Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Teaching Visual Discrimination by Laurie Miller Hornik

he brown bear in Bill Martin shapes or other visual elements in patterning with a collection of and Eric Carle’s classic book the real world. pattern-related books, such as Tsees a red bird looking at Books that encourage or highlight Turpin’s The Sultan’s Snakes. A him. But what do students see when attention to detail can complement collection of shape books, such as they look around? Can they make a science table of shells, bug boxes, Crosbie and Rosenthal’s Architec- sense of the visual information that ture series, can enhance a geometry constantly surrounds them? Can unit. Even if they don’t introduce they recognize patterns and a specific math activity, making shapes, discern details, and discard distracting, super- fluous information? From the well- known I Spy and Where’s Waldo? books to some lesser-known gems, A close look reveals there is a growing the inventive items— class of books that like a tea bag, a ping- pong ball, and opera offer readers the glasses—that make up opportunity to this astronaut, in Look- think about visual Alikes, Jr. by Joan images and often Steiner. interact with them as well. Children can search for a hidden image or shape, find what’s wrong with a picture, or discern a whole image from the hint of a small detail. Some books, such these books available provides as Knight’s Where’s Wallace?, are context. For instance, several of the themselves like game boards— books on art and architecture give children can “play” in the book by students the opportunity to search finding Wallace, the hidden orangu- leaves, or other items that deserve for shapes in real places—in archi- tan, on each page. Other books, careful observation. Consider tectural elements or in reproduc- such as Hoban’s Cubes, Cones, featuring such books along with the tions of famous pieces of art. Cylinders, and Spheres, inspire the objects. Juxtaposing books on different reader to look outside the book for Try accompanying a math unit on visual themes can deepen students’

B o o k L i n k s O c t o b e r / N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 1 19 From fences to fire each page. The author’s Re-Zoom escapes, letters hide in (Viking, 1995) continues the fun. our everyday sur- roundings. The letter Cohen, Izhar. ABC Discovery! An P in The City ABC Book Alphabet Book of Picture Puzzles. by Zoran Milich. 1998. 64p. Dial, $17.99 (0-8037- 2321-0). K–Gr. 4. Each letter of the alphabet is accompanied by a detailed illustration in which there are many hidden objects beginning with that letter. A list of hidden for the youngest set objects to find is provided across features characters from from each illustration. The full nursery rhymes and fairy pages call for close examination, tales hidden in its pages. which will delight fans of such Since the characters are books as the Where’s Waldo series not overly hard to spot, and the I Spy books. the search won’t frustrate even very young children. Crosbie, Michael J., and Steve Rosenthal. Architecture Shapes. 1993. Anno, Mitsumasa. Anno’s 26p. Wiley, board, $6.95 (0-471- Counting Book. 1977. 14366-9). 32p. HarperCollins, Preschool–Gr. 1. Photos of $16.95 (0-690-01287- architectural elements are accompa- X); HarperTrophy, paper, nied by the names of the shapes $6.95 (0-06-443123-1); featured. Use this book as a spring- big book, $22.95 (0-06- board for shape hunts in your understanding of what it means to 443315-3). neighborhood. Also see the authors’ comprehend our world visually. Ask Preschool–Gr. 3. Each spread of other titles in the series: Architecture students to look at Banyai’s Zoom this wordless counting book (which Counts, Architecture Animals, and and Hoban’s Look Book and consider counts from 0 to 12) shows a Architecture Colors. what the two have in common. panorama of a developing town. They both deal with visual perspec- Careful observers can find many de Vicq de Cumptich, Roberto. tive, showing the same object or examples of each number on each Bembo’s Zoo: An Animal ABC Book. scene from various perspectives, but page—by counting trees (count the 2000. 32p. Holt, $17.95 (0-8050- they may also have as many differ- pine trees separately from the 6382-X). ences as similarities. deciduous trees), buildings, people, Gr. 1–4. For each letter of the There is such a wonderful variety animals, and more. alphabet, an animal is portrayed, of images in our world. It is only created entirely of letters (in the fitting that there is also a wonderful Banyai, Istvan. Zoom. 1995. 64p. Bembo font; thus the title). The variety of approaches to observing Viking, $15.99 (0-670-85804-8); letters are sometimes inverted, the world in today’s children’s Puffin, paper, $6.99 (0-140- rotated, or overlapped to form books. 55774-1). complex images. Reverse images Preschool–Gr. 3. Each spread in supply an eye-catching symmetry. Bibliography this boldly illustrated book zooms out just a little farther to provide a new Dodds, Dayle Ann. The Shape of Ahlberg, Allan, and Janet Ahlberg. perspective. For instance, what seems Things. Illus. by Julie Lacome. Each Peach Pear Plum. 1979. 32p. to be a farm turns out on the next 1996. 32p. Candlewick, paper, Viking, $14.99 (0-670-28705-9); page to be a toy farm, as the image $5.99 (1-56402-698-1). Puffin, paper, $4.99 (0-14- zooms out to show a boy at play. Preschool–Gr. 1. In this shape 050639-X); Viking, board, $6.99 Children will be fascinated as their hunt with a twist, each geometric (0-670-88278-X). assumptions about what they are shape is first presented and then Preschool–K. This “I spy” book seeing are challenged with the turn of added to, in order to turn it into

