This fiction picture book gives the reader a
snapshot of what happens in an urban park over the course of a hot summer day. Since
it’s so hot, most of the activity is centered on the pond or the splash zone
for children. The main elements of fiction used are character, setting, and mood. Everyone is hot and that’s why they
are at the park!
The prose style is descriptive with small bursts of
dialogue from different people in the park. The reader will learn what the
people around this city do all day as they walk, have lunch, commute to and
from work, or meet friends.
There are small bits of plot: the dog Fluffernut won’t swim in the pond in the morning, but
when he comes back that evening, he splashes happily. A nanny struggles with a
toddler who doesn’t want to leave. Characters that appear in the beginning
re-appear at the end of the book, closing the story nicely.
The illustrations are softly colored watercolors. Visual elements come from line and composition. The pictures show a diverse population and a crowded
place, with children playing, people picnicking, walking dogs, jogging, and
more.
This book is appropriate for ages 4-8. I chose it
for my children because it reminded me of times they played in the water in
Chicago’s Centennial Park.
A teacher could use this story to talk about how
life in a big city is different from living in a house with a yard, or have a
discussion about what to do on a hot day. In science, a teacher could ask
students how water is important to people and animals who live in the city.
Primary Science Standards
Academic Expectation 2.2: Students identify, analyze, and use patterns such as
cycles and trends to understand past and present events and predict possible
future events.
Students
will understand that
• Most living things need water, food
and air, while nonliving things can continue to exist without any requirements.
• Plants and animals have
features that help them live in different environments.
Nice job. No comma needed after first author in cite. I wonder how you could use this book in your high school class? BTW, my son is a Lafayette grad, and we used to live a couple of blocks away from the school. You work in an AWESOME place!!
ReplyDeleteI'm very excited to be at Lafayette this year! This book would be tough to use in math unless we plotted summer temperatures over a period of time to look for trends?
DeleteCan't edit this! Actually, the comma is just fine - I looked it up in the 6th ed. of APA manual. Just forgot!
ReplyDelete