Watering the Works
What makes an award-winning author is their ability to have their readers get lost in the story. Chris Van Allsburg does a fantastic job of creating a world in which the reader gets caught up in the story, saddened when they reach the last page. His uncanny ability to create suspense in a story is unlike anything I've read in any other picture book. The precision with which he illustrates is unmatched, even in the unsuspecting book, Bad Day at Riverbend. When you read a Van Allsburg book, you will (and I guarantee this) find yourself with your mouth agape because of the surprise Chris Van Allsburg has just smacked you in the face with. You will find yourself studying the pictures on each and every page, especially because he often uses his pictures to create some of the story and suspense. Every time I read a book by Chris Van Allsburg, I find myself getting disappointed upon reaching the last page, willing the book to create just one more page. Here's a list of his titles, along with a brief summary. For teaching ideas using some of these books, visit The Fruits of Chris' Labor.
The Polar Express is probably Van Allsburg's most famous book. Children all over the world rejoice when they hear that the next day is "Polar Express Day" because it means they can wear their pajamas to school. Aside from causing excitement about pajama wearing, The Polar Express is about a boy who chooses to believe in something that most people do not. It is also about a boy's unselfish request. Because he requested a silver bell from the reindeer's sleigh, as the first gift of Christmas, he was able to ensure that Santa was always real. Even when his sister stopped hearing the beautifully sweet sound, he still chose to believe and thus could hear the tinkling of the bell, even at an old age. Some food for thought about this book: did Santa know the gift that the boy would choose, making him the best candidate for the first gift of Christmas? Or was it a random pick?
Just as in the rest of Van Allsburg's books, the illustrations are amazing. He includes every detail one could imagine, especially when depicting the children who are huddled around the sad boy upon realizing the bell was lost because of the hole in his pocket.
Van Allsburg is also a master wordsmith. He chooses such precise vocabulary like, "They [the reindeer] pranced and paced, ringing the silver bells that hung from their harnesses." I can just imagine these amazing creatures, standing there in quiet anticipation, ready to make their Christmas Eve journey. When describing the scene that is the North Pole, he carefully chooses this simile, "Lights appeared in the distance. They looked like the lights of a strange ocean liner sailing on a frozen sea." This book would be a wonderful way to encourage children to choose their describing words carefully while writing.
Just as in the rest of Van Allsburg's books, the illustrations are amazing. He includes every detail one could imagine, especially when depicting the children who are huddled around the sad boy upon realizing the bell was lost because of the hole in his pocket.
Van Allsburg is also a master wordsmith. He chooses such precise vocabulary like, "They [the reindeer] pranced and paced, ringing the silver bells that hung from their harnesses." I can just imagine these amazing creatures, standing there in quiet anticipation, ready to make their Christmas Eve journey. When describing the scene that is the North Pole, he carefully chooses this simile, "Lights appeared in the distance. They looked like the lights of a strange ocean liner sailing on a frozen sea." This book would be a wonderful way to encourage children to choose their describing words carefully while writing.
Jumanji. Children all over the world know what this word means, many from watching the movie. It doesn't simply mean "a game that two children played". It means monkeys running amok, a lost guide, a stampede two stressed out children, one destroyed home, and a twist that blow your socks off.
This book begins with a bored Peter and Judy who are left at home alone while their parents go out for the evening. After a brisk walk in the park, the children stumble upon a game with very specific instructions that tell the children that once the game has started, it won't be over until someone reaches the Golden City. With the first roll of the dice, the children realize that this is no ordinary game. Throughout the life of the game, the children are faced with a lion trying to eat them, monkeys stealing their food, a monsoon that fills buckets, and a stampede...and that's just in the first half of the book!
The ever-present twist in this book, lies at the end and actually ties into another one of Van Allsburg's books, Zathura. Once Peter and Judy are ready for bed, the glance out the window to see two boys running off with a thin box. The adventures that they have, are found in Zathura, which is right below.
The details that are found within each illustration is astounding. When the guide gets lost, there is a picture of him sitting on top of a doll house. Van Allsburg went so far as to show the ripples in the water (from the monsoon) from the weight of this man on the doll house. You can even see the ribs in the lion's ribcage when he is underneath the bed. The illustrations are very similar to that of The Polar Express minus the color.
