Plot Summary: Skippyjon Jones, the main character, is a Siamese cat who thinks that he is a Chihuahua. He is quite the mischievous kitten with an incredible imagination. The setting of Skippyjon Jones in the Dog House is the cat family's house but more importantly, Skippyjon's closet which turns into a town in Mexico, Pato Pato Ganso. In the plot Skippyjon is caught drawing Chihuahuas on the wall and his mother wants him to act more like a cat so she sends him to time-out. "If you think more like a cat, Mama will catch you a mouse big and fat. I'll dip it in butter and roll it in cheese... All you must do is think Siamese!" However, while in time-out Skippyjon's imagination gets really creative as he steps into his closet. This is when he turned into "El Skippito Friskito!" He meets up with his Chihuahua friends and hears that they are having a problem with the Bobble-ito; this creature has been pestering them all day. The literary conflict comes when Skippito's friends tell him that he is the one that must defeat the Bobble-ito. Skippyjon gets wrapped up in a tortilla and flown to the top of the dog house where this monster is hiding. In the climax, Skippito defeats the great Bobble-ito, "And in no time flat, the kitty boy brought that Bobble-ito right down to size." The other dogs carry Skippyjon back through his closet and into bed just in the nick of time. In the resolution Skippyjon's sisters find him in bed wrapped in his white blanket and cuddling with a bobblehead. Your imagination can take you anywhere is the theme of the story. Features of Quality: Judy Schachner is the author of the Skippyjon books along with many others. She has received many awards including the E.B. White Read-Aloud Award in 2004. Schachner is a beloved writer of children's books and she has a website devoted to activities for students. Skippyjon Jones in the Dog House is a very entertaining book and students can easily get involved in read- alouds. The illustrations are extremely vivid and they match the text perfectly. This book exhibits an exciting language, incorporating Spanglish into the characters' conversations, "Yesterday morning we left the house to buy some beans, and at night when we returned, a Bobble-ito was in la casa perrito!" Also, this book encourages the imaginations of students by describing what world this little kitty goes to while he's in time-out. Curriculum Connections: Reader Response Ideas: 1. Since this story really gets the imagination going, students can draw pictures of an imaginary world that they'd like to visit. (Primary) 2. Students can think of a time that they got put in time-out and write about why or if they even made up a scenario while they were in trouble. (Intermediate) Title: Skippyjon Jones in the Dog House Author and Illustrator: Judy Schachner Publication Date: 2005 Genre: Animal Fiction Recommended Grade Range: Primary
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Plot Summary:
Skippyjon Jones, the main character, is a Siamese cat who thinks that he is a Chihuahua. He is
quite the mischievous kitten with an incredible imagination. The setting of Skippyjon Jones in
the Dog House is the cat family's house but more importantly, Skippyjon's closet which turns
into a town in Mexico, Pato Pato Ganso. In the plot Skippyjon is caught drawing Chihuahuas on
the wall and his mother wants him to act more like a cat so she sends him to time-out. "If you
think more like a cat, Mama will catch you a mouse big and fat. I'll dip it in butter and roll it in
cheese... All you must do is think Siamese!" However, while in time-out Skippyjon's imagination
gets really creative as he steps into his closet. This is when he turned into "El Skippito Friskito!"
He meets up with his Chihuahua friends and hears that they are having a problem with the
Bobble-ito; this creature has been pestering them all day. The literary conflict comes when
Skippito's friends tell him that he is the one that must defeat the Bobble-ito. Skippyjon gets
wrapped up in a tortilla and flown to the top of the dog house where this monster is hiding. In the
climax, Skippito defeats the great Bobble-ito, "And in no time flat, the kitty boy brought that
Bobble-ito right down to size." The other dogs carry Skippyjon back through his closet and into
bed just in the nick of time. In the resolution Skippyjon's sisters find him in bed wrapped in his
white blanket and cuddling with a bobblehead. Your imagination can take you anywhere is the
theme of the story.
