A Busy Year

Primary
This is a good example of fantasy because both the mice and the tree talk. The mice can even write a note and the tree sleeps. These things seem believable in the world that Leo Lionni has made. The plot is pretty basic having the mic visit the tree once a month although it does show their

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friendship growing and have a nice feel of conclusion and resolution at the end.

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Two mice take care of a tree through four seasons and even a forest fire. This tale leaves you with the message to take care of our forests because we need them.
Leo Lionni beautifully illustrated this story in his typical collage style using different types of paper to create textures and

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dimension to each picture.

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Twin mice take care of a tree (Woody) over the course of a year. They take care of the tree in the fall, winter, spring and summer. Woody endured snow and lots of rain over the year. There is one particular time of year that Woody does not like, hot, dry summerst. She knows that people are very

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careless during this time. People throw cigarettes on the ground. One day the twins heard screaming. Woody was screaming for help. A fire was threatening to burn her branches. The two mice put out the fire and Woody thanked them very much. The three friends were very close.

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This is a story about twin mice named Willie and Winnie who go out for a walk one January evening. While on their walk, they see a tree that begins talking to them and they soon become good friends with the tree, Woody. The book continues with Willie and Winnie visiting Woody each month and finding

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something different about Woody. Woody explains to them that he experiences different changes throughout the seasons. The story ends with it being winter and the three friends celebrating Christmas together.
I thought this was very cute story for students in kindergarten through third grade. The perfect time to read this book to students is when they are learning about all of the seasons and about all of the changes that trees experience during different seasons.

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Fantasy

This is a good representation of fantasy because although trees cannot talk in real life, the fact that woody talks does not bother the reader. Instead the reader is brought into the story as the mice and woody go through a year of friendship.

Age appropriate: primary

Plot: the plot is

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episodic with a mild conflict when in July there is a fire that almost gets to Woody. There is a nice symmetry with the book beginning in winter and ending at Christmas.

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A friendly tree teaches two young mice about her annual cycle of growth, decline and dormancy. The two mice watch the tree change as the seasons go by.

Genre: Fantasy

This book is a good example of fantasy because it is a fictional story about twin mice who talk to each other and befriend and take care of a talking tree, throughout the year. This plot is not possible in the real world, because mice don't really talk in human voices to trees, who

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also don't talk in human voices. The plot is important to the story, as it takes the reader through the different months of the year, and the four seasons that the three friends experience together. The plot keeps the story moving and helps to teach the reader about the importance of friendship and taking care of those in need around us. The setting of this story is vital to the story. The whole point is showing the friends throughout the year, and if the story took place in say, Hawaii, where it is always sunny, the story would have to cut out three main parts, therefore changing the story completely.

Level: Primary

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Genre: Fantasy
Age: Primary
Review: The tree and the mice talk, which could not happen in real life. Children's imaginations will believe that these things could actually happen though, especially when it comes to treating trees and other things with kindness.
Setting: The setting stays the same

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throughout the whole book. The author is also the illustrator, and so he creates the surroundings around his words, and lets the tree have it's own home since it cannot move.
Media: tissue pape

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The tree and mice in this book talk so it would be fantasy. This book seems informational, as well as fantasy, because the different characteristics of the month are given with the tree. The plot in this book is somewhat lacking. The mice are worried about Woody the tree and save her from a fire,

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but there is not a specific climax and conflict in the story. The resolution is that everyone ends up happy at Christmas time and are ready for the next busy year ahead of them.

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Summary: This is a story of frienship and relationship. It is also a story of how the seasons change. This shows two mice that find a tree in the wilderness. They become friends with the tree and protect it when a fire comes. They make sure it has things to do and at Christmas they give it

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presents. They all love each other and enjoy one another’s company.

Genre: This is a good fantasy because each of the main characters should not be able to talk, or yell or think the thoughts that they do. They allow you to enter into a world that does not exist and forget that mice cannot talk and trees cannot think either.

Characterization: Woody the tree is a great character because you meet him first when he is in the snow and the first thing he says is sassy. He makes sure the mice know that he is not just a fork, he is a real tree. Then you see him become a friend and you see the protagonist role in the tree. Also you see the round characteristics because he is loving and caring and enjoys others company. He gets scared when there is fire and is thankful when mice put it out.

Media: collage

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This was a good book. It was all about friendship and learning about each other. It would be great to use for students to show them that friendship and being kind to each other really makes people happy. I would love to use this book when talking about all the different seasons. It goes through

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each season and each month and I think that the illustrations would give really good visuals to young children.

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Genre: Fantasy- The mice and tree in this story take on human characteristics and partake in activities that humans do. Some of the things the mice do include taking a summer vacation to the beach, fighting a forest fire to save Woody, partaking in Christmas celebrations, and hanging out with one

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another. As well all the mice and trees talk in this story.
Point of View: This setting is very unique as it is told through third person, but viewed through the eyes of WInnie and Willie who are mice. Seeing the world through the mice eyes really adds more to the story as you can get a different perspective we don't usually see. I think the author had to use third person since there were two main characters.
Summary: Winnie and Willie meet Woody a tree and soon become quick friends. As the seasons come and go Winnie and Willie learn about the hardships of life for their new friend and try to help out as much as possible.

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A Busy Year tells the story about two mice who are twins. They become friends with a tree who can talk and they visit him the whole year and experience how the nature changes during the different seasons. This story could be used in biology lessons when explaining the different seasons.

This is a book about how two mice befriend a talking tree. They see all of the changes that a tree goes through in a year and also save the tree from harm and help it out. This is a great book about friendship and the seasons. This would be a great book for children ages Preschool-early elementary.

Review: Through the fantasy of the book the reader is able to see into the life of the little mouse. The fantasy allows the reader to see and hear the thoughts of the mice in the book. The event is made to be believable through the realistic life of the mouse.

Setting: The setting of the book takes

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place outside near a tree. Throughout the book the seasons change. The book starts and ends in winter and the reader gets to experience every season in between.

Media: pastel and pape

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In my opinion, the book, “A Busy Year,” is a delightful book for young children to read. It was enjoyable to read because of its distinctive, collage illustrations, storyline, and descriptive language. The story is about two mice who become friends with a tree. They visit the tree all year

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long, and they watch the tree go through changes during the different seasons. The two mice protect the tree and do what they can to help the tree stay healthy. The illustrations showcase the mice protecting the tree throughout the ever-changing seasons throughout the year. The illustrations are comprised of different shaded pieces of paper to make collage characters and objects. The book also introduces children to new vocabulary through its constant use of descriptive language. For example, “Woody’s branches were full of fragrant, juicy fruit.” Younger readers will be introduced to the word “fragrant.” The young readers can then infer that the word fragrant means sweet-smelling. The big idea is to show children that they should take care of trees and other plants. This book shows children how they can take care of their trees so they stay healthy.

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