Just Like My Papa
by Toni Buzzeo
Illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka
Just Like My Papa by Toni Buzzeo is a wonderful picture book of a son, Kito (which means “precious gem”), wanting to be just like his papa. He does everything his papa does. It’s a great play on the like father-like son theme. The book is due out April 2, 2013, just in time to make a great Father’s Day gift! Also by Toni Buzzeo and Mike Wohnoutka, Stay Close to Mama.
Do You Know Dewey?: Exploring the Dewey Decimal System by Brian P. Cleary
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I am always looking for great picture books to help explain the Dewey Decimal System (DDS) to my students. This book did a great job in explaining the DDS. I like the rhyming text explaining each section of the DDS. The pictures aren’t too busy with overcrowding of information. I also like the little tabs on the side of the pictures giving the name of the section, such as, Social Sciences 300.
There are a few things I don’t particularly like when it comes to explaining the nonfiction section of the library.
1. Calling the zero hundreds O’s as in the letter and not the number. Yes, it may rhyme better within the story, but the nonfiction is by number not letters (except for the author’s last name.
2. The 200s section didn’t mention mythology. In my school, mythology is a popular subject. I will mention it as I read, of course. It’s hard to mention all subjects for many of the larger sections.
3. Transportation is mentioned for 300s. Yes, I know it is there, but it is also in the 600s. Another cataloging dilemma for librarians. I wrestle with where to place transportation books sometimes.
Bored Bella Learns about Fiction and Nonfiction by Sandy Bridget Donovan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I liked this book to teach the difference between fiction and nonfiction books in a library. I will definitely use it with my elementary students, I’m not too sure about my primary students (1st and 2nd graders, but are more like very young kindergartners-who won’t sit well for longer books). The language was simple and to the point of comparing the different genres of books. I also liked that the it was mentioned in the story that the fiction section could be shelved in the 800s section. That is something I always mention to my students; that everything can be shelved in the nonfiction section, but the fiction section is just too big to keep there. Great illustrations too to help convey meaning.
A Book Is Just Like You by Kathleen Fox
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved reading this book! I can’t wait to read it to my students, too! IT has everything needed to explain the basic parts of a book to students. It’s definitely geared toward elementary students, but I may even use it for my middle school students. Comparing parts of a book to what a student knows in their own personal life is a great visual connection in the book and hopefully they can keep the visual in their mind’s eye for future reference as we review each week.