Breakthrough Books!

Over the course of my action research project, I added several books to the Library center in a Pre-Kindergarten classroom. Below, I have written brief summaries of each book:

1.    The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch

The book begins as a typical fairytale story. A princess was to wed a prince. However, once a dragon prevents the nuptials by capturing her prince, the princess seeks out the dragon on her own. As the dragon burnt the princess’ clothing, she found a brown paper bag to wear on her journey. When she finds the dragon, she is enchanted by his skills. She asks him to show her his many talents before he becomes fatigue and falls asleep. The princess finally finds her prince, who tells the princess to go change into more ‘appropriate’ clothing. The princess declines his request and sets off for the sun!

2.    William’s Doll by Charlotte Zolotow

This story is about a young boy who dreams of having a doll to play with. He imagines himself taking the doll to the park, kissing it, and lying it down for rest. His older brother and his brother’s friend tease him for wanting a doll. His father buys him a basketball and net and a train set to play with instead. Though, William still wants a doll! One day, William’s grandmother visits and he tells her that he wants a doll. William’s grandmother purchases a doll for William, which makes William’s dad upset. William’s grandmother explains that William will care for the baby and that it will teach him how to be a good father!

3.    The Boy Who Cried Fabulous by Leslea Newman

                          

The book portrays a young boy who sees beauty in every day. Although the boy is instructed to go straight to school and come right home, he is distracted by the world. He describes scenery, games, and materials as “fabulous!” His parents become frustrated with his tardiness and lack of focus – which lead them into banning the word “fabulous” from his vocabulary. However, the young boy cannot comment on the extraordinary world and chooses to use the adjective “marvelous” instead! His parents come to see that their son’s positivity cannot be contained.

4.    My Princess Boy by Cheryl Kilodavis

This book is a nonfiction account of one mother’s experience with her “princess boy!” She positively states that her son likes to wear dresses, go shopping, and dance with a tiara on. She also mentions that his brother will dance with him, his father will comment on how “pretty” he looks, and the author (and mother) will take him shopping and buy him dresses! One page of the book lists open-ended questions to ask during a read-aloud to encourage critical thinking, regarding acceptance of others.

Upon further investigation, I found that the author of this book has created an entire “acceptance” curriculum and conducts workshops and trainings for schools!

5.    Pink is Just a Color and So is Blue by Niki Bhatia

Pink is Just a Color and So is Blue is written from a young boy’s perspective. He states, throughout the book, that his brother tells him that certain things are ‘just for girls,’ or ‘just for boys.’ Though, his mother says “Pink is Just a Color and So is Blue,” and the boy’s father wears pink shirts and socks! As the illustrations reflect the boy’s engagement in playing with dolls and baking a pie, the boy’s brother tells him that those are things that only girls should do. The boy’s female friend is portrayed playing with dinosaurs, dressing up as a police officer, and tackling him on the ground! Near the end of the story, the brother begins to accept his brother’s preferences and joins in his activities.

6.    The Boy with Pink Hair by Perez Hilton

This book is about a boy who was born with pink hair! Growing up, the little boy was teased for having pink hair. People stared and children laughed at the little boy with pink hair. The boy with pink hair loved to make culinary creations to match his favorite color – PINK! One day, the boy with pink hair made a friend, who accepted him for his differences. This led to the boy with pink hair ‘saving the day’ by making a buffet of pink foods for a school luncheon. As the children worked together to make the colorful creations, the boy with pink hair made new friends and became accepted for his uniqueness!

The class seemed to enjoy the books, as teachers read and children explored the stories over a five-week period! I think they are GREAT!