Picture Books

 Knuffle Bunny Free: an Unexpected Diversion





Willems, M. 2010. Knuffle Bunny Free: an unexpected diversion. Ill. by Mo Willems. Balzer + Bray. New York, NY. ISBN 9780061929571


PLOT SUMMARY

In Knuffle Bunny Free: an unexpected diversion, young Trixie and her family are headed on a long trip to visit her grandparents who live in Holland. Trixie takes her loving stuffed bunny, Knuffle, on the trip. Patiently, she waits to get on the plane in this great adventure. She arrives at her grandparents’ home to realize she left Knuffle Bunny on the plane. Trixie is inconsolable, and the family tries everything to bring her spirits up to no avail. They even surprise her with a brand-new Funny-Bunny-Wunny- Doll extreme! However, this only makes Trixie feel worse. One night she dreams of her beloved Knuffle and the great places he will visit. The morning Trixie realizes that Knuffle will be safe and she continues to enjoy her trip.


CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Willem’s shares a common theme of growing up and learning to face problems at a young age. While the experience of visiting family was exciting, the loss of something we hold dear to our hearts can shatter what was meant to be a pleasant trip. Loved ones try everything in their power to solve the child’s pain, but at the end the author demonstrates how the child has to find his own inner strength to deal with the situation.


The book has vivid pictures that add to the overall mood of the book. The combination of real pictures and drawings makes the story come to life. Although the characters are all drawings, the setting of the stories are photographs. In the middle of the book two pages open up to a double page spread. These pages are given a dark blue background color to visualize Trixie’s dream of her loving bunny. The emotional journey continues through the story as the author writes a letter to the character describing his wishes for her to grow up to adulthood and begins her own passage as a parentl. The author ends the books with this loving note to his daughter.

REVIEW EXCERPTS


School Library Journal: “A fitting end to a trilogy filled with humor and heart. Knuffle Bunny Free delivers a satisfying conclusion.”


Goodreads: “Bestselling, award-winning author Mo Willems has created an epic love story as only he can, filled with the joys and sadness of growing up—and the unconditional love that binds a father, mother, daughter, and a stuffed bunny.”


Awards: Goodreads’ Choice Award Nominee for Picture Book (2010)



CONNECTIONS


This book reminds us that we all have a favorite toy or stuffed animal as a child and how we mature and grow apart from them.


Other related books:

Knuffle Bunny: a Cautionary Tale and Knuffle Bunny Too by Mo Willems

Elmer and the Lost Teddy by David McKee


Activity: Have a class discussion of your favorite childhood toy. Draw a picture of your favorite toy and write why it means or meant so much to you.




A Ball for Daisy





Raschka, C. (2011). A ball for Daisy. Schwartz & Wade books. Ill. by Chris Raschka. New York, NY.ISBN 978-0375858611


PLOT SUMMARY

In this picture book, Chris Raschka illustrates a dog who has a special fondness for a red ball. He seems eager and excited to play at the park with his ball. As another dog comes to play, Daisy is delighted to share her loved toy with it. However, the ball deflates and they can no longer play. Daisy goes home broken hearted and distressed as he watches his owner toss his cherished ball into a trash can.


CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Chris Raschka’s impressionistic style drawings depict the emotions of a dog in a clear way. Without using any words Raschka is able to portray the dog’s feelings by focusing on the animal’s facial expressions and using a variety of tones and colors. When the dog is happy and excited the dog’s eyebrows and eyes are open and it is wagging its tail profusely. The colors used in his delightful scenes are light and vibrant. As the dog feels irritated and anxious the colors change to a darkish gray tone. The author also used a red tone for the ball to show its importance in the book and to stand out among the drawings. The book comes to life with the lines, shadows, and colors used through the pages. Even without any words, one can understand what is happening in the book through the pictures.

The author shares the emotions of the dog to represent how things may look dreary sometimes, but can always change if we find happiness in other places.


REVIEW EXCERPTS

Goodreads: “Rarely, perhaps never, has so steep an emotional arc been drawn with such utter, winning simplicity.”

Hornbook: “This book has grown on me with repeated readings. I've been a fan of Raschka since the beginning, but A Ball for Daisy gets better each time I read it. In my opinion, it depicts the emotional lives of children in a way that is both engaging and profound.”

School Library Journal: “"Raschka’s genius lies in capturing the essence of situations that are deeply felt by children."

This book received in The Caldecott Medal in 2012


CONNECTIONS

This book will appeal to children who have lost a beloved toy and the emotions that come with it.

Other related books:

Wolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell

Knuffle Bunny Free: An Unexpected Diversion by Mo Willems

Activity: Have students write the captions to this illustrated book. Share with the class to compare similarities or differences.


