Yoshiko Uchida

A Jar of Dreams by Yoshiko Uchida is told in first person by Rinko, an eleven year old Japanese girl growing up in California during the Great Depression. She expresses the troubles her family has being a minority in a mainly white community. Her family experiences ridicules, discrimination, and even violent acts such as car tires being slashed and the family dog being shot.

Rinko's father owns a struggling barber shop that has a hard time paying the rent. His dream is to won his own garage as he enjoys fixing things. Her older brother, Cal, is an engineer student who is losing his dream of becoming an engineer due to a fear that no one will hire him because of his skin color. She also has a little brother, Joji, who did not play a major role in the book. The family is friends with Mrs. Sugar, the next door neighbor, and Uncle Kanda, a man that rode the same boat to California with the parents. Rinko's parents has instilled the value of an education in their children by creating "going to college" jars or jar of dreams.

The family's life is turned upside down by the news that Rinko's Aunt Waka will come to visit from Japan. At first, Rinko is embarrassed and not excited about her visit as she dresses in kimonos and is proud of her Japanese heritage. Rinko wishes she could be like everyone else. With the help of Aunt Waka and Uncle Kanda, the family is able to put a stop to community members that have been mistreating them, open dream businesses for their parents, and affirming the children's dreams of going to college. In the end, Rinko is sad to see Aunt Waka leave and wishes she used the time to get to know her better.

I really enjoyed this book. I was worried that I wouldn't like it. I really enjoyed how it included information about the Japanese heritage. This book reminded me of the book The Star Fisher written by Laurence Yep. Both books involved families with diverse cultural backgrounds experiencing discrimination. The Depression time period, the idea that the families are opening new businesses, and the strong, elderly next door neighbors that become friends with the family are themes evident in both books.

This book could be used in the classroom to teach about the Great Depression as Rinko discusses how times are rough and how they must watch their pennies. It also could be used to teach about prejudices and acceptance of others.

The author has written many other books such as: Hisako's Mysteries, Sumi and the Goat and the Tokyo Express, Makoto, The Smallest Boy, The Rooster who Understood Japanese, and The Bracelet. I have not read any other books written by the author but conclude by reading titles of other works that she writes books that integrate the Japanese culture.

Laurence Yep

This book is about fifteen year-old Joan Lee, a Chinese-American. Her family has moved to West Virginia to open a laundry business. The community is not very accepting of the family. Her family experiences name calling and vandalism. Joan finds friendship with her landlady, Mrs. Lucy and another outcast, Bernice.

The author helps the readers to know the characters by describing the characters physically and including dialogue. We really get to know the main character, Joan Lee, as her thoughts, feelings, and actions are shared as she tells the story. Readers also feel a twinge of sympathy for Joan’s parents who speak little or no English, have a struggling family business, and rely on their children for certain tasks. Yet the parents stay strong for their children.

This is a great book that covers many important themes. Many students will relate to the characters because they are treated differently because of their ethnicity and family background. This book could be used in the language arts, social studies, and character education classes. This is an entertaining book with many valuable lessons.

I enjoyed reading this book. This book provides excellent lessons for readers such as accepting others and overcoming prejudices. I believe that everyone feels that they were prejudiced against for one reason or another such as color of their skin, sex, weight, height, sexual orientation, and hair color. I think that students will benefit reading about characters their age that overcome prejudices. This book could be a start of deep classroom discussions about prejudices and accepting others that are different.
Laurence Yep has written many other books such as The Case of teh Goblin Pearls, Child of the Owl, Dragon Cauldron, and Dragon Steel to name a few.

Jerry Pinkney

The Patchwork Quilt was written by Valerie Flournoy and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. This book is about a little girl named Tanya who develops a special relationship with her grandmother as she works on a quilt. Tanya's mother doesn't understand how special a homemade quilt is. Grandmother considers one a masterpiece. Tanya begins to sit with her grandmother as she works on the quilt. She learns how a quilt can tell a story. Over time, patches are made out of special articles of clothing such as Tanya's Halloween costume, her brother's favorite pair of pants, and mother's dress she made for Christmas. Tanya's mother eventually sees how special a quilt is and begins to help grandmother with the quilt making.

