Penelope Panda & Friends

Cultural Diversity Saturday: Rifka Takes a Bow by Betty Rosenberg Perlov and Illustrated by Cosei Kawa

2013-05-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

Ages: 5 to 9
Pages: 32
Publisher: Kar-Ben Publishing
*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Summary:
Rifka’s parents are actors in the Yiddish Theater in New York, but one day Rifka finds herself center stage in a special role! A slice of immigrant life on New York’s Second Avenue, this is a unique book about a vanished time and a place – the Yiddish theater in the early 20th century -- made real through the telling of the true life story of the 96-year-old author as a little girl.

Review:
Rifka's parents are stage actors in the Yiddish theater. They bring Rifka along and she explores backstage, talks with the other actors, and even gets to walk out on stage at the end and deliver a line! The book talks about how ketchup is used for blood and how her Papa makes a fake beard and mustache for his makeup. It explores parts of the set and the parts of making a production, including the actors, the stagehands, the orchestra, and the audience.

It's a cute book and I enjoyed learning about the Yiddish Theater because they even put an explanation of how the author grew up much like Rifka!

First Line: "Papa pastes on a brown, curly mustache and picks up a cane."
Penelope's Favorite Line: "There's a table with a beautiful birthday cake. Papa says, "Don't try to taste it. It's made out of plaster."
Best Words: Automat, Yiddish, rouge, plaster

Ben's Book Briefs:
ACM = Arts, Crafts, & Music
CD = Cultural Diversity

Kids! Penelope Panda wants to know:

Have you ever been to see a play?
Have you ever explored backstage like Rifka does?
What would be exciting to find backstage?

Adults! Becca wants to know:

How often do you read culturally diverse books to your kids/students?

Kiki's Pick of the Week: The Legend of Papa Balloon by C.R. McClure

2013-05-22T06:30:00.000-04:00

Ages: 4 to 7
Pages: 40
Publisher: Schiffer Publishing
*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Summary:
Papa Balloon is the story of a unique, mysterious figure who magically appears in a land where the people have become divided and are in need of greater understanding and empathy for each other. Traveling through each of the four villages in this land and accompanied by the children who discover him, Papa Balloon teaches the villages a profound lesson in a simple way. Colorfully and brightly illustrated, and a page-turner of a tale, it is the perfect book for any parent who wants their children to learn about treating the traditions and viewpoints of others with respect, while putting forth the belief that we, as a group, are more united than we realize.

Review:
This is a story about diversity and respecting viewpoints that differ from ours under the guise of people living in four different villages loving and devoting their time to the Light in different ways. The four villages are the Village of Red, the Village of Green, the Village of Blue, and the Village of Purple. They learn from Papa Balloon that they actually have more in common than they thought and that the differences that they do have are beautiful, not something to fear. What a wonderful lesson for kids! (And adults, for that matter!)

I love that when the author talks about each village as Papa Balloon visits it, the words on the page match the color of the village.

First Line: "There once was a beautiful land which was full of life, light, and lots and lots of colored balloons."
Best Line: "But the crowd wanted more, and they kept asking him in which village were the people living the best lives. Papa turned to them and said that "it depends on how you act, feel, think, or just are."
Best Words: crystal, depends, concentrated, deflate

Ben's Book Briefs:
CD = Cultural Diversity
E/S = Emotional & Social Development
I = Insightful
O = Open-Ended

Kids! Kiki Koala wants to know:

Have you ever disagreed with someone before? Maybe a brother or sister? A friend?
How did you solve your disagreement?
Try looking at something from someone else's point of view- a sibling, a parent, a teacher, a friend, a neighbor, someone at school.

Adults! Becca wants to know:

Do you like this style of review?
Do you think you will buy or borrow The Legend of Papa Balloon to read to your kids or students?

Review: No Ordinary Apple: A Story about Eating Mindfully by Sara Marlowe

2013-05-11T15:31:00.000-04:00

Ages: 3 and up
Pages: 36
Publisher: Wisdom Publications
Release Date: June 2013
*I received this book from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.*

Summary: On an otherwise ordinary day, Elliot discovers something extraordinary: the power of mindfulness. When he asks his neighbor Carmen for a snack, he’s at first disappointed when she hands him an apple—he wanted candy! But when encouraged to carefully and attentively look, feel, smell, taste, and even listen to the apple, Elliot discovers that this apple is not ordinary at all.

Review:
It's not always easy to get kids to slow down while snacking or to eat healthy, especially when kids are bombarded with advertisements that make candy and chips and McDonalds look cool. Marlowe decided to tackle these challenge head on and write a book about a boy named Elliot who learns from his neighbor, Carmen, how to eat healthy by using all of his senses. He thinks since he has eaten lots of apples, there was nothing new to experience, but she taught him differently. You can smell an apple. What about the sound it makes when you bite into it? Have you ever noticed that an apple is never just one color? Using all of your senses heightens the experience of eating and makes you want to be able to use them with everything you put into your mouth. It's actually a really good lesson for grown-ups, too.

Illustrator Phil Pascuzzo used lots of bright, bold, fun colors in his drawings, which I really liked. Carmen has purple and pink hair, bright pink lips, and skin the color of mocha. The apple is bright red making it look even more enticing. Elliot's superhero cape is bright red and green, not coincidentally I am sure, the colors of the most popular and easily recognizable apples.

Even though the story doesn't mention some of the things in the illustrations, there is a lot to talk about in them. Like a magnifying glass (in which Elliot looks through to find out what makes an apple so special) and a telescope.

While the book concentrates more on the mindfulness of eating, the book can still be used as a tool for eating healthier. When's the last time you could smell a processed fruit snack? Plus, Marlowe suggests trying to eat mindfully foods kids might not like, such as broccoli or peas.

Overall, a smart and creative way for parents and children to learn to savor foods and choose foods that bring the senses alive the most!

