A Long Way Away

Author & Illustrator:   Frank Viva
Publisher:  Little, Brown and Company
Publication Year:   2013
Location: Knox County Public Library- Halls

Awards:   Kirkus, Publisher's Weekly, & School Library Journal starred reviews

Summary:  This is a two-way story- it is opened vertically and then can be read down where an octopus-like alien creature leaves home and travels down going around many obstacles through space. He bounces off the moon, through the sky and into a lagoon, where he ends up taking a nap under the ocean. Because the story is told through one and two word phrases, the book can also be read from the back up so that the alien starts out asleep under the sea and ends up back with his parents.

Classroom Ideas: You could use this book to understand the parts of a book and how they normally work. The book contains many prepositions and could easily be used to teach grammar. There is a great scavenger hunt in the educator's guide.

An educator's guide:
http://media.hdp.hbgusa.com/titles/assets/reading_group_guide/9780316221962/EG_9780316221962.pdf

Along a Long Road

Author & Illustrator:   Frank Viva
Publisher:  Little Brown
Publication Year:   2011
Location: Knox County Public Library- Halls

Awards:   NYT Best, School Library Journal Best Books, American Institute of Graphic Arts Best, Seven Impossible Books Best Books

Summary:  The graphic style and five color palette (blue, white, black, red, and the yellow of the road) of this book brings to mind the 1960s. The shiny yellow road folows through the entire book, sometimes widening, but never ends. (I love the tunnel!) In fact, the book was created as "a single, continuous thirty-five-foot-long piece of art using Adobe Illustrator." It's a meditative book that invites the reader to stare at the journey. 

Classroom Ideas: The idea of transportation could be examined through this book. It has great verbs and prepositions and could be used to teach grammar. There is a map on the endpages with symbols on it that could be a great introduction for younger readers.
An educator's guide is available at the Hachette web site:
http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/none/along-a-long-road/9780316129251/