Kevin Henkes

"I remember drawing at a very early age. I loved it. And my parents and teachers told me I was good at it - that made me love it all the more. ! -Kevin Henkes

Introduction:
When selecting my author, it was both an easy and effortless decision. I grew up with a pencil in my hand, always sketching, always finding a way to represent my world through art, and this was something that my parents encouraged and supported. This passion for drawing is something that author Kevin Henkes and I have in common. Henkes has been quoted as saying, I remember drawing at a very early age. I loved it. And my parents and teachers told me I was good at it - that made me love it all the more. I think there is a kind of other-worldly connection artists have with one another, it is like being a member in secret society that only you and select others know how to become a part of. Not to say that those who are not so artistically inclined cannot enjoy the works of Henkes, however I myself feel that there is another level of appreciation to be had for the works of this ne author. Most of Henkes books are written on a K-1 level, which is where I intend to implement my lesson plans. I feel as if the works of Kevin Henkes could easily be worked into a week long unit or even stretched out over a month, used as a building block to look at other facets of books. Not only can we study the great literature of this man but also his immaculate ability to manipulate a pencil to create fantastic stories.

JILLIAN EDEL LAAE 4416 OCTOBER 3 2011

Guiding Questions
These are the questions I will be asking to help my class and myself as an instructor focus on Kevin Henkes and his role as an author.
1. What inspired Kevin Henkes to start writing and illustrating at such a young age?

They always say to never choose a book by its cover, however this is one rule Kevin Henkes chose not to follow.
Kevin Henkes was born in Racine, Wisconsin in November of 1960. He knew from the start that he wanted to be an artist, and further more an author of illustrated childrens books. It is rare that you may discover so early in life what it is that you want to do for the rest of your time, however Henkes was one of the lucky ones. Up until his junior year of high school, Henkes was focusing on specializing in painting and it was not until one of his teachers encouraged his writing efforts that he discovered children's books could combine his two talents. Henkes says it is rather odd that he even stumbled upon such a profession in high school. He never once had an author visit his school and there was never much of a focus on literacy. He was, however, a regular patron at the Racine Public Library. Henkes also stated that his

mother read to him frequently and would always be sure to narrate the title page, something most parents and teachers skip over.

2.Why do you believe that animals have such a strong presence in Henkes work?

Where does a love of reading and art come from? Mem fox accredits the parents.
Such a simple act it is to read to your child. However the average parent knows not what benefits theyre bestowing upon their childs growing mind. Mem Fox encourages reading to children as soon as possible, this means from birth! It is never too late to start, however if you begin at school-age, youre depriving your child of precious meaning making time, and that is exactly what literacy is, a meaning making process. The simple fact that Henkes had a mother who read to him means he learned very early on that words could be used to make meaning, to express oneself and create a world of literature for himself and others to

3.What is the purpose of Kevin Henkes work? 4. How does a writer become an author?

Want to know more about this author? Visit...

http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/ authors/henkes/main.asp

http://www.kevinhenkes.com/meet/ kevin.asp http://biography.jrank.org/pages/ 932/Henkes-Kevin-1960.html

After having his goal in mind, Henkes spent most of his time in the childrens section of the Racine Library. He quickly became close with one of the librarians, Nancy Elsmo, who always had a print out of the latest material Henkes may enjoy. She also turned Henkes attention to the Cooperative Childrens Book Center in Madison, which lies within the University of Wisconsin campus. With that, Henkes graduated from high school and set out for college in Madison. During his freshman year is when Henkes wrote his first book. He took his portfolio to New York, not without an extensive list of publishers he found at the CCBC. It took only days for Henkes to have his talent signed into a publishing company. Greenwillows editor-inchief, Susan Hirschman, published his book All Alone (1981) and has published every book there after.