When choosing the words to accurately describe the invading animals, he used their actions more than their appearance. For example, when describing the roar of the lion, he wrote, "The lion roared so loud it knocked Peter right off his chair. The big cat jumped to the floor. Peter was up on his feet, running through the house with the lion a whisker's length behind." The illustration does not show Peter being chased by this lion, but it is easy to picture the lion being only a whisker length away from making Peter his snack.
This book begins with a bored Peter and Judy who are left at home alone while their parents go out for the evening. After a brisk walk in the park, the children stumble upon a game with very specific instructions that tell the children that once the game has started, it won't be over until someone reaches the Golden City. With the first roll of the dice, the children realize that this is no ordinary game. Throughout the life of the game, the children are faced with a lion trying to eat them, monkeys stealing their food, a monsoon that fills buckets, and a stampede...and that's just in the first half of the book!
The ever-present twist in this book, lies at the end and actually ties into another one of Van Allsburg's books, Zathura. Once Peter and Judy are ready for bed, the glance out the window to see two boys running off with a thin box. The adventures that they have, are found in Zathura, which is right below.
The details that are found within each illustration is astounding. When the guide gets lost, there is a picture of him sitting on top of a doll house. Van Allsburg went so far as to show the ripples in the water (from the monsoon) from the weight of this man on the doll house. You can even see the ribs in the lion's ribcage when he is underneath the bed. The illustrations are very similar to that of The Polar Express minus the color.
When choosing the words to accurately describe the invading animals, he used their actions more than their appearance. For example, when describing the roar of the lion, he wrote, "The lion roared so loud it knocked Peter right off his chair. The big cat jumped to the floor. Peter was up on his feet, running through the house with the lion a whisker's length behind." The illustration does not show Peter being chased by this lion, but it is easy to picture the lion being only a whisker length away from making Peter his snack.
Upon opening the first pages of Zathura, you will notice one major thing--the difference in the illustrations. Where The Polar Express and Jumanji had illustrations that took on an almost life-like feel, these drawings are grainy and a little bit harsh. They are still beautifully done, but I have often wondered why there is a difference between this and many of his other books. The picture above doesn't do the drawings any justice, so go find this book on your local library's shelves and see for yourself. One thing you may not notice is that boys in this book, made their debut in Jumanji. The fact that these two books overlap is one that is a mind blower. To think that the beginning of Zathura takes place while the end of Jumanji is happening is just so neat and thought provoking.
Walter and Danny Budwig are brothers who really don't get along very well. They have the typical sibling problems, breaking things, name calling, and saving each other from certain death while floating through space. Okay, so maybe the last one wasn't typical per se, but in a Van Allsburg book, the unbelievable is often considered to be the typical. The boys in this book find a game, lying beside a tree in a park, that they decide to play because there's nothing better to do...sound familiar? Well, that's because it is eerily similar to Jumanji. The game, at first, is even called Jumanji. When young Danny goes to examine the game, he realizes that there is another board game inside the box. Without warning his brother, Danny rolls the dice, sending a meteor shower. When the boys risk a glance outside, they realize that they are in space! The boys experience problems with gravity, a revenge seeking robot, an attack from a spaceship, an alien named Zorgon, and finally a Black Hole that appears to be swallowing up Walter. When the boys put aside their differences and are faced with deadly situations, they learn that they really do like each other. Upon a heartfelt confession to Danny, Walter unknowingly frees the boys from the "nightmare" and they are back to where they started--in the park, wrestling, and noticing a game. It's as if nothing ever happened. In fact, Danny doesn't seem to remember a single thing about the game, but Walter does and he becomes a changed person.
This is a great book, that just so happened to be turned into a movie that wasn't so great. However, the words in the book serve as wonderful teaching opportunities. With phrases like, "The polarity on your gravity belt is reversed," students can explore word meanings and illustrations to help them infer what they think that phrase means.
