The Whole Doughnut, One Doughnut Hole by Valjean McLenigham

Book Genre: Fiction

Publishing Information: Childrens Press, 1982 (30 pages)

Summary: This is a very clever little book. It shows homonyms with funny verbiage such as a pair of pears, my aunt and an ant on my aunt, a toe and a toe in tow, and a sweet scent and a one cent sweet. Even the last sentence shows children going to school where one wants to go too, and the mother says goodbye to the two. The illustrations are excellent in that they are depictions of each homonym used in a humorous situation.

Personal Rating: (**** Great) I loved this little book because it is a great introduction of homonyms for the beginning reader. The concept of two words sounding alike but spelled differently could be very confusing for a young student. With the illustrations the student can actually see the difference in spelling in relation to the content. There will definitely be a laugh or two for the reader.

Reading Level: 1.5
Interest Level: K-90 years old

Possible use of text in integrated units of study:

Reading: Grammatical terms such as homonyms could be intimidating to the beginning reader. This book would teach the students about homonyms in a fun manner and they would be learning without knowing it.

Math: You could introduce verbiage such as a pair of pears to teach the students there are 2 pears in pair, two pairs of pears are four. Also, whole doughnuts plus or minus doughnut holes equal various amounts. The students could put different amount of ants on an aunt and add or subtract, as well. These would be hands on activities and the students would be able to perform authentic math problems. Math could be a lot of fun for the students, while learning verbiage for word problems in the future.

Art: Students would be asked to make their own book of homonyms from around their home or in the classroom. They would then illustrate the book, drawing pictures of the homonyms as they see them. This could also involve parents and create class to home participation. The students would then have their own homonym book to share with others and use as a reading tool.

Potential problems: I see no problems with the book. However, some students may find it difficult conceptualizing different homonyms other that the ones mentioned in the book. Parental support may not be as proficient as expected and some student's art books may not be as satisfactory as other students causing a feeling of inferiority, especially among ESL students.

Beverly Ross