The Snowy Day





Keats, Ezra Jack. 1962. The Snowy Day. Ill. by Ezra Jack Keats. Viking Press. New York, NY. ISBN‎ 978-0670654000


PLOT SUMMARY


In The Snowy Day, Keats describes Peter, as a young boy, who is ready for an entertaining day of snow. He decides to drag his feet and make a trail as he walks all the way to where the big boys were snowball fighting. He realizes he is too young to play with the older boys and continues on a fun packed day in the snow. He is so enthralled with the snow that he decides to stuff a handful of snow into his pocket for the next day. Later, he realizes the snow is no longer there. Filled with dissolution he is afraid the sun will melt the snow away the next day. Until the next morning, when he notices the snow is still everywhere.


CRITICAL ANALYSIS


Keats writing is simple and clear, speaking from the mind of a young child who is excited about his first snow day. The child finds pleasure in the activities that come with a snowy day such as building a snowman or a snow angel. The author uses onomatopoeia throughout the book to detail the crunch felt as he walks through the snow or the plop he feels when the snow lands on tops of his head.

The colors used in the illustration portray the whiteness of the snow contrasted with the bright buildings and light skies. Although there are no specific facial expressions in the drawings of Peter, his actions show the excitement he feels. His curiosity is felt through the different scenes, beginning with the cover page that shows him looking down at his own footsteps made in the snow to one of the last pages that resemble the happiness he feels looking out the window and viewing the snowflakes gathering outside.


REVIEW EXCERPTS


Goodreads “The minimalist art really adds to this story of discovery. Will take you back to a time when the world was filled with endless possibilities.”


Publisher's Weekly "Ezra Jack Keats's classic The Snowy Day, winner of the 1963 Caldecott Medal, pays homage to the wonder and pure pleasure a child experiences when the world is blanketed in snow.”


The Snowy Day won the Caldecott Award Medal in 1963


CONNECTIONS


If you have experienced the excitement of observing something for the first time, this book will encourage you to explore that event. Whether it is the first snowy day or the first time on a plane or in a pool, the character walks the reader through a fun-filled adventurous day.


For those who enjoy winter and snowy days.


Other related books:

Little Penguins by Cynthia Rylant

A Poem for Peter by Andrea Davis Pinkney

Little Mole’s Wish by Sang Keun Kim


Activity- Discuss with the students when they had the first experience riding a bike, getting on a plane, or experiencing a drastic change in the weather.

Write something they would like to do if it snowed in their area on a piece of paper. Roll and toss the papers while making a snowball fight in the room.



Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day





Viorst, Judith. 1972. Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Ill. by Ray Cruz. New York, NY. Atheneum. ISBN 978-0689300721


PLOT SUMMARY


In this book Alexander is having a terrible day where everything seems to be going wrong. The day begins with Alexander realizing that the gum he was chewing last night was stuck to his hair. He continues the day and it only gets worse. His teacher calls him out for not doing his school work correctly and he even feels abandoned by his best friend. After school he argues with his siblings and makes his dad reconsider picking him up from work. All day long, he insists on moving to Australia where he suspects things will be better. Even when he is ready to finish the day, nighttime continues to prove it was a horrible day.


CRITICAL ANALYSIS


Viorst writing is direct and relatable to many since it describes the feeling of dissatisfaction or unpleasantness. Sometimes a day can begin terribly and turn into one of the worst days of our lives. No matter how much we try to see the positive side of events, situations and events lead us to only observing the negative. The author’s theme centers around trying to make the best out of uncomfortable situations and learning that one dreadful account can become a learning experience but not something we drown in. Many times we tend to see that the grass is greener on the other side when we compare ourselves with others, without realizing we also have many pleasant things on our end.


The illustrations in the books are in black shading. There are many patterns of lines, zig-zags, and shapes in the drawings which give the pages a variety of details. The illustrator, Ray Cruz, shows the character's emotions in his facial expression and even in his disheveled hair. It shows Alexander frowning, and moping in most of the drawings. He seems to be screaming in many of the drawings as he is shown with his mouth completely opened and even with his tongue sticking out.



REVIEW EXCERPTS


Word Press: "This book has got to be one of the funniest and most sympathetic kids’ books that I know – an opinion that is renewed each time that I read it. Who hasn’t had a Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day?"


Goodreads: “A great book to share with a kid who gets frustrated when 'everything seems to go wrong for me!'


Kirkus: “In the spiky spirit of Sunday Morning (1969) but more truly attuned to a child's point of view, Viorst reviews a really aggravating (if not terrible, horrible, and very bad) day in the life of a properly disgruntled kid who wakes up with gum in his hair and goes to bed after enduring lima beans for dinner and kissing on T.V.”


CONNECTIONS


For anyone who can identify themselves with having a terrible day that just seems to get worse as the day goes on.


For those who would like to move to Australia.


Other related books:


Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Lang

Crankenstein by Samantha Berger

A Good Day by Kevin Henkes


Activities: Draw emoji faces on paper plates with the emotion they may feel such as happiness, excitement, sadness and anger. Ask about situations where they have felt overwhelmed, hurt, excited, or unhappy and have them show their emoji faces to the class.