Title: The Lion & The Mouse

Author: Jerry Pinkney

Illustrator: Jerry Pinkney

Publication Date: 2009

Genre: Wordless, Animal Fable

Recommended Grade Range: PreK-3

PLOT SUMMARY

This story is told all through illustrations. The setting is in the African Serengeti that is filled

with many different animal families. The two main characters are a tiny mouse and a giant lion.

The plot begins with the mouse wandering around and he hears an owl who tries to swoop down

and eat him but he manages to get away, he accidently runs up the back of the lion that captures

him. From the illustrations you can tell that the lion makes the decision to let this tiny mice go

and we see the mouse return to its family. We can tell there is going to be conflict when

poachers are setting up a trap. The climax happens when lion ends up getting caught and pulled

up into a tree by this trap, he is roaring! The mouse hears him and that’s when the resolutions

happened, the tiny mouse comes to the rescue and bites the rope until it breaks and the lion is

free. The theme of the story is that that even the smallest can trump the mighty.

FEATURES OF QUALITY

The story of the Lion and the Mouse is one of Aesop’s fables; these fables are timeless stories

with morals. Everyone can enjoy this book and learn from it, and with this particular book being

wordless anyone can read and understand it. Another element of quality in this book is the art.

Because there is no words the readers have to use the illustration to understand the story. I

believe that this story tells the truth about humans, in the middle of the story it portrays a

situation of poachers setting up a trap. In real life we, poachers, are illegal hunters. Pinkney

shows originality with this book by making it a wordless version; he does an amazing job at

telling the story with illustrations.

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: READER-RESPONSE IDEAS

1. Students could be assigned to find a wordless book and bring it to class the next day. Having

them try and read their wordless book to the class would be a fun activity. (Intermediate/middle

grades)

2. Students could create their own wordless story with a classic theme/moral to it. Have them

present it when finished and have the rest of the class tell what they believe the theme/moral is.

(Intermediate/middle grades)

Title: Horace and Morris but Mostly Dolores

Author: James Howe

Illustrator: Amy Walrod

Publication Date: 1999

Genre: Animal Fiction

Recommended Grade Range: K-2

PLOT SUMMARY

The setting of Horace and Morris but Mostly Dolores isn’t very clear but from the illustrations

we know they are in a grassy field, and other times they are inside their special clubhouses. The

story features three main characters and they are Horace, Morris and Dolores. They are all best

friends that love doing everything together until the boys comes across a boys only club, leaving

Dolores alone. That is where the main conflict begins. Dolores ends up joining the Cheese Puffs,

a girls only club, but quickly becomes bored of it. The climax of this story is when Dolores

announces to the other Cheese Puffs that she is bored and wants to go on an adventure, and she

and her new friend, Chloris, leave. The resolution happens when Dolores and Chloris, along

with the boys Horace and Morris, and their new friend, Boris, decide to create a clubhouse that

allows everyone. Their sign says, “The Frisky Whisker Club, everyone allowed.” There are

many themes that come from this story like friendship and acceptance.

FEATURES OF QUALITY

The story of Horace, Morris and Dolores is cute, funny and also has many elements of quality.

It tells timeless themes that know no age limit. The themes of friendship and acceptance of

people are feelings that everyone can relate to. Horace and Morris but Mostly Dolores is such a

fun read because of the great language play. The author includes the use of rhyming and

references to cheese throughout the story. For example, one of the signs inside the girls

clubhouse says “Today’s Project: Gifts for mother made from Muenster.” Amy Walrod does an

amazing job at engaging the readers with her illustration; they are funky and colorful and use

a variety of textures. This book could fit into the classroom curriculum to teach children about

friendship and acceptance of their classmates.

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: READER-RESPONSE IDEAS

1. Students could do an activity that really shows their comprehension of the book. A foldable

pamphlet that has five different sections: prior knowledge, questions, drawing conclusions,

author’s purpose, and plot/theme. This is probably the most effective way to see what students

have learned from the book. (Intermediate grades)

2. A creative and fun activity that students of all ages could do with this book is to create their

own model clubhouse that allows everyone. For younger grades they could use constructions

paper and paints to show what their clubhouse would look like and older students could use shoe

boxes and create a 3D version of their clubhouse. They could then present their clubhouse

models to the class. (Primary/Intermediate grades)

Title: I Like Myself!

