Teachers who work with English as a Second Language learners will find ESL/ESOL/ELL/EFL reading/writing skill-building children's books, stories, activities, ideas, strategies to help PreK-3, 4-8, and 9-12 students learn to read.
Cultural Traditions: Art
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Meet American Indian/First Nations children, families, and artists who are keeping their heritage and stories alive through their artwork. From the paintings of Pueblo children in New Mexico to the knitting of Cowichan wool sweaters in British Columbia, these books celebrate not only the importance of passing traditions down across generations but the time spent together learning and sharing the craft.
A Rainbow at Night: The World in Words and Pictures
After teaching, or "coaching," art in various Navajo communities in Utah for 10 years, Hucko helped put together an exhibition called "Have You Ever Seen a Rainbow at Night?" in which Navajo children expressed themselves through graphic arts and words. This book presents 23 full-color reproductions of drawings and paintings from the collection, along with a black-and-white photo of each artist, his or her comments about the picture, Hucko's introduction to themes found in each piece of art, and ideas for readers to think about or draw. — School Library Journal
Ancient Thunder
Yerxa, a Canadian of Ojibwe ancestry, celebrates the relationship between horses and the native people of the Great Plains in a series of three-mystically themed montages. At the center of each picture is a paper fringed shirt, crafted from handmade paper and modeled on those worn by the First Peoples; the shirt serves as both backdrop and landscape for Yerxa's lean, schematic portraits of horses, usually depicted in groups at full gallop. — Publishers Weekly
Arctic Memories
Normee Ekoomiak is an Inuk artist from Northern Quebec. Michael J. Mazza writes, "This book contains full-color reproductions of Ekoomiak's paintings and stitched fabric creations. Each piece of visual art is accompanied by an explanatory mini-essay by the artist. Ekoomiak's vivid art depicts the Inuit people, the natural environment, and the animal life of the Arctic." Bilingual Inuktitut/English.
Children of Clay: A Family of Pueblo Potters
A beautifully illustrated short work on the life of a family of potters from Santa Clara Pueblo. The book follows Gia Rose as she and her relatives drive to the mountains to dig for clay; prepare it for working; and fashion pieces that are then polished, sanded, and fired. In addition to the many large, full-color photographs, there are maps of the area and of the 19 pueblos in New Mexico. — School Library Journal (We Are Still Here: Native Americans Today)
Songs from the Loom: A Navajo Girl Learns to Weave (We Are Still Here)
Reviewer Tracy Robert writes, "Photographer and writer Monty Roessel…documented his ten year old daughter, Jaclyn, as her grandmother taught her to weave. The fifth grader learned about the practical aspects of weaving; like shearing sheep, carding and spinning wool, natural dyes, and weaving techniques. Nali Ruth (Grandmother) also taught Jaclyn about important Navajo stories related to weaving and the significance of each tool." (We Are Still Here: Native Americans Today)
This Land Is My Land
In his own words, paintings, and family photographs, acclaimed Native American artist George Littlechild takes young readers back in time to the first meeting between his Plains Cree ancestors and the first European settlers in North America. Through inspiring autobiographical stories accompanied by vivid, dramatic paintings, he recounts the history of his people and their relationship to the land, relating their struggles and triumphs with sensitivity, irony, and humor. Jane Addams Picture Book Award.
Yetsa's Sweater
On a fresh spring day, young Yetsa, her mother and her grandmother gather to prepare the sheep fleeces piled in Grandma's yard. As they clean, wash and dry the fleece, laughter and hard work connect the three generations. Through Yetsa's experience of each task, the reader joins this family in an old but vibrant tradition: the creation of Cowichan sweaters by Coast Salish knitters.
Search Colorín Colorado
My new assignment this year requires me to teach Math and Science to the upper and lower grades as well as Spanish-S to first grade and kindergarten. When I read about Colorin Colorado in the UTD magazine I was very excited. Thank you so very much and I look forward to learning more about you.
~ Rosie F.
