The Wide Mouthed Frog

Author/Illustrator: Kevin Faulkner/Jonathan Lambert
Genre: Fantasy
Awards: None
Grade Level: Prek-K

This book is about a wide mouth frog who eats flies. He hops along meeting several animals throughout his day. He introduces himself as the wide-mouthed frog and says that he eats flies. He follows with, "What do you eat?" He came upon an alligator one day and the alligator said he eats wide-mouthed frogs. The frog disguised his mouth as being small and hopped into the pond.

This book is designed for students in the early elementary levels such as prek and kindergarten. This book has no true purpose to it. It is a silly book with large pop outs to entertain young readers. I would use this book in my classroom during read aloud. I probably would not put it in my library for fear that the students would rip the pages.

Galimoto

Author/Illustrator: Karen Lynn Williams

Genre: Multicultural

Awards: None

Grade Level: 1st-3rd

This book is about a young boy named Kondi who lives in the small village of Nsanje. Kondi wants to collect enough wire to make a Galimoto, which means car in Chichewa. All he has is a small piece of wire to beginn with. He goes throught the village and makes trades, and deals with other people to gather enough wire for his Galimoto. In the end he finds enough wire after all and everyone is excited to see his Galimoto.

This book is structured for students from 1st to 3rd grade. I would use this book in my classroom to teach students about other cultures and their values. I would explain how Kondi was so excited to gather wire to make a Galimoto and all we have to do is go to the store to buy a toy one and we still aren't happy sometimes. I will have students think about how tehy could use their resources to make more of what they have.

Crow Boy

Author/Illustrator: Taro Yashima
Genre: Multicultural
Awards: None
Grade Level: 2nd-4th

This book is about a young Japanese boy named Chibi who sticks to himself in school. He is really shy and others make fun of him because of it. He spends his pass time staring at the ceiling, at his desk, and the clock until it is time to leave school everyday. No matter what, Chibi would always be at school day after day. A new teacher showed  up in sixthg rade and took interest in the knowledge and abilities that Chibi had. He encouraged him and became his friend. During the talent show one day Chibi got up and performed crow calls. The students were taken back by his performance and pictures the tiny village from past the mountains that he came. The new teacher explained that Chibi learned those calls on his long walk he made to school everyday. Everyone felt terrible for misjudging Chibi. From that day forward he became known as the crow boy.

This book is aimed for students from 2nd to 4th grade. The sentences are simple and straight forward. This book shows us some of the customs of the Japanese culture. Everything from what they wear, what their houses are like, their language, and food. I would use this book to teach students that everyone comes from a different background. We do not know why some people are how they are, but we should be willing to learn.

Mama, Do You Love Me?

Author/Illustrator: Barbara M. Joosse/Barbara Lavallee

Genre: Multicultural

Awards: None

Grade Level: Prek-1st

This book is about a young Eskimo girl who asks her mom if she loved her. She will make up scenarios and ask her mom whom always replies with, "Still, I would love you." She young girl uses different items from their culture to make up the scenarios.

This book is simple and to the point. I would recommend this book for students in preschool to first grade. I would use this book to teach how different cultures have different things that are specific to them. In this book parkas, ermine, and lemmings are examples of things they use/experience. I could have students write their own Mama do you love me sentences using things specific to our culture.

Mirandy And Brother Wind

Author/Illustrator: Patricia C. McKissack/Jerry Pinkey

Genre: Multicultural

Awards: None
Grade Level: 3rd-5th

This book is about a young girl named Mirandy who is determined to win the cake walk. In order to complete this task she thinks she needs to capture brother wind who will be her partner. All throughout the book she tries different ways to capture him, but he is too fast. In the mean time Ezel wanted her to go with him, but when he realized she wasn't he made up a fib that he was going with someone else and was gonna win. She really tried now to catch Brother Wind and eneded up succeeding. At the cake walk she saw Ezel's partner and asked where he was. She said she turned him down because he was clumsy. Mirandy defended Ezel and ran off to brother wind for a wish. Ezel and Mirandy were the talk of the town for weeks after the cake walk thanks to Brother Wind.

This book is aimed for students from 3rd to 5th grade. I say this because the words are small and the structure is a little complex for younger students. I would not use this book for instructional purposes, but I would keep it in my classroom library. This book shows the traditions of different cultures such as Brother Wind.

Whoever You Are

Author/Illustrator: Mem Fox/Leslie Staub
Genre: Multicultural
Awards: None
Grade Level: Prek-1st

This book takes the reader allover the Earth to see what other children are like. Others might have different skin, different homes, different ways of transportation, school, or even playing. Though our lifestyles might be different, we are still all the same. We all have emotions, we all laugh, and we all love. Whoever you are.

This is a really simple book for students in Prek to first grade. I would use this book in the classroom to show students that no matter where we are on this Earth or who we are it is what on the inside that brings us all together. I could have students draw a picture of themselves and describe who they are, where they are from, etc. I could also have them list reasons they are alike with one another.

Thank You, Mr. Falker

Author/Illustrator: Patricia Polacco
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Awards: None
Grade Level: 3rd-5th

Trisha has all the hopes in the world to read, but can't get it right. Students make fun of her in school because she is the only one who struggles. Her mom got a job that moved her to another school where students didn't know this. Mr. Falker, her new teacher, saw through her inability to read and realized that not only could she read but she had so much more to bring. Mr. Falker worked with Trisha after school to help her read. When she read for the first time she was completely over joyed and ran home to tell all.

This story is for students from 3rd to 5th grade. It doesn't clearly state that she has a disability, but the author creates this character with dyslexia. This book can be read to students to show that we do not all learn at the same pace, and sometimes students need extra help or an alternate way to learn material.