After Christmas, Grandmother gets ill that keeps her away from the family and the quilt. Tanya and her mother begin working on the quilt. Tanya's brother even helps with the cutting of the patches. Tanya soon takes the project on by herself as her mother is busy taking care of grandmother. Weeks later, grandmother recovers and begins working on the quilt again with Tanya's help. The quilt is finished and the reflects on some of the patches and where they originated. One of the corner patches was stitched "For Tanya from you Mama and Grandma" for all of her hard work on the quilt.

This book is written beautifully. The story contained dialogue between the characters. The illustrations by Jerry Pinkney are beautiful. They are very detailed especially in the pictures of the quilt pieces. The illustrations con consist of pencil, graphite, and water color. I believe the illustrations seem dated as if the story took place in the 1970's or 1980's. The language of the book does not imply this era. However, this "dated"look also gives it a nostalgic vibe.

I can relate to this book as I come from a family of women that make quilts and other handmade items. I've learned to appreciate the quality and specialness of a homemade afghan or quilt. As a child, the homemade items made by my mother and grandmother were not as appreciated as they are now. For my wedding, my husband's grandmother made a quilt and it was signed by all the guests making it an extra special keepsake.

This book could be used in may ways in the classroom. The amount of dialogue contained in the book could serve as a model for students when writing stories including dialogue. This book could also be used to discuss family relationships and traditions. An extension activity could be that the class create a class quilt out of small pieces of fabric or paper that could be glued to a large piece of material or fabric.

Julius Lester

Long Journey Home was written by Julius Lester in 1972. This book has won many awards such as National Book Award Finalist, School Library Journal, Best Books List, and the Library of Congress Children's Books of the Year List. Long Journey Home is a collection of six short stories that deal with slavery and African Americans.

The first story, Satan On My Track, is about a blues singer that refuses to settle down and travels from place to place. Louis and Ben are two stories about slaves that escape using the Underground Railroad. The Man Who Was a Horse was about a patient black cowboy who could wrangle a herd of wild mustangs by himself. When Freedom Comes is about the emancipation of slaves and the aftermath. Long Journey Home contains many different facts about slavery.

Ben was my favorite story. For one it took place in Kentucky and described the beautiful scenery of Kentucky. It was a story about a lawyer from Chicago named David who was courting a woman, Samantha, who lived on a Kentucky plantation similar to the one in Gone with the Wind. He would visit her often. A major difference between David and Samantha is that he did not agree with slavery and could never envision himself as a slave owner. As their relationship grew, Samantha’s family talked of David taking over the plantation when they got married. David did not wish to move to Kentucky or to be a slave owner.

The plantation was run by Samantha’s father and the head slave, Ben. Samantha and her brother, Albert, grew up with Ben and considered him as part of the family. All of the slaves respected Ben. When Samantha’s father died, Albert hired an overseer to be the head of the farm above Ben. The overseer treated the slaves badly. After receiving a bad beating from the overseer, Ben escaped. The plantation began to fall apart as slaves ran away and didn’t care about the plantation or family. Samantha and David married and moved to Chicago. Samantha could not bear to stay there any longer. The mansion was soon burned down during the war.

Julius Lester has been writing since 1965. He has written forty-three books. A major theme found in many of his books is slavery of African Americans. Lester is not one that stays with a certain genre. He has written many autobiographical, fiction, folk tales, history, non-fiction, picture, and poetry and photography books. He has even written an instruction book on how to play a twelve string guitar.

Dr. Suess

The Cat in the Hat is one of the most loved children's books. It was written by Dr. Suess in 1957. It is the story about a brother and sister who are entertained by the cat in the hat while their mother is out. Despite,the fish's pleas to leave, the cat entertains the children through a balancing act that ends up with the toy ship in a cake and a bent rake. The cat brings in a red, wooden box that he calls fun-in-a-box. Inside are two creatures called Thing One and Thing Two. The Things end up making an even bigger mess when they try flying a kite in the house. When mother is spotted on her way home, the children catch the things with a net and the cat leaves the children and the huge mess. He returns riding a vehicle with arms that straightens the house back to its tidy state. In the end, mother asks the children if they had fun while she was out. The children ask the readers the question, "What would you do if your mother asks you?"