Author: Karen Beaumont

Illustrator: David Catrow

Publication Date: 2004

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Recommended Grade Range: K-2

PLOT SUMMARY

I Like Myself! Is a very enjoyable book about a curly haired little girl, who really likes herself.

As the main character this little girl goes on and on about how she likes herself no matter what.

Every page features this little girl in different situations and illustrations that demonstrate the

things she likes about herself. The story is set in all different places; a living room, outside, and

some of the story isn’t actually set in a real place just a colored background so that the little girl

and her dog stand out. The plot begins with the girl saying, “I like myself! I’m glad I’m me,” and

goes on with her saying what she likes about herself, how she doesn’t care what anyone else

thinks of her, and even if she were any different she would still like herself. In the middle of the

story there a shift in what she is talking about, it goes from why she likes herself to saying that

she doesn’t care what other think of her. This shift in the story is where the conflict comes in to

play, a little boy looks to be making fun of her but she says “I don’t care in any way what

someone else may think or say.” Then the climax happens when the little girl and her dog are

playing in a water fountain and she exclaims, “I’m having too much fun, you see, for anything to

bother me!” The resolution happens when the girl tells us that nothing can change what’s deep

inside her. The theme is very apparent throughout the entire story, self-acceptance.

FEATURES OF QUALITY

The story of this little girl in I like Myself! features many elements of quality in children’s

literature. It features a timeless theme of loving yourself, no matter what. It teaches readers self-

acceptance. Also the language is vivid and playful with its rhyming scheme, for example, “even

when I look a mess, I still don’t like me any less.” Illustrator David Catrow does an amazing job

at bringing the main character and her dog to life, he uses watercolors and ink to really make

them pop. The illustrations really contribute to the text and keep the reader engaged. An

example of this is on the second page it says “There’s no one else I’d rather be,” and there is

illustrations of all different types of people and the little girl standing there smiling.

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: READERS-RESPONSE IDEAS

1. Students could do a journal entry. This journal entry would be about all the things that they

like about themselves. By doing this activity it would emphasize the theme of loving yourself

and self-acceptance to the students. (Primary/intermediate grades)

2. Students could do an art activity with this book. Using watercolors and ink like the illustrator

did in the story they could do self portraits. Having students make their head or feet

disproportionate to their bodies, like the main character, would be a creative idea.

(Primary/intermediate grades)

Title: Black and White

Author: David Macaulay

Illustrator: David Macaulay

Publication Date: 1990

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Recommended Grade Range: K-3

PLOT SUMMARY

At first Black and White seems to be a book with four unrelated stories with all different settings.

Each stories taking up a quarter of every two pages: Seeing Things, Problem Parents, A Waiting

Game, and Udder Chaos are the titles of these stories. This book follows four different plots that

readers can connect together by the end of the story. The first is about a boy riding a train; the train

has to stop because of something blocking the tracks. In the story about the people waiting for the

delayed train they begin to get bored and start making things out of their newspapers to keep

occupied. That is where that story connects into the other story about the parents. In this story the

parents come home from work wearing newspapers and the children are so confused, they don’t

know why their parents are acting so different. The story about the cows escaping connects with the

stories in that it delayed the train the boy was on and made it really late to picking up the people

waiting causing them to get bored and play with newspaper, finally making the parents come home

wearing the newspaper as clothing. The conflict in all these stories are related, in one the train tracks

are blocked by the cows, the other the parents come home acting very strange, the next the train is

delayed, and the last the cows have escaped. The climax in the stories takes place when the waiting

commuters begin to rip up their newspapers and the boy on the train thinks they are snowflakes. The

resolution happens when the train finally arrives to pick up the commuters the boy makes it to his

parents who are waiting for him at the train station, the strange parents finally ask if the children have

done their homework and the cows return home to be milked. The theme seems to be that there is no

such thing as black and white.

FEATURES OF QUALITY

This book was awarded the Caldecott Medal for being one of the most distinguished American

picture books for children. There are many features of quality throughout these stories.

Children can relate to the characters talking about their parents and how the girl says,

“You’ve got to watch those parents. It’s exhausting.” The theme the book, there is no such thing

as black and white, is a timeless theme that knows no age limit or restrictions. This book is the

definition of originality and creativity; through the plots of four stories and all their

connections and the way the stories are placed on the page and how they come together in the

end. This book contains amazing illustrations and creative ways to show the stories coming

together, for example towards the end the story it is written on ripped up pieces of newspaper

and the borders begin to disappear, literally allowing all the stories to come together.

