Author: Lemony Snicket
Website: http://www.lemonysnicket.com/
Illustrated By: Maira Kalman
Website: http://www.mairakalman.com/
Media Used: Oil painted illustrations
Summary: 13 words are woven into a tale about a "despondent" bird and the dog who tries to cheer her up. The story is then followed by a short song that retells the story using the 13 words.
Personal Thoughts: The words in this story range from simple ( ex: baby, bird, cake) to sophisticated (ex: despondent, haberdashery, panache). The story's plot is simple enough - the dog wants to cheer up his friend bird who is sad - but the way the language is used makes it appropriate for older readers as well as young. The way the book is presented reminded me of the story of how/why Seuss created Green Eggs and Ham - because of a wager in which he was challenged to write a book using only 50 words. While there are far more then just 13 words used in Snicket's book, there is still the sense of challenge in its composition.
Lesson Plan Idea (under construction): A great writing exercise for older readers would be having them select a certain number of words from a box and then have to write a story using those words. This book, as well as Seuss's, could be used to introduce the concept.
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