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Read Aloud: The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess by Tom Gauld| Where There's A. Williams, There's A Way

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The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess

Tom Gauld

2021

The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess is an adventurous, fantastical and endearing story about a brother and a sister, or rather the little wooden robot and the log princess. One day, the log princess goes missing and the little wooden robot embarks on a journey to bring his sister back home. The tale includes strong elements of adventure and misadventure, and concludes with a warm and happy ending.

New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book

The images are interesting, beautiful and detailed. The illustrations resemble a sort of storyboard or comic book layout.

In addition to being beautiful and interesting, the images can almost tell the story by themselves, conveying emotions and expressive elements throughout the story's plot. Which may interest children and hold their attention.

This story contains the message of kindness, for example the little wooden robot letting the beetles live in his workings, and then later in the story the beetles help the little wooden robot and his sister. In the story there is a significant portion of the plot where several other characters all pitch in to help the royal siblings. Another theme is perseverance, the little wooden robot and the log princess face many challenges, yet they keep trying. With a little help and kindness from others, they succeed.

Last, but no least, this story also demonstrates the power of love. This story also alludes to a family that is not quite typical, as in the beginning of the story the King and Queen can't have children so an inventor and a witch make children for the couple. This story also in particular speaks to the bond between siblings. The little wooden robot must face a daunting task to find his sister and his love for his sibling is the driving force. Meanwhile, at another point in the story's plot the roles are reversed and the log princess must help her brother, demonstrating their bond.

As mentioned earlier, this story is full of adventures that are age appropriate and not too scary for children, the suspense and happy ending may also act to draw the attention of children and perhaps make them want to re-read the story over and over again.

I also think that in some ways, within the illustration there is some diversity, it is not talked about in the words necessarily, but the log princess and the wooden robot's mother is depicted as an African American woman, the inventor character is a woman and perhaps the uniqueness of the log princess and wooden robot also help children to understand that it is ok to be different. As mentioned earlier the story also sort of describes an adoption-like situation, because the king and queen cannot have children of there own, they receive children through non-traditional means.

This book, in my opinion contains the 5 elements of an unforgettable story (Chesson).

-Unique and Memorable Characters: not just any prince and princess but a wooden robot prince and log princess. There are also goblins and witches and many other interesting characters. Children may be interested in the story because it is mainly focused from the perspective of children.

-Action and Suspense: Initial adventure to find sister with many misadventures, as well as twists and turns.

- Believable Conversation: Some challenging words, but conversation flows nicely and is age appropriate.

-Plot & Ending: The plot begins with an initial conflict, then there is a central point and several other events in between and then a happy, satisfying and predictable ending.

-A Lasting Identity: This story could have just been another tale about a prince or princess, yet the author combines this fairytale style with the unique element of a royal family with characteristics that are not typical, such as being a princess that turns into a log or a prince that is a wooden robot.

I am not entirely sure how I would use this book. Perhaps this would be a good book for teaching writing concepts to children. We could talk about the parts of the story, where is the beginning? The middle? The end? Is there a conflict or more than one conflict? Who is the protagonist? Is there an antagonist, and so on. Then children could write their own stories after seeing this example as part of our writing unit.

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Where There's A. Williams, There's A Way

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The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess by Tom Gauld| READ ALOUD | CHILDREN'S BOOK

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And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell | Read Aloud Books for Children

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And Tango Makes Three

By Justin Richardson & Peter Parnell, illustrated by Henry Cole

2005

And Tango Makes Three is an endearing story that details the true events of how two male penguins, Roy and Silo, living in the NY Central Park Zoo became fathers. In the story, Roy and Silo grow to love each other. Soon, the penguin couple notices all of the other penguin couples making nests and hatching baby penguins. Roy and Silo find an egg-shaped rock one day and take turns caring for it, waiting for it to hatch. The zoo keeper realizes the penguins longing for a baby of their own and gives them an egg from another penguin couple to care for, and thus baby Tango becomes the third member of Roy and Silo's little family.

This book is illustrated beautifully with blue hues, earth tones, and depictions of adorable penguins. The artwork and the words of the story work in perfect harmony, as the illustrations convey each point in the story's plot well.

