There was a young farmer of Leeds
Who swallowed six packets of seeds.
It soon came to pass
He was covered with grass,
And he couldn't sit down for the weeds.
from Over the Hills and Far Away: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes Collected by Elizabeth Hammill, 2015, Candlewick
Monday, March 30, 2015
Monday, March 23, 2015
GRAINFIELD (Monday Poem)
by Ibn 'Iyad
translated by Cole Frazen
Look at the ripe wheat
bending before the wind
like squadrons of horsemen
fleeing in defeat, bleeding
from the wounds of the poppies.
from The Death of the Hat: A Brief History of Poetry in 50 Objects Selected by Paul B. Janeczko, 2015, Candlewick
translated by Cole Frazen
Look at the ripe wheat
bending before the wind
like squadrons of horsemen
fleeing in defeat, bleeding
from the wounds of the poppies.
from The Death of the Hat: A Brief History of Poetry in 50 Objects Selected by Paul B. Janeczko, 2015, Candlewick
Monday, March 16, 2015
Butterfly (Monday Poem)
by Nikki Grimes
Say "butterfly,"
and I am swimming in sunshine,
sprawled in the grass,
blowing on a blade
to make it whistle,
and eyeing the sky
for small, fluttering things
wearing rainbow wings.
from Words With Wings by Nikki Grimes, 2013, Wordsong
Say "butterfly,"
and I am swimming in sunshine,
sprawled in the grass,
blowing on a blade
to make it whistle,
and eyeing the sky
for small, fluttering things
wearing rainbow wings.
from Words With Wings by Nikki Grimes, 2013, Wordsong
Friday, March 13, 2015
Women Wake-Up the World! (FAMILY magazine reviews)
During the month of March we
celebrate Women’s History. One way
to help young children discover women who have helped to change the world by
making it better, is by sharing wonderful books about the lives of these
women. This is only a sample of
many outstanding books written about women who are not satisfied with the way
things are. Don’t hesitate to
include women who have inspired you as you talk together with your child. Happy reading!!
Phillis’s Big Test
by Catherine Clinton
Illustrated by Sean Qualls
Houghton Mifflin,
$16.00
Interest Level: Grades 1-3
(This book may be purchased from local and online booksellers.)
Set during the infancy of the
United States, Phillis Wheatley’s biography is an example of a woman who
learned early the power of words to change her life as a slave from
Africa. Her poetry was the first
published by an African American.
But
before her book was sold, she was required to prove she had actually written
the poems by submitting to an examination by eighteen educated and powerful men
from Massachusetts. This Boston
slave girl’s experiences were shaped by the kindness of her owners, and the
education they provided, as well as Phillis’s own eagerness to learn. Later, freed by these same owners, she
wrote patriotic poems, and at his invitation, visited George Washington.
Author
and historian Catherine Clinton once again demonstrates the importance of a
well-told story to capture the interest of young readers. Her literary skill echoes that of her
subject, and is accompanied by mixed media illustrations from artist Sean
Qualls, featuring the blues and reds of the colonial era. An Epilogue concludes the book.
My Name is Celia: The
Life of Celia Cruz by Monica Brown
Illustrated by Rafael Lopez
Cooper Square, $15.95
Interest
Level: Grades 2-3
(This book may be purchased from local and online booksellers.)
This
lively picture book biography of Cuban-born salsa queen, Celia Cruz, is written
in the voice of the singer herself. It begins with the Latina legend’s
childhood in Havana. Her contribution to the busy family household was singing
lullabies to put the youngest children to sleep.
While
her father wanted her to become a school teacher, one of Celia’s favorite
teachers told her, “Go out into the world and sing . . . . your voice is a gift
. . . . and must ring sweet in the ears of our people!” Despite the racial
prejudice she experienced, she sang in many competitions. When the revolution began, she left
Cuba as a refugee. But she found a
home in New York City, and later Miami, as a US citizen.