Features of Quality:
Judy Schachner is the author of the Skippyjon books along with many others. She has received
many awards including the E.B. White Read-Aloud Award in 2004. Schachner is a beloved
writer of children's books and she has a website devoted to activities for students. Skippyjon
Jones in the Dog House is a very entertaining book and students can easily get involved in read-
alouds. The illustrations are extremely vivid and they match the text perfectly. This book
exhibits an exciting language, incorporating Spanglish into the characters' conversations,
"Yesterday morning we left the house to buy some beans, and at night when we returned, a
Bobble-ito was in la casa perrito!"
Also, this book encourages the imaginations of students by describing what world this little kitty
goes to while he's in time-out.
Curriculum Connections: Reader Response Ideas:
1. Since this story really gets the imagination going, students can draw pictures of an imaginary
world that they'd like to visit. (Primary)
2. Students can think of a time that they got put in time-out and write about why or if they even
made up a scenario while they were in trouble. (Intermediate)
Title: Skippyjon Jones in the Dog House
Author and Illustrator: Judy Schachner
Publication Date: 2005
Genre: Animal Fiction
Recommended Grade Range: Primary
Plot Summary:
The Napping House has the setting of a house on a rainy day, specifically in the bed of Granny.
It seems that in this story all of the characters play an equal role in this story. There is "a
wakeful flea on a slumbering mouse on a snoozing cat on a dozing dog on a dreaming boy on a
snoring granny..." Which brings out the plot; everyone in the entire house is napping the day
away. The entire family piles on to this bed and that seems to be the literary conflict, how many
characters can fit into this little bed? Then all of a sudden, "A wakeful flea who bites the mouse,
who scares the cat, who claws the dog, who thumps the child, who bumps the granny, who
breaks the bed..." In the climax this chain reaction to the flea causes everyone to be startled
awake and even break the bed! This moves quickly into the resolution where the sun is shining
and everyone is playing outside! I think the theme represents a wakefulness of the entire house
after the storm passes and how everyone needs to sleep in order to gain energy.
Features of Quality:
The Napping House was written and illustrated by a wife and husband, Audrey and Don Wood
who spent a good portion of the 1980's working on children's books together. Some have even
won awards like the Caldecott Honor and an Irma Simonton Black award. Not only do the
creators of The Napping House have an interesting background, but the illustrations are done
quite beautifully and they tie in very closely with the text. The text is done very creatively and it
is an entertaining read for emerging reader. The Napping House is a quick read and the lines
seem to roll off of your tongue, they all connect from page to page, "And on that bed there is a
granny, a snoring granny on a cozy bed in a napping house, where everyone is sleeping." The
next page you will find the same line except it will add just one more character in.
Curriculum Connections:
Reader Response Ideas:
1. Students will be provided with a picture of the characters that they can color and cut out. I will
then help them glue it on a life-size picture of a bed like in the book. (Primary)
2. This book is perfect for sequencing so students will tell the events, in their own words, in
order and draw a picture to correspond. (Intermediate)
Title: The Napping House
Author: Audrey Wood
Illustrator: Don Wood
Publication Date: 1984
Genre: Fiction
Recommended Grade Range: Primary
Plot Summary:
The Lion and the Mouse is almost completely wordless but it tells a great story! The main
characters are a quiet little mouse and a strong lion. The setting is in the wilderness in a safari
type of background. In the plot the little mouse is nearly taken by a screeching owl but it lands
on the lion which scares the owl away. Instead of having the mouse for a meal the lion allows it
to run back to its family. Then there are hunters that set a trap and the literary conflict shows the
lion raised into the tree and cannot get out. In the climax, the mouse knows that he must do
something to help the lion that had once save its life. This is when the mouse runs and starts
scratching and gnawing at the rope the lion is stuck in. Finally, in the resolution the mouse frees
the lion and it runs along to tell its friends. There can be many themes that can be taken away
from this story. However, I think the most significant I have found is that it does not matter how
large or small one is; it is what is inside that matters. It truly shows that the mouse's heart is just
as large as that of the lion.
Features of Quality:
Jerry Pinkney is the creator of The Lion and the Mouse as well as other very popular books.
