My Senator and Me

 

My Senator and Me a Dog’s-Eye View of Washington, D.C.

By Senator Edward M. Kennedy

Illustrated by David Small

Grade Level K-4

Genre: Biographical/non fiction

Have you ever wondered what life is like living in the capital and what really happens in Washington D.C, well what better person to tell you all about the coming and goings of life in the capital than the late U.S. senator Edward M. Kennedy dog Splash?

            The late Senator Ted Kennedy writes an amazingly well written book with the help of his Portuguese Water Dog Splash, in an easy to understand, yet informative view of the nation’s capital and what a normal day consist of in the Capitol.  Splash details all the events that occur in the capital, whether  that be giving a first-hand account of the Senator’s staff meeting, taking a fun filled ride on the tram, being at his owner’s side during a press conference, or simply watching a debate between opposing senators as they discuss a way to implement an education bill.

The illustrations by Caldecott medal winning artist David Small are simply astounding.  His use of oversized watercolors of Splash and his on-the-go Senator make the book so realistic and allow readers to feel as if they are a part of the action.  The illustrations are done in a way that readers could be entertained by the book even if they just looked at the illustrations

The genres of this book are what I consider both biographical and nonfiction.  The book has a biographical genre feel because of the fact that it is telling the daily life of the senator, and remember the author of the book is the senator himself.  The details provided are an accurate portrayal of a normal day of the senator and his dog would consist of.  The character portrayed of course is worthy of being a biography, though it is from Kennedy’s dog point of view, the voice is that of the senator.

Considering the elements of this book that make it nonfiction is the way the writing is done.  The design of the book is very reader friendly and there is not a lot of print on each page.  The topic of US government could be one that’s considered too advanced for young children, but because of the style of the book and simplicity of it, the messages of the story can get across to the readers.  The writing shows a sense of enthusiasm, and allows you to see everything unfolding through the eyes of the senator’s dog.  However, in my opinion, I think the fact that the senator himself wrote this book is a main reason on why this book is so well written, and reader friendly.

The reason why I feel this book is such an effective book/good book is because of the many layers and the interdisciplinary teaching that could be accomplished with this book.  Not only, can students read an interesting book, but they also will learn about the steps in which a bill becomes a law and learn more about the United States government.  The only downside of this book could be the length of it.  The book is 56 pages, so a read aloud and lesson could take a couple of days.  Finally, this book would be perfect for ELL learners who don’t understand United States Government, because as previously stated the way the book is presented is easy to follow.  Oh and don’t forget this book is great for students who love animals and that can capture the interest of many students quickly.  Nonetheless I feel that because of the great writing, and the endless possibilities of different activities that can be used with this book, make this book a must read, and one that should be in every classroom library.

The Massachusetts ELA frameworks that could be applied to this story:

Grade 3 RL1: Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.

Grade 2 RL 6: Acknowledge differences in point of view of characters, including speaking in a different voice for each character when reading dialogue aloud.

Grade 4 RI 2: Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.

Grade 2 RI 6 Identify the main purpose of a text, including what the author wants to answer, explain or describe.