green

Author & Illustrator:   laura vaccaro seegar
Publisher:  Roaring Brook Press
Publication Year:   2012
Location: Knox County Public Library- Lawson McGhee

Awards:   Caldecott Honor, Kirkus Best Book, Publisher's Weekly, Horn Book, School Library Journal & Kirkus starred reviews

Summary:  Gorgeous watercolors with creative cut-outs illustrate poetry about the color green. The painting have strong brushstrokes reminiscent of Van Gogh (my favorite color and my favorite artist!) I could not POSSIBLY choose a favorite spread- luscious, amazing, delicious colors!! And at the end, there's a little environmental twist.

Classroom Ideas: In art, this would introduce shades, color mixing, and techniques. In Science, you could talk about the environment. But mostly, I just want to stare and stare at this book.

Baby Bear Sees Blue

Author & Illustrator:   Ashley Wolff
Publisher:  Beach Lane Books
Publication Year:   2012
Location: Knox County Public Library- Powell

Awards:   featured on "Calling Caldecott" blog, Publisher's Weekly starred review,

Summary:  In his day, Baby Bear discovers many different colors as he and his Mama walk through their environment. The illustrations are gorgeously rendered in linoleum block colored with rich watercolors. After reading Ashley Wolff's comments on the Calling Caldecott blog, I love feeling like I know a little secret that the vibrant endpapers are meant to perfectly match the color of the Checkermallow flower on the front cover!

Classroom Ideas: There is plenty of personification here- the leaves dance and wave and the thunder growls. For preschoolers, it's a perfect color book as they'll discover the different colors in nature right along with Baby Bear- after reading it, the class could take a nature walk and find colors in their own environment.

Color Zoo

Author & Illustrator:   Lois Ehlert
Publisher:  J.P. Lippincott
Publication Year:   1989
Location: Knox County Public Library- Powell

Awards:   Caldecott honor, ALA Notable

Summary:  Ehlert plays with animals, shapes, and color in this board book for younger readers. She uses creative cutouts to transform the pages into different forms.

Classroom Ideas: This could be used in a pre-K classroom to teach animals and colors or with older kids when teaching geometry.

Seven Blind Mice

 


Author & Illustrator:  Ed Young
 Publisher: Philomel Books
Publication Year:  1992
Location: Knox County Public Library- Powell

Awards: Caldecott Honor, Boston Globe Hom Book award, California Children's Media award

Summary: Seven blind mice each go out and investigate the Something by the pond. They each come back with a different opinion of what it is. When the last mouse goes out, she examines the entire Something and  realizes that it is an elephant. This is a re-imagining of the ancient fable of the blind men and the elephant.  The charming paper collage illustrations with brightly colored mice would be very inviting to small children.

Classroom Ideas:  At the end of this book, the different descriptions are presented in the form of similes which could be an introduction to this type of figurative language. Another Language Arts skill that could be focused on is theme with the moral on the final page. The very youngest readers could discuss colors and the days of the week.