or the need to be accepted by one's peers. - Susan Stan 1991 When looked at as a whole, Kevin Henkes work, art and literacy follows a semi-obvious evolvement. Early on, his stories were more stoic, candid and straight-forward. Usually about one child, narrated by a realistic representation. He then noticed that his work become more humorous, and the addition of animals characters increased the works ability to become more funny. There are certain things I can do with animals that I can't do with children and get away with it," he explains. One example he gives occurs in Julius, The Baby of the World (1990), where jealous big sister Lilly pinches baby Julius's tail. Also, he points out, a mouse can show its exuberance by jumping three feet off the ground, whereas a realistically drawn human is considerably more earthbound. - Susan Stan 1991 When interview, henkes often reflects on his childhood. He grew up in a neighborhood full of kids and was always outdoors making friends and playing. Henkes also had four siblings, so there was always some kind of excitement to be found around the house. Having a large family teaches you a lot about interpersonal relationships, Henkes says. He also has stated that he remembers the feelings he had as a child more so than the actual details of events and this funnels into his literature. One such example is Chrysanthemum, which was inspired by a feeling, although the events in the book are not parallel with what Henkes experienced as a child.

All Alone is a picture book in whicha young child describes the pleasures of occasional solitude. While All Alone looks and sounds different from Henkes's later books featuring mice such as Chrysanthemum and Lily, what it has in common with them is a genuine sense of children's feelings, whether if is the need to be alone sometimes

"The book is about family, and how starting something new and going out into the world can be very hard. I remember going to kindergarten -- my grandfather had a beautiful rose garden, and he gave me the last roses of the season to bring to the kindergarten teacher the next day. I don't even remember how it happened, but an older kid took these flowers from me on the playground and a remember coming home, feeling awful. My father picked me up from school the next day; kids were streaming out of the school and my father wanted me to point out the kid. I remember seeing the kid and deciding not to tell that he was the one who did it. It was my first step into the world, making those hard decisions. But I also remember the feeling of coming home from school each day and feeling elated to be home. No matter what happened in school, you could walk through the back door and feel good." Henkes is an accomplished man who has both a talent in writing and illustrating, two activities that he never works on at the same time! He has stated though that his mind is never still, by the time he finishes writing a novel, he already has new ideas for picture books!

Name: Jillian Edel Content: Kevin Bunting Book Talk Daily Lesson Plan

Level: K/1

Date: October 2011

Sunshine State Standards: LA.1.1.1.1 - The student willlocate the title, table of contents, names of author and illustrator, glossary, and index; and

Objectives: Students Will: In groups of 4, explore a book by Kevin Henkes. As a class discuss what they found out about the book by simply viewing it and not reading the content. Define the parts of the book: the title, names of author and such, while filling out a matching picture chart. Present as a group to the class, their findings.

Assessment & Evaluation: Initial: I will have already provided knowledge about what book talk is to the students from previous classes. I will ask them to guide me through what book talk should be, presenting them with key questions they will need later on in their individual practice. On the board I will have an oversized version of the worksheet they are to fill out later in the lesson. As a class we will fill out this model worksheet. Informal: I will be visiting the groups of 4, encouraging conversation about the book, about what they may present to the class. Formal: The students will present/listen to one an others presentations, based upon a class vote, we will decide which groups book is to be read aloud at the end of class. Materials: Kittens First Full Moon Oversized Worksheet Individual Worksheets Kevin Henkes Books: Lillys Big Day Lillys Plastic Purple Purse Lillys Chocolate Heart Chesters Way

Introduction to lesson: Good morning girls and boys, who here can tell me what book talk is? Wait for answers, give praise. Book talk is spoken words that encourage someone to read a book, it is what excites us to read an authors work and helps us explore what makes up that certain book. Allow for questions, Today we will be exploring and talking about some of the works by Kevin Henkes, one of my favorite childrens authors. Hold up Kittens First Full Moon and begin collaborative book talk.

Technology Integration:

Children will use projector to present their books to the class.

