3 Picture Books

I really enjoyed all three of these books! I definitely had a favorite and a not-so-favorite, but they truly do have captivating and memorable story lines.

For this assignment, I read Come See the Earth Turn by Lori Mortensen, House Held Up by Trees by Ted Kooser, and The Sandman by William Joyce.

Come See the Earth Turn (FAVORITE)
Come See the Earth Turn is an informational text, describing the life long goal of Leon Foucault. Because this story is based on true events, its illustrated depictions and detailed texts offer an ample opportunity of understanding for young readers and older readers alike.
The story of Foucault involves his aspirations for proving the world spins on its axis. As the story tells, numerous scientists had been trying to figure out a way to prove this, but none of them were ever successful. The story tells of Foucault's social struggles in school, claiming that he was a "shy and awkward boy who often sat in a corner reading by himself "(7). The climax of the story takes place when Foucault finally (after many sleepless nights and careful study) figures out a way to prove that the Earth spins on its axis. He invites scientists and other distinguished guests to the Meridian Hall in Paris in order to prove his claim. After his difficult childhood and hard work, "... the frail, awkward boy... had proved the earth turned"(28)!
This books includes accurate dates, places, and figures during this time period in which science was really reaching its height in interest and discovery. Come See the Earth Turn does an excellent job at providing relevant, interesting information while still maintaining readers' interests. Furthermore, the book includes a glossary at the back of the text, which readers could certainly utilize to decode some of the scientific terminology.
I would most definitely use this book in my future classroom. It provides great opportunity for literacy across curriculum. It also allows for students to work on their skills for pronunciation and using a glossary. I honestly believe this book allows for easier, deeper understanding of Foucault and his contributions to modern society. It would be great as a supplemental text, even in 7th or 8th grade!

House Held Up by Trees (NOT-SO-FAVORITE)
House Held Up by Trees is a story of change and the means by which one is "supposed" to accept change. I think it does a great job of relaying several deeper meanings within the text, while also engaging the reader in the story. I didn't like it as much as Come See the Earth Turn, especially for a classroom. It lacks relevancy. The story is also a bit depressing.
The story takes place in a distant location- a house is shared by a father and his two children: a boy and a girl. All characters are unnamed and are never pictured directly from the front. The main focus of this book is the trees and their names. The author constantly names the trees that surround the house, but never really gives a reason why. Hidden between the lines are themes such as growing up, becoming older, resilience, strong sibling bonds, and accepting change.
The father becomes too old to take care of the house, after his children grow up. He moves away and allows the yard to grow unruly  (earlier in the book, he constantly mows the grass around the house) around the house. He is resistant to change at first, but then understands that it is time to let go.
House Held Up by Trees is a good story with complex themes. I believe it is engaging as well. However, I would not use it in my classroom. It is written poorly with terrible sentence structure, and its tone is far too depressing.

The Sandman
The Sandman is a fun story, that would most likely be classified as a traditional text, as it involves folklore and legend. It tells the story of the "Sandman", or "Sanderson Mansnoozie". The story details how nightmares and dreams came to be. The story sort of serves as a comforting reminder that nightmares are not real.
 I believe this books would be great fro lower elementary students, but I think it might be a little below middle school level. 4th and 5th grades students might (secretly!) enjoy this book, as it really does make the legend of the Sandman come to life. The illustrations are bright and detailed- truly amazing and captivating  I found myself taking more time to look at this illustrations in this book than the other two stories combined. 
I would use this in my classroom as a 4th or 5th grade teacher, especially for days like "Pijama Day". It's a fun, carefree story that allows the reader to recall times of childhood legends and tall tales. I also think that this book brings comfort to those struggling with uncertainty in themselves as being "good enough". Themes such as these really shine through the text of the story as well as the illustrations. 

Articles We Read this Week
As both articles reference, picture books are commonly used in elementary schools. There is a sort of stigma around these books that confine them to young children. However, using materials such as picture books, in middle school classrooms could actually be beneficial in some cases. For example, the first book I mentioned in this post, Come See the Earth Turn would be an excellent book to utilize in a middle grades classroom, especially in a social studies as a supplemental text when learning about Foucault. The AMLE website  asserts that picture books can be "interpreted at different levels";  this is absolutely true. There are many layers to picture books, and students should be challenged to think both critically and abstractly while reading these books. Usually, there are always deeper meanings between the basic lines of the story book's text. 
It is important for middle grades teachers to select appropriate texts as well. Students must be challenged with rigorous material in order to learn efficiently  Thus, selecting picture books that have no deeper meaning or do not have informational/ historical basis is probably not the best choice. 
The most important aspect of picture books that these articles highlight is that books are not just meant for language arts classrooms. Instead, picture books can be used in social studies (really any subject area!) classrooms as well. I love that this fact is being brought up in these articles, as my second content area is social studies. As I previously stated, picture books provide excellent sources for supplemental text. They allow for easier understanding while still encouraging scholarly habits. 


Joyce, W. (2012). The Sandman. New York, NY: Antheum Books for Young Readers.
Kooser, T. (2012). House Held Up by Trees, illustrated by Jon Klassen. Somerville, MS: Candelwick Press.
Mortensen, L. (2010). Come See the Earth Turn, illustrated by Raul Allen. New York, NY: Tricycle Press.