Pinkney has used a one of Aesop's fables for this story and it is done beautifully. The story
carries a theme that is relevant throughout all time and it is a story that is passed down through
many generations. Not only can it relate to the size of heart and how much anyone can care but
The Lion and the Mouse can also signify that we should all respect everyone because you never
know who is going to genuinely help another. Also, stereotypes can be incorrect and we should
know what is on the inside before judging anybody. This book also has amazing illustrations
and even though it is wordless it is very easy to understand and it can be entertaining to hear
students’ interpretations.
Curriculum Connections:
Reader Response Ideas:
1. Students will gather together and look at The Lion and the Mouse as a class and interpret the
pictures. Everyone will get a chance to speak about what they think is going on. (Primary)
2. Students will come up with a wordless story of their choice and share with their peers.
(Intermediate)
Title: The Lion and the Mouse
Author and Illustrator: Jerry Pinkney
Publication Date: 2009
Genre: Animal Fiction
Recommended Grade Range: Primary
Plot Summary:
Voices in the Park is a story told by four different main characters, a bossy woman, a sad man,
a lonely boy, and a young girl. The setting is in a city park. The young girl is, however, the one
that connects all of the stories. The plot tells of an older grumpy lady who takes their dog and
son, Charles to the park and this is when Victoria, the dog had gotten away and then Charles had
disappeared when the lady went to look for the dog. The lady had later found the boy and dog
together playing with a young girl. At the same time a different side of the story is told, the sad
man reading the paper, looking for a job, on the bench that the lady seemed to have overlooked.
He decides to take his dog and daughter, Smudge to the park. Then the little boy, Charles who
seemed a little lonely tells his story. Their different stories are the literary conflict. This is
where the stories seem to connect to each other. Smudge and Charles meet in the park while his
mother was looking for Victoria so they went to play on the playground. The climax is really
told when the little girl, Smudge tells her story. She tells about meeting Charles and spending the
day with him. "Then we all played on the bandstand, and I felt really, really happy." In the
resolution, they all parted their separate ways and went home but the little boy missed Smudge
so much. The theme of this story really shows how many different people's lives cross paths and
how one person can make a huge difference to another.
Features of Quality:
Voices in the Park are a very enjoyable story and I am sure that many young children could
relate to this book. It is great how Anthony Browne relates these four people through what seems
to be an average visit to the park. However, it can really teach children that it they can be open to
being friends with anybody, "It was a girl, unfortunately, but I went anyway." It really shows
how different everyone can be as well. The sad man was searching for a job and his family was
not as well off as Charles and his mother who had judged Smudge and called her "a very rough-
looking child..." Then when the boy had to leave Smudge he was very upset and wondered if
they could ever play together again. Therefore, another theme could be not to judge anybody
based on the outer appearance or their parents job situation.
Curriculum Connections:
Reader Response Ideas:
1. Students will write a story of a friend that is either the same or different from them and draw a
picture of their favorite memory with them. (Primary)
2. Students will write in their journal about a time that they were sad and somebody made them
turn their day around or when they helped make somebody happy. (Intermediate)
Title: Voices in the Park
Author: Anthony Brown
Illustrator: Anthony Brown
Publication Date: 1998
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Recommended Grade Range: Primary
Plot Summary:
Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters setting takes place in a small village in Africa. The main
characters are Mufaro and his two daughters, Manyara and Nyasha. Manyara believed that her
sister was the one who was loved more, "Because everyone talks about how kind you are, and
they praise everything you do. I'm certain that Father loves you best." In the plot the king called
for all beautiful daughters in the land to one day be his queen and Mufaro was going to send both
of his daughters. Manyara was determined for the king to choose her and she would do anything
to get there before her sister so she snuck out of the village and went on a journey. The literary
conflict is Manyara having a rotten attitude and not helping or being polite to others. In the
climax, the people that Manyara had been mean to have been revealed as the king. He was also
Nyasha's friend, the snake that helped her in the garden and he had been watching the two girls
all along. In the resolution, Mufaro was proud of both of his daughters, "Nyasha, the queen; and
Manyara, a servant in the queen's household." You should always be kind to others and never be
selfish is the theme.
Features of Quality:
The book, Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters, has the most beautiful illustrations I have seen in a
while; no wonder why it did receive the Caldecott Honor. Also, the story is matched with the
text very well. I believe that many young readers will get a good message from this story.
