English+Language+Learners+Children's+Literature

English Language Learners Children's Literature

= Children's Literature about English Language Learners =

Aliki. (1988) //Painted Words and Spoken Memorie//s (Marianthe's Story; One and Two.) New York: Greenwillow Books**
 * [[image:http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51S88JQC5XL._SL500_AA240_.jpg align="left"]]


 * Story One: //Painted Words// and Story Two: //Spoken Memories//**


 * SUMMARY:** This beautiful picture book is actually two books in one! In book one the reader meets Marianthe, a young girl who has recently moved to America from Greece. Mari is very nervous about starting a new school where no one will be able to understand her. Her mother tries to encourage her, telling her that a smile is the same in any language.When Mari arrives at her new school she meets Mr. Petrie who is everything a good teacher should be. He makes her feel welcome even though they cannot really communicate with words. Mari is uncomfortable until she begins to paint on an easel. Rachel, a little girl in her class realizes that Mari is a good artist. Mari learns that she can communicate with her teacher and classmates through her art. When a boy makes fun of Mari, Mr. Petrie tells his class that they all have a lot to learn. As time passes Mari begins to learn English and life at school becomes easier.Mari is able to tell her class a story in English. Mr. Petrie tells all the children that they have a story to tell. In part two of the book, Mr. Petrie allows each student to tell his or her story. The reader learns about Marianthe's life before she came to America. The writer tells the story as Mari is sharing her life story with her class in America.We learn about the village that Mari came from and the good times and hardships that her family had there.When Mari's father leaves Greece and comes to America to work and prepare to bring the rest of the family, they miss him very much. Eventually Mari, her mother and twin brothers move to America to be with her father. It was a day of sad good-byes, but Mari's Papa was waiting in America.


 * ANALYSIS:** These two stories offer an authentic look at life for a child who is suddenly transplanted into a new school in America. The writer of this book, Aliki, understands this well for this is her life story. She was born to Greek parents in Philadelphia and started school unable to speak English. The pictures are beautiful and express the mood of the text on each page. The book probably paints a rosier picture than the life experienced by some immigrants. Mr. Petrie is the perfect teacher and Mari makes friend rather quickly. It is hard to see and experience the day to day frustration that Mari probably felt. Mari's experience is a good one and conflict is resolved by the end of this first year of school. Realistically, I think it would take children longer to assimilate into the culture and truly feel comfortable. The stories end very happily. It would be wonderful if all children had this happy ending, but sometimes they don't.

Mari has a very loving family that helps her through this time. Her mother is wise and offers her good advice and encouragement. The Greek village is s close knit community with lots of laughter, love, and hard work. I think showing this part of Mari's story could help children to understand that new classmates who don't speak English had a life before they came to America. They were loved and felt at home and their friends could understand them. It might help students to empathize more with new students and think about how they would feel if they were in the same position; moving to a new place, going to school, and not speaking the language. Overall, I really enjoyed these two stories and would recommend them to my students to read.


 * Questions for Discussion:**

1. Have you ever felt like Mari-very nervous to do something new?

2. Why do you think Mari said she was a "little afraid, but not enough to cry?"

3. What good advice did Mari's mother give her?

4. How did Mari communicate with her class before she could use words?

5. Was Mr. Petrie a good teacher? What qualities did he have that made him that way?

6. How do you think Mari felt when she told her class her life story?

7. Name at least two things that are different about Mari's life in America compared to her life in Greece.

8. What things helped Mari to adjust and learn to be happy in her new classroom?

1. **Life Story Activity**-I think it would be great to allow children to tell their life story to the class. It is important for all students to realize that they have a story even if they are not from "someplace else." This also helps new students to feel good about where they came from and share with their classmates a little about their lives. Students could use pictures, words, or artifacts to tell their story. They might even invite a grandparent in to tell a favorite story about their family. Some students would probably need some assistance and a potential problem would be children who do not get much help at home. Teachers would need to give extra help and come up with creative ideas to help these children share their stories.
 * Activities:**

2. **Creative expression**-Just as Mari expressed herself through her art, some children might need alternate ways to send a message about themselves. Allow children to choose the medium or method they want to use to tell something about themselves or their families. They might use paint, chalk, collage, poetry, writing, or speech to share. Have students work in pairs to share with each other their works of "art." Rotate so that many children can share with each other. If the piece is art have students try to guess what the student is trying to say.

