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Author: E.B. White
Illustrator: Garth Williams

Publication Date: October 15, 1952
ISBN: 9780062658753
Genre: Fiction/Fantasy
Interest Level: 2-7
Text Level: 3-5, 6-8
Narrative Annotation: After Fern saves Wilbur, a pig, from being killed by her father, the two inseparable, until Wilbur becomes too big, and is transferred to the farm of Fern’s uncle. Wilbur soon begins a companionship with Charlotte, the spider who lives in the corner of the barn, and throughout the duration of their friendship, Charlotte saves Wilbur’s life.
Selected Purpose: Because the setting of the text takes place in a rural area, Charlotte’s Web could be used with students that live in urban settings to teach them about farm life. Using a venn diagram, the students could compare and contrast their chores to the chores of Fern. In addition, throughout the book, Charlotte uses advanced vocabulary such as “salutations” or “humble” that children may be unfamiliar with. In order to keep these words in the students’ memories, they could be assigned various activities to help them remember these terms, such as crossword puzzles, or writing prompts, in which they are required to use one of Charlotte’s words.
Illustrations: Although the book is a novel, the illustrations in Charlotte’s Web help to bring the text. The pictures are simple, and done in black and white, however, they successfully showcase the emotions of the characters, and also to assist the reader in visualizing the web creations of Charlotte. The illustrations may also be comforting to younger readers who are making the transition to picture-less books.

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Author: A.A. Milne
Illustrator: Ernest H. Shepard
Publication Date: 1926
ISBN: 0525444432
Genre: Fiction/Fantasy
Interest Level: 4-8
Text Level: PreK-K, 1-2, 3-5
Narrative Annotation: Throughout this book, Winnie-the-Pooh, along with his friends Christopher Robin, Piglet, Tigger, and more, go on countless adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood. Some of these adventures include a Heffalump hunt, a search for honey, and an introduction of Kanga and Roo, the newest inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Wood.
Selected Purpose: Winnie-the-Pooh can be used in the classroom in various ways, depending on the grade level of the reader. In an activity created by Elizabeth Mulvahill, younger students can create stories about their own stuffed animals going on adventures, the way Christopher Robin's animals do. The students may then share their writing with the rest of the class. Because Winnie-the-Pooh loves to eat honey, older students can be assigned to research, and then create a poster, about the different aspects of the lives of honeybees. One group of students can work together to learn about the life cycles of honeybees, another group can be assigned to research the roles of each honeybee in a colony of bees, and a third group can share with the rest of the class both how and why bees make honey.
Illustrations: Although A. A. Milne  uses descriptive language throughout the book to create a clear image in the reader's mind of the actions of the characters, the illustrations that accompany the text truly bring the text to life. Garth Williams uses peaceful and detailed illustrations as a way to make readers feel included in the adventures of Christopher Robin, and his friends that live in the Hundred Acre Wood.

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Author: Susan Middleton Elya
Illustrator: Melissa Sweet
Publication Date: September 7, 2010
ISBN: 9781423112525
Genre: Folktale
Interest Level: PreK-3
Text Level: PreK-K, 1-2
Narrative Annotation: One day, the Oso family decides to go on a walk, and Rubia uses this as an opportunity to explore their home. With a combination of both English and Spanish vocabulary, this familiar story is perfect for bilingual families, and those that are new to the Spanish language.
Selected Purpose: Rubia and the Three Osos is the perfect text to use with students when learning about comparing and contrasting. After reading this book, teachers can ask their students to identify the similarities and differences between Rubia and the Three Osos, and the more well-known version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Students can compare and contrast the characters, the setting, and the events of both stories.
Illustrations: Melissa Sweet uses her illustrations to let readers know that this version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears will be different than what they are used to. She includes many aspects of Hispanic culture, specifically of the Mexican culture, such as papel picado, which is brightly colored strings of paper that are hung during parties, to introduce some to a culture they may be unfamiliar with, and to make others feel like their culture is being positively represented in the story.

