfying ending, Sophie's honest and earthy story feels destined to captivate a young female audience, avid and reluctant readers alike. Ages 12-up.

Connections
Other Verse Novels by Sonja Sones

What My Girlfriend Doesn’t Know
ISBN-10: 0689876033 ISBN-13: 978-0689876035

One Of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies
ISBN-10: 1416907882 ISBN-13: 978-1416907886

Stop Pretending
ISBN-10: 0064462188 ISBN-13: 978-0064462181

Website
http://www.sonyasones.com For more information about Sonya Sones and her other works visit her website.

AWARDS/Honors
winner of the Iowa Teen Book Award (2005 -2006)
named by the American Library Association as one of the Top Ten Most Challenged Books of 2004 and of 2005
Michigan Thumbs Up Award Honor Book (2002)
unanimously chosen an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults (2002)
unanimously chosen an American Library Association Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (2002)
named an International Reading Association Young Adults' Choice (2003)
named a Booklist Editor's Choice (2001)
voted a VOYA Top Shelf for Middle School Readers (2003)
Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award: YA Recommended Title (2003 -2004)
named a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age (2002, 2003, and 2004)
named a Texas Lone Star State Reading List Choice (2003 – 2004)
named a Top Ten Editor's Choice by Teenreads.com (2001)
named a Bookreporter.com Best of 2001 for Teens
chosen a Junior Library Guild selection
chosen a Scholastic Teen Age Book Club selection
chosen a Scholastic Trumpet Book Club selection
chosen a Scholastic Book Fair selection

Nominated for the following state awards:
Volunteer State Book Award (TN) (2004 – 2005)
Utah Children's Choice Beehive Award (2003 – 2004)
Garden State Teen Book Award (NJ) (2003 - 2004)
Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award (2004)
Rhode Island Teen Book Award (2004)
South Carolina Young Adult Book Award (2003 – 2004)
Missouri Gateway Reader's Choice Award for Teens (2003 – 2004)
Wyoming Library Association Soaring Eagle Book Award (2003 -2004)

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simms Taback

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Taback, Simms.1997.There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.Ill. by Simms Taback. New York: Viking Penguin. ISBN: 0670869393 ISBN-13: 9780670869398

PLOT SUMMARY:
This is a story about an old lady who swallows a fly. We don’t know why she swallowed a fly and by the look on her face she doesn’t like it either, but ooh she did and this will make you laugh out loud. The Old Lady obviously thinks she needs to get rid of the fly (what was she thinking) so she thinks she needs to “swallow a spider that wiggled and jiggled and tickled inside her. I don’t know why she swallowed the fly. Perhaps she’ll die.”(Taback 1997) This eating frenzy turns into a snowball effect with the old lady swallowing a menagerie of animals (bird, cat, dog, cow, and horse) while continuing to grow larger and larger with each animal consumed. It is fun to watch the expressions on her face and the looks on the animals’ faces with each swallowing. Last she swallows a horse and she dies, of course. “Moral of the story – Never swallow a horse.”(Taback 1997) The animals she had eaten offered a eulogy at her demise. Cow said, “It was the last course.” Cat said, “It is such a loss.” “Even the artist is crying….”(Taback 1997) Not to worry she will be remembered because this story will be read/sung over and over again. Of course!

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
"There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. I don’t know why she swallowed a fly. Perhaps she’ll die.”(Taback 1997) This story is one of my all-time favorites and I can’t start it without wanting to sing the story. The cover of the book says it all showing a very colorful old lady, gray hair, large hat, surprised blood shot eyes, reading glasses, round open mouth surrounded with teeth and a fly inside. You can’t help but laugh and think, “oh, gross.” The rhyming poem makes this an easy story to learn, quickly making it an immediate favorite of children. Simms Taback has taken it a step further and added humorous recipes for spider’s soup, a newspaper article about a cat attacked, with a picture of the old lady, missing dog ad, and more. This allows the adults and older children to enjoy the story with added humor making it not only a children’s story, but one for any age.

Simms Taback was not only the author of this book, but the illustrator also. The artwork was done using watercolor, Gouache, pencil, and ink. His use of the shiny black and yellow backgrounds allowed the stories characters to come alive. The die cut effect (which is a way of cutting shapes into the paper) was fun in allowing the reader to see inside of her stomach with each swallowing and to see the look on the animals faces at their unfortunate fate of being eaten. Readers should be sure to look at the page with the birds on the branch for each one is different and labeled with their names. The page of the cow shows all the items that come from the milk of a cow. I was also impressed with the back cover of the book showing 18 different types of flies with their names labeled. Who knew there were so many? This is a great story for all ages. Just a bit of trivia on Simms Taback - he designed the first McDonald’s happy meal box in 1977.

