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Ratliff

Rashi Ratliff

Professor Jennifer Kalas

Children’s Literature

ECE 260

28 September 2014

An Evaluation Guide for Fiction

Author: Helen Oxenbury

Title: Tom and Pippo and the Bicycle

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Summary: Story of Tom and his toy monkey Pippo. Pippo keeps falling off of the back of

Tom’s bike. He wishes he had a big bike with a seat in the back like his neighbor Stephanie’s

bike. He and Stephanie come up with a plan to keep Pippo from falling off of the back of Tom’s

bicycle.

Evaluation

Plot: Tom’s conflict is between himself and his toy bike. He takes his toy monkey Pippo for a

ride on his bicycle but Pippo continuously falls off the back of his bicycle. He notices his

neighbor Stephanie’s big bike with a basket in the back of it and so desperately wishes he had a

big bike like hers. She eventually comes to the aid of Tom and they both decide to build a basket

on the back of Tom’s bicycle. This solution saves the day and allows Tom and Pippo to finally

enjoy their bicycle ride together.

Believability= 9

Comment: The story is a believable story. It is one that children can relate to. Children can

relate to wanting to take their favorite stuffed animal on a bicycle ride with them.

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Major dramatic question (clear early in book?): Yes

Comment: The major dramatic question is clear early in the book. Will Pippo keep falling off of

the bike?

Other considerations (satisfactory conclusion, tension, clear conflict, etc.) = 9

Comment: Tom successfully solves the problem he experienced in the beginning of the story.

Tom and Pippo are finally able to enjoy their bike ride together.

Style and Language (precise vocabulary, figurative language, dialogue, cadence,

understatement, unexpected insights, etc.) = 6

Comment: The word style does not provide much cadence to the story. The feelings in the story

are clearly present and the reader could easily draw their own conclusion.

Pacing: 8

Comment: The author wastes no time getting to the point of the story. The story moves along at

a constant rate

Character (dynamic protagonist, characters “ring true” [including cultural

considerations], etc.): 9

Comment: The characters in the story are believable and relatable

Setting (detail texture): 7

Comment: The setting takes place outdoors and is a realistic one. Although the physical

surroundings did not add much to the setting, the illustrations where done well enough where this

could be a wordless book.

Theme (absence of overt didacticism?): 9

Comment: The theme of friendship is present in the story. The story was clear of visible

didacticism.

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Other considerations (mood, tone, etc.): 8

Comment: The mood was very light and the author was able to express the feeling of innocence

and friendship in the writing.

Is it a well-rounded piece? 7

Comment: I believe it is a good first reader book. I like how the problem and solution are

clearly present. It can be a book that is engaging for kids because many questions can be asked

while reading the story.

OVERALL RATING (10 high; 1 low): 7

Comment: good book to introduce to very young children

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Author: Derek Munson

Title: Enemy Pie

Publisher: Chronicle Books

Summary: Hoping that the enemy pie that his father makes will help him get rid of his enemy, a

little boy finds that instead it helps him make a new friend (Munson).

Evaluation

Plot: When a little boy finds out that his enemy Jeremy Ross has just moved onto his street he

get advice from his dad to make him an enemy pie. The little boy hopes that the pie will do

something awful to his enemy but raises eyebrows when his dad only adds good ingredients to

the pie. In order for the pie to work the boy’s dad tells him that he must treat his enemy kindly

before it is eaten. After spending much time with Jeremy, the boy is surprised to see how much

the two have in common. He grows to like Jeremy very much and when they sit down to eat the

pie the boy yells, “There’s poison in the pie!” Jeremy finds this amusing and makes the

statement that if the pie is bad then why is your dad enjoying it? The boy is amazed and realizes

that if his dad is eating the pie and enjoying it then what harm could it do to Jeremy. They all

enjoy the pie and the beginning of a new friendship blossoms.

Believability= 9

Comment: The storyline is believable. One can relate to knowing someone that they did not like

only to find out that they actually have much in common.

Major dramatic question (clear early in book?): Yes, but slowly emerges

Comment: The major dramatic question is present but slowly emerges as the story is read. Will

Jeremy Ross eat the enemy pie?

