73. He's Got the Whole World in His Hands (DVD)

Bibliographic Citation:
Scholastic. (2010). He's Got the Whole World in His Hands [Animate motion picture]. United States: Weston Woods Studios, Inc.

Awards/Selection Lists:
None

Format Examined:
DVD

Annotation:
This DVD includes animated "read-along" versions of seven books for children, including He's Got the Whole World in His Hands by Kadir Nelson.

Personal Reaction:
In addition to the featured book, other animated stories included on this DVD are Come On, Rain! by Karen Hesse, illustrated by Jon J. Muth; and Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message by Chief Jake Swamp, illustrated by Erwin Printup, Jr.; and Owl Moon by Jane Yolen, illustrated by John Schoenherr. The Tale of Mandarin Ducks by Katherine Paterson, illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon; Patrick by Quentin Blake; and A Boy, a Dog, and a Frog by Mercer Mayer. The DVD is part of the Scholastic Storybook Treasures children's DVD series, which features children's books in animated form, often narrated by the author. The original artwork of Nelson's He's Got the Whole World in His Hands is presented with movement from the camera in order to bring an animated representation to the story. The text of the story is based on the classic folk song, and the printed words appear across the bottom of the screen as the words are performed by singer, Crystal Taliefero. The illustrations are rich and vivid, bringing the words of the song to life for young children.     

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this DVD for children 3-7 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
The animated selections on this DVD represent stories that celebrate nature and the environment. 

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: 
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this DVD.


Narrative Skills: 
Narrative participation is modeled through the reading of each story on this DVD by a narrator, and accompanied by corresponding text across the bottom of the screen.


Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is fostered through rhyming and lyrical texts included in the stories on this DVD.


Print Awareness:
Print awareness is fostered through the inclusion of printed text along the bottom of the screen as each story is read by a narrator.


Print Motivation: 
Children will be encouraged to read along with the printed text on the screen, as well as to make connections to the printed books included on this DVD.


Vocabulary:
Vocabulary is modeled through the narration and printed text of each story included on the DVD. Vocabulary is centered around the main themes of nature and the environment.



Author/ Illustrator Website:
Author website: http://www.kadirnelson.com/
DVD website: http://store.scholastic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/LandingPageView?storeId=10052&catalogId=10051&jspStoreDir=SSOStore&pageName=StorybookTreasures

71. No Two Alike by Keith Baker

Bibliographic Citation:
Baker, Keith. No Two Alike. New York, NY: Beach Lane Books, 2011. 40 p. ISBN 978-1442417427.

Awards/Selection Lists:
Booklist, Starred Review

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
Two red birds play in the snow as rhyming text describes how snowflakes, nature, and people are all unique. 

Personal Reaction:
Individuality is represented through this story of two red birds who play together among the falling snow. Rhyming text describes how different the birds are from one another, as well as how snowflakes are each different, as are people and parts of nature. 

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 3-6 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
Individuality, winter, birds

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: 
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.


Narrative Skills: 
Narrative skills are modeled through the rhyming text being read aloud.


Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is presented through rhyming, rhythmic text.


Print Awareness:
The text on the pages appears in small, black print on light blue and white backgrounds within the illustrations. 


Print Motivation: 
The gentle, rhyming text reads almost like a poem, and the digitally produced images provide often humorous illustrations for children to enjoy with an adult or on their own.  

Vocabulary:
Vocabulary deals with things seen in winter, as well as individuality, in nature and among people.



Author/ Illustrator Website:

http://www.keithbakerbooks.com/ 

51. Chocolate Me! by Taye Diggs

Bibliographic Citation:
Diggs, Taye. Chocolate Me! Illustrated by Shane Evans. New York, NY: Feiwel and Friends, 2011. 36 p. ISBN 978-0-312-60326-7. 

Awards/Selection Lists:
None

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
This book, through the story of a young, African American child, represents differences in race, accepting one's own identity, and accepting others' for who they are.

Personal Reaction:

The combination of the rhyming text with the description of the child's skin color as "chocolate" from his own perspective offers a little levity to a serious issue.  Children who might feel different from other children around them will identify with the main character in this book. The ending of the story demonstrates how our differences can be a positive thing.

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 4-7 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
Diversity, self-acceptance, self-esteem, self-identity

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: 
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.

Narrative Skills: 
Children are invited to become part of the narration of the story through the repetition of the title throughout the book, as well as through the rhyming text.


Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is demonstrated in this book through rhyming phrases that are a part of the story.

Print Awareness:
The text of the story is printed on each page in spaces that are open of illustrations. The color of the font is changed on pages where the print may be more difficult to see. The repeated phrase, which is also the title of the book, "Chocolate me" is printed in brown, larger text, drawing attention to the words each time.

Print Motivation: 
The rhythmic, rhyming text of this book make it a fun read. The method of telling the story from the perspective of a young African American child  who feels different from other children in his community provides a realistic view of the way that a young child might feel, and children who identify with this character will enjoy reading this book.  

Vocabulary:
Vocabulary in this book deals with skin color, physical attributes, and self-acceptance. 



Author/ Illustrator Website:
http://chocolatemetoo.com/

33. Peter's Chair by Ezra Jack Keats

Bibliographic Citation:
Keats, Ezra Jack. Peter's Chair. New York, NY: Puffin Books, 1998. 40 p. ISBN 978-0140564419. 

Awards/Selection Lists:

None

Format Examined:
Paperback

Annotation:
The main character, Peter has to learn how to come to terms with the fact that he has a new baby sister, and his parents are painting his old baby furniture pink for his sister to use.

