Traditional Literature- The Ugly Duckling

The Ugly Duckling

Written by Hans Christian Anderson and Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney

Harper Collins, 1999

Traditional Literature

      There are some children's books that will never get old, and this book is one of them. "The Ugly Duckling" is a classic tale about the runt duckling in a family. This little duckling stands out from the rest of his siblings. Why is that? Well, he looks a whole lot different than his siblings. His fur is different and he is smaller than the rest of them. This duckling faces many challenges, but the biggest challenge he faces is himself. Check this book out to see if the duckling can overcome his low confidence and strengthen his self-confidence.

      The illustrations in this book are very classic and give the book so much character. The colors yellow and green are used throughout the book. Also, the majority of the illustrations take place near water or woods. The timeless illustrations are done with watercolor and give the characters very realistic traits. The duckling and his siblings are pictured throughout the story, and the duckling is in every illustration. The illustrator does a great job of detail on the difference in appearance between the duckling and his sibling.

     I would use this book in a first grade classroom. The students could read the book on their own and then talk about reason's why it is important to embrace diversity. This classic piece of literature is a great way to teach students about differences in culture and appearance. It is a great way to teach your students empathy, kindness, and acceptance. This would also be good guided reading practice for the first grade students. There are great vocabulary words for first graders to learn and apply. 

     I highly encourage you to keep this piece of traditional literature in your classroom library!

Poetry- The Giving Tree

The Giving Tree

Written and Illustrated by Shel Silverstein

Harper & Row, 1964

Poetry

      This classic book is about a little boy that has a very close relationship with a tree. He visits the tree every day and eats the apples from the tree. He would climb the tree and swing from the tree's branches. As the boy grew older, he began to take even more away from the tree. Check this book out to see what happens at the end of the story. Throughout this book, Shel Silverstein implements many different aspects of poetry. This free verse poem allows the author to express and explain the boys life through various ways. As the boy develops, his relationship with the tree changes. Silverstein uses free verse poetry to tell this story.

      The illustrations in this book are very simple. Every picture is in black and white and done with pen and ink. In every illustration, the giving tree is pictured. As the years pass by in the story, the tree begins to look different. After the boy takes from the tree, the tree changes. Also, the boy changes as he gets older. The boy and the tree are drawn throughout the story. These drawings would be great to use in the classroom to talk about prediction. The students could try to predict what was going to happen next by evaluating the illustrations. 

      I would use this book in a first grade classroom for an English lesson. The students could work on predictions and cause and effect. They could discuss the effects that the boy has on the tree because of everything that he takes from it. The students could also find the causes of some of the things that happen to the boy and the tree. The students could also make predictions by discussing the illustrations. Overall, this is a great book to read to your students because of the meaning and purpose behind it. This is a great way to introduce poetry to your students. 

Check out The Giving Tree to read to your students!

Book Talk #2

Click this link to see my book talk for "There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Rose"