Read Across America

Happy Read Across America Day! 

Every year Dr. Seuss’s birthday is marked by the NationalEducation Association’s Read Across America Event. This year’s theme book is The Lorax, highlighted in conjuction with the feature film version of that title. If you’re a fan of the Lorax (or have yet to be introduced to this eco-minded creature) I’m sure you’d enjoy celebrating by reading it with a child (or a group). But you don’t have to love the Lorax or even Seuss to be a part of this worthwhile event. Read Across America is an annual recognition of NEA’s year-round goal of encouraging and motivating young readers. Whether you choose a book you love or explore a new interest, read a treasured classic or a noteworthy newbie, reading with a child is a wonderful opportunity for spending time together and cultivating a love of reading. Take the pledge at the NEA homepage or the facebook cause page and get reading!

If you want to take advantage of the Seuss theme, here are some fun resources to go along with the celebration:

• Find a huge variety of activities in Seussville including book descriptions, videos, and games.
• Check out Seuss-inspired blog: ObSeussed
• Check out all the activities at the Dr. Seuss Linky party (I'm there too!)
• Make a Seuss themed snack - I made Cat In the Hat cupcakes last year.
• Learn more about Dr. Seuss at wikipedia or CatInTheHat.org
• Download a Dr. Suess book themed app from Amazon for your Android device. Many are on sale today in honor of Read Across America! 
• Lots of ideas on the Seuss pinboard and Seuss unit study pinboard on Pinterest
• Literacy resources from Reading Rockets

Other good reading resources outside the Seuss-sphere include:

• Choose any book that strikes your fancy and contribute to a great cause while reading at WeGiveBooks.org
• Book related games, stories, and videos at scholastic
• Lots of activities for early readers at starfall.com
• Visit your local library - many are participating in the celebration, or explore some new titles!

Any special celebration plans? Anyone going to see The Lorax in theaters this weekend? The Lorax has some pretty complex themes of ecology and responsible production, but B has been captivated by it since he was about 3 ½. Do you think there’s a “right” age for The Lorax?

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Feed Me Books Friday: The Book I Needed to Read

Giving, Gratitude, and Moderation

Ever have the feeling that a particular book has made its way to your nightstand, shelf, shopping cart, or library tote for a reason? I NEEDED to read Just Enough and Not Too Much this week, and I should renew it from the library up to my renewal limit and reread it several times. I would probably purchase it, but that would undermine the lesson of the book. During the holiday season, we endeavor to focus on gratitude, appreciation, and selflessness, but the temptation to get wrapped (literally) up in consumerism, bargain-hunting, and over-indulgence is hard to avoid.

My Shop-aholic, Pack-rat Tendancies

I do not consider myself truly addicted to shopping, nor do I believe I collect things to the point of hoarding. However, I am well-aware that I get a rush from finding a bargain and I save and pack away more than is necessary and sometimes reasonable. What do these confessions have to do with children’s books, you’re wondering? Kaethe Zemach’s Just Enough andNot Too Much found its way into my library stack purely by chance as I browsed the shelves without intention. It was just before Thanksgiving and the title piqued my interest. I hoped for a “count your blessings” kind of moral to guide my discussions of gratitude with B and counter some of the “gimme” behaviors ramping up with the holiday store displays and toy catalogs arriving daily. Little did I know it would speak to me as well.

Do You Need It?

Just Enough and Not Too Much is the story of Simon the Fiddler, who lives a contented life until he decides that the things he has make him so happy that he should get even more so he can be happier. So he gets more stuffed animals, more chairs, more of everything that makes him happy, only to find that his crowded house no longer makes him happy, it makes him uncomfortable. He invites all his friends over for a fun party, and then literally shares his happiness when he sends them home with all his extra items. He finds that sharing makes him happier than all the things he had filled his home with, and he goes back to his contented, simple life. There are so many lessons in this book for both children and adults: being content with what we have, the joy of sharing, the value of simplicity, which could all  be adjusted to fit the needs of your own family situation. I’m focusing less on surrounding my Christmas tree with gifts and more on sharing the experiences of the season with my children and my family. I am prone to over-do the joy of sharing with my kids to the point of fearing we spoil them sometimes, so I’m also focusing on simplicity for both me and them.

Appropriate for: toddlers, preschoolers, primary grades, everyone!

How do you stay focused on "Just Enough?"

