Dumpy La Rue

Title: Dumpy La Rue
Author: Elizabeth Winthrop
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Date of Publication: 2001
Illustrator: Betsy Lewin
Genre: Children’s Fiction
Readability Lexile: K-2 (ages 4-8)

Summary:
Dumpy La Rue is a pig who just wants to dance! But everyone is telling Dumpy that pigs don’t dance, but Dumpy just couldn’t let that stop him.  Dumpy wanted to dance and everyone, including his mom, dad, sister and even the cows and horses told him that he was crazy for dreaming of dancing.  Even after all of the different comments Dumpy held his ground and showed all of his family and friends why he loved dance so much, and the joy that it brought him.  Many of the animals wondered what beat Dumpy was dancing to, so that they could dance with him.  Dumpy told them that they can’t hear his beat, and that they each have their own beat within their heads they just have to listen for it.  Soon enough little by little the animals started to join Dumpy in the dancing.  Even his parents found the joy of dance, and Dumpy never stopped spreading his love of dance. 

Evaluation:
Dumpy La Rue is a very good story for this reading level because it utilizes many different literary elements, while allowing the readers to get lost in the fun.  The most obvious literary element within the story would be the use of rhyming.  The story uses rhyming in an effective way were the reader has to be actively involved with the story because the rhyming is not explicit.  The story also uses the element of foreshadowing.  There are little hints throughout the story that Dumpy would not let others stop him from dancing and that maybe he would not be the only one who ended up dancing.  This could be used to help the students work on their prediction skills.  When we look at the plot on the surface, of course it does not seem like it is something that can really happen.  However, when we look at the plot a little bit deeper and think about the main character being a little boy or a little girl, it makes so much more realistic and believable.  I am sure we have all been told sometime throughout our life that we can’t or wouldn’t be able to do something, and we may have listened or we may have been like Dumpy and said, “Nope, I am gonna show you!” and this book is the perfect example of that.  The author wanted to tell the reader that people may tell us that we can’t or aren’t supposed to do something based on who or what we are, but it is up to us to make that decision.  I think that the theme within this story was one that we can all learn from throughout all stages of life, and many times no matter how old can always use a friendly reminder about this.  It was done in such a way that the author was not shoving the moral of the story down the readers throat, and it allowed for more than one teachable moments within the story as well.  Dumpy La Rue was a great book, for many different reasons.

Illustrations:
The illustrations in Dumpy La Rue were done by Betsy Lewin and they were great.  The pictures went along with the words on the page really well, which would help a struggling reader with trouble spots. 

Mini-Lesson:
The focus of the mini-lesson will be working on our rhyming words.  Students will chose an activity that they love or want to try like what Dumpy La Rue.  Then we will build rhyming hats (materials: 1/2 construction paper and sentence strip).  Students will write their word at the top and then build their rhyming words from there.  It will be important to help the students break down their activity to a word, this is essential so that rhyming can occur.  Example: “Playing baseball”  can be broken down to ball, bat, or other items used in the game.  Once this step is finished the rhyming fun can begin!