3.**Personal Connection**- Read the two stories aloud and allow the children to talk about how Mari felt at different times throughout the story. Have children write about a time when they felt very scared or nervous. Make sure they write about the resolution to the problem and how they worked through it. Talk about Mari's story and how she was scared and couldn't speak English, but she was brave and learned the language and made friends. Help children to see that they have worked through problems in the past and they are capable of getting through difficult situation in the future. Submitted by Melissa J. Bowman


 * Elya, Susan (2006). //Bebe' Goes Shopping//. Orlando, Florida: Harcourt, Inc..**

__**Bebe Goes Shopping**__
 * Summary**: The book is about a mother and a child when they visit the local supermaket. Bebe' is amazed at all the colors and all the items that are in the store. Bebe' gets to ride in the shopping cart and he sees many things that he would love to have. Bebe' reaches for items on the shelf when his mother turns her head. The Mother lets him put a few things in the shopping cart that they need, but when she tells him no, he gets mad. The baby screams and kicks. The mother tells him that he better be a sweet little boy. Bebe' does not listen to her though. He almost drops a jar of pickles on the floor. She gives him her keys to try to keep him happy. However, he drops the keys on the floor and he almost falls out! The Mother is about to lose her patience but then a lady walks up and tells the baby that it is hard to be good when there is nothing to do. Bebe's Mother then sees a display of animal crackers. She lets baby open the box and begin to eat his snack. It is just what Baby needed to keep him busy while Mother finishes her shopping. They go to the checkout and pays for the groceries. The manager even gives Bebe' a free ballon. Bebe' says that he has had a good day. The Mother is just happy that the shopping is done.
 * Analysis**: The great learning tool with this book is that it talks about something that most everyone does. This book provides a bilingual approach to a universal experience. The book is written in english, however, it does mix spainsh words. As the reader is reading the book, they can use both languages to read the story. This book would be wonderful for younger grades. I would use it in K-2 classrooms. This book would be a great resource for ELL students. The spainsh words could give them a better understanding of the english sentences. The book also includes a glossary in the back for the spanish words used in the book. I did notice that the Mother speaks spanish to the child, but everything that is shown in the grocery store is written out in english. I thought that this would be something that students who were not english speakers could relate to. How difficult would it be to go into a grocery store and make purchases if you could not read the labels? Thankfully, the mother in this story did speak both spainsh and english.

Another great use of this book is the different gender roles that are depicted. The Mother is the one who does the shopping. It seems that the Mother is the one who cares for the child during the day. The book even mentioned another female in the store that stopped to talk to the baby. When the mother and baby get to the checkout, a male is working at the cash register. I thought that the book was going to portray the male as the workers, but then it showed that the manager of the store was a female. I found this very interesting. This was a great way to show that men and women can work and hold important positions within the work force. 1. Who can tell me where Bebe' goes with his Mother? (If the student tells me the answer in English, I would also ask for the answer in Spainsh)
 * Questions for Discussion**:

2. What are some the items that Bebe' sees in the //supermercado//?( I would ask if they could tell me in English and also in Spainsh)

3. Do you think that Bebe liked going to the supermercado with his mama'? Why?

4. Bebe's mother gives him //llaves// to play with. What are //llaves and tell me what Bebe' does with the llaves?//

5. What does Bebe' get to snack on while he is in the grocery store?

6. Do you think it would be easy to shop in a store if you could not read the words on the items?

1. **Animal Cracker Game-** Bebe; received a caja of animal crackers. The book gives the spainsh words for each animal that Bebe' eats. I would create a matching game that would show the different animals within the story and then the spainsh words. The student would match the correct word with the picture. For a special treat, I would give my students their own caja of animal crackers after completing the activity.
 * Activites**:

2. **Supermercado Story**- Everyone has probably been inside of a grocery store or market. I would allow each student to write about going to the supermercado and have them use some of the spainsh words that were used in the book. I would provide a copy of the glossary from the book for the students to use. I would also let them illustrate their stories and share them with the class.

