"The Story of Ferdinand" by Munro Leaf

The Story of Ferdinand and me
as I dream of my childhood...

THE BOOK:
This book follows the life and feelings of Ferdinand, the bull from Spain who is peaceful and different. He, unlike most bulls, likes to sit under a tree and smell the flowers. It is a book that reminds people it is OK to be different and peaceful.

USE THE BOOK:
This is my all-time, number one children's book. Published all the way back in 1936, it was a part of many people's childhood memories, including mine. I have very destinct memories of reading it in my dad's make-shift office in the garage. I personally related to this book more than an other I have ever read. For those of you who know me, you know I am a very different person--I have met only two or three others who I consider to be like-minded--and I always wondered if it was OK to be me. In my early teen years I decided to embrace my odd thinking because it was who I was created to be, and after a few years of trying to become comfortable in my skin, I eventually was.

This book somehow seemed to show up during my childhood--stashed on a shelf it would pop up and remind me to be who I was made to be.

So with that in mind, and because this book is so good, I really just want you to read it to kids and talk about differences in people that are good. Talk to them about being true to who they are, so long as it is good and right. Remind them they don't have to be do-ers, they can be thinkers, watchers, wallflowers, or whatever--so long as it is good, be it.

For those of you in need of more, here is a link to a fantastic blog where philosophy and Ferdinand are discussed in depth: Click here.

Just enjoy it.

Happy reading!

"On Market Street" pictures by Anita Lobel, words by Arnold Lobel

THE BOOK:

"On Market Street", pictures by Anita Lobel and words by Arnold Lobel, is a classic alphabet book with an early 80s style. It loosely follows a character who goes to Market Street to buy a plethora of items for a "friend". Each page is decorated to show a person bedecked in that letter's item (see below).

USE THE BOOK:

I like alphabet books for a few different age groups. First, preK and Kinder seem to work nicely, but I also like to use them with older kids in art. Here is an idea to use in your classroom...

Mimic the Art:
Mimic the art concept behind "On Market Street". This can be a collage, pen and ink drawing or a photography project.

Grade Levels- PreK, K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Materials-
Vary depending on your method, but may include:

• Paper
• Markers
• Pencil
• Photograph of child's face

1. Take a photo of each child's face.

2. Have each child in the classroom use the first letter of his/her name, and think of something he/she likes. For instance, Troy may like Transformers, Sarita may like Snapple, and Jose may like Jelly Sandwiches.

3. Have each child draw a picture of a body with pencil, or they can use this template of a gingerbread person.

4. In the "body space", not the head, have the child fill it with images of the above selected item (e.g. Transformers, Snapple, or Jelly Sandwiches).  They can draw, paint, collage from magazines or GoogleImages, or even take photographs to fill the picture.

Kids can mimic the style from a page like this.

Here is my character. M for Mac n Cheese.

5. Print out the photo of the child taken in step 1.

6. Cut and paste the photo in the head spot.

Michael's made of Mac n Cheese. LOL

7. Add more images to surround the face and color.

It may be a little creepy, but it is what you might see "On Market Street"--and I like it.

"Caps for Sale" by Esphyr Slobodkina

THE BOOK: 

"Caps for Sale" by Esphyr Slobodkina is one of my favorite books from my childhood. My father masterfully read it aloud to me as a kid. The story follows a peddler who sells caps in a town for 50 cents each. He falls asleep under a tree, only to find a group of monkeys has stolen his hats. The man must then find a way to get his caps back.

USE THE BOOK:

This book is a perfect read aloud for age 3 in preK all the way up to third grade. It is a great group read aloud as the kids listening can act out the part of the monkeys and make the infamous "Tsz! Tsz!" noise.

Patterning with Caps:
Patterning is a huge development in preK and K; it is a foundation for math and literacy.

Grade Levels- preK, K

Materials-
Worksheet printouts
Scissors

Process-
1. Print out the worksheets below. You can either use the colored copies or the plain ones. If using the plain ones, give each child two sheets totaling 10 caps. If using the colored copies, print enough caps so each child has at least 10 caps of various colors.

2. Have children cut out the caps you provide.

3. Now have children make a pattern with the caps. Have them try a pattern such as:

ABABABA
ABBABBA
ABCABC
ABBCCCABBCCC

4. Before they glue down the caps on the peddler, have them practice at least 5 combinations.

My 4-year-old making patterns.

5. Have the kids draw and color a background.

6. Then, have them glue a special pattern of caps atop the peddler's head.


CENTERS OPTION- 

If you would like kids to use this as a repeatable center, pre-cut the items and place them in a sandwich bag (I made all items to fit in there easily). Then tape the sandwich bag to the back of the book for easy storage.

Attach tape to the bottom of the bag and
adhere the bag to the book.

The attached bag of materials.

"I Want My Hat Back" by Jon Klassen

I lost my hat (and some of my hair)
in this photo. So did the bear.

THE BOOK:

"I Want My Hat Back" is a funny story by Jon Klassen that my 4-year-old son enjoys. It follows a bear (I think he's a bear) who has lost his hat. He looks around for his hat, only to find one of his so-called friends has taken it.

