Enormous Smallness

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday is hosted by Aly at Kid Lit Frenzy. 
Every Wednesday, bloggers link up their non-fiction picture book reviews. Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy and see what great non-fiction books are shared this week!

Title: Enormous Smallness: A Story of E. E. Cummings
Author: Matthew Burgess 
Illustrator: Kris Di Giacomo 
Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books 
Publication Date: April 7th, 2015 
Genre/Format: Non-Fiction Biography/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: Enormous Smallness is a nonfiction picture book about the poet E.E. cummings. Here E.E.'s life is presented in a way that will make children curious about him and will lead them to play with words and ask plenty of questions as well. Lively and informative, the book also presents some of Cummings's most wonderful poems, integrating them seamlessly into the story to give the reader the music of his voice and a spirited, sensitive introduction to his poetry.
     In keeping with the epigraph of the book -- "It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are," Matthew Burgess's narrative emphasizes the bravery it takes to follow one's own vision and the encouragement E.E. received to do just that. 
What I Think: ee cummings is such a well-known poet and deservedly so. He played with words and structure in poetry in such a creative way and I love reading his poems. Last summer while I was in Boston, I visited Forest Hill Cemetery and tracked down his grave. I blogged about how awesome it was to stand there and read aloud one of his poems. As I read Enormous Smallness, I felt the magic of being in the cemetery in Boston all over again. Burgess plays with words and incorporates cummings' own poetry into the text in such a way that it feels woven into his own words. At the same time, Di Giacomo does an excellent job of representing words visually, helping bring meaning to life. 
     I love everything about this book. The writing is descriptive and powerful. Matched with the illustrations, it certainly brings a certain tone and mood to the text that matches both ee cummings himself but also the time period. 
     As a mentor text, I would definitely use this book to discuss how and author's word choice impacts tone and mood. In general, this book is a discussion on descriptive writing and author's craft waiting to happen. In the snatch of text I've pulled here, you can easily talk about metaphor and onomatopoeia but also rhythm and how sentence structure impacts that...but this is just one piece of text from one page in the book. It's definitely a book to be reread over and over just to soak in and savor all the textual and visual mastery here.
Read Together:  Grades 2 - 12 
Read Alone: Grades 2 - 12 
Read With: Pablo Neruda: Poet of the People by Monica Brown, Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow by Gary Golio, The Cosmobiography of Sun Ra: The Sound of Joy Is Enlightening by Chris Raschka, The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus by Jen Bryant
Snatch of Text:

"As Estlin grew, he drew many pictures

from the great circus of his imagination.

But even more than drawing

elephants, trees, and birds,

Estlin LOVED WORDS.

What words say and how they sound and look.

He loved the way they hum, buzz, POP, and swish."

Writing Prompts: In the book, Estlin made up his first poem after seeing a bird outside of his bedroom window. The author writes, "From his bedroom window, Estlin could see enormous apple and cherry trees." Write about what you see outside your bedroom window or maybe use you imagination and write about what you wish you could see outside of your bedroom window.
Topics Covered: Family, Inspiration, Imagination, Creativity 

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The Cosmo Biography of Sun Ra

Title: The Cosmo Biography of Sun Ra 
Author: Chris Raschka  
Illustrator: Chris Raschka  
Publisher: Candlewick Press 
Publication Date: May 13th, 2014 
Genre/Format: Non-Fiction/Biography/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: Jazz musician Sun Ra (1914–1993) always said that he came from Saturn. Being from another planet, he was naturally intrigued by everything earthly — especially music, because music is the one thing on Earth most like the stars. Earthlings themselves confused Sun Ra, the way they sorted themselves by color and fought wars against one another. So he made music. And he traveled with other musicians and singers, calling themselves the Sun Ra Arkestra, playing, singing, and dancing for people all over the planet. Because music, he said, is what holds us all together. Join acclaimed author-illustrator Chris Raschka in celebrating a legend of the jazz world who was truly one of a kind. 
What I Think: The colors of Chris Raschka's artwork in The Cosmo Biography of Sun Ra completely bring to life the essence of the musician Sun Ra. I love how the text helps us see how Su Ra was completed devoted to his curiosity about the world and how that extended into his music. As I read this book I thought about Genius Hour and Passion Projects and how when we pursue something we are truly passionate about, we can easily get lost researching and discovering and creating. This story shows how Sun Ra's curiosity led to creation and it's such a great book for thinking about how we moved from taking in information to putting out work. I can see how this book would be a great anchoring text for a teacher encouraging students to discover their passions.
     When I looked at commas with middle school students, I typed sentences from Jimi: Sounds like a Rainbow onto little strips and then asked students to look sort the sentences, looking for how commas were used and where they could see similarities in the sentence structure. We did this to uncover patterns in how commas are used instead of just learning about rules of commas. It was a great activity and as I look at the sentences in Sun Ra and how commas are used, I think the text in this book would lend itself to that same activity. You might even use sentences from both of the books and see how the writing is similar or different. This is one of my favorite ways to use mentor texts, to really look at the structure of a sentence and then to try that in writing.  
Read Together: Grades 3 - 5   
Read Alone: Grades 4 - 6 
Read With: Tito Puente, Mambo King by Monica Brown, Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow by Gary Golio 
Snatch of Text:   

