1. ILove You Through and Through, (Rosetti-Shustak, Bernadette), (Church, Caroline), Scholastic, 2005. 2.

This book is appropriate for ages 0-3. 3. Baby Board Book. 4. The outside of this book is cushioned and soft and the pages are large, rounded, sturdy, and easy to turn. The illustrations of this book are simple, yet colorful. Every page depicts a young toddler and his teddy bear, who acts as his sidekick in every scenario. The words are simple and rhyming, which keeps a young childs attention. Throughout the course of the book, a child is shown how much they are loved throughout, whether they happy, sad, silly, mad, and many other ranges of emotions. 5. This book is good for keeping babies and young toddlers attention because the illustrations are simple and focused and the words are short and rhyming. This book depicts many body parts, which makes it fun for the child to point and count to their own body part. This book also depicts a range of emotions from happy to sad, silly to mad, crying and laughing, silent and talking. It is a great discussion starter for parents and teachers to talk to young children about feelings and emotions. I selected this book because someone recommended that I read it to my son, and it quickly became one of our favorites. It is great for very young children, but could easily bore older children who like more interesting illustrations, words, and stories.

6. This book would work wonderfully into a theme about teaching emotions. This is an especially important topic for young toddlers, as they often have a hard time identifying and controlling their emotions. While reading this book, a teacher can stop at each emotion and show them what that emotion looks like and then give the children a chance to show act out what they look like when they are happy, mad, sad, ect. After reading, the book the children can be given a chance to look at themselves and their emotions in the mirror. Some other activities that incorporate math could be helping the children sort pictures of emotions into piles and matching pictures of people and their emotions.

1. Dr. Suesss ABC, (Dr. Suess), Random House,1963. 2. This book is age appropriate for children 4-6.

3. Baby Board Book/ Alphabet.

4. This is a small and sturdy book with rounded, cardstock pages. The book is a safe and easy page turner for all ages. The illustrations are bright and creative. True to all Dr. Suess books, the words are rhyming and imaginative. Dr. Suesss ABC book focuses on each letter at a time and lists a quirky rhyme of words to match that particular letter. The pattern is predictable, for example, each letter starts with the rhyme, Big _, little _, what begins with_? This book has been around since the early nineteen-sixties, but it still holds value as fun, entertaining, and educational for early-learners. 5. Although a baby board book, Dr. Suesss ABC is most relevant for preschoolers and kindergarteners who are beginning to learn to read and write. This book is easy to follow with a predictable pattern and helps children pronounce each letter multiple times. Each letter is shown with its capital and lowercase version, helping young children to decipher the difference. The best aspect of this book is that it is interesting and probably the best alphabet book that I have read word-wise. However, although the illustrations are bright and imaginative, I do find them unfocused and small. When read to a large group, I think that the students could lose interest in the pictures and the teacher could feel a bit exhausted as each page is a mouthful to say. I chose this book because I have been collecting Dr. Suess books since I was a small child.

6. This is a perfect book for a kindergarten alphabet unit. This unit would be focused heavily on language arts, music, and art. After reading the book, the teacher could discuss what vowels and consonants are and then give the children the opportunity to point to examples in the book. The class could then take time to learn a vowel song. Next, the children could go on an alphabet scavenger hunt, where they find objects in the classroom that start with a particular letter. Then, the students could be asked to complete a project using the letter that their name starts with. The children should be given magazines, pictures, scissors, glue, and markers and then cut and paste a photo college of pictures that correlate with their given letter. The children should take time to share their projects in front of the class.

1. I Want Your Moo, Author (Bakur Weiner, Marcella), (Neimark, Jill), Illustrator (Adinolfi, Joann), Magination Press 2009. 2. This book is appropriate for ages 4-8 years old. 3. The category (genre) for this title is Therapeutic. 4. This book is 32 pages long, 8 inches by 10 inches long, and full of colorful illustrations. The cover page depicts a large picture of a turkey and a cow, with a small red barn in the background. This book is about a turkey, named Toodles, who does not like the sound of her gobble, her stick legs, or brown feathers. Toodles does not like anything about herself at all so she goes on a mission to find a new noise and identity. Throughout the course of the book, Toodles is willing to take on any other animals traits other than her own. The story ends when Toodles is given wise advice from the owl about being her self and she uses her gobble to scare of a hawk who is about to eat some baby birds. 5. This book would be great to read to children because the words are sing-songy and fun to follow along with. Young children tend to enjoy books that incorporate animals into lessons and this book is no exception as it lists a multitude of animals and the noises that they make. However, this book is more than just entertaining; it teaches an important lesson about self-esteem and accepting yourself for who you are. This book has many appealing attributes and is written in simple terms so that children can easily comprehend the message of loving ones self. Also, in order to better help parents understand how to help their children build self-confidence, this book includes a Note to Parents. The drawback, in my opinion, is that the use of animal and there noises in childrens literature is not completely original. The illustrations are fun and creative, and

the book has many qualities that children love, but I believe I have read more astonishing work than this book. What drew me to choose this book were the illustrations on the cover page looked fun and inviting and this book also had a stamp of approval from the American Psychological Association. 6. This book would work well into a unit called, Special Me which is used to help build self-confidence. One activity would have the children all put on similar hat and look in the mirror and talk about how all though they have similarities, each person is unique. For a math activity, the teacher could have a paper cup labeled with each childs name and label it Penny For Your Thoughts and each time they contribute something thoughtful during discussion they earn a penny. The teacher can show explain thumb prints and how they are unique and have the child thumbprint their own sugar cookie and have it baked for a snack. Another great activity would be allowing the child to paste his picture in the center of a piece of paper and write special qualities about themselves around the picture.

1. Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns About Bullies, (Binkow, Howard), (Cornelison, Susan), Thunderbolt Publishing, 2008. 2. This book is appropriate for ages 5-8. 3. The category (genre) for this title is Therapeutic. 4. This book is a large, hard back book that is a part of the Howard B. Wigglebottoms series. It is 32 pages long and the cover page shows a distraught looking rabbit child, who is Howard B. Wigglebottom, being pulled by the ears by two mean looking pigs. The illustrations are creative, interesting to look at, and use a palate of cool colors throughout the pages. The phrases are repetitive, predictable, and accompany each set of illustrations, which is great for beginning readers. This book is about how Howard was being bullied at school by a set of twin pigs. He was afraid to tattle on the pigs, so he tried to use his own strategies to cope with the problem but they failed. Eventually, Howard told his teacher and she took action to stop the bullying and this made Howard feel safe and okay. 5. This book caters to beginning readers and introduces the topic of bullying in a manner that is easy for very young children to understand. The illustrations are humorous and eye-catching and the words incorporate simple but powerful phrases to get the point across. Howard tells himself many times throughout the book, Be bold, and be brave. This book teaches children the effects of bullying and also when a situation is serious to seek a teacher or adults help. I chose this book because it was on the topic of bullying and looked as though it would appeal to a very young age. I am glad that I chose this book because bullying is such a serious issue in schools today; I feel that it should be taught at the pre-k level.

6. This book should be introduced early in the school year into a theme about bullying. After reading the book, the children should be able to define what bullying is. Together, the class should make a poster defining the difference between tattling and reporting. They class should takes time to role-play conflict resolution scenarios. The teacher can also do a tooth paste activity where she places a strip of masking tape on a table. Next

she can ask a volunteer to place the tooth paste along the strip of tape. After the volunteer finishes she can ask them to put the toothpaste back into the tube, which cannot happen. This demonstrates the idea that hurtful words cannot be taken back. The teacher should have the children take home an anti-bullying contract and have them and their parents sign it.

1. My Name Is Yoon, (Recorvits, Helen), (Swiatkowska, Gabi), (Keats, Ezra),Farrar, Status and Giroux, 2003. 2. This book is appropriate for ages 4-8 years old.

3. The category (genre) for this title is Multi-cultural.

4. This book is 32 pages long, has a hard cover, and is beautifully illustrated with painted pictures. The front page shows the title in bright red and a large picture of a young Korean girl with a pencil and paper. This book is about a young girl whose family recently moved to America from Korea. When she first moves to America she doesnt like it and wants to move back to her old home. Her father tells her that she has to learn to read and write in English, which she is not too happy about. In Korean her name looks like happy, dancing figures. But in English, the name Yoon looks like lines and circles standing alone, which is how Yoon feels about herself in America. Yoon is not sure that she wants to keep her name, so she tries out new names to express her inner feelings. She calls herself a cat and imagines herself hiding in a corner, a bird and imagines herself flying back to Korea, and a cupcake to gain acceptance from her peers. The illustrations tell a deep story as well as they depict the emotions that Yoon experiences perfectly.

5. This book is great for children in Kindergarten through 2nd grade because the words are simple and written in first person, child-like form. The words sentences are simple and fun for beginning readers to pronounce. Even if children cannot read, the illustrations provoke a more powerful message than the words, in my opinion. The paintings in the book are amazing and truly show the emotions of Yoon. In the beginning the classroom looks stark and disconnected, the teacher looks mean, and there is a picture of a boy who looks like he is laughing at her. Toward the end, when Yoon starts feeling more at home, the characters become more humanized and look happy and funny. 6. This book could be incorporated into a language arts/ reading them about other countries. After reading the book, teacher should introduce the poem, Languages that my Neighbors Speak and ask the children about the different languages that they know of. The children should paste this poem in their journal and take time to answer (in sentence or picture form) questions about their own heritage and if there was ever a time that they felt alienated and how did they deal with their situation. While the children are working in their journals, the teacher can help each child look up the meaning of their name on the computer. On a poster board, the children should decorate a name card, answer whether or not the meaning of their name fits their personality, and use the letters of their name to choose adjectives to describe themselves. The class should take time to share these with one another.

1. I Love Saturdays y Domingos, (Flor Ada, Alma), (Savadier, Elivia), Atheneum Books For Young Readers, 2004. 2. This book is appropriate for ages 4-8 years old. 3. The category (genre) for this title is Multicultural. 4. This is a paper-back story about a young girl who has a Euro-American mother and a Mexican father. On the cover is an illustration of a young girl opening a window and looking elated. Behind her is two sets of grandparents, one set has dark skin and eyes and the other has white skin and red and blonde hair. In this story the girl spends Saturdays with her Euro-American grandparents and Sundays, or Domingos, with her MexicanAmerican grandparents. At each house, she does very different activities and eats different food. She also listens to different stories about her heritage and speaks different languages. However, when her 7th birthday party happens everyone joins together and gets along because they are united in love for their granddaughter. 5. A one-paragraph (at least 6 sentences) critique of the book. Why would it be good for use with this age group of children? How could it be used? You may mention: theme, content, illustrations, language use, model behaviors, or other criteria from class discussion or text. What drawbacks might this book have? What made you select it? This book is good for children kindergarten through 2nd grade because it is specifically written and published for beginning readers. The words are large and the sentences are simple. There are Spanish words woven throughout the book that are easy for children to pick up on. I think that most children can relate to spending time with grandparents, or perhaps another relative. This book gives children the opportunity to think about their own heritage. I chose this book because it looked like something that many children in

my county could relate to as there is a growing population of Mexican-American families. 6. After the teacher reads this book, the children should make their own English/Spanish dictionary by using words that are found in the book and any other words that the class can come up with on their own. For a math activity, the children should learn the Spanish numbers, 1-8. The children should then fold a paper into eight and write the numbers both in English and Spanish and draw pictures representing the appropriate value. For a writing activity the children can write about or draw about a time that they spent time with their grandparents or significant other relative if they dont have grandparents. For a social studies activity the teacher can send out a parent letter explaining the unit they are working on and invite the children to bring something to share with the class that represents their heritage.

1. Four Seasons Make A Year, (Rockwell, Anne), (Halsey, Megan), Walker Childrens 2004. 2. This book is appropriate for ages 4-8 years old.

