THE FIREFLY LETTERS: A SUFFRAGETTE'S JOURNEY TO CUBA

THE FIREFLY LETTERS: A SUFFRAGETTE'S JOURNEY TO CUBA

 

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Engle, Margarita. 2010. THE FIREFLY LETTERS. New York, NY: Henry Holt & Company, LLC. ISBN 9780805090826

 

PLOT SUMMARY

THE FIREFLY LETTERS is a beautiful true story written in poetic verse about Fredrika Bremer (1801-1865), Sweden's first woman novelist and one of the world's earliest advocates of equal rights for women.  In 1851, Fredrika visited Cuba for three months and met a young slave girl from Africa, Cecilia, who was her translator.  Cecilia and Fredrika shared their pains and struggles with each other while catching cocuyos (fireflies) and setting them free in the lush countryside.  The novel in verse also involves Elena, a fictious character, who is the young daughter of Cecilia's owner.  Elena and Cecilia become great friends and in the end, Elena gives a heart-felt, unexpected gift to Cecilia. 

 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

In this novel in verse, Engle uses simple, eloquent and easy to read words.  The story, which is based on primarily true characters, is beautiful, yet chilling.  Cecilia, a young African slave girl says, "was eight, plenty old enough to understand that my father was haggling with a wandering slave trader, agreeing to exchange me for a stolen cow." Throughuot the story, she longs for her mother's voice.  The author's style is flowing and free, yet you can feel real emotion in her simple words.  Fredrika, a wealthy Swedish traveler, comes to visit Elena's family in Cuba.  She remembers that at home, she was not allowed to set foot outdoors or do the things that she dreamed of.  She says "there is no place more lonely than a rich man's home."  Elena is the daughter of Cecilia's owner and she has become fond of Cecilia and Fredrika and even jealous watching them get to run and play outside the little house in the garden "where the two can live in peace, surrounded by cocuyos-fireflies-instead of chandeliers."  Elena thinks to herself, "how disturbing it feels to envy Cecilia, a slave.  She is free, at least for now, to run and shout out in the open....splashing in mud puddles just like a man or a boy." 

 

The imagery in this poetic novel is beautiful as well.  Engle describes Cuba as having "lush gardens and winter sun."  "This island, with its lush gardens and winter sun, had me fooled.  I have always imagined that a gentle climate would make the people gentle too...but that is not the way of the human heart when it is lost in the selfishness of greed."  Engle's words made me actually feel Fredrika's hopelessness and sadness when she thought about not being able to help Cecilia or the slaves and women of Cuba. 

 

The symbolism that she used with the fireflies was extraordinary as well.  When Cecilia and Fredrika move out to the hills with the people of the Canary Islands, Cecilia notices that, "out here, no one tries to catch the soaring insects.  The cocuyos drift so high that they seem to live in heaven, like stars." 

 

 This story continues on with beautiful imagery, language and rhythm as the three women connect with each other.  Even though they all come from different worlds, they all seem to have similar issues, where they feel trapped and have no freedom or liberties to pursue their dreams.  Even Elena, who is a young affluent girl with seemingly everything feels "like she could go mad cooped up in this house like a songbird in a cage." Elena's touching gesture at the end of the story is a symbol of their love for each other and for mankind in general.  After all, "without even trying to be a teacher, Fredrika is teaching us, showing us how to see things in new ways instead of always thinking the same old tired thoughts."

 

AWARDS

2011 Pura Belpre Honor Book for Narrative

2011 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
 

Show More

Show Less

REVIEW EXCERPTS

 “Like the firefly light, Engle’s poetry is a gossamer thread of subtle beauty weaving together three memorable characters who together find hope and courage. Another fine volume by a master of the novel in verse.”--KIRKUS REVIEWS, Starred Review

 

“The imagistic, multiple first-person narrative works handily in revealing Bremer, an alert and intelligent woman in rebellion against her background of privilege.”--THE HORN BOOK

 

“Through this moving combination of historical viewpoints, Engle creates dramatic tension among the characters, especially in the story of Elena, who makes a surprising sacrifice.”--BOOKLIST

 

 

CONNECTIONS

Other novels in verse written by Engle based on Cuba's history are:

THE SURRENDER TREE: POEMS OF CUBA'S STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM. ISBN  0805086749

THE POET SLAVE OF CUBA. ISBN  9780307583055

 

These books can be used in studies from anything about the women's movement, slavery, those interested in Cuba to teens with Biography assignments. 

