A Pocket Full of Kisses by: Audrey Penn

 

This week, I read the book, A Pocket Full of Kisses, which I had never heard of before this class. Before I read this book, I didnt really know what the book was going to be about based on what the cover illustration was. I knew it would be about a raccoon family, but I never would have thought it would be such a heart-warming and endearing story. The book is about a raccoon family that just got a new addition, a little brother. Well, momma raccoon had always given her oldest son a kissing hand, which is a prequel to this cute little story. As the story goes on, Chester, the oldest son, gets upset that momma raccoon is giving his little brother these Kissing hands that momma always gave him. He begins to cry and then momma looks at him and has a long talk with him about being an older brother, but, she gives him something different. He gives him a pocket full of kisses that will be special to him because he is the older brother. The book ends in a really cute way. I really enjoyed this book. I think it is a good lesson for all students to learn because so many of them have other siblings. By learning to share time, space, and love with their sibling, it can help them out at home and in the classroom. The illustrations are wonderful, and you can have students predict what will happen, or connect the text to what the picture is displaying. Overall, I would definitely suggest this book for 1st-3rd grade as a read aloud.

It's Okay to Be Different by: Todd Parr

     As I was looking to expand my variety of books that I was picking I came across this book and decided to read it. Based off of the title and the different pictures on the cover, I kind of predicted what the book was about. My book list is an inventory of Read-Aloud books and this book is an AWESOME book for that. It doesn't have a plot line but, it makes a really strong moral and ethical point that kids should know about being different. 

     Each of the different pages has things such as "Its okay to have no hair, its okay to not want to do anything bad, its okay to have a different nose." and so on. This is a very strong lesson about bullying which is a subject that each teacher needs to teach continually throughout the school year. Looking at the different illustrations it had two different affects on me, not only did it draw me in by the vibrant and loud colors, but also the simplicity of each illustration allows for the reader to focus on what the text is actually saying. I am wanting to teach the lower grades and with their attention span, any picture that has too much going on can get their mind off track and solely focusing on the pictures. I would definitely recommend this book to any teacher. You can do a lot of fun activities with this book, its a fun read and kids will really enjoy and benefit from the underlying message the book portrays! Grab a copy and check it out!

Corduroy by: Don Freeman

     This week, my book talk was on one of my favorite childhood books. Corduroy by Don Freeman has had my heart since day one. When I was younger I used to always make my parents or my brother read this book to me. This book is about a bear who desperately wants to have a home and comes so close when a young girl spots him out of the entire department store. To Corduroys disappointment, the young girls mother notices that the bear is missing a button and is therefore "old" and does not allow her daughter to purchase the stuffed bear. That night Corduroy goes on a hunt to find his lost button. Going all over the store he finds what he thinks is his button and tries to rip it off of the mattress he found it on. He makes a huge ruckus and draws the attention of the night time security guard. The guard takes him back to where he belonged, in the case downstairs. The bear, disheartened that he wasn't able to retrieve his lost button, sits in his case waiting for day to come. To his surprise the next day he sees the same little girl. The little girl wants to buy the bear! The book ends in a really cute and fun way and is an awesome read!
     I will DEFINITELY be reading this book to my class. As I know, though this book is near and dear to my heart, the kids might not take to it as I did when I was younger. This book is a good representation of "if you want something bad enough, you'll get it with hard work." The little girl was determined to get that bear and Corduroy really wanted a friend and a home. Through these obstacles they both overcame, they were able to achieve what they had always wanted! Such a good read, and I encourage you all to read it as well!