Dr. Suess wrote this book using 225 vocabulary words geared to children ages 6 and 7. In fact, Dr. Suess was given a vocabulary list and a challenge to create a new reading primer for children. It took him a year and half to write the book.

Is there a contemporary book that has tension similar to what is found in The Cat in the Hat? I don't think there is any book that could even compare to the classic The Cat in the Hat.

This book was written in 1957. However, it still appeals to children today. The text and illustrations are not dated as you would expect. The illustrations of the characters, setting, and plot seem as though they do not belong in our world...maybe Suess World. The rhythmic text found in his books cause children to keep reading the books over and over again. His imagination also appeals to children. What child has not dreamed of the mischievous they could cause while mother is away? Grandparents and parents are also eager to share the book with their children and grandchildren that they once read when they were children.

The Lorax, written in 1971, is about a boy who visits the Onceler to find out what the Lorax was. After paying fifteen cents, a nail, and a shell of a great-great-great- grandfather snail, he heard the story through a whisper-ma-phone. Years ago, the Onceler came across the truffula trees. He used the tufts to knit a thneed. After cutting down his first tree, he was visited by the Lorax, the speaker of the trees, who called him greedy. The onceler ignored the Lorax and began knitting more theneeds with the tufts of chopped down trufflla trees. He built factories and was shipping theends everywhere. He was visited by the Lorax many times who tried to explain what harm it was doing to the environment. Soon, there were no more Bar-ba-loots, Swomee-Swans or Humming-Fish. All that was left was smog, a glumpy pond, and no more truffula trees. The Lorax left leaving behind the word "Unless" written in rocks. Onceler didn't know know what that meant until now. "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better." The onceler tosses down the last truffula seed and advises the boy to plant it and take care of it. Maybe if a forest grows the Lorax and his friends will come back.

The Lorax is didactic because it it is a book that teaches a moral lesson. The lesson is to take care of the environment before it is too late. Readers also learn to appreciate the environment they have been blessed with. This book should be used to teach children about how the environment is effected by our actions. Adults need to teach children how to help the environment such as reduce, reuse, and recycle.

There are many books that are considered didactic. Mr. Peabody's Apples by Madonna is a story was inspired by a 300-year old Ukrainian story that teaches students the power of words and how they can do harm to others. I read this to my students to teach them about the harmful effects of gossip. Adults will find this story applicable to their life as well. Another book could be The Giving Tree.

Children's Books = Feature Films #2

Because of Winn-Dixie was written by Kate DiCamillo. This book was a 2001 Newbery Honor book. It won many other awards such as ALA Notable Children's Book, Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbon, New York Public Library 100 Books for Reading and Sharing, Parents' Choice Gold Award Winner, and Publishers Weekly Best book of the Year to name a few of the many honors. The author has written other books such as The Tiger Rising (2001), The Tale of Despereaux (2003), and the The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (2006).

This book is about a ten-year old girl named Opal who lives with her father who serves as a preacher. Her mother had left when Opal was three years old. Opal and her father had recently moved to Naomi, Florida. Opal was struggling with the absence of her mother, a new town, and no friends. One day while picking up something at the grocery store, Opal ran across a dog inside the Winn-Dixie. By looking at the dog, one could easily tell the dog was a stray with his matted fur, yellow teeth, and thin body. Opal fell in love with the dog and took it home. She persuaded the preacher-her dad to let her keep the dog by calling the dog a "less fortunate." Her dog let her keep the dog which she named Winn-Dixie.