 

 

JAZZ

JAZZ

 

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Myers, Walter Dean. 2006. JAZZ. Ill by Christopher Myers. New York, NY: Holiday House. ISBN 9780823415458

 

PLOT SUMMARY

JAZZ is a book comprised of 15 poems about jazz music.  Myers begins the book with an introduction about the history of jazz and then includes a timeline and glossary in the back of the book which help the reader become familiar with jazz.  The first poem starts in Africa and then moves on to  the streets of New Orleans including musicians such as the great Louis Armstrong.  Each poem is about the different styles of jazz including be-bop, swing, ragtime, etc.



 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This poetic picture book is about the different styles of jazz and some of the origins and notable figures. The beautiful illustrations, which are bold and full of color and emotion, show various jazz figures and playing of jazz instruments.  There is a rhythmic beat to each of the songs (poems) in JAZZ.  The reader can actually feel the beat and hear the sounds of the songs in their minds.  The style of the text changes in size, color and font depending on the beat and the emotion of the poem.  The language that is used is typical of the era and the culture. I particularly felt the emotion in Session I where Myers describes the "bass thumping like death gone happy/ souls dancing in 2/4 time / breathing sounds and tasting the rhyme."  Myers successfully arouses many different senses in his poetic form and allows the reader to actually feel while they read (or listen) to the different songs. There is also a syncopated beat illustrated in the type and text of each of the songs that ties them together.  I loved being able to not only read these poems, but to actually feel them as well.  "Mercy, mercy, mercy/ please have mercy Mr. Slide Trombone."  I can actually feel the author's soul in these words! 

 

AWARDS

2007 Coretta Scott King Honor Book

2007 BELA Award

 

REVIEW EXCERPTS

PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY:

"Walter Dean Myers infuses his lines (and the rests between them) with so much savvy syncopation that readers can't help but be swept up in the rhythms."

 

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL:

"The expressionistic figures are surrounded by high-contrast colors in which the visible brushstrokes curve around their subjects, creating an aura that almost suggests sound waves."--Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library

 

BOOKLIST:

"Middle-graders will feel the sound of the words and pictures working together, and younger kids will hear and see that connection when adults share the book with them."

 

CONNECTIONS

Social Studies, Music:

This is a great book to teach children about the history of jazz and the rhythm of jazz.  It can also be used across the curriculum to discuss different cultures and/or to get students interested in music.  The poems are perfect for read alouds and even better for listening to audios of professional storytellers with music backgrounds.  The theme of rhyming can also be easily taught through these poems.

 

Also read, HARLEM ISBN 9780590543408, another poem by Walter Dean Myers to teach about culture.  

 

 

 



MIRROR MIRROR

MIRROR MIRROR

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Singer, Marilyn. 2010. MIRROR MIRROR. Ill by Josee Masse. New York, NY: Dutton's Children's Books. ISBN 9780525479017.

PLOT SUMMARY
In this collection of reversible verse poems, Singer puts a clever spin on classic fairy tales.  After a sample poem titled In Reverse where she introduces us to the style reverso (which she herself created), she starts the fairy tale stories with Cinderella's Double Life.  She includes many popular tales about Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, The Ugly Duckling, Snow White, and many other well-known and loved fairy tales.  In each of the poems, Singer tells us another side of the story then cleverly reverses it by reversing the lines from bottom to top.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
A reverso is two poems in one.  Read the first down and it says one thing.  Read it back up, with changes just in punctuation and capitalization, and it's a different poem.  Singer shows how two different ideas can be expressed when read forward and backwards. An example of a reverso poem is below:

Up
or
Down --
A poem
in
a puzzleBut it can also be read this way:

