The Pineapple Pages

Author(s): Won-Ldy Paye and Julie Paschkis Illustrator: Margaret H. Lippert Awards: 2007 Bank Street- Best Children's Book of the Year Ages: Pre-K- 2nd Grade Pineapple Points:3/5 🍍🍍 🍍  Summary: During the planting season, the animals all gathered to plant crops. The spider refused to help, despite the animals tries to get him to contribute. The spider eventually got tired of plain rice and decided he was going to pick some of the vegetables. The veggies became animated and told the spider that he did not deserve to harvest the crops. Defeated and learning his lesson, the spider returned home to have a bowl of plain rice. Evaluation: When rummaging the children' s section in the library, I thought this book would fall in the fantasy genre. Turns out, this book is a retold folktale MUCH like The Ant and the Grasshopper. Though I enjoyed  The Ant and the Grasshopper, this version was simpler and would be nice to use for a younger crowd. I am very pleased with th...

Author: Jerry Pinkney Illustrator: Jerry Pinkney Awards: None Ages: Kindergarten- 3rd Grade Pineapple Points: 3/5 🍍🍍🍍 Evaluation: Little Red Riding Hood is sent to her ill grandmother's house, by her mother, to deliver a basket of goodies. The little girl strays from her path and is intercepted by a hungry sly fox. The fox talks Little Red into going to get firewood. The fox then goes to Granny's house and gobbles her up. The fox disguises himself in the grandmother's clothing and hops in her bed to wait for Little Red. Little Red shows and asks her odd-looking grandmother  a bunch of suspecting questions. She asks about her teeth and the wolf gobbles her up too. The wolf lays down to take a post-meal nap. A nearby lumberjack swings by Granny's house to check on her. He discovers the sleeping wolf and his bulging wriggling belly and slays him with his ax. He then cuts out the girls with some sewing shears. They all have a meal together to end the day. Little...

Author: Amy Lowry Poole Illustrator:  Amy Lowry Poole Awards: None Ages: 2nd- 4th Grade Pineapple Points: 4/5 🍍🍍🍍🍍 Summary: A naive grasshopper leisurely enjoys the fall weather and tries to deter the hardworking ants from preparing for the winter. Winter comes and the ants are prepared and the grasshopper is left cold, hungry, and regretting not listening to the ants. Evaluation: I would want to use this book in a lesson in the beginning of the school year to teach my students that they will be rewarded if they work hard and stay on task in the classroom.

Author: Barbara McClintock Illustrator:  Barbara McClintock Awards: None Ages: Pre-Kinder- 3rd Grade Pineapple Points: 4/5 🍍🍍🍍🍍 Summary: The age old story of the poor Cinderella, whose father passed away and was left with her evil step-mother and her two daughters. Cinderella, despite the abuse, does everything that her step-mother pleases. She slaves away night and day and was treated no where near as well as her step-sisters. The prince was throwing a grand ball and the girls were invited. The step-mother would not allow Cinderella to go for fear that she would outshine her daughters with her far more beautiful appearance. A fairy Godmother found Cinderella weeping about her not being able to go to the ball. The fairy Godmother placed spells on common items to grant her with everything she would need to go to this ball. She did was warn that the spell would wear off at midnight, Cinderella happily went on her way. Cinderella arrived and became the center of attent...

Author: Dennis McDermott Illustrator: Dennis McDermott Awards: none Ages: Kindergarten- 2nd Grade Pineapple Points: 3/5 🍍🍍🍍 Summary: A poor woodsman had three sons. The eldest son packed a small lunch and set out to cut down the biggest tree in hopes of gaining the attention of the king. Along his journey he encountered a troll who begged for a bit of food in exchange for a secret about the tree and the boy refused. The boy swung his ax and it broke and landed on his head. The next day the second son set out to chop down this tree. He also had the same results. Finally, the father made the youngest son, who had no desire to cut down the tree or win favor of the king, go to learn how to chop down this tree. The young boy, Hans, sat beneath the tree admiring the beautiful day and sat to eat his small meal. He noticed the troll and offered half of his food. The thankful troll told Hans that he would have the strength to chop down the tree and that there would be some...