Module Two: Winnie-the-Pooh

This book introduces the iconic Winne-the-Pooh. The book follows the adventures of Christopher Robin, Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, Owl, Eeyore, Rabbit, Kanga and Roo who all live in the 100 Acre Wood.

Milne, A.A. (1926). Winne-the Pooh. E. P. Dutton & Co.,Inc. USA: New York

I was surprised that I really got lost in this book. I didn't even know that Tigger was introduced later. The stories are simple yet enjoyable. I can see why Winnie-the-Pooh is so lovable and all his friends are too. I like that each chapter is another adventure, so you could read it over a period of time, to a child. I enjoyed the simple art work in the book too. The sketching is just enough to help you see what is going on but lets your imagination add color and more to the scene.

Reviews:

Amazon.com Review

When Christopher Robin asks Pooh what he likes doing best in the world, Pooh says, after much thought, "What I like best in the whole world is Me and Piglet going to see You, and You saying 'What about a little something?' and Me saying, 'Well, I shouldn't mind a little something, should you, Piglet,' and it being a hummy sort of day outside, and birds singing." Happy readers for over 70 years couldn't agree more. Pooh's status as a "Bear of Very Little Brain" belies his profoundly eternal wisdom in the ways of the world. To many, Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, and the others are as familiar and important as their own family members. A.A. Milne's classics, Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner, are brought together in this beautiful edition, complete and unabridged, with recolored illustrations by Milne's creative counterpart, Ernest H. Shepard. Join Pooh and the gang as they meet a Heffalump, help get Pooh unstuck from Rabbit's doorway, (re)build a house for Eeyore, and try to unbounce Tigger. A childhood is simply not complete without full participation in all of Pooh's adventures. (All ages) --Emilie Coulter

Amazon.co.uk Review

Winnie the Pooh: The Complete Collection of Stories and Poems was originally published in 1994, but this beautifully produced slip-cased edition has been specially created to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the publication of the very first stories about Winnie the Pooh. It consists of the classic, well-loved, tried-and-tested stories by AA Milne, from "Winnie the Pooh" (1926), "The House at Pooh Corner" (1928) and the poetry from "When We Were Very Young" (1924) and "Now We Are Six" (1927).

Here is Edward Bear coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin. It is, as far as he knows, the only way of coming downstairs, but sometimes he feels that there really is another way, if only he could stop bumping for a moment and think of it. And then he feels that perhaps there isn't. Anyhow, here he is at the bottom, and ready to be introduced to you. Winnie-the-Pooh.

So begins the opening sentences of chapter one of this wonderful book "in which we are introduced to Winnie-the-Pooh... and the stories begin". Although the stories are aimed at young children, older children (i.e.,adults!) of all ages will be able to recapture the wonderful Pooh stories of their childhood, remembering once again playing at Pooh sticks, reading about Hundred Acre Wood and finding out why Edward Bear is called Winnie-the-Pooh. Was he really named after a swan?
The poems are not as well-known as the Pooh stories, but nevertheless some of them are ones to which children can still relate today, even though they were written 75 years ago when, in some circles, nannies and nurseries were commonplace.

Half Way Down
Half way down the stairs
Is a stair
Where I sit
There isn't any
Other stair
Quite Like
It
I'm not at the bottom
I'm not at the top
So this is the stair
Where
I always
Stop

--Susan Naylor

This book could be used in conjunction with a reading teacher who is looking for a way to introduce students to chapter books. Or if each chapter was used by itself, it could be used as a story time unit, over Winnie-the-Pooh.

Cover design remains property of Ernst H. Sheppard

 

Module Two: Bread and Jam for Francis

This is the story of Francis and how she loves her Bread and Jam and doesn't want to try any other food and what happens when her parents let her eat her bread and jam all the time.

Bibliography: Hoban, Russell (1992). Bread and Jam for Francis. Harper Collins Publishers, USA


I really enjoyed this book. It may think of the importance of trying new foods. Having a favorite food is fine but its important to try new things. After all, how do you know if you'll like it or not, if you don't try it. This story could be expanded as a general life lesson, its important to have new experiences, such as riding a roller coaster (still not a fan, but I do ride the occasional coaster), or roller skating. I guess that's the real reason I like this book. Reminds me to step out of my comfort zone.

Reviews:

Children's Literature

Frances is determined to eat only bread and jam for every meal. She likes it so much she makes up rhymes in honor of her favorite food. She also makes up rhymes about food she does not like. She sings about the egg her parents want her to try: "I do not like the way you slide, I do not like your soft inside " However, "Jam on biscuits, jam on toast, jam is the thing I like most " Her parents encourage her to try veal cutlets, chicken salad, and spaghetti and meatballs. At school, her friend Albert enthusiastically takes out a variety of foods from his lunchbox, but, thanks to her parents' wisdom, it is not long before Frances willingly asks for something to eat besides bread and jam. Being picky about food is a trait to which many children can relate, and new readers will enjoy seeing how Frances learns to appreciate new foods. The use of repetition and rhyming create a sense of predictability and fun, and the simple yet warm and expressive illustrations bring this story to life. This is part of the "I Can Read" series. Reviewer: Victoria Ryles

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Publishers Weekly : No author given. Frances loves nothing better than jam and bread, and turns up her nose at other kinds of food. Then her mother starts giving Frances jam and bread for breakfast, lunch and dinner. ""What I am/is sick of Jam,'' Frances sings to herself. That's the end of Frances's jam-only days, as she discovers, in her own winsome way, that variety really is the spice of mealtimes. (4-8)


This book could be used with preschoolers ( PreK), kids at story time, to get them interested in trying new things, or eating new things.