"Sun Ra drew other musicians to him. They played in small groups, medium-

size groups, and big groups, with singers or without singers - all kinds of ways.

They were like sailors on a boat bound for a new world, a new world of sound."

Writing Prompts: Write about something that you were so curious or passionate about that you devoted a lot of your time to it.  
Topics Covered: Curiosity, Passion, Creativity 

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Moonshot

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday is hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy. Every Wednesday, I'll review a non-fiction picture book. (It may not always be a picture book.) Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy and see what other non-fiction books are shared this week!

Title: Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 
Author: Brian Floca  
Illustrator: Brian Floca 
Publisher: Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books 
Publication Date: April, 2009 
Genre/Format: Non-Fiction/Picture Book
GoodReads Summary: Simply told, grandly shown, here is the flight of Apollo 11. Here for a new generation of readers and explorers are the steady astronauts, clicking themselves into gloves and helmets, strapping themselves into sideways seats. Here are their great machines in all their detail and monumentality, the ROAR of rockets, and the silence of the Moon. Here is a story of adventure and discovery -- a story of leaving and returning during the summer of 1969, and a story of home, seen whole, from far away. 
What I Think: The fact that people have been and are in space is fascinating to me. It's easy to go through life (for me at least) and to not think about people being up in space. I love how this book pulled me back into what it might have felt like when we first sent people to the moon and then it reminded me of all the times I have heard about people in space. I'm sure there are so many stories about what people were doing when man first walked on the moon, where they were, the excitement around it. I was in kindergarten when the Challenger exploded. I remember we were all watching at school and were devastated when we watched it explode. When I got home, we were watching news and I remember them replaying it over and over again. Going into space is such an intriguing topic and Floca does a great job of capturing the excitement and suspense of the first time we visited the moon.
     Floca uses several different literary devices and many of them repeat throughout the book, making Moonshot a great mentor text for descriptive elements of writing. By constructing sentences in a certain way, Floca sets the mood of the story, building the suspense and excitement right to the end.
Read Together: Grades 2 - 12 
Read Alone: Grades 2 - 6 
Read With: Shooting the Moon by Frances O'Roark Dowell, other non-fiction books about space
Snatch of Text:   

"The astronauts squeeze in

to Columbia's sideways seats,

lying on their backs,

facing toward the sky - 

Neil Armstrong on the left,

Michael Collins on the right,

Buzz Aldrin in the middle."

Reading Strategies to Practice: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Connections, Asking Questions 
Writing Strategies to Practice: Descriptive, Onomatopoeia, Alliteration, Anaphora, Mood, Sentence Complexity
Writing Prompts: Write about what you think the astronauts might have been feeling during different parts of their adventure. 
Topics Covered: Courage, Determination, Trailblazing, Integration - Science 

