The Poky Little Puppy

1/28/2013

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by Michelle Hand for TWU Course Literature for Children and Young Adults

Lowrey,Janette Sebring. 1942. THE POKY LITTLE PUPPY.  Ill. by Gustaf Tenggren.  New York, NY: Random House.  ISBN 9780307021342

This is a picture book about five little puppies that don't mind  their mother and dig holes under the fence to explore the wide, wide world. One  of the puppies does not stay with the others and wanders off because his nose, ears and sight lead him to yummy desserts back home.   He stays behind when the four other puppies go home but they don't get
dessert because they have been bad. Poky sneaks in after bedtime and eats the
dessert. After the third time, the four puppies get wise and cover the hole so
Poky can't come through and eat dessert.

Critical  Analysis
 Lowrey uses personification with the five puppies and mother in  this Golden Book. They speak, read, and eat like humans. They have an understanding of right and wrong and defy their mother. They discover new animals in their adventures and trust the puppy, Poky, a little too much. They  realize at the end of the book, they catch on to Poky's shenanigans and turn  the tables on him.

The Poky Little Puppy has a lot of lessons for young readers.  They learn words through repetition. They learn counting and simple math by  counting the puppies. They learn names of other animals and they learn the value  of being honest and having loyalty.

The illustrations are top notch and beautifully drawn. The page  turns are timed right with similarity to paragraph breaks. The text flows seamlessly due to repetitive words combined with the  illustrations.

Even though this book is older, I believe it is a classic for a  reason and that being teaching young readers valuable lessons in basic skills  and morals.

 Review  Excerpt(s)
 "This classic story of naughty puppies and their backyard adventures--complete with
  fuzzy caterpillars, musical flowers, crickets and frogs and all topped off with
  dessert--is sure to be a favorite yet again. (iPad storybook app. 2-6)"-  Kirkus  Reviews

 "No doubt many parents have used The Poky Little Puppy to teach the consequences
  of dallying or ignoring boundaries. But the book works as a straight adventure
  story. Gustave Tenggren’s gentle pictures soften the blow of the loss of the
  shortcake. And the puppy radiates such sweetness that no one could think him
intentionally wayward – which is just what many children want their parents to
think when they miss the school bus." -  Janice Harayda of One-Minute Book  Reviews

 Connections
*Great book to teach about consequences and/or cause and  effect*
*Great book to teach word recognition, counting and  trust/loyalty*

Other books for children about puppies and  consequences.
Rey,H.A. and Rey, Margret.  CURIOUS  GEORGE AND THE PUPPIES. ISBN: 9780618800650
Krebs, Cindy. MAXX'S SOCKS.  ISBN: 9781462620593

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Where Is Tippy Toes?

1/28/2013

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by Michelle Hand for TWU Course Literature for Children and Young  Adults

Lewin, Betsy.  2010.  WHERE IS TIPPY TOES?.  New York,  NY: Simon and Schuster.  ISBN
9781416938088

This is a picture book with unexpected page layouts and is about
the mystery of where the cat, Tippy Toes, goes at night. Everyone can see where
she is during the day but does anyone know where Tippy Toes wanders off at
night?  One little boy  does.

Critical  Analysis
Betsy Lewin uses die cut pages to pique interest and leads into
the next page. She creates a cat's world that makes the audience anxious to turn
the page see where Tippy Toes goes next. This book entices and invites young
readers to actively participate in Tippy Toe's day and promotes dialogue to
guess where he's going or what he's up to. 

The artwork is bright and colorful and innovative with cut outs.
The rhyming text is simple and incorporates appropriate page turns to build
anticipation and she also uses questions to encourage active participation.

I highly recommend this book to young readers who love cats  and/or have a cat. The story and artwork will be familiar and very similar to a cat's routine and habits he/s he owns or knows.

Review  Excerpt(s)
 "A cute kitty, a resonant text, and some  entertaining peekaboo reveals—what more could a toddler want?" DS --The Bulletin of the Center for Children's  Books, Sept. 2010

 "This cat's sun up to sun down routine makes an  excellent choice for those looking for a new bedtime story".—Tanya  Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, AB,  Canada

Connections
 *Great read for bedtime*
 *Can be used during a conversation with young children about having and taking care of a pet*

Other books for children about cats and pet routines:
 Litwin, Eric. Dean, James, Ill. PETE THE CAT AND HIS FOUR GROOVY  BUTTONS. ISBN: 978-0062110589

Merioux, Paulie. GRANDMA, CAN I HAVE A PET? ISBN:  978-0615744728

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A Ball For Daisy

1/28/2013

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by Michelle Hand for TWU Course Literature for Children and Young Adults

Raschka, Chris. 2011. A BALL FOR DAISY.  New  York, NY: Random House. ISBN 978037585861 

This is a wordless picture book that shows Daisy, a dog, playing
with a red ball. When her owner takes her for a walk in the park with her ball,
another dog plays with the ball and busts it. Daisy is very sad about her ball
but when she goes back to the park for another walk, the other dog brings a blue
ball to the park to play with and lets Daisy take it home.


Critical  Analysis
A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka invokes imagination and emotion
through detailed watercolor brushstrokes. He does an outstanding of job of
telling a story without words and draws the audience in with color, facial and
body expressions of humans and dogs alike. 

The first time I looked at the book I was a little disappointed  there was no text.  I had to give
each page a second look and study the artwork closer to completely understand
the nuances of the story.  The pages turned in the right places and Raschka made sure of that by cropping pictures on a page without sacrificing the storyline. The overarching theme is  a great springboard for talking to young children about sharing toys and expressing emotions in a healthy way.

The artwork is not refined and an adult may not appreciate it but to a child it seems more relatable.


Review Excerpt(s)
 "Rarely, perhaps never, has so steep an emotional arc been drawn with such utter, winning simplicity." - Kirkus  Reviews

"Raschka's genius lies in capturing the essence  of situations that are deeply felt by children." - School Library Journal

"Noteworthy for both its artistry and its child  appeal." - The Horn Book  Magazine

Recipient of The Caldecott Medal
Best Illustrated Children's Book Awards - The New York Times Book Review

Connections
A wordless picture book allows students to create their own  narrations. 
It allows students to infer the over arching theme and to allow  the artwork to aid with the emotional connection to a pet and/or the joy of  giving.

Other books for children about friendship and  emotions:
Eastman, P.D.  BIG  DOG...LITTLE DOG.  ISBN  978-0375875397
Wise Brown, Margaret. THE GOLDEN EGG BOOK. ISBN  978-0375827174
Patricelli, Leslie. BABY HAPPY BABY SAD.   ISBN 978-0763632458


 
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