Cover remains the property of Lillian Hoban.

Module One : The Plot Chickens

The Plot Chickens is about a chicken named Henrietta, who likes to read and decides she wants to write her own book. ( Module One ).

Bibliography: Jane, Mary, & Auch, Herm (2009). The Plot Chickens. New York, NY: Holiday House.

I really enjoyed this book. I can relate to it. I have been unsuccessfully, trying to find a publisher for my short stories. It hasn't stopped me from writing, but I actually cried a bit when Henrietta got a bad review. The illustrations are beautifully done. I also liked how they show some of the processes that are done in making a book, so not only do you get a good story but you learn a bit about book making including how the colors are mixed to create the pictures. The story moves well, and is a bit like a comic book. Which to me adds a bit to the story, by putting focus on the characters and dialogue.

Reviews: School Library Journal
( March 01, 2009  )

K-Gr 2-Henrietta the chicken, star of Souperchicken (Holiday House, 2003), is an avid library user and decides that because reading is so much fun, "writing books must be eggshilarating." She finds a manual of writing rules and creates her own story-with the unsolicited help of the other fowl. When it is rejected by a publisher, Henrietta decides to self-publish. She takes a copy to her librarian, who tells her to send it to The Corn Book Magazine for review. Henrietta gets another rejection: "odoriferous." Then she wanders into the library at storytime and sees that her book was chosen best of the year by the children. Henrietta is asked to read it aloud. "She read with dramatic expression. Of course, all the children heard was BUK, BUK, BUK.." The illustrations, a combination of oil paints and digital technology, are bold and colorful. The pictures are busy, with Henrietta at her typewriter while her friends cavort around her. There are imagined scenes in cloud shapes, word balloons, and jokes aplenty. A droll chicken with a repeating line adds to the humor. This offering works on two levels. It's a funny picture book that could be used as a manual on writing.-Ieva Bates, Ann Arbor District Library, MI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. 

Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature)
Henrietta, the hen star of Souperchicken, returns in another pun- and fun-filled story. The book-loving chicken is in �eggstasy� reading books from the library by herself and aloud to her aunts. She decides that writing books must be �eggshilerating.� She begins following the rules in a book about how to write by starting her story about an imaginary character named Maxine. Busy at her �Hunt & Peck� typewriter, glasses perched on beak, with input from her fellow chicks, she then works at developing her plot, writing �what you know,� building suspense, and using all five senses. She follows the final rule: �the main character must solve her (or his) own problem.� When a publisher rejects her story, she publishes it herself. She is delighted to have her book voted �best book of the year� by the local children in their story hour. Henrietta and her lively anthropomorphic friends help the tale along with speech balloons that are often illustrated with alternate plot possibilities, creating a book within a book. Several pages show the book being produced. But it is all high comedy, starring a most delightful fowl created with oil paints and computer manipulation. Along with the fun, however, are good rules for aspiring young authors to follow. 2009, Holiday House, $16.95. Ages 4 to 8.

Laura Baker (Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 22, No. 1))
Henrietta the hen loves books. If reading is so enjoyable, she reasons, writing must also be fun. She checks out a library book on how to write and crafts her story according to the rules. Creating a main character, developing a plot, formulating conflict by asking �what if� questions, incorporating her own experiences, and involving the senses are all suggestions that she takes to heart. When her story is rejected by the publishers, Henrietta self-publishes. Her story doesn�t receive the most positive professional reviews, but the kids at the local library love it. Maybe the writing effort was worthwhile after all. As on overview of the writing process, this book can only give a surface treatment. It does do a fair job of offering basic fiction writing tips. One of the best features is how readers see the way Henrietta changes her story to incorporate writing pointers. When she needs to create a character who reflects what she knows, Henrietta writes about a hen. At the suggestion that she incorporate all the senses in her descriptions, she livens up her sentences by saying what the character sees and feels and hears when she goes for a walk. Readers get concrete examples of what the writing tips mean and can see how they improve Henrietta�s story. The Auchs are known for writing books that are parodies of other situations, and this tale is no exception. It is full of quips, word plays, and visual jokes that inject humor into what could be a dry subject. Adults may chuckle at the cleverness, but some of the jokes will be beyond what the typical young reader will understand. The drawings and light-hearted fiction that Henrietta writes, however, will clue them in that this is a fun book. Books about writing and publishing are scarce for this age group it seems, so this title fills a need. It would make a good introduction to a writing exercise where children modify their own stories like Henrietta does and then present the results to others for review or for reading out loud. It might be just the thing needed to encourage a would-be author to pick up the pen. Fiction. Grades 3-5. 2009, Holiday House, Unpaged., $16.95. Ages 8 to 11.

Pat Koontz (Kutztown University Book Review, Fall 2009)
Henrietta the chicken decides to write her own story. She follows the steps she knows about good writing. She finds an interesting main character, hatches a plot, builds suspense, and uses all five senses to develop her story. She runs into problems when she tries to get her story published. Her solution to this problem is creative and fun. Category: Picture Book.. 2009, Holiday House, $16.95. Ages 5 to 9.

This could be used in a school library setting in conjunction with a lesson being taught about the elements needed to write a good story.

Cover design is owned by authors : Mary Jane and Herm Auch