Waiting, Yellow Stars, and weird art

Today I'm going to tell you about 6 picture books over two posts. enjoy!

Willems, M.(2014) Waiting is Not Easy!. New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children

Piggie has a surprise for Gerald, but he’ll have to wait to see it.  After getting worked up about the surprise, waiting for it becomes very hard for Gerald.  He groans, he moans, and eventually becomes quite cross.  Eventually he finds out the surprise was worth waiting for.

        Waiting is something all children have trouble with, so any of them (and many adults as well) will relate to this book.  The pictures are pretty simple (except the surprise), but this really gives focus to Gerald’s and Piggie’s conversation.  I also like that the end papers are not plain and reflect on the story within.

Deedy, C. (2000) The Yellow Star: The Legend of King Christian X of Denmark. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree Publishers

All of the people of Denmark love King Christian.  He rides through town, without a single guard, greeting his people.  One day, the Nazis that have menacing the rest of Europe start to show up in Denmark.  They try to hang their flag, but King Christian refuses.  Next, they announce that all Jews will have to wear a yellow star.  Knowing what this means, King Christian has to think of a way to protect his people.  The next day, as usual, he is seen riding through town.  This time though, he is wearing a yellow star.

This was a great story about a people coming together to oppose those that would harm even a small segment of them.  I was a bit sad to learn it wasn’t a true story, but It is inspiring nonetheless.  The author’s notes at the end are great for describing where the story comes from.

Creech, S. (2000) Fishing in the Air. New York, NY: Harper Collins

A father takes his boy on a fishing trip.  As they head out, the father points out ordinary things comparing them to something more fantastic.  The boy starts to see them that way too.  Even as they get to their fishing spot, the imagining continues.  The boy comes away with better understanding of his father, and a more vivid imagination.

The concept of using imagination to see beyond the normal is a fun lesson.  I had a hard time telling what was going on from the pictures of this book though.  The water color paintings could be pretty, but they became more confusing and artsy as the book went on, to me taking away from the story.  While the story was decent, it fails as a picture book.