The Boy on Fairfield Street

Module 12 - April 12-18

The Boy On Fairfield Street by Kathleen Krull

Summary:
This story shares the story of Theodor Giesel and how he becomes the infamous Dr. Seuss. It begins by talking about Giesel's life as a little boy growing up on Fairfield Street in Springfield, Massachusetts. The reader learns about how creative he was and how others did not understand his desire to draw imaginative creatures and funny poems. Eventually, his work is realized and he finds his way as an author and illustrator. The end of the book includes a 4 page biography including the major event in Giesel's life as well as the publishing of some of his more popular books.

Thoughts of a Book Worm:
I thought this was an excellent, child-friendly biography of Dr. Seuss. It would be easy for young readers to follow and enjoy. The illustrations in the book are excellent.

Reviews:
"Krull's (V Is for Victory) fond tribute to Dr. Seuss focuses on the well-loved author/artist's youth. Growing up in Springfield, Mass., Ted Geisel "feasted on books and was wild about animals" and "excelled at fooling around." The informal, anecdotal narrative explains that Geisel early on demonstrated a passion for drawing (even on his bedroom walls) "whatever popped into his head." He took only one art class, in high school, and quit when the teacher scolded him for "breaking rules" and told him he would never be successful. While attending Dartmouth, Geisel was admired for his "talent for silliness" and, Krull notes with comic irony, "He was clearly gifted, though no one knew at exactly what. It wasn't as if men could doodle for a living." The tale ends rather abruptly as the 22-year-old Geisel arrives in New York City to embark on his artistic career. A four-page addendum, presented in a smaller font, chronicles the highlights of Dr. Seuss's publishing career and provides intriguing tidbits about the creation of some of his beloved books. Johnson and Fancher's (New York's Bravest) representational, nostalgic paintings effectively evoke both the period and Geisel's appealingly puckish personality. Featured in spot art, familiar Seuss characters frolic through these pages, thematically complementing the illustrations while reminding readers why Geisel's life is worth celebrating." Ages 6-12.- Publisher's Weekly Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

"Once upon a time, there lived a boy who feasted on books and was wild about animals." So begins this young biography of Dr. Seuss. Taunted at school because he was German, his escapes were drawing, the comics he loved, and the zoo, where his father was the parks superintendent in Springfield, Mass. His high-school art teacher warned him he'd never be successful at art; in Dartmouth he was voted "Class Artist and Class Wit," and he left Oxford to draw and write verse. Truly only about his youth, the narrative ends at age 22, when Seuss goes to New York City to launch his career. Four following pages provide a synopsis of his life and a timeline up to his death in 1991. Bordered, full-page oil-on-gessoed-paper illustrations evoke pertinent scenes, while spot art of Seuss drawings dot the opposite pages. Some of these original images are absolutely haunting; the magic of his name will make this a huge hit, but it's the lively writing that puts the hat on the cat."(Picture book/biography. 7-11)-Kirkus Reviews

Suggested Activities:
This book would be an excellent read aloud or resource to use during the week of Dr. Seuss's birthday. After reading, students can then use various art materials to create a unique creature of their own using their imaginations. Afterwards, they can write a creative story telling about their unique creature.

Bibliography: Krull, K.(2004). The boy on fairfield street:how ted geisel grew up to become dr. seuss. New York: Random House Children's Books.

An Egg is Quiet

Module 11 - April 5-11

An Egg is Quiet by Dianna Hutts Aston

Summary:
An Egg is Quiet is a well-written informational books on eggs found in nature. It gives young readers examples of how eggs in nature vary in size, color, texture, shape, and design. It also touches on the purpose of eggs and gives examples of different animals that hatch from eggs.

Thoughts of a Book Worm:
I loved this book. It is well-written and beautifully illustrated. It introduces young readers to the beauty and purpose found in nature. The text is simple with expanded details on each page. This book would serve as a great introduction to a unit on eggs and provides details and expanded information for students to springboard into further research into this subject if necessary.

Reviews:
"K-Gr 2-An exceptionally handsome book on eggs, from the delicate ova of the green lacewing to the rosy roe of the Atlantic salmon to the mammoth bulk of an ostrich egg. Aston's simple, readable text celebrates their marvelous diversity, commenting on size, shape, coloration, and where they might be found. The author occasionally attributes sensibilities to eggs ("An egg is clever," for example). Still, her quiet descriptions of egg engineering and embryo development (no mention of mating) are on the mark, and are beautifully supported by Long's splendid watercolor depictions of a wide variety of eggs. (One teeny carp-Steller's jays are not spelled with an "ar," though they are stellar performers when wheedling for your lunch at a campsite!) A beautiful guide to the unexpected panoply of "the egg."-Patricia Manning Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.- School Library Journal

"Worthy successor to Ruth Heller's Chickens Aren't The Only Ones (1981), this engrossing album pairs images of dozens of precisely detailed eggs and their diverse wild parents to basic facts presented in neatly hand-lettered lines. Nearly all depicted actual size (and those that aren't, are consistently so labeled), Long's eggs look real enough to pick up, whether placed in natural settings or suspended on white pages. All, whether from birds, insects, reptiles, fish or amphibians, are not only identified, but Aston adds both topical phrases-"Eggs come in different sizes"-to each spread and, usually, memorably presented additional facts: "An ostrich egg can weigh as much as 8 pounds. It's so big and so round, it takes two hands to hold one egg." A delight for budding naturalists of all stripes, flecks, dots and textures." (Picture book/nonfiction. 6-9)-Kirkus Reviews

Suggested Activities:
This book is a wonderful resource when studying oviparous animals (those that hatch from eggs). After reading the book, have students decorate an egg shaped templates with various art materials to illustrate that eggs in nature come in a variety of shapes, colors, and textures. An extention would be to have students pick an animal from the book, decorate the egg appropriately, then draw that animal on the back side of the egg. Students can play a type of guessing game to discover which animals hatch from each egg.

Bibliography: Aston, D. H. (2006). An egg is quiet. New York: Scholastic Incorporated.