Children may be drawn to this book because of the interesting artwork, as well as the fact that most of the characters in the book are animals.

This book is not too lengthy (32 pages), therefore it would easily hold the attention of young readers.

This book does a good job of serving as a window/and or mirror as it highlights that family structures can come in many forms.

This book was challenged approximately 8 times since its publication for "sexual innuendos" and "LGBTQIA+" subject matter.

I think that I could use this book in my classroom as part of a lesson about animals in a science unit.

I could also see myself using this book as part of a unit to talk to kids about empathy and also to ensure inclusion and diversity in my teaching methods/materials.

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And Tango Makes Three | Read Aloud Books for Children

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Read Aloud: Shaking Things Up: 14 Young Women Who Changed The World by Susan Hood |  Books are Alive

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Shaking Things Up: 14 Young Women Who Changed The World

By Susan Hood

Illustrated by "13 extraordinary women"

2018

The collection of poems details amazing women in history, for example, Mary Anning, Pura Belpré, Frida Kahlo and many more.

Each poem is paired with beautiful illustrations by equally amazing contemporary women, such as Selina Alko, LeUyen Pham, and others.

There are a variety of poetry forms throughout this collection. For instance, the poem "Buried Treasure" is in the style of a Concrete poem. Meanwhile, the poem "Secret Agent Sisters" utilizes a Free Verse style.

There is a variety of illustrations, from the style of realism to highly stylized artwork. This variety of illustrations is interesting and captivating, helping to tell the story that the poems tell or enhance the actual word portions of the poems. These illustrations may also draw the attention of children due to the variety.

This poetry collection may also serve as a window/mirror to children as it discusses a wide array of women across different backgrounds, cultures and experiences.

This book may interest children because there are elements of adventure in some of the stories of the women in history.

Children may also enjoy these poems because some children may have special interests in history.

I could see myself using this poetry collection as part of a unit in Social Studies or during Women's History Month. I could also see myself using this poetry collection to show kids some different examples of types of poetry as part of a poetry unit in literacy.

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Shaking Things Up: 14 Young Women Who Changed The World By Susan Hood  “ Read Aloud! “

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Read Aloud: Watercress by Andrea Wang | Elementary Booknerds

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Watercress

Andrea Wang, illustrated by Jason Chin

2021

Watercress is a beautiful tale of a family’s heritage and sharing these memories. The story begins with a family taking a drive. During the drive, the parents of the family, who are Chinese immigrants, spot watercress growing alongside the road, evoking an array of memories from the pair. The parents stop and request that their two children help to gather and harvest these plants. The main character of the story, or rather the character whose perspective the tale is mainly told from, a young girl, is confused and irritated by this action. Soon after sharing a dinner that includes the freshly picked watercress, the daughter’s sentiment changes from one of irritation and upset, to feelings of understanding and appreciation, as her mother regales her with tales of her own childhood in China during the Great Famine. The daughter soon realizes not only why the watercress is significant to her parents, but also the importance of her family’s heritage.

Caldecott Medal

APALA Award

Newbery Honor Book

The beautiful illustrations and story plot flow together seamlessly, enhancing one another's artistry. This book contains vibrant illustrations, utilizing an almost watercolor technique depicted in the style of realism. Moreover, the illustrations leap to life on the pages of the book. The character depictions convey the emotions of each person in the story, at each point in the plot, such as joy, sorrow, and even the type of annoyance that can be found between siblings and between children and their parents. Moreover, the illustrator depicts a culture other than Western culture in a way that is not demeaning and does not perpetuate harmful stereotypes.

This book provides readers with a highly visual experience. This book also enhances the already touching storyline through the use of imaginative descriptions and comparisons that evoke deep emotions. For example, “ mom’s eyes are as sharp as a dragon’s claw” and “ the bite of watercress is delicate and bitter like mom’s memories of home” ( Wang).