Opal's life begins to change in wonderful ways, which she thought it was because she had Winn-Dixie. Her father who never talks about her mother told her ten things about her mother. She then made friends with Mrs. Franny the librarian, Amanda the pinch-faced girl about her age, and Gloria Dump an elderly woman that is often called a witch by children in the neighborhood. Opal also got a job sweeping floors at a pet store to help her pay for a dog collar and leash for Winn-Dixie. There she became friends with Otis, a musician that went to prison for playing music in the streets.

She united all her friends together at a party at Mrs. Dump's house where they served egg salad sandwiches and pickles. The party was moved indoors after a sudden thunderstorm. Opal discovered that Winn-Dixie who is scared of storms was missing. Opal and her father searched for Winn-Dixie. Opal was devastated at the idea that he was gone forever. After looking for a long time, they returned to the party to find Winn-Dixie there. Opal returned to the party and a happier life with her dog, friends, and father.

After reading this book, I watched the movie based on the book. I would advise to read the book before watching the movie. The book explains in more depth about the characters and their struggles. The movie strayed from the book adding more humorous events to entertain the audience such as the episodes with the crabby neighbor. The movie changed some events for no particular reason like when Winn Dixie disappeared at the party and her dad helped find him. In the book, the dad was at the party and in the movie he was at home. The book described Winn-Dixie as being a small, thin, and matted hair dog. In the movie, the dog was quite large and didn't look thin and was quite cute. Overall, the movie was entertaining and stuck to the basic plot of the story. I would recommend the book and movie.

The book and movie reminded me of the special bond that I have had with pets. It made me think of my cat, Midnight, that I had for thirteen years. It also reminded me of my current dog, Sassy. In the book, Winn-Dixie went everywhere with Opal- even church! Sassy is my sidekick who goes in stores, on tractors, boats, and four-wheelers!

What I liked about this book is that students would be able to relate to Opal for being a child of a single parent. They may also relate to the special relationships she had with older people and her dog. It also deals with issues such as prison, war, and alcohol.

Children's Books = Feature Films #1

Jess Aaron has been practicing all summer to be the fastest runner in fifth grade. All his practice s for nothing as he new girl, Leslie Burke beats him. Jess tries to keep his distance from the girl that dresses and acts funny. Eventually, they become best friends.

Together they create a kingdom called Terabithia that can only be accessed by swinging on an “enchanted” rope over a stream. Jess and Leslie rule Terabithia as king and queen. They imagine creatures and giants which they fight and conquer. One day, Jess is invited by his teacher to visit a museum. He doesn’t ask if Leslie could go. When he returns he finds out that the Leslie had drowned in the creek. The “enchanted” rope had snapped. Jess experiences grief and sorrow as he blames himself for her death. In the end, his little sister had followed him to Terabithia. Jess was building a bridge across the creek as the entrance to the magical kingdom. He allows his little sister to become pat of Terabithia as the new queen of the kingdom.

This is such a great book. I cried at the ending when Leslie died. This book deals with the sensitive subject of death. However, I think it is important for young adults to read this book because of the subject matter. It seems like every year my community deals with the tragedy of the death of a child or teenager. Young adults should read materials that deal with different emotions. The guidance counselor or teacher could then discuss about coping strategies. This would also be a good time for parents to have discussion with their children about such matters.

I have seen the movie and read the book. Both are great. The movie provides a visual of what Terabithia looks like. The book describes Terebithia in great detail, butit doesn't compare with the filmmakers creativity. The film shows how magical the kingdom is by actually showing the kingdom's creatures. However, the book shows how Terabithia had an impact on the characters Jess and Aaron. I read the book prior to viewing the movie and prefer the book over the movie. The author captured the essence of being a youth such as the importance of being the fastest runner in the grade, imagination, and being treated because you are different. Students (and adults) will enjoy reading this book and watching the movie.

Difference Between Caldecott & Newberry Awards

The Newbery Medal is the first children's book award in the world. In 1922, the ALA Executive Board approved the proposal made by Frederic G. Melcher to award a distinguished children's author and for the award to be named in honor of the English bookseller John Newbery.