Using simple dialogue exchanges, this book is a fast read with some joyful interactions as you read it to kids.

USE THIS BOOK:

This book can be used as a great group read aloud with preK to 2, but I can see this activity being perfect from grades 2-12... Here is how...

Inferring Tone in Reader's Theater: 

Teach kids about inferring tone in a piece of literature. One of the hardest aspects of reading for many kids is hearing the tone of an author, unless the piece is read aloud. That's why I start with kids listening to characters. I ask them to read aloud and imagine the feelings, and, essentially, tone of characters. It is a simple activity you can truly use with most.

Grade Levels- 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Materials-

Worksheet (below)
Pencil
Copies of the "dialogue" pages of the text (have kids jot these down or make copies)


This is a great book to use for Reader's Theatre. Each page offers a back-and-forth dialogue that can be preformed by two students. Here is a simple format to follow:

1. After reading the book, identifying the culprit, and laughing (or gasping) at the end, copy off each page of the book, or transcribe it by hand. There will be 7 pages with this type of dialogue (see the page to the side for an idea).

An example of a dialogue page.

2. Have students pair up. Each pair receives a copied page. (Feel free to have multiple groups read the same page, but be sure they work in pairs--no trios.)

3. In pairs, have the tallest person be the bear and the shorter person be the other creature. Have the kids practice reading it in their pairs.

4. Now have the roles switch, the shorter person reads the bear.

5. Together the pair fill out the following worksheet. Tell them:

You are going to listen and infer what your characters' tone are in this piece. Tone is the "attitude toward the subject". Since the text doesn't tell us, you have to infer. Is the character confused? Is she worried? Is the character somber, playful, or serious? Your job is to decide two ways in which the character could possibly say his/her lines. Once you decide, write in on your worksheet. Only use the lines where it says "Tone 1" and "Tone 2".

(You should model this for the kids using the process using the double-page spread at the bottom of this post. You can show them he may be "sad when he says "Nobody has seen my hat." You can point out that this could be read in an "angry", "frustrated", or "somber" tone. Read it in the different tones so kids can see how the way we read the text changes the characterization and, at times, meaning.)

Supervise students to ensure they just do the first two tone lines for each character.

6. Now have some fun and give the kids the printout from the tone list. Click her for the list. You may want to adjust this list for your age group.

7. Ask the kids to try reading the dialogue with different tones. Ask them to write down and practice three more from the list provided.

8. Once done, have students select the best tone from their list of 5 options. Circle the best option, and then have the class gather together to preform the whole piece in front of the class.

The bear lamenting over his lost hat. This page is a good
one to use as you model inferring tone.

"Little Owl's Night" by Divya Srinivasan

My fear of night creatures expressed and the book.

THE BOOK:
This simple board book (also available in traditional hardback) by Divya Srinivasan is a great story about a little owl who roams about at night, watching the other nocturnal animals. It reads like a simple bedtime story.


USE THE BOOK:
This book would work beautifully with kids preK through second grade. Here is an idea on how to use this with K-2...


Animal Research-
Every animal featured in the "night" part of this book is nocturnal, and in all honesty, I didn't realize it until I took a second look... A second look, and a quick Google on a few of the animals. Which is just what kids need to do for this activity.

Grade Levels- K, 1, 2

Materials Needed-
Computer with internet access
Worksheets (below)
Pencils

We want to teach kids to be lifelong learners. Which is why I will simply say, when reading this book, point out to kids that all of the animals in the night section are nocturnal. Explain the term and consider all of the other creatures that are nocturnal that are not featured.

Then ask kids to look up facts on the animals featured in the book. I made a simple fact-gathering sheet for you to use when researching these nocturnal creatures.

From their research, have kids compare and contrast the animals. Classification and organization in this chart is a wonderful literacy skill that many kids don't get a chance to master, so take the time to utilize this tool. (I selected a few of the animals to chart, you can always add more.)

"FLOTSAM" by David Wiesner

The wordless book and me chilling in the home-schooling corner.

THE BOOK:

"FLOTSAM" is Wiesner's award-winning wordless picture book that follows a boy's discovery of a washed up camera--the flotsam--at the beach. The boy soon discovers the camera is special, perhaps magical, camera film that has miraculously survived the ocean. He devlops the film and discovers photos of an underwater world, living, mechanical, and fantasy. (I would also like to point out this book has the first-ever documented use of a selfie-stick... well... kinda.)

USE THE BOOK:

This book is great for sharing with groups or one-on-one with kids, grades preK to third grade. I can see this being liked by upper elementary children who still have a love for fantasty, and perhaps again in art classes, grades 7-12--it is a beautiful piece of art.

Focus on The Writing Process: 

I like to use wordless texts to support writing and storytelling. One of the best tips I have for teachers who are trying to build writing into their classrooms is to SLOW IT DOWN and BREAK IT APART. Often we throw kids into writing without the pre-thinking that is required. Plus, we need to model the WRITING PROCESS and what real writing feels like. So here is one way to do this...

Grade Levels: 1, 2, 3

Materials Needed:

Chart paper
Markers

1. "Read" the book by showing the pictures. Don't add a verbal narrative; let the pictures do the talking--remember, silence is golden.

