Ackamarackus: Julius Lester's Sumptuously Silly Fantastically Funny Fables

This collection of sumptuously silly fantastically funny fables stands up to its incredibly creative bar heightening title.  Any collection with a title that claims as much as this one has to be absolutely amazing.  Well, Julius Lester's fables are pretty creative and quite funny.  But what is most impressive is that each fable brings a introspective and odd moral that may catch you off guard initially, but in reality makes a lot of sense.  The collection includes six original works that will have readers of all ages turning the pages repeatedly.

Lester chooses to take risks in his story telling.  For example, when we learn about how Lionel the lazy lion becomes the king of the jungle it would make no sense to believe that it would be because he was the laziest animal on the face of the earth.  But the twists and imaginative wordplay that Lester uses, along with the quirky illustrations by Emilie Chollat, takes each story off the page into the readers imagination.  In this inventive collection anything is possible.

The collection includes morals of acceptance, creativity, and individuality.  And there is no better expression of individuality than Albert the alligator moving to Vermont to escape the hot Florida summers.  I won't give the story away, but this is one that had me rolling and slapping my knee.  I suggest that everyone get a copy of this great book for their class and homes.  The stories are ingenious and children of all ages will love them. 

"You probably didn't know bees fall in love, did you? Well, there is nothing on this planet that doesn't fall in love. Even rocks fall in love.  I don't know how to tell you when two rocks fall in love because their expressions don't change..."

Luka's Quilt

Luka's quilt is a detailed story that takes place in Hawaii. The story follows Luka and her grandmother's relationship as they struggle to agree upon what to include in Luka's traditional Hawaiian quilt. Luka becomes angry with her grandmother as she chooses not to include all of the colorful flowers in the quilt that she had hoped for. Because of this the relationship become torn between the contemporary and the traditional. This is a great story to teach young students what tradition means and discover if their families have any traditional values. Also, Luka's quilt focuses on a Hawaiian tradition which is rarely taught in schools. It is a great way to incorporate multicultural points of view within the classroom.

The moral of this story is great, but in critique the story just seems to be lacking something. It is extremely straight forward and doesn't leave much for the reader to decide upon themselves. There tone is as if you were reading Luka's memoir or journal. Although this is not a bad tone for storytelling, it does not reach the level that most students can connect with. The style of the book is very plain despite the magnificent artwork, by author and artist Georgia Gubeck. I was left looking for a little more after finishing the story.

How to Make Friends with a Giant

"Tomorrow you'll be the first pick, Jacomo," Ed says.  "You and Jake."

How to Make Friends with a Giant is a great book to explain the meaning of friendship and treating people respectfully. This story may not be the most compelling, but it involves a great lesson that all students should learn. Author Gennifer Choldenko juxtaposes the characters Jake, who is tiny along with everything he owns, and Jacomo, who is literally a giant. However, Jake is the only student who has the heart to confront Jacomo and be his friend. Jacomo may be a giant, but he is a regular first grader just like Jake and his classmates.

Throughout the story we see Jake's compassionate heart as he befriends Jacomo in circumstances where all of his other classmates make fun of him. The climax of the story occurs during recess while the students are playing soccer. Jacomo is so strong that he kicks the ball over the fence and all of the students become outraged. They tell Jacomo that he will be the last pick just like Jake. Once again, when Jacomo is on the verge of tears, Jake is right there by his side. He teaches Jacomo how to kick the ball softly, something that Jake is very good at. Because Jake taught Jacomo so well, they both are slated to be the first pick the next day.

This story teaches a great moral of respecting others no matter how different they are. And Jake and Jacomo could be no more different. The illustrations by Amy Walrod have Jake pictured to be only as tall as Jacomo's knees. Yet, they are both able to overlook their differences and be best friends.

My Mom is a Firefighter

My Mom is a Firefighter written by Lois G. Grambling and Illustrated by Jane Manning is a great book that erases gender stereotypes and promotes open student thought. The title may fool you into believing that the story is completely about dispelling gender stereotypes, but really it is about the life of all firefighters. It is a great informational read into the life of firefighters and their families. And what young student isn't compelled to learn what firefighters do while they're not fighting the flames.

"Mom tell's us that firefighters are part of a team. "Everyone has to do his or her job.""

It is the description about what happens in the firehouse and how Billy, whose mother is a firefighter, relates that keeps the reader turning the pages. Billy's mother not only has time to put out dangerous house fires, she also makes it home in time to help prepare Billy for his spelling test. The story is so real that any student can place themselves in the book and imagine that one of their parents or guardians is a firefighter. This is what makes a book like this one incredibly special.

Looking Like Me

  What an inspirational experience! Reading Looking Like Me by Walter Dean Myers was like reading an introspective story about myself. This picture book is not the traditional story. The plot follows a young boy discovering who he is. What is more important to young elementary students than discovering who they are? We were all there at one point. There is no more egocentric time in life than elementary school. This story gives an opportunity for young students to take insight into their own lives and discover who they are.

The young boy discovers who he is by first looking into the mirror and being proud of who he is. Then he describes himself as he is in relation to his family and then at his school. From these multiple perspectives we see how diverse of a person this young boy is. And from these multiple descriptions we are presented with multiple illustrations that convey a personality in multiple ways. Illustrator Christopher Myers uses a unique style to display the diversity of a person.

 

This would be a great book for students to learn how to describe things. And what better to being with than describing yourself. The young boy in the story is on a journey creating an "I Am" list, which can be created by every student in the class, including the teacher. What an encouraging book! A perfect book to inspire students to believe in themselves and who they are.

"I'M WALKING TALL AND I'M WALKING PROUD. LOOKED IN THE MIRROR - I LOOK LIKE A CROWD"

Letters From a Desperate Dog

    "He won't even share the trash!" - Emma

Letters from a Desperate Dog is an excellent read provided by author Eileen Christelow that provides a perspective on life rarely thought of. I enjoyed reading this story from cover to cover about a dog's desperate journey for her owner’s approval. Throughout the story we learn that a dog's lifestyle may not be as mundane as we believe it to be. Emma, our desperate dog who is only seeking to get the enjoyment out of life that her owner George gets, is pegged as a "BAD! BAD! BAD!” dog. But Emma is resilient and resourceful. She searches the paper and finds a canine advice column. She emails back and forth with Queenie, her advisor, seeking different methods to get back on George's good side. Queenie has many suggestions including licking George's hand, which only leads to Emma making a mess with his paint, or, helping out around the house, but in this instance too Emma finds herself making a mess of the whole situation, literally.

It is the illustrations that keep this story flowing at a rate that keeps the reader's eyes glued to the pages. We constantly get an introspective view of what Emma is thinking through her thought bubbles and facial expressions. Not only this but watching a dog make several trips to the library in order to email her life coach proved to be pretty hysterical. Eventually, Emma follows the advice that the best thing for her to do is to seek a job. She wins a part in a play titled On The Couch, something she loves to do, but what she overlooks is that she will be travelling. Her role in the play takes her far from home. Although she becomes a star she misses her time with George. Again it is the excellent illustrations that guide through the emotions of Emma.

The show returns home for the final night and Emma is desperate to see George. Emma sends him an anonymous e-mail telling him his missing dog may be at the play. In the end, George and Emma joyfully reunite after the play and make their way back home only to meet the same frustrations as before. The story is presented as a mini graphic novel. The comic book like illustrations with quote and thought bubbles guide the reader through the text in a way that provided incredible insight into the thoughts of the characters. This would be a great book to teach students about internet and e-mail. Also, the story provides a lot of advanced vocab. Overall, Letters from a Desperate Dog is a great story that gets my seal of approval.