Big Universe

Books Introduce Black History Month Heroes

Stunted though it may be, February is an overachiever. Its 28 days are jam-packed with holidays, birthdays and observances – surely enough fodder to fill those bulletin boards with meaningful material all month long.

 While Groundhog’s Day may be a bit frivolous and Valentine’s Day a tad frilly, the Black History Month observance is fertile ground for broadening our children’s understanding of American history. It moves beyond waddling rodents and rotund cherubs with a fondness for archery. Rather, it provides the framework to introduce heroes, men and women with athletic, artistic and academic gifts and a vision for a better tomorrow.

 “In the centuries since African Americans first arrived on our shores, they have known the bitterness of slavery and oppression, the hope of progress, and the triumph of the American Dream. African American history is an essential thread of the American narrative that traces our nation’s enduring struggle to perfect itself. Each February, we recognize African American History Month as a moment to reflect upon how far we have come as a nation, and what challenges remain.”  – President Barack Obama

 What better tool to introduce this facet of American history than books? Who better to introduce the books than acclaimed poet and autobiographer Maya Angelou, who understands their power so well?

 “Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading – to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs – is good for him.”  –  Maya Angelou, African American poet

 A Starter List of Biographies for Kids

 –        “A Picture Book of Harriet Tubman,” by David A. Adler and Samuel Byrd, traces the life of Harriet Tubman, who escaped from slavery to become a conductor in the Underground Railroad. Grade 4. (Scholastic)

 –        “Jackie Robinson Graphic Biography” details the life of the first African-American Baseball Hall of Fame inductee. Grades 4-6. (Saddleback Educational Publishing)

 –        “George Washington Carver,” by Eva Moore and Alexander Anderson, tells the story of a man who overcame tough beginnings to become an accomplished botanist. Grades 3-5 (Scholastic)

–        “Rap a Tap Tap,” by Leo and Diane Dillon, is a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book about Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, a popular tap dancer from the 1920s-30s, who “talked with his feet.” (Blue Sky Press)

–        “Martin Luther King Jr. Graphic Biography” is a biography about an influential man who fought against prejudice and injustice. Grades 4-6. (Saddleback)

–        A Picture Book of Sojourner Truth,” by David A. Adler and Gershom Griffith, traces the life of a well-known abolitionist and crusader for the rights of African Americans in the United States. (Grade 4) (Scholastic)

–        “A Picture Book of Jesse Owens,” by David A. Adler and Robert Casilla, is a simple biography about track star Jesse Owens, who competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics.  (Grade 5) (Scholastic)

–        “I Am Rosa Parks,” by Rosa Parks with Jim Haskins, tells the story of a brave woman who acted upon her convictions. Grades 1-3. (Puffin)

–        “A Picture Book of Frederick Douglass,” by David A. Adler and Samuel Byrd, explains the role of this escaped slave, who went on to become a writer, speaker and leader of the abolitionist movement. Grade 5. (Scholastic)

–        “A Picture Book of Thurgood Marshall,” by David A. Adler and Robert Casilla, lets children learn more about the life of the first African-American Supreme Court justice. Grade 5. (Scholastic)

–        Reading Rockets offers its own list of Black History Month reads. Check them out.

Other African Americans making significant contributions to our society include neurosurgeon Ben Carson, sports legend Bill Russell, Pulitzer Prize poet Gwendolyn Brooks, Tuskegee Institute director Booker T. Washington, Medal of Honor soldier Vernon Baker, baseball legend Buck O’Neil, surgical technique pioneer Vivien Thomas, track great Wilma Rudolph, Oscar-winning actress Hattie McDaniel, choreographer Alvin Ailey, and too many others to count.

Big Universe, an online children’s picture books website, posts an additional supplement for this month’s discussions. Let your students explore the Bill of Rights by reading “What Are Citizens’ Basic Rights?” Grades 4-6 (Weekly Reader). Or read  “Civil Rights: An Acrostic Poem”  by Big Universe member BlockB.

Kid-Friendly Poems for Valentine’s Day

February and poetry go together like butter and bread. Valentine’s Day poems are especially appealing to elementary children if they are funny and read out loud. Other interactive poetry grabs attention and helps channel pent-up wiggles on these wintry days.

Poetry provides a valid link to literacy. According to Ontario’s Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat website:

1.  Poetry awakens our senses, helps us make connections to others, and leads us to think in synthesizing ways, as required by the use of metaphor.
2. Paying attention to the language and rhythms of poetry helps build oral language skills.
3. Children with well-developed oral language skills are more likely to have higher achievement in reading and writing.