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Un-Spooking

As I promised last week, I have a selection of Halloween “treats” to share this week. B has (thankfully) not found the allure of gruesome decorations or jump out of your skin scary movies. We put a decorative metal pumpkin with tiny cut-out swirls and a little flickering tea light on his dresser and he is thoroughly pleased with the degree of “spooky-ness.”  I am elated that he has no desire to dress up as some blood-oozing monster. He’ll be outfitted as an astronaut and enjoying Halloween in the way I’ve always found it most appealing: an opportunity to try on a new persona for an evening (and indulge in way too much chocolate)!

Silly, Not Scary

Both of my choices this week turn what might normally be scary characters and contexts into humorous and innocuous entertainment. Allison McGhee’s A Very Brave Witch takes the line of reasoning that witches might very well be afraid of humans! Told by a first-person narrator witch through the use of dialogue bubbles, the story begins by asserting that witches find humans terrifying. Our narrator, a curious young witch herself, decides to find out what exactly is so scary. After a flying mishap, she is assisted by some very helpful (and non-scary) trick-or-treaters. Their friendly exchange convinces her there is nothing to worry about, and she even takes one reader on a ride on her broom.

Iza Trapani uses a similar turn-the-tables approach in her counting book, Haunted Party. A ghost is the host at this party, which begins by counting up a parade of creepy creature guests: mummies, gobblins, werewolves, etc. Number ten is represented by trick-or-treaters at the door, which sends the creatures into a frightened fit. Count back from ten to one as the creatures take off and escape. After one last “Boo,” the final illustration shows the ghost relaxing on the porch littered with candy wrappers and trick-or-treat bags. While it is implied that the ghost scared away the trick-or-treaters, it isn’t explicitly stated, which makes it easy to select your degree of fright.

Appropriate for toddlers, preschoolers, primary.

B and T both get to have Halloween/Harvest celebrations at school on Monday, and I’m taking goodies for each to share – the non-sugary variety. So far my plan is tiny Halloween notepads from Joann’s with Halloween pencils for B, and stickers and spider rings for T’s younger group. Any other creative and brilliant suggestions?

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Feed Me Books Friday: Father’s Day Book Picks

Don’t Spoil the Surprise!

I’m running the risk of revealing my husband’s Father’s day gift by sharing my book choices this week, but what good would they be to you next week? I’ll just have to keep his eyes off my blog for a couple days…


Making Memories Cover to Cover


It’s a chicken-or-egg question: do books evoke such strong feelings and memories for me because I love to read, or do I love to read because books evoke such strong feelings and memories? In either case, books play a prominent role in vacation memories, birthdays, and holidays in our lives. It stands to reason then, that part of Daddy’s Father’s day present would be a book. In past years, I’ve chosen books that highlight special relationships between fathers and children or those that feature dad as the hero. This year, Daddy will be receiving two books to share with his two little boys.


The Big Boys

Daddy and B will hone their motor skills while they enjoy The Boy Mechanic Makes Toys, from the Editors of Popular Mechanics. As an honest reviewer, I have to admit I have not read all 275 pages. That said, I was sold after reading the jacket, the foreword, the table of contents, and a few random pages. The book contains an array of 159 projects from the pages of Popular Mechanics magazine in the early 1900s. The foreword emphasizes the value of ingenuity and craftsmanship. Methods and materials have not been updated for modern advancements, and some projects are more entertaining to read about than to actually produce, such as the folding-chair sleigh or fighting roosters toy. However, the majority are intriguing and sure to result in some quality father-son time for anyone with some mechanical inclinations. Chapters include: Making Magic, The Science of Fun, The Really Great Outdoors, Fun for Little Ones, Fun for Older Kids, and The Toy Workshop. I know B will be excited to learn the old-time magic tricks, and will definitely want to try out projects like the toy water plane or dry cell toy tractor.


The Little Guy

T is not yet big enough to participate in the “projecting” that B and Daddy enjoy together (though he thinks he is) so the book I chose for him to enjoy with Daddy will help them spend some quiet time together and is sure to lead to some giggles. Toddlers like T who spend all day with Mommy need special time to develop an emotional bond with Daddy, too. Daddy Cuddles, by Anne Gutman and Georg Hallensleben depicts six different animal daddies cuddling their young. The text is repetitive, but that’s comforting and developmentally appropriate for toddlers. Each page reads, “Daddy [animal] cuddles his [young].” The illustrations show how the animal families exchange “cuddles” and I’m sure Daddy and T (and even B) will share some laughs as the boys cling to Daddy’s belly like the baboons or nuzzle noses like the tigers. We already enjoy Mommy Hugs and Daddy Kisses from the same series, and this one is sure to become a bedtime favorite too.


Appropriate for: babies, toddlers, preschoolers, primary grades, Dads


What are your favorite Daddy books? Will you be doing anything special to celebrate fathers this weekend?