First Line: "After school, Elliot went over to his neighbor Carmen's house."
Best Lines:

Best Words: observation, discover, spongy, familiar, smooshing, determined, fragrant

Ben's Book Briefs:

E/S = Emotional & Social Development
I = Insightful
N = Natural World/Science
O = Open-Ended
Y = Yummy (Cooking with Kids/Nutrition)

Kids! Maalik Monkey wants to know:

Pick out a snack. An apple, some carrot sticks, some crackers, or my favorite a BANANA! :D Now, try to pay attention to how it smells. What does it smell like?
Now pay attention to what it feels like? Is it soft or hard? Is it mushy? Crumbly? Gooey?
What does it look like? What color is it? What shape is it? Does the shape/color remind you of anything? I think bananas look like yellow C's.
Now slowly taste it. Hold it in your mouth. Is it sweet? Tart? Salty? Bitter? Spicy?
SHARE your experience with me in the comments below! I will write you back!

Adults! Becca wants to know:

What do you think of eating mindfully?
Did you try it with your kids or students? What was the outcome?
Give it a try yourself. Does it make you appreciate what you are eating more? I know it did for me.
SHARE with me in the comments!

Review: In the Tree House by Andrew Larson, Illustrated by Dusan Petricic

2013-05-07T07:09:00.000-04:00

Ages: 4-8
Pages: 30
Publisher: Kids Can Press
*I received this book for review from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

A little boy has just moved to a new house in a new neighborhood. He is excited to have his own room, but he can't seem to sleep. Maybe he misses his brother who is now in his own room. Counting sheep didn't help, so instead he began planning tree houses. His brother and father begin helping with the planning and soon they begin building one. That summer is great as he and his brother hang out in the tree house. The next summer, however, his brother has outgrown the treehouse. One night as the boy looks out over the neighborhood, the power goes out. It's completely dark. Everyone comes out of their houses with candles and flashlights and play hide and seek and drink lemonade. The boy's brother asks to come up into the treehouse and they read comics together like old times. When the power comes back on, everyone goes inside. But not the brother. He stays and they play cards together and watch the twinkling lights of the neighborhood from their treehouse.

This is an endearing story about two brothers, one special night, and a treehouse that shows that childhood can be a place as much as it can be a time. When I was young my sister and my friends and I played a lot in the unfinished basement of my house. My parents didn't have money for a trampoline so they put an old mattress and box springs set down there and hung gymnastics rings from the ceiling. We would jump on the bed-trampoline and do flips on the rings. The bed and the rings are gone now but the hooks are still in the ceiling and every time I look up at them I am hit with a wave of nostalgia.

When the blackout in the neighborhood happens, I think the brother found comfort in the old tree house. He is growing up faster than his little brother, but there is still some innocence left in him and that makes for a special night for the pair.

First Line: "It's hot. Really hot."
Best Line: "We stay up and watch the twinkling lights of our sleepy neighborhood."
Best Words: flick, twinkling, crackles, quicksand, blackout

Ben's Book Briefs:
DS = Developmental Stages
E/S = Emotional & Social Development
O = Open-Ended

Kids! Penelope Panda wants to know:

Do you have a treehouse? What do you like to play in your tree house?
If you don't have a treehouse, do you have another special place to play like I did in my basement?
If you could build the perfect treehouse, what would you include?

Adults! Becca wants to know:

What was your special playhouse/spot when you were a child?
Does your child have a special spot?
What do you think about the book?

5 Fun Rhyming Stories: Ultimate Boy's Collection by Lily Lexington

2013-04-26T22:59:00.000-04:00

Ages: 2-6
Pages: 87 total

Sssssooo good to meet you! I am Jake the Sssssnake and I love rhyming books! They are ssssuper. I want to tell you today about a collection of sssstories that iss all about the boyss! 5 fun rhyming sssstories with moral lesssons that are perfectly rhythmic and perfectly fun! I think the illustrations are sssuper-duper, too! Be sure to look at the bottom of the post for quessstions I want to assk you!

Danny and the Great Beast is about a little boy who dreams of saving a princess in a castle, only to find she doesn't need rescuing she is fine all on her own. (Adults: I love the feminist undertones! Girl power!)

Best Stanza:
He entered the tower, the grizzly beast roared.
Danny looked round while he reached for his sword.
He announced, “I am here, as is my duty.
“To rescue the princess, a true natural beauty.”

Best Words: fantastical, unwillingly, conquer, restrained

My Dinosaur is Scared of Vegetables is about Jack and his dinosaur. The dinosaur is so scared of veggies that they refuse to eat them. Jack gets very weak from not eating and realizes that he needs the vitamins from the vegetables to have energy for his activities. He tries them and finds that the dinosaur is not scared anymore and that veggies are quite tasty!

It was a little odd that Lexington spelled veggies as "vegies", but apparently that is also an acceptable way to spell it according to the Oxford Dictionary. Must be the British version. I had no idea.

Best Stanza:

He’s frightened of carrots and broccoli and peas,
Beetroots and squash cause the poor beast to sneeze.
They will destroy him with one single bite,
That is the reason he stays out of sight.”

Best Words: beetroots, vitamins, bleary

The Great Dinosaur Race is about two brothers who compete against each other by seeing whose dinosaur is the best in a series of obstacles. When they fall into a hole, they realize they need to quit bickering and use teamwork to get out.

Best Stanza:

There once were two brothers, who loved to compete,
Losing was sour and victory was sweet.
The brothers possessed their own dinosaur pet,
“My dinosaur’s better,” the brothers had bet.

Best Words: bolted, transform, breached

The Six Pirates is about a band of close knit-friends, named in Seven Dwarfs style, who argue over the best island to sail to. Finally Wise tells them to go to sleep and he takes control and sails to one place. Then they work together to gather food and loot. This was the weakest of the stories, but it was also fun.