20 B o o k L i n k s O c t o b e r / N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 1 something else (such as a square glimpse of the world scaled to slug of books draws attention to shapes that becomes a house). The accom- size. and other visual aspects of the panying rhymes make good models world. This latest installment for students’ own shape pictures Ehlert, Lois. Color Farm. 1990. focuses on three-dimensional and poems. 32p. HarperCollins, $15.95 geometric shapes. (0-397-32440-5); HarperFestival, Edwards, Pamela Duncan. Four board, $7.95 (0-694-01066-9). Hoban, Tana. Look Book. 1997. Famished Foxes and Fosdyke. Illus. by Preschool–K. Layered die-cut 40p. HarperCollins/Greenwillow, Henry Cole. 1995. 32p. geometric shapes create various farm $16 (0-688-14971-5). HarperCollins, $14.95 (0-06- animals. Ehlert brings them all Preschool–Gr. 2. A small hole in 024925-0); HarperTrophy, paper, together to create a lively, colorful the center of a black page reveals a $5.95 (0-06-443480-X). final spread. Also see Ehlert’s Color glimpse of an illustration. With this K–Gr. 3. Hunt for objects Zoo (HarperCollins, 1989). bit of information, the reader tries to beginning with the letter f on each guess what the whole image will be. page, in this tale of four fox kits who Handford, Martin. Where’s Waldo? There are several titles in this series of are left at home alone for the first 1987; reissued 1997. 32p. “peek through the hole” books. time. The book challenges readers to Candlewick, $12.99 (0-7636- find the f objects in humorous, 0310-4). Jonas, Ann. Round Trip. 1983. playful paintings showing the kits Preschool–Gr. 3. Find Waldo on 32p. HarperCollins/Greenwillow, foraging for food. each busy page in the original book $15.95 (0-688-01772-X); in this still-growing series. Other HarperTrophy, paper, $3.95 Edwards, Pamela Duncan. Some Waldo books include Where’s Waldo? (0-688-09986-6). Smug Slug. Illus. by Henry Cole. In Hollywood (Candlewick, 1997) Preschool–Gr. 2. This is one of 1996. 32p. HarperCollins, $14.95 and Where’s Waldo? The Fantastic several books by Jonas in which each (0-06-024789-4); HarperTrophy, Journey (Candlewick, 1997). illustration, when viewed upside- paper, $5.95 (0-06-443502-4). down, shows a different, also Preschool–Gr. 2. In this tale, a Hoban, Tana. Cubes, Cones, Cylin- realistic, illustration. Read this book slug slithers up a slanted slope ders, and Spheres. 2000. 24p. about a trip, then turn it upside- even though he is warned not to— HarperCollins/Greenwillow, $15.95 down and continue reading for the by sparrow, skunk, spider, and (0-688-15325-9). “return trip” part of the story. Also others. Kids will be held in K–Gr. 4. Hoban’s excellent series see the author’s The Trek suspense as to what awaits the slug at the top of the slope. And not only is the text rich in s words, but the letter s is cleverly hidden in each illustration. Finely detailed acrylic paintings help provide a

A lovely lion in Roberto de Vicq de Cumptich’s Bembo’s Zoo is made up of letters in the word lion.