 Some Valentine’s Day poems to get you started.

 I Love You More Than Applesauce

By Jack Prelutsky

I love you more than applesauce,
Than peaches and a plum,
Than chocolate hearts,
And cherry tarts,
And berry bubble-gum.

I love you more than lemonade,
And seven-layer cake,
Than lollipops,
And candy drops,
And thick vanilla shake.

I love you more than marzipan,
Than marmalade on toast;
For I love pies
Of any size,
But I love you the most.

Veggie Valentine

- Author Unknown

You may not “carrot” all for me

The way I care for you

You may “turnip” your nose

When I plead with you

But if your heart should “beet” with mine

Forever “lettuce” hope

There is no reason in the world

Why we two “cantaloupe.”

Making Valentines
- Author Unknown
In February, what shall I do?
I’ll make some valentines for you.
The first will have a cupid’s face;
The second will be trimmed with lace.
The third will have some roses pink;
The fourth will have a verse in ink.
The fifth will have a ribbon bow;
The sixth will glisten like the snow.
The seventh will have some lines I drew;
The eighth, some flowers – just a few.
The ninth will have three little birds;
The tenth will have three little words:
I LOVE YOU!

My Valentine Heart
- Author Unknown

 When I say I love you                       (Point to lips)
It comes from my heart                    (Hand on heart)
You hear it in your ear                      (Point to ear)
And it sounds very smart                 (Point to head)
I love it when you’re proud of me (Stand real tall)
You say it all day long                        (Stretch arms wide)
And when I hear you say it              (Point to ear)
My heart sings a merry song           (Hand on heart)

I Made My Dog a Valentine

By Jack Prelutsky

I made my dog a valentine,

she sniffed it very hard,

then chewed on it a little while

and left it in the yard.

I made one for my parakeets,

a pretty paper heart,

they pulled it with their claws and beaks

until it ripped apart.

I made one for my turtle,

all he did was get it wet,

I wonder if a valentine

is wasted on a pet.

If you are looking for additional Valentine’s Day literature ideas, check out this extensive bibliography aimed at the elementary-age child – courtesy of the LRC/Sivia Center in Gainesville, Fla. Other illustrated poems for kids can be found in the poetry section on the children’s picture books website Big Universe.

February: Lanterns ‘n Tigers and Mandarin…Oh My!

Valentine’s Day is Feb. 14, but did you know it’s the first day of the Chinese New Year, too?  Yup – the  Year of the Tiger is upon us! Maybe your child or class would have fun with some global fusion  –  half hearts, half dragons.

 Kids like quirky, well, most of them anyway. Hang Chinese lanterns from the ceiling and cut and paste valentines. Mix in talk of tigers, dragons and firecrackers and you are sure to engage the boys, as well.

I figure most of you have the Valentine’s Day theme down pat, so I’ll give you a few hints on how to use the Chinese New Year celebration as a spring board for learning.

Get to Know and Appreciate China

• Make Chinese paper lanterns to string in a doorway or from the ceiling. Very festive.
• Read “China” by Gisela Lee, who writes about this influential country’s rich history and vibrant modern-day culture. The book posted online by Big Universe has a map, colorful pictures and a good vocabulary list aimed at sixth-graders. (Teacher Created Materials Publishing)
• Fly a kite, bring collapsible umbrellas to school or play dominoes. They were all invented by the Chinese.
• Use “Kingka,” an award-winning board game, as a class supplement. Created by New Jersey educator, mom and children’s book author Sholeen Lou-Hsaio, the Mandarin-language matching game resembles bingo and introduces the 54 basic Chinese characters. It uses “the spirited nature of a memory game to encourage effective learning. It takes away the fear students have of learning Chinese,” said Lou-Hsiao.
• Learn more about giant pandas by clicking on this link, or read “Pandas’ Earthquake Escape” at Big Universe. (Sylvan Dell)
• “Confucius, Chinese Philosopher”  is another Big Universe book by Gisela Lee, who collaborated with Wendy Conklin to write this biography. (Teacher Created Materials Publishing)
• Look at “Holidays”  by author Dona Herweck Rice. It’s aimed at younger children with simple text and great pictures. Keep an eye out for the Chinese New Year street parade picture. (Teacher Created Materials Publishing)
• Go to Page 33 in the book “Animal World,” published by Saddleback Educational Publishing.  It offers a little zoology on the tiger – with colorful photographs and a fun “factoscope” box. Or read “What Tigers Do,” a beginner book written by Kris Bonnell and published by Reading Reading Books, LLC.
• Print out this coloring page of a tiger, a boy in traditional holiday clothing, or one of men dressed to do the Chinese New Year lion dance.