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: READER-RESPONSE IDEAS

1. Students could be instructed to create four different ideas for a story, and then have to connect

them all together and provide illustrations. (Intermediate/middle grades)

2. A group activity that students could do is to begin with a line, and then the next person adds to

each previous line, going to each student until they’ve all contributed. From this a funny story should

arise. (Intermediate/middle grades)

Title: The Stranger

Author: Chris Van Allsburg

Illustrator: Chris Van Allsburg

Publication Date: 1986

Genre: Fantasy

Recommended Grade Range: K-3

PLOT SUMMARY:

The setting of The Stranger is on a farm. The “stranger” in the story is very eerie and mysterious

making him one of the main characters along with the Farmer Bailey, Mrs. Bailey and Katy.

The stranger basically drops into their lives suddenly and then disappears suddenly. Farmer

Bailey was driving and hit an object he assumed to be an animal but when he got out of the car,

he realized it was a human. He was mortified and as fast as he could, got the stranger up and to

the car and back to his house. He called a doctor who said he was fine, just a bump on the head

with short term memory loss. The stranger ended up staying with the family for a few weeks,

helping with daily chores and becoming part of the family. Farmer Bailey noticed everyone’s,

except his trees, were changing for fall. One morning, they woke up and the stranger had decided

to leave and that day the leaves on the tree turned to fall colors, this is the plot of the story. The

climax of the story is when Father Bailey runs over the stranger and brings him back to the

house. The conflict of this story is trying to figure out who the stranger really is and they cannot

figure who he is and also trying to find out why the leaves have not turned to fall colors yet. The

resolution comes when the stranger decided it was time for him to leave and the leaves finally

change to fall colors. The theme of this story is helping others.

FEATURES OF QUALITY:

The Stranger is a very unique and mysterious book with many features of quality. The text of

this book is featured on only the left side of the page while the pictures are on the right side. The

illustrations are very different then other children’s picture books in that they are darker, but

that is what helps tell the story. This book is a very original piece of literature that could be used

in the classroom as an introduction to the fall season.

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: READER RESPONSE IDEAS

1. Students could write what they know about the fall season and some observations of it. They

could also explain which season is their favorite and why. (Primary grades)

2. Students could journal about family and what makes people a family, they could journal on

their thoughts about how well they can actually know a person. (Intermediate/middle grades)

Title: Math Curse

Author: Jon Scieszka

Illustrator: Lane Smith

Publication Date: 1995

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Recommended Grade Range: 1-4

PLOT SUMMARY

Math Curse is a very interactive children’s picture book that features a little girl as the main

character. The story setting takes place at the girl’s school, in all of her classes and her home.

The plot is a series of events that are turned into math problems all because of the girl’s teacher,

Mrs. Fibonacci, saying, “You know, you can think of almost everything as a math problem.” The

girl then tells the readers that on Tuesday she started having problems; this is the conflict of the

story. She is now thinking of anything and everything as a math problem and she just can’t seem

to figure it all out. After getting out milk for her breakfast she starts to wonder how many pints

are in a quart and how many feet are in a yard, and then she says, “I don’t even bother to take out

the cereal. I don’t want to know how many flakes in a bowl.” The girl is certain that Mrs.

Fibonacci has put a math curse on her. The climax happens after she goes to bed and has a dream

where she is trapped in a room, covered with a lifetime of problems. Finally, after a big panic,

she realizes the answer to her problem is fractions! This is the resolution of the story, she is put

to ease until Mr. Newton says, “You know, you can think of almost everything as a science

experiment...” The theme presented in Math Curse is that math can be applied in everyday life.

FEATURES OF QUALITY

Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith have created such a great book with many feature of quality.

Math Curse is used in classrooms regularly because there are so many reader-response activities

that can be done with this book. The text is written so almost anyone can enjoy the story and get

a good laugh. Scieszka is a good author, who obviously knows children and about child

development. The creation of a child protagonist allows for children to relate with the main

character and her problems. Math Curse is very creative and original, that illustrations

demonstrate a different type of artistic style that keeps readers engaged. In the middle of the

book there is a picture of the girl face but one of her eyes in a pizza divided into eight slices and

her other eye is a pie divided into six slices and on her tongue lays an M&M, this illustration is a

perfect example of how the books art really portrays the text. This book is a very enjoyable read

that can be read for fun and also used for lessons in the classroom.