2. Afterwards, ask the children to turn to a neighbor and "tell the narrative" in five sentences or less--explain the narrative is the storyline and the major events.

3. Have kids share their points of interest in the story. Tell them this is what writers call, "brainstorming".

4. Now validate their ideas by "reading" the book again. As you read, stop to note what happens on each page. On the chart paper, write one to two sentences explaining what has happened. Have the children construct these sentences by calling on one child to dictate the sentence (or two). They needn't be perfect--you will edit them later. Tell the kids this is the "draft".

A sample page of the "draft".

5. After you have written a sentence for each page, have the children analyze the complete story. Ask them, "If we only wanted to keep the sentences that were essential to the narrative, which would we keep?" Then circle the five essential sentences. In many cases, you will decided to edit your list--for instance, you will probably take the pages with all the photos of the sea creatures and sum it up into one, cohesive sentence: "David saw pictures of animals, machines, aliens, and more in the photographs." Either way, tell them "This is editing."

The first round of editing.

Round two of editing, with circled essential sentence.

6. Next, tell the kids these points are essential to the story, without them we would be unable to understand the narrative. Illustrate this by reading through the book once more. Read their sentences for each of the "non-essential" sentences and skip over the pages that contain the five sentences that are "essential". (In some cases you will literally show three pages of the book.)

7. Now tell the class everything circled is essential, but all of the additional sentences are supporting details that elaborate and enhance the work--basically, they make the story better. Ask the children to each identify their favorite detail on the list and share it with a partner. Tell them when a storyteller adds these details it is another form of "editing".

8. Talk to the kids about how what they did was the writing process: They identified the main story with a partner (brainstorming), wrote it out in sentences (drafting), fixed it when something needed to be clearer (editing), and selected details that would make the story more interesting to readers (further editing).

9. Now that they have gone through the process with the group, have them write out the full story of "FLOTSAM" on their own. Have each child use the five essential sentences in their stories--you may wish to even type these out and leave gaps in the work like the sample below. Between each sentence, the child must provide at least one sentence (or if doing this with older kids one paragraph) elaborating on the big idea.

The ideas the kids share are typed out.
They fill in the details in between sentences.

    
Discussions/Writing Prompts:

Use these prompts to talk about the book with your kids, or you can have them write their responses. Remember, picture books don't need to stop in second grade!

One of many "photos" from the book.

1. If you could be there when one of the photos was taken, which photo would you pick? Why?

2. Do you think David (the boy) can convince others of his experience? Why or why not?

3. What elements of this book let you know it is a fantasy?

4. What happens after the last page? To the boy? To the girl?

5. Look at the title page of the book.  Most of them are not featured in the actual story. Why would the illustrator include them?

I hope you enjoy "FLOTSAM"... And remember to keep your eyes open the next time you are walking along the beach!


Happy learning! 

"Knuffle Bunny" by Mo Willems

(To Readers: I had a beautiful blog that took me a long while to write, then I clicked the wrong button and POOF! It was gone. So here is an abbreviated version so I don't get behind in my regular blogging.)

THE BOOK: 

Knuffle Buny by Mo Willems is a delight for kids ages 3-8. Most kids can relate to Trixie and her dilemma when she loses Knuffle Bunny. The award-winning art and story will bring the family together with giggles and good memories.

USE THE BOOK: 

As I said, this is a great one for ages 3-8, or grades preK-2. There are a million uses for this book, but my favorite is in the realm of art...

Grade Levels- preK, K, 1, 2, 3

Materials-

• Digital Camera or access to GoogleImages
• Printer
• Pencil
• Markers
• Scissors
• Glue stick
• Construction Paper
• Ruler

1. Show off the book.

2. Ask kids how Mo Willems made the art.

3. Now read kids the description contained on the copyright page.

4. Tell kids they will make Mo Willems-styled art.

My postage-stamp-sized backyard.

5. Give each child a chance to take a digital photo--maybe on the playground, at the beach, by the street... wherever. If you don't have a camera, use GoogleImages and search for a scene.

6. When you print the photo, select the printer properties and select grayscale (not black and white).

7. Mat the photo on colored construction paper. 

8. Now that you have the photo, give the child a ruler to measure how tall drawn items will be.

9. On a separate piece of paper, have children measure out how big their drawings should be. I have kids cut the paper to that size. (The are turns out better when you do this.)

10. Once the paper square is cut out, they can draw their image in pencil and color in marker.

Before they are glued down.

11. Now have the kids cut out their actual drawing.

12. Glue the drawings to the photo. Notice how Mo Willems uses the mat to create even more depth--encourage children to have characters of objects slightly off of the photo as in the example below.

A finished product.

A sample page from the actual book.

"If You Give a Mouse A Cookie" by Laura Joffe Numeroff illustrated by Felicia Bond

THE BOOK:
Felicia Bond is one of my favorite children's illustrators, and Laura Joffe Numeroff was nothing short than delightful when she wrote this now classic children's book. The story follows a boy as he invites a mouse to eat a cookie, which leads to a glass of milk, which leads to... well, the whole book. The mouse eventually just wants another cookie and the so-called "circle story" to repeat (if you read it again; and heaven knows you will read it again since the target demographic is preschool up to second grade).

