Josh Schneider wins the coveted 2012 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award.
An announcement in Dallas this week made Josh Schneider a very happy man. The author and illustrator is the recipient of the 2012 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for his children’s book, “Tales for Very Picky Eaters.”
The Theodor Seuss Geisel Award is given to the author and illustrator of the book deemed as the “most distinguished American book for beginning readers published in English in the United States during the preceding year.” The Association Library Service to Children (ALSC) – a division of the American Library Association (ALA) – administers the award annually. This year the award was announced in Dallas during ALA’s mid-winter meeting, Jan. 20-24.
The award is given in memory of Theodor Geisel, the renowned children’s author known as “Dr. Seuss,” and to recognize contemporary winners for “their literary and artistic achievements that demonstrate creativity and imagination to engage children in reading.” The first Theodor Seuss Geisel Award was presented in 2006 to author Cynthia Rylant and illustrator Suçie Stevenson for their book “Henry and Mudge and the Great Grandpas.”
Schneider and other honorees will receive their awards in June in Anaheim, Ca., during the ALA’s annual conference.
“Tales for Very Picky Eaters” is a five-chapter book about a boy named James, who refuses to eat foods he considers disgusting, smelly, repulsive, lumpy or slimy. His clever dad plays a big role in the storyline, offering outrageous suggestions and rationale to get his son to be more daring with his dining. The text is paired with cartoon-like illustrations executed in watercolor, colored pencil, and pen and ink.
“The dialogue presents some preposterous situations but even the most challenging words are presented in context so beginning readers can easily discern their meaning,” said Carole Fiore, head of the Geisel Award Committee. “The touches of humor make this book an engaging page turner.”
Three additional Geisel Honor Books were named:
“I Broke My Trunk,” the story of an elephant, written and illustrated by Mo Willems and published by Hyperion Books for Children.
“I Want My Hat Back,” a story about honesty and loss, written and illustrated by Jon Klassen and published by Candlewick Press.
“See Me Run,” a dog-infused story, written and illustrated by Paul Meisel and published by Holiday House.
With more than 4,000 children’s librarians, literature experts, publishers and educational faculty in its network, ALSC is dedicated to the support and enhancement of library service to children to create a better future for the next generation. Big Universe Learning also is a champion of children’s education and literacy. At last count, the online learning community had:
272,389 members from 166 countries
3,506 publishing company books, read 2,384,653 times
673,494 books stored on members’ personal bookshelves
172,575 bookshelves followed by members
42,500 books created by members
***NOTE: Humor is a great way to engage readers, both young and old. Check out “Humor: Be Still My ‘Beeting’ Heart,” a blog I wrote about another children’s book that deals with eating issues. It’s on Big Universe, and it’s one of my favs!
There are many Cinderella stories. Not just variations within one culture, but variations across cultures. A Christmas Carol has been done over and over again: it’s been modernized and humor-ized, remade by Muppets and Mickey alike. Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony has even been redone. There’s a disco version, a “Snoopy” version done on children’s instruments, and a version performed by the Transiberian Orchestra. Many great works have been altered in some way or another to breathe new life into them.
I used to believe that a remake of a great song was not worth my time. Being in the know of 50′s rock, I didn’t particularly enjoy it when “Sea of Love” was remade in the 80′s. I didn’t like it when Phil Collin’s remade “Groovy Kind of Love.” I felt is was too slow and not true to the original. And although I loved other songs by Cheap Trick, their take on “Don’t Be Cruel” was just not right. I took pride in knowing and enjoying the originals. But looking back, I can appreciate the art of a remake or a remix. It’s in knowing where something comes from that you can truly understand it.
Just yesterday I received my enewsletter from Big Universe and it showed me another remix of something great. It is a version of Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Eveby Robert Frost. I love studying this poem with my class in December. We read the text alone and then with illustrations found in books. I have my students memorize the poem and we even create our own poetry books with our own illustrated interpretations. Now I can add to our repertoire of interpretations.
I think remakes are great really. It’s an artist trying to make sense of something wonderful. It allows them to dig deeper into the original and create something new to share. Having an open mind to look at the variety is important. I realize that now. It’s fun to share different versions of music to my students as well as literature. Next week, when I introduce this classic poem to my class, we will have one more version to share together. It will click with some and not others, but that is the beauty of art and poetry.
So go – at this time of year you should share this wonderful poem with your class. Make sure to share the original and get your students on Big Universe to see this new version of the classic too!
Big Universe: Celebrate Christmas with children's books!
The Mazza Museum: International Art from Picture Books in Findlay, Ohio, received an early Christmas present. They just got 150 signed copies of “The Magical Christmas Horse,” a brand-new, beautifully illustrated picture book for children.