A puzzle
in
a poem --
Down
or
Up

Singer's unique style is very appealing.  Although the illustrations by Josee Masse are superb and really give us a visual perspective for each poem, the words and style of the poems have beautiful imagery in creating different points of view for the reader to experience.  You can actually feel the emotions coming from the prince in The Sleeping Beauty and the Wide-Awake Prince where he is experiencing angst and seems to be annoyed that Sleeping Beauty gets to sleep all day while "it's no fun being out in the world/ never partying/ never sleeping/ the prince hard at work/ looking for love/ hacking through briars / typical."  Sleeping Beauty's perspective is totally different.  Although the exact same words are used, their order and punctuation help to create a whole new point of view.  She is upset that although the prince is "typical/ hacking through briars,/ looking for love / the prince hard at work/ but I have to be / sleeping/ never partying/ never out in the world / it's no fun being in a fairy tale."  My favorite tale is The Doubtful Duckling in which the first version portrays the ugly duckling with a postive attitude about turning into a swan.  "Someday, I'll turn into a swan.  No way, I'll stay an ugly duckling."  The second version shows a negative point of view and ends with "An ugly duckling I'll stay.  No way I'll turn into a swan someday."  The words are so simple and even though there is little to no rhyme, I think that these stories will definitely appeal to the younger readers as well as the more mature reader.  They are classics with a twist which makes the student want to read to find out what happens, even though they have heard these fairy-tales many times before.  It's the same motivation as created in reading fractured fairy-tales.   MIRROR MIRROR is ingenious and I am thoroughly impressed with the style and creativity that Singer has created with her reverso, not to mention the outstanding illustrations by Masse with their bold color, emotion and symmetry.


AWARDS
2010 Cybils Award
2010-2011 Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee


REVIEW EXCERPTS
"The poems are both cleverly constructed and insightful...giving us the points of view of characters rarely considered." --HORN BOOK

"A mesmerizing and seamless celebration of language, imagery, and perspective." --KIRKUS, starred review

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL:
"This is a remarkably clever and versatile book that would work in any poetry or fairy-tale unit. A must-have for any library."--Joan Kindig, James Madison University

BOOKLIST: (Starred Review)
 "This ingenious book of reversos, or poems which have one meaning when read down the page and perhaps an altogether different meaning when read up the page, toys with and reinvents oh-so-familiar stories and characters, from Cinderella to the Ugly Duckling. A must-purchase that will have readers marveling over a visual and verbal feast." --Patricia Austin


CONNECTIONS
Incorporating fairy tale poetry in the classroom is a great way to create interest in poetry itself.  Using reverso can help teach students the differences in points of view and examining multiple perspectives while also teaching about poetry.  Some helpful websites incorporating these lessons plans are: www.readwritethink.org - Explore Point of View in Fairy Tales
www.claudiagraphics.com - The Poets' Grimm Teacher's Guide
This book of poems could also be used across the curriculum on lessons of symmetry.  The illustrations provide a distinct view of symmetry.

THE THREE PIGS

THE THREE PIGS

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Wiesner, David, 2001. THE THREE PIGS. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN:  0618007016

PLOT SUMMARY
This tale begins familiarly with "Once upon a time there were three pigs."  The first pig decided to build a house out of straw and then along came the wolf who said "little pig, little pig, let me come in."  And the pig answered, 'not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin."  Then the wolf "huffed and he puffed and he blew the house in..."  But wait!  The wolf blew so hard, he blew the pig right out of the story!  The story continues with the wolf going to the next pig's house made out of sticks.  The same thing happens and now two pigs are out on an adventure of their own.  On the next page, they join the third pig and then they completely turn the story upside down (literally)!  They all three totally exit the book and the illustrations show them walking on the pages of the book.  They have text bubbles that show what they are saying.  Then they build a paper airplane out of one of the pages of the book and go on a flying expedition through several more pages of the story.  On one page, they almost completely fly out of the book (or so it seems!).  Then their adventure takes them into other stories.  They visit a Mother Goose book and meet the cat and the fiddle and the cow who jumped over the moon.  Then they meet a dragon.  The cat and the fiddle and the dragon join them when they rejoin their own story and "go back home."  In the end, nobody gets eaten and "they all lived happily ever aft."  (guess the "er" fell off the page too!) 


CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This fractured fairy tale is hilarious!  Wiesner uses such creativity and what a surprise this will be to the young readers when they see the first pig blown "out of the story" and the perplexed look on the wolf's face!  I love how he incorporated other tales that the young readers would know as well, such as the cat and the fiddle and the cow who jumped over the moon.  This is a very creative spoof of the original story.  It is a very visual book and the illustrations tell the story for several pages.  Wiesner uses dialogue balloons to tell part of the story.  The looks on the wolf's face are priceless!  He is so confused.  By the end, I think that he just gives up although we don't really know what happened to him.  And as in all fairy tales, there was a happy ending!

AWARDS
Caldecott Medal 2002

REVIEW EXCERPTS
PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY:
"Wiesner's brilliant use of white space and perspective (as the pigs fly to the upper right-hand corner of a spread on their makeshift plane, or as one pig's snout dominates a full page) evokes a feeling that the characters can navigate endless possibilities--and that the range of story itself is limitless."

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, Starred:
"Children will delight in the changing perspectives...and the whole notion of the interrupted narrative...fresh and funny...Witty dialogue and physical comedy abound in this inspired retelling of a familiar favorite."

BOOKLIST, ALA Starred Review:
Wiesner has created a funny, wildly imaginative tale that encourages readers to leap beyond the familiar; to think critically about conventional stories and illustration, and perhaps, to flex their imaginations and create wonderfully subversive versions of their own stories."

CONNECTIONS
This imaginative story provides opportunities for predicting outcomes and retellings and prompting creative writing.

This book will also make a great companion to other fractured fairy tales, Jon Scieszka's "The True Story of the Three Little Pigs" and the seriously silly book, ECO-WOLF AND THE THREE PIGS. 

This story could even be presented as a Reader's Theatre.  I think that there are many different ways that a teacher can incorporate these varied stories within a lesson.

SWAMP ANGEL

 

SWAMP ANGEL

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Isaacs, Anne, 1994. SWAMP ANGEL. Ill by Paul Zelinsky. NewYork, NY: Dutton Children's Books. ISBN 0525452710

PLOT SUMMARY
In this hugely entertaining, inspiring story about Angelica Longrider who was born in 1815 who was "scarcely taller than her mother and couldn't climb a tree without help," Isaacs creates an unlikely heroine.  In this traditional tall tale about Swamp Angel (who got her name from saving passengers of a wagon train that "got mired in Dejection Swamp") competes against the Tennessee men in trying to kill Thundering Tarnation, a huge bear who ate all of the settlers' food.  The men taunted Swamp Angel asking her if "she should be home mending a quilt or baking a pie?"  She replied, "I aim to....a bear pie."  After Tarnation got the worst of all of the men, Swamp Angel and the giant bear get into an incredible brawl where Swamp Angel swings a tornado around like a giant lasso, drinks a whole lake dry and snores down a whole forest and eventually defeats the bear!  In this hugely exaggerated tall tale, Swamp Angel manages to create The Great Smoky Mountains, Ursa Major (The Big Bear constellation) and the Montana Shortgrass Prairie with her enormous shenanigans.  By the end of the story, Swamp Angel is a hero and the whole state of Tennessee celebrates with her in the "biggest celebration the state had ever known."  

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In this original traditional tall tale, Isaacs uses exaggeration and a primitive style of wording to tell the story that is set in 1815.  The story is hilarious from beginning to end.  You know right from the beginning that you are in for an enormous tale without even reading the words.  The illustrations in this book steal the show!  They are superb.  Swamp Angel 's mother is holding this gigantic baby (Swamp Angel) in the very first picture.  Throughout the book, Zelinsky creates pictures of Swamp Angel doing outlandish and impossible things.  She almost seems to be too big for the book because she is bending over in the pictures on the pages.  Her name fits her face which always is shown with an "angelic" smile and she wears a bonnet just to remind us that she is a girl afterall.  Not to discount the brilliant writing of Isaacs, but I think that I could only look at the pictures and still know what happened in the story.  This was a very entertaining and inspiring tale showing a girl overcoming huge odds to help save her community!

AWARDS
1994 Caldecott Honor Book
1995 Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book
1994 ALA Notable Book 
NEW YORK TIMES Best Illustrated Books of 1994
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL Best Books of 1994
BOOKLIST Children's Editors Choices 1994
PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY Best Books of 1994

REVIEW EXCERPTS
"Move over, Paul Bunyan, you are about to meet Swamp Angel, an original creation in the tall-tale tradition whose exploits are guaranteed to amaze and amuse a wide swath of readers. . . Visually exciting, wonderful to read aloud, this is a picture book to remember." -- starred review, HORN BOOK, March/April 1995, M.M.B.

