Jumanji
Summary:
This is a story about a brother and sister named Peter and Judy who find a new type of board game. The siblings end up discovering the dangerous and exciting game of Jumanji and must complete the game before their parents get home.
Citations:
Van Allsburg, C. (1981). Jumanji. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Impressions:
I liked this book but personally I enjoyed the movie better. The story is great but I felt like it moved a little too quickly at times. I realized that it was probably for the best though considering it is a book for preschoolers.
Reviews:
Amazon.com Review
When Judy and Peter find a board game in the park, they take it home, hoping to alleviate their boredom. One live lion, an erupting volcano, and a dozen destructive monkeys later, the children are no longer bored. Their jungle adventure game has come to life! Chris Van Allsburg is a master at walking the line between fantasy and reality. His unusually sculptured drawings (familiar to the many devoted fans of the Caldecott-winning The Polar Express and The Garden of Abdul Gasazi) convey the magical transition of a normal house to an exotic jungle. Readers will tremble along with Judy and Peter, urging them to roll the dice that will plunge them from one perilous predicament into another. Jumanji, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book and winner of the 1982 Caldecott Medal, is sure to amaze and thrill even the most jaded young reader. (Ages 9 to 12)
(Review Retrieved from http://www.amazon.ca/Jumanji-Chris-Van-Allsburg/dp/0395304482/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1291875144&sr=1-1)
Suggestions:
I would definitely read this for storytime but it’s a little long so I would probably read it to an older crowd. I would also read this book if my niece ever said she was bored. I would tell her the story about how once two other children were bored and decided to play a little game. She likes the movie. I think enjoy seeing all of the wild animals and the different types of plants as well.
The House of Night
Summary:
This picture book tells the story of a young girl who receives the key to her house which connects her to her entire world. She goes uses this key to name nighttime objects which help her to fall right asleep.
Citations:
Swanson, S. (2008). The house in the night. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Impressions:
I really liked this book and it was probably my favorite one this week. It is such a simple book but I really enjoyed the story and especially the illustrations. My niece loved how the story connected as you turned every page.
Reviews:
*Starred Review* A young girl is given a golden key to a house. “In the house / burns a light. / In that light / rests a bed. On that bed / waits a book.” And so continues this simple text, which describes sometimes fantastical pleasures as a bird from the book spirits the child through the starry sky to a wise-faced moon. The cumulative tale is a familiar picture-book conceit; the difference in success comes from the artwork. Here, the art is spectacular. Executed in scratchboard decorated in droplets of gold, Krommes’ illustrations expand on Swanson’s reassuring story (inspired by a nursery rhyme that begins, “This is the key of the kingdom”) to create a world as cozy inside the house as it is majestic outside. The two-page spread depicting rolling meadows beyond the home, dotted with trees, houses, barns, and road meeting the inky sky, is mesmerizing. The use of gold is especially effective, coloring the stars and a knowing moon, all surrounded with black-and-white halos. A beautiful piece of bookmaking that will delight both parents and children. Preschool-Kindergarten. --Ilene Cooper
(Retrieved from http://www.amazon.ca/House-Night-Susan-Marie-Swanson/dp/0618862447/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1291875351&sr=1-1)
Suggestions:
This would make an excellent bedtime story book. I think young children would love this book for its simplicity and beautiful pictures. They would be instantly attracted to the yellow objects.