Rene Paul Chambellan designed the bronze medal. The author's name and date is engraved on the back. The medal is still inscribed with "Children's Librarians' Section" despite the section has had four name changes. The purpose of this award is to encourage original creative work in children's books and to emphasize to the public the contributions made by the authors.

The Randolph Caldecott Medal is honored to the artist that created the most distinguished American picture book for children published in the United States of the year. This award was created because many thought that the illustrators of children's books were just as deserving of an award as the authors. In 1937, Frederic G. Melcher proposed the award. This award is in honor of the nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph J. Caldecott. Rene Paul Chambellan also designed this bronze medal.

Both medals were proposed and designed by the persons. Each medal awards an individual(s) that made a distinguished contribution in the field of children's books. The Newbery Medal is awarded to the author and the Caldecott Medal is awarded to the illustrator. One award is not considered any more prestigious than the other.

A book cannot win both awards. If it is nominated for both awards then the committee decides which ballot it should be placed under. From the time the awards were created, honorable mentions were awarded as runner-ups and then in 1971 changed to honor books.

Coretta Scott King Award

Bud, Not Buddy was written by Christopher Paul Curtis who also wrote The Watsons Go To Birmingham- 1963. This book has been awarded the Coretta Scott King award. The story tells about ten year old Bud. Bud has been an orphan for four years after the death of his mother. He was been placed in the home of the Amos'. After being beaten up by their son and locked into a shed, Bud escaped.

Carrying only a suitcase filled with all of his belongings Bud decides to head to Grand Rapids to find the man he believes is his father, a musician named Herman E. Calloway. During his journey, he encounters many people that him. One family claimed him as their son, Clarance, so that he could have food from the mission. He received a meal and his first kiss at a cardboard jungle set up by the railroad tracks. He also received a ride from a man, Mrs.Lewis, he determined was a vampire because he had a container of blood in the front seat of his car. Turns out he was delivering blood to the hospital and took Bud to his home for a night's rest and a hot breakfast. Mr. Lewis drove Bud to meet his father, Herman E. Calloway.

After meeting Herman for the first time, Bud is disappointed about the possibility of him being his father. For one, the man is old and unapproachable. After being accused of being Bud's father, Herman was less approachable and father-like. Bud became friends with the other band members. While driving home from a music jig, Bud rode home with Herman. Herman collected a rock and shared with Bud an old habit. Herman would carve the city and date into the rock. Bud has a similar rock, which he shows to Herman. This rock pieces the puzzle together as Bud, Herman, and the band members realize that Herman is not Bud's father, but grandfather. Bud's mother was Herman's daughter that had run away.

Herman has to accept the fact that he has lost a daughter, but gained a granddaughter. The book ends with Bud receiving a saxophone from the band members and being hopeful about his future.

I enjoyed reading this book for many reasons. Bud was a very real character who was humorous, innocent, and a survivor. I enjoyed reading his list of rules, "to Have a Funner Life and Make a Better Liar Out of Yourself", that were interjected throughout the book. This book took place during the Depression. I related this book to my grandmother who lived during the Depression. Sometimes, she'll talk about how hard it was and how resourceful they had to be. The book deals with issues such as racism, homelessness, family relationships, and poverty. This would be a great book to use in a literature circle type setting.

Newberry #1

The Higher Power of Lucky, written by Susan Patron, won the Newbery Medal in 2007. Lucky is a ten year old girl who lives in Hard Pan, population 43. Her mother was electrocuted and died. Her father, who did not want children, enlisted the help of his first wife to become the guardian of Lucky until she got placed in foster care. Brigitte is from Paris, France who agrees to take care of Lucky for a short time. Lucky finds refuge in her job where she cleans up after twelve step meetings of ones trying to recover from alcohol, smoking, gambling, etc. She also finds comfort of always carrying her survival kit with her in case of emergency. Lucky finds friendship in her best friend who is interested in knot tying and her neighbor that makes annoying noises and loves cookies.