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The Dog Who Loved Tortillas/La perrita que le encantaban las tortillas

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The Dog Who Loved Tortillas/La perrita que le encantaban las tortillas

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Author: Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Illustrator: Geronimo Garcia
Publication Date: August 2009
ISBN: 9781933693668
Genre: Fiction
Interest Level: 1-7
Text Level: 1-2, 3-5
Narrative Annotation: Diego and his older sister, Gabriela, have finally convinced their parents to allow them to get a puppy!  Their dog, Sofie, loves homemade tortillas, and the two use this to their advantage when they are teaching her new tricks.  Diego and Gabriela love Sofie so much, that they realize sharing the dog is going to be much harder than they originally thought. However, when something unexpected occurs, Diego and Gabriela realize that family must learn to get along with one another.
Selected Purpose: One theme that sticks throughout this story is the importance of family. After reading this book, students can practice using adjectives, and other descriptive words in their writing, by creating a narrative story in which they retell a memorable event that they experienced with their family members.
Illustrations: Geronimo Garcia's artwork throughout the story is very unique. Garcia uses clay to create all of the characters and the setting of each part of the story, with a solid background behind the characters. As a result, the eye of the reader is immediately drawn to the characters in the story, which places all of the focus on the actions of Diego, Gabriela, and of course, Sofie, the dog.

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Author: Ann Whitford Paul
Illustrator: Ethan Long
Publication Date: 2004
ISBN: 9780823419807
Genre: Fiction
Interest Level: PreK-3
Text Level: PreK-K, 1-2
Narrative Annotation: Iguana is planning a fiesta for all of her friends! Party planning is difficult work, so she decides to ask others for help. However, all of her friends do not want to help her, and she is forced to do all of the planning on her own. What will happen when Iguana's friends decide to show up to the party even though they did not help her?
Selected Purpose: One activity that can accompany this book is a collage lesson designed for kindergarteners. Each student in the story is assigned a character from the book, such as Iguana, Conejo, or Tortuga. The student will then create their character, and a desert background, which is the setting of the story, using art supplies such as: paper, oil pastels, paint, and much more. Once everyone in the class is finished, all of the creations will be placed next to one another in order to form a class collage of all the characters from the story. This activity could also be done in collaboration with an art teacher after the students have read the story.
Illustrations: Ethan Long, the illustrator of the book, uses his illustrations mainly to demonstrate the emotions of all of the characters in the story. The character of Iguana, for example, is smiling in the beginning of the story, however, towards the middle of the book, when she realizes none of her friends want to help her plan her party, the illustrations show the readers that she is feeling tired, and annoyed, from having to work alone. Because the text does not discuss the emotions of the characters, Ethan Long is responsible for displaying these emotions through his illustrations.

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Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant's Tale

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Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant's Tale

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Author: Duncan Tonatiuh
Illustrator: Duncan Tonatiuh
Publication Date: May 2013
ISBN: 1419705830
Genre: Fiction/Fable
Interest Level: 1-6
Text Level: 1-4
Narrative Annotation: Pancho's father, Papa Rabbit, traveled to the United States two years ago in order to find a job working in the carrot and lettuce fields, so that he can send money to his family in Mexico. However, Papa does not return, so Pancho decides to go to the United States to find him. Coyote offers to help Pancho, in exchange for some of the food Pancho plans to bring to his father. Eventually, Pancho's food runs out, so he must escape on his own before Coyote decides to eat him!
Selected Purpose: This book tells the terrible obstacles families face when crossing the border into the United States, which can be confusing to younger readers. In an activity created by Karl B. Schwartz, teachers can introduce the topic of immigration to their students by asking them for a list of reasons why people decide to immigrate to the United States. After creating a list, the students may then be introduced to the book, with the teacher asking questions along the way. Some of these questions may include:

1. Why does Papa Rabbit immigrate to the United States.

2. Should Pancho trust the Coyote?

In the story, Pancho takes only a backpack with him when he is traveling north. After reading the book, students will be given a picture of a backpack, and like Pancho, the students will pick only 5 items they would bring with them if they were immigrating to a new country.