This book helps readers to develop a sense of empathy and understanding of emotions such as frustration, sorrow, and more. Overall, this book may act as a “window” or a “mirror” to children to convey a touching story about the importance of heritage and sharing memories. Children may see themselves in the main character (mirror), the little girl, or perhaps other readers may be able to see into a culture or different background than their own through this story (window).

Children may want to read Watercress because they may be drawn to the vibrant, realistic, and watercolor-style illustrations that are eye-catching. However, this artwork is more realistic, as opposed to whimsical and cartoonish, which may not grab the attention of young readers.

Moreover, children may be drawn to this book because the book is told mainly from the perspective of a child. In this way, the story may act as a “window,” or “mirror” for children, allowing them to see their own “lives or experiences as part of the larger human experience”

( Bishop, 2015). For example, in a way, this story may act as a window for children to peer into the folktales, traditions, and values important to the Chinese culture, or perhaps even as a mirror for other children ( Bishop, 2015). Children may also see themselves in the relationship between the sister and brother, for example, the point in the story where the brother flings snail-covered watercress into his sister’s face, an experience that many siblings may relate to.

Overall, children may be drawn to this book because the perspective is from that of a child, like them.

Moreover, children may be drawn into the story because they may be curious as to why the family is picking watercress. Although this book is not jam-packed with a fast-paced storyline or adventure, it may keep children interested as they want to know the “why” behind the watercress.

Lastly, some children may want to re-read this book because of the artwork and because of the window/mirror effect.

However, other children may initially, enjoy this book, but not want to re-read it again because it does not contain a large adventure or animal characters, nor does it contain repetition of phrases, and its artwork is more realistic. In addition, while this book does help children to grasp empathy, the overall concept may be one that is challenging for children to grasp entirely, for instance, the sentimental value of the watercress and its bitter/sweet nature.

For use in the classroom, I believe that this book could be utilized for social studies, or perhaps as a peer-building project where kids may get to share foods that their families enjoy and have them ask their families if there are any special meanings behind the foods. I have to think more about this, but I think this book is not only relatable to children but also could serve as a "launchpad" for many great classroom activities.

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Read Aloud: Mama, Do You Love Me? By Barbara M. Joosse | Rockin Read Alouds

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Mama, Do You Love Me?

Barbara M. Joosse, illustrated by Barbara Lavallee

1991

This is a touching tale about the unconditional love of a parent for their child, particularly the love between a mother and her daughter in this case. The mother uses various comparisons from the real world around the child, as well as analogies/ metaphors to explain how deep her love is for her child. The child in the story describes various scenarios of making mistakes, turning into a variety of animals, and more, to ponder if her mother would still love her even when she misbehaves, is not herself, or "messes up." The mother in the story reiterates that no matter what and despite time, she would still love her "dear one."

This book demonstrates that parents love us "no matter what." The book also describes emotions in an honest way, helping children understand that it is ok to have negative emotions, but that does not mean that parents stop loving them. For example, the mother states at several points that when the child does something considered naughty, the mom would feel mad, but still love the child. This book also helps children to understand that it is ok to make mistakes.

This book is unique because it incorporates elements of indigenous/Inuit artwork styles and features of Inuit culture. The artwork is colorful, vibrant, and full of differing shapes and patterns, that may attract the attention of young readers. In addition, the book depicts the various traditional dress styles of the Inuit. However, the author and illustrator of the book are not indigenous (Good Reads). At the end of the book, the author includes additional detailed information about the Inuit (not in this read-along version).

Children may be drawn to the book due to the vibrant and interesting artwork, as well as the detail that the storyline features many different animals, and a child as part of the focus of the story.

I could see myself using this book in my classroom to help teach social and emotional learning skills, as well as part of a unit relating to social studies.

This is a favorite book of mine, as my own mother read this book to me when I was a young child.

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Read Aloud: I AM LOVED by Nikki Giovanni and illustrated by  Ashley Bryan | Reading in a Virtual World

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I AM LOVED

By Nikki Giovanni and illustrated by Ashley Bryan

2018

I AM Loved is a beautiful and varied collection of poems for children. Moreover, this poetry collection book contains interesting, bright, vibrant, and overall, beautiful illustrations paired with each poem.