Manyara was a nasty girl who though that she was better than anyone else, "But when I am a
queen, everyone will know that your silly kindness is only weakness." She did not want to help
anybody else and was only looking out for herself. She spent her entire life thinking that she
would become queen and that nobody was worthy for her but the story reveals that the king was
actually morphing into these other creatures as a test of the daughters’ character. Therefore, the
kind and giving daughter, Nyasha became queen. The story holds a message that is relevant
through the ages, treat others with kindness and respect and you will prevail.
Curriculum Connections:
Reader Response Ideas:
1. Students will write a similar story and draw illustrations. They will use their imagination to
create a story about someone's attitude either ruining their life or helping them prevail.
(Intermediate)
2. Students will write in their journals about being a king or queen and what they would do with
this title. (Primary)
Title: Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters
Author: John Steptoe
Publication Date: 1987
Genre: Historical Fiction
Recommended Grade Range: Intermediate
Plot Summary:
The setting of Where the Wild Things Are is in the main character, Max's, imagination. Max is
a young boy who gets into some trouble and his mother sends him to bed without supper. In the
plot, Max heads to his room where he sees a forest growing, "...until his ceiling hung with vines
and the walls became the world all around." He travels on a boat to a place far, far away to a
place where the wild things live. Max is not terrified, however, when he sees them. Instead, in
the climax, Max is able to tame them and they worship him and they all played together until he
missed his family, which is also the literary conflict. "And Max the king of all wild things was
lonely and wanted to be where someone loved him best of all." This is when Max gave up being
king and he sailed all the way back home where, in the resolution, his mom had his supper
waiting for him. The theme of the story could be that your imagination can take you anywhere.
However, I think the more important message is that there is no place like home with the people
who love you the most.
Features of Quality:
Where the Wild Things Are is a story that has been told for years, almost 50 at that! Where the
Wild Things Are has recently been made in to a very popular movie. This story is a favorite
among many of students to this day and they all love reading this. It is a very entertaining story
and is great for a read-aloud. The illustrations are great and they even hold a Caldecott Honor;
they match the text wonderfully. Maurice Sendak has created a trilogy out of Where the Wild
Things Are and he is a wildly popular children's book author and illustrator. Of course, this story
holds a very important message. While Max wanted to use his imagination and go off to his
fantasy world, the most important thing was still waiting at home for him whenever he wished to
return.
Curriculum Connections:
Reader Response Ideas:
1. Student will imagine their fantasy world and write a few sentences to correspond with a
picture they will draw. (Primary)
2. Students will recall a time where their imagination really went wild! They will write a story
about what comes to their mind and share with the classroom. (Intermediate)
Title: Where the Wild Things Are
Author: Maurice Sendak
Illustrator: Maurice Sendak
Publication Date: 1963
Genre: Fiction
Recommended Grade Range: Primary or Intermediate
Plot Summary:
The main character of this story is of course Roberto Clemente. It follows his life from a poor
young boy living in Puerto Rico to a young man who made his way into the big leagues in
Pittsburgh, the setting. In the plot Roberto is a really hard worker who loved the game of
baseball and would do anything to be able to play forever. He started by playing in the muddy
fields in his hometown but he was determined and got drafted to the Pirates, the worst team in
the league that year. When he first got there, Roberto Clemente was a no-name and people made
fun of him for his skin color and accent, the literary conflict. However, he started proving that
he would be one of the best to ever play baseball, "He could hit line drives, bunts, towering home
runs, sacrifice flies, whatever was needed." In the climax, Roberto lead the Pirates winning two
World Series in a row and Clemente proved in his statistics to be the best player of his time.
"Roberto stood on second base, amazed. How far he had come." In the resolution, Roberto
returns home after the season where he was killed in a plane crash, but his memory lives on
forever. The theme of the story lies in one of Clemente's very own quotes, "If you don't try as
hard as you can," he said, "you are wasting your life."
Features of Quality:
Baseball is America's favorite pastime and many young students look up to some players.