Walter and Danny Budwig are brothers who really don't get along very well. They have the typical sibling problems, breaking things, name calling, and saving each other from certain death while floating through space. Okay, so maybe the last one wasn't typical per se, but in a Van Allsburg book, the unbelievable is often considered to be the typical. The boys in this book find a game, lying beside a tree in a park, that they decide to play because there's nothing better to do...sound familiar? Well, that's because it is eerily similar to Jumanji. The game, at first, is even called Jumanji. When young Danny goes to examine the game, he realizes that there is another board game inside the box. Without warning his brother, Danny rolls the dice, sending a meteor shower. When the boys risk a glance outside, they realize that they are in space! The boys experience problems with gravity, a revenge seeking robot, an attack from a spaceship, an alien named Zorgon, and finally a Black Hole that appears to be swallowing up Walter. When the boys put aside their differences and are faced with deadly situations, they learn that they really do like each other. Upon a heartfelt confession to Danny, Walter unknowingly frees the boys from the "nightmare" and they are back to where they started--in the park, wrestling, and noticing a game. It's as if nothing ever happened. In fact, Danny doesn't seem to remember a single thing about the game, but Walter does and he becomes a changed person.
This is a great book, that just so happened to be turned into a movie that wasn't so great. However, the words in the book serve as wonderful teaching opportunities. With phrases like, "The polarity on your gravity belt is reversed," students can explore word meanings and illustrations to help them infer what they think that phrase means.
To say this book is a mystery would be an understatement. The Mysteries of Harris Burdick contains 14 drawings, a title per picture, and a caption...that is it. There is really no plot in this book, there are no lessons to be derived from this book, and the mystery behind each story is enough to drive a reader crazy! Chris Van Allsburg allows the imagination to run wild with possibilities. For example, in a picture of man with a chair over his head, standing above a lump under the carpet, you find the words, "UNDER THE RUG: Two weeks had passed and it happened again."
While the illustrations for each story look eerily familiar, and even including the famous dog Fritz, Van Allsburg swears that these drawings belong to Harris Burdick. Head on over to A Mysterious Growth, for more information about this book.
While the illustrations for each story look eerily familiar, and even including the famous dog Fritz, Van Allsburg swears that these drawings belong to Harris Burdick. Head on over to A Mysterious Growth, for more information about this book.
Not every author/illustrator wins a Caldecott Honor with their first attempt at writing, but Chris Van Allsburg does! And once you open this book and read the story within, you will understand.
The Garden of Abdul Gasazi, is about a young boy who is in charge of Miss Hester's mischievous dog named, Fritz (yep, the same dog that appears in every single book of Van Allsburg's). When the dog runs off and into the forbidden garden of Abdul Gasazi, the boy is confronted with having to face Gasazi the Great to retrieve his lost dog. Since there was a "NO DOGS ALLOWED" sign posted, he knew it would probably no be an easy task. Boy, was he right! Abdul Gasazi had turned Miss Hester's dog into a duck! After all, ducks don't dig up his beautiful flowers or chew on his trees. The young boy began to panic when he was told that the spell could last years or just a day; it was all up to him on how long the spell would last. What would Miss Hester think? How was he even supposed to figure out which of the many ducks was Fritz? When one of the ducks tried to bite him and flew off with his hat, he knew which "dog" belonged to Miss Hester. Feeling the impending doom of losing his neighbor's dog, the boy hung his head upon returning home. When he reached Miss Hester's house, he explained it all. Much to his surprise, Fritz comes strolling out of the kitchen and Miss Hester explains that he was sitting on the porch when she got home. She explained that no one can really turn a dog into a duck; it was just a trick that old Mr. Gasazi was playing on him. The boy feels truly silly and heads home. Later that night, Miss Hester finds something mysterious in her dog's mouth--the boy's hat.
The illustrations in this book seem to combine the detail of Jumanji and the rough feel of Zathura. They still show the same amount of attention to detail as the other books Van Allsburg has written. For his first attempt, I'd say Mr. Van Allsburg quite outdid himself with this mysterious book about magic and naughty dogs.
