2 replies 125 words each
1st Reply to Melanie:
For this discussion board, I have chosen the book Corduroy. This children’s literature book could be considered a high-quality piece of literature for several reasons. First, it uses interesting language in creative ways. Corduroy’s story is simple yet engaging, reflecting a child’s curiosity and desire for belonging. The book evokes rich vocabulary. There is a phrase in the book that says, “I guess I’ve always wanted a friend,” which allows children to experience emotion and imagination. It is relatable and thought-provoking. It develops important ideas such as friendship, perseverance, and the concept of finding a place where one belongs. Corduroy’s journey in the department store and his discovery by a little girl named Lisa, who takes him home, highlight the themes of acceptance and love. It is crucial for kids to be taught the value of relationships and the importance of facing challenges. The book is interesting to children, in my opinion, because It is adventurous and heartwarming. It is a story about a teddy bear coming to life and exploring a department store. When I was a child, I loved my stuffed animal. Particularly, a little black bear webkinz. Thinking back to myself when I was little, I would have loved this story about a little bear finding love and acceptance. The book, in terms of pictures, is aesthetically pleasing and artistic. The colors, I would say, are warm, inviting, and expressive of the storyteller. I feel that each page is thoughtfully designed to draw the readers into Corduroy’s world. It uses interesting language in creative ways, develops important ideas, is interesting to children, and contains interstitially excellent illustrations. I would lastly say that the additional criteria of excellence would be that It is promoting empathy. Overall, Corduroy would be a high quality piece of literature to use for students.
Freeman, D. (1968). Corduroy. Viking Press.
2nd Reply to Crystal:
I chose the book Dandelion Magic by Darren Farrell for this discussion post. This book is about a little boy, Jonah, finding a magical dandelion that his grandmother told him about and the adventures that come with it.
It does use language in creative ways. This book uses appropriate language for the intended audience. The language used in this book is simple and not too complex for young children but is still engaging for students. The author uses onomatopoeia as well as some figurative language to get the attention of the reader and make the story more engaging. Dandelion Magic develops important ideas. This book showcases the importance of using ones imagination. As the books progresses, Jonah’s imagination as he wishes on the dandelion saves him. It encourages readers to use their imaginations as well. Children will most definitely find this book interesting. One of the best qualities of this book is that it is interactive. The author is talking to the readers the whole time. The readers help Jonah blow on the dandelion and make wishes to save him when he gets in trouble. This book will make kids laugh, make them be creative, and turn them into superheroes. The illustrations in this book are amazing. They help carry the plot throughout the story. They clearly illustrate what is happening in the story. The illustrations are engaging but do not overwhelm the reader.
According to the textbook, I think Dandelion Magic would fit into the fantasy genre. (Galda, et al., 2017) One of the characteristics of fantasy is having a consistent logical fantasy world. Jonah, by wishing on the dandelion, gets turned into a pirate. He stays in this made-up world until he is saved. Another characteristic is having clearly defined conflict. Jonah has many adversaries that he must face in this story. With the reader’s help, he is rescued.
Another criteria of excellence that I would propose is that a book need to have characters that you connect with. I think Darren Farrell does a great job with this. Young children love picking dandelions and blowing on them. The author uses this to create an engaging book that encourages kids to use their imaginations.
References
Farrell, Darren (2021). Dandelion magic. Penguin.
Galda L., Liang L. A., & Cullinan B. E. (2017). Literature and children. (9th ed.). Cengage Learning.