Roberto Clemente played in the 60's and 70's but he happens to be one of the most popular
players of all time. Many people are inspired by his story, coming up from nearly nothing and
making it big in the majors. Also, he was ridiculed for being different, "They mocked his
Spanish accent, and when Roberto got angry, the mainly white newsmen called him a Latino
'hothead.'" However, Roberto never gave up on his dreams and he was hugely successful. This is
definitely a story many people can relate to. Also, the illustrations in this book match the text
and are very vivid and colorful! Jonah Winter has written many books about baseball and other
biographies and Raul Colon has won awards for his illustrations in many other children's
books.
Curriculum Connection:
Reader Response Ideas:
1. Students will think of somebody who has inspired them and draw a picture. They will share
the picture and tell the class why this is their hero. (Primary)
2. Students will research somebody who they would consider their hero and write a biography
about them to share with the class. (Intermediate)
Title: Roberto Clemente- Pride of the Pittsburgh Pirates
Author: Jonah Winter
Illustrator: Raul Colon
Publication Date: 2005
Genre: Biography
Recommended Grade Range: Intermediate
Plot Summary:
Albert Einstein: Scientist and Genius is a biographical picture book so he is the main character.
The setting follows him through his home in Germany beginning in 1879. In the story, Albert
was a young boy who was a little slower when it came to developing, "Albert said few words
before he was 2 years old. Some people worried that he might never speak." In the plot, his
father gave him a compass when he was young boy and this inspired him to think about new
ideas. "Albert was the happiest when he was learning about the world around him." Albert's love
of learning only grew into college and in the climax he did some truly great things. When he was
26 wrote four very significant papers and explained his ideas about space and time. Of course, he
explained that "all energy can change into mass." He told others about E=mc2 and this helped
the discovery of treatments for diseases. Even though Einstein was a great mind the literary
conflict is shown when it describes his personal life and marriages in struggle. Albert Einstein
won the Nobel Prize for Physics and moved to America to continue his studies. The resolution
comes when Einstein dies at the age of 76 after trying to commit his life to world peace. The
theme seems to be that with hard work anything is possible.
Features of Quality:
Everyone learns at a very young age who Albert Einstein is. He is a great mind who has inspired
great change with his ideas. "Albert Einstein was a great scientist. He made important
discoveries about space, time and energy. He spent most of his time thinking about new ideas.
He questioned common scientific beliefs. Albert's work caused people to take a fresh look at old
ideas." Therefore, it is a very interesting and inspiring story especially to share with young
readers. They will learn about history and hopefully help them be creative to come up with new
ideas about things. Also, the illustrations are done very nicely and support the text well. This
book helps present very complex ideas in an easy to understand way.
Curriculum Connections:
Reader Response Ideas:
1. Students will create their own invention and a diagram to present in the classroom.
(Intermediate)
2. Students will draw a picture and write about something that they wish to create one day. Ideas
should be as imaginative as possible. (Primary)
Title: Albert Einstein- Scientist and Genius
Author: Suzanne Slade
Illustrator: Jolene Schultz
Publication Date: 2008
Genre: Biography
Recommended Grade Range: Primary and Intermediate
Plot Summary:
The setting of The Little Penguin is in the cold and arctic lands where the penguins live. The Big
Penguin was sitting on an egg to keep it warm and waiting a very long time for it to hatch. One
day Little Penguin, the main character, was born and his father told him, "One day you will be
an Emperor of the Ice like me." In the plot, Big Penguin carried his little one to meet all of his
friends and family of all different species of penguins. Little Penguin looked forward to the day
that he would look like this beautiful big penguins. Then, they all went on a journey to meet
Little Penguin's mother so his father warned him to stay close to the group. However, Little
Penguin became curious about a different kind of bird and wandered over to him. This bird
pointed out how all of the penguin’s feathers falling out and this is the literary conflict. He
became really sad and he looked around for all of his friends but he couldn't find anybody. In the
climax, Little Penguin meets a baby seal who helps him find his father and he found his entire
family who was getting ready to swim in the ocean. In the resolution, Little Penguin swam
around with all of his friends and had so much fun until he forgot about his feathers falling out
until he remembered that he might freeze but he had grown beautiful feathers. "Now you, too,
are an Emperor of the Ice," his father said. The theme of this story is that one day everyone will
grow into their own beautiful feathers, just the way they were meant.
