EDUC 255 Melinda Dwyer

Standard #3: Learning Environments The teacher works with others to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation. Brief Description: For this assignment I read three multicultural picture books. I then created this PowerPoint presentation about what the books are, the positive and negatives about each book, and why each book is a multicultural picture book. Rationale: To document my understanding of InTASC Standard 3, Learning Environments, I have selected to include Children’s Book Critique. I have created this Point to show my ability to create environments that support individual learning by being able to choose and critique multicultural picture books. These books also encourage positive social interaction and active engagement in learning, and self-motivation. This PowerPoint was helpful in seeing the positive and negatives of each book.

Penny is a young school age girl whom wanted to wear her hair "down" like all of the other girls in her class. She begged her mom to change her braids and let her wear her hair out. She felt different because her friends had long straight hair and she did not. This made her feel sad. But, Penny's mom assured her that her hair is beautiful and special. Penny's mom decided to style her hair in puffballs, “magic puffballs”. Penny goes to school with her new “magic puffballs” and learns that she is special and magical things do happen when she wears her puffballs. Now, her friends want to be like her and have beautiful, special, and magical puffballs.

Positives  The story’s message is about self-acceptance and diversity  The story will help instill a sense of pride in young girls who may feel different because of their hair.  The story celebrates Penny for who she is.  The illustrations are animated and very well done. Negatives  Boys are not represented in the book.  The book is very girly and not very relatable to boys.  The “magic” is emphasized. The author could have explained that Penny actually had the talent to accomplish the things she did and it really wasn’t because of the hair style. That could have given the girl pride in her accomplishments and not just how she looks.

 There are 0 male characters in this book compared to 5 female characters in this book.  The mother is in charged in this book. Grace, a white girl suggests the wearing of their hair down. Grace is the one who is leading at that time. In the end Penny is in charge and leads the jump rope contest. In this book there are no men in charge because there are no men represented.  The mother is represented as creating the puffball hairstyle and not her father. That is a very stereotypical situation.  The illustrations are very girly. The girls are glittery and adorned with jewelry and pretty cloths. That does imply girls need to dressed pretty.  This could also relate to boys and there difficulty dealing with their hair. Some boys do have that problem. I do think it is more common for girls though.

 This is a multicultural picture book. It highlights a unique, beautiful, and special difference in hair that African American girls have. The story celebrates that difference and reinforces self-acceptance and pride in the African American woman cultural. At the end the white girls want to have puffball hairstyles. I like the message that others may want to have some of the blessings that African Americans have. That message continues to celebrate who they are.

The firekeeper’s Son is about Sang- hee, son of the village firekeeper in Korea in the early 1800s. The villages would light a fire on the mountain tops to signal to the king that all is well in the land. If the king did not see a fire, that meant trouble, and he would send out his army. When Sang- hee’s father is injured and unable to light the fire one night, the young son must take his place. Sang-hee knows how important it is for the fire to be lit-but he wishes that he could see soldiers. Sang-hee struggles with a hard choice.

Positives  The illustrations are beautiful.  I really like the message of helping and learning to make the right choice.  I also like the message of community.  This is also a great example of a father and son relationship. Negatives  Women in the pictures are stereotypical, mother is cleaning and caring for baby.

 There are two male characters and many male solders in the story compared to 1 woman character in the story.  The father in the story is mostly in charge. But, when the son is afraid something is wrong he turns to his mother. His mother is in charge and tells him to go and check on his father. Then, at the end Sang-hee, the son is in charge of the fire while his father heals.  There are differences in the types of activities that the male and female characters are shown engaging in. The females are shown cleaning and caring for the children. The men are shown as working and protecting the village.  These differences in the types of activities for the males and female are shown in the illustrations.  I think the message in the book can be the same for males and females? The message is help your family and community when needed. I think boys and girls can understand that even with the stereotypes displayed in the book.

 I think this is a multicultural book because of the setting is in Korea. The book also gives an example of a different type of jobs one might have had in Korea during the 1800s (firekeeper, soldier, parent). Also, the village looks so different from the modern Indianapolis, IN we know. I like how at the end the son accepts his birthright as a firekeeper and accepts who he is. This book celebrates the firekeeper’s job and responsibility.

This is a version of the classic nursery song “Old MacDonald”. The book introduces children to African animals and their sounds. It is beautifully illustrated. On Old Mikamba farm, he has a giraffe, a baboon, an elephant, cheetahs, a lion, a rhino, zebras, wildebeests, and more! Old Mikamba watches over a wide variety of animals on his farm in the plains of Africa. This book will help children discover a whole new set of fun animal sounds. This is a wonderful introduction to African wildlife and community.

Positives  I love the choice of animals and sounds.  The illustrations are fun and creative.  “Old McDonald Had a Farm” is a very common nursery rhyme and created a unique version of it can peek the interests of the students.  I like that is explores Africa.  I like the animal facts in the back of the book. Negatives  The book could use a CD. This would allow the students to hear the correct sounds and help a teacher not so musically inclined.

 The is only one character in this book. The character is a male. There are no woman in this book. The male is in charge the entire time and is charge of the animals.  This book and illustrations emphasizes the stereotypical idea that men are in charge of the farm and animals.  I think the message of the book is that on a farm in Africa there are different farms than on a farm in a typical United States. This message is the same for girls and boys. Though the book does emphasize a stereotypical idea of male property ownership.

Williams, Alonda. Penny and the Magic Puffballs Glori Publishing, Redmond, WA. Penny and the Magic Puffballs image found at Puffballs-adventures-Puffballs/dp/ Park, Linda Sue. The Firekeeper’s Son Clarion Books, New York, NY. The Firekeeper’s Son image found at Park/dp/ /ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid= &sr=1- 1&keywords=the+firekeeper%27s+son+by+linda+sue+park Isadora, Rachel. Old Mikamba Had a Farm Nancy Paulsen Books. New York, NY Old Mikamba Had a Farm image found at Rachel-Isadora/dp/ /ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid= &sr=1- 1&keywords=old+mikamba+had+a+farm+by+rachel+isadora