Inside Out & Back Again

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Lai, Thanhha. 2011. Inside Out & Back Again. NewYork: Harper Collins. ISBN  978-0-06-196278-3

PLOT SUMMARY

Lai tells the story of young Ha, as she escapes South Vietnam, when war hits close to home. Her father had been missing for nine years, after being captured while on a Navy mission. Before the fall of Saigon, her mother decides they should leave home. Ha and her brother don’t want to leave, but finally agree when her mother refuses to split up the family. While fleeing their homeland by boat, they are rescued by an American ship and finally escape. They are taken to Guam, and they must decide where to go next. Without a lot of options, they choose America. After finally getting a sponsor for their family, they end up in Alabama. Ha tries to fit in by learning English and trying new things, but finds that not everyone is willing to accept her. As she tries to find a new normal for her life, she finally learns the fate of her father. Her life will never be the same.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Lai uses free verse as she relates Ha’s experiences through this collection of narrative poems. Her prose is written in stanzas which help the reader follow the changes in thoughts and conflicts throughout the text. The poems are organized into sections that closely follow the major changes in Ha’s life. The rhythm in some of the lines matches with the intensity of the text, as seen when she is being chased by the Pink Boy. Lai utilizes short line length to resemble Ha’s hurried escape. Pancake Face’s short lines resemble the rhythmic sniffling when someone is crying and trying to talk. Ha says, “A pancake/is/very/very/flat.” The abruptness of each lines shows Ha’s emotional state as she emphasizes each word.

You can see the transformation of Ha as the tone changes throughout the prose. Lai includes sensory language throughout the book. For example, “I chew each grain s-l-o-w-l-y.” Her use of similes and metaphors are humorous as she compares herself to a baby hippopotamus. She describes, “a seed like a fish eye/slippery shiny black. Her descriptive writing creates a picture in the reader’s mind.” Her verse titled Birthday Wishes uses repetition, as each stanzas focuses on things Ha wishes for her birthday; each stanza starts with “Wish.” Lai uses different font to represent Ha’s thoughts and dialogue between the characters. Lai also uses bold type and exclamation marks to emphasize Ha’s feelings as she declares her hate for everyone.

While the text is mostly serious, there is a strength of character that the reader can see when against her mother’s warning, Ha steps foot on the floor the morning of the new year, instead of waiting for the oldest male in the family to touch the floor first. Later Ha says, “I hate being told I can’t do something because I’m a girl!” From the prose, the reader can tell that Ha doesn’t want to follow the traditional roles of women in her culture.

With One Mat Each,  Lai creates vivid imagery as she writes, “The pile of bodies that keep crawling on/Like raging ants/From a disrupted nest.” She describes their “cowboy” sponsor as looking like an American should. She details him as being, “Tall and pig-bellied/black cowboy hat/tan cowboy boots/cigar smoking/teeth shining/red in face/golden in hair.” She uses metaphors to describe her feelings. In Sadder Laugh, Ha notes that she wakes up with “dragonflies zipping through her gut” as she worries about starting her new school. One kid begins picking on her and they call her racial names such as “Ching Chong.” Everyone assumes she is uneducated, not understanding that she just can’t express herself due to the language barrier. Ha says, “So this is/What dumb/Feels like.” Lai’s word choice adds a personal element that evokes feelings of sadness in the reader. She incorporates her native language within her writing, which reminds the reader of her struggle to find herself in her new home.

This collection would be better suited for older readers due to some of the content and the length.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

National Book Award Winner

Newbery Honor Book

 -A starred review in Horn Book Guide: “Recounting events that resemble her own family's 1975 flight from Saigon, Lai pens a novel in vividly imagined verse.”

 -A starred review in School Library Journal:  “Even through her frustration with her new life and the annoyances of her three older brothers, her voice is full of humor and hope.”

-Jennifer Rothschild

CONNECTIONS

*Students will read other novels in verse. Students can then take a short fiction text and turn it into a poem.

