1. Evaluating and Selecting Children’s Literature
Dr. Kristen Pennycuff Trent

2. Objectives of the Literature Program
Entertainment
Literary Heritage
Identification of Formal Elements
Understanding of Self and Others
Critical Analysis

3. Standards for Evaluating Books
“There are ideas that go beyond the plot of a novel or picture book story or the basic theme of a non-fiction book, but they are presented subtly and gently; good books do not preach; their ideas are wound into the substance of the book and are clearly a part of the book itself.” Jean Karl, 1987

4. Standards for Evaluating Books
Literary Questions
How effective is the development of literary elements?
Artistic Questions
How effective are the illustrations and the illustrator’s techniques?
Pragmatic Questions
How accurate and logical is the material?

5. Standards for Evaluating Books
Philosophical Questions
Will this book enrich a reader’s life?
Personal Questions
Does this book appeal to me?

6. Standards for Evaluating Books Three Categories of Book Reviews
Descriptive
Factual information about the story and illustrations
Analytical
Discuss, compare, and evaluate literary elements, the illustrations, and other books
Sociological
Social context of the book , characterizations of groups, stereotypes, possible controversy, popularity

7. Award Winners Caldecott Newbery
19th century illustrator, Randolph Caldecott
Illustrator of the best picture book
Newbery
18th century bookseller, John Newbery
Author of the best children’s novel

8. Award Winners Hans Christian Anderson
Highest international recognition
Author and illustrator lasting contributions
Children’s Choice/ Teachers’ Choice
International Reading Association
10,000 children/teachers vote for favorite books

9. Literary Elements (Story Grammars)
Plot
sequence of action
Conflict
Dilemma characters face
Man vs. man (Peter Rabbit)
Man vs. nature (Julie of the Wolves)
Man vs. self (Hatchet)
Man vs. society (Blubber)

10. Literary Elements (Story Grammars)
Resolution
Ending to story conflict
Setting
Location in time and place
Moods
Antagonist
Historical background
Symbolism

11. Literary Elements (Story Grammars)
Characterization
People in the story
Strengths/weaknesses
Physical appearance
Conversations
Thoughts
Perception of other characters
Actions
“Books should treat all characters as individuals.”

12. Literary Elements (Story Grammars)
Theme
Underlying idea that ties the plot, characters, and setting together into a meaningful whole
Changes in character
Nature of conflict
Personal development

13. Literary Elements (Story Grammars)
Style
Word selection and arrangement
To create characters, plot, and settings
To create theme
Point of View
Perspective of characters
First person “I”
Third person “he, she, they”
Omniscient “all knowing”

14. Literary Elements (Story Grammars)
Stereotypes
Inadequate representation of minority groups or females
Insensitive or demeaning
Over generalization
Common in copyright dates prior to 1970

15. The Right Book for the Right Child
Accessibility
Home, school, community
Readability
Rule of Thumb
Interest
Motivation

16. Children as Ultimate Critics
Is this a good story?
Is the story something I think could really happen?
Did the main character overcome the problem, but not too easily?
Did the climax seem natural?
Did the characters seem real?
Did the characters grow in the story?
Did the characters have both strengths and weaknesses?
Did the setting present what is actually known about this time or place?
Did the characters fit into the setting?
Did I feel that I was really in that time and place?
What did the author want to tell me in the story?
Was the theme worthwhile?
When I read the book aloud, did the characters sound like real people talking?
Did the rest of the language seem natural?
Norton page 99

17. Your Turn
Using your easy books, perform the Children As Ultimate Critics analysis then share with your group.

18. Dr. Kristen Pennycuff Trent
Books to Begin On
Dr. Kristen Pennycuff Trent

19. Books to Begin On Developing Initial Literacy Babies’ First Books
Toy Books
Finger Plays and Nursery Songs
Nursery Rhymes
ABC Books
Counting Books
Concept Books
Wordless Picture Books
Books About Common Experiences
Books for the Beginning Reader

20. Developing Initial Literacy
Reading Aloud
Emotional bonds
Cognitive development
Oral language development
Pleasure

21. Babies’ First Books Relate to familiar life experiences
Identify and name objects
Be sturdy and well constructed
Use clear, natural language
Be predictable
Provide humor
Show clear, uncluttered illustrations with no distracting backgrounds
Offer opportunities for interaction

22. Toy Books Board Books Pop-Up Books Flap Books Cloth Books
Plastic Books

23. Toy Books Built in participation and interaction
Cut out and lift the flap books
Where’s Spot?
Pat the Bunny
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Cock-A-Moo-Moo

24. Finger Plays and Nursery Songs
Finger plays encourage participation
Eensy, Weensy Spider
Five Little Monkeys
Where is Thumbkin?
Collected by Freidrich Froebel, father of kindergarten movement, in Germany

25. Finger Plays and Nursery Songs
Nursery songs encourage response to singing and music
Going on a Bear Hunt
Wheel on the Bus
I Know an Old Lady
Old McDonald

