Author: Lauren Thompson
Illustrator: James Estrin
Published: 2007 Feiwel & Friends (on JOMB)
ISBN: 0312370296 Chapters.ca Amazon.com
Sixty photographs packed with joy, beauty and palpable excitement tell the inspiring, true story of five beautiful girls and the determination that made their dancing dreams come true.
More ballet on JOMB:
Check out the full list of non-fiction picture books nominated for the 2007 Cybils Awards here.
Tags:
Ballerina Dreams,
cerebral palsy,
childrens book,
James Estrin,
Lauren Thompson,
Podcast,
reviewBallerina Dreams,
cerebral palsy,
childrens book,
James Estrin,
Lauren Thompson,
Podcast,
review
By: Teaching Tips Contributing Editor, Renee Kirchner
It is important for elementary aged children to understand the concept of compare and contrast. This concept can be applied to many areas of the curriculum including math, science, and literature. When a child is asked to compare and contrast two different things, they are supposed to tell how they are alike and different. Comparing shows the similarities between two objects and contrasting shows the differences. Children will use words such as both, like, also, and similar when comparing. Words such as unlike, however, and but might be used when contrasting two objects.
Children’s books, both fiction and nonfiction, can be useful tools for teaching the concept of compare and contrast. Select one book with two different characters or choose two books with similarities and differences in character or plot. Nonfiction books will also work well. For example, you could choose a book on reptiles and compare and contrast two different types
of reptiles.
There are two useful tools that teachers use as prewriting activities when teaching compare and contrast: the Venn diagram and the T-chart. The Venn diagram is made up of two or more overlapping circles depending how many objects you are comparing. Each circle contains different information about the objects and the overlapping portion in the middle contains the
similarities.
For example if I was comparing a rabbit with a wolf, the rabbit circle might have herbivore and the wolf circle would have carnivore. The overlapping portion in the middle might contain the word mammal, since both animals are mammals. Of course your student would put more than one descriptive word in each circle. The more detail they use, the better. The T-chart is organized differently than the Venn diagram. If we use the example of the rabbit and the wolf the chart would look like this:
Characteristic Rabbit Wolf
Diet Grass Meat
Animal group Mammal Mammal
Here are some examples of picture books that would work well for studying the concept of compare and contrast:
One Picture Book with Two Characters
Bubba and Beau: Best Friends by Kathi Appelt
Bubba is a Texas baby and Beau is a Texas puppy and they are best friends. They have adventures together and both of them become very upset when their pink blanket gets washed.
Similarities between Bubba and Beau:
Both of them are keen on chewing, neither one is housetrained, and they both disdain soap.
Differences between Bubba and Beau:
Bubba loves the pinky pinky blankie because it smells like Beau and Beau likes the pinky pinky blankie because it smells like Bubba.
Two Picture Books with a Similar Main Character
Cindy Ellen: A Wild Western Cinderella by Susan Lowell
Chickarella by Mary Jane Auch
Similarities between Cindy Ellen and Chickarella:
Both of them have an evil stepmother or step-chicken, a fairy godmother or fairy fowl mother, and both have a prince or a princely rooster.
Differences between Cindy Ellen and Chickarella:
Cindy Ella can wrangle, rope and gallop. Chickarella starts a high fashion business that grows out of making clothes for the ball.
Children can use the examples above to create a Venn diagram or a T-chart and then write a compare-contrast paper about the different characters.
*****************************
Note: Although school is out for summer vacation in most places across the country, parents can still read with their children this summer and use activities like this one to have fund with their children as they help them become better readers.
A Wild Western Cinderella Bubba and Beau: Best Friends Chickarella Kathi Appelt Mary Jane Auch Picture Books Renee Kirchner Susan Lowell t chart teaching compare and contrast teaching tips Tip For Teachers tips for parents Venn diagramA Wild Western Cinderella Bubba and Beau: Best Friends Chickarella Kathi Appelt Mary Jane Auch Picture Books Renee Kirchner Susan Lowell t chart teaching compare and contrast teaching tips Tip For Teachers tips for parents Venn diagramA Wild Western Cinderella,
Bubba and Beau: Best Friends,
Chickarella,
Kathi Appelt,
Mary Jane Auch,
Picture Books,
Renee Kirchner,
Susan Lowell,
t chart,
teaching compare and contrast,
teaching tips,
Tip For Teachers,
tips for parents,
Venn diagram
i really cant wait to get this book and start reading it as i got a daughter that was born with downsyndrome and things are challenging for us with her so i can only imagine .
[…] 46. Nicola (Gallows Hill)47. Framed (Birds in Fall)48. Carol (My Ántonia)49. Amy @ Hope Is the Word (TBR in 2008)50. Belleza (Year in Review)51. gautami tripathy (The Sherbrooke Twins)52. Wendy (Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard)53. Wendy (The Bridge of San Luis Rey)54. Wendy (The Outlander)55. Jen Robinson (’07 Reading List)56. Jen Robinson (’07 Favorites)57. Jane - Much Ado (Book Reviews 2007)58. BookGal (Dead Center)59. BookGal (2007 in Review)60. Carrie, Reading to Know (2007 in review)61. Framed 2007 Reflections62. Alisia (Best of 2007)63. Alisia (Year in Review)64. Anne (Top 10 of 2007)65. Just One More Book! Podcast (Ballerina Dreams)66. Laura (Victorious Christianity)67. Laura(The Illustrated History of the Housewife)68. Laura (My favorite books read in 2007)69. Suzanne (Water for Elephants)70. Anne (Books Read in 2007)71. Deb (Favorite Reads of 2007)72. Me (888 List)73. Rhett (Top 10)74. Chris (2007 in Review)75. Scott (Top 10 Christian Books of 2007)76. C.W. Gortner (2007 Favorites: Historical Fiction)77. Marg (Reading Year Resolutions)78. Katherine (2008 Book list)79. Megan (Best of 2007)80. 3M (Top 20 of ’07)81. Jocelyn (2007 Favorites)82. Jocelyn (Home of the Brave)83. Writer2b84. Writer2b (Decades 08 List)85. Writer2b (Celebrate the Author)86. Chumley (Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard)87. Shannon (Year in Books)88. Chaotic Joy (Literary year in Review)89. Megan (Read in 2007)90. Fresh Girl (End of the Year Reading Wrap Up) […]