New Way of Looking at Things

 

 

  

Clara and the Curandera= Clara y la Curandera

by Monica Brown and illustrated by Thelma Muraida

This is a bilingual book in both English and Spanish. Clara was very grumpy when she had to take out the trash, share her toys with her brothers and sisters, and read one book a week for school. When Clara’s mother gets tired of seeing Clara so grumpy all the time, she sends Clara to the curandera in another apartment. Clara’s mother tells Clara to ask the lady about what to do. Clara tells the curandera that she is tired of having no space or time to herself. The curandera tells Clara for a whole week, Clara needs to take out her trash and the neighbors’ trash, share all her favorite toys with her siblings, and read five books in one week. The following week is very busy and a little hard for Clara, but she also finds that her brothers and sisters are really nice to her for sharing with them, the neighbors are so thankful for the help, and Clara learns so much from reading the books, that she might want to be a veterinarian when she grows up. When Clara goes to see the curandera again, the curandera tells Clara to go back to the way things were. Clara does go back to the old way of doing things, but she finds that she misses the way she felt that week. Will Clara go back to helping everyone out like before? Will she feel happier that way?

 

Penelope Popper, Book Doctor

by Toni Buzzeo and illustrated by Jana Christy

Penelope Popper really wants to be a doctor, and she even has a doctor’s coat, bag, and badge. It seems to Penelope, though, that no one has time to let her doctor them. Even her teacher is too busy for a check-up. When Mr. Hempel, Penelope’s teacher, sees her looking depressed, he tells her to go visit the library. When Penelope gets to the library, she tells the librarian, Ms. Brisco, that she wants to be a doctor. Ms. Brisco asks Penelope what kind of doctor she wants to be. Penelope did not know there were lots of different kinds of doctors. Ms. Brisco tells Penelope that there are even book doctors. Then Ms. Brisco shows Penelope what book doctors do. The next week, Penelope finds some books on the shelf that need a book doctor. Ms. Brisco asks Penelope if she wants to be her medical resident and learn to be a book doctor. Penelope even practices on the books in the classroom. The next day, Penelope and Ms. Brisco work on taping up torn pages. What other things does Penelope learn about being a book doctor? Will she be able to help the other students take better care of the books? What will be her special surprise from Ms. Brisco and Mr. Hempel?

 

Wild Rose’s Weaving

by Ginger Churchill and illustrated by Nicole Wong

Grandma wants to teach Rose how to weave, but Rose tells her grandmother that she is too busy. Rose runs through the meadow after the sheep and tells herself that the running is better than weaving. Grandma tells Rose to come help her warp the loom, but Rose is too busy playing with the sheep. Then Rose sees a storm coming. Grandma wants to show Rose how to work the sticks when weaving, but Rose would rather stay out in the storm. Rose stays out in the rain as her grandmother builds more and more of her picture with the weaving. Rose runs through the little streams that the storm made, and she feels that it has to be better than weaving. By the time the storm is over, Rose’s grandmother has finished the rug she was working on. Will Rose like her rug? Will she still think that all of those other things are better than weaving?

 

Crafty Chloe

by Kelly DiPuchhio and illustrated by Heather Ross

There are several things that Chloe is not good at, such as sports, video games, or dancing, but Chloe is very good at crafts and can make clothes. Chloe uses her father’s old shirts to make clothes for her dog, Bert, and coffee filters to make flowers for a flower hat for show-and-tell. One day Chloe goes shopping for a present for her best friend’s (Emma) birthday party. Chloe thinks she has found the perfect present when she finds a Violet doll from the Flower Girls doll series that Emma collects. Unfortunately, another classmate, London, has already decided to buy Violet for Emma. Chloe tells London that she is going to make something purple and special for Emma’s present, but London does not sound very convinced. When she gets home, Chloe is really not sure what to make for Emma. Chloe gets so worried that she pretends to have “chicken pops” after drawing blue dots all over herself. Chloe’s mom reminds her that there will be a pony, and Chloe suddenly feels much better. Chloe sits down to doodle for some inspiration. Will she make something perfect for Emma’s present? Will this present come in handy for something that happens on the day of the party?