Archive for Fantasy

Super Happy Magic Forest

Written and Illustrated by Matty Long

Missing magic crystals and an evil doer remove the joy out of the happy forest. Only the bravest will be sent to great goblin mountain to get the crystals back where they belong. This colorful, glossy book is very busy with crowded double-paged spreads designed to look like maps for our wanderers. All along the trail, dangers and challenges abound.

Young readers and listeners will enjoy picking out the characters reminiscent of other well-loved stories from the unicorn to the Smeagol look-a-like polishing his gold ring. Children will study the illustrations and enjoy the humorous one liners, some of which only the adults will understand.  Teachers and librarians can use it to introduce the epic form of storytelling, while fulfilling

It is a classic epic tale format, though a skeleton of the literacy and/or English standards of the core curriculum. Students would enjoy adding to the difficulties of the quest, or inventing a new one either on their own or as a group project.

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  • Super Happy Magic ForestTitle: Super Happy Magic Forest
  • Author/Illustrator: Matty Long
  • Publisher: Scholastic, 2016
  • Reviewer: Elizabeth Swartz
  • Format: Hardcover, 32 pages
  • ISBN: 978-0-545-86059-8
  • Genre: Picture Book
  • Grade level: PreK to 2

 

Dragon and Captain

Written by P.R. Allabach
Illustrated by Lucas Turnbloom

Dragon (aka a young boy) is eating his oatmeal when he spies a possible pirate on the beach (aka another boy in the sand box). Of course, Captain is not a pirate. He’s a ship captain who’s been separated from his ship. Dragon and Captain set out to find Captain’s ship and re-capture it from the real pirates. First, they need things from Dragon’s cave (er, bedroom). They trek through the dark forest (bushes) and stop at a waterfall (sprinkler). They spot the ship and defeat the pirates. Then it’s snack time. All the while, the grownups lurk in the background abut never interfere. The interaction between imagination and reality is brilliant. It will show kids that anything is possible. The illustrations are vivid and colorful clearly show how each boy resembles his alter ego.

First graders will be able to tell the story from the pictures while still working on their literacy skills through the sparse text. The way the boys immediately get caught up in each other’s fantasies shows how easy friendship can be.

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  • Dragon and CaptainTitle: Dragon and Captain
  • Author: P.R. Allabach
  • Illustrator: Lucas Turnbloom
  • Publisher: Flashlight Press, 2015
  • Reviewer: Sue Poduska
  • Format: Hardcover, 32 pages
  • Grade Level: K to 2
  • Genre: Fiction, simple graphic novel, friendship
  • ISBN: 978-1-9362613-3-8

Kangaroo’s Out of This World Restaurant

Written & Illustrated by Eva M. Sakmar-Sullivan

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In the Australian Outback, Kangaroo wallows in misery and complains she’s worthless. Why Kangaroo feels this way is unclear, but wise old Koala hobbles into the picture with his cane and gives Kangaroo advice: “Everyone has something to offer. You just have to find it.” All Kangaroo can do is jump, so she does, higher and higher until she reaches the moon. When she lands on the moon’s surface, she’s delighted to discover it’s made of cheese and tastes great, too. She loads up her pouch with cheese and brings it back to Earth to share. Her furry friends love the moon cheese so much that Kangaroo bounces them back to the moon for more, and she opens up a restaurant (hence the title). She also becomes a taxi service, transporting her friends whenever they have a hankering for this out-of-world snack. Kangaroo has found her calling and her true happiness.

This didactic tale relays a positive message for the first grade and under crowd, but Sakmar-Sullivan’s strengths really lie in her art: big shapes and bright, bold colors that pop off the page. Inside the back cover, there’s a full-page spread, which identifies all featured creatures as native to Australia, and the author suggests a reading activity (i.e. find the platypus, the dingo, the numbat, etc.) I do think her impressionable audience could have benefited from another extra, though, explaining that the moon is actually made of rock, not cheese.