The Garden of Abdul Gasazi, is about a young boy who is in charge of Miss Hester's mischievous dog named, Fritz (yep, the same dog that appears in every single book of Van Allsburg's). When the dog runs off and into the forbidden garden of Abdul Gasazi, the boy is confronted with having to face Gasazi the Great to retrieve his lost dog. Since there was a "NO DOGS ALLOWED" sign posted, he knew it would probably no be an easy task. Boy, was he right! Abdul Gasazi had turned Miss Hester's dog into a duck! After all, ducks don't dig up his beautiful flowers or chew on his trees. The young boy began to panic when he was told that the spell could last years or just a day; it was all up to him on how long the spell would last. What would Miss Hester think? How was he even supposed to figure out which of the many ducks was Fritz? When one of the ducks tried to bite him and flew off with his hat, he knew which "dog" belonged to Miss Hester. Feeling the impending doom of losing his neighbor's dog, the boy hung his head upon returning home. When he reached Miss Hester's house, he explained it all. Much to his surprise, Fritz comes strolling out of the kitchen and Miss Hester explains that he was sitting on the porch when she got home. She explained that no one can really turn a dog into a duck; it was just a trick that old Mr. Gasazi was playing on him. The boy feels truly silly and heads home. Later that night, Miss Hester finds something mysterious in her dog's mouth--the boy's hat.
The illustrations in this book seem to combine the detail of Jumanji and the rough feel of Zathura. They still show the same amount of attention to detail as the other books Van Allsburg has written. For his first attempt, I'd say Mr. Van Allsburg quite outdid himself with this mysterious book about magic and naughty dogs.
I have to admit, I was not excited about reading this book. The cover and pictures inside were not what I was used to from a Van Allsburg book. The color was harsh and the pages without color were bland, black and white drawings. The cowboys, not a typical topic for his books, were trying to search for the mysterious light just over the horizon. On their way, people and cattle were dirtied by an oily substance that seemed to slow them down. There seemed to be no answer, and for the reader there didn't seem to be any solution. Then, when you least expect it, you turn the page and you see it--the beautiful drawing that you're used to in the form of a child's hand, holding a crayon. The mystery is solved as the scene widens to display a child's room with the light turned off, hence the light over the horizon.
Everyone knows that when a witch's broom loses its magical power, the witch falls to the ground. When a certain witch falls into the garden of the Widow Shaw, she leaves her broom behind in search of a new one. The broom left behind starts to take on a life of its own. The neighbors are a little leery at first, but they soon get used to it. After all, the broom sweeps, chops wood, and so many things that the widow trains it to. People are fine with the broom until, the broom throws a town dog high into the air. This angers the townspeople so much that they start to form a posse in an attempt to get rid of the broom. They succeed in their mission, but are haunted by the widow's broom. So the question becomes, did they get rid of the broom that is the object of their detestation or did they kindly rid the widow of her plain, old broom?
The illustrations in this book match those in that are in Jumanji. They are in black and white, with a softer edge than Zathura. One thing I noticed while reading is that the illustrations almost cast an eerie glow. It's almost as if Van Allsburg is trying to get the reader to think that something bad is going to happen. He's using foreshadowing, but nothing bad ever happens. Reading this book is like watching a scary movie, with its suspenseful music, but the suspense never comes. It's a great for the reader while also being nerve wracking for the reader.
The illustrations in this book match those in that are in Jumanji. They are in black and white, with a softer edge than Zathura. One thing I noticed while reading is that the illustrations almost cast an eerie glow. It's almost as if Van Allsburg is trying to get the reader to think that something bad is going to happen. He's using foreshadowing, but nothing bad ever happens. Reading this book is like watching a scary movie, with its suspenseful music, but the suspense never comes. It's a great for the reader while also being nerve wracking for the reader.
In this mostly wordless book, Ben realizes that the boring things he learns in school, can sometimes be brought to life. While studying, Ben becomes very sleepy. Right before he falls asleep, he feels his house dipping and bobbing, as if it's floating in water. When he peaks out of his house, he realizes that he is floating. His house takes him on a journey around the world. From the Statue of Liberty to the Great Wall of China, Ben travels to exotic places that he'd only studied before in books. Ben realizes that he is sleeping when the face of Washington from Mount Rushmore begins telling him to wake up. When he wakes up, Ben realizes that it was all just a dream, and it turns out that his friend was having the exact same dream. When he tells her about her dream, it makes the reader wonder about whether or not the friends were really dreaming. The choice to not use words actually adds to this book, as the reader can focus on the destination instead of the description of each place Ben visits.
