Title: "Pecan Pie Baby"
Author: Jacqueline Woodson
Illustrator: Sophie Blackall
Publisher: The Penguin Group
Publication Date: 2010
ISBN: 978-0-399-23987-8
Rating: 5/5
"Pecan Pie Baby" is an adorable realistic story about a little girl who is preparing to have a new baby in the household. Her mother is pregnant and will have the baby when winter comes. Although everyone is excited about the baby, the little girl doesn't want to be a big sister. She's like the attention she gets from her mom and will miss their alone time. Finally, at the end of the story, the mother explains that she'll miss those times too. The story ends with snow falling down, signaling that winter is coming.
I really enjoyed this children's book, because I think it is extremely relevant for children. Many children will have to cope with the addition of a new baby brother and sister, and this can be hard for a child to deal with if they are used to being an only child. This book shows them that it's okay to be upset about this, but having a new baby won't change the relationship they have with their family.
Title: "Show Way"
Author: Jacqueline Woodson
Illustrator: Hudson Talbott
Publisher: The Penguin Group
Publication Date: 2005
ISBN: 0-399-23749-6
Rating: 5/5
"Show Way" is an inspirational book that follows little girls throughout a family history which started in slavery. The story starts with the young girl's great grandmother, living in slavery, and creating quilts with clues for the underground railroad. As the generations move on, the quilt-making tradition follows the family as they become involved in the Civil Right's Movement and move towards freedom and equality.
Although this is a tough topic to cover with young children, I think this book is beautiful. The colors match the moments in the lives of the characters. During the times of slavery, the book is full of somber colors, with breaks of bright colors of hope. Also, I like how this book covers the full history through a little girls great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother. It follows her family history and shows how the girls were apart of it. Also, this book includes a lot of historical content. Throughout the background images are pictures of historical figures and quotes from people like Martin Luther King. I think this book is a little mature and sophisticated for younger students, but could definitely be used at a higher elementary level.
Title: "This is the Rope: A Story From the Great Migration"
Author: Jacqueline Woodson
Illustrator: James Ransome
Publisher: The Penguin Group
Publication Date: 2013
ISBN: 978-0-399-23986-1
Rating: 5/5
"This is the Rope" follows the history of the family of a little girl. It starts with her grandparents, migrating from the oppressive South to the New York City, where her mother grew up. They take with them a rope from back home, and it is used for a variety of things and passed on through the family to the little girl. The little girl follows her family history as they embrace the freedom of their life and how far they've come.
I think this is a very hopefully book and shows children how important it is to know about your family history. Ever family has something that is passed down from generation to generation, and it is important for children to realize how much their family has sacrificed to give them the life they live. Also, I find the pictures in this book to be very enticing. The paintings are bright and catch your eye. Also, they are very soft and comforting.
This is the rope stands out to me because I feel as if most children love their families and see that other children do too. It helps them to appreciate families and their cultures.
ReplyDeletePecan Pie Baby caught my eye because I also chose a book about a family welcoming a new child. It is interesting to see the different takes about the same subject. Your book seems more serious where mine was more humorous and lighthearted.
ReplyDeleteJaqueline Woodson writes some wonderful books for children. They usually take a seemingly innocent topic and weave a more serious undertone beneath the surface. I love the layers you can find in her stories.
ReplyDeletePecan Pie Baby is a great book! My teacher read it to her students in my field school and they all really liked this book. It was great for a couple of my students to relate to, because their mothers are now pregnant, but it was also used as a book to model some new techniques in their writer's workshop stations.
ReplyDelete