Illustrations:
The illustrations in Duncan Tonatiuh's books are inspired by Mayan art. The Mayans were one of the many indigenous groups that lived in Mexico before the arrival of Columbus. As a result, Tonatiuh's illustrations allow for Mexican readers to form an appreciation for the illustrations, as they relate to their culture. Because many individuals are unfamiliar with this style of art, readers can also be introduced to Mayan artwork by reading this book, and many of Tonatiuh's other books, which also include this style of art. In addition, each illustration in the book showcases a different aspect of Mexican culture. For example, in one of the pictures, Mamá is preparing the food for a fiesta, and in the picture, Tonatiuh makes sure to include examples of typical Mexican food, such as homemade tortillas, mole, rice, and beans. Once again, this allows for Mexican readers to easily connect with the illustrations, and for other readers to be introduced to different parts of the Mexican culture.

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Author: Pipina Salas-Porras
Illustrator: José Cisneros
Publication Date: May 1, 2001
ISBN: 0938317563
Genre: Poetry
Interest Level: PreK-1
Text Level: PreK-K
Narrative Annotation: In this popular nursery rhyme from Latin America that has also been translated to English for this book, the nice little mouse longs for a meal to eat. When a hungry cat decides to trick the mouse into leaving his hole by offering him a piece of candy, the mouse soon learns that mice should never fall for the tricks of mischievous cats.
Selected Purpose: This book is an excellent resource for introducing students to poetry in both English and Spanish. This book tells the story of the little mouse through rhyme, and students could practice writing their own rhymes by creating poems about their favorite animals. Like the book, students who are bilingual could even practice translating their poem from one language to the other. A different activity that would be more suitable for older bilingual students is to have the students compare the original nursery rhyme written in Spanish, to the translation in English, as it is not an exact translation. How are the rhythms of the two poems different? How are they the same?
Illustrations: The illustrator of this book uses bright colors throughout the story. Although the story does have a dark ending in which the mouse gets eaten by the hungry cat, the use of bright colors shows the reader that the mouse does not expect such a terrible thing to happen to himself. Even in the end of the story, when the mouse has already been eaten, bright colors are used to show the mouse as an angel, which implies a sort of happy ending.

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Author: Taro Gomi
Illustrator: Taro Gomi
Publication Date: 1989
ISBN: 9781452169736
Genre: Fiction
Interest Level: PreK-2
Text Level: K-2
Narrative Annotation: This book tells the story of a little girl, and all of the new animal friends she makes. From these friends, she learns many exciting new things, such as jumping, kicking, and  appreciating the beauty of the night sky.
Selected Purpose: There are various ways in which this book can be used in a classroom. Through the little girl, this story encourages readers to become friends with individuals who are different from them. As a result, teachers can use this book to teach their students this lesson, by having classmates that normally do not work with one another interview each other. After the interview, each pair may take turns sharing with the rest of the class what they have learned about their new friend. With older students, teachers can assign a writing prompt in which the children describe their own experience with a friend that resulted in learning something new.
Illustrations: Like in many of Taro Gomi's illustrations, the pictures in this book are done in a simple, childlike way that makes younger readers feel comfortable as they are reading the story, or as someone else is reading them the story. Taro Gomi also uses solid black or white backgrounds in the illustrations, so that the vibrant colors he uses for the characters, and other objects in the story, appeal to the eye of the reader.