REVIEW EXCERPTS:
Children's Literature
This song is a favorite with children, although, you might wonder why, perhaps it is the rollicking rhythm and the simple absurdity of it all. Taback takes the song to new heights in his interpretation. The die cut artwork lets kids look inside this unusual looking old lady's stomach to see what is going on. There is plenty to grab kids attention both in her stomach and in the asides and other goodies tucked within the page. It's a wild and wacky version that offers lots of colorful visual humor. Caldecott Honor book.

School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 3--From cover to moral (never swallow a horse), this cleverly illustrated version of an old folk favorite will delight children. Each page is full of details and humorous asides, from the names of different types of birds, to a recipe for spider soup, to the rhyming asides from the spectating animals. As for the old lady, with her toothy grin and round bloodshot eyes, she looks wacky enough to go so far as to swallow a horse. A die-cut hole allows readers to see inside her belly, first the critters already devoured and, with the turn of the page, the new animal that will join the crowd in her ever-expanding stomach. The pattern of the lady's dress, with its patchwork of bright, torn colored paper pasted on black, is used as the background motif for the words. The text is handwritten on vivid strips of paper that are loosely placed on the patterned page, thus creating a lively interplay between the meaning of the words and their visual power. All in all, this illustrator provides an eye-catching, energy-filled interpretation that could easily become a classic in itself.--Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI

Kirkus Reviews
A die-cut hole approach to an old favorite that offers a view of the old lady's stomach and its expanding bestiary. The text has the look of a ransom note (a touch the devoured creatures might appreciate), but the jaunty colors—set skipping by a judicious use of black—keep the dark side of the poem at bay. Those accustomed to the streamlined version of this ditty won't know what to make of the comments scattered throughout the pages, little asides quipped by animals not yet swallowed; these rhyme with the "perhaps she'll die" line of the poem. Fortunately, these additions can be easily ignored or inflated according to taste, and full concentration given to the poem itself and the wild, eye-catching artwork: It is good fun to watch the old lady bulge and bloat, and the sheer corniness of the verse continues to be deeply gratifying.

CONNECTIONS:
Other similar stories:
Colandro, Lucille. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat!. ISBN-13: 978-0439737661; ISBN-10: 0439737664
Colandro, Lucille. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Shell!. ISBN-13: 978-0439873802; ISBN-10: 0439873800

Websites with Activities, Games and Lesson Plans: http://www.kizclub.com/storypatterns/swallowed(c).pdf
http://teachingheart.net/oldladybat.html
http://teachingheart.net/oldladyshell.html
www.castlehill-p.schools.nsw.edu.ax.../There%20Was%20an%20Old%20Lady%20Who%

AWARDS/HONORS:
Best Illustrated Books designation, New York Times, 1965, for Please Share That Peanut! A Preposterous Pageant in Fourteen Acts; Children's Book of the Year selection, American Institute of Graphic Arts, 1970, for There's Motion Everywhere, 1979, for Joseph Had a Little Overcoat, and 1980, for Laughing Together; Notable Book designation, American Library Association (ALA), 1998, and Caldecott Honor Book, ALA, 1998, both for There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly; Caldecott Medal, 2000, for newly illustrated edition of Joseph Had a Little Overcoat.

Turtle's Race with Beaver by Joseph and James Bruchac and Illustrated by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Bruchac, Joseph and James Bruchac.2003.Turtle’s Race with Beaver. Ill. By Jose Aruego & Ariane Dewey. New York: Dial. ISBN: 0-8037-2852-2; ISBN-13: 978-0803728523

Plot Summary:
This story is a Native American folk tale that deals with conflict and sharing. The story begins on a beautiful woodland pond with a happy striper turtle sunning herself on a rock surrounded by water lilies and dragon flies. By the smile on her face, life is good and can’t get any better. With the seasons come change and summer moves to winter. Turtle swims to the bottom of her pond to hibernate for the winter. At the same time, Beaver is looking for a new home and comes across the beautiful woodland pond. He sees that it will be a perfect place for his new home. He works hard and builds a nice dam and a lodge of sticks and mud. Sitting in his new home, life is good. Turtle awakens, swims to top of the pond and meets Beaver. Beaver says that the pond is his and Turtle suggests they share the pond. Beaver challenges Turtle to a race for the pond with winner takes all. Strength versus intellect - where you would think size will prevail. Turtle outsmarts Beaver by using Beaver’s strength and speed by attaching herself to his tail. He swims quickly and right before the finish line, Turtle bites his tail. In pain Beaver flicks his tail and Turtle into the air, allowing Turtle to be propelled ahead of Beaver. Turtle crosses the finish line and wins.