Best Stanza:

He let loose the anchor. Their ship started moving.
Wise took the helm and soon they were cruising.

Best Words: ballads, shanties, helm, aft, sharp tongues, persevere

Cowboy Billy and the Smelly Bank Robber has Billy dreaming up a fantastic story about a smelly bank robber after his mom makes him take a bath. One problem I had with this story was that I am not sure what the phrase "His mum followed wielding a broom" means, but it sounds like she hit him, doesn't it?

Best Stanza:

Smelly opened his mouth and flashed Bill a grin,
He was missing his teeth, at least nine out of ten!
Billy pondered and puzzled on how to defeat,
The Smelly Bank Robber with smellier feet.

Best Words: haste, frantic, flourish, foul

Ben's Book Briefs:
E/S = Emotional & Social Development
F = Funny
LC = Language Concepts
X = X Marks the Spot (Adventure)

Jake the Snake wants to know:

Which of these 5 ssstories sssounds the most interesting to you?
Have you ever dreamed of being a knight?
Do you eat your vegetablesss?
What do you think of a dinosaur race?
Have you ever fought with your friendsss?
How would YOU capture a Ssssmelly Bank Robber?

Review: Mr. Flux by Kyo Maclear and Matte Stephens

2013-04-23T06:00:00.000-04:00

Ages: 3-7
Pages: 32

Mr. Flux moves onto the street where nothing ever changes and no one tries anything new. Mr. Flux shows Martin that embracing change doesn't have to be scary. He helps Martin try new things, small at first, until Martin decides it is okay to embrace riding his new bicycle, which he had been too scared to do before.

In fact, Mr. Flux makes an impression on everyone on the street and new things begin to happen. Even children wake up early to see what the day has in store. Then, much like Mary Poppins, once Mr. Flux has changed the people of the neighborhood so they are no longer stifled, he is off again.

Mr. Flux is based off of a man named George Maciunas who developed an art movement called "Fluxus", which means change, in the 1960s. The movement inspired people to look at the world around them in a new way.

Best Line: "The most surprising change was in people's thinking."
Best Words: cacophony, suspected, predictable

Ben's Book Briefs:

E/S = Emotional & Social Development
F = Funny
I = Insightful
V = Vocabulary Enhancement

Penelope Panda and Ben want to know:

Do you know what Mr. Flux is looking through on the cover of this book?
What do you think of change? Fun? Scary? Both?
What is something you can look at in a new way this week?

Books from A to Z - "A" is for Astronaut Books

2013-04-21T13:00:00.000-04:00

Hi! I'm Dolly the Deer, a friend of Penelope Panda's. I am here to introduce a new feature called "Books A to Z".

Books A to Z is a list-type format that will feature a new topic once or twice a week that starts with each letter in alphabetical order.

So, if we are going in alphabetical order, which letter do we start with?

That's right, "A", and the topic we are starting off with is "Astronaut Books" because Astronaut begins with A.

So, look through the books below and when you see one that you want to read, be sure to write it down so that you can borrow it from the library or purchase it from your local bookseller! You can also click on the title and it will take you to the Goodreads site, where you can make your own list of books you want to read!

If You Decide to Go to the Moon by Faith McNulty

Ages: 4-8 years

Pages: 48

Summary:

Two artists at the height of their powers have created a beautiful book with an unforgettable message about the moon and an even more important message about the earth. A publishing event!

"If you decide to go to the moon," writes Faith McNulty, "read this book first. It will telly ou how to get there and what to do after you land. The most important part tells you how to get home.

Written in the second person, the text allows the reader to participate in every aspect of the journey, from packing ("don't forget your diary and plenty of food") to liftoff (at first you'll feel heavy; don't worry") to traveling through space (where "the moon glows like a pearl in the black, black sky"). The reader lands at the Sea of Tranquility, the site of the first lunar landing.

The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System

by Joanna Cole

Ages: 4-8 years

Pages: 48

Summary:

On a special field trip in the magic school bus, Ms. Frizzle's class goes into outer space and visits each planet in the solar system.

Space Boy by Leo Landry

Ages: 3-5

Pages: 32

Summary:

This world, decides Nicholas, is too noisy for him. Time to take a trip. He packs a snack, puts on his suit, and takes off . . . to the utterly quiet craters and vast deserts of the distant moon. In this utterly charming picture book, the allure of space travel and the longing for peace and quiet entice a young boy to take his space rocket to the moon for a picnic.

Me and My Place in Space by Annette Cable

Ages: 3-7

Pages: 32

Summary:

Where is the earth? Where is the sun? Where are the stars? Me and My Place in Space takes on the simplest questions about the universe and gives answers that young children can easily understand. Using clear language, drawings, and diagrams, space unfolds before a child's eyes. With our world as the starting point, we are taken on a tour past each planet and on to the stars--all through the eyes of a young girl. Colorful illustrations, filled with fun and detail, give children a lot to look for on every page. A glossary, included for further information, helps to provide an enjoyable, easy-to-read, and easy-to-use introduction to the universe.

Astronaut Handbook by Meghan Mccarthy

Ages: 3-7
Pages: 40

Summary:

DO YOU HAVE what it takes to be an astronaut? Meghan McCarthy blasts readers off to astronaut school in her new, young, nonfiction picture book. Take a ride on the “Vomit Comet” and learn how it feels to be weightless. Have your measurements taken—100 to be exact—for your very own space suit. Meghan McCarthy has created the perfect book to share with children who want to be astronauts when they grow up.