*Other novels in verse:

Bodger, Holly. 5 to 1. ISBN 9780385391542

Howe, James. Addie on the Inside. ISBN 9781442423817

Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Sidman, Joyce. 2014. Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold. Ill. by Rick Allen. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 978-0547906508.

PLOT SUMMARY

With these twelve poems, Sidman gives the reader a glimpse into the life of various wildlife as they endure winter. She writes the poems from the point of view of the creatures she features in each poem.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Sidman uses both rhyme and free verse throughout this anthology. She masterfully creates vivid imagery while describing the snowy landscapes. In Vole in Winter, she describes the snow as “crumbly white cake/studded with delectables.” Under Ice uses an interesting mixture of alliteration and repetition. Each stanza includes a line from the previous stanza. Sidman uses alliteration to describe the beavers as “brown bullets.” The duality of the text is very creative. The left page features the poem, while the right includes an expository summary. Sidman carefully uses the font to focus the reader’s attention. The size of the font for the poems is larger than the non-fiction text because it is the focus. A table of contents in the beginning of the book and the glossary at the end, help the reader easily locate information and understand unfamiliar vocabulary.

The images are vivid and beautifully detailed. Allen uses striking color contrasts for his illustrations. One page shows black ravens against a backdrop of white, snowy scenery. Each poem focuses on a different animal and shows realistic, detailed illustrations of what they would be doing during the winter. The artwork is featured on each page, with the text in light font. Allen used linoleum cutes and wood engravings to create his beautiful artwork. You can see the texture in his illustrations, which gives them life.

This collection would be better suited for older readers due to the text level and small font.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

A starred review in School Library Journal: “The 12 selections in this collection offer a winter wonderland of deftly crafted poetry, fascinating science facts, an amazingly rich vocabulary, and stunning illustrations.” – Carole Phillips

A starred review in Horn Book Guide: “Sidman exemplifies winter survival strategies of a well-chosen sample of species.”

CONNECTIONS

*Invite students to read other books that incorporate dual text. Discuss the differences between the genres.

*Other books that include two genres within the text:

Markle, Sandra. What If You Had Animal Teeth? ISBN 978-0545567275

Markle, Sandra. What If You Had Animal Ears? ISBN 978-0545859264

Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Florian, Douglas. 2007. Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings.

Orlando, Florida. ISBN 9780152053727

PLOT SUMMARY

With this anthology, Florian has created a visually appealing, poetic collection. The outer space themed poems are informational, yet entertaining to read. The poems are short, but each line is well developed as he describes the planets and comets. He includes colorful illustrations that support the understanding of the poems and add a fun element for the reader. Readers interested in astronomy will enjoy this collection. A Galactic Glossary is included to give readers a detailed description of each subject from the poems.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Even though the subject of the poetry is somewhat more difficult to understand, Florian’s word choice is meaningful and specific. His rhyming is masterful as he maintains the quality of the information he relays to the reader. The artwork supports learning as it provides a visual for the reader to reference. For example, The Great Beyond is about a planetoid, Sedna. The poem describes in accurate detail how small it is, saying, “Sometimes, so small/They’re measured in decimals.” Without the illustrations that show a planet and a planetoid side by side, it would be difficult to make the size comparison. Florian utilizes concrete poetry with A Galaxy, when he writes the poem in the shape of a spiral. It fits in with the rest of the illustrations, which show spirals on both pages. Most of the poems do not include stanzas, but the poems are relatively short, so it is easy to read. The bright colors are eye-catching and reflect the subject’s descriptions.

Florian included cutouts on some pages that allows the reader glimpses of the next page. He also incorporated visual cues, such as the word blue written in blue font, in the poem Neptune. This is helpful for young readers and ELL’s. The illustrations for The Constellations show light, chalk lines connecting the constellations to show the images they are named for. This is a great graphic for students and it reinforces the text. The Comet describes a comet as a “dirty snowball of space debris.” Florian’s illustration shows a child throwing a snowball, and as it wraps around the pages, it gets larger and becomes the shape of a comet. Florian cleverly uses the phrase, “And I’d tell you more, but I’ve run out of space,” to signal the end of the book, while maintaining the space theme.