3. The category (genre) for this title is Seasonal.

4. This is a large, hard-cover book. The title is shown in a fancy yellow frame and around the frame there are four different pictures of the same girl during a different season. The illustrations are filled with beautiful colors in collage-styled form. This book is about a girl who describes the changing seasons as she observes them from her familys farm. During spring, she talks about snow melting, rain falling, birds singing, and planting a sunflower seed. In the summer, plants sprout, she goes swimming in the pond, her sunflower grows tall, and her family sells squash and corn at a roadside farm stand. In the fall she talks about the leaves changing and pumpkins being the crop of choice for her families farm stand. In the winter, she talks about snow and cold weather and that she has saved the seeds from her sunflower to feed to the birds. 5. This book is a good story for introducing the different seasons to young children because it is written in child-like terms. It is also very well-organized and comes to a full circle with the use of a sunflower. The illustrations in this book are bright and colorful and add meaning to the text. This book helps children understand the different seasons by using language about weather and the different colors in the illustrations. The book also helps children understand the concept of plant life through reading about the sunflower growing and the crops that the girl and her family sell at their stand.

6. This works well into a theme about farming and plant life. The teacher could contact a local Farm Bureau and request some farming magazines. The teacher could give the children an opportunity to color a season wheel and paste pictures from the magazines of different farming activities onto the appropriate season. The teacher could also request a local farmer to be a pen pal throughout the course of the year and the class could write to him about the different seasons, weather, rain, and crops. The class should also have a chart for the weather and seasons that they discuss during circle time each day.

7. This book may be found at the Jay County Public Library.

1. The Story of Americas Birthday, (Pingry, Patricia), (Venturi-Pickett, Stacy), Candy Cane Press, 2000. 2. This book is appropriate for ages 2-10 years old.

3. The category (genre) for this title is Holiday and Board Book.

4. This book is medium-sized, sturdy with round edges, with 26 easy-to-turn pages. The front cover shows the title in large patriotic letters and two small illustrated pictures of people holding a flag and Thomas Jefferson signing the Declaration of Independence. The text is very simple and the illustrations are detailed, in order to introduce the topic of why we celebrate the 4th of July as Americas Birthday. This book introduces the American Revolution, the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and helps children understand the significance of the 4th of July.

5. This book works well with toddlers through early elementary. This book is particularly great for toddlers because it lays out a history lesson in very simple terms. The pictures are very detailed and accompany the text very well. However, the pictures are not as large and focused as many baby board books are. The text is also not as large and as bold as I think it should be for beginning readers. However, I do believe that because this book is in the form of a baby board book, young children will love turning the pages and looking at the pictures repetitively and repetition is how they learn. I chose this book because it was a history lesson and a holiday book that was geared toward early learners.

6. This is a perfect book for a social studies unit on Americas history. After reading the book the teacher can ask the children to define why we celebrate the 4th of July and any traditions that they may have. The teacher could use magnetic pictures to create a timeline on the board of the history of America that was presented in the book. If possible the teacher could find clothing that looks like those that were worn during the American Revolution for the children to view. The children should also be given an opportunity to act out scenes such as the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The class could then set up a birthday party for America. The children could make crowns to wear out of pre-cut read, white, and blue stars. They could have watermelon, bananas, and blueberries to go along with the color theme. The children should also take time to listen and learn classic patriotic songs. This is also a good time to introduce the pledge of allegiance to young toddlers. The children could then use paint to create an American Flag and their hand-prints to create fireworks.

7. This book may be found at the Jay County Public Library

1. Ninety-Three In My Family, (Perl, Erica), (Lester, Mike) Little, Harry N. Abrams 2006. 2. This book is appropriate for ages 1-8 years old. 3. The category (genre) for this title is Family. 4. This is book is the size of a standard letter and has a hard cover. The front page is a picture of a large clothes line, with various sized red and white pajamas, and animals hanging off the line and in the basket. The cartoons illustrations in the book look similar to those printed in a newspaper, but with brighter colors. This is a humorous story about a boy explaining to his teacher that he has ninety-three members in his family which includes, 27 owls, 11 dogs, some lions, tigers, armadillos, frogs, a pygmy hippo named Bernice, Mommy and Daddy, 10 cats, his sisters gerbil, 6 goldfish, and his two sisters. The words are written in an energetic and matter-of-fact tone and the story gets quite silly when the boy describes his crazy family scenarios. For example, he says that when they are done bathing his sisters mop the floors, while he blow dries the owls! The pictures are silly as well as one page shows a picture of a fish holding up a no anchovies sign when the family orders pizza. 5. This book would be great for children in kindergarten through third grade because it is a fun, counting book. There are not too many words and every other sentence

rhymes, which make it easy for young children to listen and follow along. Some of the scenarios that the boy tells the teacher are so quirky that I could see children laughing while trying to imagine such exaggerated stories. The best part about this book is that each of the characters is introduced at different times in the story, so children can keep track of how many there are throughout the course of the story. I selected this story because I knew it was a counting book and that it would be relatable and fun for children with its use of family and tons of pets as characters. 6. This is a perfect book to accompany a math and counting unit. The teacher can keep a large tally chart while reading the book so that the class can chart and count how many family members they encounter throughout the story. Not only are the children learning to count, but they are also learning addition and subtraction when the teacher asks questions about how many they have already counted and how many more are left to be counted. When the story is finished, the teacher should ask the children if they can count how many people are in their household and who has the most pets and chart it on the tally board. Next, the teacher should have the children draw a picture of their house and all who live in it and hang them in the classroom.

7. This book may be found at the Jay County Public Library.

1. D.W Thinks Big, (Brown, Marc), Little, Brown, & Company, 1993. 2. This book is appropriate for ages 4-6 years old. 3. The category (genre) for this title is Family.