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Happy Earth Day!

5 Earth-Friendly Ways to Make Some Space on Your Bookshelves:

• Donate to your local library, goodwill, salvation army, etc.
• Have a yard sale, sell valuable books online.
• Include “outgrown” books with hand-me-down clothing shared with relatives or friends.
• Create puzzle blocks with favorite book art/characters a-la The Mother Lode.
• Make a paperback shape “sculpture” a-la Cheeky Magpie.

Photo credit: woodley wonderworks via flickr.
5 Earth-Friendly Ways to Feed a Book-Lover

• Visit your local library for a never ending supply!
• Host a book exchange among friends or participate in paperback swap.
• Shop library book sales or thrift stores for gently used books.
• If you shop on-line (like me) be sure to recycle packaging!
• Add Earth-friendly titles like I Love Our Earth! by Bill Martin Jr. and Recycle by Gail Gibbons to help your child understand why being earth-minded matters.

 






Bonus: The text of I Love Our Earth is a free verse poem with some beautiful illustrations – so it fits right in with our celebration of poetry month.
I have yet to find an Easter book that I’m really in love with – we have come across a few that are ok or even entertaining, but not great – can you help? There must be some egg-cellent ones out there! (sorry – couldn’t help the pun…)

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Feed Me Books Friday: You Can’t Teach Funny

Happy April Fool’s Day!

Knock knock!

Who’s there?

Chicken

Chicken Who?

Chicken with a bathtub! AH HA HA HA!


If that joke sounds familiar, you’ve probably enjoyed the humor of a preschooler. They are beginning to understand that certain things make people laugh (like jokes) but they don’t yet have a full grasp of exactly why those things are funny. Have you ever tried to explain sarcasm, an idiom, or an oxymoron? Somehow the more explanation is required, the less funny it is! So if you can’t teach funny, then how do they get it? Like so many other important skills, the best way to hone a child’s sense of humor is exposure, experience, and practice! Read funny books together, practice making up jokes (like the gem above), talk about what makes you laugh, and ask why they laugh at the things they do.


Laughter at the Unexpected

My little guys are pretty young to understand or appreciate April Fool’s Day – though Parenting magazine had a fun list of kid friendly pranks I might pick from… But we did talk about the difference between tricks intended to make someone laugh and tricks intended to make someone laughed at (and why we would avoid the latter). And since we were talking about laughing, we perused the bookshelf for some funny books. B loves silly rhymes, mixed up pictures, and jokes, so it wasn’t hard to find some good examples. The one I decided to share with you was a recent library find: Guess Again, by Mac Barnett. The book employs rhyming, riddle-like clues and illustrations with silhouetted details to lead readers to think they can guess the identity of the item described. Instead, the turn of the page or lift of the flap reveals a cleverly illustrated but totally unexpected answer that is sure to elicit chuckles from listeners. One silhouette featured sitting among rows of carrots possesses “floppy ears [that] are long and funny.” You would guess a bunny? Of course you would, but you’d be wrong. The silhouette is revealed to be a playful Grandpa Ned, doing a headstand with floppy socks hanging down from his toes. Amusement at the absurd or unexpected is one of the earliest cognitive developments toward a sense of humor (think about eliciting baby giggles by putting a shoe on your head). B found Guess Again HILARIOUS and now even though he knows the answers to the riddles, he still enjoys a loud guffaw when he reveals the ridiculous solution.

Appropriate for toddlers, preschoolers, primary grades.


Looking for more April Fool’s fun? Carrie at Reading to Know is hosting some April Fool’s giveaways I’m looking forward to entering!


I’ll also be linking up this weekend at the Ultimate Blog Party at 5 minutes 4 mom. It will be my first time participating – hoping to meet some new bloggy-friends! But of course I am most grateful my faithful Friday link-up pals – looking forward to your posts!

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Feed Me Books Friday: Time is Flying

Ever Regret Being Anxious for Time to Pass?

I’ve been eagerly anticipating the arrival of Spring and warmer weather and going barefoot. But then I catch myself and realize time is slipping through my fingers and I wish I could slow it down. B’s preschool experience is soon to give way to kindergarten. (Ack!) T is more and more little boy and less and less baby every day. So some days I wish I could pause, other days, I’m counting down to summer. But enough about me…

Keeping Track of Time

The cognitive concept of time is hard for little ones – just ask anyone who’s ever uttered the words, “just a minute” to a toddler. Minutes, hours, days, months, seasons, past, future: each more abstract than the next for a child living in the present. Simply discussing and acknowledging the passage of time is the first step to internalizing the concept. It’s easy to take notice of changes in the foliage, animal behaviors, and holidays. B continues to be fascinated by the calendar and countdowns, so he was pleased to bring home a library book all about the various ways to observe the changing season and celebrate Spring.