B o o k L i n k s O c t o b e r / N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 1 21 (HarperCollins, 1985) and Reflec- Marzollo, Jean. I Spy Extreme Spy: An Alphabet in Art tions (HarperCollins, 1987). Challenger: A Book of Picture Riddles. (HarperCollins/Greenwillow, 1992) Photos by Walter Wick. 2000. 40p. and I Spy a Freight Train: Transporta- Knight, Hilary. Where’s Wallace? Scholastic/Cartwheel, $13.95 tion in Art (HarperCollins/ 1964; reissued 2000. 48p. Simon & (0-439-19900-X). Greenwillow, 1996). Schuster, $17 (0-689-83992-8). K–Gr. 3. New riddles accompany Preschool–Gr. 3. The illustrator 12 double-page spreads from seven Milich, Zoran. The City ABC Book. of Eloise employed a “hidden earlier volumes of this well-known 2001. 32p. Kids Can, $15.95 character” technique with his well- series. The new riddles have the (1-55074-942-0). hidden orangutan long before reader search for even smaller, K–Gr. 3. Black-and-white photos Where’s Waldo? made it famous. The harder-to-find objects than did the reveal letters embedded in a city’s panoramas are stunning, and previous books. structures (such as A-shaped win- finding Wallace is a definite chal- dow frames). After reading this lenge, in this recently reissued Micklethwait, Lucy. I Spy Two Eyes: book, children will be eager to find classic. Numbers in Art. 1993. 48p. what letters their own neighbor- HarperCollins/Greenwillow, $19 hoods contain. LeSieg, Theodore. Wacky Wednesday. (0-688-12640-5); HarperTrophy, Illus. by George Booth. 1974. 48p. paper, $9.95 (0-688-16158-8). Munro, Roxie. Mazescapes. 2001. Random, $7.99 (0-394-82912-3). Preschool–Gr. 2. This I Spy series 36p. North-South/SeaStar, $16.95 Preschool–Gr.1. There are shoes focuses on images found in art. Both (1-58717-060-4). on the ceilings and bananas growing the images and the text are simple Gr. 1–4. In this ultimate car trip on apple trees! LeSieg (better known and inviting for young children. experience, readers are challenged to as Dr. Seuss) accompanies Booth’s Other books in the series include I find their way through a series of silly illustrations with a simple rhyming story that asks the reader to find what’s wrong with each picture.

Martin, Bill. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Illus. by Eric Carle. 1983. 32p. Holt, $15.95 (0-8050-5697-9); board, $6.95 (0-8050-4790-5). Preschool–K. Each animal sees the next animal, in this classic chain story. The rhymed text and predict- able pattern make it easy for prereaders to chime in as the book progresses. Follow a reading of the book by asking students what they see, perhaps compiling ideas and pictures in a class book.

Ten grown-ups, 10 children, 10 barrels, 10 buildings: young readers search for a certain number of objects on each page, in Anno’s Counting Book by Mitsumasa Anno.

22 B o o k L i n k s O c t o b e r / N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 1 aerial-view roadway mazes. Each homes. Follow this book with a Rotner, Shelley, and others. Close, spread contains cleverly hidden letters shape hunt around your classroom, Closer, Closest. 1997. 40p. Simon & of the alphabet (often disguised as school, or neighborhood. Schuster/Atheneum, $13 (0-689- buildings), as well as the family car, 80762-7). which can be glimpsed on the title Priceman, Marjorie. It’s Me, Marva! K–Gr. 2. Various items are shown page. At the end of the book, it’s A Story about Color and Optical in photographs taken from three possible to start over and make the Illusions. 2001. 32p. Knopf, $15.95 distances. A boy is seen holding a return trip along a different route. (0-679-88993-0). cookie, then the cookie enters his Gr. 1–4. Priceman has a ball with mouth, then only the cookie with Onyefulu, Ifeoma. A Triangle for color mixing, afterimages, and other giant rainbow sprinkles is in view. Adaora: An African Book of Shapes. optical illusions in this entertaining Use in conjunction with Hoban’s 2000. 32p. Dutton, $16.99 tale of Marva and her problems with Look Book and Banyai’s Zoom to (0-525-46382-8). color. From accidentally dyeing her introduce the concepts of magnifica- Preschool–Gr. 1. Sharp color hair pink to losing a new vase (look tion and scale. photographs show Adaora and her carefully between Marva and a cousin embarking on a shape hunt friend’s profiles to find it), Marva’s Steiner, Joan. Look-Alikes: Discover a around their village. Of all the story is highlighted with bold cut- World Where Things Are Not As They shapes, the triangle proves the paper illustrations. Independent Appear. 1998. 32p. Little, Brown, hardest to find. In addition to readers will enjoy trying out the $12.95 (0-316-81255-2). searching for shapes along with optical illusions on their own. For a Gr. 1–4. The original Look-Alikes Adaora, children will want to “color tricks” book for younger book features photos of miniature examine the details of life in a place readers, try Eric Carle’s Hello, Red scenes ingeniously created from much different from their own Fox! (Simon & Schuster, 1998). everyday objects. Accompanied by a CD-ROM, this book has smaller, more detailed images than Look- Alikes, Jr. (below).