The holiday book is a collaboration between best-selling suspense author Mary Higgins Clark and noted artist Wendell Minor. The museum’s copies will be passed on as holiday gifts to patrons of “the world’s largest museum devoted to literacy and the art of children’s picture books.” The Mazza Museum – “where art from children’s picture books is taken seriously” – has more than 2,300 original illustrations. (The museum’s earliest piece dates from 1884.)
I love giving books as gifts too. They always have been my go-to present for birthdays, baby showers, teachers and holidays. The fact that “The Magical Christmas Horse” is wonderfully illustrated and celebrates the beauty of rural America, family time, traditions and redemption makes it a sure thing.
See the video clip below of a two-minute interview with Ms. Higgins Clark and Mr. Minor.
BigUniverse.com also is a champion of beautiful children’s picture books. This online treasure houses a growing library of digital fiction and non-fiction books in many languages, making it a valuable resource for classroom teachers, parents and homeschoolers. To date, Big Universe Learning has more than 3460 premium publisher books that have been read more than 2 million times. The number of member-created books grows daily.
The books showcase great narrative and stunning artwork, making them perfect for white board use or at computer stations in the classroom. There also are 1800-plus books that can be read on iPad, using the Safari web browser.
Here are 10 books from Big Universe with some of my favorite illustrations. The first two are Christmas books, so happy holidays!
NOTE:To learn more about “The Magical Christmas Horse,” its author and illustrator, or about Mazza Museum, read Douglas P. Clement’s very thorough article in Connecticut’s Litchfield County Times on Nov. 29. “The Magical Christmas Horse” is published by Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books and is available at your local book store or online. Click the following link to go to a page where you can listen to an excerpt read from the book.
BigUniverse.com picture book offers turkey trivia just in time for Thanksgiving.
I picked up two turkeys today. One was a frozen 23-pounder from Publix, and the other was roosted nicely on BigUniverse.com.
I’ll have to wait a couple of weeks for the first one, but I got to consume the other in one short sitting. The big guy will take hours to roast, but should suffice when it’s time to feed my 22 Thanksgiving dinner guests. The other one is a year-round treat – a particularly tasty morsel for the younger set just learning to read.
“Turkeys” is a Bellwetherbeauty, written and illustrated for K-2nd Graders (F&P GR: G ATOS: 1.5 AR Points: 0.5.) It’s a Level 1 Blastoff! Reader with particularly crisp and colorful photographs, a handful of good vocabulary stretchers and an online reading quiz (AR Quiz: 118106). I think I will share it with a niece and nephew, whom I get to meet for the first time this Thanksgiving! Family time and reading go together like mashed potatoes and gravy.
For the older kid in all of us, I put together a turkey trivia quiz, plus a list of turkey-themed activity links. If those don’t get your gobble on, there’s always turkey bowling….frozen of course.
Turkey Trivia Quiz
1.) What do you call a grownup male turkey?
A Tom Turkey
A Coattail Turkey
A Turkey Cob
Answer: No tricks here! A male turkey is called a “Tom Turkey.”
2.) What is a baby turkey called?
A pullet
A poult
A turklet
Answer: Juvenile male turkeys are sometimes called “jakes,” and juvenile females turkeys are sometimes referred to as “jennies,” but very young baby turkeys are called “poults,” so the answer is B.
3.) Male tom turkeys have these anatomical features:
Spurs, beard and horn
Beard, wattle and crest
Snood, caruncles, spurs
Answer: Male turkeys have lots of interesting features, especially their beautiful tail plumage. They also have spike-like spurs on their heels, a beard of skinny feathers dangling from their chests, a flap of skin called a “snood,” hanging over their beaks; “caruncles” – very bumpy wart-like skin – on their “bald” heads; and floppy skin under their necks, called “wattles” or “dewlaps.” So, the best answer is C.
4.) How many turkeys were raised in the United States in 2011?
32 million
248 million
152 million
Answer: Turkey production was up 2 percent this year compared to the 2010 season. In 2011, 248 million turkeys were raised, according to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). So, the answer is B.
5.) Which state produces the most turkeys?
Arkansas
New York
Minnesota
Answer: The top turkey producer in the United States is Minnesota – with 46.5 million gobblers raised this year, says the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The five other top turkey-farming states are North Carolina and Arkansas (both with 30 million), Missouri (18 million), Virginia (17.5 million) and Indiana (16 million).
6.) What month is the official Turkey Lovers’ Month?
November
April
June
Answer: Most people would assume that November is Turkey Lovers’ Month, but it’s June. Although 95 percent of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving, June is the official month to promote turkey consumption.
