We Are in a Book! Willems, Mo (author and illustrator). (2010). New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children. 57 pages. ISBN: 978-1-4231-3308-10152.
Fiction: Humorous: Ages 3 to 7
Plot:
Gerald and Piggie realize that someone is watching them. They are delighted when they discover it is a reader and they are being read! They enjoy making hte reader say silly things, but become distraught when they realize that the book must end. They ask the reader to please read them again. The book comes full circle as the beginning of the book is tied into the end of the book.
Gerald and Piggie realize that someone is watching them. They are delighted when they discover it is a reader and they are being read! They enjoy making hte reader say silly things, but become distraught when they realize that the book must end. They ask the reader to please read them again. The book comes full circle as the beginning of the book is tied into the end of the book.
Author/Illustrator:
Mo Willems is both author and illustrator in this series of books. The simple drawings are set against a white background, and there are simple word bubbles telling the reader which character is saying what. The simplicity of the writing and illustrations are probably comforting to beginning readers, but the humor is appealing to all ages. A review in the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books also mentions Willems' illustration style saying that, "it’s a good thing that Willems chooses to place his characters on flat white backgrounds and limit the color palette to their signal pink and grey, linking them to more muted shades of those colors in their speech bubbles, since the physical comedy of their actions would be too chaotic otherwise."
Mo Willems is both author and illustrator in this series of books. The simple drawings are set against a white background, and there are simple word bubbles telling the reader which character is saying what. The simplicity of the writing and illustrations are probably comforting to beginning readers, but the humor is appealing to all ages. A review in the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books also mentions Willems' illustration style saying that, "it’s a good thing that Willems chooses to place his characters on flat white backgrounds and limit the color palette to their signal pink and grey, linking them to more muted shades of those colors in their speech bubbles, since the physical comedy of their actions would be too chaotic otherwise."
Classroom Tie-ins:
These are good read aloud books, and children love these to read on their own. There are several ideas for classroom use. One idea that comes to mind is having students draw Gerald and Piggie comic strips. The website pigeonpresents.com, featured a teacher's guide for the series, and featured ideas like fill in the blanks worksheets with questions about the stories, discussion prompts for some of the titles in the series, and coloring pages. The text in the book itself gives the reader a lesson in the construction of books by turning pages and explaining how the reader is reading their word bubbles. As a Kirkus review points out "Willems displays his customary control of both body language and pacing even as he challenges his readers to engage with his characters and the physicality of their book." This opens the door for a lesson on how books work and the many parts of a book.
These are good read aloud books, and children love these to read on their own. There are several ideas for classroom use. One idea that comes to mind is having students draw Gerald and Piggie comic strips. The website pigeonpresents.com, featured a teacher's guide for the series, and featured ideas like fill in the blanks worksheets with questions about the stories, discussion prompts for some of the titles in the series, and coloring pages. The text in the book itself gives the reader a lesson in the construction of books by turning pages and explaining how the reader is reading their word bubbles. As a Kirkus review points out "Willems displays his customary control of both body language and pacing even as he challenges his readers to engage with his characters and the physicality of their book." This opens the door for a lesson on how books work and the many parts of a book.
Personal Response:
I love these books! The students in the library love these books. In fact, when I was sitting at a table in the children's section getting ready to check out my books for this assignment, a little boy of about three came up and grabbed this book out of my pile! I was perfectly happy letting him keep it and picking another title, but his mother was embarrassed and insisted on giving it back. Sometimes I think the simple design of these books are appealing to children, who may be overwhelmed with all of the visual stimulation they are exposed to on a daily basis. I enjoy reading these books and seeing what kind of silly antics Gerald and Piggie will be up to. Mo Willems is a personal favorite.
I love these books! The students in the library love these books. In fact, when I was sitting at a table in the children's section getting ready to check out my books for this assignment, a little boy of about three came up and grabbed this book out of my pile! I was perfectly happy letting him keep it and picking another title, but his mother was embarrassed and insisted on giving it back. Sometimes I think the simple design of these books are appealing to children, who may be overwhelmed with all of the visual stimulation they are exposed to on a daily basis. I enjoy reading these books and seeing what kind of silly antics Gerald and Piggie will be up to. Mo Willems is a personal favorite.
Resources:
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. (2010, October). [Review of the book We Are in a Book! by Mo Willems]. Retrieved from:
http://www.clcd.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/cgi-bin/member/search/f?./temp/~f30jPH:2
Kirkus Reviews. (2010, September 1). [Review of the book We Are in a Book! by Mo Willems]. Retrieved from:
http://www.clcd.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/cgi-bin/member/search/f?./temp/~f30jPH:2
Willems, M. (2010). The Elephant and Piggie Books Party Kit! Hyperion Books. Retrieved from:
http://www.pigeonpresents.com/teachersguides/EandP_EventKit_10.pdf
No comments:
Post a Comment