4. This book is medium-sized, with a paperback cover. This book is a part of Marc Browns famous Arthur Adventure Series. The front cover is bordered with wedding bells, shows a bride and Arthur in the background, and D.W holding a bouquet of flowers and looking happy. This book starts out by D.W and her family getting ready for her Aunt Lucys wedding. D.W is jealous because her brother, Arthur, and her cousin, Cora, get to be the ring bearer and flower girl. The book goes through the wedding process and at each step D.W feels left out because she does not have a part in the wedding. However, at the end of the book Arthur drops the ring in a vent while walking it down the aisle. They need someone very small to get the ring out of the vent and D.W volunteers and saves the wedding.

5. This book is good for children ages 3-8 because the words are large and easy to read. Even if the child is not able to read, the story is easy to follow and the child should be able to summarize what happened first, next, and last. I think that young children can relate to the theme of feeling left out to an older sibling or relative and wanting a bigger part in a family event. Since these books are quite popular, I think that young children would be familiar with the characters and illustrations. This book is great for introducing ideas about extended family members as it draws in other family members like aunts, uncles, and cousins. It also raises questions about family traditions and celebrations. I chose this book because it was a Marc Brown book and the theme was about a family wedding.

6. This book incorporates well into a unit about families. After reading the book, children should be able to answer questions about the size of their family and about some of the celebrations that they attend with their family. For very young children, the idea of extended family members can be confusing. The teacher can help the children grasp this idea by showing them a large picture of a family tree and filling in the members of her own family. The teacher can then solidify this idea by teaching the Family Tree song which highlights the roles and responsibilities of different family members. The teacher can give the children practice creating a family tree with a cut and paste activity. Lastly, the children should be given a large poster board and be given the chance to draw their own family tree, with teacher assistance. The children should write at the bottom of the page a few sentences about the size of their family, where they are from, and about one of the traditions they have.

1. Rain, (Spier, Peter), Yearling, 1997. 2. This book is appropriate for ages 3-8.

3. The category (genre) for this title is Wordless Picture Book.

4. This book is has a paper-back cover, which depicts a picture of a young boy and girl standing under an umbrella in a rain coat and boots with their dog in front of a swing set while it is raining. This book is about a brother and sister having fun while exploring their environment while it is pouring down rain. The book starts with small drops of rain and develops to a full out storm. The children walk through their neighborhood, splash through puddles, make foot prints in the mud, look for animals hiding, and end their journey with a hot cocoa from mom, a bath, and a warm meal. The illustrations are amazingly detailed and the colors tell a story, some items are a calm, cool color and other items such as the characters, or water flowing out of plants is vibrant.

5. This book is beautifully illustrated and the details it provides makes for endless discussion. Young children will like this book because it is told from a childrens point of view on how fun playing in the rain can be. It also allows children to use their imagination and to relate to their own experiences. Rain is a good book to introduce narratives because it gives children a chance to create their own story-line. A teacher could use this to incorporate into vocabulary lessons and encouraging children to use new words. When I saw this book it brought back memories of seeing this book at the library at Shenandoah Elementary.

6. A lesson plan centered on the theme of rain could incorporate many different subject areas. A fun activity would be to teach the children a simple song that goes, Pitter-patter, pitter-patter, listen to the rain. Then using a large cardboard box, allow the children to use the fingers, hands, and feet to make the different sounds of rain. Another activity would to allow the children draw their own story about a rainy day and make it into a paper book. A good time to do this unit would be in the spring so that the class could discuss the different clouds, precipitation, and necessity of rain.

1. Chalk, (Thompson, Bill), Two Lions, 2010. 2. This book is appropriate for ages 3-8 years old.

3. The category (genre) for this title is Wordless Picture Book.

4. This is a large, hard-cover book that shows a huge green dinosaur on the front and the title is written in chalk-like letters. The book starts out with a picture of three children under an umbrella and one child has a bag with stars on it, they all look inside the bag and see many pieces of chalk. One child takes a piece of chalk out and draws the sun and the rain stops. The children then draw butterflies, a dinosaur, and a rain cloud. The childrens chalk drawings come to life. At first it is fun but the children become frightened as the dinosaur stalks them. However, the book is resolved when the drawing of the rain cloud bursts with precipitation and dissolves the dinosaur. The illustrations look like they were computerized, but Bill Thompson actually created them using acrylic paint and colored pencils.

5. Young children will love this book because it is full of action. The pictures are so vibrant, focused, and fun to look at that there would be no problem keeping their attention. This book is great for helping children expand their imagination and would be a good book for at-risk readers because the pictures can help guide them to create words. This book would good for introducing the topic of conflict and resolutions in a story. This book definitely had my attention from the cover, the illustrations are of the best I have ever seen.

6. This book could be used on a unit about narratives. To start with the teacher could show the pages of this book on a white board and ask the children to either make up words as a class, or possible write independently. Have the children getting in pairs and

share or act out their stories. Next, ask the children what they would draw if they were given magic chalk. Then, give the children the opportunity to make a chalk drawing on a large piece of paper and share with the class. Allow the children a chance to discuss and interpret each others pictures. To further extend, their reading on this book the class could start graphing the amount and time it rains each day and what activities they participated in that day on a classroom board.

7. This book may be found at the Jay County Public Library.

1. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, (Numeroff, Laura), (Bond, Felicia), HarperCollins, 2010. 2. This book is appropriate for ages 2-8.