This poetry collection covers topics such as the love between a parent and child, as in the opening poem, titled, "Because." Or the topic of acceptance, as in the poem " Wild Flowers." The poetry collection touches on other topics such as aging, feeling unneeded and grief, as demonstrated in the poem "Quilts." There is also a plethora of age-appropriate vocabulary building, paired with empathy building as demonstrated in the poem, " A Song of a Blackbird." There are also upbeat, and more playful poems, such as "Three/Quarters Time" which features an almost rhyming and musical cadence.

There is also a variety of different genres of poetry. Most of the poems are free verse poetry, but there are also examples of other types of poetry such as limerick poetry, as in the poem " Paula the Cat."

Overall, this poetry collection may appeal to children because it offers a variety of topics through poetry, which may hold the attention of busy minds.

Children may also enjoy that the poetry collection features children, animals, and aspects of everyday life that they can make sense of, as well as a playful tone in some of the poems included in

the collection.

Children may also be drawn to the vibrant and interesting illustrations paired with the written poetry. Each illustration contains saturated and vibrant bursts of color, as well as interesting shapes and patterns.

This poetry collection serves as a window and mirror for children, as it helps them navigate difficult emotions such as grief, loss, feeling left out, and more, ultimately fostering empathy skills.

This poetry collection exhibits elements of children's literature as it includes themes of family life, characters such as animals, and other children. Yet this poetry collection utilizes everyday experiences that serve as windows and mirrors to children.

Finally, I could see myself using this poetry collection as an introduction to a poetry unit, as well as in writing units, and in order to foster social and emotional learning.

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I AM LOVED a poetry collection Read Aloud - Children's Book of Poems

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Read Aloud: Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak | The Teacher's Library

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Where The Wild Things Are

Maurice Sendak

1963

This picture book tells the story of Max, a mischievous young boy who wears a wolf suit. One night after getting in trouble with his mother, she deems him a "wild thing," and sends him to his room without supper. As Max sits in his room, angry and frustrated, his bedroom comes to life, whisking him away to the land of the wild things. In the land of the wild things, Max indeed meets many "wild things," monsters. Max is able to tame the wild things, and they declare that he is the "wildest thing of them all" and they dub him their king! After some time of Max and the other wild things creating "wild rumpus," Max soon longs for "the place where he is loved the most," which is at home with his mother. Max denounces his title as "King of the Wild Things" with great protest from the monsters, and he returns home to find a hot dinner awaiting him in his bedroom.

Caldecott Medal

Named among the "Best Illustrated Children’s Books.”

Adapted for film in 2009 by director Spike Jones (Britannica).

The book deals with emotions such as anger, connecting the idea that parents still love you even when you are misbehaving or angry at them (Britannica). The book also touches on other concepts, such as the idea of the love between parents and children and the need for a structured home with discipline, at times (Britannica).

This book also teaches children the power of imagination.

This book was controversial at the time of its publication and even in modern times, as some argue that it is too scary for young readers and reinforces bad behavior (Britannica). The book was subsequently challenged many times over the years, in an attempt to ban it.

The illustrations in this book are beautifully cultivated, with vibrant colors and detailed images, encapsulating a stylized yet realistic vision of Max and his adventures.

The purpose of this story is both a fable and for entertainment. This book teaches children the importance of emotions, managing their desire to be "wild things" sometimes, and why a loving home with rules and boundaries is necessary and a good place to be. Yet this book also teaches children that their imaginations can take them anywhere (Britannica).

Children may enjoy this book because of its colorful and detailed artwork, and they may identify with the storyline because the main character is a child like them.

I could use this book in my classroom in a plethora of ways. For example, to teach about social and emotional learning. I could also use this book to help introduce our classroom rules/expectations and help students think about why they think it is important to have classroom norms. I could also use this book to tie into other lessons while also encouraging creativity, such as having students design their own "wild thing" monsters.

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Read Aloud: What Happened to You? By James Catchpole| Where There's A Williams There's A Way| borrowed from Eiffa

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What Happened to You?

