Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature's Survivors

Sidman, J. (2010). Ubiquitous: Celebrating nature's survivors. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN: 978-0-618-71719-4

Author: Joyce Sidman
Website: http://www.joycesidman.com/

Illustrated By: Beckie Prange
Website: http://www.beckieprange.com/

Media Used (discussed in detail): The text is set in Berling, Caslon Antique, and ITC Legacy Sans.  The illustrations in the book were created using linocuts with hand-colored watercolor.  Lioncuts are created using a sheet of linoleum which is then carved so that the raised and un-raised parts of the sheet create a mirror image of the final illustration.  Color is then applied to the sheet of linocut and pressed onto paper to create the image.  Looking at the detail in some of the illustrations, you would never guess that a carving method was being utilized, as opposed to painting directly with watercolor.  My favorite illustration in the book is the scene with the crow flying in the sky.  The color of the sky is so vibrant and you can almost hear the crow cawing out as he flies.  I also really enjoyed how Prange colored the sky in the coyote scene.  The mix of purples and blue contrast wonderfully with the shadowy forms of the coyote pack.  The timeline is not only a work of art but also an ingenious idea.  Prange used a piece of string using a scale of 1 centimeter equaling 1 million years.  She then wrapped and looped the string on a piece of contact paper, marking the spots where the organisms mentioned appear on the timeline.  She then used this to create the pattern for her linocut carving.

Summary: Arranged in the order of their appearance in evolutionary time, different animals and organisms that have evolved to survive are presented along with poems and factual information.

Personal Reaction: I really enjoyed this book.  There is such a wonderful mixture of artwork, non-fictional information, and individual poems which works so well together.  There is also a glossary included at the end of the book explaining some of the different terms such as "ubiquitous."  I found my copy in the children's poetry section of my library, but it could also easily be shelved in the picture book or in the animal non-fiction section as well.  A great book that you just want to keep re-reading and exploring through again and again.

Use of Allusion: The phrase "[squirrel's brains] are just the size of walnuts" alludes to the commonly used phrase "your brain is the size of a walnut" meaning a person is stupid.  Which the poem then proves wrong as it goes to to state how squirrels are in fact "insatiably curious" and "natural-born problem solvers." 

Use of Metaphor: "Coal black eyes"  Use of Personification: “dandelions grow their hair” [like a mammal would] and ants "beat their legs against their chests” [like a person]. Use of Repetition: In the coyote poem, the word "come" is placed at the beginning of every line which adds extra emphasis encouraging the reader to follow.   Use of Rhyme: In the crow poem, every two lines end in rhyming pairs such as: Sky/why, shrill/chill, feet/greet, given/thicken, and schemes/dreams. Use of Symbol: The swirling timeline represents how much time has passed since the Earth was first formed until humans appeared on Earth. Curricular Connection: 9th to 12th Grade Science California Standard: Evolution 7.d. - Students know variation within a species increases the likelihood that at least some members of a species will survive under changed environmental conditions. [This book discusses organisms that have evolved to survived over time]. Evolution 8.b. - Students know a great diversity of species increases the chance that at least some organisms survive major changes in the environment [book discusses highly diverse species such as bacteria, mollusks, lichens, and ants].

Fallout: J. Robert Oppenheimer, Leo Szilard, and the politcal science of the atomic bomb

Ottaviani, J. (2001). Fallout: J. Robert Oppenheimer, Leo Szilard, and the political science of the atomic bomb. Ann Arbor, MI: G.T. Labs.  ISBN: 0-9660106-3-9 

Author: Jim Ottaviani
Website: http://www.gt-labs.com/writers.html

Artists:
Janine Johnston Website (under construction): http://www.janinejohnston.com/
Chris Kemple Website: http://www.redvengeance.com/
Steve Lieber Website: http://www.stevelieber.com/
Vince Locke Website: http://vincelocke.com/
Bernie Mireault Website: http://bem.spiltink.org/
Jeff Parker Website: http://www.parkerspace.com/

Media Used: The cover of the hardback edition is in color, while the rest of the graphic novel is illustrated in shades of black, gray, and white.

Summary:  Ever wonder just how the atomic bomb was created?  Learn about the people and politics behind the creation of the atomic bomb in this graphic novel about the lives of Oppenheimer and Szilard, two of the bomb's creators.

Personal Reaction:  The use of multiple artists, and thus multiple styles of drawing, in creating this book seemed to me to be a good idea.  The multiple styles helped to highlight the different viewpoints, time periods, and events that were taking place. One of my favorite artistic portions of the book included the 'interludes' and 'epilogue' portions which were created by Bernie Mirault because the format (classic comic book style) was easier to follow along with.  The portions by Locke ('school') and Parker ('work') were really hard for me to focus on because of the more messy penciling technique used.  Honestly, I really wanted to just skip over these parts of the book because I was so distracted by the style.  My first impression upon opening the book was "OMG! So much text crammed is crammed onto the page!" This worries me because I don't know many young adults who would be willing to move past that first impression when reading for pleasure.  But, I really enjoyed how the information being discussed was explained either in the dialogue, in small notes. or in the back section.  The book does have a lot of good information crammed into it.  I would recommend for an older (10th grade & up) audience with a strong interest in physics, scientists, or nuclear development.
Non-Fiction in Graphic Novel Format

Use of Onomatopoeia: "Pop" (p.86) is spelled out in the liquid spraying from the champagne bottle to mimic the sound of the cork being released.

Use of Repetition: The word "click" is repeated 61 times on pages 83 to 85 to mimic the constant sound of the control circuit instruments which were vital to determining the scientists safety.