Teacher Presentation: 1. Use Kittens First Full Moon as a model of the work they are about to do. Children will guide me through Book Talk. 2. Ask, What do you think it is that you are going to do with your Kevin Henkes book today? Wait for responses. 3. Affirm, Thats absolutely correct, we are going to each present our own book to the class, and provide them with some book talk to encourage them to read your title. 4. Ask, What are some things you may find when you first start exploring your book. Write childs answers on board to help remind them later what it is theyre looking for. 5. Hand out comprehensive worksheet that will guide children through their book, one per group. 6. Have children already placed in groups according to where they sit in the classroom, explain that the person with the longest hair is to write on the worksheet while everyone else helps in letting them know what to write. 7. Allow time for filling out worksheet, encourage extra talk about details of the book based upon the pictures/ allow for Picture Walk if more time needs to be filled while other groups sort out their work. 8. Ask, Which group is ready to come present their book to us first. 9. Before first group present, give direction on how to present and what is expected of them. 10.After all groups have presented, Everyone here today has done a wonderful job, we have listened to __ amount of groups talk about their books. Based on what they have said, we are now going to decide as a class which book we would like to hear read aloud. 11.Do a group vote by taking a hand survey and read book that was chosen.
Differentiated Instruction: The groups in my classroom will be devised so that there are always groups of four. Two students who are on level with what we are doing, one who is above level and the fourth member of the group will be below level. With this form of positive interaction, students may learn from one another and collaboratively joining different abilities. This will be especially helpful to the ELLs. For my students who are visual learners, the list of what is expected of them up on the board as well as the actual worksheet will provide support for their learning style. Having a tangible book out for the students to explore, feel, touch and maneuver will allow kinesthetic learners to feel comfortable with the instruction. During this activity if students become shy or apprehensive about their answers, they will have the support of three other classmates and the affirmation after their group presentation to become more confident in their abilities.

Annotated Bibliography
All Alone. Greenwillow, 1981. 32 pages This book is about the discovery of being alone, not in the lonely sense. This book explains that being alone sometimes is okay, it allows you to think and imagine. Ages 3-7

Clean Enough. Greenwillow, 1982. 32 pages A young boy in this picture book pretends and imagines from the confines of his bathtub. Ages 2-4

Grandpa & Bo. Greenwillow, 1986. 32 pages On a Wisconsin farm is where young Bo spends all of his time. Him and his Grandpa share activities such as fishing, telling stories, and playing ball. They only see each other once a year during the summer so they use that time to celebrate a summer Christmas. Ages 4-7

A Weekend with Wendell. Greenwillow, 1986 Wendell is a pesky house guest. Poor little Sophie has to deal with Wendells actions such as hogging her toys, and beginning for her parents attention until she comes up with a list of rules. Ages 4-7

Once Around the Block. Illustrated by Victoria Chess. Greenwillow, 1987. 24 pages Anna has nothing to do. So she takes a walk and repeats to each of her neighbors that she is bored. At each stop that she makes, a neighbor offers Anna something to do with her time. This everyday drama and boredom is easily relatable. Ages 3-7

Sheila Rae, the Brave. Greenwillow, 1987. 32 pages Sheila is a bossy older sister who looks down on Louise. However, when the two get lost in their neighborhood, it is Sheilas little sister who proves to be the resourceful one. Ages 3-7

Chester's Way. Greenwillow, 1988. 28 pages When Lilly moves into the neighborhood, Chester and Wilson are taken aback due to her rowdiness. They learn quickly that they do not have a lot in common however they still find a way to all become good friends. Ages 3-7

Jessica. Greenwillow, 1989. 24 pages Ruthie grew up without a sister, without a brother, with no cat or dog, no pets in her house. So Ruthie makes up a friend named Jessica and brings her everywhere, even though no one else can see her. It isnt until Ruthie makes a real friend that Jessica leaves Ruthies side. Ages 3-7

