There was an old lady who swallowed a fly

Title: There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly
Author/Illustrator: Simms Taback
Publisher: Viking Children's Books: New York 1997
ISBN: 0-590-63264-7

    As a child, the nursery rhyme that follows this story has always fascinated me. I have read this story numerous times, and every-time I read it with children they seem to pick up on the language very quickly. I choose to discuss this book because I think it is a great picture book to use with children who are learning to read. This book tells the story of an old woman who swallows a fly, and continues to swallow an absurd array of different animals. Each page shows the old woman with a hole cut out in the page to show the readers the animal she swallowed inside her stomach. Each page also shows a great amount of detail. The pictures in the story match the print, so as children are reading along they can make a text-to-picture match.
    This story also has the three R's of early reading: Rhyme, Repetition, and Rhythm, which are important factors to keep in mind when selecting a book for early readers. As I mentioned this story was inspired by an old song which dates back to 1953, so I think playing the song while reading this story would be fun! This story is an interactive, as well as pattern style picture book for readers. Throughout the book a few lines repeat on each page: "There was an old lady who swallowed a 'blank' I don't know why she swallowed that 'blank' perhaps she'll die". There are also a number of picture ques for readers to follow along with. On each page the old woman swallows something different and there is usually a picture of the animal in her stomach, so they may use this in order to complete the sentence mentioned above.
    I think this book would be great for teachers to use in the classroom, for a read aloud, or just to keep it in the class library for the students to explore independently. I believe good picture books are very important for children to explore when they are learning to read. Children need structure and plenty of active methods that contain repetition when they are focusing on reading. Books that are easy to follow along with are a great way to boost a child's self-confidence while reading. Picture books (such as this one), that also have high-frequency words, are also a great way to help children stay in rhythm with the story. Teachers and students can learn to have fun with reading, if they choose books that can stimulate their prior-knowledge. Fun books can make reading fun!

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems

Title: Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
Author/Illustrator: Mo Willems
Publisher: Hyperion Books For Children: New York 2003
ISBN: 978-078681988-1

     This book was hilarious! I really enjoyed the humor as well as the illustrations. The manner, style, and tone of this book really spoke to me. I liked the fact that the main character (the pigeon) had bubbles from his mouth every time that he spoke, and the words are large print, which is great for those learning to read. The pictures really matched the pigeon's emotions as well. The main seller of this story, is that the book is speaking to you, the reader. In the very beginning the bus driver says "Hi! I'm the bus driver. Listen, I've got to leave for a little while, so can you watch things for me until I get back? Thanks. Oh, and remember: Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! right there and then I could tell I was in for a ride. On each page the pigeon is speaking to you, the reader.
     I liked the fact that children can play along with the book, and answer the pigeon back. The author makes a joke on the back cover which states "Finally a book you can say no to!" which I found to be true, after I read the story. The children are in control of the story. They get to be in charge of the pigeon's fate when it comes to driving the bus. The pigeon's funny antics, questions, and comments throughout the story are also a great way to keep children interested. It kept me interested in finding out what he would say next in order to get me to let him drive the bus. There are two particular pages which I perceived as the main comedic piece; they are set up as a comic strip of only the pigeon. In each square he is coming up with a different excuse or way to make you let him drive the bus, which I thought was really cute.
     This book teaches children responsibility and patience. If a teacher were to use this book in a classroom, there are many lessons or games they could do with the students. The bus driver clearly said not to let the pigeon drive the bus, but how can we be sure everyone reading will listen? The teacher could do so many reading activities with this book. I have so many in my head already! For example, students could be grouped, or partnered, and be asked to illustrate or write down all the things that could go wrong if the pigeon drove the bus. Another idea is during a read aloud for this book, have the students turn and talk to a neighbor, explaining why they think the pigeon should or should not drive the bus. The possibilities are endless, which is why I would definitely recommend reading this book whether you are a child or an adult. The story really comes to life! I completely understand why this book won a Caldecott Honor in 2003. Its illustrations are amazingly funny as well as perfectly depicted for the setting in the story.