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: READER-RESPONSE IDEAS

1. Students could write their own mini version of Math Curse. Giving them a set number of

problems they need to have, they can construct a short storybook that they will need to illustrate,

possibly creating an answer key in the back of their books and presenting them to the class.

(Intermediate/middle grades)

2. Having students make a journal entry on some everyday math problems they encounter could

be another reader-response activity to go along with this book. (Primary/intermediate grades)

Title: Where The Wild Things Are

Author: Maurice Sendak

Illustrator: Maurice Sendak

Publication Date: 1963

Genre: Fatasy

Recommended Grade Range: PreK-3

PLOT SUMMARY

The setting in Where the Wild Things Are is in Max’s bedroom where his imagination

transforms it into an extraordinary forest, an ocean and a little boat. The main characters are

Max, the boy who imagines all the monsters in his room, his mother who sent him to his room

for bad behavior and all the monsters. The plot is based on the fantasy consequences of bad

behavior. Max dresses up in a wolf suit and does all the things he shouldn’t like chase the dog

with a fork. His mother becomes angry and yells at him that he is a “Wild thing,” and Max yells

back “I’ll eat you up!” His mother ends up sending him to his room. Max makes his room into a

different setting through his imagination where he takes a little boat and sails until he comes to a

place with “wild things.” They looked scary but Max tames them just by looking at them. The

monsters realize Max is the wildest thing of all and he becomes king. They play together until

Max realizes he wants to go home to his mom, who loves him most. Max smells his dinner from

the land and sails back to his room where dinner is waiting for him. The climax of the story is

towards the end when he takes off his wolf costume and settles down to eat dinner. The conflict

is when Max is lonely and wants to be with someone who loves him most. The resolution comes

when Max decides to become a “tamed” boy and behave the way he should. The theme is how

children master various feelings and manage to come to come to grips with the realities of their

lives.

FEATURES OF QUALITY

In Where the Wild Things Are there are many feature of quality. It was a very enjoyable read

because it is such a unique story and when Max transforms his room it takes children to another

place with him. The illustrations in this book are very captivating; they go along perfectly with

the story keeping the reader engaged. Max is the child protagonist that almost every child can

relate to. This story tells the truth about the human experience, although most of the story is

Max’s imagination it shows that children get upset and sometimes they need some chill out time

to really think things through.

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: READER RESPONSE IDEAS

1. Students can write their own story of an imaginary world, filled with whatever kind of

monsters they could imagine. (Primary/intermediate grades)

2. Students can draw this imaginary place that have made and present it to the class.

(Primary/intermediate grades)

PLOT SUMMARY

More Than Anything Else is set in a West Virginia settlement after the emancipation, in the

characters cabins and at their work place. The main characters of this story are Booker, his

papa, his brother John and the man who reads the newspaper. The plot is about Booker wanting

to learn to read and thinking about it as he works. They pack salt in barrels at the salt works and

as they shovel salt all day the pile seems to be staying the same. In the new place Booker and his

family live, people are free to go around where they please and do what they want. Many people

were gathering around the corner telling old tales. He then sees a man reading a newspaper aloud

and he claims that he has “found hope, and it is as brown as me.” The climax is when Booker’s

mother gives him a small blue book that he is unable to read. He then goes and finds the man

who was reading the newspaper who teaches Booker what the letters sound like and how they

make words. The conflict in this story is when Booker receives the book from his mother and

cannot make out what they words do say. The resolution is when he learns to read and spell his

name. The theme of More Than Anything Else is not giving up on your dreams and goals, and

always pushing forward till you succeed.

FEATURES OF QUALITY

The language in this story feels like the story is definitely being told through the thoughts and

real words of a little boy. It is unique that the story is being told by Booker rather than by a

narrator. Because this story features a child protagonist, children can really relate. This story

tells us about a real human experience, there is a part in the book when Booker finally can read

he so excited he says, “I jump up and down singing it. I shout and laugh like when I was baptized

in the creek. I have jumped into another world and I am saved.” This is a very joyous part of the

book. Chris Soentipiet did an amazing job at illustrating this historical fiction picture book.

