Module 3: Just In Case: A Trickster Tale and Spanish Alphabet Book

Summary

Senor Calavera (a sugary, candied skeleton from Dia de Los Muertos—The Day of the Dead) is excited to attend Grandma Beetle’s birthday party. He goes in search of the perfect birthday present and on his way, the ghost of Zelmira (Grandma’s husband who has died) visits him and lets him know he needs to take a present for Grandma Beetle when he goes to the party. He starts to get one item that begins with each letter of the alphabet, just in case. When his bike hits something (which is Zelmira’s foot), he loses all the gifts he has carefully gathered on his bike. He finally realizes he can give Grandma Beetle the chance to see her beloved husband, Zelmira, in the flesh to the birthday celebration.

A fun, entertaining look at Senor Calavera’s preparations to attend Grandma Beetle’s birthday party, this book is appealing to all ages as it introduces Spanish and English words in an alphabet.

Reference

Morales, Y. (2008). Just in case: A trickster tale and Spanish alphabet book. New York, NY: Roaring Book Press

My Impressions

I learned more about The Day of the Dead from this book. Instead of being scared by a skeleton who represents death, Senor Calaveras is characterized as thoughtful and fun in this ABC Book with some Spanish words. Senor Calaveras searches for fun, imaginative presents in alphabetical order for Grandma Beetle’s birthday. He is a nice skeleton with a sweet face made of candied sugar. The plot in the book concludes with a happy ending. Yuyi Morales’ rich, beautiful illustrations add to the text—which helped it win a 2009 Pura Belpre Medal for Illustration, a 2009 Pura Belpre Honor Book for Narrative, and a 2009 Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year Award.

Professional Review

Even better, if possible, than its predecessor, Just A Minute! (2003), this original trickster tale pitches Señor Calavera (i.e., Death—rendered as a skeleton topped by a hilariously expressive sugar skull) into a frantic hunt for birthday presents for his elderly friend Grandma Beetle. Enter Zelmiro the ghost, a white-haired gent with twinkling eyes, who helpfully suggests that “the best present to give a friend is the thing she would love the most.” But what could that be? Bigotes (mustaches), because she has none? Un Chiflido (whistle) trapped in a bag? Fretting about how much of the party he’s missing, Señor Calavera collects something for every letter of the Spanish alphabet from Acordeón to Yerbabuena—but then an accident leaves him with nothing…or does it? Richly hued and filled with action, the illustrations capture the tale’s humor and Latin flavor perfectly, leading on to an entirely logical, hilarious and heartwarming surprise at the end. As gifted an artist as she is a storyteller, Morales is in top form here. (Picture book. 6-9)

Just In Case A Trickster Tale and Spanish Alphabet Book [Review of the book Just in case A trickster tale and Spanish alphabet book]. (2008, October 15). Kirkus Review. Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/yuyi-morales/just-in-case-3/

Library Uses

This is a great book to read out-loud; then ask the students to write their own culture-specific alphabet books.

Module 2: Koala Lou

Summary

Koala Lou is a book about a baby koala whose mother loves her very much and tells her so a hundred times a day because she is the first child. As time goes by, the mother has many koalas who join the family so her mother is too busy to tell Koala Lou she loves her even though she still does. Koala Lou misses this and longs for her mother to say it again to her. She comes up with the idea of entering the Bush Olympics and winning the tree climbing competition so her mother will tell her she loves her again. To prepare for the Olympics, she trains and works very hard before the event. When she participates in the gum tree climbing at the Bush Olympics, Koala Lou takes second place instead of winning. She runs off to be alone and sob because she feels so disappointed. After night comes, Koala Lou returns home to her gum tree where her mother is waiting to hug her and tell her how much she loves her and always will.

Reference

Fox, M. (1989). Koala Lou. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace & Company.

My Impressions

Koala Lou’s mother loves her unconditionally—life—and kids—just get in the way after time goes by. It’s a perfectly normal emotion to feel forgotten, unloved, unappreciated, or left out—especially in a large family. People can feel unappreciated in other settings too, so this book can be applied to life. The soft watercolor illustrations of Koala Lou and her mother add a tenderness and beauty to the story. Many Australian animals are introduced with accompanying illustrations, like the kookaburra, platypus, emu, and other animals that live in the bush. The text in the book is repetitive, which makes it easy-to-follow. A message that can be gleaned from this book is that a mother’s love is always unconditional, regardless of one's accomplishments. Another message that can be learned is one may try and train one's very hardest at a sport or other endeavor but may not come out in first place. It also is important to always do one's best, but not have to be the best!

