The Geisel Award is given annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished American book for beginning readers published in English in the United States
Smith, J. (2009). Little mouse gets ready. New York , NY
Children’s Early Reader: Graphic Novel. Little Mouse gets ready for a visit to the barn by carefully getting dressed. Only to find in the end, as Mother reminds him, mice don’t wear clothes! What makes this fitting for young readers is the routine of dressing oneself, along with pictures to guide each stage of the narrative. For children beginning to learn how to read, getting dressed is still a mindful process, and therefore meaningful in story form. Smith, acclaimed author of graphic novel series Bone for older readers, keeps the comic frames to no more than two per page, assisting young children in the reading of this format. View as an excellent beginning reader for ages 4-7, instructional in sequencing, the process of getting dressed, or as an introduction to comic-book format.
Awarded the Geisel Award in 2010.
Hayes, G. (2009). Benny and penny in the big no-no!. New York , NY
Children’s Early Reader: Graphic Novel. Benny and Penny commit a big no-no when they climb into their new neighbor’s yard looking for Benny’s lost pail. They’re in for a surprise when they come to believe their new neighbor is a monster! However, first impressions are deceiving. Hayes illustrates his narrative in graphic format, including up to 7 frames per page, often with dialogue included within a single frame. View as appropriate for older new readers, ages 6-8-- those that have had some introduction to reading stories in comic book style. View also as a tool in instructing children towards the themes of deceptive first impressions and following one’s moral compass. Awarded the Geisel Award in 2010.
DiCamillo, K., & McGhee, A. (2010). Bink & gollie. Somerville , MA
Children’s Early Reader: Chapter Book. Bink and Gollie are best friends, but as in most friendships, they have their disagreements. Each chapter is a separate story of their time together: a sock buying trip, a climb in the Andes , and Bink’s purchase of a fish. Tony Fucile’s digital illustrations are incredibly detailed and humorously complement the story line. Children may discover some of his intent independently, but reading this book with an adult will provide the child with more insight into the illustrations. The authors sometimes incorporate euphemisms (e.g. gray matter for brain) and larger words that might be difficult for young children to decode or understand in the context of the stories (e.g. compromise, venture, accomplishment). Alternatively, ‘big’ words that are integral to the theme (e.g. marvelous, companion) are repeated enough times in context that young readers will be decoding and understanding quickly. Suggest as a read-aloud by parent or teacher before expecting children (ages 7-9) to read independently. Excellent theme of friendship exemplified in all three chapter stories. Awarded Geisel Award in 2011.
Lin, G. (2010). Ling & ting: Not exactly the same!. New York , NY
Children’s Early Reader: Chapter Book. This is a delightful chapter book about twins Ling and Ting’s adventures. They look exactly the same, at least before the first chapter unfolds, but they are not. Through the character’s actions the young reader will discern Ling’s need for things to be ‘just right’ and Ting’s more playful and forgetful nature. The vocabulary is simple enough and repetitive to the point that early readers (ages 5-7) should be able to access quickly. Lin’s illustrations complement the narrative and, when vocabulary is less familiar to a young child (e.g. dumplings, chopsticks), the pictures aid in word solving. The theme exemplifies a normal relationship between siblings, especially twins, and introduces some Chinese traditions through a natural incorporation within the story line. View as the perfect first chapter-book for its gentle transition from beginning reads with one story line to the multiple plots that chapter books offer. Awarded the Geisel Award and Texas
Yee, W. (2009). Mouse and mole: Fine feathered friends. Boston , MA
Children’s Early Reader: Chapter Book. In his fourth book featuring Mouse and Mole, Yee narrates and illustrates the pair’s adventures as they try to get close enough to the returning spring birds in order to sketch their bird books. Consisting of three chapters, the first introduces the friends and tells of their unsuccessful attempts at bird-watching. The second chapter relates the friend’s collaboration in coming up with an idea to view and sketch the birds, and the third chapter combines their special talents in publishing the book. The illustrations follow the narrative and characterize Mouse and Mole’s personalities quite well. Variation in placement of illustrations is appropriate to the text. Short simple sentences aid the young reader, but Yee’s use of italics to express several types of figurative language (e.g. onomatopoeia and idioms) may be confusing. View as a read-aloud by parent or teacher for children ages 6-8, with instruction provided for variations in font and punctuation (e.g. hyphens, ellipses, quotation marks). This will also make a great book for parents to read along with their child—the subtle humor and normal friction between friends can be viewed as think-aloud instructional moments. An excellent theme of collaboration is brought forth, especially in the second and third chapters. Awarded the Geisel Honor Award in 2010.
No comments:
Post a Comment