Features of Quality:
The Little Penguin has a theme that any young student can connect to. Sometimes you don't look
or feel the way you think you should or want to but one day, we all become exactly who we were
meant to be. "It takes a long ocean journey and some gentle words of wisdom from his mother
before he realizes that he has become what he most wanted to be after all." This is a very
entertaining story to read to young readers and they love the penguins. Stephanie Boey has a lot
of experience illustrating children's books and the pictures in The Little Penguin are gorgeous
and very vivid. Also, this story is very well written and is easily understood so it is perfect for
emergent readers!
Curriculum Connections:
Reader Response Ideas:
1. Students will create and draw an animal of their own and tell the class about the journey that it
took to become a wonderful and happy animal. (Primary)
2. Students will write in their journal about a time that they felt sad because they didn't look the
same as somebody else and how they overcame this. (Intermediate)
Title: The Little Penguin
Author: A.J. Wood
Illustrator: Stephanie Boey
Publication Date: 2001
Genre: Animal Fiction
Recommended Grade Range: Primary
Plot Summary:
The book Baloney takes place in a classroom in an outer space setting. Henry P. Baloney is the
main character who is a young boy that is often late to class. In the plot, his teacher finally puts
her foot down and says, "Permanent lifelong detention... unless you have one very good and very
believable excuse." This is when Henry knows that he has to come up with quite the story so that
he can avoid detention. He gets his imagination going and tells a story about how he had to find
his pencil and the events that followed just could not allow for him to be on time this day. He
tells of how he accidently hits the wrong button in a shuttle and it took him to a faraway place
and "All of which made me exactly seven minutes late," says Henry. All of this seems to be the
literary conflict; the boy had so many troubles being on time. Then comes the climax, he has to
hear if his teacher believes his story but she does not. However, in the resolution she tells Henry
that the assignment this day was to create a tall tale so he was safe, once again. The theme of this
story is that everyone has difficulties with things. Also, in the preface Scieszka explains that he
has used words to let young readers know that it can be difficult and it is okay to not understand.
Features of Quality:
Jon Scieszka is known for creating very entertaining stories that allow students to understand
that everyone has difficulties with certain things, "It's also about that weird feeling you get when
you are learning to read and every other word looks like it comes from outer space." He replaces
words like pencil (zimulus), desk (deski), car (torakku), school (szkola), rocket (razzo) and it sets
the tone for an entertaining read that students can really get involved with in a read-aloud. Also,
the illustrations are very detailed when showing this other world that Henry comes from. It is a
great story for students who have low self-esteem when it comes to reading because it shows
them that it is easy to get confused, "But I forgot the Astrosus word for than you and accidentally
used the word for Doofbrain." Not only, is it an enjoyable read but this book really gets the
imagination flowing.
Curriculum Connections:
Reader Response Ideas:
1. Students will create an imaginative world that they would like to visit. They will also draw
pictures of what they may see here and share their ideas with the class. (Primary)
2. Students will create their own tall tale of why they may have been late one day to school and
create words in place of common objects in their story. (Intermediate)
Title: Baloney (Henry P.)
Author: Jon Scieszka
Illustrator: Lane Smith
Publication Date: 2001
Genre: Fiction
Recommended Grade Range: Primary
Plot Summary:
The story, Miss Fiona's Stupendous Pumpkin Pies is centered around Halloween which means it
has a somewhat spooky type of setting, "Down past the spooky graveyard and across the
stubbled fields, there lies a big, old, haunted house..." The main character is Miss Fiona who is
thought of as an old scary witch and "legend says Fiona is four hundred years and three." Miss
Fiona lives in this old, run down house with a few cats and a horse. She always wears a pointed
hat and has stringy, dirty hair. In the plot all the children seem to fear Miss Fiona but she never
really means any harm. However, she has a really nice garden that she takes care of and there are
a lot of pumpkins in it. "She has so many pumpkins; some come rolling out the door!" In the
literary conflict, Fiona is seen as a kooky old lady and but she just loves Halloween and
pumpkins! The climax comes on Halloween night when all of the children are out trick-or-
treating when they come to the very last house, right at midnight, Miss Fiona's! She chooses one
child to come inside her home to help her with the pies. All of the other children are waiting
outside and then Miss Fiona calls them all in to enjoy some pumpkin pie! The resolution is when
the children enjoy their pie while Miss Fiona reads them all spooky Halloween stories. "And as
we leave, she sends us home with an extra slice of pie for Mom and Dad and Grandma." The
theme is then summed up perfectly, "But who cares how kooky someone looks, when there's
goodness deep within?"
