Nonfiction Form

Your Name: Alisha Reid Title: Pandas

Author: Valerie Bodden Illustrator: None
Publisher/Date: 2013 Genre: Informational
EVALUATE THE BOOK USING THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS
1. Explain how the cover and first pages of the book attract and hold the readers interest. Give
3examples from the book.

1. The book is large and has giant print making the reader more attentive.
2. The cover has a large picture of a real-life panda bear which will draw the reader in.
3. Amazing close-up pictures of Pandas in the wild will put the reader in awe.
STYLE AND LANGUAGE Explain how the book shares information with children. Examples: little-known
facts; new vocab sprinkled in the text; and selection of information to create/maintain readers interest.
Give 3 examples from the book
1. Little bonus facts on each page like, Only about 1,600 Pandas live in the wild.
2. Definitions of words that children might not know like, mammal- an animal that has hair or fur and feeds
its babies with milk.
3. Facts given in short, simple sentences, A panda is a mammal. Pandas are part of the bear family. They are
one of the smallest kinds of bear. There are a few pandas left in the wild today.
ACCURACY up-to-date research, references given, no mixing of fact and fiction.
Explain: In the back of the book there is a section for Read More which includes a list of other books about
Panda Bears that the reader can choose to read. There is also a section for Web Sites which include two
websites about Panda Bears. The only fiction in this book is a story about how Pandas got their color, in the
back of the book. It is titled, A Panda Story and it states that it is a story from China about a little girl who
saved a panda from a leopard. The leopard killed her, and the panda bears were so sad that they wiped their
eyes with muddy paws, which caused the color change. The rest of the book is full of facts.

INFORMATION Childs interest, unusual subjects or viewpoints - personalized content new perspectives,
first-person accounts, and fascinating comparisons. Give 3 examples from the book.
1. The biggest Pandas are about six feet long. They can weigh up to 240 pounds.
2. Newborn cubs are tiny. They weigh less than a tube of toothpaste!
3. Pandas can eat more than 80 pounds of bamboo every day!
EVALUATE THE BOOK FOR ILLUSTRATION WITH THE FOLLOWING:
Media (paints, pencils, pen, watercolors, charcoal, photographs, crayon, acrylics, chalk, oils):
Photographs of Panda Bears in the wild. Computer animated map of China.
Visual elements (line, shapes, colors, textures): Lines: In the tree branches, a line separating the text from the definition.
Shapes: Map of China, Round panda head and round eyes.
Colors: black and white panda, white snow, Brown tree branches, Green map
Textures: Soft panda fur, Rough tree branches, soft snow,
How are illustration and text combined to share the information? What does illustration show that text does not explain?
The text explains that Panda bears only live in China and it shows a map of China. It also states that Pandas live in bamboo forests and
bamboo grows on cool, rainy or snowy mountains. The photo shows a panda bear in a tree while it is snowing. The photo shows a panda
in a tree, but the text does not mention how they enjoy being in trees.
Describe the Page design: use of borders, text placement and font size, information boxes, charts, vocab identified, use of white and
dark space, illustrations placement and types of illustrations:
On the left page there is a border that is about one inch thick, on the left edge of the page. It says the word,
Pandas on it and has the page number at the bottom. The rest of the page is a photo of a Panda Bear in a
tree while it is snowing. On the right page there is a border on the right-hand side that has the page number
and says Pandas. The rest of the page is white, with a green picture of a map on the top and the text on the
bottom. On the very bottom is a definition for the word, mountains.
2. Child Development Theories Select 1 theory
Identify the stage: Preoperational and age level 2-7 years for the theory. Explain the development
for this level: Language and vocabulary are developing rapidly.
Explain how the book fits the developmental level. Using small simple sentences and defining
unfamiliar words.
Give 3 specific examples from the book to support your evaluation.
1. Bamboo grows on cool, rainy or snowy mountains. Mountains- very big hills made of rock.
2. Cubs- baby pandas
3. Den- a home that is hidden like a cave.
3. OVERALL RATING 3 1 2 3
Explain the rating:
This book is very informative and easy to follow along for very young readers who are just learning
about Panda Bears.