Pen Pals

In Pen Pals, written by Michael Rose Ramirez, Ann and Ray write letters to each other about what they are doing during each season throughout the year. This was a really creative way to tell a story through letters. It is not a deliberately multicultural book however, since it represents two different cultures, diversity is embodied within the storyline. This book can be used when teaching about different seasons of the year as well as climate in different places around the world. Just as in the book, during the same time of year, two different places can endure completely different weather conditions.

Kitten's First Full Moon

This picture book was written by Kevin Henkes and is a winner of The Caldecott Medal. Kitten’s initial interpretation of the moon is that it was a little bowl of milk in the sky, and she wanted it. She unluckily attempts to reach the “bowl of milk” but at the end gets lucky when she reached an actual bowl of milk that was waiting just for her. I thought this was a beautifully illustrated tale of persistence and diligence. It is written well in a language that young children understand and relate to. The book can be used with a science lesson about the moon. Furthermore, the book is really easy to visualize and can be read-aloud to children with special needs who need support with visualization.

Night Shift Daddy

Night Shift Daddy by Eileen Spinelli is a story about the relationship between a little girl and her father who works nights. When the sun sets he tucks her in bed and when he comes home in the morning after his night shift she tucks him in bed. The text does not highlight a specific ethnicity, but the illustrations seem to indicate that the family members are African American. I really like this book’s illustrations as well as the rhyming writing. It portrays the special bond between the little girl and her father really eloquently and I think children alike will really appreciate it as well. This book can be used along with a writing activity about relationships children have with family members and or friends. It provides an opportunity for examining daughter/father and or child/parent relationships. Furthermore, it exposes children to different family dynamics and can be used during a unit about families.

The Other Side

The book The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson is a story of segregation and how two little girls were able to see beyond the separation. They were not allowed to cross a fence that separated the white side of town from the other. Clover, an African American girl and Annie, a white girl decided to sit on the fence that they were not allowed to cross and realized the other side is very similar to their own. They began their friendship this way and slowly some of Clover’s friends joined their group. This book is so powerful and significant to young children because it shows that children are capable of forming their own opinions about existing conditions which they may not agree with. They are able to make decisions about such issues and have the power to act on them and make a difference. The book is very well written and the watercolor illustrations are vivid and lifelike. It can be used to teach about segregation as well as the division and racial tension that is a significant part of American history.

Knuffle Bunny

One of my favorite picture books is Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems, which was awarded the 2005 Caldecott Honor. It is a hilarious tale of a young girl named Trixie who went to the laundromat with her dad and things went terribly wrong. She realized her favorite stuffed animal, Knuffle Bunny, was missing but couldn't quite figure out the words to say in order to communicate this to her dad. I would definitely recommend using this book because children really enjoy it. The illustrations are really unique since they are a combination of realistic photographs and cartoon images of the characters. Also, I found a website that has really great links with Teacher's Guides for lesson plans and activities to do with various books. You can visit www.hyperionbooksforchildren.com and click on the Teachers & Librarians link to get ideas for activities with literature.