From: PARTCH Jacqueline <jacquelp>
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2004 16:56:35 -0700

Reading everyone's messages this month has caused me to think about qualities I most appreciate in read-alouds. I especially enjoy a book that involves the audience and gets them thinking. This summer my program has been doing a picture book "Survivor" program for grades K-5, in which kids learn about what makes a good picture book, examine four or five good picture books, and then compete in challenges to "vote off" the picture books they don't like as well. The one remaining picture book is the survivor! A frequent winner this summer has been the Caldecott honor book "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus," written and illustrated by Mo Willems. Even in the chaotic community centers and summer school environments where we present, the kids are immediately drawn into this book. They love to respond to the pigeon's begging with a loud "No!" Even on pages where there are few or no words, the illustrations make the pigeon's actions/emotions very clear. And the kids are able to relate the story to their own lives; in one discussion of what we liked about the book, a girl told me, "I liked the things the pigeon said because they sounded like me."

-------------------Jackie Partch Voice: 503.988.6004 School Corps Team Leader Fax: 503.988.5441 Multnomah County Library jacquelp at multcolib.org 205 NE Russell, Portland, OR 97212
Received on Fri 13 Aug 2004 06:56:35 PM CDT