Author/Illustrator: Audrey Wood/ Don Wood
Publisher/Date: Scholastic/ 1982
Genre/Audience: Fiction/ Baby to age 6
Themes: Animal comparisons; similes; opposites
Opening: “I'm as quick as a cricket, I'm as slow as a snail, I'm as small as an ant, I'm as large as a whale."
Synopsis: From Amazon.com Review – "Parents and teachers choose this big square book for the message of
self-confidence. Toddlers love it for the singsong phrases and Don Wood's large,
silly, endearing illustrations, which feature a boy mimicking different kinds of
animals. At one point, he is pictured sipping tea formally with a fancy poodle
("I'm as tame as a poodle") and on the very next page he is swinging through
trees ("I'm as wild as a chimp"). Whether brave or shy, strong or weak, in the
end the young boy celebrates all different, apparently contradictory parts of
himself. With a confident grin, he lifts his arms up and declares, "Put it all
together and you've got ME!"
Why I Love This Book:
This simple book is anything but simplistic. There is a lot of traction here for language arts lessons on language use with similes, dramatic interpretations as young listeners act out the animal comparisons, and the overall theme of celebrating the diversity of self.
Resources:
Young readers and writers can create their own animal similes. Collecting them together would make a nice, illustrated class book.
Hear the story read on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYWcyRHGFPo
Find a language arts lesson here: http://curry.virginia.edu/go/wil/Cricket_Lesson.pdf
Hear the story read on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYWcyRHGFPo
Find a language arts lesson here: http://curry.virginia.edu/go/wil/Cricket_Lesson.pdf
For more links to Perfect Picture Books, a collection of bloggers who contribute at Susanna Leonard Hill’s site, click here.
Laura, Absolutely love that cover! And, you are reviewing one of my favorite authors. What a simple and beautiful story about getting to know one's strengths and weaknesses. Sounds like a winner. Great choice!!
ReplyDeleteI like the whimsical nature of this story. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteLove your selection, Laura. Also love the you tube video reading this favorite story. Usually I don't have time for videos but since being asked to be the story teller at the Cinderella Tea I'm all ears. Thanks for sharing. :)
ReplyDelete