Me and the book... I like to imagine those are cookies over
my head.

USE THE BOOK:

I have used this book with four year olds, Kinders, first, and second grade--in all cases it was a hit and kids learned something great. I will suggest, however, that you could stretch this book into further age groups. Read on for some ideas...

1. Preschool and Kindergarten Dramatic Play:

One of the great teachers I have worked next door to had a kit I would borrow once a year to share with my three and four year olds--the four year olds like it much more. She assembled all of the items, most of which are common household items like Scotch tape, crayons, and a broom (she had a mini version of one), to tell the story of "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie". What I didn't know when I borrowed the kit was how pre-literacy skills were built when using the items. 

For instance, you can set these items at an activity center for two kids. The kids can work together to "read the book" and to act it out. The child who reads the book can use the pictures to help her tell her friend what to get out (e.g. "Get the straw!" or "He needs a napkin to get rid of the crumbs!"). I love the way kids could interact with the book. Matching verbal commands with pictures is early literacy!

For a more teacher-prepped version of this, make a list of all of the items Mouse will want. As the child goes down the list you can have a printed picture on the back of the text (like a flashcard). Encourage the child to look at the printed word and the picture. Clearly, this takes it to the next learning level in Kindergarten and even first grade.

2. First, Second, and Third Grade Creative Writing:

I used this activity with first and second grade, and I am now kicking myself for not using it with third grade. As most of you know, Numeroff and Bond have created an entire series of "If You Give a _____ a _____" books. They are all delightful, but this one and "If You Give a Pig a Pancake" rank as my top two. One of the fun activities I use in my classroom is to have students mimic the writing pattern and style.

For instance, I could write:

If you give a camel a Cheeze-It (the best snack in the universe), he will want a Valencia Orange to wash it down. Once he tastes that Starbucks drink, he'll want to get a cake pop to go with it. Eating the cake pop will remind him of going to a birthday party, so he'll want to call his friends over. But once he picks up your iPhone, he'll remember he wanted to play Angry Birds. 

And so on. Clearly my example is taken directly from my ADHD brain and life; go figure. But the point is, kids like making connections and this is a great format for them to make those wild, "Axe Cop" kind of connections.

The hardest part for the kids is finding the link back to the first part of the story. I often have them pair-share to come up with solutions. If they are really stuck I have then draw what the first item they offer to the animal is. That normally helps them see it, and from that they may come up with:

But when the camel sees the RedBox with the movies in it, he'll want a drink to go with his movie. And chances are he'll want another red box, a box of Cheeze-Its, to go with it.

Or something like that. They write better versions. Go see for yourself!

The inside page that pays homage to mothers and fathers everywhere.

3. Upper Grade and Beyond Grammar Focus:

I am not a huge grammar hound with kids, but the subject is important. I do end up teaching them quite a bit on the subject because it is empowering. One of the reoccurring grammar topics covered by this book is subordinating conjunctions and dependent clauses. Over and over again, the book uses phrases like "If you give a mouse a cookie, he's going to task for a glass of milk." and "When you give him the milk, he'll probably ask you for a straw." The beginning clauses, you may notice, when ripped apart, cannot stand on their own. Thus, they are dependent upon the other half to make sense.

I use "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" as a mentor text as it does a great job of demonstrating these often neglected commas. The famed AAAWWUBBIS will help you teach this concept even better, but be sure to use this book as a fun, throwback mentor text!

I also have students mimic the writing style and create as many absurd lines for this book as possible. It is similar to the above writing prompt, but we tend to do sentences and not a whole story.

Remember, make small mouse-steps toward strong grammar; it pays off in the end!

4. Discussions/Writing Prompts:

Use these prompts to talk about the book with your kids, or you can have them write their responses. Remember, picture books don't need to stop in second grade!

1. Should the boy have given the mouse the cookie? Why or why not?
2. What adjectives would you use to describe the mouse?
3. What are the boy's feelings toward the mouse? Do they change as the book develops? How can you tell?
4. How is this book similar to the Cat in the Hat? How is it different
5. If the mouse came to your house, what different activities would he want to do based on the things you have at your house?

I hope you enjoy "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie"... And I hope you and your kids enjoy all of its busy fun!

Happy learning!

"Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak

THE BOOK:
I guess I couldn't resist pulling out this other Maurice Sendak classic. "Where the Wild Things" is one of my childhood favorites that follows a rambunctious boy named Max who is sent to bed without his supper. It is there in his room that he escapes his punishment and his imagination takes over; he journeys to where the wild things are and becomes their king. After a wild rumpus, he heads back to his room only to discover his dinner is there.

Awesome typewriter, the book
with a jungle growing out of it, and me.

USE THE BOOK:

This book can reach every age group... seriously, every age from the toddlers all the way up to the college students. (It is AR Level 3.4.). It is a staple of most classrooms, so here are some ideas to use with the book...

1. Study the Art:
Many times we just say "Cool art..." or "Wow! Those are some amazing pictures." This is a book that is so brilliantly constructed I have met college students who study it for nearly a month. I don't expect most classrooms to use this for a month, but a five minute in-depth observation is certainly warranted, no matter if you are in grade K or 12.

