Module 3
Caldecott Winners
The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
Bibliography
Burton, V. L. (1942). The Little House. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.
ISBN 0-395-18156-9
Summary
This book is about a little house that was way out in the country, built by a man for his family for generations to come. It sat on the hill watched the sun rise and set day in and day out, watched the moon at night and the stars. The little house was curious of the city light way in the distance and wondered what it would feel like to live in the city. The house watched the countryside change with the seasons. Out of nowhere the house say more and more roads and cars around it everyday, more small houses were being built around it, followed by buildings, stores, gas stations. Soon no one was living in here soon there were trolleys, elevated trains and subways being built around her and days and nights were not so peaceful anymore. Everyone in the city was in a hurry and the little house never enjoyed the seasons since she couldn't even tell them apart with all the dust and the big buildings in the city. She felt out of place since the little buildings were being replaced by high rises. But one day she gets saved by the great-great-granddaughter of the man who built her, once she and her family recognize the little house and decide to move it to the countryside once again. Once the perfect place is found, it is once again lived in and taken care of.
My Impression
I absolutely love this book and always will. It is such a cute story and a lesson in it too, that you do not know what you have until it's too late. The little house was curious about the city life and once it was put in the middle of it that is when it realized how much it missed being in the countryside. I love this book and its beautiful illustrations, which is also done by the author.
Reviews
Amazon.com Review"Once upon a time there was a Little House way out in the country. She was a pretty Little House and she was strong and well built." So begins Virginia Lee Burton's classic The Little House,winner of the prestigious Caldecott Medal in 1943. The rosy-pink Little House, on a hill surrounded by apple trees, watches the days go, by from the first apple blossoms in the spring through the winter snows. Always faintly aware of the city's distant lights, she starts to notice the city encroaching on her bucolic existence. First a road appears, which brings horseless carriages and then trucks and steamrollers. Before long, more roads, bigger homes, apartment buildings, stores, and garages surround the Little House. Her family moves out and she finds herself alone in the middle of the city, where the artificial lights are so bright that the Little House can no longer see the sun or the moon. She often dreams of "the field of daisies and the apple trees dancing in the moonlight." Children will be saddened to see the lonely, claustrophobic, dilapidated house, but when a woman recognizes her and whisks her back to the country where she belongs, they will rejoice. Young readers are more likely to be drawn in by the whimsical, detailed drawings and the happy ending than by anything Burton might have been implying about the troubling effects of urbanization. (Ages 3 to 6)
"This engaging picture book clearly presents a wealth of information." Booklist, ALA
Use in Library Setting
I think it would be good to have in public libraries and in elementary, middle, and high school libraries. It's a cute story, and of course with beautiful illustration for which it has won a Caldecott Medal in 1943.
Review. (n. d.). The Little House. [Review of the book The Little House].
Amazon.com.
Available from
Image from
http://katharineowens.blogspot.com/2011_10_01_archive.html
A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead
Illustrated by Erin E. Stead
Bibliography
Stead, P. C. (2010). A Sick Day for Amos McGee. New York, NY: Roaring Book Press.
ISBN 978-1-59643-402-8
Summary
This is a story about a man named Amos McGee, he is a very friendly man. Every morning he has the same routine, he wakes up, wears his uniform, heats oatmeal and drinks tea, catches the bus to work where he is a zookeeper. He visits his friends and spends time with them: he plays chess with the, races with the tortoise, sits quietly with the penguin, lends a handkerchief to the rhinoceros, and finally at sunset he reads a story to the owl. One day he is sick, and when the animals do not see him at work they come to visit him knowing he might need them. They repay the favor or being a good friend and do the same with him and stay with him the night.
My Impression
It was a cute book overall, a good book to set an example of how to be a good friend, no matter what form they come in. The only thing that was kind of off to me were some of the illustrations, why would a grown man have a teddy bear, or bunny slippers? He always had his teddy bear with him by his bed.
Reviews
Publishers Weekly
With quiet affection, this husband-and-wife team tells the story of a zookeeper whose devotion is repaid when he falls ill. On most days, the angular, elderly Amos rides the bus to the zoo, plays chess with the elephant ("who thought and thought before making a move"), sits quietly with the penguin, and spends time with his other animal friends. But when Amos catches a cold, the animals ride the bus to pay him a visit, each, in a charming turnabout, doing for Amos whatever he usually does for them. The elephant sets up the chessboard; the shy penguin sits on the bed, "keeping Amos's feet warm." Newcomer Erin Stead's elegant woodblock prints, breathtaking in their delicacy, contribute to the story's tranquility and draw subtle elements to viewers' attention: the grain of the woodblocks themselves, Amos's handsome peacock feather coverlet. Every face--Amos's as well as the animals'--brims with personality. Philip Stead's (Creamed Tuna Fish and Peas on Toast) narrative moves with deliberate speed, dreaming up a joyous life for the sort of man likely to be passed on the street without a thought. Ages 2–6. (June)
School Library Journal
K-Gr 2—Amos McGee, an elderly man who works at the zoo, finds time each day for five special friends. With empathy and understanding he gives the elephant, tortoise, penguin, rhinoceros, and owl the attention they need. One morning, Amos wakes up with a bad cold and stays home in bed. His friends wait patiently and then leave the zoo to visit him. Their trip mirrors his daily bus ride to the zoo and spans three nearly wordless spreads. Amos, sitting up in bed, clasps his hands in delight when his friends arrive. The elephant plays chess with him, and the tortoise plays hide-and-seek. The penguin keeps Amos's feet warm, while the rhinoceros offers a handkerchief when Amos sneezes. They all share a pot of tea. Then the owl, knowing that Amos is afraid of the dark, reads a bedtime story as the other animals listen. They all sleep in Amos's room the rest of the night. The artwork in this quiet tale of good deeds rewarded uses woodblock-printing techniques, soft flat colors, and occasional bits of red. Illustrations are positioned on the white space to move the tale along and underscore the bonds of friendship and loyalty. Whether read individually or shared, this gentle story will resonate with youngsters.
Mary Jean Smith, Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN
Use in Library Setting
I think it would be good to have in public libraries and in elementary, middle, and high school libraries. It's a cute story about friendship, I know younger kids will love it and enjoy reading it since it's an easy read, and a short story for bedtime as well. Also a Caldecott Winner for 2011.
Review. (n. d.). A Sick Day for Amos McGee. [Review of the book A Sick Day for Amos McGee].
Available from
www.barnesandnoble.com
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sick-day-for-amos-mcgee-philip-c-stead/1101000125?ean=9781596434028
Image from
http://librarianschoices.blogspot.com/2011/02/sick-day-for-amos-mcgee.html
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