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Author: Robert Kraus
Illustrator: Jose Aruego
Publication Date: 1971
ISBN: 9780439021722
Genre: Fiction
Interest Level: K-3
Text Level: PreK-3
Narrative Annotation: Leo, a tiger, is different from everyone else because he does not read, write, draw, or speak, the way the other children do. His father is worried, but his mother knows that her son will be able to do all of these things once he decides he is ready.
Selected Purpose: This book is especially useful to teach children that everyone is unique, and like Leo, they should not feel discouraged when they learn at a different pace than their classmates. After reading this story, students can be assigned a writing prompt in which they describe a time in which they were unable to do something their friends or classmates were able to do. The students may describe what happened, how they felt, and what they did to fix the situation.
Illustrations: Jose Aruego uses bright colors in all of the book's illustrations as a way to make the pictures appealing to readers. He also uses the illustrations to show the emotions of the characters that is described in the text. For example, in the beginning of the story, Leo is shown with a frown on his face, when he realizes he cannot read, write, or speak the way the other animals can. However, once his mother reassures him that he will be able to accomplish these tasks when he is ready, he is suddenly shown with a smile on his face. This smile grows even bigger once Leo gets older and learns to read, write, and speak, just like the others.

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Author/Translated by: Edna Robinson
Illustrator: Edna Robinson
Publication Date: 1994
ISBN: 1569872554
Genre: Fable
Interest Level: PreK-K, 1-2
Text Level:K-2
Narrative Annotation: When the three little pigs discover there is a wolf in town, they quickly realize they must build houses so that they can hide from him in them. The first pig builds his house out of straw, the second pig builds his out of sticks, and the third build his house out of bricks. Whose house will be the safest when the wolf decides to huff, and puff, and blow the pigs' houses in?
Selected Purpose: Like in the English version of the story, Los tres cerditos uses much repetition. After teaching students about repetition, teachers can read this story to the students, and ask them to identify the moments in which the wolf and the three pigs use examples of repetition when they are talking to one another. If the students are assigned to read the book individually, they could use a chart to keep track of how many times repetition is used in the story.
Illustrations: The illustrations throughout the book were created in a way that makes them look like stills from an old animated Disney film. Because of this, the illustrations do also seem to flow together as if they were a movie. In addition, the illustrator makes sure to capture emotions of the animals that are appropriate to the events that are occurring in the story. For example, when the wolf believes he has finally tricked the pigs by entering the brick house through the chimney, he is shown with a sinister look on his face.

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Author: No author listed
Illustrator: Illustrations are stills from the film
Publisher: Mouse Works
Publication Date: October 1, 1994
ISBN: 9781570821288
Genre: Fiction
Interest Level: PreK-1
Text Level: K-3
Narrative Annotation: Simba is a young cub, whose mother and father are the rulers of Pride Rock. When Simba's uncle, Scar, becomes jealous of Simba, and his father, Mufasa, tragedy strikes. Simba is then forced to decide what he believes is best for his future, and his kingdom's future.
Selected Purpose: Throughout the book, the characters discuss the food chain that exists in the kingdom of Pride Rock. For example, in one part of the story, Mufasa, Simba's father, tells Simba about the relationships between the grass, antelopes, and lions. Teachers can use this as an opportunity to teach students an ecology lesson. Each student in the classroom can be placed into a group, and each group will be assigned one ecosystem. Once the group is assigned an ecosystem, the students must then research the different food chains that exist in their ecosystem, and create a diagram showcasing the relationships between all of the organisms.
Illustrations: The illustrations in this book are stills taken from the movie, The Lion King. Because of this, lovers of the film will enjoy flipping through the pages of the book. Because there is text that accompanies the pictures in the book, this will give readers a completely new experience with The Lion King, allowing them to compare and contrast the movie with this Spanish-language version of the book.

