Children’s Literature Evaluation Form

Your Name: Daisy Azpeitia

Book Title: Birds from Head to Tail
Author: Stacey Roderick
Genre: Informational/ Children Nonfiction literature/Picture book
Illustrator: Kwanchai Moriya
Publisher/Year: October 2, 2018
Evaluate the Book for the following elements
Style and Language: Using examples for the book, explain the following: Word
choices, dialogue, rhythm, rhyme and sentence length. Share unexpected insights or
interesting information the reader learns from this story. (5 points)
The style that is used in the book “Birds from Head to Tail” is that the sentence length
found in the book are quite long. For example, “The owl is named for the two “horns”
on top of its head. Even though they are actually bunches of feathers. Like all owls.”
This example shows that the sentences in the book are quite long. This book also uses
a lot of different punctuations in the sentences like “the great horned owl can turn its
head right around to look directly behind it – in both directions. And whooo might it
be searching for? Its prey (animals it eats). Which includes mice. Rabbits and
sometimes even racoons.” This is just some examples in the book that uses a lot of
punctuation in their sentences. The book also has a lot of big vocabulary words being
used like directions, sometimes, hummingbird’s, snapping, eyesight, powerful,
swimming, swooping. These are just some of the big vocabulary words being used in
the book.

Character: With examples from the book, provide the following- (5 points)
Who is the main character?
How can the reader relate to the character?
Who are the supporting characters?
In the book “Birds from Head to Tail” there is not a main character found in the book.
I think that the author is the narrator of the book or the main character. I think that
the supporting character in the book is the birds, the book talks about the different
types of birds there are. The reader can relate to the characters in the story because
they can understand the story of what is happening and relate to it so well.
Plot: Summarize the major events of the story (6 points)
Some of the major events in the story are found in different places like some of the
birds in the book are found on top of the trees. Another major event is where there is
flowers and plants, some birds are found in the flowers. Another major event is a
place where there is mountains and rivers. Another major event is on the ground
where there is dirt or soil, and worms are found at. Another major event in the book
is during sunrise where there is a huge river. Another major event is at a beach and
inside a cave where there is rock found. The final major event is where there is soil
and plants and rocks found.

Setting: Explain the place and time of this book. (2 points)

I think that the book “Birds from Head to Tail” takes place in different environments
like some of the birds are found in a tree, some of the birds are found on flowers and
plants. There are other birds that are found flying around in the sky and catching
fishes from the ocean, other birds are found living in the ground. Some birds are even
found during the arctic time. The other birds are found on a beach and the others in a
cave or mountain where there is rock.

Theme: What is the main message of this book? (2 points)

I think that the main message of the book “Birds from Head to Tail” is to inform
young readers about the variety of species or birds that are found all around the
world. The book introduces you with different information about all kinds of birds
there are.

Illustration: Analyze the book you selected with the following categories
Style (realism, surrealism, expressionism, impressionism, naïve, cartoon art)? (2
points)
Based on the book, I think that the illustrations are drawn like realism. I think that it is
realism because some of the illustrations in the book look like there are drawn
realistic like some of the birds in the book are drawn with detail and look realistic.

