The Rooster Who Went to His Uncle's Wedding

Author: Alma Flor Ada
Publication Date: 1996
Type of Book: Author Study Picture Book

This story is about a rooster getting reading for his uncle's wedding. On his way to the wedding he realizes how hungry he is. He notices a kernel of corn on the ground but it is in a muddy puddle. The rooster tried to resist the kernel because he didn't want to get his beak dirty but his hunger won the battle. The rooster ate the kernel and his beak became very dirty. He asked a piece of grass if it would clean his beak for him The grass said, "No I won't. Why should I?" so he continued on his way. When he saw a lamb he asked if the lamb would scare the grass to clean his beak. This pattern continued until the rooster asked the sun to dry out the water that would eventually result in the grass cleaning his beak. The sun was the only one to say yes to his request. Each morning the rooster sings his song and the sun finds that as a good enough reason to help him out. The suns agreement to help out was enough to convince everyone else to help out as well and in the end the rooster made it to his uncles wedding with a very shiny and clean beak.

When reading this story I personally got bored with the repetition but I still enjoyed reading it. I loved the bright colors present throughout the illustrations. As I was reading I also didn't understand why the Rooster didn't just clean his beak himself. Instead he asked everything he saw to help him when he could have just done it himself and continued on his way. After reading the authors note in the beginning of the story I learned that this story was based on a tale that her grandmother used to tell her. She chose the character of a Rooster because the first time she heard the story that was the character her grandmother used, despite the fact that her grandmother changed the character each time she told the story. I was surprised that no one would help the rooster out until the end of the story when he asked the sun. Everyone then changed their mind and decided to help the Rooster.

This story is great for younger readers because of the reputation. It can be used to help them practice with story structure and notice patterns within texts. Some of the pages are very wordy so for young or struggling readers this book would probably be best used as a read aloud. Older students could use this book during a study of folktales.

Image Resources:
http://almaflorada.com/the-rooster-who-went-to-his-uncle’s-wedding/

In the Cow's Backyard

Author: Alma Flor Ada
Publication Date: 1996
Type of Book: Author Study Picture Book

This story is about an ant enjoying a beautiful day outside, while lounging in a shaded hammock in the comfort of his friends backyard. One by one different animals come along and the ant invites them to join. When the hammock is so full that no one else could possibly fit their friend the elephant comes along. The ant still tells the elephant to join them because there is always room for one more. Even though the elephant couldn't fit on the hammock the elephant carried the hammock on her back with all of the animal friends on it.

I enjoyed reading this story. It was really cute and it was only after reading the authors note in the beginning of the story did the plot line make even more sense. At first I thought it was just a simple story about animals all hanging outside together. When I read the note from the author I realized that this story was based off of her own experience growing up. She spent Thanksgiving each year with her family and extra guests would always show up throughout the night. Her mother took them in with open arms always saying, "There was always room for one more." It was unique to see how Alma Flor took her childhood experience and weaved it into this book. I personally loved the message presented in this simple yet meaningful story.

I would recommend this story for younger students. The writing is very simple so they could read it on their own, in groups or listen to it as a read aloud. The message presented in the story is very important and one that students should be exposed to. Since the characters are animals they're very appealing to young children. It also a great story to use as a review of different animals and the sounds that they make.

Image References:
http://almaflorada.com/in-the-cow’s-backyard/

Esperanza Rising

Author: Pam Muñoz Ryan
Publication Date: 2000
Type of Book: Multicultural Novel

This novel was about a young girl named Esperanza who lived on a beautiful ranch in Mexico with her mother, father and all of their workers. When tragedy struck and her father ended up dead her life changed dramatically. They were forced to leave their ranch after his evil stepbrothers took it over. Esperanza, her mother and their former workers took the long journey to California where they were able to work and live at a camp. Conditions at the camp were no where near what Esperanza was used to. She had to learn how to work and take care of herself and help others around her instead of always being weighted on. During her time in America, Esperanza had to deal with her mother becoming very ill and trying to save up enough money to bring her grandmother to America to live with them. Through her perseverance Esperanza was eventually able to see the bright future they could have in America, even though she couldn't see it in the beginning.

This was a fantastic story. I enjoyed reading about Esperanza and her story about going from being seen as a queen of her fathers ranch to being a worker who lived in less than desirable conditions in America. Esperanza Rising reminded me a lot of the story I read when I was younger called The Little Princess. I really thought that Esperanza's mother was going to die and that she would never see Abuelita ever again, so I was really happy at the end of the story. I loved how this story combined determination, perseverance, sadness, strength and hope all in one.

I would recommend this story for older children because the book is longer and the material is too mature for younger audiences. Students in older elementary school could use this book during shared reading groups. This story could be used to teach about different ways people live their lives, and about the idea that things always change and the only way to get through is to be strong and keep hope in your heart.

Image References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esperanza_Rising

Sawdust Carpets

Author: Amelia Lau Carling
Publication Date: 2005
Type of Book: Multicultural Author Picture Book

This book shares the story of the Lau family who traveled to Antigua, Guatemala to celebrate Holy Week and Easter with their family. Even though the Lau family is Chinese and Buddhist they still go to Guatemala and participate in Antigua's Easter celebration. They learn all about the sawdust carpets that are created for the parade that takes place in town. The young girl in the story even gets to create her own sawdust carpet that ends up being a part of the celebration.

