Genre: Fable, Folk Tale, Myths
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Sept. 1988
Awards/Honors:
Pages: 32
Summary:
A little old woman who was not afraid of anything went for a walk into the forest to gather herbs, spices, nuts, and seeds. On her way back to her collage, she met a pair of big shoes, pants, shirt, gloves, hat, and a pumpkin head. Each item made a sound as they followed the old woman home. The old woman created a scarecrow with the items to scare off the crows.
Personal rating and explanation:
Great Book - The book has a nice steady pace. The students enjoy acting out each part - clapping their hands, nodding their head, stomping their feet, etc.
Reading Level: 3.4
Interest Level: K-2
Writing: A good book to introduce onomatopoeia words. As a group have the children identify other onomatopoeia words and write a sentence using the words. Example: I heard a knock at the door.
Potential Problems or Difficulties:
None
Showing posts with label Folktale. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Folktale. Show all posts
Monday, June 1, 2009
Saturday, May 23, 2009
The Man Who Tricked a Ghost by Laurence Yep
Book Genre: Folktale
Publisher: Troll Communications, September 1997
Summary:
A courageous man, Sung, was not frightened by anyone or anything. After leaving his friend’s house, Sung meets a ghost on a dark and mysterious path. The ghost informs him that he is on his way to scare a man named Sung because he is not terrified of ghosts. Pretending to also be a ghost, Sung taunts the ghost. During the adventure Sung learns all of the ghost’s secrets. When they finally make it to Courtesy Town, the ghost turns himself into a white fluffy sheep. Knowing the ghost’s secrets, Sung is able to keep the ghost in the form of a sheep. Not only did Sung trick the ghost but he received a hefty sum for the sale of his new sheep!
Personal Rating, ***Good. This Chinese Folktale was full of extraordinary illustrations. The colors and innovative details were extremely creative.
Reading Level: 3rd grade (A.R. Level 3.9)
Interest Level: K-5 grades
Possible uses of the text in integrated units of study:
Reading/Writing: Do a lesson on conflict/resolution. Examine the way that Sung had a conflict and how he was able to resolve the situation. Compare and contrast ghost stories using a Venn Diagram. Students could create and write about their own ghost. Math: Create a classroom graph and see which students believe or do not believe in ghosts.
Potential Problems or Difficulties: At times, pictures and text may be a little scary for younger audiences.
Publisher: Troll Communications, September 1997
Summary:
A courageous man, Sung, was not frightened by anyone or anything. After leaving his friend’s house, Sung meets a ghost on a dark and mysterious path. The ghost informs him that he is on his way to scare a man named Sung because he is not terrified of ghosts. Pretending to also be a ghost, Sung taunts the ghost. During the adventure Sung learns all of the ghost’s secrets. When they finally make it to Courtesy Town, the ghost turns himself into a white fluffy sheep. Knowing the ghost’s secrets, Sung is able to keep the ghost in the form of a sheep. Not only did Sung trick the ghost but he received a hefty sum for the sale of his new sheep!
Personal Rating, ***Good. This Chinese Folktale was full of extraordinary illustrations. The colors and innovative details were extremely creative.
Reading Level: 3rd grade (A.R. Level 3.9)
Interest Level: K-5 grades
Possible uses of the text in integrated units of study:
Reading/Writing: Do a lesson on conflict/resolution. Examine the way that Sung had a conflict and how he was able to resolve the situation. Compare and contrast ghost stories using a Venn Diagram. Students could create and write about their own ghost. Math: Create a classroom graph and see which students believe or do not believe in ghosts.
Potential Problems or Difficulties: At times, pictures and text may be a little scary for younger audiences.
Stone Soup by Ann McGovern
Book Genre: Folktale
Publishing Info: Harcourt Brace & Company, Scholastics Inc. (32 pages)
Awards or Honors Received:
Summary: Stone Soup is an entertaining folktale about an intelligent traveling peddler and an old hermit lady. The story begins with the peddler traveling down a road. He is terribly hungry and tired. Eventually, he happens upon a house and decides to ask the resident for some food. When he asks, the old lady refuses. She tells him that she has no food in her house or garden. The smart peddler then tricks her into making a soup from a stone. He asks for a stone, water and pot. She agrees and gets the items. He then tells her that the soup would taste better with yellow onions. Once again she agrees and gets the onions. As the "stone" soup is cooking and smelling wonderfully the woman begins to get hungry as well. The peddler then asks for carrots. Without hesitation the woman gives into this wish as well. Things continue this way with the peddler asking for additional items and the woman quickly gathering them to put in the soup. The soup finally contains a stone, yellow onions, carrots, beef bones, pepper, salt, butter and barley. Once the peddler is content that the soup is finished, he and the old lady sit down for a "soup fit for a king". Finally, after his belly is full the peddler takes the stone and is on his way once again.
Personal Rating & Reason: ****Great! I absolutely love this book. It is written in a way that children can understand and enjoy. There are some great life lessons to be learned as well.
Reading Level: K-2 (2.1 AR)
Interest Level: ages 4-8 years
Possible Uses: This book could be used across the curriculum. Here are some examples.
Writing: You could help the children create a flow map of the story and the items listed. Later the students could use the flow map to write their own versions of the tale in a short story.
Art: The children could illustrate their short stories. Plus you could create a You Read to Me, I'll Read to You skit and have them act it out.
Math: You and the students could create a recipe of the stone soup. Then have the students count and measure the items as you make the soup. Later, enjoy the tasty treat.
Social Studies: A discussion about how the characters are similar or different could be conducted. Or you could tie the story into how the students and the characters are alike or different. Then you could discuss the way the characters made the soup and how we make or would make it today.
Science: You could have the students use their senses to describe the items used in the soup.
Potential Problems or Difficulties: must be a read aloud story in K-1 the vocabulary is too advanced for the students to read independently, obtaining the items to make the soup.
Publishing Info: Harcourt Brace & Company, Scholastics Inc. (32 pages)
Awards or Honors Received:
Summary: Stone Soup is an entertaining folktale about an intelligent traveling peddler and an old hermit lady. The story begins with the peddler traveling down a road. He is terribly hungry and tired. Eventually, he happens upon a house and decides to ask the resident for some food. When he asks, the old lady refuses. She tells him that she has no food in her house or garden. The smart peddler then tricks her into making a soup from a stone. He asks for a stone, water and pot. She agrees and gets the items. He then tells her that the soup would taste better with yellow onions. Once again she agrees and gets the onions. As the "stone" soup is cooking and smelling wonderfully the woman begins to get hungry as well. The peddler then asks for carrots. Without hesitation the woman gives into this wish as well. Things continue this way with the peddler asking for additional items and the woman quickly gathering them to put in the soup. The soup finally contains a stone, yellow onions, carrots, beef bones, pepper, salt, butter and barley. Once the peddler is content that the soup is finished, he and the old lady sit down for a "soup fit for a king". Finally, after his belly is full the peddler takes the stone and is on his way once again.
Personal Rating & Reason: ****Great! I absolutely love this book. It is written in a way that children can understand and enjoy. There are some great life lessons to be learned as well.
Reading Level: K-2 (2.1 AR)
Interest Level: ages 4-8 years
Possible Uses: This book could be used across the curriculum. Here are some examples.
Writing: You could help the children create a flow map of the story and the items listed. Later the students could use the flow map to write their own versions of the tale in a short story.
Art: The children could illustrate their short stories. Plus you could create a You Read to Me, I'll Read to You skit and have them act it out.
Math: You and the students could create a recipe of the stone soup. Then have the students count and measure the items as you make the soup. Later, enjoy the tasty treat.
Social Studies: A discussion about how the characters are similar or different could be conducted. Or you could tie the story into how the students and the characters are alike or different. Then you could discuss the way the characters made the soup and how we make or would make it today.
Science: You could have the students use their senses to describe the items used in the soup.
Potential Problems or Difficulties: must be a read aloud story in K-1 the vocabulary is too advanced for the students to read independently, obtaining the items to make the soup.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business by Esphyr Slobodkina
Book Genre: Folktale, Classic
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, 1938
Awards or honors received: Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1958, Reading Rainbow Book
Summary: A peddler walked around town trying to sale caps on his head for 50 cents each. He would walk up and down the streets of town shouting for people to buy his caps. One day he did not sale any caps, so he decided to go to the country for a walk. Once he was in the country he decided to take a nap. While he was asleep monkeys stole all of his caps. Once the peddler realized what had happened it became a battle of monkey see monkey do! In the end, the monkeys returned the peddler his caps.
Personal Rating, **Ok. I consider this book standard with average illustrations. I thought the colors in the illustrations correlated well with the words of the text, very monotone.
Reading Level: 3 grade (A.R. Level 3.1)
Interest Level: K-2
Possible uses of the text in integrated units of study:
The text would be a superb choice to use for several different math lessons. Students could use the caps to study different types of patterns and money. A lesson on positional words and phrases: over, under, on top of, behind, in back of, in front of, and beside.
Students possibly could study community jobs, entrepreneurs, in a social studies lesson.
Reading: Compare and contrast two different folktales. (Caps for Sale and The First Strawberries)
Writing: Write a short journal essay on, "What would you do if monkeys took something that belonged to you?"
Potential Problems or Difficulties: I could not find any potential problems or difficulties.
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, 1938
Awards or honors received: Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1958, Reading Rainbow Book
Summary: A peddler walked around town trying to sale caps on his head for 50 cents each. He would walk up and down the streets of town shouting for people to buy his caps. One day he did not sale any caps, so he decided to go to the country for a walk. Once he was in the country he decided to take a nap. While he was asleep monkeys stole all of his caps. Once the peddler realized what had happened it became a battle of monkey see monkey do! In the end, the monkeys returned the peddler his caps.
Personal Rating, **Ok. I consider this book standard with average illustrations. I thought the colors in the illustrations correlated well with the words of the text, very monotone.
Reading Level: 3 grade (A.R. Level 3.1)
Interest Level: K-2
Possible uses of the text in integrated units of study:
The text would be a superb choice to use for several different math lessons. Students could use the caps to study different types of patterns and money. A lesson on positional words and phrases: over, under, on top of, behind, in back of, in front of, and beside.
Students possibly could study community jobs, entrepreneurs, in a social studies lesson.
Reading: Compare and contrast two different folktales. (Caps for Sale and The First Strawberries)
Writing: Write a short journal essay on, "What would you do if monkeys took something that belonged to you?"
Potential Problems or Difficulties: I could not find any potential problems or difficulties.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)