Two years later, Lucky gets worried that Brigitte is going to return to France after overhearing conversations Brigitte has with her mother and discovering a passport and information to a culinary school in Paris. Worried that Brigitte is leaving, Lucky packs her survival kit and takes her dog named HMS Beagle and runs away. She is in search of her Higher Power, a term she always hears at the twelve step meetings, so she can take control over her life.

I did not enjoy reading this book. Many aspects of the book were unbelievable such as Lucky being taken care of her father’s first wife and her best friend that is obsessed with knot tying. One character of the book lives in an old water tower. The unbelievable characters and little quirks caused me to not like this book.

Despite this book winning the great honor of the Newbery Medal, it has been banned from many libraries. The word “scrotum” is used on the first page of the book as Lucky eaves drops through a hole in a wall as she listens to an Alcohol Anonymous meeting. When he fell out of the car “he saw a rattlesnake on the passenger seat biting his dog, Roy, on the scrotum”. This book has sparked discussions about censorship and what is acceptable in school libraries.

Caldecott #5

No, David! by David Shannon is a 1999 Caldecott honor book. This funny book has also won the New York Times Best Illustrated Book Award and the School Library Journal Best Book and American Bookseller Pick Up The Lists Award.

This book can be described using two words: funny and honest. David is a young boy who is caught tracking in mud, overflowing the bath tub, and even streaking down the street naked! It also shows his various punishments such as being sent to his room and time-out in the corner. At the end, it shows his mother hugging him and her telling him she loves him. This book is honest because it portrays how often parents have to say no to their children when their being naughty. The book was written based on the author's life as a child.

The illustrations bring out David's character traits. When David is getting in trouble the artist uses pointy teeth, sharp eyebrows, and round eyes. Towards the end when David is with is mother, he is portrayed with a smile, rounded eyebrows, and eyelashes. The illustrations are drawn in a child-like manner as if David drew them himself.

Any parent or child can relate to this book. Parents constantly have to tell their children "No" and "Don't do that." Children also hear the word countless times a day. I can relate to this book as a teacher and as an aunt. Seems like I say "No" more than any other word. Luckily, my niece is too young to get into the mischief that David gets into, but I'm sure that time will come. I think it was very important at the end that the author showed that no matter how many times a parent says no, they still love their child very much.

Caldecott #4

When Sophie Gets Angry-Really, Really Angry... was written by Molly Bang in 1999. It was a 2000 Caldecott Honor Book and also won the Charlotte Zolotow Award the same year.

This book is about a young girl named Sophie who loses her temper when her sister takes her toy gorilla away. She gets really, really angry. The book shows how she copes with her anger by kicking, screaming, and running away to a quiet place in the woods. There she cries and gets over what made her mad by enjoying the beautiful surroundings. Then she goes home and she and her family is glad she's back.

This book won the Caldecott honor award for the illustrations. Sophie's feelings were captured through the use of color. When she was angry, the artist used warm colors such as red, yellow, and orange to portray anger. In the scenes, when Sophie calms down cool colors such as blues and greens are used. Sound effects such as "explode!" and "squeak" are integrated into the illustrations.

I can associate with the character, Sophie. Sometimes, I lose my temper and kick and scream. Finding a quiet place does help relieve my anger. This book also reminds me of my 20 month old niece, Sheree, and the fits that she throws when she doesn't get her way.

This book teaches children that it's okay to get angry and introduces ways to cope with anger. This book could be used during character education to teach about good and bad ways to handle anger. It can also be used to teach about different feelings. Books such as this one are great tools that can be used to educate children about the hardships of life and also by teaching them how to cope with these struggles.

Caldecott #3

Kitten's First Moon was written by Kevin Henkes in 2004. It won the Caldecott Medal the following year. This story is about a little kitten who experiences its first full moon. However, the kitten has confused the moon with a bowl of milk. The kitten chases the moon, climbs a tree to try to reach it, and even jumps in a pond after it's refletion. After all these struggles, the kitten finds a bowl of milk on the porch waiting for him.