I truly enjoyed reading this story. I was very fascinated learning about Holy Week and Easter traditions that take place in Antigua. The information from this book is based off of real events so I was interested to learn about ways other places celebrate. I also didn't understand what a sawdust carpet was and what it was used for when I first saw the book. From reading the story, I was able to learn the purpose behind the carpets and see how much time and effort people put into their carpets only to have them destroyed during the parade.

Students would really enjoy this book because of the bright colors and the kid friendly illustrations. If this story was shared with younger students, it would be best to have it as a read aloud. It would be beneficial to have it as a read aloud, because each page contains a lot of text that may be too challenging for younger students to read on their own. The information presented is very interesting and this story would be a great way to teach students about holidays and traditions around the world.

Image References:
http://www.amazon.com/Sawdust-Carpets-Amelia-Lau-Carling/dp/088899625X

Little Eagle

Author: Chen Jiang Hong
Publication Date: 2007
Type of Book: Multicultural Author Picture Book

This book told the story of a young orphaned boy who was found by Master Yang one night. Master Yang took the boy in and raised him as his own. They lived in a small house just the two of them and Master Yang's pet eagle. One night the young boy snuck out of his bed to find Master Yang practicing Eagle boxing outside of the house. The young boy was so interested in Eagle boxing that he continued to watched Master Yang and would practice the moves he saw on his own. It wasn't until he was being bullied and he used the techniques he had been practicing that Master Yang found out about the boys secret. From that day on Master Yang decided to take the boy as his disciple. The boy grew mentally and physically throughout the course of his training. The boy was able to put his training to the test on the night that General Zhou came to their house to try and steal the secrets of Eagle boxing. It was a tough fight and in the end the boy learned that General Zhou couldn't seize the secret to Eagle boxing because it wasn't written down. The secret was inside of Master Yang and it was now inside of him.

I enjoyed reading this story about the young boy who's life was transformed because of the kindness from a stranger. If Master Yang didn't take the young boy in that one night, then he would never have received the Eagle boxing training and his life wouldn't have the same meaning that it did in the end of the story. I liked how the story showed how long it took for the boy to become a master in Eagle boxing and even when the boy wanted to give up he didn't. There were many times that the boy felt that he was a master but he was reassured by Master Yang that he still had much to learn. This story relates a lot to life because when you have a goal you have to work long and hard to achieve it. There are times you want to give up or feel that you know all that you can but you just have to keep going. In the end the reward is worth the time and effort.

I would recommend this story for upper elementary aged children because the information presented is too mature for younger audiences. The content presented wouldn't be understood by younger students. A teacher could use this story to teach students about General Zhou or it could be used to talk about goals and persistence. There are multiple uses for this story and teachers could use it in small groups or as a read aloud.

Image References:
https://lexile.com/book/details/9781592700714/

Pizza for the Queen

Author: Nancy Castaldo
Publication Date: 2005
Type of Book: Multicultural Author Picture Book

This story was about Raffaele Esposito, a pizza maker in the city of Napoli. It was a normal day for the pizza maker until one of the queens messengers arrived in his pizza shop ordering a pizza for the queen. The queen had heard her servants bragging about Raffaele's delicious pizza and she wanted to try it for herself. Rafaele tried to decide what type of pizza he would make for the queen. He went around town and collected the freshest ingredients he could find for the queens pizzas. The queen wanted to try the pizza the people of Napoli loved and that is what he was going to give her. He made three different pizzas. Two of them he had made previously but when the plan for his third pizza didn't go as expected he came up with an idea that was fit for the queen. When the queen was delivered her pizzas she couldn't believe how delicious they were. The last pizza that Raffaele had created for the queen became a staple in his pizza shop and he named it after the queen.

I thought that this was such a cute story. I enjoyed reading about the different pizzas Raffaele was going to make for the queen and his adventures he took trying to find the ingredients. I also thought it was creative how in the back of the book there is a recipe for Pizza Margherita, which is the pizza he made for the queen.

Students would definitely love this fun story. For younger students the teacher could use it as a read aloud and for older students it can be used as a read aloud or used in small groups. This book can be used to teach students about life in a different country or it could be used to introduce the genre of informational texts because it includes the recipe in the back.

Image Resources:
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/book/pizza-queen

All Different Now

Author: Angela Johnson
Publication Date: 2014
Type of Book: Multicultural Author Picture Book

This book shared the story of a young girls personal experience with the first Juneteenth. Juneteenth was the day the last slaves in the South were officially freed. It seemed like a normal day when she woke up in the morning. The routines were still the same and everyone acted like they always did. It wasn't until word came that all slaves were officially free that people started acting differently. People began crying, singing, gathering and talking amongst each other. The people in the book celebrated their new found freedom and the next morning when the girl woke up she realized that this was the start of a new life for her and her family.

I thought that this book did a good job in sharing an important event in history, but it wasn't my favorite picture books i've ever read. I wasn't a big fan of the illustrations. They were drawn with what looked like water colors and I tend to like books that have very clear and crisp illustrations. The colors used were also very muted and plain which didn't do anything to enhance the story.

I think that this story would be best read as a read aloud because it is so short. Teachers can use this story to introduce students to the topic of slavery or use it during a lesson about the day slaves were officially declared free. I would recommend this story for older elementary aged children because the topic is something that they have to be mature enough to understand and handle.

Image Resources:
http://www.amazon.com/All-Different-Now-Juneteenth-Freedom/dp/068987376X