Brain Science Offers New Look at Teaching Math

“The mathematical sciences particularly exhibit order, symmetry, and limitation; and these are the greatest forms of the beautiful.”   – Aristotle

 Aristotle appreciated math. So do my husband, father-in-law and sister-in-law. They made it their livelihoods. As for me…well, if push came to shove, I’d plead The Fifth.

However, I did read a well-written essay by Benedict Carey, titled “Studying Young Minds, and How to Teach Them.” It appeared as part of a series in The New York Times last month. Unfortunately it was published on Dec. 20 – just a few days before Christmas. I doubt it got the notice it deserved, but I found it fascinating and think teachers and parents will find it and the rest of the series interesting too.

 Carey talks about how cognitive neuroscience research is challenging the way educators have traditionally taught math and other concepts to young children. While some of these findings may have trickled their way into the classroom, I think the information bears repeating. Numerous brain science studies and researchers are cited, as well as a few teachers who have incorporated these new ideas into their classrooms through fun math games, activities and reading. 

“Teaching is an ancient craft, and yet we really have had no idea how it affected the developing brain,” said Kurt Fischer, in The New York Times article. Fischer is the director of the Mind, Brain and Education program at Harvard. “Well, that is beginning to change, and for the first time we are seeing the fields of brain science and education work together.” 

For those of you on the front lines in the classroom, please weigh in! Give the article and its readers’ comments a look and then offer your feedback here. Does this article resonate with you? Are you applying any of these principles in your math curriculum? Or are your hackles up? I’d like to hear what you have to say.

 If you are looking for some basic math concept picture books, Big Universe offers about two dozen online options from its publishing partners. Members also have created many volumes about math and counting, and you and your students can do the same. 

Dealing with Death Through Books

Haiti has hit me hard. I can’t stand suffering, sadness and the plight of the marginalized. It’s hard for me to make sense of the tragedy on that island nation – and I’m an adult. How much harder it must be for a child to process images on TV and stories they hear at school.

 Of course we can turn the channel when little ones are in the room and tuck newspapers and magazines out of sight, but sometimes death and dying become very personal. A friend’s mother dies. A teacher gets cancer. A grandparent has a heart attack.

 Tragedy stands at the doorstep, and we must deal with it the best we can. Hugs, prayers and a listening ear are the first line of defense. Diversion has its place and so does role playing with dolls and toys.

 I can remember my oldest daughter doing just that with her Playmobil zoo set after watching “The Lion King.” We had strictly monitored her TV watching, but had scooped up a copy of this movie, because she loved lions. Unfortunately we failed to recognize that to her, those animated characters were REAL. That’s when she first learned that loved ones can die – even big strong daddies like Mufasa the lion. (Cue the mommy guilt.)

 We talked to her  and reassured her, but she coped in her own way – by incorporating the topic of dying in her pretend games with her stuffed animals and zoo set. Her younger sister was able to stay naïve a little longer – that is until Sept. 11, 2001. She learned about the tragedy in New York City at school from other kids. When she got home and walked in while I was watching the news coverage, she thought MORE planes were flying into MORE buildings. (Mommy guilt, Part II.)

 I think it’s only natural to try to shield our children from the harsh realities of the world – if only for a short while. However, when troubles come, I believe in naming them and beginning the process of dealing with them. I’m not a fan of sweeping things under the rug.

 Talking and praying were givens for us. Books also proved valuable in helping our kids cope with the fragility of the human condition. They provided a forum for discussion, and the physical contact of sitting on our laps gave comfort. The warmth of our voices soothed away fears and reinstated a sense of safety.

 Michael Catchpool’s picture book  “Grandpa’s Boat”  (Andersen Press) is a warm story that encourages readers to remember loved ones who have passed away and to celebrate their lives rather than forget. The illustrations by Sophy Williams capture the love and happy memories that death can not touch.

Bestselling author Audrey Penn also has written a sensitive book in which the main character comes to understand the loss of a school friend through an “accident.”  Check out “Chester Raccoon and the Acorn Full of Memories,” (Tanglewood Press) illustrated by Barbara Gibson.

