Book Trailor

International Literature

Cindo De Mayo

by Linda Lowery

Illustrated by Barbara Knutson

48 pages 

Grades 3-5

Cinco DeMayo is a celebration on the 5th day of May.  This book about Mexican soldiers who changed history for Mexico.  The U.s and Mexico worked together to fight France.  This tradition is based off the Battle of Puebla.  It talks about how France wanted to win Mexico over as theirs.  Mexico fought hard and won,  The French were still determined to take Mexico so they continued to fight.  The U.S sent soldiers to help Mexico after the Civil War.  France finally left Mexico when the U.S began helping.  Pueblo, Mexico has the biggest celebration.  They have a parade, people sell food and other items, and people dress up.  That night there is a show on the famous battlefield.  The book also talks about some ways the U. S celebrates Cinco DeMayo.

The illustrations in this book are very colorful and go along well with the story.  They help give you a real look into the celebration they have each year in Mexico.  WE can use this book to teach students about Celebrations in other cultures.      

Traditional Literature

Cinderella
Author and Illustrator Marcia Brown
32 pages
Published by North Mankato, Minnesota : Picture Window Books, a Capstone imprint, [2015]
Grades K-3rd

Cinderella is a story about a girl whose father marries a mean lady with two daughters. They treat Cinderella as if she is the help/housekeeper and not a family member.   She was only allowed to dress in rags.  One day an announcement came that the king's son was going to give a ball.  The step sisters made fun of Cinderella and said she was not welcome at the ball.  She was so upset when the step sister's left for the ball she began to cry.  Then her godmother showed up.  She made Cinderella a carriage to take her to the ball and a beautiful dress.  When she arrived everyone was in awe of her beauty that they all stopped to stare.  On the second night of the ball when she was leaving she dropped one of her shoes.  The king sent men out to search for her by fitting the shoe on the feet of everywoman.  When they arrived at Cinderella's house they tried it on the step sisters and it did not fit.  Then Cinderella said try it on me.  When the shoe fit she pulled the other one from her pocket.  They were all in shock.  Her godmother showed up again and changed Cinderella's clothes into beautiful clothes.  She was taken to the palace where she married the prince a few days later.  She forgave her step sisters and asked them to love her anyway. She gave them a home at the palace and married them to two great lords of the court.  

The illustrations in the book resemble soft muted tones.  The are very simple.  The children can still understand how they go along with the book.

This would be great to use to teach students about forgiveness.  Even thought her step sisters were mean to her she still forgave them and took them with her to live a better life.  We need to treat everyone with kindness.       

Poetry
Queen Victoria's Bathing Machine
Author Gloria Whelan
Illustrations by Nancy Carpenter
30 pages
Published by Lexile 2014
Grade 4 and 5

This is about Queen Victoria and how she wanted so badly to swim in the ocean.   She was told by her help how disgraceful it would be to see more than her Queen's hands and her face.  She told her husband how she wanted to swim in the ocean.  He thought and he thought to come up with a plan to help her wish come true.  He invented a bathing machine.  Queen Victoria would get in it change clothes then be able to slip into the ocean without anyone seeing her.  She was so happy that she finally was able to swim in the ocean.  The illustrations go along very well with the story in the poem.  They are also dated back a few decades to resemble the people in this time. 

This book can be used to help students understand how people of importance can be held to a hire standard.  They can also be taught that other cultures may have different expectations of woman in power. 

Book Blog #2