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: READER RESPONSE IDEAS

1. Students can journal and reflect on what their favorite book is and when they first started to

read. (Intermediate/middle grades)

2. Students will create a poem by writing their names on a piece of paper and coming up with a

unique word, that describes them, for each letter of their name. (Primary/intermediate grades)

Title: More Than Anything Else

Author: Marie Bradby

Illustrator: Chris K. Soentipiet

Publication Date: 1995

Genre: Historical Fiction

Recommended Grade Range: 3-5

Title: The Napping House

Author: Audrey Day

Illustrator: Don Wood

Publication Date: 1984

Genre: Fatasy

Recommended Grade Range: PreK-3

PLOT SUMMARY

The Napping House is set in a house. The main characters are the granny, the child, the dog, the

car, the mouse and a flea. The plot of this is that all the characters one by one fall asleep on top

of another character from biggest to smallest. Eventually the flea wake them all up causing

different events to occur where each character wakes up the one below them ultimately awaking

all the characters. After all the characters are all awake the granny breaks the bed by landing on

it too hard. The climax of the story is when the “wakeful flea” lands on top of the pile of

sleeping animals and humans causing a chain reaction from the mouse scaring the cat to the cat

clawing the dog to the dog that thumps the child and so on. The conflict of this story is when the

granny breaks the bed because it causes another problem in the sleeping house that they will

have to deal with.

FEATURES OF QUALITY

The language in this book is different than in normal books because on each passing page the

story adds to what was written on the previous page. “There is a house, a napping house, where

everyone is sleeping.” On the next page is reads, “And in that house, there is a bed, a cozy, in a

napping house, where everyone is sleeping.” It was also very detailed descriptions of the

characters throughout the book. On one page, it reads, “And on that granny there is a child, a

dreaming child on a snoring granny on a cozy bed in a napping house, where everyone is

sleeping.” This creative language engulfs readers because it is interesting, entertaining and

different for them to read. The illustrations in this book tie in very well with the words that are

there, even though there are very few words in the book. Together the words and the illustrations

tell the story very well.

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: READER RESPONSE IDEAS

1. Create handouts with outlines of all the characters that students could color in and while

following the sequence of events in the story could glue them to poster board in the order they’re

laying on each other. (Primary/intermediate grades)

2. A journal entry on The Napping House could be another response activity, the students could

reflect on the book and if they liked it or not. (Primary/intermediate grades)

Title: Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters

Author: John Steptoe

Illustrator: John Steptoe

Publication Date: 1987

Genre: Folktale

Recommended Grade Range: PreK-3

PLOT SUMMARY

The story Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters is set in a small village, in Africa. The main characters

are a man named Mufaro and his two daughters, Manyara and Nyasha. The stories plot begins

with explaining to readers that one of the daughters, Manyara, was always in a bad temper.

Manyara teased her sister Nyasha, who is very kind and only responded to her sister’s anger with

kindness. Manyara said she would be queen one day and Nyasha would be her servant. One day

a messenger came from the city and said that one of the most beautiful daughters is to be chosen

by the king to become his wife. Manyara left that night to try and appear before the king before

anyone else, the rest of her family and village left the next morning. The conflict happens when

Manyara begins her journey, she runs into a hungry little boy who she pushes out of the way. She

then comes across an old woman who warns her about her journey, she ignored her, called her

ugly and proceeded on. When Nyasha and the rest of her village arrived they found Manyara

crying, this is where the climax is. Manyara cried to her sister, warning her not to go into the

chamber because inside there is a five headed snake who had threatened her. Nyasha bravely

made her way in to find her garden snake friend, Nyoka. The resolution happens when the

garden snake transforms into the king who explains that he was the hungry boy, the old woman,

and he tells her that she is, “the Most Worthy and Most Beautiful Daughter in the Land.” The

king asks her to marry him; she accepts making Mufaro very happy and Manyara becomes one

of her servants. The theme of Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters is to be kind to others.

FEATURES OF QUALITY

The illustrations in this African Tale of the two beautiful daughters go so perfectly with the

story; they spark the imagination of the reader. On the second page of the story it shows

Manyara’s facial expression as being very angry and goes along with what her personality is

throughout the book. This enjoyable read implies the author’s purpose and the theme

throughout, without over preaching. The theme of being kind to others is timeless and knows no

age limit making this an even greater piece of literature.