 “A Mango for Grandpa”  by Caroline Hudicourt (International Step by Step Association) is another online story offered in Big Universe’s library of children’s picture books. It also deals with loss by celebrating fond memories and carrying on traditions. Its illustrations by Ismer Saincilus lend themselves to whiteboard display in a classroom setting.

 “Saying Goodbye”  is “a sad and true story about the death of a pet dog,” written by Carrado G60, a Big Universe member. It is a perfect illustration of how Big Universe’s author tool can help kids deal with grief. The child author was able to memorialize Muffy, a beloved pet, by uploading digital photos and expressing feelings through personalized text. The book includes a parent’s page at the end with hints to help children deal with loss.

 “Love is stronger than death even though it can’t stop death from happening. But no matter how hard death tries, it can’t separate people from love. It can’t take away our memories either. In the end, life is stronger than death.”  – Anonymous

 Note: There are many resources available to parents and teachers, who find themselves dealing with the topic of death and tragedy. Don’t be hesitant to get help from a certified grief counselor or clergyman if you feel overwhelmed. The Barr-Harris Children’s Grief Center in Chicago recommends numerous books about death and grief for children and adolescents, as well as answers to some frequently asked questions. Educator Keith Schoch also offers a great list of additional picture books on this topic in his blog.

Blue Moon Special: ‘In Every Moon There is a Face’

For the past 18 years, I have given a special ornament to each of my children on Christmas Eve. Each trinket signifies something about their lives in the previous 12 months.

After almost two decades, we have a litany of stories and mementos hanging from metal hooks among the pine needles – ballet slippers, handprints, ponies, pianos and tokens from trips. It’s like a 3-D version of scrapbooking.

The first in this collection was a handcrafted moon with a little baby girl nestled in the lower curve of the star-bedecked crescent. The infant is asleep with her tummy facing down, her knees tucked in and her bottom poking up – my first-born’s position of choice when she snoozed.

Between that ornament and the lunar beauty on recent winter nights, I’ve had the moon on my mind. Last evening its light was so bright, it penetrated the curtains in my bedroom, leaving moon shadows on the floor.

On New Year’s Eve we will experience the second full moon this month – the celestial event known as a “blue moon.” The last time this occurred on a New Year’s Eve was 19 years ago in 1990 – two months before the birth of my first baby. The next one will ring in the new year in 2028.

This afternoon I heard my second daughter humming “Fly me to the moon. Let me sing among the stars.” So, it shouldn’t really have surprised me when the children’s book “In Every Moon There is a Face” caught my attention as I surfed Big Universe’s website for some of the latest additions on its virtual bookshelves.

While the book has been on the site for some time (480 others have read it) I somehow missed it. Its poetic verses were penned by renaissance man Charles Mathes, and his talented wife, Arlene Graston, gave the text wings with her fanciful paintings. Published by Illumination Arts, the book received the Gold Medal for Best Children’s Picture Book of the Year by Foreword Magazine.

I made the mistake of reading this book for the first time in the same way I would have recited the words to “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” for the umpteenth time. When I finished, however, I knew I had missed the mark. I hit the Read Again tab and gave this book another shot.

The second time I read Mathes’ poem I set off at a gentler pace, using a softer voice appropriate for a lullaby or soothing bedtime story. I took my time as the text circled in a dream-like fashion and lingered to absorb the illustrations, which expanded the story with their intricate detail.

This time I savored the collaboration of text and art like a fine wine – instead of treating it like a Big Gulp from the corner 7-Eleven. This time I arrived at a different impression entirely! I invite you to give it a read, too.

Other Lunar Favs on My Mind:

• Van Morrison’s song “Moondance.”
• “Goodnight Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown.
• The 1987 Oscar-winning movie “Moonstruck.”
• Cat Steven’s song “MoonShadow.”
• Keith’s Moon Page trivia.
• Mobile, Alabama’s new year’s celebration. The city raises a 12-foot, lighted mechanical moonpie replica above the city at midnight.  Think Times Square with a hint of marshmallow, graham cracker and chocolate.

 Happy New Year!  May you enjoy many hours of good reading in 2010 and a sprinkling of moon dust, too.

A Balancing Act . . . Writing a Picture Book in Verse

Sometimes we need a little imbalance in our lives to make us think about how to get centered again. Writing a picture book in verse is like that, too.