This is a great book for introducing astronomy to upper elementary readers.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

A starred review in Horn Book Guide: Moving from universe to galaxy to sun, planets to constellations and "the great beyond," Florian sums up the heavens in twenty snappy rhymes.”

A starred review in School Library Journal: “This one literally sings the music of the spheres.”

CONNECTIONS

*Allow students to compose and design their own concrete poems about space. 

Sidman, Joyce. Meow Ruff: A Story in Concrete Poetry. ISBN 0618448942

*Another poetry book about space:

Salas, Laura Purdie. And Then There Were Eight: Poems About Space. ISBN 9781515761532

I Am the Book

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Hopkins, Lee Bennett. 2011. I Am the Book. Ill by: Yayo. NewYork: Holiday House. ISBN 9780823421190.

PLOT SUMMARY

Hopkins’ thirteen poem anthology, celebrates the love of reading that can be awakened with a great book.  Each poem focuses on adventures and enjoyment that are found in books. The collection itself seemingly goes through a day in time, as the first poem begins with the child waking up in the morning, and the last poem ends with the author going to bed, closing the book.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

While poetry is known for its figurative meaning, this book features both personification and metaphors, that add a humorous twist, as the reader sees the poems literally play out. In the poem, This Book, Avis Harley writes, “This book is a winner-/I forgot I was hungry/I almost missed dinner.” The illustrations show a little girl holding a popsicle, which is actually a book. This symbolizes the book being feeding her in a different way. Quiet Morning shows the children inside a book, suggesting the child and the book are friends, peeking out from the pages to look at the rain. Poetry Time cleverly includes an illustration of clock on a teapot, with the cup showing a tea bag tag sticking out, representing the book. The collection utilizes both rhyming and free verse. Each poem uses stanzas and the lines vary in length. Overall, this gives it an easier readability for younger readers. Hopkins also included short biographies of the poets at the end of the book. The biographies detail where the authors are from and any awards they have won.

Herrera’s illustrations are simplistic, but colorful. The cover features a man that is a large, red book. Each pages incorporates the red book in a creative way, tying the collection of poems together. For example, one page features the book as a treasure chest. Another page presents the red book as a giant swimming pool, as the poem When I Read describes, “I Like to dive in the sea of words.”

This is a great book for encouraging the love of reading.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

A starred review in School Library Journal: “The attractive and fanciful acrylic paintings feature exaggerated shapes and perspectives that go nicely with the flights of imagination depicted in the poems. Literature-loving adults will want to share this book with the young people in their lives.” –Lauralyn Persson 

A starred review in Horn Book Guide: “Each posterlike spread is a richly illustrated visual metaphor for that poem (a book that is a raft, one that's a treasure chest, etc.).”

CONNECTIONS

*Use the poems of this book as a guide to help students create their own poem featuring metaphors.

*Other books with figurative language:

Cleary, Brian. Skin Like Milk, Hair of Silk: What are Similes and Metaphors?. ISBN 0761339450

Piven, Hanoch. My Best Friend is as Sharp as a Pencil. ISBN 0375853383

The Gingerbread Man

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kimmel, Eric A. 1993. The Gingerbread Man. Ill by Megan Lloyd. Holiday House.