Personal Reaction:

This classic book tells the story of Peter, a boy who has a new baby sister. He has to learn to be quiet while she sleeps, and notices that his parents are passing all of his old baby furniture to his baby sister-- and painting it all pink. Peter sees his favorite small chair, and grabs it before it can be painted pink, too. He decides to run away (just outside the house), with his baby chair and his dog, until he realizes that he has gotten too big to fit in the chair. In the end, he decides that the chair should be painted pink for his sister. This story provides a powerful message for children who have new siblings.

Age Recommendation:

I would recommend this book for children 4-7 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
New baby, sharing, growing up, siblings, family

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: 
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.

Narrative Skills: 
This book provides an opportunity for dialogic reading and modeling of narrative skills through the reading of the text aloud.

Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is not a direct focus of this book.

Print Awareness:
This book incorporates environmental print, such as the print of a newspaper on the floor as Peter's father paints.

Print Motivation: 
Children who have new siblings will identify with this story, and want to revisit this book.

Vocabulary:
Natural language is used throughout the text to describe how Peter feels and how his feelings change.



Author/ Illustrator Website:
http://www.ezra-jack-keats.org/

31. Who Put the Cookies in the Cookie Jar? by George Shannon

Bibliographic Citation:

Shannon, George. Who Put the Cookies in the Cookie Jar?. Illustrated by Julie Paschkis. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, 2013. 32 p. ISBN 978-0805091977. 

Awards/Selection Lists:

None

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:

Using the reverse of a familiar chant, the author tells the story of how many different people in different places it takes to make all the ingredients that make up a cookie.

Personal Reaction:
George Shannon uses a familiar chant used with young children to explain how a cookie is made, from the growing of wheat, to the delivery of the ingredients, to the person baking the cookies. Illustrations represent many different people, in different environments throughout the world, with many different cultures represented.

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children ages 3-7 years of age.

Themes/Issues:

Multicultural, food sources, global awareness

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: 
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.

Narrative Skills: 
Rhyming text encourages child participation, and narrative skills are modeled through the reading of the text.

Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is represented through rhyming text.

Print Awareness:
The text of the story is placed within the illustrations to draw attention to the text in a way that makes the print a part of the story.

Print Motivation: 
Interesting multicultural, festive looking illustrations, coupled with the explanation of the real story of how a cookie is made make this an interesting book for preschool-aged children. 

Vocabulary:
The vocabulary in this book includes words that represent the ingredients that go into making a cookie, and the way they are formed and pulled together.



Author/ Illustrator Website:
http://www.georgewbshannon.comcastbiz.net/

12. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

Bibliographic Citation:
Keats, Ezra Jack. The Snowy Day. New York, NY: Puffin, 1962. 40p. ISBN 978-0140501827 

Awards/Selection Lists:

Caldecott Medal, 1963

Format Examined:

Paperback

Annotation:

A young boy wakes up to freshly fallen snow and spends the day having adventures outside.

Personal Reaction:
Ezra Jack Keats created a true classic with this story of a young child enjoying the day in the snow. The magic that a child feels at the wonder of snow, and all the new ways to play in it, come to life for children and adults who read this book. Keats quietly introduced the picturebook world to an African American main character for the first time in 1962 through Peter and his exploration of the snow.

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 4-7 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
Winter, snow, adventure

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: 
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book. 

Narrative Skills:
This book would work well in a dialogic reading setting. Children would be able to help tell the story through answering open-ended questions about what they think will happen, and why certain things happened in the story (such as when Peter puts the snowball in his pocket).

Phonological Awareness:
Phonological awareness is not a direct focus of this book.

Print Awareness:
The text is printed on each page in a simple, black font. The position of the words accentuates the illustrations, such as the words being printed on the bottom of the hill when Peter slides all the way down. The word "slowly" is written with dashes to draw the word out ("s-l-o-w-l-y") when Peter drags his feet to make tracks in the snow. These techniques draw attention to the print in connection to the illustrations to help tell the story.

Print Motivation:
This book inspires reading through a story that is easy for children to identify with.

Vocabulary:

Words pertaining to the consistency of snow are included in the text, including firm, heaping, and crunching.

Author/ Illustrator Website:
http://www.ezra-jack-keats.org/ 

11. Here Are My Hands by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault

Bibliographic Citation:

Martin, Jr., Bill and John Archambault. Here are My Hands. Illustrated by Ted Rand. New York, NY: Henry Holt, 1998. 28p. ISBN 978-0805059113 

Awards/Selection Lists:
IRA-CBC Children's Choice Award

Format Examined:
Board book

Annotation:
Parts of the body and their functions are identified by children of different cultures.

Personal Reaction:
This book is perfect for small hands to hold as they learn to identify the names of parts of the body. The subtle way that diverse cultures are used through the illustrations to show that children are all the same but also different makes this a powerfully simple book.

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 12 months-3 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
Body parts, skin colors/diversity

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge:
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.

Narrative Skills:
Children become involved in the reading of this book through naming the body parts in the illustrations.

Phonological Awareness:
The rhyming text of the book almost reads like a poem, emphasizing how words can sound alike. 

Print Awareness:
The text on each page is in black and connects to the illustrations on the page. 

Print Motivation:
This book is a quick read and is fun for children who are learning their body parts. Small children are able to hold in their hands, making this an enjoyable book for very young children.

Vocabulary:
Body parts are named throughout the book, and functions are identified according to each part of the body, providing new words for the very young.

Author/ Illustrator Website:
Author website: http://www.billmartinjr.com/ 
Author website: http://www.johnarchambault.com/ 
No official illustrator site