Steiner, Joan. Look-Alikes, Jr.: Find More Than 700 Everyday Objects. Photos by Thomas Lindley. 1999. 32p. Little, Brown, $12.95 (0-316- 81307-9). Preschool–Gr. 3. The three- dimensional miniature city in this clever book was created entirely from everyday objects. Readers can count how many they find, and then turn to the back of the book to check themselves. Also includes a CD-ROM.

Swinburne, Stephen R. Guess Whose Shadow? 1999. 32p. Boyds Mills, $15.95 (1-56397-724-9). Preschool–Gr. 2. Information about how shadows are formed is followed by color photos from which the reader is invited to “Guess whose shadow?” The shad- ows’ origins are explained in the text, but the photographs are what will truly demonstrate the concept to children.

B o o k L i n k s O c t o b e r / N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 1 23 Swinburne, Stephen R. Lots and Lots sultan’s colorful, patterned snakes Following the photos, Wick thor- of Zebra Stripes: Patterns in Nature. escape, the reader is invited to oughly explains how each trick was 1998. 32p. Boyds Mills, $15.95 search for them hiding in each done. The large format and clear (1-56397-707-9). illustration. Use this book to photographs make this book an Preschool–Gr. 2. This photo-essay introduce patterns as well as visual excellent choice for a larger group. explores a variety of patterns in discrimination. nature, including how some, such as Williams, Sue. I Went Walking. Illus. tree-rings, can provide us with a Ward, Leila. I Am Eyes: Ni Macho. by Julie Vivas. 1990. 32p. wealth of information about an Illus. by Nonny Hogrogian. 1991. Harcourt, $16 (0-15-200471-8); object. 32p. Scholastic, paper, $4.99 paper, $7 (0-15-238011-6); board, (0-590-44854-4) $6 (0-15-200771-7). Turpin, Lorna. The Sultan’s Snakes. Preschool–Gr. 2. In this celebration Preschool–K. In this book, a girl 1995. 24p. Child’s Play, paper, of our sense of sight, an African child sees many different animals as she $2.99 (0-85953-512-6). appreciates the world around her. walks around a farm. The spare text is Preschool–Gr. 1. When the reminiscent of Martin’s Brown Bear, Wick, Walter. Walter Wick’s Optical Brown Bear, What Do You See? (above). Tricks. 1998. 48p. Scholastic/ Cartwheel, $13.95 (0-590- Activities 22227-9). K–Gr. 3. Each page in this Students can make their own Cone-shaped bushes appear fascinating book features a stunning visually challenging books, individu- in Tana Hoban’s Cubes, Cones, Cylinders, and optical illusion, created with objects ally or as a class. Here are some ideas Spheres. and photographed by the author. for getting started:

24 B o o k L i n k s O c t o b e r / N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 1 • Make hidden-picture books by • Create a take-off on using rubber stamps and then Williams’ I Went drawing or stamping around Walking or Martin’s them. The hidden stamps can Brown Bear, Brown be repeated at the bottom or on Bear, What Do You See? the back of the page so the by writing about the viewer knows what image to real or imaginary search for. things seen on a walk around your school or • Go on a shape hunt around surrounding neighbor- your classroom, school, or hood. neighborhood. Record each shape on a different page by • Create a take-off on drawing the shape in the Hoban’s Look Book by context where it was spotted making a careful and writing its name. drawing, then cover- ing it with a piece of • Go on a pattern hunt around black paper with a the school. Take crayon rub- hole in it. How much bings of tactile patterns found. information has to Tiled floors and heater grates show through the hole make for great rubbings. Record for the viewer to be where each pattern was found, able to guess what the or, upon returning to the object is? Consider the classroom, challenge other effect of changing the students to guess their locations. size or placement of the hole. • Using Dodds’ The Shape of Things as a model, make collages Let’s go on a shape-hunt! of simple shapes on large sheets Laurie Miller Hornik teaches kindergarten at the Ethical Culture Fieldston Adaora finds a diamond in A of paper and add to them to School in Manhattan. Her first book, The Triangle for Adaora by turn them into more complex Secrets of Ms. Snickle’s Class, was recently Ifeoma Onyefulu. images. published by Clarion.

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