The Pineapple Pages

Author/Illustrator: Justin Parpan Awards: None Ages: 1st Grade-5th Grade Pineapple Points: 5/5 🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍 Summary: Gwango, a very lonely dinosaur, longs for a companion. He wanders the desert in search for friendship. Every time he thinks he has found a friend, things seem to so south. He finally finds himself in an unlikely place, with a new friend, and a newfound purpose. Evaluation: Kids love dinosaurs, so I think Gwango will most definitely be a hit. It would be a great read aloud to discuss friendship and loneliness. The illustrations are fun and it also teaches kids a bit about southwest culture.

Author/Illustrator: Dan Yaccarino Awards: none Ages: Kindergarden- 4th Grade Pineapple Points: 4/5 🍍🍍🍍🍍 Summary: A young robot has only ever learned by being hooked up to a computer and downloaded information into his memory. One day, Doug saw a pigeon outside his window and this enticed him to unplug and go outside. He learned so many new things through experience, that the computer could never teach him. Evaluation: A beautiful idea. Definitely one for the classroom library. It would be great for both genders in this day in age.

Author: Tomi Ungerer Illustrator: Tomi Ungerer Awards: Top 10 Children' s Book 2013- New York Book Review A Publishers Weekly Best Children's Book of 2013 A New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of 2013 Ages: Kindergarten- 3rd Grade Pineapple Points: 3/5 🍍🍍 🍍  Summary: A brother and sister go out to the water in their small curragh. They are warned not to go to Fog Island because everyone gets swept up by currents and never return. The children get caught in fog and are swept to the small island. They find a man in the island who welcomes them in and explains that he is the culprit behind the fog. He turns off his fog, so the children can make it home in the morning. When awaking they find themselves alone in a bed with hot soup on a night stand. No wise fog man is to be seen. They make it back to shore in a terrible storm.  Evaluation: This book was cute. A colorful read that would be a great science introductory book for older readers  or v...

Author: Naoko Stoop Illustrator: Naoko Stoop Awards: none Ages: Pre-K- 1st Grade Pineapple Points: 🍍🍍 Summary: A little girl in a red knit cap and her bunny look for ways to talk to the moon. After consulting the owl, the girl and her forest friends conjure up a plan to talk to it. After an epiphany, the little girl gets her wish. Evaluation: This book is simple and good for early readers. It's a good bedtime story to teach children and remind adults to unplug and enjoy nature, despite this electronic world. The characters are very simplistic and if read to the classroom would be a great and easy idea to decorate a classroom bulletin board.

Author: Diane Namm Illustrator: Sarah S. Brannen Awards: none Ages: Pre-K- 1st Graders Pineapple Points: 5/5 🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍 Summary: A baby duckling is hatched and he does not look like his siblings. He is sad because he thinks he is ugly because he is different. He runs away and tries to fare out on his own. He gets into a few predicaments on top of feeling sad and isolated until a nice farmer takes him home. When the Ugly Duckling outgrew his farm home, the farmer released him to a nearby pond. While peering into the water, the duck realizes that he is actually a beautiful swan and has been all along. He is accepted into the flock of swans and is happy to have found his niche.  Evaluation:  This small picture book is maybe five by seven inches in size and perfect for small hands. The message is clear and can be beneficial to a classroom of pre-kindergarteners to first graders. The book, while teaching a lesson, can also be an introduction into a science or m...