Silly Street

Written by Jeff Foxworthy and Illustrated by Steve Bjorkman. Jeff Foxworthy is a popular and well respected comedian.  He was born in Georgia and is well known for his coined phrase "you might be a red neck."  In 2008 he began publishing children's books.  For more information about Jeff click here. Steve Bjorkman has illustrated over 70 children's books.  He lives with his wife and children in California. Visit his website.

Genre: Non-Fiction
Theme: Poetry/ Humor
Ages: 5 - 8

Summary: This is a silly story about a silly place with silly poems to describe what you see and who you would meet. There is a daily parade and all sorts of other fun things.







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Pre-Reading Activity: Have students think-pair-share with their elbow partner about what makes the place they live unique.  Take a few examples and possibly list some adjectives on the board or a chart.  Tell students that they are about to hear some poems about  a very different place, and to think of some adjectives to describe the place they are hearing about.

Post-Reading Activity:  Re-Read one of the poems from the text, maybe Silly Street.  Have students do a free draw while listening to the words in each phrase slowly.  Have them write 5 adjectives to describe what they've drawn.

Reflection: I remember hearing recordings of Jeff Foxworthy as a young girl.  He is a really funny, and still a very appropriate comedian.  It was surprising to me to see that he had written poetry for children's books.  It is so cute and fun.  Children will love all of the silly and funny details of such an interesting made up place.

I Wanna Iguana

Written by Karen Kaufman Orloff and Illustrated by David Catrow.  Karen wanted to be a writer from the time she was a small child.  She now loves to write for children, especially her own children.  Check out her website.  David Catrow also loved his craft throughout his childhood, birthed in Virginia but raised in Michigan. He now lives in Ohio with his wife and dogs. Learn more here.

Genre: Fiction
Theme: Animals
Ages: 4 - 8

Summary: This is a story about a young boy who wants a pet iguana.  He writes letters trying to persuade his mother to allow him to have an iguana.  His mother replies to his letters with clever counter arguments and thoughtful questions. Once they set some parameters for a trial period the mother's final letter tells the boy to look on his dresser, where his new pet iguana is waiting for him.

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Pre-Reading Activity: Assess prior knowledge about what students know about iguanas.  Create a KWL chart if preferable.  Tell class to listen closely for information and new things they can learn about this animal.

Post Reading Activity: Have class as a whole, or individually compose a persuasive letter for why they do or do not "wanna iguana".  Talk as a class about what good letters need to have and also how to prove a point or make a good argument by providing facts and evidence to support one's thoughts.

Reflection:  This is a cute story. This young boy is nearly desperate for something, but has to work hard and convince his parents of how important it is to him.  It is a great way to learn more about iguanas, letter writing, problem solving, and responsibly.  I personally love how each time the son signs the letter he describes himself in a new humorous way.

I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean

By Kevin Sherry.  There is not much publicly posted about Kevin Sherry, he is a working artist.  He teams with Jean-Baptiste Regnard to create an artistic t-shirt line that was first released in 2005.  To check out more of his art work click here. 

 

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Genre: Fiction

Theme: Animals/Concepts of Size

Ages: 4-8

Summary: This is a story about a Squid who is comparing himself to other things and creators around him in the sea.  He declares that he is the biggest thing of them all until he gets swallowed up by a much larger whale.

Pre-Reading Activity:  Have students name some things they might see in the Ocean.  Have partners discuss the different animals or fish that live in the ocean.  Have them keep track to see if the things they thought of will be mentioned in the book.

Post-Reading Activity: Have students compare objects and numbers for size or quantity.  Tie into math lesson about greater than, less than, or equal to. 

Reflection:  This is such a cute little story.  The squid is often in too large a view to fit on the page of the book.  There are bright vivid colors and the text is large and exciting.  It will make children laugh when they find out that the squid had an inflated ego all along.