Lena Landström

Cute, minimally-illustrated story about a little kid, a toy, and the effect of situational perspective.

Simple, entertaining plot about a rather emotional child who thinks fun, happy events are proof of good luck, and frustrating events are the result of bad luck.

Characters and conversations:
It's unclear whether the child is male or female, and it's unclear whether the toy is a 'doll' or a stuffed animal. The unclarity of each allows it to be more accessible to all children, and it also show more provides an important space for explaining that both girls and boys can play with either dolls or stuffed animals, as well as discussing that not all children feel a need to be called a boy or a girl.

Additional discussions:
Pom's alternating assessment of each change in the plot ("What luck!" ... "That's bad luck.") creates a great way to talk through how frustrating bad things can be, but also: how sometimes things that were once very frustrating or sad don't seem as bad as time goes on, and likewise, sometimes looking differently at situations that upset us can help us find more positive ways of thinking about them.

Teaching moments:
The minimal narration which is heavily reliant on expressive reading has allowed me to use this book with intermediate readers who need to develop more mental engagement with the text, i.e., students who need to be more aware of how rich reading expression ties into their understanding of the text. By exemplifying how much more they can 'understand' about Pom's feelings just by listening to how I read it very expressively versus not at all expressively, they can have more of a sensory learning moment about how and why thinking about using expression matters. show less

Equality in the chicken yard!

Four plump hens and one little rooster live a happy and contented life in the chicken yard....until the hens notice that the little rooster has a bigger place at the trough. Surely it wouldn't hurt to ask why? But the little rooster, backed up by his big friends, suddenly becomes a barnyard tyrant, leaving less and less food for the hens. But the hens are not powerless. One course in self-esteem later, including strength training, feather fluffing, and deep show more breathing, they are ready to tackle the selfish little rooster.

The pictures are my favorite part of this picture book. The plump, solemn chickens, the self-important little rooster, and the peaceful, simple chicken yard are all displayed in warm earth colours and clean lines. The little rooster's mysterious project is never explained, but is always in the background. A fun story of standing up for yourself without becoming a bully.

Verdict: Sadly out of print, this is a fun book to use in storytime or with older elementary kids. A nicely balanced alternative to some of the wimpy self-esteem titles I've seen lately.

ISBN: 978-9129663365; Published October 2005 by R & S; Borrowed from the library; Added to my personal wishlist show less

These two Swedish tales are classic Lena and Olof Landstrom. The deceptively simple illustrations, plot, and characters, are deeply satisfying and reassuring.

In each of these two stories, Will has a job to do - get a haircut, and pick up a package from the post office. He doesn't really want to get a haircut, and his package turns out to be ENORMOUS, but he manages on his own and the story comes to a successful conclusion.

Will's stories celebrate the simple joys and troubles of childhood, show more when even small things can loom large, but with a little ingenuity, Will solves his problems!

Verdict: I really like these Swedish picture books, but sadly they are out of print. VERY out of print.

Will goes to the post office
ISBN: 978-9129629507; Published September 1994 by R & S (out of print); Borrowed from the library; Added to my personal wishlist

Will gets a haircut
ISBN: 978-9129620757; Published September 1993 by R & S (out of print); Borrowed from the library; Added to my personal wishlist show less

Landstrom, Lena. Boo and Baa Have Company. Illus. Olof Landstrom. R & S Books, 2006.

Boo and Ball Have Company is a silly story about two sheep who work together to solve problems of their own creation. Boo and Baa make a great team, helping each other as they try to save a kitten stuck in a tree. Appropriate for preschool through second grade, Boo and Ball demonstrate caring and team work making it appropriate for any number of character education lessons.

The playful art corresponds nicely show more to the text, giving the reader more information than the characters have as the reader spots the meowing kitten as Boo and Baa wonder where it is coming from. Young children enjoy “knowing” more than the characters. There are several pages with multiple frames that effectively show the steps they took to solve a problem. show less