Author’s website: www.stardolphin.com

  • Kangaroos RestaurantTitle: Kangaroo’s Out of This World Restaurant
  • Author/Illustrator: Eva M. Sakmar-Sullivan
  • Publisher: Schiffer Publishing, Ltd., 2013
  • Reviewer: Lauren Abbey Greenberg
  • Format: Hardcover, 32 pages
  • ISBN: 978-0-7643-4519-7
  • Genre: Picture Book, fantasy, animals

Pirates on the Farm

Written by Denette Fretz
Illustrated by Gene Barretta

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What a dream come true!  Pirates moving in NEXT DOOR! Joey was thrilled.  Mother, not so much.  Fortunately, Dad was one of those people who could see past the outside and straight to the heart.  Oh the adventures that were had by the pirates and their neighbors.  Dad kept on loving and accepting those pirates and eventually Mother came around and saw their good hearts for herself.

Written from the viewpoint of Joey’s sister, this story is sure to appeal to young girls, especially girls with younger brothers.  Due to the swashbuckling, plank walking and other shenanigans, just about every boy will find this story appealing.

This is a great story for all children and would make a great read aloud for a first grade class.  The illustrations make comprehension a breeze. It teaches the importance of acceptance.  People who are different have value and can often teach us new things, just like the pirates did for Joey and his family.  It helps us see the potential for good in others. Toward the end of the story the pirates prove to be great farmers and have even been putting “offerings” (gold teeth) in the church offering plate.  This book would be an excellent resource for the beginning of the school year or even for Sunday School when there are new “friends” coming together for the first time.

All kinds of fun information can be found at Denette Fretz’s website http://denettefretz.com/.  This includes Joey’s journal entries, fun to read and added value for the book.

 

If you fell in love with the illustrations like I did then you will not want to miss Gene Barretta’s website http://www.genebarretta.com/ .  So many precious illustrations and more information on Mr. Barretta.

  • PiratesTitle:  Pirates on the Farm
  • Author:  Denette Fretz
  • Illustrator:  Gene Barretta
  • Publisher: Zonderkidz, 2013
  • Reviewer:  Sandi Waymire
  • Format: Hardcover, 40 pages
  • ISBN: 978-0-310-72348-6
  • Genre:  Fantasy, Humor

Bug Patrol

Written by  Denise Dowling Mortensen
Illustrated by  Cece Bell

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Captain Bob of the Bug Patrol starts his day with coffee and cruller (aka donut) as he cruises around his district.  His first call takes him to the site of “urban ants, acting rude”.  Not only does he stop those “rowdy ants” from fighting, he helps them change their selfish ways.

After a few more calls, it is finally time for some lunch.  While he eats, Captain Bob visits with the locals.  Before he can finish his lunch, Captain Bob gets another call.  This time he is needed at the Roach Motel.  The residents are protesting outside, demanding better living conditions.  Lucky for everyone that Captain Bob knows just the place for them, the local landfill, “Paradise Estates”.

It is late, nearly the end of his shift, when Captain Bob gets one last call.  Those party crickets are having a very loud party and the neighbors cannot sleep.  Captain Bob, being the wise patrol officer that he is, knows that the best way to deal with disorderly partying crickets is to drive by slowly, playing a cricket lullaby.  Sure enough they settle down almost immediately.

Finally, his shift is over and Captain Bob is able to go home to “…the bugs that I love BEST!”

What first grade boy has not at some time thought about becoming a police officer?  Can you imagine the excitement if a real policeman came to read this book to the class during read aloud time?  This would be an easy way to integrate social studies (government/civics) into a language arts lesson.

Ms. Mortensen most certainly used a thesaurus when writing this fun-to-read book.  Her word choices give many opportunities to build growing vocabularies as well as teach the meanings of phrases such as “shoot the breeze” (CCSS 1.L.4.a).

Teaching sequence would be a snap with Captain Bob.  The time stamps on each call show how Captain Bob is moving through time.  This would make a great introduction to writing narratives that show sequenced events (CCSS 1.W.3)

The illustrations are fun and make for an easy picture walk since they match the text so perfectly.  Even struggling readers can improve their reading skills by taking cues from the pictures (CCSS 1.L.4.a).

Information about Denise Dowling Mortensen can be found at her website   (http://denisemortensen.com/ ).  Cece Bell’s website (http://cecebell.wordpress.com/ ) also offers more information about her and her other work.