The idea of the kitten confusing the moon with a bowl of milk was creative. I never thought of it that way. It's not like me to get excited about a bowl of milk. Children would enjoy te struggles of the kitten and would find them humorous. The black and white pictures gie thois book a timeless feel that I enjoyed. However, I feel that students would not like the pictures as well because of the lack of color.

I could associate with this book. As a child, I had kittens and cats as pets. They were always into something and doing something mischevious. The most fun our cats ever had was Christmas. They loved climbing the tree, playing with the ribbon on presents, and toying with the glass ornaments that hung from the branches. Any pet lovers would appreciate this book and the character, the kitten.

The illustrations of this book are simliar to ones found in Millions of Cats. This book was written by Wanda Gag in 1923. Both books are about cats and have the timeless black and white illustrations.

One thing I learned from this book is that the topic of pets would appeal to the audience. I also learned that the story can be about something as simple as a cat after a bowl of milk. I've always wanted to write a children's book. I felt like my ideas were never good enough to make a good story. Great stories come from real-life exoeriences and memories.

Caldecott Book #2

The Hello, Goodbye Window was written by Norton Juster and illustrated by Chris Raschka. It won the Caldecott medal in 2006.

There were many things that I enjoyed about this book. For one the family portrayed in this book is multiracial. However, it is never mentioned. This could lead into a discussion with with children how families can be different. The illustrations are unique because they look like a child created the illustrations with the simplistic lines, squiggles, and bright colors. The text is also very descriptive such as when the child describes the kitchen and its contents.

I couldn't find much to not like about this book. One part of the story was when the child helped her Nanna in the garden. She explained that there was a tiger that lived behind the bush in the back. She didn't explain it and I was quite confused why it was there. Maybe the author was trying to capture a child's wild imagination.


This book brought back my childhood memories of times with my grandparents. Luckily, I still am fortunate enough to have all of my grandparents to spend time with. As a high school student, I wrote a sensory poem that reminded me of this book. I described what I saw, tasted, smelled, touched, and heard while looking outside in at my grandmother's kitchen.


This book would be a great read during grandparent's day festivities. I learned from this book that children are appreciative and value the small traditions or acts of love of their families. Traditions can easily be made. For example in the book, when people come to visit they wave hello as they pass by the kitchen window and blow kisses as they leave. That's how the window became the hello, goodbye window. Children do enjoy those special family traditions. It's made me think about the traditions I would like to start once I start having children.


The author, Norton Juster, also wrote the book "The Phantom Tollbooth." This book is unlike "The Hello, Goodbye Window" in many ways. For example, is that this book is not a picture book and has 272 pages and is geared towards 9-12 year old children. This is a chapter book. It's admirable that an author has the versatility to write picture books as well as chapter books.

Caldecott Book #1

My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann won the Caldecott medal in 2003.

One aspect of this book that I liked is the illustrations. The artist was able to focus on a scene such as when the squirrel and mouse began to fall. The reader was able to imagine what was happening below or above like when the little ducklings were panicking. A point in the book where the animals are stacked up upon each other creates a tower so tall that the reader has to turn the book up and down to capture the scene. That is a unique feature of this book. It also features an ending that mirrors the beginning.

I wish that there was more to this book. It took me about one minute to read this book. It would probably take longer to read this book to a small child since they would want to really look at the pictures. A parent/teacher would also extend the reading time by asking questions.

The main character in the book, Rabbit, reminds me of some of my students. "Whatever he does, wherever he goes, trouble follows." Many of my students have "bright ideas" that turn into not so great ideas. It's not that they are bad kids, they just have that mischievous side to them. The weather and CATS testing has brought out the mischevious and restless side of my students similar to Rabbit in the story.

This book is simliar to the book, "One Seal" by John Stadler. This book is about a kite that breaks free and animals that create a tower to rescue the kite. It also has a point in the story where the book can be turned sideways to capture the whole image. It also has an ending that mirrors the beginning. This book was published three years prior to My Friend Rabbit.

From reading this book, I learned that stories can be told more from the illustrations than the text. This book has limited text, and the illustrations is what really makes this book a great read for small children.