Chronology, Culture, and Crafts

Wendy Pfeffer’s A New Beginning: Celebrating the Spring Equinox is the kind of non-fiction book that combines just enough illustration and intriguing detail to keep kids engaged while they learn the salient facts of the topic. In this case, Pfeffer’s topic is Sping, and she effectively explains both scientific and historic aspects of the season. The book begins with a poetic description of the arrival of spring, and then explains the science behind it in both clear narrative and helpful illustrations. Next, traditions and celebrations from several cultures are highlighted in chronological order.

• Learn about the connection between Chinese New Year and the arrival of Spring.

• Plant wheat for the Persian celebration of No Ruz. (I’m thinking wheatgrass on the windowsill.)
• Consider the origin of April Fools’ Day in and Indian tradition.
• Marvel at Mayan calendar-keeping.

• Enjoy warm, round pancakes to symbolize the sun during Russia’s Maslenitsa. (We like the 10 grain pancake mix from Winco!)

• Honor the berry as a harbinger of Spring like the Cree. (We planted blueberries this year!)
• Study the symbols of Jewish Passover.

• Even discover how rabbits and colored eggs came to be connected with the Christian holiday of Easter. (Can’t wait to try natural egg dyes this year!)

Instructions for several crafts and recipes complete the book, and I know I’ll refer to it again next year – there are too many fun options to try out at once. Several of the traditions do not take place on the equinox, but in anticipation of it before or celebration afterward. B is in a phase of being very curious about the habits and traditions of others, so books like this are a great way to encourage his exploration of diversity.
Appropriate for: preschoolers, primary grades.
**The construction of this post was interrupted by a 4 year old who couldn't sleep. I found myself sitting on his bed singing him a favorite lullaby: Evermore written by Sandra Boynton and illustrated by Alison Krauss. It speaks to both my longing for spring and my nostalgia for time.**
Link-up note: my apologies to anyone who had trouble linking last week. First, I got my dates mixed up (sorry Maggie!) then a coding glitch initially made the entered links invisible (thanks Shonda). If you have a chance to go back and visit some of the links from last week, their authors could use a little extra love!


Did you see my post on Saturday for the March Read-Along at Helping Little Hands? I shared a fun flap-book and craft.


Are you looking forward to the change in season? Are you feeling it in your weather yet or is it just another date on the calendar?

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To the Moon and Back on Valentine’s Day

A Book to Love All Year Round
We’ve read some Valentine stories about giving and receiving cards, about parties and gifts, about making friends and showing affection. We’ve also read some informative Valentine books about the origin and history of the holiday. Both types were enjoyed by B, and they continue to be requested reads as the (early) preschool party and the actual holiday approach. The book I chose to share with you in honor of Valentine’s Day is probably familiar, and it is not really a Valentine themed book at all, but perhaps you haven’t considered its potential for developmental growth…


How Big is Big?

B practices measuring skills.

This is actually the central question in Guess How Much I Love You, by Sam McBratney. The child uses similes (as big as, as high as, etc) to express his love for his father, and the father redefines and expands upon the comparisons emphasize his love and entertain his little boy. Many a parent and child have enjoyed the playful competition as Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare try to out-do one another. As parents, we can all appreciate that there is truly no measure of our love for our children, but hopefully, that doesn’t stop us from trying to tell them.


The Art of Comparison
Comparing and generating similes are pretty complex cognitive skills, but using the playful examples found in Guess How Much I Love You may help you and your child begin to consider other comparisons as well.

• You might enjoy more concrete comparisons (the slide is as tall as my dad).
  
• You could get creative while staying literal (the plate is as round as a tire).
  
• Or you could take a cue from the Nutbrowns and play with the abstract (a smile as pretty as a blooming flower).
  Comparative language and simile are hard to teach in isolation, but will come naturally to children who hear them in everyday language and enjoy them in literature. Share a little love and bolster your sprout’s vocabulary at the same time this Valentine’s Day!
  Appropriate for: everyone!
  
  
  Do you have a favorite comparison for “I love you as ( ) as ( )? I’d love to hear it!
  
  
   
  You may notice I've switched to inlinkz this week. As much as I've enjoyed LinkyTools, my blog is a hobby for me that does not afford me a subscription for now. If you have any trouble with the link up, let me know!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

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