Submitted by: Valorie Chapman


 * Winter, Jeanette. (1991) //Diego//. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, INC.**


 * Summary:** This story traces the life of Diego Rivera, the famous artist from Mexico. The story begins in the mountains of Mexico in the town called Guanajuato. In this town lived the parents of twins, Diego and Carlos. Carlos got sick and passed away soon after his birth at not even two. Diego became ill as well and his parents sent him to live with an Indian healer named Antonia. She lived in a hut in the mountains where Diego could benefit from the fresh air and the sunlight. Antonia used herbs and dried fruits in her healing. While Diego slept, he breathed in all the medicines that surrounded him. He played in the jungle, making friends with the animals. Once Diego was healthy again, he went home and recieved colored chalk as a homecoming gift. He loved to draw and even drew on his walls where his father had covered them with blackboards. School bored Diego and he often daydreamed. He was honored when his parents sent him to art school at a much younger age than the other students. He painted real life things such as people on the Day of the Dead and people at fiestas. He traveled to Paris and Italy, learning about other types of art. The murals he saw gave him ideas for Mexico. He went home and painted murals about the things he had experienced and became the famous artist that made people proud to be Mexican.


 * Analysis:** In this story, in both English and Spanish, the author and illustrator present perspectives that are culturally appropriate and authentic. The author includes information about Diego's life that deals with his experience with a Native American healer. The author describes and the illustrator illustrates the healer with characteristics that are authentic to the Native American culture. Another example of authenticity in the book is the inclusion of authentic Hispanic traditions such as the Day of the Dead and colorful fiestas that are a part of Diego's Mexican culture.

As the main character, Diego travels around the world but values his own country/culture and returns home with foreign inspired art but paints of his own experiences as a Mexican. Through Diego's art, he becomes the hero of the story by the representation of his culture as beautiful paintings. Readers of this book gain cultural insight through the acknowledgement of Native Americans as skilled healers and Mexicans as having advanced artistic abilities. This book is very enjoyable as well as educational. I would definitely add it to my classroom library.


 * Questions for Discussion:**

1. What did the Native American healer use to help Diego?

2. Why was Diego bored in school?

3. What was Diego's homecoming gift? Was it significant?

4. What was honorable about Diego going to art school?

5. What did Diego learn from traveling to other countries?

6. Why did Diego draw the things that he saw?


 * Activities:**

1. __Writing Exercise__: The students could write their own story about either themself or someone they admire in their own culture. They could write about specific characteristics of their culture and what makes it important to them as an individual. They could even compare and contrast their culture with Diego's culture to see what is alike and what is different. They could also translate their story into spanish.

2. __Art Activity__: The students could think of an experience that they have had that could be specific to their culture and create some kind of art to represent that experience. They could also create something to represent other cultures. If they were to make both representations, they could then compare and contrast the two pieces of art created.

Submitted by Kay Ann Fite


 * Lomas Garza, Carmen. (1996). //In My Family//. Children’s Book Press**

//**

In My Family ** // **Summary: ** In the book, //In my Family//, Carmen Lomas Garza writes and paints about memories from her past. The book is introduced by the author as she explains the purpose of her paintings. Carmen Lomas Garza grew up in Kingsville, Texas, near the border with Mexico. Her paintings are meant to bring about pride in her Mexican American culture. Growing up, Carmen and a lot of other children were punished for speaking Spanish and they were made to feel ashamed of her culture. Carmen’s art is a way to heal her wounds. This is Carmen’s second book of family pictures. The pictures in the book are very colorful and provide a unique insight into her family, community, and culture. The book includes stories and pictures about cooking empanadas, decorating Easter eggs, blessings that are given from a mother to her daughter before marriage, visiting a church, and other everyday events that Carmen remembers. The book ends with a question and answer section from children to Carmen.


 * Analysis: ** This story portrays the life of Carmen, a Mexican American. The book is appropriate for ages 8-11 year olds. While the introduction speaks about how, as a child, Carmen was punished for speaking Spanish, the book is a positive look at the Mexican American lifestyle. Every part of this book builds together to create a book that tells about Carmen, her family, her community and her culture.

The introduction sets the stage to tell the reader why the pictures and stories were created. The paintings in the book are beautiful and each one tells a story about Carmen’s childhood. There are pictures of family, famous legendary stories, common shrines, and community get-togethers.

