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Ralph da Costa Nunez

Autor(a) de Cooper's Tale

17 Works 145 Membros 5 Críticas

About the Author

Includes the name: Ralph DaCosta Nunez

Obras por Ralph da Costa Nunez

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Conhecimento Comum

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Membros

Críticas

In room 222, the second grade classroom where Miss Cookie teaches, Mango the hamster lives with Tangerine and Peaches and their hamster pups. But the cage becomes too crowded, and Mango has to leave. He visits other classrooms; Finny Fish, Lucy Lizard, and Pepper Parakeet all want to help but their homes are either too full or too small. Where will Mango sleep?

Pepper tells Mango about the Mouse House in the corner of the library under the big dictionary and there Mango finds a shelter where he can stay. But where will Mango find his new forever home?

This colorfully illustrated book, fifth in a series from Homes for the Homeless, has potentially unfamiliar vocabulary marked with Mango’s orange paw print; these words appear in a vocabulary list at the end of the story where young readers will find a simplified definition followed by a short list of discussion questions.

Being part of a community prepared to help others is a strong focus in this story; parents should be prepared to discuss what it means to be a member of a community and how young readers can help those in need. It also focuses on friendship and helping others, both important traits that young readers will see in everyday life.

Although homelessness is an important, relevant topic, it is also a complex issue that can easily frighten young children. Consequently, this story tends toward the simplistic in that Mango easily finds a new home because of the community of children who get together to create a new home for the hamster they love. However, even though there are people who love them, this does not happen so easily for the many homeless children this book represents. Therefore, adults should be prepared to discuss any concerns this story might raise with the young reader and to reassure the child while honestly answering their questions.

A separate activity book is available to accompany this book.

Recommended.
… (mais)
 
Assinalado
jfe16 | May 20, 2020 |
It’s story time in Miss Kate’s classroom and she has a brand new story to share. It’s about Saily Snail, who loses his shell in a storm and needs to find a new home.

This colorfully illustrated book, third in a series from Homes for the Homeless, shows other snails making fun of Saily because of his homelessness; parents should be prepared to address this sort of bullying with young readers. It also focuses on friendship and helping others, both important traits that young readers will see in everyday life.

Homelessness, an important and relevant topic, is a complex issue that can easily frighten young children. Consequently, this story tends toward the simplistic in that Saily easily finds a new home, something that does not happen for the many homeless children this book represents. Adults should be aware of the child’s concerns and reassure the young reader while honestly answering their questions.

Recommended.
… (mais)
 
Assinalado
jfe16 | May 16, 2020 |
When a giant tractor rolls over Mrs. Bun E. Rabbit’s home, she and her seven children – Ronny, Rachel, Ricky, Roberta, Rocky, Rupert, and Rosie – need some help. At first, they stayed with Sarah Squirrel, then with Benjamin and Betty Beaver. Benjamin told Mrs. Bun E. about a place where she could go to get help.

So, the next morning, Mrs. Bun E. and her seven bunnies walked to the Animal Shelter at the edge of the forest. Here they found a place filled with kindness where they could eat and sleep until they found a new home. Although they were afraid, the Rabbit family made friends with Butch the Dog and Carlos the Cat and Francesca Canary. Olivia Owl took care of all of the animals at the shelter, helping them to find new homes and new jobs.

At the New Year’s Eve party at the Animal Shelter, the animals all make wishes filled with hope. Will Mrs. Bun E. Rabbit’s wish come true?

This colorfully illustrated book, first in a series from Homes for the Homeless, presents the realities of homelessness in a non-threatening way for young readers. Although it is an important and relevant topic, homelessness is also a complex issue, one that can be quite frightening for the young child. As a result, the story is simplistic in that the Rabbit family spends a short amount of time at the Animal Shelter and easily finds a new home, a far different experience that realized by the many homeless children this book represents. Adults should be aware of the child’s concerns and reassure the young reader while honestly answering their questions.

A separate activity book is available to accompany this book.

Recommended.
… (mais)
 
Assinalado
jfe16 | 1 outra crítica | May 12, 2020 |
The Poor Among Us by Ralph da Costa Nunez is a scholarly history of the poor and homeless in New York. The history starts with the Dutch settlers in 1730 and goes to when Mayor Bloomberg was in office. I enjoyed this book very much because I learned so much about the early origins of poverty, and the attempts by the religious organizations and later city to cope with it. From the poorhouses to the projects, New York has been trying to deal with its high population density and the results of recessions and depressions.

The way the society views the homeless is also handled, men were often seen as a threat to the city’s safety but the ways of dealing with it have changed through time. Sanitation, stagnant air and lack of food and immigrations of different groups have long been among the many problems to be dealt with.

The author documents all these forces and brings to life many stories of the poor in New York through time. There are many heartbreaking stories of people trying to break out of the swamp of poverty and failing because of public policies. He examines the pros and cons of the different methods of taking care of the homeless. He gives reasons why they didn’t work. I knew about the Great Depression of the 1930s but nothing about the one in 1870. I hadn’t heard of the playground movement before. It is so enlightening that the different ideas of how to help the poor and or homeless were often ways to hide them. While reading this book, I often wondered why possible bad outcomes were not well thought out before action was taking. As an example old decrepit buildings were torn down and new ones with more light or room were built but the rules often excluded the very people who lived in buildings torn down. Thus this action increased the homeless population. This book is also richly illustrated throught with picures that make poverty real for the readers.

Please read this history of the poor in New York it will open your eyes.

I received this book as a win from FirstReads but that in no way influenced my thoughts or feelings in my review.
… (mais)
 
Assinalado
Carolee888 | Jan 5, 2014 |

Estatísticas

Obras
17
Membros
145
Popularidade
#142,479
Avaliação
½ 3.7
Críticas
5
ISBN
20
Línguas
1

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