"It is Ms. Isaacs's dry, tongue-in-cheek style, moving us from possibility to impossibility, matched by the stunning primitive and burlesque-style oil paintings done on wood veneers by Paul O. Zelinsky, that makes this book one of the most intriguing and hilarious tall tales to be published in recent years. . . There are very few tall tales about extraordinary women in American folklore compared to those that extol the virtues of men, and this comic rendition about a gifted, powerful and helpful woman is in all ways superb." -- NEW YORK TIMES, 11/13/94, by Jack Zipes
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL:
"She (Isaacs) captures the cadence of the genre perfectly with its unique blend of understatement, exaggeration, and alliteration. Zelinsky paints his primitive views of Americana with oil on veneer, a choice that gives each page a grainy border, well suited to this backwoods tale. A master of composition, he varies readers' perspectives by framing the portrait of the newborn and, later, the series of male hunters with small ovals. He uses double-page lunettes to depict the massive bear and woman sprawled across the pages, and places the menacing beast lunging over the frame in another memorable scene. The pictures and words cavort across the page in perfect synchronization, revealing the heroine's feisty solution." Wendy Lukehart, Dauphin County Library, Harrisburg, PA, 1994

CONNECTIONS
This story has a female hero which is not very common.  This is a great opportunity to teach young girls (and boys) that girls can accomplish anything boys can and that they can be leaders in their communities.

This book could be used to introduce Science or Socal Studies lessons to discuss The Great Smoky Mountains, The Montana Shortgrass Prairie and even to introduce astronomy lessons about the stars and the universe.

Pair this picture book with Lester and Pinkney's JOHN HENRY for a gigantic tall-tale celebration.

Another must read is DUST DEVIL, an entertaining companion to SWAMP ANGEL also written by Anne Isaacs and illustrated by Paul Zelinsky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A CLOAK FOR THE MOON

A CLOAK FOR THE MOON

 

 

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kimmel, Eric. 2001. A CLOAK FOR THE MOON. Ill by Katya KIremina. New York, NY: Holiday House. ISBN 0823414930

 

PLOT SUMMARY
In this mystical story, Haskel, a tailor who lives in Tzafat (a city in Israel), goes to his rooftop every night to gaze at the beautiful moon.  One night, he has a dream in which the moon tells him that she is very cold and that she wishes for him to make her a cloak to keep warm.  When Haskel awakes, he declares "Dream or not, I will keep my promise and I will sew the moon a cloak of shining silver thread and all the stars will envy her."  He goes to his uncle, a master tailor, to ask for help.  But, his uncle tells him to "stop chasing dreams."  Haskel then learns of a magical thread made of beams of light that will stretch and shrink to fit its wearer perfectly.  So, he goes in search of this fabric knowing that it will be perfect for the moon to wear as she waxes and wanes.  He travels afar to China and eventually to a city named The Roof of the World where a princess needs help mending her wedding dress made of beams of light. Nobody in town knows the secret of spinning the thread, but Haskel discovers that focusing moonlight on the thread through his magnifying dress makes the thread weave itself.  He mends the princess's dress and is given some of the thread as a reward.  On his journey home he weaves the thread each night by the moonlight.  When he arrives back home, the magical cloak is complete and he delivers it to the moon just as he promised he would. 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In this book, Kimmel, retells this mystical and enchanting folktale beautifully.  He captures the spiritual feeling and culture with his elegant words.  The themes of determination to keep a promise and of following your dreams are prevalent in this story.  The story also implies that part of chasing your dreams is about embracing the journey along the way.  Haskel is an ordinary person that is able to achieve an impossible dream! 

The illustrations are gouache paintings that enhance the story perfectly.  Krenina captures the Far Eastern settings with vivid colors and beautiful landscapes.  She also is able to depict the magical qualities in the story successfully.
  

EXCERPTS
PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY:

Expertly pacing the story, Kimmel embroiders his prose with graceful details, writing of "radiant satins [and] silks like colored water." The exotic trappings will lure readers, replacing Haskel's determination to keep his promise as the central theme of the work. Intermittently embellished by borders and spot art featuring delicate flower motifs, Krenina's gouache art effectively depicts the Middle and Far Eastern settings of the tale, as well as its timeless sensibility.

