Miss Mingo and the First Day of School

Title: Miss Mingo and the First Day of School     
Author: Jamie Harper   
Illustrator: Jamie Harper  
Publisher: Candlewick Press  
Publication Date: July 2006   
Genre/Format: Fiction/Nonfiction Hybrid/Picture Book   
Summary: Miss Mingo wants to get to know her class! She asks them each to share something special about themselves. Readers can follow the story but also learn some facts about each of the animals.   
What I Think: I just saw this type of non-fiction/fiction book listed as a hybrid and that's such a perfect word to describe these books. This book is a hybrid and I love the concept. The story is all about the animal characters being nervous on the first day until they start sharing something special about themselves.  Readers can follow the story but then there is a short paragraph that gives factual information about the tidbit that the animal shared within the story.  Reading more nonfiction has been a goal for me this year and I've found a few of these hybrid books that bring fiction and nonfiction together. I love it!
Read Together: K - 3
Read Alone: 2 - 4  
Read With: Deep in the Swamp by Donna M. Bateman, What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? (Caldecott Honor Book), Hottest, Coldest, Highest, Deepest,Biggest, Strongest, Fastest by Steve Jenkins, Can We Save the Tiger? by Martin Jenkins
Snatch of Text: "'I'll bet you didn't know that the food I eat keeps me in the pink,' said Miss Mingo, sipping a shrimp shake. 'And I always eat upside down.'
A flamingo's bill is hinged at the top, allowing this bird to scoop up food in the water with its head upside down. Carotenoids, a substance in shrimp, make a flamingo's feathers pink. Without them, its feathers would turn white!"
Reading Strategies to Practice: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Connections, Asking Questions 
Writing Strategies to Practice: Personal Narrative
Writing Prompts: Write about what makes you special or unique. Write about your first day of school and how you felt meeting your new teacher and/or new students in your class.  
Topics Covered: First Day of School, School, Friends, Courage, Differences, Taking Risks, Acceptance,  
Translated to Spanish: No