Critical Analysis:
This is a nice rendition of Aesop’s “The Tortoise and the Hare” using Native American story traditions. Joseph and James Bruchac have spent years studying Native American storytelling and have retold a classic. Lesson learned is that everything is better when shared with others. The art for this book was prepared using pen-and-ink, gouache, and pastel. The pictures are simple with wonderful colors and expression. Children will love the animals and will want to cheer for their favorite during the race. Joseph Bruchac wants children to be engaged and I feel he has accomplished this with the animals, the challenge, and chanting of the spectators. Who does not like a competition and the winning of the underdog?


Review Excerpts:
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 3-This delightful folktale closely resembles Aesop's "The Tortoise and the Hare." A sweet-looking turtle lives contentedly in a beautiful pond until one spring she emerges from hibernation and discovers that another creature has overrun her domain. Beaver's dam and lodge have changed the pond's ambience very much indeed, but Turtle benevolently offers to share her home with the newcomer. However, impudent Beaver scoffs at the invitation and challenges her to a race. Word spreads throughout the forest and all the animals gather to witness the improbable spectacle. At the outset of the competition, Turtle sinks her teeth into Beaver's broad tail, and the pain eventually causes him to flip it in such a way that she is hurled across the finish line in first place. Humiliated, he leaves for another pond, and when his new home's terrapin resident agrees to share, he gratefully acquiesces. This appealing variant of the time-honored, cross-cultural tale conveys the need for cooperation, perseverance, and humility within group settings. Children will be so involved in the storytelling that they'll absorb these lessons effortlessly. Done in pen and ink, gouache, and pastel, the cheerful artwork is a wonderful match for this well-told tale.Rosalyn Pierini, San Luis Obispo City-County Library, CA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 1-3. A clever twist and a final bit of psychological realism give this variant on a Seneca Indian "Tortoise and Hare" tale unusually broad audience appeal. Little Turtle wakes from her winter sleep to find that her beloved pond has been taken over by an aggressive beaver, who proposes a race to see who stays and who goes. The result seems inevitable. However, at "GO!" Turtle latches on to Beaver's tail and hitches a ride. As the end of the race approaches, Turtle chomps down on the tail, and Beaver's reflexive twitch flips Turtle over the finish line first. When Turtle magnanimously offers to share the pond, Beaver swims away--but instead of commandeering another turtle's pond, he humbly asks its resident whether he can stay. A chorus of cheering animal spectators invites audience participation, and there are plenty of visual cues to the contestants' emotional states in the illustrators' bright, flowing scenes. A natural candidate for reading aloud, and for follow-up discussions, too. A source note is appended. John Peters
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Connections:
Bruchac, Joseph and James Bruchac. How Chipmunk Got His Stripes. ISBN-13: 978-0142500217; ISBN-10: 0142500216
Bruchac, Joseph and Anna Vojtech. The First Strawberries. ISBN-13: 978-0140564099; ISBN-10: 0140564098

Websites with Activities, Games and Lesson Plans:
http://childcareseminars.com/Turtles_Theme_Unit_Folder.pdf

Awards/Honors:
Joseph Bruchac
Parent Reading Magic Award
American Book Award for Breaking Silence
Horn Book honor for The Boy Who Lived with the Bears
Scientific American Children’s Book Award for The Story of the Milky Way
Cherokee Nation Prose Award
Hope S. Dean Award for Notable Achievement in Children’s Literature
2005 Virginia Hamilton Literary Award
2001 Parents Guide to Childrens' Media Award for Skeleton Man
2000 Parents Choice Gold Award for Crazy Horse's Vision
1999 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers Circle of the Americas
1999 Jane Addams Childrens Book Award for Heart of a Chief
1998 Writer of the Year Award from the Native Writers Circle of the Americas
1998 Storyteller of the Year Award from the Native Writers Circle of the Americas
1997 Paterson Award for Dog People
1996 Boston Globe Book Award for The Boy Who Lived with the Bears
1995 Knickerbocker Award

James Bruchac
In 1999 Jim was nominated as STORYTELLER OF THE YEAR by the Wordcraft Circle of Native Authors and Storytellers.

Jose Aruego
His book, Herman the Helper, was an Honor Book for the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award in 1974. The picture book was written by Robert Kraus and illustrated by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey. We Hide, You Seek, and Dance Away (written by George Shannon) were nominated for Nebraska's Golden Sower Award. Three books, illustrated by Ariane Dewey and Jose Aruego, are included in Barnes & Noble's Reader's Catalog of the Best 40,000+ Best Books in Print. These include Gregory, the Terrible Eater, Mitchell Is Moving, and Mushroom in the Rain. Aruego's books frequently are included in Best Books Lists, such as 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know from the New York Public Library. The list includes Mushroom in the Rain and Leo the Late Bloomer. In 1976 Mr. Aruego was honored by the government of the Philippines with the Outstanding Filipino Abroad in the Arts Award.
Ariane Dewey
No awards found.