Neil Armstrong: Young Pilot by Montrew Dunham

Ages: 8 and up

Pages: 192

Summary:

Rich or poor, great American men and women lived out childhoods as vastly different as the adults they became. Here young readers will learn about the early years of the first person to step foot on the moon, a historic feat he described as "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream

by Tanya Lee Stone

Ages: 10 and up

Pages: 134
Summary:

They had the right stuff. They defied the prejudices of the time. And they blazed a trail for generations of women to follow. What does it take to be an astronaut? Excellence at flying, courage, intelligence, resistance to stress, top physical shape — any checklist would include these. But when America created NASA in 1958, there was another unspoken rule: you had to be a man. Here is the tale of thirteen women who proved that they were not only as tough as the toughest man but also brave enough to challenge the government. They were blocked by prejudice, jealousy, and the scrawled note of one of the most powerful men in Washington. But even though the Mercury 13 women did not make it into space, they did not lose, for their example empowered young women to take their place in the sky, piloting jets and commanding space capsules. ALMOST ASTRONAUTS is the story of thirteen true pioneers of the space age.

Dolly the Deer wants to know:

Which book(s) did you pick?
Why did you pick them?
Can you leave me a comment telling me? I'm a very curious deer!

BRAND NEW LOOK!! BRAND NEW NAME!!

2013-04-20T15:00:00.000-04:00

As you may have noticed, this blog is no longer called The Very Hungry Bookworm. Why? Well, I noticed there were quite a few bookworm-themed children's blogs out there and apparently a couple of readers were getting confused. So the answer was a facelift!

Introducing Penelope Panda & Friends!

Changes you will notice:

Penelope Panda and her animal friends are now going to be introducing our children's book reviews and other bookish posts!
Most of the posts will be interactive for you and your kids. Ask your child questions and show them images related to the post.
A new look here on the blog and also on the Facebook page.
Quotes, questions, relevant children's news stories, and interesting facts for kids on our Facebook page.
Our URL has changed, so please make note of that, as well.

I hope you enjoy the new blog!!

Let me know what you think by leaving me a comment below!

Miss Smith's Incredible Storybook by Michael Garland

2013-04-08T20:42:00.001-04:00

Miss Smith's Incredible Storybook is a kind of "Magic School Bus" story. Instead of the kids going places, however, Miss Smith's storybook brings storybook characters to life right in the classroom!

Each time Miss Smith read a story the characters would come to life and when she finished the story the characters would return to the book. Of course, the class becomes immersed right in the story (I would, too!)

One day, Miss Smith gets stuck in traffic and is late to school so the kids start passing around the book to one another and reading different stories from it. However, since no one read an entire story to its completion, the classroom became very crowded with storybook characters! Miss Smith can't even get in the door when she arrives. The whole scene is chaotic and you have to read on to see if Miss Smith can save the day and how!

This is a very adorable and magical book. I highly recommend it for its wonderful characters, crisp illustrations, and for its ability to hold even the squirmiest child's attention.

This isn't a great photo, but this is one of the scenes in which a story is being read about a knight on a white horse and a dragon:

The Very Hungry Bookworm asks:

What do you think of Miss Smith's storybook bringing characters to life?
What story would you like to see brought to life if you could?

Tell Bookworm in the comments!

BOOK BRIEFS:
F = Funny
O = Open-Ended
SF = Science Fiction & Fantasy
X = X Marks the Spot (Adventure)

Cultural Diversity Saturday: In Lucia's Neighborhood by Pat Shewchuk and Marek Colek

2013-04-06T14:08:00.000-04:00

This is Lucia and this is Lucia's neighborhood. There are people playing in the park and kids on the way home from school. Mothers are shopping and Grandmas are soaking up the sun. There are lots of things about the neighborhood that are like Portugal, such as the Senhar Da Pedra Festival every summer.

The book is written for an early grade audience for readers or as a picture book for preschoolers. I really like how Shewchuk and Colek describe all aspects of a neighborhood. The illustrations reflect ethnic diversity as well as all age groups, gender roles, and style of dress. I am very impressed.

I also like how there are a good sprinkling of vocabulary words thrown in but they are not overdone (see short list below). Good questions to ask during a reading with your child might include: Do you see/do this in your neighborhood? What do you like about Lucia's neighborhood? What do you like about your own community? Can you help me locate Portugal on a map? Why do you think the neighborhood celebrate Portuguese festivals?

Vocabulary words include: sculpture, Tai Chi, trimmed, olive trees, decorations, daydreaming, teenagers, average.

Read this book if:

You would like to take a walk around Lucia's neighborhood with her.
You enjoy stories about families and/or communities.
You like learning something new.
You respect differing cultures and want to celebrate them and learn about them.

BOOK BRIEFS:

Ages: 4 to 9

CD = Cultural Diversity
H = Holidays & Celebrations
I = Insightful
V = Vocabulary Enhancement

This book gets a 5 BOOKWORMS rating!!

I Wish I Knew That: U.S. Presidents: Cool Stuff I Need to Know, edited by Patricia A. Halbert

2013-04-03T06:07:00.000-04:00

EDITED BY: Patricia A. Halbert
PUBLISHER: Reader's Digest

Do you know who the youngest President was? How about the oldest, at age 69?

Do you know which President never married?

Any idea who loved books so much that their 6,000 volume collection became the first Library of Congress?

Do you know who was the first and only president to command the military on the field while he was president?

What about which President the Teddy Bear is named for?

Do you know which president had a pet alligator?

You can learn all these facts and more in this thorough volume all about the U.S. Presidents and their lives.

Each President is mentioned in order, starting with their full name, when and where they were born, their political party, their vice president, and their family members (including their pets!). There is also a picture of the president and a quote underneath it.

The rest of the chapter includes information on their time in office, fun facts, and sometimes information on the First Ladies.

There are also information boxes that include notes such as how the White House was built, which presidents feature on U.S. currency, and monuments to the presidents.