Shhhh. Greenwillow, 1989. 22 pages When a small girl wakes up in the morning she realizes her whole house is still asleep. She creeps from room to room observing the sleeping habits of her mom, dad, cat, and dog. Then she gets the brilliant idea to wake up everyone with a toot from her toy horn. Ages 18mo.-3

Shhhh. Greenwillow, 1989. 22 pages When a small girl wakes up in the morning she realizes her whole house is still asleep. She creeps from room to room observing the sleeping habits of her mom, dad, cat, and dog. Then she gets the brilliant idea to wake up everyone with a toot from her toy horn. Ages 18mo.-3

Shhhh. Greenwillow, 1989. 22 pages When a small girl wakes up in the morning she realizes her whole house is still asleep. She creeps from room to room observing the sleeping habits of her mom, dad, cat, and dog. Then she gets the brilliant idea to wake up everyone with a toot from her toy horn. Ages 18mo.-3

Shhhh. Greenwillow, 1989. 22 pages When a small girl wakes up in the morning she realizes her whole house is still asleep. She creeps from room to room observing the sleeping habits of her mom, dad, cat, and dog. Then she gets the brilliant idea to wake up everyone with a toot from her toy horn. Ages 18mo.-3

Shhhh. Greenwillow, 1989. 22 pages When a small girl wakes up in the morning she realizes her whole house is still asleep. She creeps from room to room observing the sleeping habits of her mom, dad, cat, and dog. Then she gets the brilliant idea to wake up everyone with a toot from her toy horn. Ages 18mo.-3

Shhhh. Greenwillow, 1989. 22 pages When a small girl wakes up in the morning she realizes her whole house is still asleep. She creeps from room to room observing the sleeping habits of her mom, dad, cat, and dog. Then she gets the brilliant idea to wake up everyone with a toot from her toy horn. Ages 18mo.-3

Sunshine State Standards: LA.1.4.1.2 The student willparticipate in writing simple stories, poems, rhymes, or song lyrics.

Objectives: Students Will: In groups of four, chose one Kevin henkes book and find an alternate way to demonstrate the story whether it be through a poem, song, rhyme or play.

Assessment & Evaluation: Initial: I will have already provided students with the expectations of each option ie. play or poem. Informal: I will be visiting the groups of 4, encouraging conversation about the book, I will then help in organizing their thoughts enough to create a presentation of their work. Formal: The students will present/listen to one an others presentations. They will score one another on creativity, likeness to the book and effort. Materials: Planning worksheet or graphic organizer Kevin Henkes Books

Introduction to lesson: Good morning boys and girls, today we are going to look an an alternate way to represent one of our authors books. This is your time to be creative! Whether you like acting singing or poetry, this assignment will suit your style of creativity.

Teacher Presentation: 1. I will introduce the outline for their options whether it be a play, song ... 2. Students will separate into groups based upon what option they chose. 3. Students will read their Kevin Henkes book, then use graphic organizer to formulate thoughts 4. Students will have 30 minutes to work on their creation that will then be presented to the class.
Differentiated Instruction: The groups in my classroom will be devised so that there are always groups of four. Two students who are on level with what we are doing, one who is above level and the fourth member of the group will be below level. With this form of positive interaction, students may learn from one another and collaboratively joining different abilities. This will be especially helpful to the ELLs. Differentiation can also be found in the fact that the students have a choice of how they will be representing their chosen book.

Sunshine State Standards: LA.1.6.2.2 The student willuse simple reference materials to locate and obtain information, using alphabetical order, record information, and compare it to search questions;

Objectives: Students Will: Learn how to locate a Kevin Henkes book in the school library as well as any other biographical books about him. The students will make note of the order of the books. That they are in alphabetical order.. The students will make notes on how they used the library system to locate their materials.

Assessment & Evaluation: Initial: Students will have already taken a trip to the library and been informed how to use the dewey decimal system. Informal: I will be asking students to record their steps on a graphic organizer that I will give to them. Formal: The students will have successfully located a Kevin Henkes book of their choice to be used in the culminating activity. Materials: Process graphic organizer

Introduction to lesson: Good morning boys and girls, today we are going to locate and obtain a Kevin Henkes book from the library. We will be noticing the order of the books as well as how they are organized.

