Empey's Book Corner

  (Photo: Goodreads.com) 1.        BIBLIOGRAPHY Wiesner, David. 2001. THE THREE PIGS. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 978-0618007011 2.        PLOT SUMMARY THE THREE PIGS is a retelling of the class tale The Three Little Pigs. Wiesner begins the story the same as the original: pig builds house, wolf blows down house, and then gobbles him up or the pig runs. Only this time, there’s a plot twist. The first pig is blown out of the story. He runs and grabs the next pigs before the wolf can blow the houses down. The pigs take over, ruffling and folding the pages of the story into a paper airplane so they can escape and explore. As the pigs’ travel, they find other class stories and make friends along the way. They do eventually return to the old version of their story, only to use their new skills and friends to subdue the wolf. They end the story with a “happily ever after.” 3.        CR...

  (Photo: Goodreads.com) 1.        BIBLIOGRAPHY Pinkney, Jerry. 2009. THE LION & THE MOUSE. New York, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. ISBN 978-0316013567 2.        PLOT SUMMARY Pinkney’s interpretation of Aesop’s fable is wordless. The retelling of this childhood favorite is told through illustrations that begin with a mouse in danger that takes refuge on a lion’s back. Uncharacteristically, the large beast grabs and releases the tiny creature. As the lion moves on, he is captured by poachers. In an act to repay the debt, the mouse helps release the lion from his snare. At the end the family of mice and lions come together in peace.   3.        CRITICAL ANAYLSIS This is a true picture book in the sense that the reader gets no words, only a few animal sounds like “Who Who Whoooo,” “Sereeeech,” and “GRRR.” The sounds gently enhance the story, while allowing the visual...

  1.        (Photo: Goodreads.com) BIBLIOGRAPHY Isaacs, Anne. 1994. SWAMP ANGEL. Ill by Paul O. Zelinsky. New York: Dutton Children’s Books. ISBN 978-0-525-45271-3 2.        PLOT SUMMARY SWAMP ANGLE is a tall-tale about Angelica Longrider, the greatest woodswoman in Tennessee. In this tall-tale, Swamp Angel is born a giant in Tennessee. Described as being bigger than her mother, she shockingly could not build a log cabin until she was two years old. As she grew larger and larger, she became one with the bogs and backwoods of her homeland. When she begins saving settlers from these very same swamps, she is christened the name “Swamp Angel.” The dangers of the Tennessee wilderness are no match for Swamp Angel. Thundering Tarnation, a huge bear with a taste for destruction, needs to be defeated so the people are safe. Swamp Angel takes on this mission, aiming to make a “bear pie.” What happens next is a battle of wills ...

  (Photo: Goodreads.com) 1.        BIBLIOGRAPHY Bryan, Ashley. 2003. BEAUTIFUL BLACKBIRD. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 978-0689847318 2.        PLOT SUMMARY In this African folktale, Blackbird shares his gifts with the other birds. All the colorful birds in Africa admire Blackbird for being the only birds who is black, and they select him as the most beautiful of them all. Soon they beg Blackbird to share his black because they want to be beautiful too, so he paints them with a touch of his black by decorating them with black markings. He insists that with or without the black markings, that true beauty comes from the inside. 3.        CRITICAL ANALYSIS This story is a Zambian tale that begs the reader to read it aloud. The birds sing multiple times in the story to reveal their thoughts and emotions. The use of rhymes and sound effects can be heard in tradition...

  1.     (Photo: Goodreads.com)               BIBLIOGRAPHY             Collier, Bryan. 2000. UPTOWN. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 978-0-8050-7399-7 2.        PLOT SUMMARY A young boy discovers the vibrant world of Harlem, New York and tells of his everyday life. He experiences seeing the train, meals, buildings, and people. Through the people he describes sights, sounds, and conversations. The reader walks through the everyday life of this young boy as he goes about his day. 3.        CRITICAL ANALYSIS The images in the book portray Harlem, as viewed from a young boy’s eyes. Uptown’s pictures are a full of vibrant colors, sounds, and ultimately create the culture of the community. Quoting the book, “At first it seems like a weird combination, but it works.” This is in reference to chicken and waffles, but ...

  1.       (Photo: Goodreads.com)   BIBLIOGRAPHY Keats, Ezra. 1962. THE SNOWY DAY. New York, NY: Viking Press. ISBN 978-0-670-01270-1 2.        PLOT SUMMARY A young boy wakes up to discover that snow has fallen during the night. He goes on an adventure by himself to explore the winter wonderland. He finds his own adventures, and watches older children play in a way he cannot yet. He returns home and reflects on the day, hopefully the snow won’t be gone. He tries to keep a snowball in his snowsuit pocket as he gets ready for bed, but is saddened when he finds it already gone! He dreams that the sun came out and melted all the snow. The next day he wakes up delighted to find there is more snow and chooses to find a friend to explore with. 3.        CRITICAL ANALYSIS At first appearance, The Snow Day , appears simple, but the message is complex. When the main character, Peter, is out on...

  (Photo: Goodreads.com) 1.        BIBLIOGRAPHY De La Pena, Christian. 2015. LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET. Ill. by Christian Robinson. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam’s Sons. ISBN 978-0-399-25774-2 2.        PLOT SUMMARY Every Sunday after church, CJ and his grandma ride the bus across town. On this day though, CJ wonders why they don’t own a car like his friend Colby. Why doesn’t he have an iPod like the boys on the bus? How come they always must get off in the dirty part of town? Each question, the grandmother answers in a way to have the young boy reflect on what is beautiful and fun in their world. The deep connection between grandparent and grandchild is reflected in this energetic ride through a busy city and comes to life through the descript text and radiant illustrations. 3.        CRITICAL ANAYLSIS When it comes to the writing of words, De La Pena uses descriptive imagery to convey...

  1.     (Photo: Goodreads.com) BIBLIOGRAPHY        Mattick,  Lindsay. 2015. Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear. Ill. By Sophie Blackall. New York, NY: Little Brown and Company. ISBN 978-0-316-32490-8 2.        PLOT SUMMARY In 1914, Harry Colebourn, a veterinarian on his way to tend horses in World War I, followed his heart and rescued a baby bear. He named her Winnie, after his hometown of Winnipeg, and he took the bear to war. Harry Colebourn's real-life great-granddaughter tells the true story of a remarkable friendship and an even more remarkable journey—from the fields of Canada to a convoy across the ocean to an army base in England and finally to the London Zoo, where Winnie made another new friend: a real boy named Christopher Robin. Before Winnie-the-Pooh, there was a real bear named Winnie. And she was a girl! 3.        CRITICAL ANALYS...