Picture Book Blog #3

Title: Love, Splat

Author and Illustrator: Rob Scotton

Publisher: Harper Collins Publisher

Publication Date: 2008

ISBN Number: 978-0062077769

Amanda’s Rating: 4.5/5

Brief Summary: On Valentine’s Day, a cat named Splat gets ready for school and is nervous about giving a valentine to his crush, Kitten.  Because he is worried that she doesn't like him and likes another cat named Spike, Splat is surprised when Kitten tells him how she feels and gives him a valentine.

Evaluation Statement: Love, Splat is a cute picture book that includes humor and fun illustrations.  It also teaches good lessons like how important it is to be yourself and to be brave when you need to be.  The number of words per page is just right to keep a child’s attention and the story is easy to follow.  

Picture Book Blog #2

Title: Bits & Pieces

Author and Illustrator: Judy Schachner

Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: 2013

ISBN Number: 978-0803737884

Amanda’s Rating: 3.5/5

Brief Summary: Bits & Pieces is a picture book that follows the tale of Tink, a silly cat.  After spending years as an indoor cat Tink escapes out the front door and goes on an outdoor adventure. 

Evaluation Statement: Bits & Pieces is a cute picture book that uses many colors to gain interest.  However, the author strays from the main plot and loses the reader at certain points.  This might make it hard for a child to figure out what is going on.  Overall, the book is entertaining. 

Picture Book Blog #1

Title: Duck & Goose

Author and Illustrator: Tad Hills

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books

Publication Date: 2006

ISBN Number: 978-0375836114

Amanda’s Rating: 4/5

Brief Summary: A duck and a goose find what they think is an egg and want to take care of it.  Because they want it to themselves, they argue over who should have it.  After spending time together with the egg, they grow to become friends.  The duckling and gosling are in for a surprise when another bird tells them what the “egg” actually is. 

Evaluation Statement: Duck & Goose is a cute story about a gosling and duckling that teaches children the importance of overcoming differences and becoming friends.  The colors are vibrant and will keep a child’s interest.  There are not too many words per page and the reader can enjoy reading the story and looking at the illustrations without difficulty. 

Decodable Text Blog #3

Title: A Measured Mom Phonics Reader: “am”

Author and Illustrator: The Measured Mom

Publisher: The Measured Mom ™, LLC

Publication Date: 2014

ISBN Number: http://www.themeasuredmom.com/learn-read-word-families-free-books/

Amanda’s Rating: 3.5/5

Brief Summary: In this decodable text children learn how to use the –am sound by reading words like ham, jam, yam, Sam, clam, ram.

Evaluation Statement: This child-sized decodable text allows for children to practice sounding out words that end in –am.  After practicing the words, the text provides a simple sentence for the child to read and a picture to help connect words with their images.  Using this book would help with learning phonics and with learning how to make connections between words and what objects words represent.

Decodable Texts Blog #2

Title: A Measured Mom Phonics Reader: “ag”

Author and Illustrator: The Measured Mom

Publisher: The Measured Mom ™, LLC

Publication Date: 2014

ISBN Number: http://www.themeasuredmom.com/learn-read-word-families-free-books/

Amanda’s Rating: 3.5/5

Brief Summary: In this decodable text children work on the –ag sound by saying words likebag, rag, tag, nag, stag, and flag.

Evaluation Statement: This small book contains simple sentences that contain –ag words along with pictures to help children associate words and images. The size would also allow for the child to use the book all by themselves. It would be very beneficial for a child to learn this way. However, the book is only gray in color which may not interest children.

Decodable Texts Blog #1

Title: Nat’s Cat

Author: Wayne Miller

Illustrator: Angela Kamstra-Jacobson

Publisher: Learning Page, Inc.

Publication Date: 2005

ISBN Number: https://www.readinga-z.com/book.php?id=1106

Amanda’s Rating: 4/5

Brief Summary: Nat has a fat cat who chases a rat until they realize it belongs to his friend Meg.  The cat and rat become friends and take a nap together.

Evaluation Statement: Nat’s Cat is a decodable book that focus on the –at and –ap phonograms.  This book actually has a simple plot that children can enjoy while learning phonic skills. 

Wordless Picture Book Blog #3

Title: The Farmer and the Clown

Author and Illustrator: Marla Frazee

Publisher: Beach Lane Books

Publication Date: 2014

ISBN Number: 978-1442497443

Amanda’s Rating: 5/5

Brief Summary: The Farmer and the Clown is a wordless picture book that tells the tale about a little clown boy who falls off the circus train and about the old farmer that finds him.  The two become close as they work on the farm together and have fun.  When they go out for a picnic, they realize the train is coming back and that they have to say goodbye to one another, but not before switching hats so they can keep a reminder of the time they spent together.

Evaluation Statement: The Farmer and the Clown is an adorable story that illustrates the beauty of friendship between two people and the fun that can be had.  The bittersweet sweet goodbye that the old man and little boy share helps children understand that saying goodbye is sad but remembering the good things that happened is important. 

Wordless Picture Book Blog #2

Title: A Ball for Daisy

Author and Illustrator: Chris Raschka

Publisher: Schwartz and Wade Books

Publication Date: 2011

ISBN Number: 978-0375858611

Amanda’s Rating: 3.5/5

Brief Summary: A Ball for Daisy is a wordless picture book about a dog named Daisy and her new toy ball.  She takes the ball to the park with her and shares it with a friend but they bite and pop the ball.  Daisy is very sad until the next day at the park when her friend brings her a new ball to play with.

Evaluation Statement: A Ball for Daisy is a cute, short story that would be entertaining for children to read.  It has pretty watercolor illustrations that are full of color.  A Ball for Daisy shows the need to handle other people’s toys carefully and to apologize when you hurt another’s feelings.  

Wordless Picture Book Blog #1

Title: Window

Author and Illustrator: Jeannie Baker

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Publication Date: 1991

ISBN Number: 978-0688089184

Amanda’s Rating: 4/5

Brief Summary: Window is a wordless picture book made up of a series of views through a window that follows a boy as he grows up.  It starts as his mother holds him as an infant while looking at the woods behind their house and ends with the boy, who is now a father, holding his infant child while looking out of the window.  The character grows up before our eyes as birthday cards mark milestone birthdays and his hobbies, friends, and neighborhoods change.

Evaluation Statement: This book captures the changes that occur as a child grows up

just by looking at the scenes through his window.  It really portrays how much can change in the span of twenty years as a person ages and how fast time flies.  The book also elicits feelings of nostalgia by showing that when he has a child of his own, he moves back to the less developed countryside that reminds him of his childhood.