The illustrations in this book resemble those from Two Bad Ants. It would be interesting to inquire why Van Allsburg chooses different types of illustrations for his books. The lines are not smooth and life-like, as most of his books are. It very cartoon-like, but still enjoyable.
The illustrations in this book resemble those from Two Bad Ants. It would be interesting to inquire why Van Allsburg chooses different types of illustrations for his books. The lines are not smooth and life-like, as most of his books are. It very cartoon-like, but still enjoyable.
Two Bad Ants is a great book about the search for the sweet crystals that the queen ant craves. When she sends out a troop of ants, the two bad accidentally get separated from the rest of the troop. They decide to stay with the source of the crystals and stuff themselves so full that they can't even move. When they wake up in the morning, they go through an obstacle course of breakfast preparation by the humans. In an effort to not be eaten, they get toasted by the toaster and swirled around in coffee. This book is an enjoyable way for students to predict what part of the kitchen the ants are in.
The words for each kitchen item, lead the reader to try to predict where the ants are in their journey. For example, upon almost being sent to a cave (someone's mouth) by way of the brown lake (coffee), the ants seek shelter. "The frightened insects looked for a place to hide, worried that the giant scoop might shovel them up again. Close by they found a huge round disk with holes that could neatly hide them." What the ants don't realize is that they've chosen to hide in a bagel, which promptly makes its way to the toaster. When you think about how ants view the world, it is a little hard to banish them using bug spray. That sadness, however, doesn't last too long.
The words for each kitchen item, lead the reader to try to predict where the ants are in their journey. For example, upon almost being sent to a cave (someone's mouth) by way of the brown lake (coffee), the ants seek shelter. "The frightened insects looked for a place to hide, worried that the giant scoop might shovel them up again. Close by they found a huge round disk with holes that could neatly hide them." What the ants don't realize is that they've chosen to hide in a bagel, which promptly makes its way to the toaster. When you think about how ants view the world, it is a little hard to banish them using bug spray. That sadness, however, doesn't last too long.
The Sweetest Fig has quickly become one of my favorite books by Van Allsburg...as they all have. It is a perfect read aloud book that allows students plenty of opportunity to predict what they think will happen next. They will try to use the picture clues, but that will prove to be more challenging than they thought, no matter how beautiful the color drawings are. The best part is that they will most likely predict incorrectly. One thing they will predict correctly is that the main character is an awful man, as evident by the look of joy on his face as he yanks out a woman's tooth.
Monsieur Bibot was a dentist with a propensity for being rude to people, and his dog Marcel. When a patient tried to pay him for tooth extraction with figs, he really flipped his lid. She promised him that the figs that will make his dreams come true. In disbelief, he eats one of the figs that night for a late night snack. When he awoke the next morning, he found himself half naked, with a droopy Eiffel Tower collapsing over the city. Realizing that the old woman was right, Bibot was determined to have the "right" dream, so he began training his brain. He repeated phrases about being the richest man in the world, over and over each night before bed. When he was finally dreaming of all the things he wanted, he settled in with his fig. When he turns his back, sneaky Marcel grabs the fig and runs off with it. The next morning, Bibot wakes up to see his own face smiling at him, while he cowers underneath the bed. It is only then that Bibot realizes exactly what happened when Marcel ate his sweetest fig.
Monsieur Bibot was a dentist with a propensity for being rude to people, and his dog Marcel. When a patient tried to pay him for tooth extraction with figs, he really flipped his lid. She promised him that the figs that will make his dreams come true. In disbelief, he eats one of the figs that night for a late night snack. When he awoke the next morning, he found himself half naked, with a droopy Eiffel Tower collapsing over the city. Realizing that the old woman was right, Bibot was determined to have the "right" dream, so he began training his brain. He repeated phrases about being the richest man in the world, over and over each night before bed. When he was finally dreaming of all the things he wanted, he settled in with his fig. When he turns his back, sneaky Marcel grabs the fig and runs off with it. The next morning, Bibot wakes up to see his own face smiling at him, while he cowers underneath the bed. It is only then that Bibot realizes exactly what happened when Marcel ate his sweetest fig.