My only problem with this book, and it is a big problem, is that it assumes the reader already knows a lot, like, for example, what electoral votes are or what it means to be impeached. If the three branches of the government need to be explained right away than I am pretty sure electoral votes and impeachment do, too. Electoral votes are first mentioned in George Washington's chapter, but are not explained until George W. Bush. It makes no sense. You've read the entire book before any explanation is given for something that they talk about at the beginning of the book. Have a dictionary handy if you read this one.

BOOK BRIEFS:
AGES: 9 and up
HIS = Historical/History
I = Insightful
INFO= Informative
L = Long Book (139 pages)
LC = Language Concepts
R = Reference
V = Vocabulary Enhancement

Lucy the Wonder Weenie by Nina Clark, plus Giveaway!

2013-04-01T18:01:00.001-04:00

Lucy is a dachshund, or weenie dog, and Lucy is notorious for being a diva and also for licking. Lucy licks everyone, any time of day, during any activity. One day Lucy eats some beans in the front yard she found. They were not just beans, but some kind of magic beans and they turned Lucy into a Wonder Dog. She had a cape and everything.

Well, Lucy discovered that her licking "problem" was actually a good thing. She found distressed children and licked them to make them feel better. They would giggle and feel better instantly from whatever slight they had endured. Lucy vowed to never neglect her responsibilities to the neighborhood children just to be a diva in her house.

This is a cute book. I love, love, love the concept that a child (or a weenie dog!) can take a personality quirk or "problematic" fault in herself and turn it into something helpful for others. What a great lesson for kids!

It never explains why there were magic beans in her yard. That would have been interesting to discover. Of course, I can see many children scouring the yard every day to see if they can find a pile of magic beans!

Read this book if:

You always wanted to be a superhero.
You like helping others and want to read about a dog who helps others.
You enjoy silly books with good lessons.
You are looking for a book to inspire you.

BOOK BRIEFS:
AGES: 3 to 8
A = Animals
E/S = Emotional & Social Development
F = Funny
L = Long Book (for preschoolers- 12 pages, but lots of words on each page)
V = Vocabulary Enhancement
W = Win! (Book Contests)

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The giveaway ends April 15th, 2013.

Creative Ideas for Easter Eggs - Part 1

2013-03-28T11:00:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year where the fun of egg dying/decorating and hunts are upon us! I used to create many different egg dying/decorating projects for my students and I have listed the most popular ones here.

This is the first of a two-part post. The second one will be fun games to play using plastic eggs.

DYING EGGS
Tissue Paper Dyed Eggs

Lace Dyed Eggs
Tea Dyed Eggs
Sponge Paint Dye Eggs
Paint-Splattered Easter Eggs
Natural Egg Dye Recipes

DECORATING EGGS

Hand Drawn Eggs

Twine Tyed Eggs
Sprinkle Easter Eggs
Craft Thread Eggs
Black and White Eggs
Polka Dot Eggs

Willow Finds a Way by Lana Button

2013-03-27T04:44:00.000-04:00

AUTHOR: Lana Button
ILLUSTRATOR: Tania Howells
PUBLISHER: Kids Can Press

Kristianne comes in to school with an announcement that she is having a fantastic birthday party and everyone is invited. But then Kristianne begins to exploit her position as party-thrower by requiring everyone do everything she says or they cannot come to her fantastic birthday party. Marco won't let her be line leader so she ceremoniously draws a line through his name on her birthday invite list. Julian won't wear pink the next day so she kicks him off the list, too. Willow wants to speak up, but nothing comes out.

Then she gets an idea. She draws a line through her name on the list, too. Soon everyone else follows suit and no one has to do what Kristianne says anymore. Then Willow notices Kristianne doesn't eat her lunch and she doesn't have anyone to play with at recess and she gets stuck at the back of the line at the end of the day. Willow decides to walk back to be the last one and Kristianne apologizes to Willow and then to the whole class. She announces everyone is invited to her fantastic birthday party. Everyone goes and has a fantastic time.

This adorable story serves as a reminder to kids to 1) be brave and stick up to a bossy peer, 2) stand up for your friends, and 3) being a bully means not having any real friends, and maybe not any friends at all.

Read this book if:

You need to know how to stand up to a bully or a bossy friend.
You have been bossing your friends around lately.
You want to know how to be brave like Willow.

BOOK BRIEFS:
AGES: 3-7
E/S = Emotional & Social Development
I = Insightful

Animal Monday...Peacocks

2013-03-25T06:00:00.000-04:00

Animal Monday is an interactive post for you and your children/students. Full of fun facts, photos, videos, games, and books to read for further fun. Leave a comment if you enjoyed the post!

PEACOCKS

Have you ever seen a peacock at the zoo? They look pretty, don't they? Do you know what peacocks are like when they aren't in the zoo?

Are all peacocks the same?

There are actually two recognized types of peacocks (or peafowl). One is the Indian peacock and one is the Congo peacock. Most zoos have the Indian peacock (source: San Diego Zoo website).

So what do each look like?

Indian Peacocks are large birds whose males have gorgeous feathers. The feathers fan out from their tail like a turkey's feathers when they hold them up, but when they fold them in they trail behind them much like a long train on a wedding gown that trails along the ground. The females do not have these colorful feathers, instead their coloring is usually grey or brown. Females also do not sport the long tail feathers. The reason the males have all of the colorful plumage is to attract females.

Congo Peacocks have deep blue and green feathers for males, and the females once again are mostly brown, but they do have green feathers on their backs. The males also wear a small crown of white feathers on their heads.

Blue Indian Peacock Male

via National Geographic

Green Indian Peacock Male

via Wikipedia

Female Indian Peahens

Congo Peacocks

via Wikipedia

Where do peacocks live?

Blue Indian peacocks live naturally in the wild in the southern Asian countries of India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. It is the national bird of India, just as the Bald Eagle is the national bird of the U.S. and the Kiwi Bird is in New Zealand. They live in forests with deciduous trees and evergreen trees. Green Indian peacocks live in Java and Myanmar.