Professional Review

Fox's two new books join Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge as perfect examples of why the Australian writer has become one of today's top authors of children's books. Koala Lou is loved by everyone, but it is her mother who loves her most of all. She often tells her daughter, ``Koala Lou, I DO love you.'' As the family grows and her mother gets busier, Koala Lou yearns to hear those words again. She sets out to win the Bush Olympics as a way to gain her mother's attention. Lofts's colored-pencil drawings portray the Australian flora and fauna beautifully, including a few of the more exotic species.… Both of Fox's books send out positive messages to children about the wonders of being human: Koala Lou celebrates the eternal love of a mother for her child without the sentimentality of Robert Munsch's Love You Forever…. Ages 3-6. (Sept.)

Review of the book Koala Lou [Review of the book Koala Lou]. (1989, September 22). Publishers Weekly. Retrieved from https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-15-200502-3

Library Uses

Make cardstock copies of an outline of a baby koala on her mother’s back. Have the students color, cut out, and attach their koalas to a large branch on the walls of the library. This book could be used as an introduction to a unit on feelings, a unit on the animals of Australia, or a unit on the Olympics. To help the students participate, have them identify the animals in the book: koala, emu, platypus, kookaburra and other bush animals. Another participation idea is to have the kids repeat the phrase, “Koala Lou, I DO love you,” every time it is written in the book.

Module 1: Miss Smith's Incredible Storybook

Summary

Zack thinks his second grade year in school will be boring like the other years have been until his teacher, Miss Smith, walks in. She seems different from his other teachers. When she reads out loud from her book, the storybook characters come to life--appearing in the classroom. Zack looks forward to story time each day and is happy to be in school. When the principal substitutes for Miss Smith, he doesn’t know what to do when the characters leap out of the book he is reading from so he runs for help. The students start reading from the book while their teacher is gone and all kinds of characters invade the classroom and then the school. When Miss Smith drives up, she can see the problem. When she enters the classroom, the characters listen to her and are quiet. She starts finishing each story and as she does so, each character goes back into the book.

Reference

Garland, M. (2003). Miss smith’s incredible storybook. New York, NY: Dutton Books.

My Impressions

This book impressed me because of the unexpected things that kept occurring in the plot as I read. I was not expecting the characters to jump out of the book as Miss Smith read; nor was I expecting the class to be transported to the deck of a pirate ship or into the woods with Little Miss Riding Hood. The students truly become immersed in the book, and whether it is a literal immersion or an imaginary immersion, I love the way it is written about and illustrated in this book. I felt especially surprised after Principal Rittenrotten (I love his name) leaves the students unattended and mayhem breaks out in the classroom as characters from The Three Bears, Alice in Wonderland, Humpty Dumpty, The Wizard of Oz, The Three Little Pigs, The Headless Horseman, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Jack Horner, Sleeping Beauty, and other nursery rhymes and fairy tales appear in the classroom and throughout the entire school.

Professional Review

With her spiky red-orange hair, leather jacket and "The Clash" pin, "Miss Smith seemed very... different from Zack's other teachers. But the day went along like every school day Zack could remember—until Miss Smith said, 'It's story time.' " The teacher opens a leather-bound volume with a filigree cover, and the pages begin to glow. As Miss Smith reads, fantasy characters appear and the classroom transforms into a pirate ship or a fairy-tale forest until the story is complete. One day, Miss Smith is late and the school principal picks up the magic tome. When a dragon emerges, he flees, and the giddy children pass the book around. Before long, familiar characters like the Three Bears, Headless Horseman, Cowardly Lion and Mad Hatter are on the loose, and Miss Smith has to get them under control. Garland (The Mouse Before Christmas) styles petite Miss Smith as a punk-rock throwback, but he doesn't draw any connection between her distinctive looks and the storybook's powers. Miss Smith seems like a wayward character from some other tale, and child character Zack barely registers on the plot. Likewise, visual icons like Alice and Bo Peep may be present, but without their attendant narratives, they lack substance. The author acknowledges classic children's literature without igniting enthusiasm for it. Ages 5-11. 

Review of the book miss smith’s incredible storybook [Review of the book Miss Smith's incredible storybook]. (2003, June 8). publishers weekly. Retrieved from 
https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-525-47133-2 

Library Uses

This book could be used as an introduction at the beginning of the school year. It could also be used to introduce a unit on nursery rhymes or fairy tales. It would be effective to read this book out loud and say at the beginning (or the second time through) “Keep an eye out for any nursery rhymes, fairy tales, or books you know as I read this book.” Have the students write them down or share them in a discussion. What books’ characters would you like to have appear? An activity would be to have the students find a book whose characters they would like to appear.