When Farmer Bailey heard a "thump" under his car, he got out to see a shocked man lying in the road. He invited the man to come home with him while he healed up. It didn't take the family long to realize that there was something different about this man, namely, that he didn't talk. They also noticed several other things. When approaching wild rabbits, the man was able to pick them up without them fleeing. When working in the field, the man never got tired or even broke a sweat. The family was enjoying having this man around and they were not in a hurry for him to regain his memory. He was helping out with the biggest pumpkins the farmer had ever harvested and the leaves were just as green as ever, even though they were supposed to be turning all shades of fall colors. It is this realization that causes the stranger to remember what his purpose in life was. As soon as the stranger disappeared, the cooler weather showed up followed by the red, orange, and yellow leaves. And every year, the trees on the Bailey's farm stay green for one week longer than everybody else's. When the first frost appears, they know that they will find the words, "See you next fall," written on their farmhouse window.
Van Allsburg does a wonderful job at hinting who the stranger is throughout the book. From the words he chooses about the large pumpkins to the illustrations showing brown and red leaves all around the farm which still has its green trees, you understand that the stranger is supposed to be representative of a season. While he stays at the farmer's house, the summer season cannot move on. The illustrations in this book tend to show more about the stranger than the words that Van Allsburg chooses.
Van Allsburg does a wonderful job at hinting who the stranger is throughout the book. From the words he chooses about the large pumpkins to the illustrations showing brown and red leaves all around the farm which still has its green trees, you understand that the stranger is supposed to be representative of a season. While he stays at the farmer's house, the summer season cannot move on. The illustrations in this book tend to show more about the stranger than the words that Van Allsburg chooses.
For this book, Van Allsburg abandons what he normally does, for a book that teaches a lesson about taking care of our earth.
Walter loves jelly-filled donuts, but he does not love throwing the trash away where it belongs. He throws his donut wrapper on the ground, and thinks nothing more of it. He also makes fun of his girl neighbor, Rose, for choosing a tree as a birthday present. Walter would never get a tree for his birthday, which happens to be a few days away. As for recycling? Forget it! Especially when there's something good on tv, which there is. Walter enjoys a show about a boy from the future who flies around in an airplane and gets their food delivered with the push of a button. That night, Walter dreamed of the future...but it wasn't the future he had hoped it was. Reminiscent of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, each part of his dream takes him to a different location, but still in the future. His first stop is a large trash dump. When he notices houses, he inquires as to who lives in them. He finds out that no one lives there anymore. Much to Walter's surprise, this dump is located where his home used to be. Walter tries hard to convince himself that he is just dreaming, but the future seems so real that he has a hard time talking himself into this fact. He sees things like a world with no trees, a factory with stinking fumes that make Walter cough which ironically sells cough syrup, men who act like they've caught prize fish when it's usually the fish you throw back, and much more that scares Walter. When Walter turns up in the future, he is a changed person. He picks up his trash, fixes the recycling, and even asks for a tree for his birthday. What happens when he dreams again? Walter realizes that his actions have affected the future so much that it is almost as if he's in the past, complete with clothes drying on the line and everything.
I noticed that the pictures in this book are unlike any of the other pictures in his other works. They are more cartoon-like, but still detailed and beautifully done. He uses part of the illustrations to give a preview of where Walter's dream will take him next. This is a good activity to get students involved with making predictions.