3. The category (genre) for this title is Predictable.

4. On the front cover is a picture of mouse in coveralls and holding a chocolate chip cookie. The illustrations are cute, focused, simple, and use primary colors throughout. The story is a funny tale about a boy who gives a mouse a cookie and it unfolds one consequence after another. If you give a mouse a cookie, then he will want a glass of milk. If you give him a glass of milk then he will want a mirror to check if he has a milk mustache. The mirror leads to needing scissors for a haircut, a broom to clean up, and so on. The boy follows the mouse around and gives him whatever he needs. By the end of the book, the house is in shambles and the mouse starts in on his second cookie. The last part of the book says, If you give a mouse a cookie, chances are hell want a cookie to go with it, which brings the reader right back to the beginning of the story. 5. This book is great for young children because it truly is funny. The children can guess what is going to happen next on every page. There are not many words and the illustrations are focused and simple, which makes it a great read-aloud book for a group of preschoolers or elementary-aged students. This is a perfect book for introducing the concept of cause and effect in literature. I chose this book because I read it many times to

the two and three year olds I worked with at a daycare. This book always made the kids laugh and was a crowd pleaser. 6. This book incorporates into a language arts lesson on cause and effect. The teacher should explain to the children while reading If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, the first sentence on the page describes something that might happen and that is the cause. The second part of the story describes something already happened and that is the effect. After the story is finished ask the children to think of a time they asked their parents for something, and describe what happened as a result. Then, give the children a large wheel and ask them to draw what the mouse wanted next in each section until the story comes full circle. Pair them up with another student and have them tell the story using the wheel. The class should then take a poll of what kinds of cookies they like and graph it on a class chart. Next, the teacher should ask the children how to bake cookies and demonstrate how to make them in front of the class. The children should write or draw the steps of the recipe on a folded piece of paper.

7.This book may be found at the Jay County Public Library

1. Today is Monday, (Carle, Eric), Puffin, 1997. 2. Your assessment of the age/ages (give in years) this book is appropriate for ages 1-5.

3. The category (genre) for this title is Predictable.

4. Today is Monday is durable board book with thick, easy-to-turn pages. The illustrations are designed in classic Eric Carle fashion, with collage-styled pictures and interesting colors. In this story, each day of the week is featured with a different animal and food. It is a cumulative story so the text is repeated many times. On Monday is a porcupine eating string beans, Tuesday is a snake eating spaghetti, Wednesday is elephant eating soup, Thursday is cats eating roast beef, Friday is pelican eating fresh fish, Saturday is foxes eating chicken, and Sunday is monkeys eating ice cream. The story ends with children eating all of the different foods at a table and there are pictures of all of the animals in the background.

5. The storyline in this book is very simple and repetitive which makes it especially great for toddlers. Young children would really love this book because you can sing along to it and some of the things the animals eat are funny to say, like snakes eating spaghetti. Children always tend to enjoy Eric Carles illustrations because they are interestingly constructed and colorful. This is a great book for learning the days of the week. It is also a great book for learning animals and different foods. This book does have some drawbacks, however. The storyline is very simple and could get boring for older children. There is also a picture of a fox with a dead chicken in his mouth, which may offend some parents. I chose this book because it was an Eric Carle book and I think he does amazing work.

6. This book could easily be incorporated into music and movement by singing the words to the tune of a song and allowing the children to make the corresponding animal sounds/movements. This book is great for helping the children define the parts of the day and days of the week. The teacher could make a large poster board with the days of the week divided into seven different sections. Next, have the children use play food that goes along with the book and put it on the right day of the week. Next, review the childrens daily routine and put it in a sequence. For an art project, the teacher could ask the children to draw a picture of their favorite meal.

7. This book can be found at the Jay County Public Library.

1. The Ugly Duckling, (Anderson, Hans), (Pinkney,Jerry), HarpersCollins,1999. 2. This book is appropriate for ages 4-8 years old.

3. The category (genre) for this title is Folktale.

4. This is a hardcover book with a beautiful, water-color painting of a duck hatching out an egg. This is told as the original folktale, with no twists. The story starts out with a mother bird watching her six eggs hatch. The first eggs hatch, but the sixth egg is large and awkward and hatches last. When the sixth egg comes out of the shell the mother calls it monstrous and thinks it must be a turkey. The other ducks make fun of the sixth duck for being ugly and they chase, peck, and kick him aside. The ugly duckling hides out with a hen and an old lady at a cottage. After a long, hard winter the duckling goes back out into the pond where he sees the flock of ducks he was born from. Surprisingly the ducks let him follow them and when he sees his reflection in the water he realizes that its because he is a beautiful swan. 5. This is a great classic story to use for character building. Since bullying is a huge issue in todays schools this is a great reminder for children to be kind to one another. It also gives children who may feel like an outcast that they will come into their own person one day. I think young children will like looking at the water color illustrations as they read. The words are on the smaller side and at times lengthy, which could be a drawback for beginning readers or an audience of young listeners. Overall, I chose this story because it is so popular around the world and it provides an important message for young children.

6. This story is a great way to discuss bullying and having good character. After reading the story the teacher should ask the children to think about when the ugly duckling left the group, how could they write the story so that the other ducklings were more kind? Also, think about how the ugly duckling could have stayed and resolved his issues by talking to ducklings and his mother about the bullying. A great follow up activity is to put ten different colored ducks into a water table and have the children count how many are there, how many are a certain color, and discuss how they are alike and different. For a language arts and art activity, have the children draw their favorite part of the story and help them label their picture. Put all the pictures in order and display it as a class book.

7. This book can be found at the Jay County Public Library.

1. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Fly, Author (Taback, Simms), Viking Juvenile, 1997. 2. Your assessment of the age/ages (give in years) this book is appropriate for 3-8.

3. The category (genre) for this title is Folktale.

4. This is a hard-cover book, with a vivid painting of an old lady with a shocked expression. This book has the original poem, but with modern illustrations. The old lady swallows a fly, spider, cow, dog, cat, bird, goat, and a horse. What makes this book interesting is the fact that the old lady has a die-hole in her belly and each time you turn the page you can see what she has eaten. The illustrations are vivid and the words are written in large font and highlighted in bright font. There are also humorous side jokes being made by animals in the background and silly information like a recipe for spider soup. 5. I chose this book because the illustration on the front was intriguing. The illustrations are truly captivating and I think that any child would enjoy looking at this book. You could use this book to teach you children about poems and rhymes. There are also a lot of animals that they can identify. However, I had forgotten that every paragraph of the poem ends with, Perhaps shell die The story also ends with her dying because she ate a horse. I wouldnt want my students repeating that phrase, so I would only use this book if I hid or replaced that phrase. 6. To help young children learn to spell, clean out an old bottle of Aunt Jemimas syrup to use as the old lady. Next use four-inch pipe cleaners and alphabet letters to spell out the words that the old lady ate. After you are finished have the children put their words into the bottle. For a language arts lesson, let the children create their own version of the story by filling in what they want the old lady to eat. For an art project give the children a cut out of an old lady, have them cut out the mid-section and replace it with a clear baggie and color pictures of what the old lady ate and glue it all together. The teacher could also help the children pick out the rhyming words in this story and the class should brainstorm alternate endings the story.