Media Choice (paints, oils watercolors, pencils, pen, charcoal, crayons, acrylic, chalk):
(2 points)
I think that the book “Birds from Head to Tail” uses a lot of watercolors, pen and I
think it also uses acrylic paint.
Give examples of describe how the following visual elements are used in the
illustrations: (3)
Line: In the book there are different illustrations, some of the illustrations uses
vertical, horizontal diagonal lines and curvy lines as well. For example, in the book
there is an illustration that has a tree in it and the tree is drawn using different lines
like curvy, vertical, horizontal, and diagonal lines being used. In that same illustration
there is also some clouds being drawn in the background and those clouds are drawn
using curvy lines. The water that is drawn in the background is drawn using diagonal
lines to make the water look like they are waves. The leaves and trees found in the
illustration are drawn using vertical lines, some of the leaves are drawn with diagonal
lines. The owl that is found in the book is drawn using curvy lines, straight horizontal
lines, and diagonal lines. The owl’s wing is drawn using curvy lines and the owls chin
and feathers are drawn with diagonal lines. The sides of the owl’s head and body are
drawn with curvy lines and the top of the owl’s head by the ears is drawn with
vertical lines. The ears on the owl are drawn with curvy and diagonal lines. In one of
the illustrations there is flowers drawn and those flowers are drawn using curvy lines
and the stems of the flowers are drawn using vertical lines, some of the stems or
grass drawn in the book are drawn with diagonal lines. In that same illustration there
is also a bird, and that bird is drawn curvy and straight lines. The bird’s beak is drawn
using a straight line but towards the end of the beak it is curved. The wings of the
bird, the body and the head are all drawn with curvy lines. The design that is drawn
on the face of the bird is drawn with wavy lines. In one of the illustrations there is
trees, and the bark of the tree is drawn using curvy, vertical, and diagonal lines. The
mountains that are found in the illustration is drawn using diagonal lines and the hill
that is found in the picture is drawn with curvy and wavy lines. The eagle that is
found in the book has wings that are drawn using curvy lines to make the design of
the wings and the top part of the wing is drawn with horizontal line. The eagle head is
drawn with curvy lines as well. The eagle’s legs and beak are all drawn with curvy
lines. In one of the illustrations their mushrooms and those mushrooms and rocks are
all drawn using curvy lines. The log that is found in the book is drawn using horizontal
lines, the bushes in the pictures are drawn using diagonal lines to make the outline of
the bush. The bird’s body is drawn using curvy lines, the head also uses curvy lines,
but the feathers or outline are drawn with diagonal lines and the beak as well. The
worms in the picture are drawn using wavy lines. In one of the illustrations there is a
sunset and there is also a horizon line drawn and that horizon line is drawn using a
horizontal line. The big clouds are drawn using curvy lines and the bird’s wings are
drawn using horizontal lines as well as the tail. The head and the bird beak are made
with curvy lines. The rocks are drawn using curvy lines. In one of the illustrations
there is sand, and that sand is drawn using curvy lines and the water is drawn using
straight lines. The flamingo’s head is drawn using curvy lines and the body. The top
part of the palm tree is drawn using curvy lines and the bottom part using vertical
lines. In one of the illustrations, you can see birds standing on rock or stone and those
rocks are drawn using curvy, diagonal, and horizontal lines and the water at the
bottom uses horizontal line to make the outline of the water. The bird’s feet are
drawn with curvy lines, and they look like feet paddles like a duck’s feet. The
peacock’s feathers are drawn using curvy lines, the body and the head are all drawn
with curvy lines. The branches in the picture are drawn with curvy and diagonal lines.
the dirt or soil on the floor is drawn using a horizontal line and the leaves on the
branches are drawn with curvy lines.
Shapes: In the book, there is circles and triangles being used in the book. For
example, the owl’s eyes are drawn using circles. The pine trees in the illustrations are
drawn as triangles. The other birds that are found in the book have eyes that are
drawn as two small circles. The mountains that are found in one of the illustrations in
the book are drawn as triangles and there is also a fish found in one of the
illustrations and that fish’s mouth is drawn as a triangle. The fish tail is drawn using
triangles for the fins of the fish and the nails or toes of the eagle is drawn as triangles.
In one of the illustrations there is mushrooms, and the top of the mushrooms are
drawn as ovals and the bird’s body is drawn as a big circle. The bottom of the
mushroom is drawn as rectangles. The sun that is found in the picture is drawn as a
dome or a half circle. The rocks are drawn as ovals and one of the rocks is drawn as a
triangle and so is the bird’s beak. The flamingo’s body is drawn as a circle and the
palm trees stem is drawn as rectangles. The flamingos’ eyes are drawn as circles and
the beak as a triangle. The rocks are drawn as squares. In one of the pictures, you can
see a big rock and it look like it is drawn as a rectangle and the other rock as a
triangle. The tiny bird’s body is drawn as rectangles and the beak as triangles. The
peacock feathers have designs, and those designs are drawn as circles. The peacock
eyes are drawn as circles as well the leaves found on the branches are drawn as tiny
ovals. The rocks are drawn as rectangles. The body of the peacock and the body of
the bird is drawn as an oval and the beaks as small triangles.
Color: Many of the illustrations in the book uses bright colors like warm and cool
