Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Author/Illustrator: Mo Willems
Genre: Modern Fantasy
Awards: Caldecott Award
Age Level: 3-6

Summary: In the story, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, the pigeon sees that the bus driver goes on break. The pigeon has one goal in mind and he can't stop thinking about how he wants to drive the bus even though he was told "no." He is very pushy and persuasive and gives many reasons why he should be allowed to drive the bus before he throws a tantrum. All along, the reader is placed to make the decision between right and wrong. I loved the adorable pale and simple illustrations. Each page of the book had large fonts and minimal words for easy reading. This book is a great example for the reader to reflect on how to make good decisions and not melt down if things don't go their way.

When Sophie Gets Angry--Really, Really Angry...

When Sophie Gets Angry--Really, Really Angry...

Author/Illustrator: Molly Bang
Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction
Awards: Caldecott Medal
Age Level: 5-10

Summary: In the story, When Sophie Gets Angry--Really, Really Angry... the reader sees how upset the main character, Sophie, gets when she is angry. We learn that everyone gets angry sometimes and that its okay to be angry if you handle yourself correctly. Sophie decides that she is going to run away from her family in attempt to cope with her anger. She finds herself stuck in a tree and in need of her families help. Once she realizes that her family will be there for her no matter what, she is reassured that it is ok to get upset she just needs to communicate with her loved ones. Illustrations in this story seem to be painted by brush with bold colors. Colors such as red and orange are used throughout for the reader to read and feel the frustration in text and images of little Sophie.

Officer Buckle and Gloria

Officer Buckle and Gloria

Genre: Traditional Literature
Author: Peggy Rathmann
Awards: Caldecott Honor Award in 1996
Age Group: 4-8 years old

Summary: Officer Buckle was an officer who was a huge fan of safety tips in Napville. He was given a dog named, Gloria, by the Napville Police Department to bring to the schools to help educate children on safety tips. The dog became a huge hit amongst the students and was even written to through fan mail! Officer Buckle found out that people were really watching Gloria during his whole speech and began to feel discouraged. He stopped giving speeches altogether feeling that no one cared about him. Later that week, a student wrote a letter to Officer Buckle saying that she missed Gloria's partner and wants to see him back on the stage again.  From then on, Officer Buckle felt like his life had purpose again and was proud to go back to work as a team with his police dog, Gloria.