1. The Movable Mother Goose, (Sabuda, Robert), Little Simon: Pop Edition,1999. 2. This book is appropriate for ages 3-7 years old.

3. The category (genre) for this title is Nursery Rhyme.

4. This is a large, hardcover book with a very bright picture of a mother goose made from geometric shapes. The most interesting aspect of this book is that there are large intricate pop-up sections on each page. The colors are vivid and each section is impeccably designed. This book features traditional nursery rhymes, but with a unique twist. For example, The Man on the Moon features alien like features in the illustrations, Little Bo-Peep is a sheepdog, Little Miss Muffet is a fly with a good reason to be scared of a fly, and Jack Be Nimble is a grasshopper.

5. This book is truly amazing to look at. It had a much more modern book than the other mother goose books I could have chosen. Children love pop-up books, and this would be a good book for reading as a group and having the children demonstrate the different pop-up sections. The classic nursery rhymes are perfect for encouraging speech development and listening skills. However, the different little twist offer a creative perspective to think about when hearing these rhymes. The major drawback to this book

is that the pop-up sections can be delicate and young children can easily damage them. The words are also small and the different sections on each page are not focused and quite busy.

6. This is a good book for a language arts lesson on introducing rhymes to young children. Before the story begins, the teacher should ask the children to recite some of their favorite nursery rhymes that they already know. When reading the story, ask the children to guess what next rhyme is going to be based on the illustrations and talk about the words that rhyme. For an art project the teacher could have the children create their own pop-up books. For a dramatic play activity the children could act out nursery rhyme characters and have the other students guess who they are. To continue this lesson, the teacher could invite the students to bring in their favorite nursery rhyme books to share with the class.

1. Hickory, Dickory, Dock and Other Favorite Nursery Rhymes, Rescek, Sanja, Magi Publications, 2006. 2. This book is appropriate for ages 0-6 years.

3. The category (genre) for this title is Nursery Rhymes .

4. This is a medium-sized baby board book. The outside of the book is cushioned and the pages are heavy cardstock with rounded pages. The cover page is a warm yellow with a red border, the title is bright blue with child-like font, and the picture is of a simple clock with a purple mouse on top. This book features 20 different classic nursery rhymes beginning with Ring-a-Round-the-Rosie and ending with Little Boy Blue. The pictures are large and focused and the background colors are bright and interesting. Most of the drawings show children as the main characters and the font is large and simply formatted.

5. This book would be especially great for babies and toddlers because it does not have sharp edges, it is easy to hold, and the pages are easy to turn. This is a good book to introduce classic literature and help babies learn and explore speech and listening skills. The illustrations also work well for young children because they are large, centered, and accompany each rhyme perfectly. I chose this book because it is one that we own at home and I have seen how well it has captivated my son as a baby and a young toddler.

6. This works well for a language arts lesson on nursery rhymes for young toddlers. You could choose a different nursery rhyme from the book to focus on each day of the week. For example, with Baa, Baa, Black Sheep you could paint using cotton balls, put

cotton balls in the water table, add cotton balls and straws to the block area so the children could construct sheep farms, and you could also sing sheep songs during circle time. For Hickory Dickory Dock you could create and paint paper clocks and you could put pomp-pomps with eyes on them in the block area to represent mice. You could also play a musical game called, Musical Clocks and serve cheese and crackers as a mice related snack. Nursery Rhyme themes are fun and can easily be incorporated into each section of the classroom.

1. Sergio Saves the Game, Rodriguez, Edel, Little, Brown Books For Young Readers, 2009. 2. This book is appropriate for ages 3-7.

3. The category (genre) for this title is Animal Story.

4. This is book is medium sized, with a hard cover. The front page shows a penguin with a red scarf kicking a soccer ball. This is an adorable story about a little penguin named, Sergio, who wants to be a soccer star but in reality he is really horrible at it. Sergio is always chosen last by his friends and his parents even try to convince him to try hockey instead, but Sergio insists that he loves soccer. His mom suggests that he should try to be the goalie and Sergio thinks that is a great idea. Sergio practices hard and even when he struggles he doesnt give up. When the championship game against the Seagulls comes along, Sergio plays really well and he saves the game in a very comical way- with the ball stuck right between his beak!

5. This is a great book for character building in the preschool and early elementary classroom. Sergio shows the value in hard work and persistence to achieve a goal. Young children will love this book because it is really funny and has lots of action. The illustrations show the animals doing human like activities such as watching sports on t.v, sleeping in a decorated bedroom, eating breakfast, and playing soccer. The illustrations are digitally created and using an interesting palate of mint green, orange, and a hint of red. I definitely think the pictures could keep childrens attention during circle time. The words are also simple and highlighted for early readers. The drawback to this book is that the pages are very thin and rip easy, and they also stick together easily. I chose this book

because I read it to my son and had to buy it. It is a top-favorite for my little boy who loves sports. I like it because it has a positive message about winning.

6. This book can be used to discuss persistence and goal setting. Ask the children questions about how it feels when they achieve a goal and how this book could have been different if Sergio would have given up. When Sergios teammates are rude to him, ask the children to think of better ways they could have encouraged Sergio. At the end of the book, take a large poster board and have the students come up with a list of classroom goals to achieve. This book also is a good book for introducing the function of a verb. The children could draw their own version of Sergio doing an activity of their choice and come up with some verbs to describe their illustration and share with the class.

1. Tarra and Bella, Buckley, Carol, Putnum Juvenile, 2009. 2. Your assessment of the age/ages (give in years) this book is appropriate for all ages.