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: READER RESPONSE IDEAS

1. Students could do a journal entry and reflect on the story, record their ideas and thoughts on

the sisters’ personalities and the outcome of the book. (Intermediate/middle grades)

2. Students could get into small groups and create a map of Mayara’s journey to the city. Making

sure to include drawing of all the people she came across on the journey.

(Primary/Intermediate/Middle grades)

PLOT SUMMARY:

The setting in A Sick Day for Amos McGee is in his house, at the zoo and the bus stop. Amos

McGee, who works at the zoo, is the main character. The plot of this story Amos waking up at

the same time every morning, getting ready in a fresh suit and then sets off to bus stop number

five that takes him to the zoo. At the zoo, he plays chess with the elephant, races the tortoise but

the tortoise always wins, sits quietly with the penguin, blows the rhinoceros’ nose and reads to

the owl that is afraid of the dark. The conflict of the story is when Amos wakes up sick and does

not attend work that day leaving all the animals confused and concerned. The climax is when the

animals show up at Amos’ house to see why he was not at work that day. The animals at this

point decide to take the bus to go visit Amos and participate in their daily activities with him at

his house which creates the resolution. Friendship and also being there for your friends is the

theme of this book.

FEATURES OF QUALITY:

A Sick Day for Amos McGee contains so many elements of quality throughout the story.

Reading the actual text of the book was very simple, the illustrations tell the story. Not only was

it this book an enjoyable read for all ages, it allows children imaginations run wild. The

timeless theme of friendship is implied but not overly preached in the story of Amos McGee,

readers learn that being there for someone through their fears and illnesses make a true friend.

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: READER RESPONSE IDEAS

1. Students could create their own story about animals with human like characteristics, using

mainly illustrations to tell the story. (Primary/Intermediate/Middle grades)

2. Students will reflect in their journal about a friend they have had or have that is a true friend,

or reflect on how they are a true friend to someone else. (Primary/Middle grades)

Title: A Sick Day for Amos McGee

Author: Philip C. Stead

Illustrator: Erin Stead

Publication Date: 2010

Genre: Animal Fiction

Recommended Grade Range: K-2

Title: Sister Anne’s Hands

Author: Marybeth Lorbiecki

Illustrator: K. Wendy Popp

Publication Date: 1998

Genre: Historical Fiction

Recommended Grade Range: K-2

PLOT SUMMARY

Sister Anne’s Hands was set in small-town America in the early 60’s when, “flowers had power,

peace signs were in, and they watched The Ed Sullivan Show every night.” The main

characters are Anna Zabrocky, a second grader, and a new school teacher, Sister Anne. This

story begins with Anna starting second grade and having a new teacher, Sister Anne, who had

darker skin then anyone she had ever met before. At first Anna is very apprehensive of Sister

Anne but warms up t per very quickly because she is a great teacher. The conflict of this story

happens when a paper airplane with a racist note on it whizzed past Sister Anne’s head. She tells

her students that she needs some time to think about this, the next day the students come to class

to see that Sister Anne had put up pictures of black people poor and dying, some hanging from

trees, and other shot and bleeding. This is where the climax of the story was; all the students

were in shock and didn’t know what to say. Sister Anne explained that these were the colors of

hatred. The resolution is when Sister Anne talks to the students and Anna realizes she is giving

them all another chance. The rest of the school year went by great; Sister Anne was an amazing

teacher to these students. On the last day Sister Anne informed them that she got another

teaching job in Chicago and Anna gave her a card that had special meaning to it. The theme of

this book is accepting people and not judging based on skin color.

FEATURES OF QUALITY

This book tells such an amazing story that can has the ability to have an impact on young and old

alike. It’s theme of accepting people is timeless and can be used as a read aloud in the

classroom. The author uses a child protagonist, Anna, as the main character so children can

relate better with the story. An example of this is when Anna is describing Sister Anne’s hands

she says, “A light pretty pink like an evening dress for Barbie.” K. Wendy Popp illustrations for

of this story are made from paint; they are loaded with detail and have the ability to tell the story

even without the text. This funny and heart-felt story lets readers know of the real human

experience and teaches us a lesson without over preaching.

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: READER RESPONSE IDEAS

1. Students can do an art project with this story. Using colored pencils and paints they can create

posters of their outlined hands to hand on the walls of the classroom. (Primary grades)

2. This book could be used to begin a lesson on the time period. Introducing Dr. Martin Luther

King and having the students’ journal on what they know before and what they learn.

(Intermediate/middle grades)