Jeremiah Learns to Read

For my next post I think I'm going to get a little more in touch with my soft side. Im usually drawn to cute, funny books with cartoon characters but I found "Jeremiah Learns to Read" at a thrift store and just had to have it for my collection. It is written by Jo Ellen Bogart and illustrated by both Laura Fernandez and Rick Jacobson. 

This book is a classic example of the mannerism "you can not judge a book by its cover". My initial thought was that this book is about a young boy learning to read but it turns out the story follows an elderly man who wishes to fill that missing void of not knowing how to read. He has many impressive skills, such as building a table from a tree and making sweet syrup but this isn't enough. He decides to attend the local school to learn how to read and the children welcome him with open arms. 

The illustrations are beautiful and life-like, done with oil on canvas. The painting have soft lines and warm colours. I like how the seasons change throughout the book to depict the time passing by. It starts with a winter scene, progressing into spring and summer, then the fall. It is at this time he decides to attend school. The text is large and is set against a contrasting background making it easy to read. 

This book makes me think about how easy it is to assume that everyone just knows how to read. Many children will assume all adults know how to read but this book shows a different side to literacy. It gives students the opportunity learn about the differences a few generations can make.  It also shows a valuable lesson of expectance and not passing judgement. In the end Jeremiah teaches the children valuable skills for life while they help him learn to read. 

I have a soft spot for stories like these. My grandparents basically raised me so I am familiar with the patience and love the elderly have for children. This book is enjoyable for both adults and children and it's a great way to celebrate reading. 

Scaredy Squirrel!

This is Scaredy Squirrel. A loveable little guy who is terrified to leave the safety of his nut tree. Haven't read it yet? Click here!*

This book was both written and illustrated by Melanie Watt. Melanie is a fellow Canadian, which I like. I think if you don't mention that to students they tend to assume the authors are American, due to popular media. So give a shout out to Canada during reading time, it means more then you think!

Why do I like this book?
I can really relate to scaredy squirrel, I think most people can to some extent. We are not all hypochondriac squirrels but we do all have fears, right? I am personally scared of heights, so you wouldn't find me in scaredy squirrels nut tree thats for sure. All your students will have fears. As an activity everyone could share their fears. This simple activity can help your classroom become a safe place for your students, a place where they can feel comfortable expressing themselves.

The illustrations are adorable and have a way of capturing the readers attention. I did some research on the illustrations and discovered Melanie uses charcoal and lead pencils to draw them, which I think is a creative mix of media. The book is written in such a way that would be entertaining to both adults and children, thanks to Melanie's use of humour. I like how the text corresponds with the pictures as well. When he jumps from the tree the words follow him all the way down and the page folds out, mixing up the typical format of picture books. Another interesting thing about this book is that it really brings out the readers fun, energetic side when they read it out loud. It is far from boring.

I found a website, made by the publishing company of the book, which has many fun activities that will no doubt engage the students. They won't even realize they are learning! 

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE ACTIVITIES!

There are also three more books to the Scaredy Squirrel series (All of which deal with Scaredy's fears):

I read those too and they are just as excellent as the first! Very witty and silly!

*I am not the narrator of this video. I just found it on youtube. Credit goes to "greatedcorn".

Yay for blogs!

This blog is for my Children Literature course. No offence to my Math blog but I have a feeling writing about children's books is going to be a little more exciting.

Honestly, there seems to be more children's books then children these days so it's easy, as a teacher, to question your decision in choosing which ones students will benefit the most from. The point of this blog is for me to personally analyze some popular children books...and ultimately receive a decent mark. So here we go! Enjoy.