Session 5: The History of Children's Literature

Grade Level this book has been selected for: Kindergarten

APA Citation: Cannon, J. (1993). Stellaluna. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Books

Description: Separated from her mother before she is old enough to fly, Stellaluna finds out that not all winged creatures eat fruit. But swallowing food that crawls is just one of the many amazing things this little fruit bat must learn to do. Not all are lessons in survival, however. For as Stellaluna adapts to the habits of her new family, she learns the essence of friendship in humorous and touching ways. 

(From the book cover.)

This book is appropriate for: Ages 0-8; Kindergarten-Third grade

Justification: Because Stellaluna is an award winning picture book that makes an excellent introduction to bats, I would read this book as part of a story time presentation. I would then have students ask and answer questions about bats, their diets, their habitats, and habits that demonstrates CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text. (English Language Arts Standards >> Reading Literature, Retrieved from Common Core State Standard Initiatives on October 5, 2017: http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RL/K/1/ (links to an external site.) Links to an external site. (Links to an external site.)

Keywords: Bats 🦇Friendship 🦇Adversity🦇Family

Review:Attacked by an owl, Stellaluna (a fruit bat) is separated from her mother and taken in by a bird and her nestlings. Dutifully, she tries to accommodate--she eats insects, hangs head up, and sleeps at night, as Mama Bird says she must--but once Stellaluna learns to fly, it's a huge relief when her own mother finds her and explains that the behavior that comes naturally is appropriate to her species. With a warm, nicely honed narration, Cannon strikes just the right balance between accurate portrayal of the bats and the fantasy that dramatizes their characteristics. Her illustrations, in luminous acrylics and color pencils, are exquisite. The appealingly furry, wide-eyed, fawn-colored bats have both scientific precision and real character; they're displayed against intense skies or the soft browns and greens of the woodland in spare, beautifully constructed (occasionally even humorous) compositions. Delightful and informative but never didactic: a splendid debut. 

Citation: Kirkus Reviews. (1993). [Review of the book Stellaluna, by J.Cannon]. Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved October 5, 2017, from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/janell-cannon/stellaluna/ (Links to an external site.) Links to an external site.

Awards: 

Buckaroo Book Award (Wyoming)

E.B. White Read-Aloud Awards: Middle Reader

Keystone to Reading Book Award (Pennsylvania): Intermediate category

South Carolina Book Awards: Children's Books 
Retrieved from Novelist Plus on October 5, 2017: http://web.b.ebscohost.com/novp/detail?vid=2&sid=cfea35d6-e96c-4ac8-b4b1-29b9333c394f%40pdc-v-sessmgr01&bdata=JnNpdGU9bm92cC1saXZl#db=neh&UI=108086 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.