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Other considerations (satisfactory conclusion, tension, clear conflict, etc.): 9

Comment: The little boy seeking revenge on his enemy Jeremy Ross is the conflict in the story.

As the story unfolds, the boys create a surprising friendship, which makes for a great conclusion.


understatement, unexpected insights, etc.): 7

Comment: The style of language was used in way that allowed the personality of the characters

come through.

Pacing: 7

Comment: The story did not move at a fast pace. It moved at a constant rate where you could

enjoy the story as the plot unfolded.



Comment: The characters are very believable. The little boy is the dynamic protagonist. He is

the main character and goes through a great change in the story. He finds a friend in Jeremy Ross

who was once considered his enemy.


Comment: The setting takes place in the home and throughout the neighborhood of the main

character. The setting was very detailed and added to the depth of the story.


Comment: The theme of the story is acceptance and friendship. A lesson was definitely visible

in the story but it did not overshadow the entertainment of the story.

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Comment: I like how the tone of the book dealt with conflict resolution. A lesson was taught

through adding a bit of humor to the storyline.


Comment: I believe it was a well-written piece. It had a lot of literary pieces that came together

to help make this book enjoyable to read.


Comment: A book that was entertaining that is recommendable

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Author: Claire Freedman & Ben Cort

Title: Aliens in Underpants Save the World

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Summary: Aliens in underpants who are on a mission to save Earth from a meteor that is

plummeting toward it (Freedman, Cort).

Evaluation

Plot: Aliens in underpants get the news that Earth is in danger of being destroyed by a meteor.

Fearful that their supply of underpants will become destroyed along with planet Earth, they rush

from outer space on a mission to save the planet. While on Earth, they find lots of underpants

and stitched them all together to create one large pair of underpants. As the meteor hits Earth it

bounces into the underpants and is then bounced back into outer space. The Aliens have saved

the day and has ensured that their supply of underpants will not run out.

Believability= 3

Comment: Although the story was cute, it did not reflect the lives of actual living people.


Comment: The major dramatic question is clear early in the book. Will the Aliens save planet

Earth?

Other considerations (satisfactory conclusion, tension, clear conflict, etc.)= 7

Comment: There is a clear conflict here. The aliens rush to save Earth in order to save their

supply of underpants. The conclusion is also presented clearly.

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Comment: The story has a four-line rhyme on every page, which adds good cadence to the

story. The rhyming aspect of the story helps boost the entertainment factor of the story.

Pacing: 7

Comment: The story develops rather quickly and takes no time getting to the resolution.



Comment: The characters are cute and funny aliens in underpants. Not very easy to see their

personality come through so it was hard trying to make a connection.


Comment: The detailed artwork helped to add credibility to the setting of Earth and outer space.


Comment: The theme in the story is heroism. The story was absent of didacticism.


Comment: The mood and tone of the story is very bright and hilarious. The great illustrations

really helped to enhance the mood of the story.


Comment: The story could use a little more depth in the storyline


Comment: The illustrations are bright and engaging. Will make for a fun and interesting book

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Author: Nick Sharratt

Title: Shark in the Park

Publisher: Rigby

Summary: Timothy tests out his new telescope at the park. As he looks through his telescope he

insists that there’s a shark in the park. Through each turn of the page it is interesting to see what

it really is that Timothy sees through his telescope.

Evaluation

Plot: Timothy takes his new telescope to the park. As he looks through his telescope he sees

different shapes that resembles the shape of a shark fin. As each page is turned the true object of

what Timothy actually sees through his telescope is revealed. After numerous false sightings,

Timothy realizes that there are no actually no sharks in the park.

Believability= 7

Comment: The story has believability. Kids could relate to a story of looking through a

telescope and believing that they see something but to realize that it is not really what they see.


Comment: The major dramatic question is clear early in the book. Is there a shark in the park?


Comment: The conflict in the story is clear. Timothy believes he sees a shark but the conflict is

resolved as it is revealed to be something other than a shark.



Comment: There is good cadence to the book. The rhyming words and repetitive phrases are

catchy and fun to repeat.