7.) How long does a wild hen turkey sit on a clutch of eggs before they hatch?
60 days
43 days
26 days
Answer: The average incubation period is between three and four weeks, or 26 days, but may range from 25-29 days, according to the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game. This depends on the number of eggs in the clutch, how long it took the hen turkey to lay her eggs, and when she decides to abandon her nest after her first eggs hatch.
8.) Which of the following statements is false?
Wild turkeys are too heavy to fly.
Wild turkeys can fly as fast as cars on a highway.
Wild turkeys can fly by the time they are 10 days old.
Answer: Wild turkeys prefer to run when startled, but learn to fly into trees to roost when just over a week old. They are best at gliding downhill, but can fly up to a mile when necessary. So, Answer A is false. Even though some adults reach 25 pounds at their heaviest, they can fly 50-60 miles per hour over short distances. Domestic turkeys, however, no longer have the capacity to fly.
9.) The turkey’s natural eating habits make it a/an:
Vegetarian
Carnivore
Omnivore
Answer: The wild turkey loves to eat seeds, insects, acorns, salamanders and grasses, making it an “omnivore,” so Answer 3 is the best choice.
10.) How long does it take to thaw a 12-pound frozen turkey in the refrigerator?
Overnight
3 days
6 days
Answer: Your frozen turkey should go in the refrigerator on Monday, three days before it goes in the oven. The Butterball Company recommends that you “allow one day of thawing for each 4 pounds of turkey. (12 divided by 4 is 3.) A thawed turkey may remain in the refrigerator for four days before cooking.” (This means my 23-pound turkey needs to come out of the freezer and go into my refrigerator about six days before Thanksgiving.)
BigUniverse.com book touts the inventions of Thomas Edison.
I’ve been thinking a lot about Thomas Edison this year – not because I am a great history buff, but because I like my comfort. We live in a rural setting, but have all the urban amenities – that is, until the wind picks up, the rain pours …or a butterfly goes by and the power goes out!
We live amid the trees. Apparently trees and power lines don’t mix. The boom of an exploding transformer is something that shakes a house – even a home on a solid foundation. The sound of a wailing woman shakes the house too, especially when there are writing deadlines on the line!
I don’t need fancy clothes, or TiVo, or even fine jewelry. Just give me one working power outlet for my computer modem and I’ll muddle through the rest. I’ve learned to find my toothbrush in the dark, locate matching shoes by feel, and light a kerosene lamp with one hand tied behind my back, but…been there, done that. Sixteen times this year, in fact!
I like the convenience of electrical lighting. In-home power is truly remarkable. It’s made my life quite comfortable, and it and the Internet have made my work as a freelance writer possible. So thank you, Thomas Edison.
It’s been more than 130 years since Edison filed Patent No. 223,898 for his incandescent light bulb on that day in early November. Never one to sit on his laurels, he and his inventive cohorts forged ahead, designing generators, fuses, batteries, a prototype of today’s power grid and hundreds of other inventions like the phonograph and the motion picture camera. Edison was an incredible thinker – the “Genius of Menlo Park” – with 1093 patents to his name.
Mr. Edison was not only scientifically minded, but was also a wise man that knew his way around language. To read a collection of his pithy quotes, visit the BrainyQuote.com website.
Thomas Edison said, “There is no substitute for hard work.” My WASP upbringing has me nodding my head in agreement. And so, Duke Energy, I implore you to keep searching for the bug-a-boo in the power lines that is making it hard to write, but easy to wail (and rail). There are no more trees for your workers to trim, so perhaps it’s time to put on your thinking caps and channel your forefather, Edison, who said: “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”
*NOTE: To read more about the great thinkers, who invented the modern conveniences that are part of our everyday lives, read Saddleback Publishing’s “Machines and Inventions,” a book in the “Science” section on Big Universe.
Advertisements are constantly bombarding us from several directions-internet, TV, billboards, radio, magazines, etc. The persuasive techniques used in these advertisements “hook us”. These real-life scenario techniques can easily be taught to students for creating powerful book talks that “hook students”!
Common persuasive techniques used in powerful advertisements include:
bandwagon (You are urged to do or believe something because everyone else does.)
emotional appeal (You are deeply emotionally drawn to the words or images.)
repeated words (You hear words or phrases repeated that “stick in your head”.)
celebrity testimonial (You remember the celebrity product and sales pitch more compared to a common person.)
humor (You pay close attention to the sales pitch.)
