My students loved Miss Smith's Incredible Storybook (2005), so when we checked our classroom library and found two more stories from the Miss Smith series, we were really excited.
Before I go any further, I have to say that Michael Garland's illustrations make me happy! Bright, colorful, detailed, and I love the golden glow in "Under the Ocean." My students were completely mesmerized by the illustrations and scanned intently for the smallest details.
We started out with Miss Smith Reads Again! (2008) in which Miss Smith and her class come face-to-face with dinosaurs when they enter Arthur Conan Doyle's book, Lost World. They narrowly escape a T-rex, ride a stegosaurus, and locate a pterodactyl's nest.
Miss Smith continually emphasizes that they should not interact with the characters, or it will change the story. Of course, the kids interact with the characters almost immediately, lose their teacher and the book that can get them back home. When they locate Miss Smith and her incredible storybook, in the pterodactyl's nest, they scramble for home, but not before one of the children manages to steal a pterodactyl egg.
Our third Miss Smith adventure, Miss Smith Under the Ocean (2011), begins with a class field trip to the aquarium. While there, Miss Smith gathers her students and begins to read aloud famous high seas adventure stories. They begin their adventure in the pea green boat accompanied by the Owl and the Pussycat. They sail the seas and meet The Little Mermaid, Long John Silver, Captain Ahab, and Robinson Crusoe, who all pile into the tiny boat to join them. They finally end up in Captain Nemo's submarine and get a great view of underwater life.
In typical Miss Smith fashion, she senses when things are about to go too far, and quickly reads the ending of each story to send the characters back into the book. As the class "comes to," they are back at the aquarium, heading for the bus.
My students had a few questions about continuity. "I thought she said they shouldn't interact with the characters," was a constant refrain. It would have been better to leave it out completely rather than leave it hanging with no follow up - kids notice!
Both stories were entertaining and would work well for younger students as well. In fact, I would recommend using them with young readers rather than intermediate-age children, and here's why: close your eyes and envision yourself surrounded by 25 nine and ten-year olds. Imagine that some of them are sweet and innocent and completely adorable. And imagine that others have older siblings and friends, talk about all the inappropriate videos they watch, and have potty mouths to rival the proverbial sailor.
Now imagine yourself reading aloud the title of the poem, "The Owl and the Pussycat." Can you picture the smirks? Do you hear the giggles? Undaunted, you continue to read. Most of the class is not taking the giggle-bait anyway. Then you reach the title Moby Dick. Despite the teacher stink eye directed at them, several of the boys cannot contain themselves and the smirks and giggles become snickers and guffaws. Storytime comes to a screeching halt until the ringleader is removed from the classroom.
Yeah. That happened.
Sigh.
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