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Author/Translated by: Edna Robinson
Illustrator: Edna Robinson
Publication Date: 1994
ISBN: 1569872570
Genre: Fable
Interest Level: PreK-K, 1-2
Text Level:K-2
Narrative Annotation: Once upon a time, there was a miller, with three sons that he loved very much. When the man died, he left each of his sons a gift. He gave his youngest son El gato con botas, known in English as Puss in Boots. At first, he was like any other cat, until the son decides to give him a pair of boots, and through the cat's trickery, the life of the son becomes anything but ordinary.
Selected Purpose: In the story of Puss in Boots, the cat asks his master for a pair of boots in order to present himself as a wealthy individual. In the past, clothing played an important role in determining one's social status. In an activity created by Fresh Plans, the story of El gato con botas can be connected to social studies by asking students in the class to focus on the historical period the class is currently studying, and identifying the ways members of different social classes dressed in order to make themselves appear distinct from members of other classes.
Illustrations: The illustrator of El gato con botas includes much detail in her art. For example, when the cat captures partridges in the forrest, the illustrator shows him strutting down a path, with a smile on his face, and the sack of the birds in his hand. This allows for the reader to have a clear vision of what the author is describing in the text, which is useful for younger readers who may be paying more attention to the illustrations than the words of the story.

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Performed by: Owl City
Release Date: 2009
Genre: Pop
What is the Song About: "Fireflies" by Owl City is a song that discusses the beauty of life, and the disappointment we feel when positive moments must come to an end. As the singer explains through the lyrics, we can always keep these memories in our minds; however, it is necessary for us to move forward in order to create new positive memories.
Selected Purpose: The song "Fireflies," by Owl City, is filled with examples of figurative language. Some of the examples of figurative language used in the song include: hyperboles, personification, and similes. For instance, in one lyric, the singer tells the listener that the fireflies "tried to teach [him] how to dance." This is an example of personification because the lyric is giving fireflies the human characteristic of being able to dance. As a class activity, the teacher can first have the students listen to the song "Fireflies." After listening to the song, the students will be provided with the lyrics to the song, and working in pairs, they will be asked to identify as many examples of figurative language they can find in the lyrics. After the class identifies all of the examples, they will listen to the song once more, and will discuss how the meaning of the song changes after identifying the figurative language used throughout it.

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Author: Shel Silverstein
Date of Publication: Unknown
Type of Poem: Free verse
What is the Poem About: As the title of the poem suggests, this dark, yet humorous poem invites its readers to put themselves into the shoes of the animals they eat for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or even on the daily. The character in the poem explains to readers that once an individual "looks at dinner" from the dinner's point of view, meals are not as delicious as they once were.
Selected Purpose: This poem is a great way to introduce children to point of view, and how it can affect the way a story is told. After reading this poem by Shel Silverstein, students can contrast the ways humans feel on Thanksgiving when they are eating turkey, to the ways turkeys feel every Thanksgiving. Students could also watch the animated film Free Birds, a 2013 film about two turkeys that travel back in time to prevent the first Thanksgiving, and then, the students could compare the point of views of the turkeys in the film, to the Shel Silverstein poem.
Illustrations: To accompany the poem, Shel Silverstein uses humorous illustrations, due to the dark, yet humorous tone of the text. For example, he draws a man's head served on a platter in order to put the reader into the shoes of a turkey being eaten on Thanksgiving, or any other animal that is eaten by humans. Although these illustrations are simple, they are successful at forcing the reader to stop and think.

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Video: Zoboomafoo: Night Time Episode (Season 1, Episode 9)

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Video: Zoboomafoo: Night Time Episode (Season 1, Episode 9)

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Air Date: February 4, 1999
What This Episode is About: Chris and Martin Kratt, along with the help of Zoboomafoo, a lemur, educate young viewers about animals in ways that are entertaining to their specific age group. Through the use of cartoon animation, humor, and the use of real-life animals, viewers will learn all about nocturnal animals other than bats and owls, which most individuals are already familiar with.
Selected Purpose: This specific episode of Zoboomafoo is perfect for a science lesson dedicated to nocturnal animals. Students will learn about creatures such as binturongs, raccoons, owls, ringtails, and dormice. While watching this episode, students may take notes on a graphic organizer. After the episode is over, as a class, the students will compare and contrast the characteristics of each of the animals that was discussed in the episode.