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Pacing: 9

Comment: The story moves along at a very good pace. Through each turn of the page it is

immediately revealed what Timothy actually sees through his telescope.



Comment: The character, Timothy, is a relatable and believable character.


Comment: The story takes place in the park. All of the vibrant pictures in the story add depth to

the setting. It actually feels as if you are at the park with Timothy.


Comment: The story is absent of didacticism. It is a story full of adventure.


Comment: The mood and tone is one of adventure and enthusiasm. It is exciting to actually see

what it is in the park that looks like a shark to Timothy.


Comment: This is a fun read for kids. The rhythmic cadence, bright pictures, and suspense

make for an engaging story.


Comment: Book is exciting and cutout peepholes in the story helps make for a more engaging

experience.

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Author: Eric Carle

Title: The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Publisher: Philomel Books

Summary: Follows the progress of a very hungry caterpillar as he eats his way through a varied

and very large quantity of food, until, full at last, he forms a cocoon around himself and goes to

sleep (Carle).

Evaluation

Plot: The caterpillar hatches from its egg and finds itself very hungry. Each day it eats one item

more than it did the previous day. It eventually eats so much that it gets a stomachache. After

eating a green leaf to soothe its pain it forms a cocoon. It finally eats it’s way out of the cocoon

and emerges as a beautiful butterfly.

Believability= 8

Comment: The story is a story that is relatable. One can see how eating too much can cause an

upset stomach. The caterpillar emerging from its cocoon as a butterfly is a very believable piece

of the story.


Comment: The major dramatic question is clear early in the book. Will the caterpillar get full?


Comment: The story has clear conflict. The caterpillar becomes its own worst enemy as it fills

its growing appetite. But the caterpillar’s ending is quite beautiful as he turns into a butterfly.



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Comment: The story establishes patterns and adds variety. It emphasizes numbers and the days

of the week that makes it interesting as each page is turned.

Pacing: 7

Comment: The story moves along at a constant pace. It is engaging to turn the pages and to

count the number of items that the caterpillar eats each day.



Comment: The caterpillar is a believable and unique character. It is fun to go on a journey with

him as he fills his appetite and then turns into a beautiful butterfly.


Comment: The story takes place in a tree. The large and colorful illustrations as well as the

cutouts in the book add depth to the setting.


Comment: The story is very whimsical and entertaining. One can learn how to count items and

the days of the week without the lesson of the story being overpowering.


Comment: The mood of the book is fun and bright. It gives off a humorous tone and the

beautiful illustrations really help to set the mood and tone in the story.


Comment: The book is engaging and as children learn the fate of the caterpillar, they also

engage in counting items and learn the days of the week.


Comment: The book is very engaging. It is definitely worth recommending.

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Author: Patricia and Frederick McKissack

Title: Messy Bessey’s School Desk

Publisher: Children’s Press

Summary: When Messy Bessey starts to clean up her desk at school, she inspires the rest of the

class to clean up the entire room (McKissack).

Evaluation

Plot: Bessey finds conflict with herself by continuously being surrounded by her very messy

desk. She finally comes to the realization that her messy desk is a disgrace and begins to clean up

her mess. She then inspires her classmates to clean their areas as well. She leads them into the

task of cleaning up the entire classroom. Because of her leadership, her class elects her as class

president.

Believability: 9

Comment: The story is very believable. One can definitely relate to having a messy space,

which can make it difficult to find things.


Comment: The question is clear early in the story. Will Bessey ever clean her desk?


Comment: Bessey solves her conflict and then inspires other to follow her lead.



Comment: The story is a rhyming story. This creates a good cadence and helps with the

entertainment element of the story.

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Pacing: 8

Comment: The story moves along rather quickly as it builds up to the events of the story.



Comment: Bessey is a believable and relatable character. She shows how rewarding it is to be a

good example for others to follow.


Comment: The setting is in the classroom. The vivid illustrations are very detailed. The details

of the pictures add much depth to the story.


Comment: The theme of the story is leadership. Although the story teaches the lesson of

leadership, I think it tended to focus more on the lesson than on the entertainment that a story

should bring.


