The Secret Science Project That Almost Ate the School by Judy Sierra pictures by Stephen Gammell

The Secret Science Project That Almost Ate the School by Judy Sierra pictures by Stephen Gammell was very engrossing to the children. The fantasy storybook includes elements of rhyming that make the story fun to read and listen to. The story itself is quite humorous and the pictures are amazing. The bold font type assist the reader in appropriate inflection that makes the reading experience more enjoyable. Upon finishing the story one of the little girls said, "Let's read that one again!" In the future this book could be used to introduce a class to the science fair tradition in elementary school and even to teach children about the importance of using discretion and multiple sources when researching on the internet, because as we have all seen you never know if what you find it true, reliable, and authentic.

Where the Wild Things Are story and pictures by Maurice Sendak

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak was a popular fantasy storybook amongst the three older children. The story and I believe even more so, the illustrations captivated their attention. It's a book I would read again in my classroom. I would use it in units about social emotion development, most specifically dealing with anger, as well as fantasy play.

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

The next storybook I read to the children is called The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. The children responded well to the story, they seemed to be pretty captivated with the illustrations. The 2 year old didn't make it through the end of the story though. The older children related with the story with character identity, as we had also gotten some fresh snow. In the future I would use the story to discuss winter and the changing seasons or perhaps integrate it into a science experiment about melting.

Hug by Jez Alborough

I read this mostly wordless book, with the exception of "hug" "Bobo" and "Mommy," to the same group of five children ages 2-4 years old. I chose to read the book Hug by Jez Alborough because I thought it was a really sweet story. It was fun to ask the children how they thought Bobo was feeling throughout the story. The children liked listening as Bobo's request for a hug got more and more desperate until finally he becomes very happy. The children liked looking at the colorful pictures and animals. In the future I will use this book for social emotional learning and feelings.

The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by A. Wolf as told to Jon Scieszka

The same three children and I read the fantasy storybook The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka, illustrated by Lane Smith. I briefed the children by having them tell me what they know about the story of the three little pigs. We read the book, the children listened intently. This a very fun book with an interesting take on the classic story of the three little pigs. The author does a great job grabbing the children's attention and would be captivating of younger and older audiences. This story could be incorporated into units involving different versions of the same story.

Look at Me by Robert Munsch

The next book that I read to the same children was Look at Me by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Michael Marchenko. This is a fantasy storybook. The two younger children from the group got disengaged when I started reading this book; the pictures are more complex and there are more words. It was more appropriate for the 4 year olds. The 4 year olds responded well to the story and with out being asked began counting the flowers on the main characters cheeks cheeks. The story is pretty silly and as the flowers multiplied, one of the children felt inclined to self-talk throughout the book that the character only had one flower painted on her cheek.

Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti by Gerald McDermott

The same children and I read Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti, adapted and illustrated by Gerald McDermot next. The children were interested in the story and wanted me to repeat all of the spiders names from the story by referring to the different shapes on the spiders body. While reading the story the children verbalized the danger that Anansi was experiencing. We predicted how his sons might be able to help him out of trouble. The older children were more able to understand the story and that the story implied how the moon got up in the sky. The younger children still enjoyed listening to the story and looking at the pictures. In the future I would use this book in lessons about shapes, spiders, or mythology and tales from other cultures.

Harold's Fairy Tale by Crockett Johnson

I read this fantasy storybook to a group of five children at an at home day care center. The age range for the children is 2-4 years old. We read the book sitting on carpet, the children gathered around me in a semi-circle. I gathered a group of books and asked one of the children to pick out a book. She chose Harold's Fairy Tale by Crockett Johnson because she was familiar with the book and knew that she liked the story. The children responded well to the story and it held their interest. Upon asking the children what they enjoyed most about the book, they responded to the fantasy aspects of the story most. One child said that he liked the flying rug and another said that she liked the giant witch most. This is a book that I will use again with children in this age range. The illustrations may be simple, but the children were highly captivated. To add on to this project I would provide each child with a single crayon and encourage them to create their own fairy tale.