Module 2 - George and Martha Rise and Shine and The Story of Ferdinand

Two friends, George and Martha, share their days together laughing, experiementing, and going on picnics. In this book, there are five short stories about George and Martha's friendship.

Marshall, J. (1976). George and martha rise and shine. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. ISBN: 0-395-34738-1

Impressions:
Younger kids may need help realizing what is going on, since the plot of the book is heavily supported by the illustrations. I enjoyed the humor and tongue-in-cheek play on words, but young readers may need to have explained to them that George and Martha are friends. Older readers may wonder if they are boyfriend and girlfriend. There is not any indication either way in this book, so a discussion about friendship may be appropriate.

Review:
Carrie Hane Hung (Children's Literature)
...The illustrations provide moderate support, and the story moves along on the dialogue of George and Martha. Readers may need support understanding the interferences in the story and the twist of the endings. Fans of the "George and Martha" series will continue to love the humor, and those that are new to George and Martha stories will find additional books to enjoy with laughter. 1976, Houghton Mifflin Books for Children/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, $15.00. Ages 5 to 7.
(Retrieved from the UNT Electronic Libarary, Children's Literature Comprehensive Database,

Suggestions for library use:
Unit on friends and friendships. Kids could be asked about their friends or what makes someone your friend. Since the last story is about the "Martha Fan Club" there could be a project about fan clubs and kids could come up with ideas about making fan clubs.



A shy, gentle bull is taken to Madrid for the bull fight. He just sits and smells the flowers instead of fighting the matador and is taken back to his cork tree.

Leaf, M. (1936). The story of Ferdinand. The Viking Press, United States of America.

Impressions: I've always loved this classic book with its simple pencil drawings and heartwarming story. This book is well written and a favorite amoung children.

Review:
"Ferdinand's day in the arena gives readers not only an education in the historical tradition of bullfighting, but also a lesson in nonviolent tranquility. Robert Lawson's black-and-white drawings are evocative and detailed, with especially sweet renditions of Ferdinand, the serene bull hero. The Story of Ferdinand closes with one of the happiest endings in the history of happy endings - readers of all ages will drift off to a peaceful sleep, dreaming of sweet-smelling flowers and contented cows." (Amazon.com Review, http://www.amazon.com/Story-Ferdinand-Puffin-Storytime/dp/0142409529/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1285117884&sr=1-1)

Suggestions for library use:
If there is a large Spanish culture in the area, this would be a great book to involve those patrons and chidren. Questions such as "What is a bull fight?" and "Who are all the characters?" would be appropriate. Another aspect of the books is non-violence. Children could talk about bullies and how Ferdinand is an example of not being bullied.