Comment: Because the lesson of the story was in the forefront, the tone and mood of the story

was more serious than I would have liked.


Comment: The story could have been a bit more enthusiastic and with the lesson being in the

forefront it took away from the entertainment part of the story


Comment: Although it lacks some literary qualities, it does teach a good lesson of tidiness and

leadership.

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Author: Kin Platt

Title: Big Max

Publisher: Harper Collins

Summary: Big Max, the world’s greatest detective, helps a king find his missing elephant.

Evaluation

Plot: Detective Big Max searches high and low to find the missing elephant, Jumbo. He uses

clues that lead to many adventures on his search for Jumbo. He eventually finds Jumbo in the

woods having a party with his elephant family. Max is then able to get answers to the questions

of why Jumbo left home, how he escaped, and where he had gone. It all ends in a celebration for

everyone in a case well solved.

Believability: 7

Comment: The story of a detective called upon to locate a missing elephant is believable.


Comment: The major dramatic question is clear early in the story. Will Big Max be able to find

the missing elephant?


Comment: The conflict is clear in the story. The king cannot find his missing elephant and he

calls upon Big Max to help him find him.



Comment: Although the dialogue between Max and some of the characters in the story bring

humor to the story, the story could have done without the overuse of sound words.

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Pacing: 6

Comment: The story lingers on a bit. My interest was kept because I was eager to know what

had happened to Jumbo and how he was able to escape his home.



Comment: The characters are unique, believable and relatable.


Comment: The story takes place in the countryside. The illustrations are a bit flat and do not add

much detail to the setting.


Comment: The theme of the story is perseverance and was absent of overt didacticism. The

detective and the king did not give up their search for Jumbo even after various encounters in the

story.


Comment: The book had some whimsical and humorous elements. Although the search was on

to find Jumbo, the talking animals made for a very entertaining story.


Comment: Not a bad book chapter book. Older kids will delight in going on a journey with the

king and the detective as they follow clues to find Jumbo.


Comment: A good mystery/detective book

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Author: Marjorie Weinman Sharmat & Mitchell Sharmat

Title: Nate the Great and the Big Sniff

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Summary: Nate the Great follows clues to find his lost dog, Sludge, in a department store.

Evaluation

Plot: Nate’s trip to the department store with his dog Sludge turns into a nightmare. Sludge

disobeys his orders to wait outside and finds himself lost inside the department store. Nate comes

up against various obstacles in his search for Sludge. After remembering that he and Sludge both

love pancakes, he decides to look for him at the pancake place. Once there, Sludge sniffs him out

and they are reunited.

Believability: 9

Comment: The story of losing a pet or anything treasured is one that is easily relatable.


Comment: The question is clear early in the book. Will Nate the Great find his dog Sludge?


Comment: The conflict of Nate and the many obstacles he face as he searches for his dog

Sludge is clear in the story. There is a clear satisfactory conclusion as both Sludge and Nate are

reunited.



Comment: The language in the story is natural. The characters personalities come out through

the exaggerated dialogue and the humorous choice of words.

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Pacing: 8

Comment: The story does not linger and moves along at a constant pace.



Comments: All of the characters in the story are believable and relatable.


Comment: The story takes place in a department store. There is not much texture in the

illustration, which does not add to the setting.


Comment: The theme of the story is persistence. The absence of overt didacticism allowed the

story to be enjoyed.


Comment: The mood of the story is innocent. It also has a bit of a dark atmosphere due to the

sadness the main character feels over him losing his dog. The addition of humor helps to lighten

the mood of the story.


Comment: The story had good elements that helped to make the book enjoyable.


Comment: Overall this was a good chapter book. The detective storyline is engaging. It allows

one to feel like a detective as they read through the story.

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Author: Lisa Moser

Title: Squirrel’s World

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Summary: Squirrel’s well-meaning attempts to help his forest friends do not always turn out as

planned (Moser).