The chart below highlights an example of persuasive techniques used for creating a powerful book talk:
Student: “I’M EXASPERATED, EXASPERATED, EXASPERATED! Hi, I’m X from the book A Call for a New Alphabet. I am exasperated because every other letter in the alphabet besides me has so much to do and plays more important roles in making words. I expect more! I want us all to vote NOW for creating a new alphabet that is fair and equal! Find out more about our voting day by reading A Call for a New Alphabetlocated online at www.biguniverse.com. Hurry now, our alphabet might not last for long!“
Big Universe has hundreds of beautiful online picture books for kindergarteners.
Canada introduced a new model for kindergarten last fall. It was a full-day program that focused more on play-based learning than traditional models.
Ontario, Prince Edward Island and British Columbia launched classrooms that put an increased emphasis on cognitive self-regulation, emotional self-control and theory of mind, based on research by the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, in addition to literacy-rich curriculum.
“Politicians have staked billions of taxpayer dollars, and the success of the next generation on this more subtle approach to teaching young children,” said education reporter Kate Hammer in an article in today’s Globe and Mail.
Hammer of The Globe was given special permission – along with a researcher and videographer – to interact throughout the school year with four kindergarten students from the Toronto area. You can view footage of the children performing cognitive tasks and expressing themselves through drawing, photography and finger puppets in the “Kindergarten Diaries.”
I found the video clips of these charming children to be interesting. I think you will too.
Reading Christmas books is as much a part of the season’s traditions as hanging ornaments, baking cookies and getting new pajamas on Christmas Eve. So, I am always looking for new ones to add to our family library. None can rival the original Christmas story, but they do add to the festivities and enhance family time.
Illustrator Tara Larsen Chang brings a traditional 12th-century French Christmas song to life in her inviting rendition of “The Friendly Beasts,” a children’s picture book featured on the Big Universe website. Although the text is old, the pictures are charming and bring the words to life. In this tender story, a donkey, cow, sheep and camel bring gifts to a special baby, expressing the art of giving in their own unique way.
Ms. Chang is a gifted artist, sharing a creative bent that has been with her since childhood. “From my earliest memories I’ve been captivated by the illustrations in fairy tales and children’s books,” she says on her website. “And (I) couldn’t think of anything else I’d rather do when I was grown up than create my own.”
(You can see additional samples of her work on her website.)
Burl Ives sang the words in this book on his 1952 album “Christmas Day in the Morning.” Other singers have recorded the song, including Harry Belafonte, Johnny Cash, Sufjan Stevens and Garth Brooks.
If children don’t understand what they read, they will never embrace reading. And that limits what they can learn while in school. 7 Keys to Comprehension: How to Help Your Kids Read It and Get It! is the result of cutting-edge research. It gives parents practical, thoughtful advice about the seven simple thinking strategies that proficient readers use:
• Connecting reading to their background knowledge
• Creating sensory images
• Asking questions
• Drawing inferences
• Determining what’s important
• Synthesizing ideas
• Solving problems
Easily understood, easily applied, and proven successful, this essential educational tool helps parents to turn reading into a fun and rewarding experience.
Dawn Little (aka Links to Literacy) also blogs atwww.teachingwithpicturebooks.wordpress.comwhere she provides educators with picture book lessons based on comprehension strategies and the Six Traits of Writing. In addition, she blogs atwww.literacytoolbox.wordpress.comwhere she provides educators and parents with tips and tools to enhance the literacy lives of children. She is the founder and owner of Links to Literacy, a company dedicated to providing interactive literacy experiences for children and families. Find out more at www.linkstoliteracy.com
Strategies That Work: Teaching Comprehension for Understanding and Engagement is a book that was suggested to me early in my teaching career. I used it extensively in the classroom, and continue to use the resources and strategies within the book when I read to my own children. The goal is to create engaged, thoughtful, independent readers and this book helps!
In this revised and expanded edition, Harvey and Goudvis have added twenty completely new comprehension lessons.
In this book, you will find:
what comprehension is and how to teach it
lessons and practices for teaching comprehension
information on social studies and science reading, topic study research, textbook reading and the genre of test reading
updated appendix section recommends a rich diet of fiction and nonfiction, short text, kid’s magazines, websites and journals
When kids are engaged in their reading they enhance their understanding, acquire knowledge, and learn from and remember what they read. And most importantly, they will want to read more!
Dawn Little (aka Links to Literacy) also blogs atwww.teachingwithpicturebooks.wordpress.comwhere she provides educators with picture book lessons based on comprehension strategies and the Six Traits of Writing. In addition, she blogs atwww.literacytoolbox.wordpress.comwhere she provides educators and parents with tips and tools to enhance the literacy lives of children. She is the founder and owner of Links to Literacy, a company dedicated to providing interactive literacy experiences for children and families. Find out more at www.linkstoliteracy.com
was written to assist teachers in the classroom,
is written in a fashion that guides parents as they teach their children comprehension strategies.