Teacher Presentation: 1. I will introduce the assignment before heading to the library and provide a refresher course on how to use the library system and the librarians politely. 2. Students will attempt to find their book of choice, while recording the process on the graphic organizer.

Differentiated Instruction: Students will have the option to use technology or personal assistance in finding their books.

Celebrate Learning!
To celebrate learning we will be writing and illustrating our own children's literature.
1. Students will write a rough draft on scratch paper.

Pre-Write

Draft Revise Edit Publish!

2. Students will transfer their story to kit pages.

3.Students will match illustrations to their story.

Studentreasures.com is a phenomenal way to motivate young writers!

Just recently I found the studentreasures resource and thought it would be an excellent way to motivate my students to write, as well as wrap up my unit on Kevin Henkes. The students will be demonstrating their knowledge of the parts of a book, which was in their introductory lesson, the mechanics and classification of their books from the second lesson and background information on our author from the third. The students will theme their books just as Kevin Henkes does, on their own experiences and lives. The academic and creative freedom given to the students in this lesson in and of itself provides differentiation. Not only will the students be using background and recently gained knowledge to accomplish this task, but they will also have an amazing keepsake. Isnt that what we want for our students anyway? An everlasting education and experience?

4. Students will design a book cover. Print title, illustrate cover, and glue a photo of themselves on inside cover.

Visit Studentreasures.com
for more information on how to publish your own book for free!

Reflection/Celebration: from studentreasures.com

Highlight student achievement with a Publishing Party - Open House, Authors Tea, Authors Book Signing, or Ice Cream Social Each student can proudly read their book aloud to classmates and family. This can be a powerful inspiration and motivating exercise when teaching literacy. Step back, smile! You have just helped create a lifelong memory for your students

Works Cited
Nationwide Learning. "Studentreasures Lesson Plans | Studentreasures." FREE Student Publishing | Studentreasures Book Publishing. Nationwide Learning. Web. 03 Nov. 2011. <http://www.studentreasures.com/lessonplans/index.php>.

Stan, Susan. "Kevin Henkes." UW-Madison School of Education. A Library of the School of Education. Web. 03 Nov. 2011. <http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/authors/henkes/main.asp>.

"Kevin Henkes | Scholastic.com." Scholastic | Children's Books and Book Club | Scholastic.com. Schoolastic. Web. 03 Nov. 2011. <http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/kevin-henkes>.

"Kevin Henkes." Encyclopedia. Web. 03 Nov. 2011. <http://biography.jrank.org/pages/932/Henkes-Kevin-1960.html>.

I very much enjoyed writing up this author study on Kevin Henkes and feel that it has provided me with an new insight into childrens literature. It was interesting having to plan learning experiences based upon one mans life work. In doing so I needed to utilize accomplished practice #10 otherwise known as planning. In order to incorporate information, appropriate resources and a creative outcome a lot of planning went into this assignment, I would say I worked on it no less than seven hours in total. In order to expedite the process of finishing this project I had to set both long and short term goals so that I could stay on track. Accomplished practice #8, otherwise known as knowledge of subject matter, came into play long before I could even begin my author study. I did not want to start writing until I was comfortable with my author, Kevin Henkes, and until I was familiar with his work. I read a few of his books, and even incorporated one into my lesson plan for my reading buddy at Veterans Memorial Elementary School in Naples. We read Kittens First Full Moon and discussed both the content and the author behind the title. Accomplished practice #4, otherwise known as critical thinking, was implemented throughout the entire process of this assignment. I had to use

technology to express my thinking process a s well as export the author study. I had to think like a teacher to implement realistic projects and lesson plans for my supposed students. I feel as if looking through the authors life with this much intent and curiosity is necessary for anyone planning to do a unit of instruction on one particular person.

FEAP Reflection