RM Winter 2016 FLIP

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Reading Matters
Literature Matters
Reading Matters | Volume 16 • Winter 2016 | |71|
As the book continues, many more animals will be encountered
such as a rhino that chases the boy. The images drawn in this
book are filled with vibrant color and extensive detail. Colón’s
story is a testament to the power of creativity and imagination.
The Farmer and the Clown
Frazee, Marla. (2014). Unpaged. Beach
Lane. 978-1-4424-9744-3, $17.99
(Primary)
--by Amelia Feisal & Laurel Burst
Have you ever been lost and
alone? Away from home? A baby
clown finds himself in a strange
new place, but with a smile on his face. It doesn’t take him long
to find a friend as he meets a lonely farmer who lives just off the
train tracks. This engaging story shows readers how a baby clown
and an old farmer build an unexpected friendship when the clown
somehow falls off of a circus train. As this unlikely duo embarks on
a journey together, Frazee uses the artwork masterfully to convey
the varying emotions of the characters via their body language.
For example, pay close attention to the outstretched arm of the
farmer at the end of the story. The clown lightens up the farmer’s
previously dull and mundane existence on the farm. He brings
color and excitement into the farmer’s life and teaches him a thing
or two about life in the circus (e.g., the baby clown juggles eggs).
In return, the farmer teaches the clown a few things about working
on a farm. One favorite image depicts the baby clown milking a
cow under the warm guidance of the farmer. How will the clown
be able to return to the circus with part of his heart now on the
farm? Read and find out. Readers young and old will find joy and
satisfaction in this distinguished and memorable picturebook.
Eye to Eye: How Animals
See theWorld
Jenkins, Steve. (2014). Unpaged. Houghton
Mifflin Harcourt. 978-0-547-95907-8, $17.99
(Primary/Intermediate)
--by Katherine Hoffman
“Most animals rely on their
vision, more than any other sense,
to find out what is going on around
them. For these creatures, the eyes
are the most important link to the world.” In this book, Steve
Jenkins does an incredible job of illustrating various types of
animals’ eyes and describes their main use. Readers will learn
about the four types of eyes (eyespot, pinhole eyes, compound
eyes, and the camera eye) and examples of animals with each
type. For example, worms have eyespots, while octopuses have
camera eyes. Jenkins also introduces the reader to animals that
have two rows of blue eyes, eyes that are the size of basketballs,
eyes that can “see” body heat, and many more. This book
concludes with an explanation of the evolution of the eye that
is supplemented with images. Readers of all ages will enjoy this
book whether they are just looking at the collage illustrations
or are interested in the scientific facts about the purposes and
functions of these animals’ eyes. To find more of Steve Jenkins’s
fascinating science books read Actual Size (Houghton Mifflin,
2004) and Animals Upside Down (Houghton Mifflin, 2013).
Golden Domes and Silver
Lanterns: A Muslim Book
of Colors
Khan, Hena. (2012). Illus. by Mehrdokht
Amini. Unpaged. Chronicle.
978-0-8118-7905-7, $17.99 (Primary/
Intermediate)
--by Jaclyn Bruton
In this informative picturebook, Khan uses the concept
of color, something many children can easily relate to, as a
tool for introducing the world of Islam. This story is told from
the viewpoint of a young girl. The text on one page reads,
“Red is the rug/Dad kneels on to pray,/facing toward Mecca,/
five times a day.” Another page reads, “Green is the Quran/I
read with pride./Grandma explains/the lessons inside.” Khan
wrote this story in a way that makes learning about Islam
appealing. The use of color in the illustrations as well as the
font accentuates the object related to Islam that is highlighted
in the text. For instance, on the page that focuses on the
Quran, the sacred book is depicted as green and gets a full
page while the font too is green. There is a glossary (with a
pronunciation guide) for terms that may be unfamiliar (e.g.,
Allah, mosque, Quran, Ramadan, etc.) mentioned throughout.
This book would be enjoyable and educational in a classroom.
The Port Chicago 50:
Disaster, Mutiny, and the
Fight for Civil Rights
Sheinkin, Steve. (2014). 200 pp. Roaring
Brook. 978-1-59643-796-8, $19.99 (Young
Adult)
--by Tori Young
In the 1940s, segregation
was the order of the day in the
United States. Political figures,
such as President Franklin D.
Roosevelt, were beginning to
consider the need for integration. In the case of the U.S.
Navy, segregation meant separate housing and dining as
well as unfair or inept training for wartime tasks. The account
provided by Steve Sheinkin in The Port Chicago 50 follows
the journey of a group of unsung African American heroes
after a cargo explosion reveals the mistreatment and danger
they faced on a daily basis. It also reveals their courage to
say “no” to the U.S. Navy in the face of unfair treatment.
The men had been ordered to load ammunition onto ships
although they had received minimal training in how to do so
and lived in constant fear of disaster. As “The Fifty” are taken to
trial for their perceived mutinous actions (refusing to continue
loading ammunition after the disaster), the truth of how the
explosion occurs is revealed. The trial gains the attention of
famed civil rights lawyer Thurgood Marshall. As an award-winning
author of nonfiction for young adult readers, Sheinkin includes
numerous artifacts throughout this intriguing book such as
photographs, copies of actual letters, and newspaper articles.
Source notes and an intricate List of Works Cited will allow readers
to read more deeply about the history of naval civil rights.