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The Mighty Lalouche

Title: The Mighty Lalouche 
Author: Matthew Olshan   
Illustrator: Sophia Blackall  
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade 
Publication Date: May 14th, 2013 
Genre/Format: Historical Fiction/Picture Book
GoodReads Summary:  In Paris, France, there lived a humble postman named Lalouche. He was small, but his hands were nimble, his legs were fast, and his arms were strong. When his job was replaced by an electric car, he turned to boxing to support himself and his pet finch, Genevieve. But--"You? A boxer?" the fighters asked. "I could sneeze and knock you down!" Still, Lalouche refused to give up. And perhaps small Lalouche was just nimble . . . just fast . . . and just strong enough to beat his fierce competitors. This is a marvelous story, full of humor and heart, and illustrated by Sophie Blackall, winner of a New York Times Best Illustrated Award. 
What Jen Thinks: I'm not sure if there's a name for a time when you read exactly the right book that you need at just the right time in your life but that happened to me with this book. I'm still thinking about what I want to be when I grow up. As I learn and grow more and more, I discover new things that I'm passionate about and I'm finding opportunities that are taking my life in different directions. This is exactly what happens to our funky friend Lalouche. I actually really love Lalouche. He seems like a simple guy who knows what he likes and knows what's important to him. He has a sweet little bird friend who means a lot to him. And then something unexpected and crummy happens to Lalouche. Lalouche has to make a decision! Does he accept defeat or does he make the most of his situation and take advantage of an opportunity that crosses his path. I think readers will fall in love with this little man and want to root for him but learn from his story as well.
What Kellee Thinks: This is one of those books that you read and you automatically want to share with others. It is so interesting and quirky, illustrated perfectly, and teaches you about an interesting time in French history. Within the first pages, you fall in love with LaLouche and I love that he is brave enough to not only do something that seems impossible, but to stand up to those who are bigger, stronger, and meaner than he is.  And the story is told in a fun, humorous way that, in the end, teaches the reader a lesson about following your heart.
     One of my favorite things about this book is the illustrations. They fit the time period perfectly and remind me of the later work of  Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Jean-Marc Côté. By emulating the feel of these French artists, Sophie Blackall has transported the reader to the late 19th century streets of France. 
     This book is also chock-full of teaching opportunities. The vocabulary and descriptive language that fills these pages are opportunities to practice a ton of reading and writing strategies including showing a character's traits without stating them, exclamatory sentences filled with descriptive language (onomatopoeia, imagery, alliteration), and learning new vocabulary. 
Read Together: Grades K to 8
Read Alone: Grades 3 to 5
Read With: Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet, The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordical Gerstein 
Snatch of Text:   

"One hundred and few-odd years ago,

in Paris France, there lived

a humble postman named Lalouche.

He was small, Lalouche,

and rather bony,

but his hands were nimble,

his legs were fast,

and his arms were strong."

Reading Strategies to Practice: Vocabulary Development, Character Traits
Writing Strategies to Practice: Onomatopoeia, Alliteration, Exclamatory Sentences, Descriptive Language, Commas (series)
Writing Prompts: At the end LaLouche makes a decision that is a bit controversial. Do you agree with his decision? Would you have made the same decision? Explain your answers using evidence from the text to support your answer.
Topics Covered: Hopes, Dreams, Determination, Love, Passion

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and

Funny Little Bird

Title: A Funny Little Bird 
Author: Jennifer Yerkes  
Illustrator: Jennifer Yerkes 
Publisher: Sourcebooks by Jabberwocky 
Publication Date: May 7th, 2013 
Genre/Format: Fiction/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: A lonely, invisible bird mistakenly believes that adorning himself with flashy feathers and flowers will make him beautiful and win him new friends. Except his plan quickly backfires when his magnificent plumage attracts the attention of everyone, even the fox! In his rush to safety the little bird loses every last bit of his new decorations, making him invisible once again. Except now in place of his loneliness is the knowledge that putting others first is the key to friendship and high self-esteem. 
What I Think: All school year, I have been focusing on looking closely at my own personality and strengths and weaknesses and how I interact with others who bring similar or different personality preferences. Just yesterday, our department received the book Stand Out by Marcus Buckingham. It focuses on recognizing and capitalizing on one's strengths. As a department, we took the quiz to find out what are our two strengths and then what those combined mean about who we are and our role. It was so interesting and so far has seemed very accurate. I'm eager to read the book and find out more about it's message but it's timely as I discuss this book about a little lonely bird who is trying to find his place in the world. The more I think about stories, the more I realize that the problems people involve people more often than not. In thinking about young adult literature especially, communication and fitting in and developing one's identity is so prevalent because that's exactly what adolescents are experiencing and grappling with.
     This sweet little story made me stop and think about what the little bird is experiencing and what choices he makes at different times in the book and how he feels by the end. The message of allowing yourself to be who you are and surrounding yourself with people who will support that is an important one for students of any age to think about and recognize. This book would make a great read aloud at the beginning of the year while building respect and rapport with students or throughout the year as a reminder of how we acknowledge each other's differences and try to celebrate those. This book would match really well with any book about recognizing differences and/or bullying.
Read Together: Grades 3 - 12 
Read Alone: Grades 3 - 12 
Read With: Wonder by RJ Palacio, Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper, One by Katherine Otoshi, The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss  
Snatch of Text: 

"The funny little bird decided not to be sad 

and continued on his way, 

with a souvenir under his wing, 

and an idea in his head." 

Reading Strategies to Practice: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Connections, Making Inferences 
Writing Strategies to Practice: Sentence Complexity, Supporting with Evidence   
Writing Prompts: Write about what you can infer about the funny little bird and how he was feeling and why he made the decision to be himself at the end. Include evidence from the text that supports your inferences. 
Topics Covered: Individuality, Adversity, Self-Esteem, Self-Confidence, Friendship

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