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Zoboomafoo 109   Night time Full Episode

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About the Site: National Geographic Kids is a website with various science-related information, games, and activities that are age-appropriate for elementary school children. The website is easy to navigate, and also contains resources that would be helpful to teachers struggling to find activities related to their science curriculum.
Selected Purpose: One activity that could completed using the National Geographic Kids website incorporates both science and social studies. Using the Interactive World Map, each of the students is assigned to a group. Once the students are placed into groups, each group will then be given a country to collect research on, using the Interactive Map. Because the map provides information about the country's geography, people and culture, nature, government, and history, each member of the group could also be assigned one of these six aspects to research. Once the research is complete, students may then place all of the information they collected onto a poster, or even a Power Point presentation.

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What the Sign is Used For: Deer crossing signs are used as a sign of warning. When drivers see this sign, they know that they must stay on the lookout for any deer who may be trying to cross the street. These signs are used to eliminate the chance of an accident occurring, both to drivers, and to the animals.
Selective Purpose: This sign could be incorporated into a lesson about the protection of animals, or even in a lesson about animal survival. As a class, teachers can ask the students what the purpose of the sign is, why deers may need to cross a busy street (to look for food, etc.), and they can also ask students other ways in which we can help deer, and other animals,  to survive.

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About the Podcast: The Strange Animals Podcast is a podcast about animals that are living, extinct, and even imaginary! The show is hosted by Kate Shaw, and each Monday, she entertains her listeners by discussing unique creatures that the majority of the world is unfamiliar with.
Selective Purpose: As part of a science lesson, teachers can create an activity in which each student in the class chooses an animal that has been discussed in one of the podcast episodes. Once the student listens to the episode, the student will then draw a picture of the animal, and will create a list of fun facts about the animal they were assigned. After every student completes the assignment, the teacher can compile all of the projects into a class book of strange animal facts!

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As we get closer and closer to Halloween, the monsters get weirder and weirder! This week let's look at two mystery animals from Scotland, one of which is supposed to break into coffins and eat the bodies! That's disgusting! A stoat in its winter ermine coat: The Russian desman: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals ...

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Author: Doreen Cronin
Illustrator: Betsy Lewin
Publication Date: 2000
ISBN: 9780689832130
Genre: Fiction
Interest Level: K-3
Text Level: PreK-K, 1-2
Narrative Annotation: Farmer Brown's cows love to use their typewriter all day long. One day, they decide to start leaving Farmer Brown notes demanding better working conditions, and when he does not give in to their demands, they strike.

Selective Purpose: In an activity from Mark Warner, students can practice writing their own letter to Farmer Brown, from the point of view of the cows, to explain why they are frustrated with him. Teachers can also incorporate math into this literature lesson! In the story, the cows ask Farmer Brown for electric blankets, and in exchange, the cows will give up their typewriter. Using another activity created by Mark Warner, each student can research the price of an electric blanket. After finding the price of electric blankets, students may then work out the cost of buying more than one blanket for both the cows and the chickens.
Illustrations: Click Clack Moo is a very humorous book. Because of this, Betsy Lewin, the illustrator of the book, creates humorous illustrations to accompany the text. For example, in one of the illustrations, a group of angry-looking chickens is shown holding a sheet of paper, proclaiming that they will no longer be laying eggs, and that the cows will no longer be providing milk. The illustrations in the book are especially humorous because they provide the animals with human characteristics.