James Catchpole

Illustrated by Karen George

2021

This story relays the tale of a little boy named Joe who has a limb difference and also a vivid imagination. Initially Joe is playing at a park when other children begin to question why he is different, or what happened to his leg Not wanting to talk about his limb difference, the other children begin to make up outlandish rationales. Finally, the other children realize that there is more to Joe than his limb difference. They soon bond over a game of play pretend, using their imaginations collaboratively and decide they do not need to know what happened to Joe's leg after all.

This story is a wonderful mirror/window for children, serving to build empathy. This story helps children navigate difficult feelings and situations, such as feeling different, left out, how to treat others, feelings of irritation or perhaps feelings of hurt.

This story may appeal to children as it has a whole cast of children characters and a child is the main character, helping children to relate to the story.

This story may appeal to children as it has an element of adventure in a round about way, for example the portions of the story that involve pretending to be pirates or escaping alligators and sharks.

This story may also appeal to children because it has memorable characters and a happy ending. For example, Joe is memorable because of personality traits like is strong imagination. The ending of the story also neatly wraps of the plot in a safe and satisfying way.

Finally, this story may appeal to children because the illustrations are interesting. The illustrations use vibrant colors and interesting shapes to make the images leap off the page. The words and the illustrations work in tandem to tell the story.

I could see myself utilizing this book for a unit on Social and Emotional learning.

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Where There's A. Williams, There's A Way

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What Happened to You? 🩼 by James Catchpole| READ ALOUD | CHILDREN'S BOOK

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Read Aloud: Coyote and the Sky by Emmett "Shkeme" Garcia | Read Aloud by Kris H

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Coyote and the Sky: How the Sun, Moon, and Stars Began

Emmett "Shkeme" Garcia

Illustrated by Victoria Pringle

2006

This folk tale from the Santa Ana Pueblo peoples details the journey of animal spirits to the fourth world, and the subsequent creation of the sun, moon, and stars, as well as the constellations created by the stars.

The author, Emmett "Shkeme" Garcia, is a member of the Santa Ana Tribe (Amazon).

This story uses more simple language and is 32 pages in total. The illustrations of this story are interesting and vibrant. Geometric patterns and saturated colors create the illustrations, which may attract the attention of young readers. Thus, this story is best suited for the audience of children ages 3-5.

The story uses personification in the form of the animals and their struggles in the new fourth world. There is also the character of Coyote who is a little bit defiant and mischievous, even threatening the efforts of the other animals. The literary device of personification through the animal characters may attract the interest of children. In addition, this folktale allows children to see good vs. bad in a way, as the animals experience problems and setbacks and Coyote acts as a sort of antagonist, for example when Coyote sneaks into the fourth world after being banned from the realm and when he scatters the contents of Badger's matt into the night sky, ruining Badger's drawings. However, as a result of his bad behavior, Coyote is banished to the sky by the Animals' leader, where he remains today as the Big Dipper. This folktale allows children to grapple with emotions such as feeling left out, as the coyote is angry that he was not permitted to go to the fourth world with the other animals. The folk tale also allows children to practice empathy and identify with the "heroes," as Coyote hinders the other "good" animals' hard work, yet the "good" animals are ultimately triumphant over their setbacks and Coyote loses out as a result of his misdeeds.

This story may be more of an amoral folktale as the contrast between good and evil is not quite as stark as in other fairytales or folktales.

Overall, I could see myself using this story as part of a social studies unit or even perhaps as an introduction to a unit about astronomy.

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Read Aloud: La Princesa and the Pea by Susan Middleton Elya | Rockin Read Alouds

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La Princesa and the Pea

Written by Susan Middleton Elya

Illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal

2017

This variation of "The Princess and the Pea" retains elements of the original version by Hans Christian Andersen, yet includes some thoughtful, silly, and fresh twists. For example, the story is a bilingual story, it also includes rhyming in both English and Spanish. Additionally, the prince ends up devising a clever plot of his own to ensure his princesa passes his mother's test.

The illustrations of this book are colorful, a mix of naturalism and stylized. The illustrations are interesting and contain silly elements, serving at times as symmetrical, complementary and contradictory illustrations to the text of the story. For instance, viewers may notice the plethora of cats at the palace, one of which resides in a special cat bed hat that the queen wears atop her head throughout the story, an inclusion not mentioned within the text of the story.