  • Bug PatrolTitle:  Bug Patrol
  • Author:  Denise Dowling Mortensen
  • Illustrator:  Cece Bell
  • Publisher: Clarion Books, 2013
  • Reviewer:  Sandi Waymire
  • Format: Hardcover, 32 pages
  • ISBN:  978-0-618-79024-1

The Three Bears: An Alphabet Book

Written by  Grace Maccarone
Illustrated by  Hollie Hibbert

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Another alphabet book?  “A is for alphabet, and here it is…”  Yes, another alphabet book.  But, this one has a twist.  It tells the story of Goldilocks and the three bears and starts with the traditional “B is for bears” format that found in most alphabet books.  As the story is told, many chances for beginning letter sounds are given.  “There were three bears – Mama Bear, Papa Bear, and Baby Bear, who were in bed.”  Grace Maccarone did a wonderful job of incorporating beginning sound practice into this familiar story.  Children will not even realize that they are getting this practice.  They will just have fun reading the book.

Although it is an alphabet book that would be perfect as a kindergarten read aloud, it is on a late first grade reading level.  The combination of the wonderful illustrations, abundance of sight words, and liberal use of beginning sounds makes this book an excellent choice for conducting running records.  The illustrations offer plenty of cues, as do the alphabet letters that are prominently displayed.  If you are tired of writing the same types of things for shared writing, why not write your own alphabet story with your class?  This could be done from kindergarten all the way through second grade.  Children build skills in brainstorming, organizing their thoughts, writing, and of course the end result helps increase reading skills.

Speaking of illustrations, the bears in this book are not scary, not even Papa Bear. Hollie Hibbert has a gift for creating illustrations that could tell the story without any text.  You can read more about Ms. Hibbert and see more of her wonderful creations at her website (http://www.holliehibbert.com/Hollie_Hibbert_Illustration/Home.html).

This short book really packs a punch when it comes to classroom application.  It is fun to read, fun to look at, and can be the foundation for many fun reading and writing lessons.

  • Three BearsTitle:  The Three Bears: An Alphabet Book
  • Author:  Grace Maccarone
  • Illustrator:  Hollie Hibbert
  • Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company, 2013
  • Reviewer:  Sandi Waymire
  • Format: Hardcover
  • ISBN: 978-0-8075-7904-6
  • Genre:  Fantasy, alphabet
  • Lexile score:  480

Gus, the Dinosaur Bus

Written by Julia Liu
Illustrated by Bei Lynn

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This is the tale of Gus, a dinosaur school bus. Kids think he’s awesome. They never want to get sick or sleep in for fear of missing a ride. He picks them up right at their door, and even apartment dwellers can hop out their windows and slide down his neck. He makes a good umbrella when it rains, and he never has to stop for gas. Gus is a perfect bus. Isn’t he?

Not everyone thinks so. A supersaurus on the city streets has its challenges. Sometimes he gets tangled in the telephone lines, his tail has been known to hit a roof or two, and the city often has to fix his dino-sized potholes. Some people think Gus is causing more havoc than good. The school’s principal has no choice but to pull the dinosaur off the road. Banished to the school gym, Gus cries and cries. When the children come to visit him they find a literal swimming pool of tears. And in a classic case of turning lemons into lemonade, the children discover a new use for Gus: he’s the best dinosaur playground ever!

Lui’s cute story brings to mind Syd Hoff’s classic Danny and the Dinosaur. The concept will definitely stimulate the imagination of many dinosaur-loving first graders. They will also latch on to Lynn’s pencil and watercolor illustrations, which have a child-like feel complete with scribbles and stick figures. Vocabulary and sentence structure are appropriate for beginning readers. This is also a good choice for a teacher read-aloud and/or classroom library.

  • Gus the BusTitle: Gus, the Dinosaur Bus
  • Author: Julia Liu
  • Illustrator: Bei Lynn
  • Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013
  • Reviewer: Lauren Abbey Greenberg
  • Format: Hardcover, 32 pages
  • ISBN: 978-0-547-90573-0
  • Genre: Picture Book