I enjoyed seeing how the teenager’s behaviors were dealt with in the book. The sister that was becoming rebellious was seen and worked on by a “healer” who used a smoking branch to wave around her. Carmen noted that the healer also counseled her sister and mother, which Carmen attributed to her sister’s improved behavior more so than the healing ceremony. Another picture depicted how two teenagers courted through a window with Carmen’s grandmother as the chaperone. Some pictures were of either many people or of just a few, such as the pictures of the people in the community dancing at a neighborhood restaurant or the one of Carmen and her brother trying to feed an ant to a horny toad. Each picture provided a small window into Carmen’s life.

All of the pictures in this book were discussed in English as well as Spanish, allowing for a larger audience. The final part of the book, the question and answer section, allows the reader to get a better understanding of what it is like to be a painter. Children will learn quite a bit about the Mexican American culture from this book as well as get a pleasant look back at the past. Questions for Discussion: **
 * 

** Activities: ** Procedures: ** The children will illustrate a picture of a memory from their childhood or culture and then write and tell others about their picture. Writing about their art allows the child to express their feelings and provides writing practice. Oral presentations, either to the class or to small groups, would be beneficial to learners of different languages. Submitted by Lisa Beals
 * 1)  <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">What kind of things can we learn from reading about Carmen’s past memories?
 * 2) <span style="font-size: 90%; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Is family important to Carmen? How do we know?
 * 3) <span style="font-size: 90%; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Are traditions strong in Carmen’s family and community? Give some examples.
 * 4) <span style="font-size: 90%; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">What does Carmen remember from the stories about la Llorona, the weeping woman? What did Carmen imagine about her?
 * 5) <span style="font-size: 90%; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">How are teenagers expected to act in the book? What is done to prevent or correct their behaviors?
 * 6) <span style="font-size: 90%; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Is music important to Carmen, her family, and her community? How do we know?
 * 7) <span style="font-size: 90%; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">All in all, do you think Carmen’s memories of her childhood are happy?
 * 8) <span style="font-size: 90%; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">What memories are special to you? Do they tell anything special about your family?
 * 9) <span style="font-size: 90%; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">When you read the questions and answers section, what did you learn about being an artist?
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Memory Art Activity: **
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Purpose: **<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> To help students develop a greater understanding for the cultures of others while connecting with their own culture or past memories. The children will be illustrating art, writing, and presenting a memory from their own past. This picture could also relay information about the child’s culture. The activity is good for oral and written language development.
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">

Perez, Amada. __My Diary from Here to There__. San Francisco: Children's Book Press, 2002.

__My Diary from Here to There__
 * Summary:** This book is about a young lady and her family as they move to the United States. Amada is very nervous about moving to another country where she will have to leave her friends, school, home, and extended family. Amada finds comfort as she writes in her diary. She writes about leaving her best friend and of meeting new family members. Her father has to leave her and the family behind as he finds work and applies for green cards for them. Amada is happy as she writes to tell her friend back in her hometown that she still thinks of her, but that she has found another happy place to write in her diary just like before at home. Amada's Grandmother also encourages her to never forget her culture, her language, and all of the things that make Amada so special.


 * Anaylsis:** The author did a remarkable job in expressing the feelings that many children have when life as they know it is changed and they have no choice to accept those changes. In this book, the author has provided a story that is written in both English and Spanish. This is a great way for children to know that they are not alone in this experience. The book touches on many different cares that a young child may have when they must move to another country or even new state. In this story, Amada had to learn another language. She was nervous about being able to learn another language. This book would be very benefical for a classroom teacher to have, espeically in those classes with English Language Learners. I beleive that this book would also be of benefit for the parents of the children. This could help them share the experience with their children in both languages.