26. Mother Goose Books Earliest literature enjoyed by many young children
Appealing characteristics
Rhythm
Rhyme
Repetition of sounds
Humor
Hyperbole (use of exaggeration for effect)

27. Mother Goose Books
Links word play and nursery rhymes to phonemic awareness
Contributes to emergent literacy development
Opportunities for active participation and response
Reflects interests of children

28. Mother Goose Books Collections Books that Illustrate One Rhyme
Kate Greenaway’s Mother Goose
Rosemary Well’s Here Comes Mother Goose
Tomie de Paola’s Mother Goose
Books that Illustrate One Rhyme
Over the Moon
Mary Had A Little Lamb
Nursery Rhymes in Other Lands
Tortillas Para Mama

29. Alphabet Books
Used to identify familiar objects as well as letters and sounds
Word-picture format
Simple narrative
Riddle or puzzles
Topical themes

30. Alphabet Books Appropriate for children of all ages Z was Zapped
Alphabet City
The Graphic Alphabet Book
Icky Bug Alphabet Book
Tomorrow’s Alphabet
D is for Duck

31. Counting Books
Used for educational purposes to develop mathematical concepts
One-to-one correspondence
Big Fat Hen
Other simple math concepts
Ten Black Dots
Number stories and puzzles
The Doorbell Rang

32. Counting Books Ten, Nine, Eight Look Whooo’s Counting Cookie Count
Oreo Counting Book
Cheerios Counting Book
Count on Me
29 Letters and 99 Cents

33. Concept Books Stimulate cognitive development
Help teach concepts about spatial relationships, patterns, visual discrimination, etc.
First non-fiction books
Major Authors
Tana Hoban
Lois Elhert
Donald Crews

34. Concept Books A Busy Year Mouse Paint Good Morning, Good Night
More, Fewer, Less
We’re Going On a Bear Hunt

35. Wordless Picture Books
Illustrations tell the whole story without words
Encourages
Language development
Vocabulary
Oral discussion
Storytelling

36. Wordless Picture Books
Alexandra Day: Carl series
Pat Hutchins: Rosie’s Walk
Tomie de Paola: Pancakes for Breakfast
Peter Spier: Noah’s Ark
Raymond Briggs: The Snowman
David Weisner: Tuesday

37. Books About Common Experiences
No, David!
When Sophie Gets Angry
In the Rain with Baby Duck
The Runaway Bunny
Goodnight Moon
Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear
Owl Babies

38. Books for the Beginning Reader
Predictable Books
In the Tall, Tall Grass
Barnyard Banter
Brown Bear, Brown Bear
Today is Monday
Chicken Soup with Rice
Napping House
Shoes from Grandpa

39. Books for the Beginning Reader
Controlled Vocabulary Books
New genre started by Dr. Suess in 1957
Created The Cat in the Hat from 220 Dolch sight words
Little Bear series
Frog and Toad series

40. Controlled Vocabulary Books
Caution:
Dull plots
Flat characters
Unnatural language patterns
Look For:
Natural language
Creative plots
Real child appeal
Good artwork

41. Picture Storybooks Illustrations present most of story content
Must read story to get complete view
Integral to story line
Enhance the actions, settings, and characters

42. Elements of Picture Storybooks
Originality and imagination
Plot
Characterization
Setting
Theme
Style
Humor
Surprise and the Unexpected
Plot: Where the Wild Things Are: know Max is in trouble through first 37 words, but only illustrations tell us why
Characterization: Song and Dance Man expresses love, Alexander’s emotions in Al. and the Terrible, Horrible
Setting: Hush! Rural Thailand; Alexander, contemporary; Working Cotton, migrant fields of CA;
Theme: Owen, need for security;Officer Buckle and Gloria, friendship and safety (always stick with your buddy)
Style: B/c picture books contain few words, those words must be chosen carefully. Catch attention and stimulate interest; freq. done with repetitive phrases (so small, so small, so small in A Story, A Story)
Humor: Sue Ann Martin’s 5 sources of humor: word play and nonsense, surprise and the unexpected, exaggeration, the ridiculous and caricatures, superiority.
Surprise and the Unexpected: Officer Buckle and Gloria (tricks behind his back), Click, Clack, Moo (cows that type), In the Rain with Baby Duck (duck that doesn’t like water)

43. Typical Characters and Situations
People Disguised as Animals
Frances series
Olivia series
Talking Animals with Human Emotions
The Story of Ferdinand
Curious George

44. Typical Characters and Situations
Personified Objects
Virginia Lee Burton’s work
Katy and the Big Snow
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel
The Little House

45. Typical Characters and Situations
Humans in Realistic Situations
Ezra Jack Keats’s inner city
Robert McCloskey’s New England
A Chair for My Mother
William’s Doll
Humorous and Inventive Fantasies
Dr. Suess books
Jumanji

46. Big Books Provide format for all to see and interact
Balance teacher and class created big books with commercially made materials
See “Creating Big Books with Emergent Readers” page 158