3. The category (genre) for this title is Animal Story.

4. This is a hard-cover book with a photograph of an elephant and a yellow dog sitting under her tusk on the cover. This book is about an elephant, named Tarra, who was a star in the circus. Tarra appeared on the t.v show, Little House on the Prairie and was a standout performer on the stage, but she was growing old and had to retire. Tarra was the first resident at an elephant sanctuary in Tennessee. Even when other elephants moved in and formed close bonds, Tarra remained a loner. However, when a mix-breed dog named, Bella, moved to the sanctuary, the two bonded immediately. They ate together, swam together, walked together, and even learned to talk together. One day, Bella got hurt and went missing and Tarra was depressed and would not move. The elephant sanctuary workers found Bella hurt in the woods and took her to get surgery. Tarra laid by Bella through her recovery. 5. This is a beautiful story about friendship. Children will love that it is a true story and the photographs tell a powerful story. This book could be used to promote community in the classroom. There is also information in this book about the different kinds of elephants and also information about the elephant sanctuary in Tennessee, so there is a lot for the children to explore. The theme of animals and friendship is appealing to all audiences, especially children. 6. A fun activity to accompany this story would be to go to the link listed at the back of the book and watch a live stream of the elephant sanctuary in Tennessee. The children could see if they can recognize any of the different breed of elephants listed in the book. You could also use this book to discuss the importance of friendships and the qualities of being a good friend. For an art activity you could have the children pair up and paint pictures of one another and they could also make friendship bracelets. To incorporate

music, the children could sing 1,2,3 Best Friends and teach them the song in Spanish as well. The children could also write or draw a letter to their best friend.

1. Where the Wild Things Are, Sendak, Maurice, Harper Collins; Anniversary Edition, 2012. 2. This book is appropriate for ages 4-8 years old.

3. The category (genre) for this title is Fantasy.

4. A one-paragraph (at least 6 sentences) summary of the book. What is it about? What does it look like? What happens in the book? This is a hard-cover book with the picture of a monster in a forest with a sailboat in the background. The illustrations are beautiful, detailed, and interesting to look at. The story is about a mischievous little boy named, Max, who while wearing a wolf costume was causing trouble and got sent to his room with no dinner by his mother. While Max was in his room a forest started growing until there were vines hanging off his ceiling. Then, a private sailboat came for Max and he spent a year traveling to where the wild things are. Max became the king of all wild things and he sent them to bed without

supper. Max became lonely and decided to go home where people loved him and the story ends with him eating a hot supper. 5. This book is truly a classic! Children have loved this book for decades because of the amazing illustrations and the genius imagination displayed throughout. The language is simply, but powerful and perfect for early readers. The pictures are also so fun that even children who cant read can tell the story. Most children can relate to using their imagination to get them through times of boredom or trouble. This book could be used to talk about plots in stories, plants and jungles, and animals. 6. This book could be incorporated into a language arts lesson about plots in stories. When finished reading this book, ask the children what happened in the beginning, middle, and end. To incorporate science, ask the children if they could really grow a jungle in their room and how long would it take. Bring in different kinds of seeds and plant magazines to explore. Do an experiement in the classroom by planting a flower and placing it in a dark corner and the other in a window. Journal the flowers growth and discuss the importance of sunlight for plants growth. Next, ask the children what they wild things looked like and who they were. Then, brainstorm the parts of the animals and explore different types of animals. As an art project, have the children create their own Thing using different features of animals.

1. Harold and the Purple Crayon, Johnson,Crockett, HarperFestival,2012. 2. This book is appropriate for ages 3-5 years old.

3. The category (genre) for this title is Fantasy.

4. This is a baby-board style book with a black background and a picture of a baby with a purple crayon coloring the background with squiggles. The book starts with a simple black and white illustration of a baby named, Harold. Harold decides he wants to go on a walk in the moonlight, so he draws himself a moon and a sidewalk with his purple crayon. Next, Harold takes a shortcut off the page and draws himself a small forest. Harold then drew a terrifying dragon that scared him and his purple marker started squiggling and he found himself in an ocean and drew himself a sailboat to save himself. Harold sailed to the beach and drew himself a picnic with 9 different pies and fed his left overs to a Moose and porcupine. Harold then decided to turn a hill into a mountain where he hoped to see his home, he started to fall off the mountain and so he drew himself a balloon and then when he landed he drew a house, which led to him drawing a city. The story ends with Harold leaving the city and heading home where he drew his covers on and dropped the crayon. 5. Young children love this book because it is so imaginative. Its especially great for children because it is sturdy and the pages are easy to turn. This book keeps young minds guessing what will happen next and what Harold will draw in each situation. The words and illustrations are simple, but keep the audiences attention. This book could be used for teaching young children about the color purple, mixing primary colors, and mapping. I chose this book because it has been around since 1955 and is still widely read and used in early childhood classrooms.

6. A fun art activity for this book is teaching the children about primary colors and allowing them to mix different paints to come up with new colors. Another art activity would be to give the children different cut-outs of purple shapes and allow them arrange their picture on a black piece of paper and color over it with a purple crown. Another idea that incorporates social studies is teaching the children about maps and helping them create a map of their neighborhood in purple crayon.

1. Whose Feet ?, (Rowe, Jeanette), OBrien Press Ltd, 2000. 2. This book is appropriate for 2-5 years old.

3. The category (genre) for this title Flap Book.

4. This is a hard-cover book with large brightly colored font and a picture of duck feet on the front. The illustrations are simple, multi-colored, and outlined in a heavy black line. There are not many words in this book. Each page begins with the question, Whose feet? The animal is covered by a flap except for its feet and when the child pulls the flap up the animal is revealed and there is also a text that says what the animal is. This book is predictable, which makes it fun for toddlers and preschoolers to repeat. The book ends by saying, Whose feet are cutest? and the answer is, Mine!.

5. This book is great for young children because it encourages them to make predictions. This book also engages discussions about comparing and contrasting different animal and human features. Reading this book also familiarizes children with different types of animals. Older children could easily become bored with this book because it is so simple and predictable. However, the simple text and large, bright colors are perfect for very small children and is the reason that I chose this book.