Evaluation

Plot: Squirrel is a very busy character. He helps his friends even when they do not want to be

helped. He helps Mouse gather more corn than he needs and accidentally drops apples on his

head. He helps Rabbit get a leaf from the pond and accidently gets Rabbit wet, even though he

hates getting wet. But through all of his disasters Squirrel’s friends still love him the same even

knowing that tomorrow will bring more adventurous mishaps with Squirrel.

Believability: 8

Comment: Squirrel being a good help to his friends is a believable story that all can relate to.

Major dramatic question (clear early in book?): Yes, but slow emerging

Comment: As I read through the story, the question that could be asked is, “Will the forest

animals continue to be friends with Squirrel?”


Comment: Squirrel cause conflict with each of his forest friends. Each chapter presents a

problem that Squirrel is always anxious to solve. Although he helps his friends, he goes

overboard and cause disasters along the way. His friends are very annoyed but they love Squirrel

the same.



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Comment: The story has many repetitive words. It did add cadence to the story and when read

aloud will really catch the attention of the listener

Pacing: 6

Comment: The story carries on at slow pace. It takes a while to get to the climax of the story.

This could cause one to get distracted and miss out on the fun parts of the story.



Comment: The characters are relatable. Squirrel is an overambitious helper and although he is a

bit annoying, his forest friends do appreciate his help.


Comment: The story takes place in the forest. Although the pictures are not as vivid, the

illustrations in the book really helps brings the setting to life.


Comment: The theme in the story is consideration and helpfulness. The author is able to get

across the message of helpfulness and consideration without losing the excitement of the story.


Comment: The playfulness and humor in the story helped to enhance the mood. The repetitive

words added a whimsy to the story.


Comment: I thought many elements came together to make the story interesting. I liked how the

author used whimsy to get a message across.


Comment: This is a cute and funny chapter book.

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Author: Dev Ross

Title: The Three Little Pigs (Updated)

Publisher: Treasure Bay

Summary: A humorous updating of the classic story. The first little Pig is lazy and only wants to

watch T.V. The second little Pig only wants to eat. They both build houses of straw and sticks

that is no match for the big bad Wolf. It’s the third little Pig who is able to outsmart the Wolf

with his wit and hard work (Ross).

Evaluation

Plot: Three Little Pigs face conflict with a big bad Wolf as they each build a house of their own.

The wolf blows down the house of the first two pigs because they were hastily and poorly made

out of straw and sticks. The wolf eats them both. The third little pig survives because he takes the

time to build a sturdy house out of bricks. The wolf fails to blow it down and attempts to enter

through the chimney where he falls into a pot of boiling water and is devoured by the pig.

Believability 7:

Comment: The storyline has some believability. One can understand how laziness can lead to

one’s demise.


Comment: The major dramatic question is clear early in the book. Once the three little pigs are

forced to leave home by their mother the question can be asked, “Will the three little pigs be able

to survive on their own?”

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Comment: The conflict between the three little pigs and wolf is very clear. The third little pig is

the only one able to outsmart the wolf.



Comment: The language style in this updated version of the story really brings out the

personality of the characters. The rhyming words presented in the story and the repetitive

patterns add cadence and excitement to the story.

Pacing: 9

Comment: The story moves at a constant pace. The momentum builds up as the wolf stalks and

confronts each of the little pigs.



Comments: The characters are unique and relatable. The sneaky wolf devours the first two little

pigs due to their laziness. The third little pig, due to his hard work and wit, outsmarts the wolf.

This shows that hard work does pay off.


Comment: The artwork in this updated version of the story really adds humor to the setting.

Each little pig’s house is very detailed. Their personalities are visible in each one of their houses.

A funny drawing of a T.V. is added for the lazy first little pig, lots of food is provided for the

second little pig, and the cleanliness and order is drawn for the third little pig. All of the fine

details in the background add depth to the setting.

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Comment: The theme of laziness, resourcefulness, cleverness, and hard work is visible in the

story. The author is able to get the message across in a very entertaining way.


Comment: The mood of the story is one of tension and surprise. It is a very humorous story.


Comment: I believe a lot of literary elements come together to make for a fun well rounded

story.


Comment: The story offers a good plot and storyline. The characters are relatable and

humorous. The book is entertaining and a funny version of the original story.

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