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL:
This unique, beautifully written story is enhanced by vividly colored, luminous gouache paintings of equal quality.-Anne Parker, Milton Public Library, MA.

BOOKLIST:
Impossible dreams and magical desires fulfilled by dint of persistence and unwavering belief underlie this lovely narrative. GraceAnne DeCandido, ALA.

CONNECTIONS
I think that this story could be used in many lessons regarding character and values.  It is a good story to use to teach children the value of never giving up, following through on your promises and of following your dreams.  It shows that determination can help drive a person to be successful in whatever they want to achieve. 

Other folktales about values:
In Rabbi Edward M. Feinstein's collection of folktales, CAPTURING THE MOON, we can find other stories about values and character. Stories in this collection of classic and modern folktales include: "What Really Matters in Life?", "Doing What s Right," "It s Up to You," "Teachers and Friends," and "Hidden Truths."  

Show More

Show Less

 



Kitten's First Full Moon-Book Review

 

 

Kitten's First Full Moon



BIBLIOGRAPHY
Henkes, Kevin. 2004. KITTEN'S FIRST FULL MOON. Ill. by Kevin Henkes. Greenwillow Books. ISBN 0-06-058828-4.

PLOT SUMMARY
When Kitten sees her first full moon she thinks it is a bowl of milk just waiting for her.  She tries many different ways to get to it, but with no luck.  In the end she goes home feeling sad, but then her luck turns when she finds an actual bowl of milk waiting on the porch for her!

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This picture storybook is written in a very simple style.  Henkes attracts the attention of young readers with his predictable phrases, such as "Poor Kitten" and "Still, there was the little bowl of milk, just waiting."  This is an action-packed adventure story with Kitten chasing, running, jumping, and climbing to reach the bowl of milk.  The surprise at the end reminds me a bit of "Where the Wild Things Are" when Kitten returns home to find a bowl of milk waiting for her.  That sense of "home is where the heart is" is brought alive in this book as well.

The illustrations in this book tell more about the story than just the words.  Even though they are just simple shaded pictures, they help add to the story.  Some pages have full pictures, while others show panels almost like a comic strip.  The pictures show emotion and action.  At one point, it looks to me like Kitten gets lost (because she looks scared) after she follows the moon (or the bowl of milk) "down the sidewalk, through the garden, past the field and by the pond."  My six year old daughter loved this book because she enjoyed looking at the pictures.  She asked me to read it to her three times in a row!  At the very beginning of the book before you get to the Title Page, there are Cover Pages that are gray with lots of white circles in rows.  Before we read the book aloud (which is the best way to enjoy picture books in my opinion!), she asked, "what are those circles?"  This was a perfect opportunity for me to say, "let's read the book and then you tell me, okay?"  At the end of the story, I asked her what she thought they were.  She said, "moons" and then paused and said, "no, bowls of milk!" 

AWARDS
2005 Caldecott Medal
ALA Notable Children’s Book
Charlotte Zolotow Award
Booklist Editors’ Choice
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books Blue Ribbon
Kirkus Reviews Editors’ Choice
Publishers Weekly Best Book
School Library Journal Best Book
New York Times Best Illustrated Book
Book Sense Top Ten Pick

REVIEW EXCERPTS
"The narrative and visual pacing will keep children entranced, and the determined young heroine and her comical quest will win them over." Publisher's Weekly

"The rhythmic text and delightful artwork ensure storytime success.  Kids will surely applaud this cat's irressible spirit."  School Library Journal

"Artful in its gracelessness and naivete, just like a kitten. Simply charming." Kirkus Reviews

CONNECTIONS
This books helps teachers connect with students through visualization and showing them to use their imaginations.  It also could lead to science and discovery lessons about what is in the sky and about how light reflects on water, for example.

Other books to consider if you liked this book are:
Carle, Eric. 1991. PAPA, PLEASE GET THE MOON FOR ME. Simon & Schuster, ISBN-13:978-0887080265

Gag, Wanda. 1928. MILLIONS OF CATS. Coward. ISBN-13:978-0142407080