A Movie in My Pillow: Una Película en me almohada (English and Spanish Edition)

Title:Author: A Movie in My Pillow: Una Película en me almohada (English and Spanish Edition) 

# of Pages: 32

Published by: Children's Book Press; Bilingual Edition
Age Range: 6 and up

This is a wonderful poetry collection by Jorge Argueta, a Salvadoran poet and writer. This is his first collection of poems for children, and it happened to win the America's Book Award. Throughout the book there are many cultural ties to the Salvadorian and hispanic culture throughout the book. This poetry collection is unique because it has the poems in both Spanish and in english. The poems use his unique style and incorporate words from both languages. The poems help describe the culture difference that young Jorgito is experiencing now that he lives in San Francisco instead of El Salvador. This book shows a wonderful father-son relationship as they reminisce about their homeland through poetry. The poems throughout this book are all about Jorgito's dreams that he has at night of the future and of his past homelands. Topics in the poems include war, family, sadness, and love. The pictures really add to the story because they use vibrant colors, specific line details, and every page is filled with authentic art that represents this Salvadoran culture, and glimpses into what life is like in San Francisco. The poems are easy to read, however, may not be relatable to all students. This would be a great book to introduce other cultures. The pages are visually appealing. Many of the poems are written in free verse. There is rhyming and rhythm incorporated into some of the poems. The rhyming would be useful for student's fluency and to help them remember the poems. Spanish vocabulary words are used throughout the English translations, which is exposing students to other languages and expanding their horizon.

Critique: 

I really enjoyed this poetry collection. I would use this book if I taught in a majority hispanic classroom or if I had a lot of ESL students. The book bridges the two languages together in a beautiful way. I would use this book to teach poetry through two languages. I could have my ESL students write a poem first in their native language and then translate it to make a page of this book just as the poet Jorge Argueta did.

Possible Lesson and Activity Ideas:

• Use to teach about the hispanic/Salvadoran culture
• Use to teach poetry to ESL Students
• Use poems for a spanish vocabulary lesson 
• Have students write about their own home in poetry format

The Giving Tree

Title: The Giving Tree 

Author and Illustrator: Shel Silverstein

Published By: HarperCollins, USA 1964 

# of Pages: 64

This book was both written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein. This book is a story about a boy who would visit this tree every day and play on it or take something from it. As the boy grows older into adolescence, the boy wants money, which is more than the tree can give to him. The tree offers the boy her apples in which he can sell. Then, as the boy becomes an adult, he wants a house. The tree offers the boy her wood so he could build a house. Even later in life, the boy wants a boat, and so the tree suggests that he takes her trunk and turns it into a boat. In the end, all that remains is the tree's stump and the boy is now an elderly man. In his old age, the man wants a quiet place to sit, and so he goes to visit the stump and just sits. The tree is now able to supply him with a quiet and happy place to sit and relax. And finally both the man and the tree are happy again with each other.

The art throughout the book adds in Shel Silverstein's unique style. The pictures are in black and white. Silverstein uses distinct line and shape to create the pictures throughout the story. The pictures show the boy progressing in age and the gradual changes of the tree. The visuals add dusting meaning to the story because it allows readers to visualize the aging and sacrifice taking place.

I would recommend this book to any readers. It has a simple storyline, however, as you grow older, the meaning increases.

Possible Classroom Activities:

• make applesauce
• study trees
• discuss family 
• have students draw their own images 

The Hello Goodbye Window

Title: The Hello, Goodbye Window
Author: Norton Juster
Illustrator: Chris Raschka
Published By: Michael Di Capua Books 2005
# of Pages: 29
Winner of the 2006 Caldecott Medal

Juster, N., & Raschka, C. (2005) The Hello, Goodbye Window. New York: Michael di Capua Books

Theme: Grandparents and Grandchildren

Synopsis: For this little girl, the window in Nanna and Poppy's kitchen is a view into another magic world. This window is where everything special happens. She can peek in from the outside when she arrives at her grandparent's house, and she can even play peekaboo through the window. The window open's the girl's mind to allow her imagination to run free. Nanna and Poppy spend a lot of time in the kitchen, so the window is conveniently located. When the girl stays over at her Nanna and Poppy's house, her favorite thing to do is look out the window. At night, before bed, the last thing she does with her grandparents is look out the window. In the morning, the first thing she does with her grandparents is to look out the window. Through the window she can see all of her visions and dreams come to life. The window provides a special bonding experience between the young girl and her grandparents, they call it the hello, goodbye window. When the girl grows up, she hopes to have a special hello, goodbye window of her own. To see how this story ends, you have to read it! 

This story progresses through a young girl's relationship with her grandparents. Author Norton Juster tells the story through the voice of the young girl. There is a simple plot to the story. It uses well written language that helps readers place their self in the story. There is not much dialogue in this book, however, there rare interactions between the young girl and her grandparents that bring life into the storyline. 

What truly makes this an incredible picture book are the amazing illustrations. Chris Raschka uses a unique line pattern, hand drawn style, and materials such as crayons and water colors to give the images a unique style that is appealing to the eye. This book's illustrations won the 2006 Caldecott Medal for its amazing images. The art adds character to the story and elaborates the text. Although the pictures aren't exactly crisp, their incredible amount of detail adds a special feel to this book. The pictures draw readers into the story and make this book a must read for children of any age. 

I would recommend this book as a read aloud or silent reading book for students in grades kindergarten through second grade. However, I feel that this book could be used in grades 3-5 as a fun short read aloud and incorporating other lessons. 

Classroom Activities Could Include: 

• Creating a window and using crayons and water color have students use their imagination to create an image that they would see throughout he window
• Do a writing project, about the student's relationship with their grandparents
• Have students tell their favorite memory with their grandparents
• Have students write about their favorite place in their house or their grandparent's house
• Have students create a window and a self portrait of their self peeking through the window
• Teach a mini lesson on grandparents and/or aging 
• Have students draw and write about what they envision their self being like when they are a grandparent

Here's a video talking about this book's artwork!