Congo peacocks have a more distinctive look than just color and live in rain forests in the Congo River Basin in central Africa. It is the national bird of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Can you find these countries on this map?

What do peacocks like to eat?

Peacocks are ominvores, which means that they eat both plant life and other animals. They mostly eat insects, berries, leaves, and small lizards.

What is a baby peacock called?

Peachicks! Isn't that cute? Can you name other baby birds called chicks?

via cherrycreekcanadians.ca

Does the peacock have any natural predators?

Their natural predators include leopards, tigers, and other big cats, as well as large dogs and scavenger animals.

Are peacocks an endangered species?

The green peacock is endangered due to habit destruction and over hunting.

The Congo Peacock is listed as Vulnerable to Endangerment for the same reasons.

Learn more about conservation levels here.

What are other fun facts about peacocks?

~Peahens lay between 3 to 5 eggs. They nest on the ground but they roost in trees.

~A group of peacocks is called a "party".

~The green peacock was an ancient symbol of Burmese (now Myanmar) monarchs.

~Peacocks typically live up to 20 years in the wild.

~In Hinduism, the God of War, named Karthikeya, rides a peacock.

~The phrase "proud as a peacock" comes from the way peacocks strut around, like a prideful person might.

What are some books I can read that are about peacocks?

Great question!

Here are some recommended nonfiction books about peacocks:

Here are some cute story books about peacocks:

Have you ever read any books about peacocks? What did you think? Do you think other kids should read it?

Did you find out anything about peacocks today? What did you discover that you did not know?

Book Review: The Arab World Thought of It by Salma S. Hussain

2013-03-23T04:22:00.000-04:00

Do you know who invented tents? Or carpets? Or bars of soap? How about public libraries, where anyone could borrow a book? Do you know who invented stained glass windows? What about the first ever observatory so we could study the skies more accurately? What about the scalpel, used in modern surgery?

The Arab world actually invented all of these things and so much more. Who are the Arab people, you ask? A simple definition would be those people who can trace their ancestry back to the Middle East and North Africa (called Arabia then), and whose original language was Arabic. This is not a definition everyone agrees on, as this book explains, but this is a good starting place. This book even gives you a map so you can locate the countries. It also shows you how the Arabs grew from small nomadic tribes into over 10 countries. There are, of course, many Arabs who live all over the world now, too.

I was very impressed with the amount of information included in this book that is also written for a middle grade audience to understand. I was doubly impressed the author included a section specifically for contributions by Arabic women. There are also several places in which pronunciations are included, for example, a caliph named al-Mamun (pronounced al-mamoon). Al-Mamun is very important in the Arab world. Find out why some historians call him the "master of Arab civilization."

Did you know that the stars in the Big Dipper constellation all have Arabic names because they were all discovered by the Arabs?

Arabs invented crystal drinking glasses like this one.

Did you know the Arabs were the first to drink coffee?

Did you know the first attempt at constructing and flying a machine was by an Arab in 852 CE?

Did you know the idea of three-course meals was invented in the 9th century CE by an Arabic man named Ziryab, when he was asked by the court of Spain to teach them how to live a more elegant lifestyle?

So many interesting facts in this book!

I really loved seeing this building in the country of Saudi Arabia that was designed to look just like a book!

This book is full of bright, vivid photographs of Arab people, mosques, landscapes, and the inventions described in the book.

VOCABULARY TIDBITS: caliph and caliphate, planetarium, astrolabe, surgical needle, oud, catgut stitches, antiseptic, cataract, glaze, calligraphy, arabesque decorations, torpedo, midfa, tabboulah, sfiha, hajj, machicolations, minarets, sultan, skybridges

BOOK BRIEFS:
10 and up, 48 pages
ACM (Arts, Crafts, Music)
CD (Cultural Diversity)
HIS (Historical/History)
I (Insightful)
INFO (Informative)
T (Travel)
V (Vocabulary Enhancement)

I give this book 5 BOOKWORMS.

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THEME THURSDAY: X Marks the Spot (Adventure Books)

2013-03-21T11:30:00.000-04:00

Theme Thursday is a new feature at The Very Hungry Bookworm.

Today's theme was suggested by Natasha Hope Vahora on Facebook. Thanks!

Adventure books are excellent books to get kids interested in reading. They are exciting- there is always something happening whether it is a trip being taken to new places or a mystery in need of solving. Actually, mysteries and fantastical adventures are great books to introduce to reluctant adult readers, too, if you know any of those. :)

Destiny, Rewritten

by Kathryn Fitzmaurice

Des·tin·y: |destinē/
(noun) The hidden power believed to control what will happen in the future; fate.

Eleven-year-old Emily Elizabeth Davis has been told for her entire life that her destiny is to become a poet, just like her famous namesake, Emily Dickinson. But Emily doesn’t even really like poetry, and she has a secret career ambition that she suspects her English-professor mother will frown on. Then a seeming tragedy strikes: just after discovering that it contains an important family secret, she accidentally loses the special copy of Emily Dickinson’s poetry that was given to her at birth. As Emily and her friends search for the lost book in used bookstores and thrift shops all across town, Emily’s understanding of destiny begins to unravel and then rewrite itself in a marvelous new way.

In her third novel, Kathryn Fitzmaurice again weaves a richly textured and delightful story about unexpected connections, about the ways that friends can help us see ourselves for who we truly are, and about the most perfect kinds of happy endings: those that happen just on time.

The Mysterious Benedict Society (The Mysterious Benedict Society #1) by Trenton Lee Stewart

"Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?" ad attracts dozens for mind-bending tests readers may try. Only two boys and two girls succeed for a secret mission, undercover and underground into hidden tunnels. At the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, the only rule is - there are no rules.