When you look at the construction of the pages do you notice something unique? Some of you caught it right away; Sendak illustrates so each ilustration gets bigger and bigger until the wild rumpus starts. The first page, as pictured below, is a small thumbnail-like piece, and by the time the rumpus is in full swing, the entire page is engulfed with art--even the words are eliminated. Then, after the rumpus has gone on, Max calls it quits and the scenes from that point on get smaller and smaller. Some of you who have read this a thousand times will suddenly see this. Go look, you will be delighted.

I can only imagine there are lots of theories as to why the pages do this. My personal theory is it is Max's entry and departure into his imagination. I personally love that the last page is just the words "and it was still hot." Helping kids of any age see this structure helps them to discern details and nuances in books. I can't tell you how helpful that is when they get to high school. Start kids noticing details with pictures and the learning will spill into other aspects of study.

In addition to how the art is cropped, designed, and framed, you can study his style with pen and ink and watercolor--a fantastic art teacher at my school did this with high school students. Consider how one could use this work and analyze his developing style and perspective through a comparison of his picture books. Seriously, this is worth the time--think of the great papers older students might write on this subject!

2. The Perfect Reader's Theater:

Not only is my wife a talented author (check out her book Sherlock Academy), she is also a local arts teacher for the public schools.  When she works with grades K-2, she uses this very book to create a reader's theater. She spends 8 forty-five minute lessons to build a working knowledge of setting, character, stage directions, voice, and theater jargon... but you can do an abbreviated version of this in your classroom, even if it is just a homeschool group of three or four kids.

Some things you will want to do:

First, if you are working with a full class, divide the class into two groups. Essentially you will double cast actors for the book. For instance, rather than casting one Max, you'll have a Max for Group A and a Max for Group B. The same will be for all assignments.

And that's just where I'd start: characters. There are only a few: Max, the dog, Max's never-seen mother, and, of course, the Wild Things. Double cast all of these characters, one for Group A and one for Group B--I suggest you pick out about 5-10 wild things for each group. You'll know the ones to pick for this one. :-)

The first page, an example of the smaller illustration that
eventually grows into the place where the wild things are.

The rest of the class will be double cast as setting and props. Before announcing this, have the children think of where the story is set. There are actually three locations: Max's room, a forest complete with an ocean, and the place where the wild things are. If you are in a traditional classroom, some of the kids will become the setting. Using their bodies, kids group together to create a shapes to form the setting and props. A group of four kids will put their arms in the air to look like a four-poster bed, others become walls or ceilings that will later turn into trees hung with vines. While some students may groan about being a piece of furniture, without them the piece doesn't work--think about the page where Sendak says, "and an ocean tumbled by...". Without the actors becoming the setting, we would have a hard time imagining this.. Have the kids really examine the book to discover what important props and setting figures they will need. Obviously, you could just stick with characters if you are doing this with a smaller group of homeschoolers.

But for those of us with large classes, once you have two full casts, you will call on Group A to get up and practice their performance. This will be a run through that you can directly supervise and give feedback. Don't feel like you have to go through it seamlessly--take time to give feedback and stop.

During this time, Group B will watch as the audience. I would spend time the time to talk to Group B about what it means to be a good audience member. Remind them it is good to laugh when things are funny, clap at the end of the show, and, most of all, watch and listen quietly through the whole piece.

You then read the book aloud and Group A goes through the motions. Read slowly, and allow kids to explore movements and acting choices. After they are finished, ask a few audience members what they liked about the characters, setting, and props--I typically ask for a compliment for each category.

After Group A has practiced, it is now Group B's turn to practice. Before they do, I ask Group A to tell me what makes a good audience--it is always great to hear what they think, especially after being under the spotlight. Group B has a go at it, and then they get the same feedback.

At this time I would give each group a copy of the book and have them go to separate parts of the room to perfect their performances. After a good 15 minute rehearsal, gather together and watch the two shows.

Some great follow up writing can be done on this--have them write a review of the other team's work,  write an ad to invite others to come see the show, reflect on how they became their part, or just recount the entire process in a diary-like entry.

The many faces of Max... and this is only a few!

3. The Many Faces of Max- Studying the Nuances of Vocabulary: 

Max is created beautifully. His expression is completely different on each page. From disdain to rebellious gloating, and pride to utter boredom, his look changes on every page.

One of the best vocabulary activities I use with grades K-12 is to have them identify these mood words. With Kinders you may hear words like "happy" or "bored", and with twelfth graders you may hear "disdainful" or "lugubrious". The key with this activity is to not let kids settle on the first words that come to their minds... Yes, write down first ideas and acknowledge them, but ask if it is really the best word to describe the emotion. Push them to think about other words or use a thesaurus and a dictionary. Once you have an official list, you can then list out his mood page-by-page.  Here is an example list (assuming pg. 1 is the first page we read):


pg. 2- rebellious
pg. 4- fiendish
pg. 6- sassy
pg. 8- haughty
pg. 10- elated
pg. 12- (no face shown) wild
pg. 14- proud
pg. 16- startled
pg. 17- unperturbed
pg. 19- commanding
pg. 21- superior
pg. 24- wolfish
pg. 25- crafty
pg. 27- proud
pg. 30- bored
pg. 31- content
pg. 34- snooty
pg. 36- delighted

A variation of this activity is to print out the word list above and mix them up so kids don't know to which pages they are assigned. Then ask students to match the word to the emotion expressed by Max. Some may argue about placement, and that is brilliant! The key is examining the nuances of words; give kids a chance to discuss denotation and connotation of words. It sparks a lively class time and brings language to the heart of the session.

