With school beginning soon these titles could help children and young adolescents learn more about language. Some highlight idioms or metaphors. Others discuss vocabulary and story elements. These books could be shared before reading and writing workshop or as language mini lessons. Students could be invited to write in similar styles using strong vocabulary and exciting language. We hope you enjoy these reviews from the International Reading Association's Children's Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG).
GRADES K-3
Fleming, Denise. Under ground. New York: Beach Lane Books/ Simon & Schuster.
The cover flap states, “Do you ever wonder what creatures live under the dirt beneath your feet?” In simple vocabulary and bright bold colors young children will explore what is under ground. The book begins with a robin perched in a tree looking for dinner, “Low down.” The next page shows the robin flying down to the brown earth, “Way down.” On the third page the robin pulls a pink earthworm out of a winding tunnel, “Under ground.” Children will also notice three large carrots with white roots, ants foraging in plants and three grubs buried underneath. Hidden in each illustration are toys, pottery or objects such as nails or keys. Other creatures highlighted include the shrew, mole, cicada, chipmunk, box turtle and more. Above ground a little boy and dog are planting, studying and playing. The final page includes creature identification with information about each insect and animal. The amazing illustrations were created using pulp painting, a papermaking technique using colored cotton fibers poured through hand-cut stencils.
- Deanna Day, Washington State University Vancouver
McKinlay, Meg. (2012). No bears. Illus. by Leila Rudge. New York: Bloomsbury/Walker Books.
Ella regards herself as a natural storyteller, and as is the case of many authors, she is quite opinionated about her story elements and even more particular about which characters to feature in her story and what words to use. For example, the story she plans will include a princess, a monster and elements of humor interspersed with some excitement. She has one taboo, though: Her story will contain no bears. As this budding author embellishes her fairy tale about a princess who is stolen by a monster until being foiled by "somebody" (unpaged), observant readers will realize that the bear-free story actually owes much to hard-working bear behind the scenes. The illustration on the last page brings everything together for readers. The digital illustrations and simple text show the mild-mannered bear minding her own business but also providing some essential help, unbeknownst to Ella, in every frame. Many readers will appreciate a picture book such as this one in which characters step into and out of their own stories.
- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman
Ode, Eric. (2012). Dan, the taxi man. Illus. by Kent Culotta. Tulsa, OK: Kane Miller.
This rhythmical picture book will make a great read aloud in primary classrooms because children will easily catch onto the pattern and begin to make the sounds and read along. Dan the taxi man is going to the show and picking up the band. His car says “Beep! Beep!” First, he picks up Maureen with her tambourine, “Shake-a shake, crash! Shake-a shake, crash!” Next, they pick up Tyrone with his saxophone, “Squeeba-dee dee, squeeba-dee doo!” Later they pick up Star with her electric guitar, Clair with her rattly snare and Ace with his upright bass, repeating every sound the instruments make throughout. Finally they arrive at the rockin joint for the concert. The band begins playing, but something’s missing. The musicians stop the song and run outside to get, “Dan, Beep! Beep! The taxi man.”
- Deanna Day, Washington State University Vancouver
Oelschlager, Vanita. (2009). Birds of a feather: A book of idioms and silly pictures. Illus. by Robin Hegan. Akron, Ohio: Vanita Books.
Playful pictures introduce the literal interpretation of idioms while an upside-down paragraph explains what the idiom refers to in familiar language. Double page spreads add to the understanding of each idiom, like a goose driving a car over hills of bumps referring to “goosebumps,” or a woman under an umbrella while cats and hotdogs are “raining” down on her. Each spread includes a sentence using the idiom in context. At the end of the book, the author offers a detailed explanation of idioms pointing out the humor involved within the understanding and how much fun it is to use figurative language in writing and everyday speech. ReadWriteThink offers a lesson on idioms entitled “Eye on Idioms”. Teachers who are looking for smartboard teaching ideas on the use of idioms will find several lessons at the Smart Exchange website.
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant
Oelschlager, Vanita. (2011). Life is a bowl of cherries: A book of food idioms and silly pictures. Illus. by Robin Hegan. Akron, Ohio: Vanita Books.
Food is the common thread to demonstrate the use of humorous idioms in use in today’s language and each idiom is accompanied by colorful acrylic and deliciously playful illustration. The wordplay and puns make it easy for young children to understand the use of phrases in conversation especially as these idioms relate to food. “Food for thought”, “couch potato”, “cold turkey” and “eat your words” are just a few of the idioms that are illustrated. The author includes an explanation of each idiom and uses it in a sentence for reference. Idioms are often the most difficult aspect of learning the English language for ELL students making this book a handy reference tool for teachers who have non-English speaking or early ELL students in their classrooms. The author offers suggestions for using this book at her website.
-Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant
Oelschlager, Vanita. (2012). Out of the blue: A book of color idioms and silly pictures. Illus. by Robin Hegan. Akron, Ohio: Vanita books.
The author’s new book on idioms takes on color words accompanied by the familiar childlike and colorful double-page illustrations by Robin Hegan that enhance the understanding of the featured idioms. As children look at the humorous literal interpretation of the idiom, they have to guess the real meaning and then turn the book upside-down to find the answe and explanation for use. Again, playing on idioms that create smiles and laughter, children are asked to guess what is “a red letter day” or chuckle at being “tickled pink.” At the end the author has provided a more detailed look at language usage and figures of speech. Take a look at the “Figurative Language: Teaching Idioms” lesson on ReadWriteThink.
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant
GRADES 4-6
Barton, Michael. (2012). It’s raining cats and dogs: An autism spectrum guide to the confusing world of idioms, metaphors and everyday expressions. London, U.K.: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Written for children and young adults who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) this book explains that understanding idioms is difficult for people with autism, especially children. It can also be difficult for ELL students. Though written and illustrated in a humorous style, the writing goes beyond simply illustrating idioms, it also explains how the autistic child or young adult interpret language absolutely in the literal sense and have great difficulty interpreting the references or allusions to concepts of “being a chicken” to mean being cowardly, for example. The author himself is on the autistic spectrum and so his illustrations and explanations are authentic as to how young adults interpret figurative language like metaphors and idioms. The author’s mother has written the foreword for the book to present an introduction to her son and his learning style. Clear explanations with a sly touch of humor explain many common idioms used in everyday language.
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant
Hest, Amy. (2012). Letters to Leo. Illus. by Julia Denos. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.
Fourth grade is nowhere near as enjoyable as third grade was, and Annie Rossi struggles through the days, some memorable, others miserable. One good part of the year, though, is her new dog Leo, to whom she writes letters during the school year, starting in November and ending in July. She describes herself at her best, when she's being kind to another classmate, and at her worst, when her admonishments cause her father to ride his bicycle too fast, resulting in a crash. Most of all, she misses her former teacher, Miss Meadows, and tries to tolerate her current teacher, Mrs. Bailey, who earns bonus points when her father, a published author, visits the class. It’s almost impossible not to like Annie, first introduced in Remembering Mrs. Rossi (Candlewick, 2007), partly because she's still coping with the death of her mother, but also because she is so devoted to Leo, even when he isn't the perfect pet. Annie faces quite a few changes in this book as her best friend prepares for a move to New Jersey, and her father may be moving past his own mourning. Readers will smile at the passages describing Annie’s concern for an "elderly parent" (p. 83), her father, and suggestions to help the elderly one ease back into social settings.
- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman
Klise, Kate. (2012). The phantom of the post office: 44 Old Cemetery Road: No. 4. Illus. by M. Sarah Klise. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
The titles in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series simply keep getting better and are filled with clever wordplay. Following the cleverly named Till Death Do Us Bark (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011), this fourth one brings the reader up to speed, providing background about Seymour Hope's unusual family and their lives in Spence Mansion in the aptly named town of Ghastly. Seymour, an 11-year-old boy adopted by a ghost writer Olive C. Spence, literally a ghost, and Ignatius B. Grumply, another writer, are working on their latest literary installment when they start receiving threatening fan mail. Meanwhile, the post office is scheduled to be replaced by VEXT-mail, the description of which will delight many a technophobe since it seems to be more of a hindrance to communication than an aid. A visit from M. Balm's cell phone-wielding niece Wynonna Fye (Wy Fye, for short), who becomes ill from a mysterious flu, thickens the plot of this mystery. The story is fun and filled with hints that might solve the mystery; for instance, Wy Fye is supposed to be reading The Phantom of the Opera while recuperating. All the action is described through letters, texts, and newspaper articles. What elevates the title from other mysteries and adds to its appeal are all the delightful names and word play that fill the book's pages: Sal U. Tayshuns, Sue Perstishus, for instance, and the mysterious fan or phantom's theft of the letter f, wreaking havoc on the written word, especially in the town newspaper. Readers are likely to chortle over all those ph letters substituting for the missing f.
- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman