The Gruffalo

Title: The Gruffalo

Julia Donaldson (Author)

Axel Scheffler (Illustrator)

Comprehension Strategies: Visualizing, Inferring

                       

Arts Modalities: Visual Art, Drama

Summary:

A mouse is taking a stroll through the deep, dark wood when along comes a hungry fox, then an owl, and then a snake. The mouse is smart enough to know he would be a tasty treat, so he describes the gruffalo. Visualize the gruffalo: a creature with terrible claws, terrible tusks, terrible jaws, knobbly knees, turned-out toes, and a poisonous wart at the end of its nose. Wait. Could there really be such a thing as a gruffalo?

Materials:

The Gruffalo

chart with picture of gruffalo (covered for beginning of lesson)

paper

crayons or markers
character masks (optional)

Lesson:

Before you begin reading, show your class the spread of pages in the book that shows the setting.

Activate schema by asking questions such as:

“Have you ever been in the deep, dark wood?”

“What animals live in the forest?”

Discuss the words predator and prey.

Show the cover of the book with the picture of the gruffalo covered.

Explain that as you read the first half of the book, the students should listen for clues that help them visualize what a gruffalo might look like. Read aloud until the gruffalo makes his first appearance.

Have the class help you make a chart similar to the one shown that lists the physical characteristics of the gruffalo.

Tell students to pretend that they have been asked to illustrate the book. How would they draw the gruffalo based on the clues given in the text? Provide time for students to draw and then share their illustrations.

For added fun, play the song from the audio recording of the book. (Available at audible.com. Click the image to go to the recording.)

You can also listen to the song with this youtube link:

Now reveal the gruffalo on your chart and have students compare their drawings with Axel Scheffler's gruffalo.

Read the entire book from start to finish!

During another read aloud time, use the illustrations to have the children practice inferring. Show the students the picture of one of the animals as it approaches the mouse (remember that predator/prey relationship!). Compare to the picture of the animal after Mouse describes the gruffalo. What facial expressions change? How do the animals' movements change from showing confidence to fear? Invite the students to practice making these actions.

These masks are a hit when it comes to retelling and dramatizing the story. Of course, you can use them when leading students through a reenactment. To increase the thinking-skill level, ask a student to choose a character mask. Then interview the character to find out what it was thinking at different points in the story. Click the image to download the masks from Early Learning HQ. 

We went out to the "deep, dark wood!"

This wonderful site also contains finger puppets, word cards, posters and more!

Here's another video worth sharing to your young readers and and writers. Julia Donaldson shares her drafts of the book. Then she delights her audience by singing the gruffalo song with Gruffalo himself!

When Sophie Gets Angry—Really, Really Angry

Title:

When Sophie Gets Angry—Really, Really Angry...

Molly Bang (Author & Illustrator)

Comprehension Strategies: 

Inferring, Making Connections 

             

Art Modalities: 

Drama, Visual Art

Summary:

It is often difficult for kids to talk about their feelings, especially anger. Bang offers a great opportunity for parents and kids to discuss anger and how Sophie handles it. The situation is typical; Sophie's sister has taken her toy, which makes her very angry. The vivid colors and illustrations likening Sophie to a volcano get the point across. So too does the resolution that Sophie finds, by escaping outdoors to climb her favorite tree. There she calms down and the world becomes a quieter place bathed in soothing green and blue. (Review from Children’s Literature.)

Materials:

When Sophie Gets Angry—Really, Really Angry...

paints and paper

Lesson:

Let’s face it...we all get angry. Sometimes we even get really, really angry. Chances are you’ll know when the time is right to share this book with your class. There are just those days when you and your students are tired and grumpy. Begin by showing your group only the cover. Infer...How is the girl feeling and how do you know? Invite students to make a similar face. Next have students take a closer look at the first spread. How is Sophie feeling now? How can you tell? Uh-oh. Now how is Sophie feeling? Can you use your experience with the picture clues to infer Sophie’s feelings? Show the next spread. Oh, my. Have students closely examine Sophie’s face and the cat. Even the zig-zag lines are a clue. At this point, you might want to remind your readers that inferring means combining your background knowledge and the clues in the book to infer a character’s feelings. Remind them that their own experiences count as background knowledge. Provide time for students to share similar experiences and feelings they may have had in the past.

Read the story aloud. Discuss the ways that Sophie handles her anger. Which are appropriate and which are inappropriate? Be sure to validate a variety of opinions. Finally, invite students to act out the story as you reread. Now doesn’t that feel better?

For younger students...

What Would Sophie Do?

(sung to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)

If you’re angry and you know it, kick and scream.

If you’re angry and you know it, kick and scream.

If you’re angry and you know it,

Smash the world to smithereens.

If you’re angry and you know it, kick and scream.

If you’re angry and you know it, give a roar.

If you’re angry and you know it, give a roar.

If you’re angry and you know it,

Roar “red” more and more.

If you’re angry and you know it, give a roar.

If you’re angry and you know it, run and run.

If you’re angry and you know it, run and run.

If you’re angry and you know it,

Don’t stop until you’re done.

If you’re angry and you know it, run and run.

If you’re angry and you know it, cry and cry.

If you’re angry and you know it, cry and cry.

If you’re angry and you know it,

Find a tree and start to climb.

If you’re angry and you know it, cry and cry.

If you’re calm and you know it, climb back down.

If you’re calm and you know it, climb back down.

If you’re calm and you know it,

Climb back down and walk back home.

If you’re calm and you know it, climb back down.

Art Extension...
On her website, Molly Bang expresses her own feelings about creating the illustrations for the book:

“I made the pictures of gouache, which is a thick, mud-like paint and which feels nice and gucky when painted thickly. It is very satisfying to paint exuberant feelings with gouache. I began the book with bright pinks and purples and chartreuse, turning to reds and oranges when Sophie gets angry, then turning to browns, then blues and greens as she calms down, and then using the full palette when she returns home, "whole" again. It was interesting to notice how angry I felt while I was making the angry pictures, and how much calmer I felt when I was painting with the blues and greens.”

Already heading for the paints? Consider using fingerpaints. Even older kids will enjoy the experience. Another option is the dimensional paint recipe found here: http://familycrafts.about.com/od/paintrecipes/a/dimenpaint.htm

Teachers of older students, Let me express my feelings...CHECK OUT THIS LINK! You’ll find a picture book writing lesson from WritingFix. The lesson focuses on idea development and voice using Molly Bang’s book as the mentor text. There are templates and student samples. More feelings...I ESPECIALLY LOVED the interactive pre-writing buttons.

http://writingfix.com/Picture_Book_Prompts/WhenSophieGetsAngry3.htm

To read more about Molly Bang’s feelings about the book.

http://www.mollybang.com/Pages/sophie.html

The Book with a Hole

Title: The Book with a Hole

Herve Tullet (Author and Illustrator)

Comprehension Strategy: Questioning                                   

Art Modality: Visual Art

Summary:

There’s a book and there’s a hole. The hole goes right through the middle of the book...

Sometimes the hole is a magnifying glass to look at bugs. Sometimes it is a pool to jump into, a track to race around or a tropical island. Build your own 3D skyscraper, attach a trunk to an elephant or play basketball with a crumpled sheet of paper...

There’s no limit to the games you can play or the fun you can have...Just don’t fall into the hole!

Packed full with zany drawings and even zanier ideas by best-selling author Herve Tullet, The Book with a Hole is endlessly inventive and bound to enchant children of all ages. (Summary from the book.)

Materials:

The Book with a Hole

art paper

markers or crayons

Lesson:

It’s my birthday today. So my sweet family took me to the HIGH Museum of Art in Atlanta to see the “Picasso to Warhol” exhibit. Did I leave the museum without visiting the gift shop? Nooooo. Did I leave the gift shop without looking at the children’s books? Noooooo. And did I leave the gift shop without the purchase of a children’s book? Nooooooo.

Chances are you work hard to help your readers interact with a text. With this book, that goal just got a “hole” lot easier. Just look at this spread from inside with the question, “What are you going to cook?”

I don’t even have to suggest the ideas to go with this book...I’ll just hand them to you on a platter.

If you are teaching questioning, simply open up the book and let the children answer the questions or ask new ones. Of course, you’ll want to follow up with some drawing and creative writing. Now there’s a book with a “hole” lot of possibilites!  Enjoy...my dog did!

Another book you’ll want to find by Herve Tullet...

There Was An Old Monster

Click here to buy the book!

Title: There Was An Old Monster

Rebecca Emberley (Author)

Ed Emberley (Illustrator)

Reading Skill: Sequencing

Art Modality: Music/Visual Art

Summary:

In this variation on the traditional cumulative rhyme, a monster swallows ants, a lizard, a bat, and other creatures to try to cure a stomachache that began when he swallowed a tick. (Summary from book.)

Materials:

There Was An Old Monster

small, empty boxes (recycle food boxes)

school glue or Mod Podge

colorful paper scraps

paintbrushes

Lesson:

Fellow teachers of boys and ghouls....usually I try to give you a teaching idea first and follow with some internet links. However, pleeeaase click this link NOW and get ready to scritchy-scratch with a free audio of There Was An Old Monster.

www.scholastic.com/oldmonster

Isn’t that just pure inspiration? Not only will your little ones want to read along, they’ll want to scritcy-scratch along, too! These collage-style shakers—inspired by Emberley’s colorful illustrations—are sure to do the trick. For each child, pour a small amount of rice into an empty food box. Seal the lid with masking tape. To complete his instrument, a child cuts or tears colorful paper into shapes. He then uses a paintbrush and slightly watered-down glue to adhere the scraps to the box. (Older students might want to make their boxes look like monsters. Younger students may prefer abstract designs.) When the child is happy with the designs on the box, he paints a final layer of glue over it. When the shakers are dry, play the audio and sing and shake along!

Questions, Questions

Title: Questions, Questions

Marcus Pfister 

(Author and Illustrator)

(Click this link to order from Amazon: Questions, Questions)

Comprehension Strategy: Questioning                        

Art Modality: Visual Art

Summary:

Pfister's latest book is a sweetly simple look at some very deep questions, allowing children the opportunity to delve into some of life's mysteries. ...In a world that so often emphasizes answers and solid facts, it is refreshing to see a text that encourages questioning, whether realistic or imaginative

flights of fancy. (Summary from Kirkus Reviews.)

Materials:

Questions, Questions

art paper or construction paper

pencils

cardboard (thick enough to hold a cutout shape, but not too thick for young children to cut)

acrylic paints in a variety of colors and silver

paintbrushes

Lesson:

Is there any question what this teaching idea is all about? What is the focus comprehension strategy? Questioning, course! What art modality? Visual art, it’s plain to see! You’ll want to begin by just reading this simply beautiful book aloud. After reading, you might want to let students partner-talk about answers to some of the questions. Or you might give students a chance to journal their answers to their favorite questions. And without a doubt, you’ll want to give students time to brainstorm and ask their own questions. Students will also enjoy finding the silver design on each page. Follow-up your class discussions and writing with this visual-art activity.

Mr. Pfister says, “The illustrations have been realized with a new technique. First I transferred each part of a picture onto a cardboard and then cut them out. Afterwards I colored the cutout pieces of cardboard with acrylics and stamped them onto aquarelle paper. Try this technique once with your kids! You will get very nice results...”

First have each student record a question to illustrate. Students may be invited to choose a question from the book, or ask their own questions. Each child draws the outline of a simple shape, “coloring-book style,” onto a piece of cardboard. He then cuts out the shape. Next he paints one side of the shape. Finally, he flips the painted shape over and presses it gently onto the paper. Slowly peeling the shape away from the paper will reveal the design. Students may then paint something near the design. Display the students’ questions along with their artwork. One question you’re sure to hear from colleagues... “Can I do that with my class, too?”

Here are some examples of my students’ questions and art:

So you have more questions about the author and illustrator Marcus Pfister? Visit his web site:

http://www.marcuspfister.ch/index.htm

Beautiful Blackbird

Title:  Beautiful Blackbird

Ashley Bryan (Author and Illustrator)

Click the Amazon link to purchase: 

Beautiful Blackbird (Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Winner)

Comprehension Strategy:          Synthesizing              
Art Modalities: Creative Movement, Visual Art

Summary: In a story of the Ila people, the colorful birds of Africa ask Blackbird, whom they think is the most beautiful of birds, to decorate them with some of his “blackening brew.” (Summary from the book.)

Materials:

Beautiful Blackbird

black tempera paint

feathers

various colors of construction paper

simple bird pattern

Lesson:

Synthesis takes place when readers’ thinking changes. Their thinking evolves. They infer meanings beyond the story line. They recognize themes.

Read aloud Beautiful Blackbird. To help your students recognize the themes, you might want to discuss the following lines from the story:

“Color on the outside is not what’s on the inside. You don’t act like me. You don’t eat like me. You don’t get down in the groove and move your feet like me.”

“We’ll see the difference a touch of black can make. Just remember, whatever I do, I’ll be me and you’ll be you.”

Extend the students’ understanding of the story by encouraging creative movement. Gather students in an open space such a gym. Reread the story. Have students move “with a flip flop flapping of their wings” and a “stirring, whirring of the air” as you read the description of the “Beak and Wing Dance” and the “Show Claws Slide.”

To prepare for a visual-art extension, mix some “blackening brew” (black paint) in a “medicine gourd.”

To make a bird, each child traces and then cuts out a simple bird shape from construction paper. She then uses a feather to paint on black accents. Display the birds on a yellow background along with the following poem from the story.

“Our colors sport a brand-new look,

A touch of black was all it took.

Oh beautiful black, uh-huh, uh-huh

Black is beautiful, UH-HUH!”

 "Meet" Ashley Bryan at Reading Rockets.

http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/bryan

More from Ashley Bryan, Uh-huh!