1. Why was Amada nervous in this story? 2. What did Amada do to help express her feelings? 3. Why did Amada and her family have to move? 4. Do you beleive that Amada will ever return to her homeland? 5. Do you think that Amada's story could help other boys and girls ? Why? 6. What is culture? 7. Does everyone have the same culture and language?
 * Questions for Discussion:**

Language Arts: I would ask the students to write in their writing journal the day we read this book. I would prompt them to write about how they would feel if they had to move to another state or country and the only thing they could take would be a diary. I would also tell them that they had to learn a new language. I would ask them to think of something that they could think about that would remind them of home and write about that one thing. It may be a friend, pet, favorite toy, or a special place that you spend alot of time at. I would allow the students to share their writings and we would discuss some of the stories and how they related to Amada's story.
 * Activities:**

Social Studies: I would ask the children to compare the United States and Mexico. In the story Amada is moving from Mexico to the United States. As a class we would discuss some of the major differences between the two. We could discuss population, location, government, money, food, housing, jobs, transportation, and education. I would provide outlined maps with major landforms, bodies of water, and major cities for the children to compareo of the two places. In the book, Amada's father is moving to the United States to find work. As a class we could also study what the process is of becoming a citizen of the United States. This may also be a good time to discuss what the responsiblities of a US citizen are.

Submitted by: Valorie Chapman

=Jules, Jacqueline. (2007) //No English//. Ann Arbor Michigan: Mitten Press.=



=**Summary**:= In this picture book by Jaqueline Jules a young girl named Blanca moves to America and doesn't speak any English.When she starts second grade the teacher places her beside a girl named Diane. Diane is frustrated at first because when Blanca draws all through spelling, she doesn't get in any trouble, but once when Diane drew during class she was scolded by her teacher. Diane tells the teacher that Blanca is drawing during class. When a special teacher comes to get Blanca to help her with her English, Diane starts to feel bad when she realizes how scared and nervous Blanca is. DIane really wishes that she hadn't told on the new student! Mrs. Betram, the classroom teacher talks to the class about Blanca while she is gone to the ELL teacher and asks them how they can all be nice to Blanca and make her feel welcome. The studnets have ideas such as saying "Hola" to blanca and learning about her home (Argentina) on the internet. When the class goes outside to play on the playground, Diane tries to jump rope with Blanca, but Blanca misunderstands and thinks that Diane is trying to take her rope. Diane feels terrible becuase she keeps hurting Blanca's feelings and she doesn't know how to communicate with her. Later in the library, Diane asks the librarian if their are any Spanish books in the library. The librarian shows her a book with English and Spanish. When Diane shares it with Blanch, they realize that they can read to each other and have fun together. The girls also find that they can communicate by drawing pictures for each other. They even get in trouble for drawing and giggling in class and have to tgo see the principal. He understands their dilemma and even puts their art up in the hallway! They do have to promise that they will do their classwork instead of drawing during class. As time passes blanca begins to learn English and makes many friends in her new class. The girls love to jump rope with rhymes that Blanca sings in Spanish. =Analysis:= I enjoyed this book and felt that it handled the topic of English language learners in a thoughtful, sensitive way. The story is not all good, so it shows that there can be problems for new students who do not speak English. But, as with many children's books, the story is quite positive and in real life these situations don't always work out so smoothly. I do believe that in the younger grades children are more accepting and willing to play with each other. I think it is harder for older students who come into a school where cliques are already formed and stereotypes may be more ingrained. This story had some good suggestions for helping an ELL classmate such as using a Spanish words, sharing art, learning about the foreign country, and sharing English/Spanish books. It would be nice if these situations always worked out well for students.

=Questions for Discussion:= 1. How do you think Blanca felt when she started a new school and could not understand anyone?

2. Do you think it was right for Diane to feel frustrated when Blanca did not get in trouble for drawing? Can you understand Diane's feelings?

3. What were two good suggestions from the story to help a new ELL student?

4. How did Mrs. Bertram help her students to solve their problem and help Blanca?

5. What country would you like to learn more about? Would you like to learn another language?

6. Why is art a good way for people to communicate if they can't use words?

7. Explain why blanca thought that Diane was trying to steal her jump rope? How could Diane have avoided making Blanca feel this way?

=Activities:= 1. Have students choose a country to research and then create a travel brochure about the country. Have a classroom "travel fair" and let students walk around and look at each others brochures. The brochures could be in a large format such as a science board if desired. Make sure that students have guidelines to follow so that they have meaningful information to share on the brochure. Make sure that student include the languages that are spoken in the given country.

2. Have students look up jump rope rhymes in Spanish and jump rope during movement time. Talk aobut similarities and differences in ways that children have fun around the world.

