Tag Archive for reading skills

Bug Patrol

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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
Posted in 2013, Contemporary, Fantasy tagged with ,

The Three Bears: An Alphabet Book

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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
Posted in 2013, Contemporary, Fantasy tagged with , ,

Where Is Baby?

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Written by Kathryn O. Galbraith
Illustrated by John Butler

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Where is baby hiding? Under a blanket? Behind a chair? While baby plays a game of hide-and-seek with Mama, other babies in the animal kingdom are hiding as well.

Baby deer disappear in dappled spring sunlight.
Baby polar bears vanish in the snow.
Baby wolves dash into their dens.

Gailbraith’s simple, lyrical language used in a repetitive fashion will not only assist first graders with their reading skills, but the descriptive verbs will also enhance their vocabulary and comprehension. The payoff at the end of the story is a tri-fold picture reveal, which conveys the message that no matter where babies hide, Mama is always nearby. Back pages offer “More About Babies” information, where readers can learn a couple of fun facts about each featured animal (e.g., a baby otter is called a pup, a baby elephant drinks 48 cups of mother’s milk each day, a robin chick weighs less than a quarter coin at birth, etc.).

Butler’s adorable full-spread illustrations capture the fine details of these sweet baby faces, and no doubt will win over the pre-K through first grade audience (even my 5th grader could not contain her squeals of delight!). Drawn with acrylic and color pencils, the soft lines and soothing pastel palettes are instantly calming, just right for any kind of downtime: a classroom story circle or a bedtime read-aloud.
More titles from the author and illustrator can be found on the publisher’s website: http://peachtree-online.com/index.php/book/where-is-baby.html

 

  • BabyTitle: Where Is Baby?
  • Author: Kathryn O. Galbraith
  • Illustrator: John Butler
  • Publisher: Peachtree Publishers, 2013
  • Reviewer: Lauren Abbey Greenberg
  • Format: Hardcover 32 pages
  • ISBN: 978-1-56145-707-6
  • Genre: Picture Book
Posted in 2013, Contemporary, Nature tagged with , , ,