New York: ISBN 0823408248

PLOT SUMMARY

The Gingerbread Man is a folktale about a gingerbread man that springs to life once he is decorated. He runs as fast as he can and escapes the old man and woman. During his escape, he encounters various characters that try to get him to stop and talk. The gingerbread man, being suspicious, only runs faster and refuses to stop. Gloating throughout the story about all of the people he has outran, he comes to a river. A fox, proclaiming friendship offers to help him across the river. In his desire to escape his pursuers, he unwittingly trusts the wrong person and meets his demise. The story ends with an optimistic twist that hints to the reader that his story is not over, but is destined to repeat itself. 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The rhythmic retelling of this classic tale makes it familiar to readers. The repeated phrases, “I’ll run and run as fast as I can. You can’t catch me. I’m the gingerbread man,” allows readers to predictably participate in the reading, regardless of reading level. The theme is the same as the gingerbread man was always bragging about how fast he was. He is overly confident and in his cockiness, he falls prey to the fox who convinces him to move closer and closer to his mouth as he helps him cross the river. The ending is different from the original, as we see a pan full of fresh baked gingerbread men. This variation is better for younger children that might struggle with the gingerbread’s death at the paws of the fox.

Megan Lloyd expertly created movement within the pages and built a sense of urgency as the number of characters chasing the gingerbread man grew. She utilized bright colors that seemed to lull the reader into a sense optimism. The illustrations included detailed clues about the character’s emotions throughout the story.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Starred review in School Library Journal: “Fresh-from-the-oven'' appeal. Her engaging art works beautifully with Kimmel's retelling to keep both eye and action moving across each page, thus enhancing the story's pace.”

CONNECTIONS

*Identify figurative language and look for examples within the story.
*Use the text to compare and contrast other versions of the story.
*Other books for children within this genre using figurative language: 
Mackinnon, Mairi. The Gingerbread Man. ISBN 0794517862

Davidson, Susanna. Goldilocks and the Three Bears. ISBN 0794522513 

The Three Little Tamales

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kimmel, Eric A. 2009. The Three Little Tamales. Ill by Valenica Docampo. Marshall Cavendish Corporation. Tarrytown, NY: ISBN 9780761455196

PLOT SUMMARY

The Three Little Tamales is a retelling of the classic, The Three Little Pigs. In this variation the three pigs are replaced with tamales. One day, they meet a tortilla that warns them that they will be eaten if don’t leave the taqueria. In fear for their lives, the tamales run away from home. Each tamale builds a house, in hopes of hiding from Senor Lobo, the wolf. They find themselves in a battle for their lives, as the wolf demands entry to their homes. As the wolf destroys the home of the first two tamales, they each seek refuge with their sister, whose house is made out of cactus. The wolf, feeling confident, is certain that he will outwit them. After getting a bunch of cactus thorns in his paws, he decides to go down the chimney. Unfortunately for Senor Lobo, the tamales have a plan. Realizing he was outsmarted, he escapes, never to be seen again. At the end of the story, the tamales and their newfound friends celebrate the defeat of Senor Lobo.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This variation creatively highlights authentic Spanish words to create characters and plot elements. The text is helpful by giving the English transition. The tamales live in the “taqueria,” which is a restaurant. In comparison to the classic version of the Three Little Pigs, this story also has a big, bad wolf. However, rather than pigs, the other characters are tamales. I think it’s funny to choose food, since the conflict centers around being eaten. This text does follow the traditional ending of good triumphing over evil.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Starred review in School Library Journal- “Kimmel has pulled the pork from “The Three Little Pigs,” wrapped it in masa, and cooked up another traditional tale flavored with Southwestern spice.”

Starred review in the Horn Book Guide: “The tamales have got character in Docampo’s motion-filled oil illustrations…Kimmel’s text is eminently readable, as usual.”

CONNECTIONS

*Readers can create their own variation of The Three Little Pigs.

*Use this text for reader’s theater. Students can be assigned parts and create costumes/props.

