Diane Goode

It's important to note that this book was published in 1989. The art style is older, utilizing many strokes to make texture. This is a collection of short folktales that are based in America that are meant to be either funny or moral based. There are some concerning symbolism in the material as well as come concerning words. For example, the word "coon" is used. "Coon" at one point in time was used as a derogatory term for Black people. In the context of the story, the "coon" is a raccoon which eludes Davy Crocket, a notable white character. The symbolism here to some may be considered pejorative. In addition, there is another story in which a mule is speaking. In one point in time, a "mule" was slang for a person who is smuggling illicit substances. Overall, the title provides a great way to showcase American Folklore and Songs.… (mer)

In this picture storybook, the Scholastic Readability Level is 1st grade. This story gives an overglorified view of the Thanksgiving holiday, in my opinion. It shows a happy family coming together to eat an abundance of food in a happy, safe environment, which is not the case for everyone. It may be hard for students to hear about this glorious family celebration when their own Thanksgivings may go without an abundant meal or a happy family to share it with. Not everyone is as fortunate, so to generalize the experience as a typical Thanksgiving may cause individuals to feel sad. There isn't much of a teaching purpose found within the book either, so I doubt I would use it for teaching purposes.… (mer)

Mama's Perfect Present was a funny read, while also showing a serious problem that a sister and brother run into. They are on the hunt for a perfect present for their mom, and of course they take their dog Zaza with them. In every store they go into, Zaza ruins everything. They go get her a dress? Ruined. A songbird? Ruined. Flowers? Ruined. And the list goes on. The story ends with the kids deciding to just do a painting for their mom and they paint her with everything they were going to buy her. This story shows a valuable lesson of determination. The kids could have easily given up after the first bad encounter, but they kept trying and it really paid of. That teaches kids to never give up, even when they think everything is going wrong!… (mer)