Ms. Tointigh's Book Blog

  Title:   Young Zeus Genre:  Traditional Literature Author / Illustrator:  G Brian Karas Age group : 2nd-4th Summary This story tells about the great Greek God Zeus and where he got his humble beginnings from.  Through the help of monster friends as well and other Gods Zeus is able to navigate Athens and lead him and his family to victory.  He starts off by learning how to master the lightning bolt and from there the sky is literally the limit. Evaluation for some reason this children's book reminds me of a coming of age novel.  That is exactly what is happening for Zeus!  I feel like this book has a heavy emphasis on team work and letting your friends help you out when you need it.  So i can see this book being used in a unit based on friendship.  Since this book is targeted at younger readers I personally do not see myself using it in my classroom.

  Title:   Hansel and Gretel Genre:  Traditional Literature Author / Illustrator:  James Marshall Age group : PreK-2nd Summary This is a retelling and illustration by James Marshall of the classic tale of Hansel and Gretel.  A brother and a sister venture out into the woods where the find a house made of every delicious desert you can think of.  However, the children are in for a shocker when they find out the witch whom inhabits the magical cottage of sweets likes to eat little children for dinner.  fortunately the duo is able to outsmart the witch and escape the cottage to return safely home. Evaluation I feel that this retelling is definitely more kid friendly than the harshness of the original brothers Grimm.  I feel like this would help aid younger students imaginations.  Because the reading level is so low I personally would not use this book in my own class.

Title:   Godilocks and the Three Bears Genre:  Traditional Literature Author /  Illustrator:  James Marshall Major Awards:  Caldecott Award Age group : Kinder-2nd Summary This is a classic retelling of the story of Goldilocks and the three bears.  She finds herself at the bears cottage and helps herself to their porridge, and their chairs, and finally to their beds.  The bears return home to find their house in disarray, they are unable to enjoy their porridge or sit properly and then they find a girl sleeping in Baby bears bed.  Goldilocks awakens with a fright and before the bears can say anything she bolts out of there. Evaluation This story is such a classic tale that is told across elementary classroom everywhere.  I think an interesting thing this story uses  is repetition in order to really get across the meaning of big, medium, and small.  I think that size would be a great unit of study that this story could be told in....

  Title:   Lon Po Po Genre:  Traditional Literature Author/ Illustrator:  Ed Young Major Awards:  Caldecott Award Age group : 1st-3rdth Summary This story is a retelling of the famous tale Little Red Riding Hood from China.  The story has three sisters named Shang, Tao, and Paotze who are left home alone by their mother who goes to run their grandmother some items.  A cunning wolf in the forest watches the mom leave the children their and makes its plan.  The wolf dresses up like the  children's Po Po and gets the children to let her in the house.  Things seem normal until "PoPo" suggests they all go to sleep.  The children feels how hairy the wolf's paw are and then the oldest Shang catches a glimpses of the wolf's reflective eyes.  She is the most clever and tells the wolf about a Gingko nut and how its so tender and tastes as soft as baby's flesh.  This excites the wolf so the children go outside and climb the tree to p...

Title:   Anansi the Spider Genre:  Traditional Literature Author/ Illustrator:  Gerald McDermott Major Awards: Caldecott Award Age group : 1st-3rdth Summary This is the story of Anansi the spider and his six sons.  Anansi's sons are named, See Trouble, road builder, River Drinker, Game Skinner, Stone Thrower, and last Cushion.  Their names were indicative of their jobs and what they do in life.  One time Anansi traveled so far and fell into trouble.  Thankfully his first born See Trouble alerted the rest of the brothers.  Then road Builder built the road to get there so all six sons traveled it.  Here they saw a huge river which River Drinker fixed promptly.  There was a fish left flopping about and Anansi was inside the fish so Game Skinner freed him.  But just as Game Skinner freed his father a huge falcon swooped Anansi away! Stone Thrower came to save the day and pelted the bird with a stone but Anansi was now free falling from ...

  Title:   Tikki Tikki Tembo Genre:  Traditional Literature Author : Arlene Mosel Illustrator: Blair Lent Age group : 2nd-4th Summary This is a retelling of an old Chinese story.  This story follows two brothers and in the Chinese culture the first and honorable child is given a great long name and the other children who come after are given simple and short names.  So of two brothers the oldest ones name is Tikki Tikki Tembo No Sa Rembo Chari Bari Ruchi pip Peri Pembo and the youngest one's name is Chang.  The boys are one day playing by a stone well against the advice of their mother and the youngest brother Chang falls in.  The older brother runs to the river to tell his mother and the first time she cannot hear him over the roaring waters, so the second time Tikki Tikki Tembo yells and his mother hears.  His mother sends him after the old man on the hill with the ladder so he can fish out Chang.  The old man cannot hear Tikki Tikki Tembo ...