*Other variations of The Three Little Pigs:

Harris, Jim. The Three Little Javelinas. ISBN 9780873585422

McNamara, Margaret. The Three Little Aliens and the Big Bad Robot. ISBN 978-0375866890

The Lion and the Mouse

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Pinkney, Jerry. 2009. The Lion & The Mouse. Singapore.  New York, New York. Little Brown and Company: ISBN 9780316013567

PLOT SUMMARY

This story begins with a lone mouse trying to escape the clutches of the owl. He unknowingly scampers onto the back of a lion. He is quickly snatched up in the lion’s great paw. The lion decides to let the little mouse go, and the mouse reunites with his family. While roaming the grasslands, the lion is trapped by hunters. Following his loud roars, the mouse finds the helpless lion and quickly lends a hand, helping him escape.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The two characters have definite differences. The lion is seen as the king of the jungle, while the mouse is often viewed as weak. This book relies solely on the illustrations, since there isn’t any narration. The only words are the sounds of the two main characters. “GRRR,” from the lion and “SQUEAK” from the mouse. While the original tale has illustrations, the story is told through the text. The illustrations are more detailed since they are the source of important plot elements, such as the conflict and resolution.

The overall theme is a universal one. Do unto others as you would have done unto you, as shown when the mouse repays the lion’s kindness by chewing through the ropes.

This is a great version for young readers that are still learning to read. It can also be appreciated by older readers.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Caldecott Medal winner

Starred review in School Library Journal: “Pinkney’s luminous art, rendered in watercolor and colored pencil, suggests a natural harmony…”

CONNECTIONS

*Discuss how pictures can tell stories, focusing on details in the illustrations.

Other stories without words:

Riphagen, Loes. Animals Home Alone. ISBN 9781934734551

Faller, Regis. Adventures of Polo. ISBN   9781596431607  

The Three Pigs

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Wiesner, David. 2001. The Three Pigs. Ill by David Weisner. New York, New York. Clarion:

ISBN 0618007016

PLOT SUMMARY

In this version of The Three Little Pigs, the main characters are the same. The three pigs live on their own and a wolf sets his sights on his next meal. As the classic tale goes, the wolf threatens, “I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your house in.” True to his word, the first two houses get destroyed. Rather than being eaten, the pigs manage to escape not only the wolf, but the story itself. Using a page of their story, they make a paper airplane and find their way into other stories such as Hey Diddle Diddle and Dragon and the Golden Rose. As they encounter other characters, they help them escape the pages of their story too. Finally, recognizing the page with the third pig’s brick house, they decide to return home, with their new friends in tow. The story picks up where it left off, with the wolf banging on the door of the third pig. In a twist, one of the pigs’ new friends answers the door, leaving the wolf to rethink his plan and climb down the chimney. By the end of the story, the wolf is defeated and the myriad of storybook characters celebrate.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This tale is recognizable with its repeated phrases such as: “Little pig, little pig, let me come in” and, “Not by the hair on my chinny-chin-chin.” The plot elements in the beginning are predictable for anyone familiar with the original story, however, that’s where they similarities stop. The setting is torn out of the pages of other folktales. Some illustrations are straight forward in their details. For example, each pig’s house is as we remember it. Before the third house, the pages crumple and blow away through the white backgrounds of the next few pages. The pigs no longer have cartoon-like looks. They become realistically drawn. We even catch glimpses of the wolf’s expressions as he is crumpled and tossed around with the page. When the pigs enter Hey Diddle Diddle, they become cartoonish again, as they fit against the childish cartoon characters in the story. The light pastels and bright colors add to the childish drawings. On the other hand, the artwork for The Dragon and the Rose is just outlines, as if the artist didn’t complete his sketches. When they “rescue” the dragon from the pages, he becomes beautifully detailed and colorful. Once the characters return to the pages of The Three Little Pigs, they become cartoons again. The illustrations extend the story significantly, and add a modern twist.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

*Caldecott Medal winner

Starred review in Horn Book Guide: “In this postmodern interpretation, the style of the artwork shifts back and forth a few times, as Weisner explores different realities within the book’s pages.”

CONNECTIONS

*Discuss character traits as you read the text. Students can list textual evidence for the traits they list.

*Other folktales for teaching character traits:

Stevens, Janet. The Tortoise and the Hare: An Aesop Fable. ISBN 0823405648

Paxton, Tom. The Ant and the Grasshopper: An Aesop Fable. ISBN 0673757528