The Lorax

The Lorax

Author & Illustrator:  Dr Seuss

Published

Grade Level:  any

Reading Level:  2nd grade and up

Genre:  Environmental Conservation

Summary:  This is such a cute story of a tale of rhythm and rhyme along with a story that will make everyone think about their role in nature.  The Once-ler, the narrator, was always carless, had a disregard for nature and was extremely selfish.   When he learns he can make "sneed's," the hottest selling thing since Tickle Me Elmo, out of truffula trees he depletes the whole forest.  Now, the natural beauty of the truffula tree's are no more.  Then comes a child who has a seed and wants to save all of the truffula trees.

Pre-Reading Activity:  This would be a great story to introduce when talking about seeds, trees, or preservation of forests.  I would make a sneed out of footed pajamas and wear it to class.  I would have the children guess what I was wearing and what it was made of.  

Post-Reading Activity:  Have students write about something that they could invent that would change everyone's lives.  I would make this project so that students would have plenty of time to do research and see just what they could do and what has not already been invented.  I mean, 20 years ago, who would have thought bottled water would sell, everyone has water coming out of their faucets already?  This book has endless activities.  They could even think of quirky names for their products, after all, everyone needs a sneed.  Also, I think the movie is really good and you can use this as a follow-up to the book.  It really defines the characters.  

Reflection:  I used this book for a PAL, partnerships about literacy, program years ago for my day care center.  The whole day care read and did projects on the book.  The younger children loved the made up words and the older children loved the idea of inventing something no one else had thought of.  It could be used across grade levels and the art projects along with it are endless.

Author Dr. Seuss

Who hasn't heard of Dr. Seuss?  Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr Seuss, was born in 1904.  His mother, Henrietta Seuss Geisel, often soothed him to sleep by chanting rhymes remembered form her youth.  Dr. Seuss credits his mother for his ability and desire to create the rhymes for which he became so well known.

Lemon The Duck

Lemon The Duck

Author: Laura Backman

Illustrated By:  Lawrence Cleyet-Merle

Genre: Fiction Picture Book, Comedy and Humor

Grade Level: First Grade and up

Theme: Understanding, compassion, teamwork, accepting differences

Summary: This story started as showing a classroom that was hatching eggs in an incubator in their class.  They had 4 eggs and the children could hear the ducklings peeping.  All of the four ducklings hatched; Peaches, Lemon, Daisy, and Chip Chip.  Lemon was different than the other ducklings.  She had white on her head and she didn’t stand or stretch out her necks like others.  The teacher, Mrs. Lake, called the doctor and he had said that Lemon might just need a little more time.  All of the ducklings were growing up... Lemon still could not stand or walk, she would tumble over.  Mrs. Lake took Lemon to the doctor, Lemon had a balance problem.  The doctor informed the teacher that there were things you could do to make the duck stronger, but she may never walk.  The other ducks got to go to a Mr. Web’s lake and Mrs. Lake and her students got to take care of Lemon.  They took special care of Lemon and even had a stroller so they could take Lemon for walks and they would give her baths in a bathtub.  Lemon was a natural swimmer.  They would take Lemon to see her siblings at the lake, but they would loose interest because Lemon could not play like they could.  The children however, would give Lemon “oodles” of love.  They would hold food behind Lemon to strengthen Lemon.  The classroom all thought of ideas to help Lemon stand up.  Balloons, pillows, food, etc.  Holly, a student in Mrs. Lake’s classroom, spotted a doggy life vest and she brought the vest to school.  The children would hold the handles and Lemon could stand and walk.  She could now be on her own and get her own food.  The children soon learned that Lemon would always need them and they would always need Lemon.  This book helps kids understand that just because a person or animal as a handicap it doesn't make them any less of a person/animal.  This book also teaches children to show compassion, to look for creative solutions to problems and that being different doesn't mean being less special.

Pre-Reading Activity:  This book would go great if you actually had an incubator with eggs waiting to be hatched.  This would be a good book to explain if all of the eggs did not hatch or if one chick was different from the rest.  Or you could use this book after the eggs were hatched and ask the children, “are any of the chicks different from the others?”

Post-Reading Activity:  Wonderful vocabulary in this book:

incubator 

oviparous 

animals 

tuft
pinfeathers 

webbed feet 

veterinarian 

down
adopted 

waterproof 

siblings
oil gland
sling
chorus
flock

Break the children into groups and have them work together to understand the meanings of the words as used in the context.  

Here are some “deeper” questions as well:

How would you feel if you were not able to do the things your friends and family could? 

How could you help someone who was disabled?

How are individuals with disabilities the same as everyone else?

Having worked with Preschool children so much I couldn’t help but think of these activities either:  feather painting and tissue paper eggs

Reflection: This book was brought to my attention during a class when we were discussing disabilities.  I immediately fell in love with it.  I think it is beautifully written and was even more impressed when I found out it was based on a true story.  What a great way to introduce disabilities to children.

About the Author

Laura Backman

This story is actually written about Laura’s experience as a teacher and what happened in her classroom.  Her story, Lemon the Duck, is dedicated to her father who passed away from Multiple Sclerosis.