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

Late one winter night a little girl and her father go owling. The trees stand still as statues and the world is silent as a dream. Whoo-whoo-whoo, the father calls to the mysterious nighttime bird.But there is no answer. Wordlessly the two companions walk along, or when you go owling you don't need words. You don't need anything but hope. Sometimes there isn't an owl, but sometimes there is.

Distinguished author Jane Yolen has created a gentle, poetic story that lovingly depicts the special companionship of a young child and her father as well as humankind's close relationship to the natural world. Wonderfully complemented by award-winning John Schoenherr's soft, exquisite watercolor illustrations, this is a verbal and visual treasure, perfect for reading aloud and sharing at bedtime.

The Expeditioners and the Treasure of Drowned Man's Canyon by S.S. Taylor

Computers have failed, electricity is extinct, and the race to discover new lands is underway! Brilliant explorer Alexander West has just died under mysterious circumstances, but not before smuggling half of a strange map to his intrepid children—Kit the brain, M.K. the tinkerer, and Zander the brave. Why are so many government agents trying to steal the half-map? (And where is the other half?) It’s up to Alexander’s children—the Expeditioners—to get to the bottom of these questions, and fast.

Curious George Visits the Zoo by Margret and H.A. Rey

Curious George and the man with the yellow hat visit the zoo. A hungry Curious George snatches a pail of bananas from the zoo keeper. Though he shouldn't have taken the bananas, George soon changes the zookeeper's shouts to praise with his clever, helpful ways.

Winterling (Winterling #1) by Sarah Prineas

With her boundless curiosity and wild spirit, Fer has always felt that she doesn’t belong. Not when the forest is calling to her, when the rush of wind through branches feels more real than school or the quiet farms near her house. Then she saves an injured creature—he looks like a boy, but he’s really something else. He knows who Fer truly is, and invites her through the Way, a passage to a strange, dangerous land.

Fer feels an instant attachment to this realm, where magic is real and oaths forge bonds stronger than iron. But a powerful huntress named the Mor rules here, and Fer can sense that the land is perilously out of balance. Fer must unlock the secrets about the parents she never knew and claim her true place before the worlds on both sides of the Way descend into endless winter.

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig

One rainy day, Sylvester finds a magic pebble that can make wishes come true. But when a lion frightens him on his way home, Sylvester makes a wish that brings unexpected results. How Sylvester is eventually reunited with his loving family and restored to his own donkey self makes a story that is beautifully tender and perfectly joyful.

Illustrated with William Steig's glowing pictures, this winner of the 1970 Caldecott Medal is a modern classic beloved by children everywhere. Now reissued to celebrate the discovery of the original artwork, this deluxe edition contains painstakingly careful color corrections made from those watercolor originals -- the color you'll see within this book is as Mr. Steig had originally intended it to be. It also features his moving Caldecott Medal acceptance speech.

Corduroy by Don Freeman

Have you ever dreamed of being locked in a department store at night? The endearing story of Corduroy paints a picture of the adventures that might unfold (for a teddy bear at least) in such a situation.

Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman

A baby bird is hatched while his mother is away. Fallen from his nest, he sets out to look for her and asks everyone he meets -- including a dog, a cow, and a plane -- "Are you my mother?"

Review: There's No Such Thing as Monsters by Michael Yu

2013-03-20T12:00:00.000-04:00

This is an adorable and fun bedtime story, especially for those who are quite positive that monsters are lurking about and they couldn't possibly sleep.

The little boy is sure he sees monsters everywhere, but it is just his clothes and his toys. Except one monster is real! But the monster is crying because he doesn't want the little boy to be afraid; he just wants to be friends. So the little boy and the monster become friends and the little boy tells all of his friends so no one has to be afraid of monsters anymore. Therefore, says the narrator, it's time for bed because there is nothing to fear and "even monsters have to go to bed."

I love the clever rhymes and the reassuring rhythm of the book. The illustrations are bright and colorful, as in all of Michael Yu's books. There are also a few vocabulary words, such as wiry, jumper (sweater), approaching, and tentacles.

Does your child ever see monsters hiding under the bed or in the closet? How do you take care of the monsters so he/she can sleep?

BOOK BRIEFS:
DS = Developmental Stages
E/S = Emotional & Social Development
F = Funny
LC = Language Concepts
V = Vocabulary Enhancement

Review: When I Was Eight by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton

2013-03-19T12:00:00.000-04:00

When I Was Eight is the story of a little Inuit girl named Olemaun who wants to learn to read English so badly that her father relunctantly enrolls her into an Indian Residential School, where they change her name to Margaret. She is treated horribly by the nun and the other girls because she cannot read. She is stuck in a corner facing the wall, she is forced to scrub floors and pray for her soul and to wash laundry in scalding water. She is forced to wear red stockings, meant to provoke the other students to make fun of her, which they do. She is even locked in a cellar.

However nothing will deter Olemaun from her goal. She uses every opportunity to learn the English alphabet and to sound out the words around her. She carries a book she wants to learn how to read, Alice in Wonderland, that her sister used to read her, and determinedly figures out the words. She finds within herself a courage she once lacked and her true Inuit spirit shines through.

Based on the true story of Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, When I Was Eight is an adaptation of the bestselling memoir Fatty Legs. This children's version is a wonderful tale of strength, courage, determination, and perseverance in the face of strong adversity. Recommended for children 6 and up.

RATING:

Vocabulary Building Words: Inuit, hesitation, victorious, slumbering, ulu knife, pinafore, and more.

BOOK BRIEFS:
CD = Cultural Diversity
E/S = Emotional & Social Development
HIS = Historical/History
I = Insightful
INFO= Informative
T = Travel & Geography
V = Vocabulary Enhancement

ANIMAL MONDAY: Bears

2013-03-18T03:44:00.000-04:00

Animal Monday is an interactive post for you and your children/students. Full of fun facts, photos, videos, games, and books to read for further fun. Leave a comment if you enjoyed the post!