Submitted by: Melissa J. Bowman

**// Off We Go to Mexico! An Adventure in the Sun //**
 * Krebs, Laurie and Corr, Christopher. (2006). //Off We Go to Mexico! An Adventure in the Sun.// Barefoot Books **


 * Summary: ** In the book, //Off We Go to Mexico! An Adventure in the Sun// the characters travel to and around Mexico. The many adventures they experienced included a visit to the beach, a train ride across a canyon, a festival, a visit to a pyramid, dancing to a mariachi band, a visit to the market, hiking up to see butterflies, and watching a parade. The book ends with the family saying goodbye at their bus to a musical band. In the following pages there is a map of Mexico, Some facts about Mexico, descriptions of Mexico’s fiestas, a brief history of Mexico, and a list of first Spanish phrases. The book is written in a poetic manner and throughout the book words from its pages are translated into Spanish for the reader.


 * Analysis ** : I loved the simple yet complex layout of this book. The illustrations are bright and colorful so the reader can visualize the descriptions of each place the family visits. The simple rhyming sentences carries the reader from page to page, anxious to see where the family will go next. The Spanish words throughout the book help the reader to learn more about the language of the people living in Mexico. In addition, the facts about Mexico, the descriptions of Mexico’s fiestas, the history of Mexico and the list of first Spanish phrases complete the brief, but well rounded, educational experience that students will enjoy while reading this book.

· Ask the children what they can do in Mexico? · Ask them what their favorite experience was that the family did in Mexico? · What facts did we learn about Mexico? · What kinds of fiesta does Mexico have? · What can you tell me about Mexico’s history? · Do you remember any Spanish words you learned? · Have you ever visited Mexico or another country? Which Country? · What other states have you visited? · Did you enjoy how the words rhymed in this book?
 * Questions for Discussion: **

** Activity: ** ** Purpose: ** To help students develop a greater appreciation for where others live or have lived while promoting writing and art. This will allow students who are from other countries to share their experiences of where their families have lived. The children will be illustrating art, writing, and presenting a memory from their own past. This picture could also relay information about the child’s culture. The activity is good for oral and written language development.
 * Poetry/Illustration Activity: **

Submitted by Lisa Beals
 * Procedures: ** Have the children write a poem and illustrate a picture of a placed they have visited on vacation or place their family has lived. This could be a foreign country, other state, or any other place than their town. The students may tell about their destination or show their pictures to the class or a small group. Discuss how places may be different, but that there are people everywhere just like us.

Christelow, Eileen and Ortiz, Victoria. (2005). //Cinco monitos brincando en la cama/Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed.// Houghton Mifflin.
 * Cinco monitos brincando en la cama/Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed**


 * Summary:** In this book, five little michievious monkeys continue to jump on their bed instead of doing as they are told and going to sleep. The mama monkey calls the doctor after each of the monkeys falls off the bed and gets hurt. The doctor says to the monkeys to stop jumping on the bed. Even with the doctor's warning, it takes their own experience with falling off the bed for each monkey to finally decide to go to sleep. After each of the monkeys does finally fall asleep, the readers are suprised by what mama monkey does.


 * Analysis:** This book gives a bilingual look at a well-known childrens story. The English version of the book gives the story in a fun and rythmic way for young readers. Although the story loses some of its rhythm in the translation to spanish, the book is an excellent tool for those young ELL students that are in the very early stages of learning their L2. For those students learning English, having the rhyme scheme to help them follow with the story and the rhythm of the words would prove most beneficial.


 * Activities:**

Counting Activity- This book could easily be used to assist ELLs begin to learn to count in English. Many activities could be adapted to this book. A simple counting activity could be done in small groups or individually. The students could follow along with the reading of the book and repeat the counting words with the teacher. The teacher could constantly draw the students’ attention to how the story progresses as each monkey falls off the bed. Math Activity- Because the monkeys continue to fall off the bed, making the number of monkeys jumping on the bed smaller by one each time, an activity using subtraction would be appropriate for use with this book. The activity could also incorporate art by allowing the students to illustrate their math problems having a simple picture for each monkey. This activity would help incorporate other subjects into literature for ELLs. (submitted by Kay Ann Fite)