Fall Reading 2013 Big Blue and Ivy in Bloom

Big Blue is a good story to illustrate why we can't just play and do what we want all the time. It is similar to Aesop's Fable "The Ant and the Grasshopper." When the book begins, Blue sings and flies and does all the things the other birds do. But when Blue decides to spend all his time napping and eating, his singing and nest building and flying are neglected. He eats so much that when he tries to fly, he just rolls along the ground instead. Blue learns the hard way that life isn't all fun and games. By the time he sees his friends again in the spring, he has straightened up and gotten rid of his bad habits. This also shows how important it is to balance the amount of food you eat with being active.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley. You can find out more about the author on her website.

   

Ivy in Bloom:
In this exploration of the seasons moving from winter to spring, the author has used lines written by famous poets. Choosing a line here, a couplet there, she has strung together these pieces from different poems into a single narrative. The book follows Ivy from her wish that spring would come soon to the final scene of her barefoot on the swing in the spring sunshine. 

I especially liked the way each of the poems that were quoted are listed in the back of the book. A thumbnail picture of the illustration for the page is followed by the original poem with the quoted section highlighted. The poet is named and details about when he or she lived, their nationality, and where the poem first appeared in print are also given. Readers who enjoy the brief taste of each poem will be able to find more by the same writer thanks to this helpful bibliography.

This would be a good read-aloud or could be used as an introduction to poetry.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.