Text
1. The text of a children's book is usually organized into simple sentences and short paragraphs. How is the text organized in the book that you have chosen to review? Explain whether this organization was sufficient for the story that this book is telling. The text of this book was organized into paragraph form. The text was rarely broken up along the page. This keeps the reader from bouncing around the page looking for the text and allows them to then focus on the pictures.
2. Children's book authors often employ literary tools to help make the story more vivid in the readers minds. Commonly used literary tools are rhythm, alliteration, repetition, refrains, onomatopoeia, simile, personification, rhyme, and imagery. Identify three different areas in the text where a literary tool has been employed. For each example you identify, state the type of literary tool that is used and how the employment of the tool helps support the story.
Personification: The author creates dialogue between the raccoons and other animals. This gives the story a more relatable and realistic feel.
Imagery: The author uses imagery frequently throughout the story. This also makes the story come to life and have a more vivif feel to it. The words chosen to be used throughout the story are very descriptive and the author choses to use images to bring life to parts that the children will love most. For example, the author speaks about a bully who has fire coming out of his nose and this part was chosen to be drawn.
Simile: Page four: "The bully will squash you like a bug!" This simile alows the reader to understand how afraid they are of the bully and also gives the reader a visual to the pain the bully likes to inflict.
3. Identify two areas in the text that use a question or other device to help move the reader to the next page. One page two of the book, the mother asks the son what he said when he muffled out very unclearly what happened at school. One page 11 of the story, Mrs. Raccoon leads the class to a special spot in the forest so she can "share a story about bullies". This encourages the reader to move on to the next page so that they can see what Mrs. Raccoon has to share!
Images
1. Some picture books have an images on the front cover that presents the main conflict or point of the story. Identify two or more elements from the front cover of the book you are reviewing and explain how they relate to the story. The front cover shows raccoons standing in a forest so it make it obvious to the reader that the story will take place outside. Also, the front cover has what appears to be an adult raccoon holding back three very terrified looking raccoons. It leads the reader to believe they are the ones being bullied.
2. What is the primary medium (collage, drawings, photographs, etc.) used in the images? The primary collage of images contains wildlife animals and a forest scenery.
3. Identify the image that in your opinion is the most effective in developing the story as a whole. Explain how two or more elements in the illustration help support and develop the story. If you can, insert a screenshot of the image into your blog. I think the image on the front cover develops the feel for the story; showing the scared look on the little raccoons' faces.
4. Identify two elements that are repeated throughout a majority of the images. Explain how these elements support the story. If you can insert a screenshot into your blog. Two elements that were repeated throughout the story were images of raccoons and forest scenery. These images keep the scenery the same throughout the story. The raccoons were on every page and though the scenery changed, it remained in a forest setting.
5. Find an example of how the images and text work together to create irony,metaphor and/or metonymy. If you can insert a screeenshot of the image into your blog. I thought it was incredibly ironic that the bully in the story is a badger. When I was growing up, the term "badgering others" was used frequently to bother others or annoy others.
Characterization
1. What is the easily identifiable dominant trait of the story's main character? The story's main character (the bully) loves the feeling of dominance.
2. Identify a character trait of the main character that is established through the text. The character becomes more timid and less dominant.
3. Identify a character trait of the main character that is established through the images. The images really speak through changing the main character's eyes. For example, in the beginning of the story, the bully has very mean eyes and as the story progresses, his eyes soften.
4. Identify two character traits of the main character that young children identify or sympathize
with. Children can identify with being bullied and they can also identify with developing friendships with other children that they don't necessarily think they will become friends with in the beginning.
5. What was the main problem that the main character faces in the book? How is this problem similar to a problem that most children have faced before? The main character in this book faces the problem of his dominance being tested. This child is used to ruling and bossing everyone around. He soon learns that this isn't the way to go about life and that he wants to have friends. I think many children have faced instances like this when they haven't gotten their way and they are usually used to getting it! For example, children who come into Kindergarten have to learn to share with others!
6. Sometimes a children's book character will solve the main conflict on his or her own. How did the character in the book you selected turn to self-reliance to solve the main conflict of the story? I don't necessarily think the bully resolved the main conflict on his own. It actually took the pack of other children wanting to play with him to get him to realize he didn't need to act all big and bad to get other kids' attention.
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