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Author: Jon Scieszka
Illustrator: Lane Smith
Publication Date: 1989
ISBN: 0140540563
Genre: Fractured Fairy Tale
Interest Level: K-3
Text Level: 1-2, 3-5
Narrative Annotation: Alexander T. Wolf has been in prison for the past 10 years for eating the three little pigs. He finally decides it is time to tell his side of the story, after years of the media portraying him as the villain.
Selected Purpose: Because the purpose of this book is to teach children about the way point of view can affect the way a story is told, teachers can create an activity with their students in which they must create a venn diagram, and compare the story of the "Three Little Pigs" from the point of view's of the pigs, and of the wolf. In order to practice point of view on their own, students may also use their favorite fairy tale to retell the story from the point of view of the villain. For example, one student may choose to rewrite the story of Cinderella from the point of view of her stepsisters!
Illustrations: Lane Smith uses vibrant colors, and humorous illustrations to accompany this retelling of the "Three Little Pigs." For example, in most of the illustrations, Alexander T. Wolf is shown wearing glasses, a sweater, and a bow tie, which is not exactly what one would imagine an antagonist would be wearing. Overall, with Smith's illustrations, the point of view of the "villainous" Alexander T. Wolf is brought to life in a unique, and entertaining way.

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Author: Marc Brown
Illustrator: Marc Brown
Publication Date: December 1, 1999
ISBN: 9780316122955
Genre: Fiction
Interest Level: 2-4
Text Level: 3-5
Narrative Annotation: In this Arthur story, Fern, one of the best poets in Mr. Ratburn's class, challenges the rest of the Elwood City kids to enter the library's poetry writing contest. All of the kids are eager to write the best poem, however, Arthur soon realizes that writing his own poem will be more difficult than he expected.
Selected Purpose: Introducing poetry to children is not an easy task. Like Arthur, students may find it difficult to come up with a topic for their poem, while others will find that writing poetry comes naturally to them. In the end of the book, Arthur finally decides to write his poem about the gorilla that escaped from the local zoo. Teachers can use this ending to create an activity for their students, in which the students must select a story from the local news station, and like Arthur, they must try to write a poem based on this event.
Illustrations: Because this is a chapter book, there are not many illustrations throughout the pages. However, the simple black and white illustrations do successfully demonstrate the emotions of the characters to young readers. For example, because Arthur cannot decide on a topic for his poem throughout most of the book, he is shown with a worried, or frustrated look on his face. Overall, in the book, there is a good balance of illustrations and text that is appropriate for young readers who are beginning to read chapter books.

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Author: Faith McNulty
Illustrator: Carol Schwartz
Publication Date:
ISBN: 9780590228596
Genre: Nonfiction
Interest Level: 1-3
Text Level: PreK-K, 1-2, 3-5
Narrative Annotation: This informational book educates young readers about the reasoning behind animals becoming endangered, or even extinct. It also explains ways in which humans can make an effort to protect these animals and their environments, so that they may continue to survive on Earth.
Selected Purpose: This book should be used during a science lesson about animal survival, or a lesson that is specifically dedicated to endangered and extinct species of animals. After the students read the book in class, the students can work in groups to compile a list of ways humans can protect the animals and their environment. This book could also incorporate writing into a related activity for older students. The teacher can assign the students a persuasive writing prompt, in which the children must write a letter to a friend, a family member, or even a member of the government, trying to convince them to save a specific animal that is discussed in the book.
Illustrations: Carol Schwartz, the illustrator of the story, uses extremely realistic illustrations of the animals, and their environments, in this book. The reasoning for this is to invoke emotion into the reader. The more realistic the illustrations, the more sympathy the reader will have for the impacted animals. As a result, the child is more likely to be convinced that actions must be taken to protect these endangered species in order to prevent them from becoming extinct.

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All of the texts that were selected for this texts set fall under the theme of "animals." However, amongst these animal texts, there are various themes and lessons that may be learned from reading or interacting with them. Some of these themes include loss, and the grief that accompanies it, the importance of family, and the hardships that immigrants face before, during, and after traveling to a new country. Other texts in this set are more informational, educating readers and viewers on topics such as animal endangerment, figurative language, and characteristics of certain types of animals. Overall, while all of these texts fall under the same general theme, it is encouraged that others interact with each one of these texts, as they are all beneficial to students, teachers, and even parents in unique ways.