4. Discussions/Writing Prompts:

Use these prompts to talk about the book with your kids, or you can have them write their responses. Remember, picture books don't need to stop in second grade!

1. If you were to go where the wild things are, what would your reaction be?
2. If your room could magically transform to a new place, what would it be? Describe it in detail.
3. When you get mad, what do you do to work through those feelings?
4. Does Max deserve to have his supper at the end of the book? Why or why not?
5. What lesson do you think Sendak is trying to say to his readers? Do you agree with the message? Why or why not?




I hope you enjoy picking up "Where the Wild Things Are"... And I hope you still get your supper tonight.

Happy learning!

"Chicken Soup with Rice" by Maurice Sendak

THE BOOK:
Maurice Sendak, in the words of my students, is BAE. I love his bizarre sense of humor, and "Chicken Soup with Rice" is no exception. This book follows one of Sendak's boys through all of the months of the year as he eats up chicken soup, no matter the weather or celebration. The book notes many holidays and events in its fun, song-like rhyme scheme.

Mr. Shaw, in the kitchen, with the book.

USE THE BOOK:

This book can reach young preschool all the way up to third grade (It is AR Level 3.2.). I love using it year-round in programs that allow celebration of holidays (or at least studying of holidays). So here are some ideas to use with the book...

1. Sing, Memorize, and Preform:

Awhile back, Psychology Today shared an article (here) that discusses why we should memorize, and I tend to agree. So my belief is we should memorize a new poem, song, or quote at least once a year. That goes for kids, too.

One way to do this is to take Sendak's book and use it month-by-month. What I did in my K-2 class was this:

In August, the first month of school for us, I made a photocopy of page 20, August. I then posted that copy in my Calendar Corner, and each day we sat down to do the calendar, we read the poem (well, we actually sang it, thanks to Carole King).

Each month I would change the photocopy and we would move on to the next part of the poem, leaving the other one up just behind the new one. Every first day of the month we would spend time spiraling back to the old poems. The result?

In June, our last month of school, my Kindergarten, first and second grade class had memorized 11 of the 12 stanzas. I squeezed in one more in the last week, July, and then the kids got up at Open House and sang the entire poem. 

Parents were amazed, and I was happy. It just goes to show how much we can do if we slow down and take it one step at a time.

2. Write the Recipe: 

There are only two ingredients that are mentioned in the book: chicken and rice. But you can do much more. For those of you soup lovers (sadly, I am not a soup man), there are many additions to make a soup flavorful: salt, pepper, carrots, and... well, you get the idea.

I start this project by showing kids real recipes from cookbooks or online--like Martha Stewart or Rachael Ray. I remind them someone, Ms. Stewart or Ms. Ray perhaps, has written it. This is real writing! We make a list of what elements make a typical recipe. The kids note they list ingredients, amounts of each ingredient, step-by-step instructions, numbers organizing the instructions, and a photo of the finished dish are all commonly noted elements.

Once they have seen recipes, I show them ones to make soup. We talk about the process and common tasks: boiling, simmering, chopping, and such. I write these terms on a word wall. After assembling this list, I talk to kids about what they like to eat, and we imagine which of those ingredients would make the best soup--a soup so good you'd want to eat it every month of the year. The only two required ingredients are chicken and rice--and even those can be thrown out since I will deal with kids who are vegan/vegetarian or those who don't eat rice (I don't know who that would be, but I assume there are some out there).  We list the ingredients on the word wall, and then I give the official task:

Write a recipe to make a "slurp-it-up-every-month-of-the-year" kind of soup. With all of the prep work, the kids should now be well prepared to construct their own recipes. Have the kids mimic the format studied and even use a book, online source, or a printout as a guide.

Once finished, have the kids illustrate a picture of their perfect soup.

The above mentioned starting page for my class to learn the poem.

3. Quick Watercolor Project:

Above, I mentioned I copy the pages of this book; I also make additional black and white copies and have students watercolor them. Regular printer paper works great, but if you have watercolor paper I suggest printing the pages on that--the quality is great. Either way, I adore the kids' color choices, and the project is really short and, more or less, open ended fun. Simple and fun.

4. Sequence and Reading Game:

I continue to make copies of the book (EEK! I am suddenly concerned with copyright laws), and I have a page for each kid (if you have more than 12 as most teachers do, have kids form pairs and work together on a page or divide the class in half and make it a competition between the two sides). Give a page to each child and have the kids read them to themselves. Then, after all have read their pages, have each child get out of his/her chair and try to get organized in the proper month order--January, February, March, etc. To test if they got the order correct, have the kids read/sing their pages aloud. You can do the game a second time by having kids trade papers.