Walter loves jelly-filled donuts, but he does not love throwing the trash away where it belongs. He throws his donut wrapper on the ground, and thinks nothing more of it. He also makes fun of his girl neighbor, Rose, for choosing a tree as a birthday present. Walter would never get a tree for his birthday, which happens to be a few days away. As for recycling? Forget it! Especially when there's something good on tv, which there is. Walter enjoys a show about a boy from the future who flies around in an airplane and gets their food delivered with the push of a button. That night, Walter dreamed of the future...but it wasn't the future he had hoped it was. Reminiscent of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, each part of his dream takes him to a different location, but still in the future. His first stop is a large trash dump. When he notices houses, he inquires as to who lives in them. He finds out that no one lives there anymore. Much to Walter's surprise, this dump is located where his home used to be. Walter tries hard to convince himself that he is just dreaming, but the future seems so real that he has a hard time talking himself into this fact. He sees things like a world with no trees, a factory with stinking fumes that make Walter cough which ironically sells cough syrup, men who act like they've caught prize fish when it's usually the fish you throw back, and much more that scares Walter. When Walter turns up in the future, he is a changed person. He picks up his trash, fixes the recycling, and even asks for a tree for his birthday. What happens when he dreams again? Walter realizes that his actions have affected the future so much that it is almost as if he's in the past, complete with clothes drying on the line and everything.
I noticed that the pictures in this book are unlike any of the other pictures in his other works. They are more cartoon-like, but still detailed and beautifully done. He uses part of the illustrations to give a preview of where Walter's dream will take him next. This is a good activity to get students involved with making predictions.
Full of crafty alliteration and beautiful illustrations, this book is about the letters of the alphabet being escorted off stage through various strategies. Having the letter on a different page than it's description of removal, leaves the reader with lots of opportunities to predict what they think will happen to the letter.
The amount of concentration it takes to say the title of this book, Probuditi!, is the same amount of concentration that it will take the reader to comprehend all that has happened in this book.
Calvin loves to play practical jokes on his sister, Trudy. When Calvin and his friend go visit Lomax the magician for Calvin's birthday, they see him hypnotize someone and they believe that they can do the same thing to Trudy. When Mom puts Calvin in charge of watching Trudy, she becomes the first victim of their amazing hypnotizing machine. Much to their surprise, it works! They have Trudy barking and chasing squirrels. It's all fun and games, until they find out that Mom is on her way home and they have way of waking Trudy up. They try many combinations of the magic word, "Probuditi!" but nothing works. Calvin even takes Trudy back to Lomax, but he's no help either! When Calvin's mom comes home, Trudy seems to magically snap out of it, with no recollection of what had happened...or so Calvin thinks.
Calvin loves to play practical jokes on his sister, Trudy. When Calvin and his friend go visit Lomax the magician for Calvin's birthday, they see him hypnotize someone and they believe that they can do the same thing to Trudy. When Mom puts Calvin in charge of watching Trudy, she becomes the first victim of their amazing hypnotizing machine. Much to their surprise, it works! They have Trudy barking and chasing squirrels. It's all fun and games, until they find out that Mom is on her way home and they have way of waking Trudy up. They try many combinations of the magic word, "Probuditi!" but nothing works. Calvin even takes Trudy back to Lomax, but he's no help either! When Calvin's mom comes home, Trudy seems to magically snap out of it, with no recollection of what had happened...or so Calvin thinks.
I found it interesting that every book Chris Van Allsburg has written is published by the same company, Houghton Mifflin. When I researched this further, I found no links between the author and the publishing company.
Part of the fun of reading a Van Allsburg book is discovering something that appears in each book. Fritz is a bull terrier based on the dog his brother in law, David, owns. Winston became the model for the idea of Fritz, who made his first appearance in The Garden of Abdul Gasazi. Winston continues to be a part of each book in memory, since he was in an accident and is no longer with us. Winston aka Fritz, has taken on many different forms from puppet to hood ornament. After you give a Van Allsburg book a good first read, see if you can find all the Fritz-es. Have fun!!!
Part of the fun of reading a Van Allsburg book is discovering something that appears in each book. Fritz is a bull terrier based on the dog his brother in law, David, owns. Winston became the model for the idea of Fritz, who made his first appearance in The Garden of Abdul Gasazi. Winston continues to be a part of each book in memory, since he was in an accident and is no longer with us. Winston aka Fritz, has taken on many different forms from puppet to hood ornament. After you give a Van Allsburg book a good first read, see if you can find all the Fritz-es. Have fun!!!