Children's Picture Books

How to Dinosaurs go to School?
Author: Jane Yolen
Illustrator: Mark Teague
Publisher: The Blue Sky Press
ISBN# 10:-0-439-02081-6


As I was looking through the Picture Book section at the public library, I didn't know what to choose. Picture books all look colorful, big and cute. I would want one though that has a great story and a learning lesson that goes along with those vivid pictures for my children or students. I had my 2 daughters go through the section and they came out with 5 picture books. They are too old for these books (9 and 12) but they still were eager to help and sat on the rug at the library looking at these books with great interest. This is a book they picked which I though was perfect.

I picked "How Do Dinosaus Go to School?" out because of the great story attached to the magically artistic drawings inside the book. I thought all children are intrigued by dinosaurs because of their history and their beauty. Dinosaurs can be scary but magical. The illustrations of different dinosaurs in different school settings was educational to children. It doesn't hurt to have a little science lesson thrown in a reading lesson. On the first page, the author has pictures and names of a variety of dinosaurs that are used in this book.

The story poses questions to the reader about the adventure a dinosaur may have if he or she went to school. What would happen because of his size? These questions are asked in the first half of the book of things that might go wrong. The second half though explains even though dinasaurs are big and loud, they too can be good students like everyone else by following the rules.

The repetition of questions and ryhming of words on each page make this an easy but fun book for children to follow. I would recommend this book to children who are between 4-7.

Happy reading!!!

Multicultural Children's Book

Kamishibai Man
Written and Illustrated by Allen Say
Houghton Mifflin Company Boston
ISBN13: 978-0-618-47954-2

"Come gather around me, little ones, your kamishibai man in here again!" CLACK, CLACK!

Long ago, in Japan in the 1930's Kamishibai is said to be a part of a long tradition of storytelling. Children will love to learn about this inspirational tradition that happened in another country. This wonderful story is about an older couple who did not have any kids of their own. They would call each other Jiichan for Grandpa, and Baachan for Grandma. Jiiachan decides to take a bicycle trip back to the city to tell his stories to children once again. But some time has passed and things look quite different now. Cities have gotten bigger that the noise has gotten louder. He packs his wooden box that hold sweets for the children who listen to his stories. His wife Baachan makes them homemade for him. With his wooden blocks he clacks them together and yells, "Come gather around me, little ones, your kamishibai man is her again!" The children gather and listen to his stories that he eagerly tells. The children listen and then get treats after the story is told.

As time goes on, technology starts to blossom and television starts to emerge. The tale of how a older man deals with time going by and traditions coming to an end is a sad tale but also an inspiration to hear about. This book deals with a wonderful tradition that has such history. Kamishibai is known as the poor man's theatre and started to emerge in the 1930's. When Japan was experiencing financial hardship, the kamishibai theatre brought entertainment to people who had nothing going on in their lives. These theatre's could be transformed into any type of area like bomb shelters and devastated neighborhoods.

Children will learn not only a little history, but how traditions hold such importance in our lives.