This story also helps children to deal with difficult emotions and situations, such as the complicated relationship between the prince and his overbearing mother and his frustration that his mom always opposes what he wants.

This fairytale also teaches children the importance of perseverance and cleverness, as the prince is determined to marry the princess and in turn comes up with a clever solution to ensure he succeeds.

This story with its rhymes, and interesting and silly illustrations may draw the attention of young readers. This story does use more simple vocabulary and is a picture book, therefore, it is most likely suited for a younger audience, ages 3-5.

I could see myself using this book to help talk to kids about subject matter related to social and emotional learning, perhaps we could have a group discussion about how it makes us feel when our parents tell us no, or about being frustrated. I could also see myself using this book to help teach kids about rhyming words as a part of a vocabulary and literacy unit. This book would also be a great book to include as part of my aspirations as a teacher to make sure I create an inclusive and diverse classroom environment.

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Read Aloud| The Poisoned Apple: A Fractured Fairy Tale by Anne Lambelet | KidTimeStoryTime

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The Poisoned Apple: A Fractured Fairy Tale

Anne Lambelet, author & illustrator

2020

This story is a fracturing of the classic story of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves." There are many elements of the classic tale, such as a sweet princess who is good, kind and has a close relationship with animals, a wicked witch who tries to poison the princess with an apple, and the inclusion of 7 dwarves. However, the story is fractured when the wicked witch's plan does not unfold quite how she has intended. The poison apple passes through the hands of several other characters, all of whom narrowly avoid eating the dangerous piece of fruit. Then, in a surprising turn of events the witch forgets her identity along with her evil plans for the poison apple. A little squirrel who has gained possession of the poison apple sees the poor witch, takes pity upon her, and gifts her the apple, not knowing its true nature. The wicked witch meets her demise through the poisoned apple, and the princess, the dwarves, and the forest animals all live happily ever after, having unwittingly escaped the wicked witch's evil plan.

In particular, this book has many opportunities for the "Whole Book Approach" and this read-aloud does a great job of implementing the method. For instance, the dust jacket has different illustrations compared to the case cover.

The illustrations are colorful and interesting, with a stylized/ cartoon-like composition. The illustrations are a mixture of symmetrical, complementary, and also contradictory. For instance, the beginning illustrations act to enhance the description of the princess, without the use of words, for example, in the illustration of the opening portion of the story, music notes and birds surround the princess, indicating that she has a good relationship with animals, she must enjoy singing, and therefore this adds to the sweet personality depicted by the author. Another example is in the portion of the story where the illustrations tell us more about the wicked witch's evil plan than the words do, the illustrations depict ingredients for her poison apple, as well as the "process work" of the witch, including the tribulations she encounters. However, on the next page, the words describe the witch brewing her concoction and the illustrations depict exactly what the words say.

This story may be appealing to children because there is an element of suspense, as viewers turn page after page to see what will become of each character, will they eat the poisoned fruit? Children may also be drawn to the story due to the adorable animal characters. Children may also identify with the princess, rooting for her to evade the wicked witch's plan, ultimately realizing that the witch suffers for her evil intentions. The interesting and sometimes even humorous illustrations may also gain the attention of children.

Overall, this is a moral fairy tale, helping children to realize that every action has a consequence, for the witch, "What goes around comes around" (Amazon). This story also helps build empathy as children worry about each character who gains possession of the poisoned apple, at one point children may feel conflicted as they may feel bad for the witch yet also root for the princess and other "good" characters.

I could see myself using this book in a literacy and writing unit to introduce children to the concept of fairy tales, and perhaps show them how they can create their own stories by changing elements of fairy tales they already know (fractured fairy tales), much like we have done in this unit of our course. This story is perhaps more for entertainment, but may also be a good story for helping teach SEL, as well as perhaps opening up a conversation about the importance of treating others with kindness.

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The Poisoned Apple 🍎 A Fractured Fairytale Read Aloud