Use of Allusion: The flowers pictured on p. 55 (and in the rest of the book) reference a story told by Frank Oppenheimer in The Day After Trinity which tells how Robert Oppenheimer would go to the woods to pee and return with a flower. [This is explained on p. 215 of Fallout].

Use of Metaphor: "The cloud resembled a giant brain, the convolutions of which were constantly changing." (p. 136)

Use of Simile: "It [the bomb's heat] was like opening a hot oven..." (p. 137).

Curricular Connection: Grades 9 to 12 Chemistry & 11th Grade History
California Standard:  Chemistry: Nuclear Processes - this book can be used to connect historical nuclear development when learning about nuclear processes.   
History: 11.7 Students analyze America’s participation in World War II - 11.7.6. Describe major developments in aviation, weaponry, communication, and medicine and the war’s impact on the location of American industry and use of resources.
11.7.7. Discuss the decision to drop atomic bombs and the consequences of the decision (Hiroshima and Nagasaki).

Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow

Sturm, J., & Tommaso, R. (2007). Satchel Paige :Striking out Jim Crow. New York, NY: Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children.
ISBN: 978-0-7868-3900-1
Book Website: http://cartoonstudies.org/books/paige/

My Personal Top Ten

Author: James Sturm
Website: http://www.drawnandquarterly.com/artStudio.php?artist=a3dff7dd55f39b

Illustrator: Rich Tommaso
Website: http://richtommaso.com/home/

Media Used (discussed in detail): James Sturm, who is a cartoonist, provided pencil drawn drafts of the story for Rich Tommaso to use as a guide.  Tommaso used both pen and brush in developing the final illustrations. Photos from the Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information (FSA-OWI) Collection  provided the artists with visual references of how rural life was like during the Jim Crow years.  Tommaso studied the lighting and composition of Thomas Hart Benton which influenced the book's style.  The illustrations in this book definitely set the moods found in the story.  The images of Paige tying his shoes, stretching, and moving the dirt highlight how methodical and unrushed he was regardless of who he was pitching to or who was talking to him.  The fact that each of Paige's motions, from adjusting his belt to raising his hands to lifting his leg,  is illustrated in a separate panel makes you feel the hitter's anxiety and Paige's slowness during his windup while quick transition of the ball then appearing in the catcher's glove illustrates how fast Paige could throw the ball.  My favorite set of panels was when Emmet was fading in and out from the pain of breaking his knee.  Anyone who has been knocked out and has had people standing over them will relate to those panels.  The other panel that really jerked at my emotions was the lynching scene on page 37.  Even though the author had been hinting at it in the text and the illustrator placed the panel last in a 2 page spread, it still seemed to sneak up on me which drove home the reality of the terrible injustices that were happening at that time.

Summary: Baseball hall-of-famer Leroy "Satchel" Paige's story, told from a fictional sharecropper's point of view. During his career he played for dozens of teams, was one of the Negro Leagues’ fastest pitchers, and played as a major league pitcher.

Personal Reaction: I have a soft spot for sports of all kinds in my life, but baseball and softball have always been my favorites.  So you would think that I would enjoy reading sports themed books, but that is usually not the case.  This book's text and illustrations captured the feelings and emotion of the game, as well as that of the time period, extremely well.   I would definitely recommend this book to a baseball or softball fan who is learning about this time in American History.  This is probably best used as a book for older readers (8th grade and up) because of the lynching scene, the scene where Emmet's son gets beaten up, and the one instance of the N-word being used.  A younger audience might not understand the context of these scenes within this time period.     

Use of Repetition: (1) The illustrations of the catcher with the ball in the glove is repeated to stress that Paige pitched so fast the ball just seemed to appear in the catcher's glove. (2) The re-occurring illustrations of Paige's pitching motions which show how he moved at his own pace and no one else's.

Lesson Plan #4: Segregation

Curricular Connection: 8th Grade American History
California Standard 8.11.3: Understand the effects of the Freedmen’s Bureau and the restrictions placed on the rights and opportunities of freedmen, including racial segregation and "Jim Crow" laws.

The Magic Horse fo Han Gan

Chen, J. H. (2006). The magic horse of Han Gan. (Claudia Zoe Bedrick Trans.). New York, NY: Enchanted Lion Books.
ISBN: 1-59270-063-2

Author & illustrator: Chen Jiang Hong
Website (publisher's): http://www.enchantedlionbooks.com/node/26

Media Used: Chen Jiang Hong painted the illustrations using the same technique that Han Gan used.  The illustrations were painted, using ink and pigment, directly on prepared silk.

Summary: Tells about how the Chinese artist Han Gan became renowned for the horses he drew.  The horses were so realistic looking that a legend was started about how his magical horses could come to life.

Personal Reaction: The book's illustrations are large and would do well when sharing with a group.  The horses are drawn wonderfully - exhibiting strength, power, and movement.  The first part of the book tells the biographical story of Han Gan and the second part of the books transitions into to the legend of the magic horse.  I felt that the story flowed smoothly and was presented much like it would be told during an oral storytelling.  A good legend to me is one that could have happened and a good way to achieve that is to blend fact and fiction.  Unlike most picture books, the pages are numbered which is actually quite helpful if you were presenting this to an older group and wanted them to reference a page during a writing response exercise.

Use of Repetition: Horses, which were Han Gan's favorite thing to draw, are drawn into almost every scene in the book.

Curricular Connection:  5th grade Art
California Standard 5.3: Historical and Cultural Context - Students analyze the role and development of the visual arts in past and present cultures throughout the world, noting human diversity as it relates to the visual arts and artists.