Picture Books for the 21st Century

Hello!

     As teachers, we are always trying to get our students to want to love to read and be engaged in the process.  I certainly want to do this each and every day that I am in the classroom.  This can be an extremely daunting task, though, especially with our struggling readers.  In this case, it is even more important to promote a love for reading.  Throughout my search for different kinds of books that would interest students, I found an author who engages children in the subject matter of her books simply by reading the title.  Her name is Ann Droyd (being that she likes technology, I am assuming this is a pseudonym.  Get it- Android) and she writes parodies of classic children's books.  

(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399158561/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687562&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0399169261&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1ZTW818MWAJ496R3XVDS)

     Ann Droyd's first book, titled Good Night iPad, is a parody of Good Night Moon written by Margaret Wise Brown in 1947. Droyd modernizes a simplistic storyline to include all of the technology of today; from Blackberries to HDTV, Facebook to Angry Birds.  Immediately when I showed the students that I tutor of various ages (second to sixth grade) this book, they gravitated towards it, some literally grabbing it out of  my hands to see what it was about since it had the word "iPad" on the cover.  My older students were hysterical at how it portrayed the different gadgets while my younger students loved to identify the different ones that they owned!  Each student enjoyed the book even though each had their own personal reasons.  Truthfully, adults will love this book just as much as kids do because the adults that are featured in the book act very similar to their children... :)

(http://www.amazon.com/You-Give-Mouse-iPhone-Cautionary/dp/0399169261)

     Ann Droyd's newest book is called If You Give a Mouse an iPhone which is a parody of the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by author Laura Numeroff.  The original version was published in 1985.  I loved If You Give a Mouse an iPhone even more than the first story written by Droyd.  Here the mouse goes on an adventure but does not realize it since he is on his iPhone the entire time.  The lesson learned at the end, about being present in the moment, is an important one for this generation (young and old) since technology is a significant part of our lives.  As you read it, you will smile, laugh, and relate to how the mouse is acting.  I feel that this would be a book that many parents (and maybe their own children) could refer to when becoming too absorbed in their electronics.  "Remember what happened to the mouse..."

     Both of these books can be used in the classroom in numerous ways for multiple grade levels.  Students of all ages could do a compare and contrast between the original versions and the newer ones by Ann Droyd.  Posing the question as to why the author would update the original would be a great discussion to have with a classroom, as well as if this should or should not be done to classic pieces of literature.  For older students, having them identify the message in the stories would be a great discussion starter.  For a creative, innovative, and exciting project, students can go to the library and choose books in which to make their own parody.  Taking the story Hansel and Gretel, for example, which was originally created in 1812, could be updated just like Ann Droyd's stories.  Instead of leaving breadcrumbs in the woods in order to find their way to Grandma's house, getting lost and then meeting a witch, Hansel and Gretel could use Google Maps to get where they needed to go or Facetime Grandma to ask for updated directions when lost.  Adding 21st century technology into older stories would allow students to practice various writing skills, give older stories more relevance, and enable creativity in the classroom.

(Videos found on YouTube and Ann Droyd's website)

     Additionally, if you would like to show an animated version of these stories to your class to help aid comprehension, they are available on YouTube.  The little movements of some of the characters help to make the story come alive.

     If you use or have used these stories in your classroom, I would love to hear how it went and if your students liked reading these picture books by Ann Droyd.

     Enjoy!