Features of Quality:
There are a few different elements of quality in Miss Fiona's Stupendous Pumpkin Pie. This
book definitely enjoyable for all ages and can really be incorporated into curriculum during
Halloween (provided the school allow it.) It teaches a great lesson that can really be useful at any
age, "Appearances aren't always what they seem." It is very important to teach students that what
is on the outside does not necessarily matter; anyone is capable of being a good person. Also, the
illustrations are very vivid and they match the text wonderfully. This story also uses some
rhyming lines, "Just take one big, plump, ripe pumpkin; add a lizard and a toad. Stir in a few
good bats wings and serve it a la mode!" The author utilizes conversation bubbles as well and it
makes it fun for students to participate.
Curriculum Connections: Reader Response Ideas:
1. Students can write in a journal about their most memorable Halloween yet. They can match
the journal with a drawing of their costume that year and share with their peers. (Primary)
2. Students could create their own story incorporating something from the book like a dessert or
even about somebody who has been misunderstood and draw pictures to go along with it.
(Intermediate)
Title: Miss Fiona's Stumpendous Pumpkin Pies
Author: Mark Kimball Moulton
Illustrator: Karen Hillard Good
Publication Date: 2011
Genre: Holiday Fiction
Recommended Grade Range: Primary
Plot Summary
The setting of Horace and Morris but Mostly Dolores seems to be in the streets or a dump. The
story describes the main characters, Horace, Morris, and Dolores as three mice who were the best
of friends and liked to go on adventures, "They sailed the seven sewers" and "climbed Mount
Ever Rust." Also, there were very vivid pictures of the clubhouses, mountains, and toys that are
built from garbage. In the plot of the story Horace and Morris feel like they need to do more boy
stuff, "A boy mouse must do what a boy mouse must do!" However, this would mean having to
leave their best friend, Dolores behind. So the boys go off and join a clubhouse where no girl
mice were allowed and Dolores goes to an all-girl clubhouse. The literary conflict comes when
Horace and Morris realize how much more fun they had with Dolores and she felt the same way.
During the climax the mice decide that they all miss spending time with each other’s and all of
the adventures they used to go on. They left their separate clubs with two new friends they met
Chloris and Boris and started a new club in the resolution. The theme in Horace and Morris but
Mostly Dolores is that everyone can be friends, no matter what gender. The new clubhouse sign
even read, "Everyone allowed!"
Features of Quality
Horace and Morris but Mostly Dolores was written by James Howe. He is a very well-known
author of children's book and released over 80 books since 1979. Howe has won many awards
including the E.B. White Read Aloud Award for Picture Book
(http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/James_Howe). In Horace and Morris but Mostly
Dolores Howe uses a very rich dialect. All of the names rhyme (Horace, Morris, Dolores,
Chloris, Boris) and it makes for a very entertaining read aloud. He also makes a play on words
with cheese because of the mice, "How to get a fella using mozzarella." The illustrations are
great attention getters as well! Amy Walrod created some great visuals that children would love.
The adventures the three mice go on are very vivid through pictures and the forts have a lot of
details to really get the imagination going.
Curriculum Connections: Reader-Response Ideas
1. Students could draw their own pictures of what their dream fort would look like. It would be
great for their imagination and a fun way for them to connect to the story. After they finished
drawing the students could have an opportunity to tell the class about their own fort. (Primary
grades)
2. Students could write a page or so in their journal about some adventures that their friends go
on or would like to. It would be neat to get their imagination going and draw ideas from the story
about what they'd do. Also, I'd like to incorporate the theme into their activity, do they feel that
everyone should be allowed to participate in their adventure. Why or why not?
(Intermediate/middle grades)
Title: Horace and Morris but Mostly Dolores Author: James Howe Illustrator: Amy Walrod Publication Date: 2003 Genre: Recommended Grade Range: Primary