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The Water Hole by Corrin Haskell, Andre Jones Published by Advanced Publishing LLC on October 12, 2020
Genres: Children's
Format: Paperback
Source: Provided by author for honest review
Goodreads
The Water Hole follows the journey of a curious young elephant named Boomie who leaves the herd in search of adventure. He soon finds out he is not ready to be on his own. He reaches the Water Hole where he meets other animals. After some bickering they learn to work together to overcome the adversities all animals face in the world.
This first children's book from Corrin Haskell, who has been teaching at public schools in Oakland for twenty-five years, features the vibrant, colorful art of Andre Jones (aka Natty Rebel), as he brings the African savannah to life.
The Water Hole
“This is my debut book as a teacher-author. It tells the coming-of-age tale of a young elephant who finds his place in the world. The themes of celebrating differences and working together to overcome challenges are highlighted by the dynamic illustrations that bring to life the vast diversity of the African savanna and all it has to offer.” — Corrin Haskell on his book The Water Hole
Julie’s Review:
The Water Hole is a book about a baby elephant who is curious and wants to explore on his own. As he does that, he learns so much about his world, and what dangers lurk around.
There were quite a few teachable moments in the story, such as about not wandering off by yourself when your family tells you to stay with the herd to be safe. Another important teachable moment is the baby elephant’s interactions with other animals. At first, they’re kinda mean to him, but he charms them and befriends them. That moment of showing kids it’s ok to be new somewhere and that making friends is possible even if the other kids laugh at you.
The most important lesson comes from the king himself, the lion, when he reminds all the animals that they have a common thing to be afraid of, so they need to work together to protect all the animals. I’m all for people of different cultures, backgrounds, personalities, etc being able to put those differences aside and work together. That’s an important message.
What I didn’t like is the book kind of ends on a negative – yes “MAN” is the danger – so many poachers out there who don’t respect the land or the animals, and are just out there to make money. But from a kid’s perspective, leaving it as open ended as “MAN” as in all humans are bad and to be feared, isn’t great. But, a common enemy is definitely a uniting thing. I would have liked maybe a few more pages of the animals getting to know each other and getting along to help end the book on a more positive.
I read this with my son and he loved the illustrations – especially of the baby elephant. That little guy is so cute! The animal illustrations are very detailed and realistic. But the eyes are drawn super cute. The landscape illustration was lovely as well.
Passin' Gas in Class by Corrin Haskell, Marlon Ingram Published by Advanced Publishing LLC on August 27, 2021
Genres: Children's
Format: Paperback
Source: Provided by author for honest review
Goodreads
They've been laughter's catalyst for millennia. Young boys revel in anything related to them, whereas young ladies loathe everything about them. These common, uncontrollable "things," while part and parcel of the human condition, are generally avoided if possible, but alas, endured by everyone at one time or another. Often the cause of embarrassment for both "culprit" and "victim," they sometimes transform an otherwise stuffy gent into a cackling fool. Of course, we are talking about... farts!
Corrin Haskell's second book, Passin' Gas in Class , is based upon his 25 years' experience teaching 5 th grade students about how "farts" are best handled in classroom situations. This hilarious book-for students, parents, and teachers-is sure to bring laughter and smiles... almost like a good, loud "you-know-what."
Passin’ Gas in Class
Julie’s Review:
Passin’ Gas in Class is a fun book for kids. In fact, I had my 8 year old son read it for his daily reading and he said it was super funny and he enjoyed it. Then he broke into a symphony of farts. The book is about a 5th grade boy on the first day of school who suddenly needs to, that’s right, fart in class.
The story goes through all the different ways one can pass gas in class and all the possible consequences. I enjoyed that part of the book because it helps show kids how to think through each situation and imagine possible scenarios and outcomes. That’s a very important skill! It’s very important for kids to learn to think through all their actions and understand what they are doing. Kids this age, well at least my kid, struggle with impulse control. So having awareness of their bodies and action is an important lesson.
The next part of the book is how the teacher takes the event of a fart in class and turns it into a teachable moment. It was great how the teacher led a discussion about farts, why we do them, what are the different types of farts, and how they make us feel. Wow that was brilliant! As a parent, I loved all the educational aspects of turning situations into discussion and getting all the kids thinking about a situation differently. From a kid’s point of view, this was a great way to show that having an accidental release is not the end of the world!
This is a great book to have in your library for kids because it is so relatable, funny, and has a great teachable moment.
About Corrin Haskell:
Born and raised in Seattle, WA, Corrin Haskell moved to Oakland, California in the mid-nineties to pursue a teaching career after graduating from the University of Washington. Currently, he has been teaching 5th grade at Brookfield Elementary in Oakland, CA for the past 25 years. He also coaches a variety of sports teams and is involved with many community programs surrounding the school.
Recently he was recognized as an “All-Star Educator” by the NBA Cares programs and has done a lot of work with the Learn Fresh non-profit education company. In addition, he founded and ran the reggae/dancehall record label, Lustre Kings Productions, for two decades, before moving into the world of children’s literature. Passing Gas in Class is his second novel, as he published his debut book in 2020, entitled The Water Hole. This is one of many children’s books he has written and hopes to release in the coming years.
His third book, Math Hoops, will be released in partnership with the Learn Fresh nonprofit. Through community, play, and rigorous exploration, they leverage students’ passion for sports and entertainment to inspire their STEM and social-emotional learning.