The game is fun and is a way for kids to practice sequencing the months, get a chance to practice reading, and to work in a team. The same project can be duplicated with a child on his/her own and you can time him/her to keep the excitement alive.

5. Discussions/Writing Prompts:

Use these prompts to talk about the book with your kids, or you can have them write their responses. Remember, picture books don't need to stop in second grade!

1. Which month of the year offers the best time for eating Chicken Soup with Rice? Why?
2. If you could convince the author to change the food from soup to another dish, what would you like? What makes that dish so good?
3. When you look at the poem, what do you notice about its structure? Are there the same amount of lines? Do any repeat? Why does the author/poet do this?
4. We don't know much about the boy in the book, other than his love for Chicken Soup with Rice. Write a story that tells how he came to fall in love with his soup.
5. If you wanted to convince someone to eat your favorite food, how would you convince them?

I hope you enjoy this catchy classic, "Chicken Soup with Rice"... And I hope you and your kids are inspired to cook up some fun together.

Happy learning!

"The Napping House" by Audrey Wood illustrated by Don Wood

THE BOOK:
This is one of my favorite "throwback" books and is perfect for a rainy day. Audrey and Don Wood create a superb house where everyone and everything is napping. This book builds until all the residents are slumbering on the same bed, except for one tiny flea. In a similar style of "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly", this book builds and builds and then unfolds to a wakeful moment.

The perfect rainy day book and me.

USE THE BOOK:

This book can reach young toddlers all the way up to second grade or third grade. (It is AR Level 3.0.) It is perfect for any setting--large or small groups or one-on-one. It is just that good. Here are some ideas for you to steal...

1. The Perfect Napping Conditions:
Most kids don't look forward to a nap--a few do, but most grumble and have the idea that all the fun stuff happens during nap time. So... As a thought to help assuage the nap time dilemmas in the world, one activity you can glean from this book is "The Perfect Nap".

Ask kids what they think would make the perfect conditions for napping. Should the room be warm and the bed be cold? Should they have just eaten a big meal, or just nibbled on dessert? Should they have lots of pillows to cuddle or should they just have a blanket? Should the room be silent or do you want the sound of a fan or music playing? Talk about these choices and make a word bank on the board with words like: pillow, blanket, quiet, and the like.

Soon you will discover the perfect napping place is quite different for each individual. For instance, my wife loves to nap in our master bed room with the fan going and an eye mask. I, however, prefer dozing off in front of old TV shows from 1989. To each his own... which is what makes this assignment fun.

After kids talk about it and you have created a word bank, give them a sentence frame to get them started on writing their ideas formally. Consider using:

If I could set up the perfect nap, I would ____________.

Have students use simple transition words like "First", "Next", and "Last" to address what the napping place needs. The writing will be unique to each child, and if a kid doesn't ever want to take a nap, allow her to write about how to avoid the perfect nap. I find going with the child's thinking is what matters most here!

2. Labeling Pictures:

This book, much like "Goodnight Moon", has a lot of opportunity for the old point and ask, "What is that?" I suggest extending that activity to serve literacy's sake. Print out small cards with words like "rug", "bed", "shoes", "jug", "mirror", and then have the children place the words on top of the item in the book. This reaches into the whole language world, and I like it. Placing the word on top of the picture helps the child make a connection with the word and the picture.

I took this at night because there were no naps by the preschool
patron of our house.

3. Watch the Window:

My favorite part of this book is the changing window next to the bed. I love how the rain creates a perfect napping environment, and when the flea gets down to business, the sun starts to break through.

One creative idea is to have a child take a photo of what is outside the classroom window every day for a month. For many of us there are trees with changing foliage or grasses with varying shades of green or brown (depending on your restrictions on watering, California). With digital photographer everywhere, this is a really fun project that, if printed, can make an AMAZING flip book.

For a shorter version of this, spend one day and take a photo every hour the child is up--use your iPhone's alarm clock to remind you to snap the shot. At the end of the day load the photos onto a screen big enough for all interested parties to see, and then discuss the changes in shadows, clouds, parked cars, and the like.

Older kids can write about it, and younger kids can draw a significant change. If there are no changes, that is noteworthy in itself! Strong observation, discussion, and analytical skills are huge factors in what separate great writers, scientists, and spouses from the dumpy ones. (Thankfully, my wife is the best at all three of those skills.)

4. Discussions/Writing Prompts:

Use these prompts to talk about the book with your kids, or you can have them write their responses. Remember, picture books don't need to stop in second grade!

1. What woke the flea? (This question is always a lot of fun to debate.)
2. Who is responsible to fix the bed? (Again, a fun debate with many possibly answers.)
3. What might happen after the last page of the book when everyone is outside?
4. Flip back through the book. What colors evoke the feeling of sleep? What colors evoke the feeling of being awake? Why do you think this is?
5.  How might this story change if the setting was different? In a zoo? In the forest? On a boat?




I hope you enjoy this personal favorite "The Napping House"... And I hope you and your kids are inspired to take a good nap today!


Happy learning!

"underGROUND" by Denise Fleming

THE BOOK:
Denise Fleming created "underGROUND" a simple, few-words picture book that is perfect for toddlers up to kindergarten. The simple rhymes, large design, and outdoorsy premise is sure to be a hit with young kids. The loose story--which is almost more like a happening--follows the creatures who live in many backyards across the U.S. as they form their homes and settle in their spaces.

