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/

Lightship

Author & Illustrator:   Brian Floca
Publisher:  Anthenum
Publication Year:   2007
Location: Knox County Public Library- Lawson McGhee

Awards:   Sibert Honor Book, Booklist’s Top Picture Book, Cybil Award for Best Nonfiction Picture Book, ALA Notable, Junior Library Guild Premier
 
Summary:  This is a tribute to the lightships that were anchored to warn ships away from hazards in the ocean. It introduces the crew and the jobs that they each do. The off kilter illustrations bring the feeling of the movement of a ship on the ocean. Floca's descriptions of the ship and the crew are highly accessible for young readers. The full-page spreads of the heat with a glowing sun and the cold with falling snow are gorgeous! The font and words used when the lightship blows its warning horn in the fog is priceless and kids will visit that page again and again.

Classroom Ideas: A preschool/kindergarten class study of transportation or ships/boats would be perfect for this book. There is a great deal of onomatopoeia.

Extras: The endpapers include a labeled diagram and an author's note explains more about the lightships that were used from the 1730s to the 1980s.