ANTARCTIC ANTICS

ANTARCTIC ANTICS- A BOOK OF PENGUIN POEMS

The last time I visited the zoo, which was quite a few years ago, I remember how interesting I thought the penguins were. Therefore, when I saw this book and how it's also poetry, I thought it would be a great way to introduce poetry into the lives of my students. Not only is it fun to read about things that make children curious, but they can also learn a lot from this book. Another reason why I choose this book is because it was A National Parenting Publications Gold Award Winner. It also has praises for it from Booklist and the School Library Journal.

I also decided to write about this book because of the different features it offers to students. It teaches them, through poetry, about a killer whale, leopard seal, skua bird, and about the weather. The pictures in the book are also very engaging to students because of the details and the bright colors. There is also a poem called Antarctic Anthem. The pictures in those particular pages show the penguins with their arms standing straight on their sides while the little baby penguins are playing along. This picture was especially touching because it shows the penguins displaying a human trait. It's definitely something the children will be able to relate too.

THE LEGEND OF THE POINSETTIA

I selected this book by Tomie dePaola because it was such a simple story that stirred a lot of emotions in me. Christmas is my favorite holiday. I think it’s because it reminds me so much of my grandfather Paolo. Even though he passed away more than 18 years ago, I still think about him as if it was yesterday. Every Christmas, we would go to my grandparent’s house where the entire family would gather to eat, drink, sing, and celebrate the holiday. Then one year, way before I was born, my mother decided to buy a Santa Claus costume because she is just wonderful in that way. She always wants to make a party better whether it’s telling a joke, playing a prank or dressing up in a costume to make everyone laugh. And it’s in these memories of the many Christmas celebrations we had that I remember whenever I feel that the family needs to be reconnected. I hope the memories that I am making with my nephew Matthew will stay with him as he grows.
Lucinda makes me think of the stories my mom told me from when she was growing up. Often times, she had to be the one that took care of the family because my grandfather Benedetto was too sick to take care of things around the house. It also reminds me of how she didn’t have the opportunity to go to school because the family was too poor to send her. I think in her heart she really did want to exceed but she didn’t want to make her parents feel bad about not being able to go.
Although Christmas cannot be taught in a classroom, one important lesson I can teach my future students would be to help others in their time of need. Children are influential. I think if I would be able to teach this lesson to them when they are young enough, I will be teaching them more than that’s available in a Math book.

Strega Nona, A Caledecott Honor Book

Strega Nona was first copywritten in 1975, and yet I learned about it last year! How could this have happened? I like this book for many reasons. First, because it brings me back to my roots. Even though my family is not from Calabria, (although my Godmother Connie is) it still remind me of the feeling I get whenever I go back to Sicily. Sommatino, the town where my parents were born and raised, has 'characters' similiar to the ones in the book. What small Sicilian town would be complete without the town's witch that would make everyone wishes come true? Or even someone like Big Anthony, the one whose head always seemed to be in the clouds. Of course, these are from stories my grandmother had told me, which were also passed down to her from past generations.

There is one thing that bothers me in Strega Nona and that is the spelling of nona. There are actually two n's in nonna. I know that may be something insignificant to some, but every time I look at the cover, I can't help but to wonder why didn't Tomie dePaola bother to check the spelling of nonna.

There are a few lessons that I can teach my future students. We can celebrate multi-cultural in the classroom. I can do a lesson on why it's important to respect other people's property and not to experiment with something that is not their own. I would hope that this particular lesson would enable students to be respectful of other people's property.