Rhyming books

1) Book title: Morning Song

2) APA Citation: Siddals, M. M. (2001). Morning Song. New York : Henry Holt and Co.

3) ISBN #: 0-8050-6369-2

4) This is a rhyming book about a young boy who wakes up in the morning and is lying in his bed. He then exemplifies the joys of saying “Good morning” to familiar objects in his room. This is a great way for anybody; regardless of weather they are children or adults to have their own simple cheerful celebration of a new day. The young boy then progresses from saying “Good morning” to objects in his room on to people he encounters first thing in the morning. For example, he greets his baby brother and spends sometime interacting with him. He also looks at the weather and notices the brightness of the sun. The fact that he is wearing a crown on his head makes him feel powerful and as if he can conquer anything new that day. This is important for any child to relate to because it can also help promote their self-esteem. Eventually, the young boy runs in to his father’s arms. I think this is extremely important in terms of emphasizing warm relationships between children and people they are closest to.

5) I definitely feel that this book is appropriate for children that are three to five years of age. It uses the concept of rhyming words in relation to different objects that a child may be familiar with in their own room. I think the constant repetition of the word “Good morning” is extremely powerful because it is a common greeting in the English language. I feel that the vocabulary in this book is definitely within their comprehension and also teaches them other concepts, such as learning about the different parts of their body. Each page has one to two sentences of print that is incorporated within a huge illustration. It put a smile on my face just as I read it and I have no doubt in my mind that it will engage the children for a long period of time.

6) The illustrations presented in this book are by “Elizabeth Sayles”, and they appear to have been both drawn with a pencil, and then painted to emphasize particular objects in the boy’s room. There is a consistent blue theme in the background which contrasts extremely well with the brightness of the specific object that the boy is saying good morning to. For instance, on one of the pages, there is a huge red ball which stands out from the blue background. I find it interesting that although there are no vibrant colours and there seems there to be a consistent theme of one background colour throughout the book; it still evokes a sense of happiness and joy of a new day. I think children can definitely relate to the joyful mood being presented, and this is one of the reasons why I was drawn to this book in the first place.

7) Provocations:

In order to build background knowledge and provoke interest in the children, I would first greet the children by saying “GOOD MORNING!” in a loud happy voice. I would also encourage children to say “good morning” in using different tones of voice. For example, they could yell it in their loudest voice, talk normally, or maybe even whisper it to the person next to them. This provocation is beneficial because it can teach children how to differentiate between different sound levels and where each tone of voice is appropriate to be used. For example, children will be able to recognize that yelling is not appropriate for quiet reading activities inside the classroom or during nap time. I can then associate the word yelling and rephrase it as using their “outside voices” so children can internalize it and act accordingly.

Another provocation would be to engage the children in a good morning song that recognizes the presence of each child individually to make them feel special and appreciated.

8) Possible ways to present the story:

Felt story: I could use a huge black felt board and add different felt pieces to portray the different characters and objects in the story. I can also cut out pieces to such as a bed, clock, or a blanket to give children a sense of typical objects they would find in a bedroom environment. I can also cut out a huge image of a sun shining down on the boy’s room. Another image I can portray is a crown that the boy wears during certain points of the story. This can symbolize how powerful the boy feels when he appreciates the joy of waking up to a new day and greeting everything or everyone he is familiar with. I prefer making my own felt stories because they are more meaningful to me if I do so. However, people can also choose to purchase ready made felt story sets from 3H Craftworks society, and buy materials from Michaels, or your local dollar store.

Story basket: I could have a huge fancy basket that is covered and consist of things that maybe found in a bedroom environment. Inside the basket, I could also put objects that are most meaningful to the boy in the story, along with images of people he encounters in the morning; such as his baby brother or his father. I would then pause and ask children what objects they would want to choose to have in their special story basket.

Shadow play: I could use a light projector and objects that symbolize what can be found in the boy’s bedroom to see what shadows they create. I will also need a huge white wall to project the images on. This shadow play works well with the illustrations in the book because of the contrast between the consistent blue background and the particular objects that are being highlighted on each page. I can also emphasize the page in which the boy is saying good morning to his room and floor while creating a shadow on the wall.

Reading the book: When reading the book out loud, I will post sticky notes to help me chunk the book and stop at certain places in which I want children to engage in particular discussions. For instance, I can emphasize different tones of voice when greeting all the different objects. I can also pause and ask the children about any wonders they have or what they think will happen next. For example, an appropriate place for me to chunk the story would be after the phrase, “who’s that at my door?” I can ask the children to identify who or what they think is entering the room. This can evoke a sense of mystery by allowing the children to use their imagination at the same time.

9) Possible extensions for learning:

Art: Children can make shadow puppets based on an object that they choose to say “good morning” to. Everybody can then gather around a circle and talk about the objects they chose and have a chance to experiment with light and their shadow puppets.

Learning new languages: Children can learn how to say the phrase, “Good morning!” in a variety of languages. This method can help each child learn about different cultures and promote a sense of mutual respect and understanding amongst their friends.

Role play: Children can take turns wearing a class crown, which is supposed to symbolize power and boost their self-esteem. As each child passes the crown around they can talk about they like or goals they want to accomplish that day. For example, one goal could be to share their toys with other children that day.

Discussion: It is important for children to get together and discuss as a class what concepts they learnt from the story. For instance, they can talk about the importance of greeting people politely. They can also question how people greet one another in other cultures. They can also talk about what makes them feel powerful or people they feel closest to. Another discussion could be to make a class version of the ending of the story. For instance, instead of the boy’s father walking through the door, they could choose other people or animals they want to walk through the door.