Brown’s
rhythmic text (in English and Spanish) is paired with Lopez’s bold acrylic paintings
in brilliant tropical colors. The
“magic symbolism” for which his art is recognized breathes with motion. This expressive book introduces young
readers to the life of a woman whose music broke boundaries and continues to
inspire.
A
brief note about her life and death, flowed by a photo of this famous musician
concludes the book.
Eleanor, Quiet No
More: The Life of Eleanor Roosevelt by Doreen Rappaport
Illustrated by
Gary Kelley
Disney-Hyperion Books,
$16.99
Interest Level: Grades 2-3
(This book may be purchased from local and
online booksellers.)
Beloved
by her father, and made fun of by her mother, Eleanor Roosevelt became
quiet. When both of her parents
died before she turned ten years old, she and her brother went to live with
their grandmother, aunts and uncles in a large “dreary house.” She was a good student both at home and
at boarding school. She developed the habit of thinking. She also learned about children and men
and women whose lives were hard.
When
Franklin and Eleanor married, life with his mother, Sara, became difficult for
Eleanor. Sara even told Eleanor
how to raise her children.
When
Franklin was elected to the New York State Senate, Eleanor learned about
government. When Franklin became ill with polio, Eleanor found ways to help him
make his dream of public service a reality. She cared for their five children, she taught in a girls’
school, she made speeches, talked on the radio, and wrote magazine articles.
She helped Franklin get elected as governor of New York, and later as
President.
Even after Franklin’s death,
Eleanor found ways to help. This
picture book biography of the legendary First Lady includes quotes (in large
print) from Eleanor’s writings to highlight important moments in her life. The text is brief but poetically
describes what happens to Eleanor’s and how she acts in response. The luminous
illustrations in sepia tones reflect a sober era and illuminate how Eleanor’s
life is changing.
Combined, the words and art offer
young readers a window into the world of a well-loved world leader who believed
one must speak for what you believe.
An Author’s Note, Illustrator’s
Note, a list of Important Dates, and a listing of Selected Research Sources are
included at the end.
More Biographies of
Women:
I Could Do That:
Esther Morris Gets Women the Vote by Linda Arms White
Illustrated by Nancy
Carpenter
Farrar Straus Giroux,
$17.99
\Interest Level: Grades 2-3
(This book may be purchased
from local and online booksellers.)
Look Up! Henrietta
Leavitt, Pioneering Woman Astronomer
by Robert Burleigh
Illustrated by
Raul Colon
Simon & Schuster,
$16.99
Interest Level: Grades 2-3
(This book may be purchased from local and
online booksellers.)
Celia Cruz, Queen of
Salsa by Veronica Chambers
Illustrated by Julie Maren.
Penguin, $17.00
(hardcover) $6.99 (paperback)
Interest Level: Grades 2-3
(This book may be purchased from local and online booksellers.)
Monday, March 9, 2015
Little Miss Tuckett (Monday Poem)
Little Miss Tuckett
Sat on a bucket,
Eating some peaches and cream.
There came a grasshopper
And tried hard to stop her,
But she said, "Go away, or I'll scream."
from Over the Hills and Far Away: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes collected by Elizabeth Hammill, 2015, Candlewick
Sat on a bucket,
Eating some peaches and cream.
There came a grasshopper
And tried hard to stop her,
But she said, "Go away, or I'll scream."
from Over the Hills and Far Away: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes collected by Elizabeth Hammill, 2015, Candlewick
Monday, March 2, 2015
There Once Was a Fish (Monday Poem)
There once was a fish.
(What more could you wish?)
He lived in the sea.
(Where else would he be?)
He was caught on a line.
(Whose line if not mine?)
So I brought him to you.
(What else should I do?)
from Over the Hills and Far Away: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes collected by Elizabeth Hammill, 2015, Candlewick
(What more could you wish?)
He lived in the sea.
(Where else would he be?)
He was caught on a line.
(Whose line if not mine?)
So I brought him to you.
(What else should I do?)
from Over the Hills and Far Away: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes collected by Elizabeth Hammill, 2015, Candlewick
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