 When writing in poetical stanzas (With all those good things that any picture book needs—characterization, setting, and a plot, for goodness sake!)the writer has an additional concern. That is, a sense of balance. Oftentimes we can sense imbalance but we are not quite sure why something doesn’t work.

For example, the magical number in most western literature is three. Tasks, bad luck, good luck, etc. come in threes. If this is violated, somewhere down deep we readers feel a bit uneasy. Things are not quite what they should be.

Most picture books are thirty-two pages in length. (Some are forty, or twenty-four; all are a number of pages that can be divided by 8.) Working with thirty-two pages, a writer of picture books has to be able to envision action for approximately 13 double spreads (26 pages), and two single pages (first right page and final left page). The remaining four pages are front and back matter.

The job for the verse writer of picture books is partly realizing how the stanzas, with or without a chorus, play across these pages in a balanced way so the reader feels, yes! This is right. Early in my writing career I wrote a book from which my editor wanted me to remove one stanza to get it into a 24 page format. But which one should I remove?

This manuscript also contained a repeated chorus at precise points in the story. In my mind it was designed like one might a beaded necklace. There was an opening, three strands (stanzas) of a certain rhyme pattern and rhythm, a chorus strand with a different rhyme and rhythm, three more of the basic strand, another chorus, three more of the basic, and then a closing. So the original pattern went: Opening, 3 stanzas, chorus, 3 stanzas, chorus, 3 stanzas, closing.

How could I remove just one and keep the whole thing working in a balanced way? Well . . . obviously, I had to remove the center stanza so the central strand of the basic pattern contained only two stanzas. Now my pattern was Open, 3, C., 2, C., 3, Close.

You might think at this point that I am being just too fussy. But am I? Certainly a reader sometimes is not aware of all the work a writer does behind the scenes to make a story flow as though it were effortless. However, if we jarred the reader rudely at a point in the flow—he/she would certainly feel it, even though the reader might not be exactly sure why it didn’t work for him/her.

For example, lets look closely at a title from a friend of mine’s manuscript (Hope Vestergaard) that recently sold to Candlewick: Digger, Dozer, Dumper. Obviously, this is a book of large machines for little readers. And the title is perfect. Why is that?

First, we have the very descriptive words that tell exactly what each machine does. Second, we have the wonderful alliteration so beloved in children’s books that helps the title just roll off our tongues. But there is more . . . a third thing. This is something an author would think about and deliberately design, something that just feels right.

Notice the vowels? Each one progresses down in tone and where they said in the mouth. The “i” is higher, said using the tongue up near the roof of the mouth. The “o” is said in the round chamber of the middle of one’s mouth, while the “u” is said more in the lower back of the mouth near the throat. It feels good in our mouths to say it. It’s memorable, it’s musical. It’s perfect!

Now you know a little about why I fume when someone comments, “Oh it must be so easy to write those books. They’re so short.” When this happens I grit my teeth and remark that often the things we love most in the world are short, but they are not easily written. Think of Robert Frost’s poem “Stopping by Woods,” Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address,” or the 23rd Psalm.

The best writing is precise and balanced.

Here’s to the beginning of a new writing year! Happy Holidays, all!

Shutta

Children and Worry

Some topics are universal and worry is one of them. There is a beautiful picture book available online at Big Universe that covers the topic of worry beautifully. When I was a child I worried about everything! When I shared my difficulty with worries with my fourth grade students I got an overwhelming response from the children telling me that they had the same feelings and they sure were glad they weren’t alone. We spent quite a while discussing some of the worries they had.

The worries children have to deal with are numerous. For some it’s whether they’ll get the tennis shoes they want or the part in the play. Others worry about a grandparent who is sick or a brother or sister who is away at college. For some there’s the worry of losing a home to foreclosure, having the electricity turned off, or what kind of mood dad’s going to be in when they get home. Others worry that someone’s going to find out they don’t have a home, that when they leave school everyday, they go to the homeless shelter; That those clothes they wear everyday once belonged to someone else. That woman that comes to see them during the day at school, she’s a social worker, she might be taking her and her brother away from their parents.

Children worry about so many things. Is There A Worry Worrying You? written by Frieda Wolff and Harriet May Savitz, beautifully illustrated by Marie Le Torneau and published by Tanglewood Press, addresses the problems of a child’s worries in a very child friendly way. The book is written at a first grade reading level but the interest level is much wider. As a read aloud the book’s reach stretches all the way from preschool through the elementary school years and beyond. Even as an adult I enjoyed the bitter sweet memories it helped me recall from my childhood.