6. I would encorporate this book into a science lesson about the human body and the function of our feet. For a discovery activity, the children could remove their shoes and

socks and be given to feel different textures with their feet, like cotton balls, brushes, icecubes, sand, rock, and a sponge. To incorporate math, the children could count their toes and compare toe sizes. They could also learn different terminology like, Achilles tendon, ankle, arch, heel, and sole. To incorporate movement, the children could play Simon Says with feet movements. As an ending discussion, as the children to think about reasons that we wear shoes.

1. My First Spanish Word Book, Author (Wilkes,Angela), DK Preschool,1993. 2. This book is appropriate for ages 1-5.

3. The category (genre) for this title is Reference.

4. This is a large, hard-cover book with over sixty pages of photographs. The front page has the title in the center and around the outside are many pictures of common household items and the Spanish and English word is listed underneath. The book begins with a note to parents about the importance of reading, talking, and introducing languages at an early age and it is written in both Spanish and English. Next, there is a table of contents and the book is organized into twenty-six different sections. The topics covered range from home-life, family personal care/routines, school, park, grocery shopping, and many more. The photographs are large, realistic, and relatable to children.

5. This is a great book for young children because it uses images and themes that they are familiar with. Parents or teachers can use this book to teach English speaking children Spanish words or Spanish speaking children new English words. It has also been proven that learning a new language should be introduced at a young age because the brain loses its language flexibility after 12 years of age. Im not sure if there has been an updated version of this book yet or not, but a major drawback is that the styles of clothing, housing dcor and furniture, and technology is very early nineties. I chose this book because I have an interest in the Spanish language and culture. Also, I am a firm believer that foreign languages should be taught at an earlier age.

6. This book could be further extended by labeling the important areas and toys around the room in both Spanish and English. For a math unit the children could learn to count to ten in Spanish. The children could also learn a song about the days of week and months in Spanish. I have done this while subbing in a kindergarten classroom and the children loved it! You could incorporate art by going over the names of colors that were listed in the book and then having the children use the names of Spanish colors while painting. For a social studies lesson, it is a good idea to point the names of Spanish speaking countries on a map. Then, you can focus on one country, like Mexico, and talk about the climate, flags, and culture.

1. Hands Are Not for Hitting, Author (Agassi, Martine, P.h.D), Illustrator (Heinlen,Marieka), Free Spirit Publishing 2002. 2. This book is appropriate for ages 4-6. 3. The category (genre) for this title is Non-Fiction. 4. This is a paperback book with the picture of the two children smiling on the cover. One of the children on the cover is holding a plant and the other child is holding a worm. There is a baby book version of this story aimed at the 1-3 age range, but this book is more detailed and aimed at an audience that has a better attention span. The book begins with a picture of a bunch of hands and says that hands come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. The next pages says that hands are for saying hello and lists ways to say hello in about six different languages. The book then explains that hands are for communicating. It then explains that hitting is wrong and hurts and offers reasons why people hit. The book then guides that children through positive ways to let their feelings out like using our words, playing, learning, building, working together, and making music. The book ends by asking the child what he or she should do when they dont get along with their friends and offers healthy suggestions for resolutions. The books ends by saying hands are for saying good bye and list many ways to say goodbye in other languages. 5. This is an important lesson for young children to learn. As early childhood teachers, we play an important role in teaching children what is socially acceptable and how to regulate emotions. This book does an amazing job of getting the point across that hitting is wrong because it hurts people physically and emotionally. It also offers great ways to use your hands. Young children will love it because it is engaging it asks the children if they can do certain things like shake a partners hand and sing a little tune. It also asks them open-ended questions about what they would do in certain situations. I like that this book also includes all races and the pictures are very large and bright so the children can easily see during circle time. I do not see any drawbacks to this book and I love that it has

a version that is appropriate for different age groups. I chose this book because I have a 2 year old and he needed to hear this lesson. This is a book I am considering buying! 6. This is a perfect book to work into a social/emotional unit on regulating emotions. I would teach the children some basic words in sign language and talk about how we use our hands to communicate. I would then take their pictures doing this and make a large classroom poster. For an art project, I would tie paintbrushes together and have groups of children set at an easel and paint a picture together and talk about what it was like working together. For math, we could trace and measure our hands and then make it into a classroom helping hand chain. List an idea for incorporating this book into a theme or curriculum unit. (math, science, reading/language arts, social studies, music, dramatic play, holidays, seasons, colors, etc.) This should be at least one full paragraph.

1. Swirl by Swirl, Author (Sidman, Joyce), Illustrator (Krommes, Beth), Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011. 2. Your assessment of the age/ages (give in years) this book is appropriate for 3-8.

3. The category (genre) for this title is Non-Fiction. 4. This book is a hard-cover and is beautifully illustrated. The front cover has a large picture of a snail with a rose, sunflower, and other swirled green plants in the background. The Ss on the title are also swirled. There are not many words to this book, just a couple short sentences every couple page that rhyme. The book explores the spiral shape and all the places it can be found in nature. The illustrations show a chipmunk snuggled in a nest, a coiled snake, a baby elephants trunk wrapped around his mother, plants, rams, bugs, waves, and many more. 5. This is a great book for children because the illustrations are truly fascinating. The author also uses a great use of descriptive and rhyming words to keep the childrens attention. This is a great book for exploring science and natural occurring shapes in our environment. I think children will be fascinated by the spiral shape and finding it in the book and on their own in nature. This book is very detailed, so in order for children to fully appreciate it they would need some time to explore the book independently. I chose this book because the illustrations on the cover were captivating.

6. This is a great book for exploring nature. The children could take their magnifying glasses and journals on a nature walk and try to find spiraled shape objects in their environment. The children could also practice making swirls by painting or using another fun textured substance like shaving cream. For music and movement, the children could use scarves to make spiraled dance movements to an upbeat song. I would see if I could get someone to donate some magazines like National Geographic and Science and Nature and allow the children to make a collage onto a poster board of spiraled shaped natural items