colors. It also uses some neutral colors as well. For example, the background of one
of the illustrations you can see a sunset and the sunset uses colors like yellow, the
bushes at the bottom of the picture look like fire because it uses colors like yellow
and orange color. There are cool colors being used too like the trees and the plants
are colored green. In the illustration there is also neutral colors being used like the
owl in the picture is colored using a dark brown and a light brown, the tree bark is
colored using a light brown mixed with a mustard color. The owl’s face uses a tan
color and an orange color that looks like a pumpkin color. The background color of
the sun uses a peach color. The clouds are drawn using a white color and the water
waves are colored as a light blue color. The flowers found in one of the illustrations
are colored like an ombre using colors yellow and orange. The hummingbird’s wings
are colored using green and a forest green, the body uses a light brown color mixed
with tan. The head of the hummingbird is colored light green and green. The neck of
the hummingbird is colored using a pink color and red. Some of the flowers are also
red. The clouds are colored light blue mixed with white and the leaves or plants are
green. The mountains found in one of the illustrations are colored using a blue and a
light color mixed to make an ombre effect. The water is mixed with a baby blue color
and white. The pine trees are colored with a turquoise color and the trees are dark
green. The eagle’s wings are colored dark brown in the inside of the wings and the
outside of the wings light brown. The head of the bald eagle is white, and the beak is
yellow. The legs of the eagle are yellow, and the tail of the eagle is white. In one of
the illustrations there is a light purple color background and the kiwi bird that is
drawn is colored as a violet purple color. The soil is dark brown, and the worms are
colored pink. The bushes are green and light green, there is also a log or tree branch,
and it is colored as a grayish brownish color mixed with some green in it. The rock or
stone that is in the picture is colored as an orange peach color. The mushrooms are
colored gray. In one of the illustrations the clouds are colored gray and light blue
color. The arctic tern bird is colored white. The sunset that is drawn on the
background is mixed with a yellow and orange color. The water is colored as
turquoise color mixed with white. The mountains are colored as a light gray and so is
the birds head is gray too, the rocks are black. The flamingos are pink, and the sky is
blue, and the sand is colored as a tan color and the rocks are grayish black color. The
water is mixed with blue, green, and white colors. The rocks that look like the birds
are in caves are colored dark brown and a tan color. The blue footed birds are colored
white, gray and black with blue legs. The water there is a dark blue color. The
peacock feathers are light green with yellow and orange. The peacock body is blue,
and the legs are yellow. The soil is dark brown, the branches are tan, and the leaves
are light green. The rocks are light brown and gray color.
Texture: Some of the illustrations in the book are covered with blue, white, and black
color. Some of the illustrations are smoothly colored and some of the illustrations are
colored using a lot of vivid colors and some of the other illustrations are colored using
neutral colors. They also included an ombre effect in some of the illustrations like
some of the illustrations you can see that colors are mixed, and some are layered.
Some of the illustrations are colored to create a dark effect and show that there is
shadow in some of the illustrations.
Page design (placement of the illustrations, use of borders, white and dark space and
all pages the same or different). (3)
Some of the illustrations in the book have white and dark space being used. Some are
also very colorful. For example, some of the illustrations have clouds drawn and they
are colored white mixed a blue color. Some of the illustrations have black in them to
create shadows in the picture. The placement of the illustrations is found all over the
place, some of the illustrations are found at the bottom left or bottom right of the
page, some are found in the middle of the page. Some are found in the top right or
top left of the page. All the pages in the book are different some of the pages have
illustrations that fill up the page and some just have some simple illustrations that
cover only half of the page.

Child Development Theory: Choose either Piaget, Erickson or Social Emotional to

describe the connection to the book Chose 1 only (5 points)
Piaget:
Name the stage ____Preoperational_________________ and the age_________2-
7______________
Explain the cognitive development from this stage and provide an example from the
book to support your choice:
This book demonstrates preoperational stage ages 2-7 years because the book is
informational and there is a lot of realistic illustrations that make the book look like it
is realistic. The story of the book is very informational, and it has a nice story as well.
The book as has a lot of big vocabulary.

Erickson:
Name the stage_____________________ and the age_______________________
Explain the cognitive development from this stage and provide an example from the
book to support your choice:
Emotional Development:
Identify the age: _________________________
Explain the social development for this age and how the book relates
to the emotional level you chose:

1 would not recommend 2 average 3 highly recommended

Your rating of the book: ______2________

Why?
I recommend this book because it has very vivid and nice illustrations. Some of the
illustrations in the book look very realistic and they have a lot of color being used in
them. Also, the book has a very nice story about birds, the book is also informational,
and it informs you a lot about the different birds that are found around the world.