Me (no, I'm not eating the book) and "underGROUND"

USE THE BOOK:

This is  a great read aloud for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers in a group setting. I can see this being used as a springboard for discussion with older children, but it finds its perfect home in the world of preschool and Kinder. Here's what I would do with it with preK and K...

1. Backyard Bingo:

At the back of the book, you will find a great "Creature Identification" guide to find all of the creatures in the book. You can use it like a "Where's Waldo?" for the book and search for the pictures in the book, or you can make your own Backyard Bingo with the guide. Use the guide to think about which animals live in your backyard. Then make copies of the page. Paste the animals on a tic-tac-toe-styled board or Bingo board, and make copies for the kids. Take the book (your research guide), some crayons, and your boards outside. Then have the kids settle down and sit somewhere... and be silent as nature starts to creep around them. 

I have done this activity when I went on a nature hike with my K-2 class at Oso Flaco Lake, thanks to the good people at The Guadalupe Dune Center and The Target Corporation. I have found it is a good idea to come up with some sort of hand signal when I child finds a creature. The worst thing that can happen is a child screams out, "I see a bird!" and because of all of the commotion, the bird flies aways before we can get a good look at it.

Sometimes with younger kids in preschool I have made binoculars out of toilet paper rolls like the ones here--it adds to the fun, but they aren't necessary.

After finding some creatures (few truly find them all), I have the students write their findings down in sentences. With young children I write the words they dictate in yellow marker and they trace over the letters. With slightly older kids in the first half of Kinder, I have a sentence frame that starts them off such as "I saw one ______ outside." The child then can use his Bingo card to find the name of the animal he saw. He can then fill in the blank and create a successful sentence. Kids who are more advanced can even create their own sentences.

Remember, nature is just outside your door. You don't need to spend money to go to a lake or the beach--find nature in your own backyard!

2. Dig:

I hope this goes without saying, but I would simply grab some shovels and start digging after reading this book. Spray the ground, get some gardening tools and see what you can find! I always have the best time with my preschool-aged son when we are in the garden together. Great teachable moments happen in the garden.

A page from the book that inspired carrot growing.

3. Science Experiment:

I love to grow small plants inside the classroom. This book is a great way to kickoff growing any sort of plant as Fleming does a superb job of showing the different parts of a plant, including the rarely seen roots. The three most successful "growings" I have done in my classroom are: beans inside of a plastic bag (here is a link to another person's bean project), carrots in a see-through planter (here is that link), and simple house plants.

With the house plants, I do a variation on this project. I talk to my kids about how plants get all they need out in nature. We discuss that they typically get enough soil, water, and space to thrive. To further demonstrate these needs, I purchase five small 99-cent plants at the store to conduct an experiment.

I tell the kids we are going to take away one of the required needs away from each plant. We make signs to label each plant (e.g. Plant 1, Plant 2, etc.), and a table to understand what our labels mean. It might look something like this:

Plant 1	Plant 2	Plant 3	Plant 4	Plant 5
Normal Conditions	No Soil	No Water	No Sunshine	No Space

I have the kids help experiment, and I give them the term variable. Over the next month we take time every few days to see what happens to each plant. As we observe, I give kids a journal to keep track of their observations. 

As time goes on, it is clear the plant with the book on top of it needs more space. Plant 2 without its soil always does ok--but it has seen better days. The one without sunshine does ok, but starts to turn yellow. The one with no water, Plant 3, looks horrible. And finally the one that I put a book on top of to eliminate its need for space, looks like a pressed flower leaf and is normally brown or yellow. Kids seem to internalize the lesson once they have truly experienced it first hand.

4. Get Denise and Talk Paper:

If you want a real treat, get Deniese Fleming to come to your school. I had the privilege of meeting her at a conference a few years ago, and I was amazed to learn about her paper making skills. You can read about them here on her website; however, nothing will compare to an in-person visit.

If anything, you can show your kids the interesting process of making your own paper and creating a book. "underGROUND" is made through a process of pouring and shaping pulp into the beautiful works of art you see in the book. Check out this YouTube video of Denise talking about her work. I also suggest you check out some paper making on YouTube, there were hundreds of good videos on there, so just spend some time clicking around.

After looking at the work, you may even try to make your own paper (I haven't done this yet, but a few of my teacher friends in the upper grade classrooms have done this to great success.)

With that in mind, ALWAYS contact authors and illustrators about sharing at schools. You should pay them for their work, but many are willing to do Skype visits at huge discounts.

5. Discussions/Writing Prompts:

Use these prompts to talk about the book with your kids, or you can have them write their responses. Remember, picture books don't need to stop in second grade!

1. Predict what will happen when it rains. What will become of the animals' habitats?

2. How can we help keep animals that live underground safe in their habitats?

3. What colors does the author use to draw your attention to the page?

4. What other sorts of foods can you grow out of the ground?

5. Imagine you are in one of the underground scenes. Describe what it would feel like to be there.

I hope you enjoy "underGROUND"... And I hope you take some time to dig around!

Happy learning!