00013875

This is an easy read for very young children. It lists the different homes of animals, even some adults would not know. It gives qualities and characteristics that every home has. It was a very cute and quick read. It has vocabulary young children may not be familiar with, so this book could be a supplement to learning such words. ( )

This book is about homes, and what makes a home a home. It mainly talks of animals’ homes; it describes where animals make homes and how those homes are safe and snug. It tells how each one of us has a place we call home whether it is a house, a den, or a nest and the home that we live in is just right for us. Home is a place for play, rest, and to be close to the ones we love while feeling safe and secure.

This book used fantastic illustrations, very brilliant pictures. Simple and plain pictures, yet very detailed at the same time. The pictures in this book stood out in a different way than usual picture books. The pictures were set in the middle of the pages in the form of circular shapes, the white background of the pages stood out and the text was short, but to the point. This book had a very rhythmic feature which made it more enjoyable to read, the words fit right together and rolled right into the next group of words for the rhyming, the author articulated this very well. This book was so pleasant to read, it made me feel right at home and so cozy looking at the pictures of all the animals in their cozy dwellings, it made me thankful for my cozy home, a place that I am safe and snug.

I would have my class draw me a picture of their home, and some of the things they do at home, like play, sleep, eat, or just hang out with their families. I would have each one give an example to the class what makes their home special to them, and how they feel safe and snug like the animals in the book. Also, after reading the class the story, I would play a game where I would thumb back through the book page by page asking the students to raise their hand if they would like to be the animal shown on the page and have them tell why.

A good example of poetry because this information about different homes for different animals is presented in an interesting, rhyming poetic manner. This poem gives an informational message that ultimately says we all live in different places because we are all different, but we all have needs that are very similar: to feel at home someplace. In rhyme, many different homes are presented with the animal that would reside there depicted in the illustration. A snail is shown on the page that reads: "A shell that's carried place to place". And we see bats above the caption: "A silent cave". The author expresses the diversity but ultimate unity of all created beings.

Media: acrylic ( )