If All The Animals Came Inside (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
When I first read this book, it became my all time favorite. This book is fabulous in every single way. "If All the Animals Came Inside" is a book about a family of five. The main character is the big brother who imagines all of the chaos that would ensue if all kinds of animals came into his house. The entire family, except for the older brother, absolutely hates having all of the animals. The older brother is having a great time, until his facial expressions change towards the end. Near the end you can tell that it isn't so much fun for him anymore, and that he would be satisfied with just having his cat and dog. Although the text on the pages is not very long, the book seems to be a bit lengthy in terms of pages. I think first and second grade would love this if it was done as a read aloud. As a teacher I would add expressions and ask lots of questions about what the children see in the pictures to make sure they stayed engaged. Second graders could also read this individually. I think they would love to have the book in their own hands so they could examine the photos. This book is incredibly humorous and and fun. Not only is the text phenomenal, but the pictures are outstanding! Each page is full of all kinds of vibrant colors. The images have a mixture of both hard and soft lines. The images are also filled with patterns (there are lots of stripes and polka dots). The illustrations take up the majority of each page so that there is little white/empty space. The photos go nicely with the text that is provided. The text is silly, and so are the pictures. Although there are multiple reasons I adore the illustrations in this book, the main reason I would choose this book for the 2013 Caldecott is due to the use of multiple medias. This book has a mixture real photographs that have been cut and pasted, drawing (possibly with crayon or colored pencil), and what appears to be watercolors. The cover is no exception. Kids will be drawn to this book simply by looking at the chaos and fun and that is portrayed on the cover. Again, I absolutely love this book and cannot wait to use it one day in my classroom! This is a great read aloud for pre-k. Written in a rhyming, syncopated style, the story is centered on the zany antics of a house being overrun by zoo animals. The silly plot and collage illustrations will have any youngster howling with laughter. (Pun intended )Illustrated by Marc Brown, the pictures really add to the crazy story of losing control of your home to animal intruders. Brown also sneaks in a TV image of Arthur and D.W. Kids will love to point out the image.I really enjoyed this title and feel it would be a great addition to an animal story time line-up.
What do You think about If All The Animals Came Inside (2012)?
Fun rhyming story with appealing illustrations. Good for reading aloud.
—cowboylogic
cute. a bit wordy for storytime but doable.
—Yandy