BEARS

I bet you have a cute, cuddly teddy bear at home. One you snuggle with at night, or one that sits on your shelf and watches over you. But what are bears really like?

Are there different kinds of bears? What do they look like?

There are many species of bear:

brown bear

American black bear

Asian black bear

sun bear

giant panda

sloth bear

polar bear

and spectacled bear.

Did you know there were so many types of bears? Which ones did you already know? Which ones were new to you?

Can you describe the similarities and differences between the different types of bears? Think about traits such as color, size, snout (nose), and ?? Which type of bear has a distinctive shoulder hump? What else do you notice?

Where do they live?

It depends on the type of bear what environment they call home. Do you know where polar bears live? That's right at the North Pole (the name "polar" bear helps you remember!) It is also called the Arctic Circle and consists of Northern Canada, Alaska, Russia, Norway, and Greenland.

Polar bears are the only type of bear to live in that harsh climate. So where do the rest live?

American black bears live anywhere from the tundras of Canada and Alaska all the way to Mexico and Central America. Asian black bears live in Asia. Black bears live

You can find brown bears in North America, Europe and Asia. Some brown bears live in Alaska. Brown bears like to stay in meadows, mountains, and river valleys.

Giant Panda bears live in China. It is considered endangered, as there are only about a thousand left in the wild. The Giant Panda's habitat is under attack. You can see at the end of this post some places where you can help with bear habitat conservation.

Giant Panda lives in China.

Asiatic bears live in eastern and southern Asia. They live in mountainous and forests. Asiatic bears are also known as Himalayan bears or Tibetan black bears. They like to spend time in the trees and even make nests in them!

Sun bears like tropical climates and can be found in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia.

Sun bears in a tree.

Spectacled bears live in the Andes mountains of South America.

Sloth bears live in the forests and grasslands of India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Nepal.

What do bears eat?

Bears are both mammals (warm-blooded) and omnivores (they eat meat and plants). A brown bear loves to eat salmon from the river. He catches it with his strong jaws and claws.

Brown bear catching a salmon.

Polar bears have to eat a lot to store up fat for the very cold winters. Their favorite meal is seal.

Sloth bears use their unusually long tongues to eat termites.

Panda bears absolutely love bamboo. They will eat up to 60 lbs. of bamboo a day! Bamboo is a type of plant that grows naturally in Asia, where Panda bears are from. It looks like this:

Bamboo, a Giant Panda's menu.

Bears are also scavengers. They will eat animals that have died during the winter and were preserved in ice. They will eat fruits, nuts, berries, insects, carrion, honey, sap, roots, grass, and small animals they might happen to catch.

Black bear foraging for berries.

What is a baby bear called?

A baby bear is called a cub. Usually a mama cub has two cubs at a time. The cubs stay with the mama bear for about 3 years and then they are ready to be on their own. During those 3 years, the cubs follow the mother bear and learn from her survival techniques such as how to catch food, how to climb trees, and how to survive without her help.

Spectacled bear cub

Bear cubs are very playful and love to explore. They also enjoy play fighting with each other. Play fighting is important to cubs because it teaches them to protect themselves.

Polar bear cubs playing.

Why do bears hibernate in the winter?

Do you know what hibernate means? It means to take a long nap in the winter. Bears take long naps in the winter because food is very scarce. So they store up energy by going into a deep sleep. They don't wake up to eat or even to go to the bathroom! When spring comes, the bears and her new cubs (which she will wake up to have in January or February) come out and are famished. Famished means they are very, very hungry. Luckily, now that it is spring, the animals are out and about once more and it is easier to find something to chow down on.

What are other fun facts about bears?

Brown bears are mainly nocturnal.

Brown bears are very curious animals. They sometimes show up at camping sights and rummage through people's belongings that have been left outside. It is not safe to try to interact with a bear, even if it comes up to your campsite!

Bears have an amazing sense of smell. They can smell food, their cubs, and danger from miles away.

Open Wide!

Koalas are not bears. They are marsupials, like kangaroos.

Polar bears are the world's largest land predators. Male polar bears can grow up to be 10 feet tall and weigh over 1400 pounds. Females can reach 7 feet and weigh 650 pounds. On the flip side, the sun bears are one of the smallest bears, with males reaching only 4.5 feet and weighing in at 100 lbs.

A polar bear's fur is not actually white. Each hair is a hollow tube and each tube reflects the light, making it appear white in color.

The sloth bear is so named because scientists once thought it was a sloth!

Actual Sloth

Sun bears do not hibernate. Also, sun bears have loose skin that allows them to twist when being attacked, so they can defend themselves.

Black bears are not necessarily black. Most are black but they can also be gray, brown, cream, and a sort of silvery-blue. If you got to rename the species "black bear", what would you call it instead?

What about bears in popular culture?

Bears are often portrayed in American popular culture as one of two things: friendly, soft, harmless teddy bears, or big, scary, violent animals.

Where have you seen bears portrayed?

Perhaps you saw the bear in the Disney movie The Fox and the Hound?

Maybe you are familiar with Smokey Bear who helps you to prevent forest fires?

Have you seen Disney's The Jungle Book? Baloo is a sloth bear.

Have you ever eaten Teddy Grahams or Gummi Bears?

Can you identify these popular culture bears below?

(Answers from top: Yogi Bear, Care Bears, Snuggles Bear, The Berenstain Bears)

You can find bears lots of places. Can you brainstorm some more?

What are some books I can read that are about bears?

Great question!

Here are some recommended nonfiction books about bears:

Here are some terrific story books about bears:

What about fun things to do with bears?

The Berenstain Bears Games

Teddy Bears Jigsaw Puzzle

The Gummy Bear Song (with Lyrics) - Beware: this song is addictive.

Are bears an endangered species?

There are only about a thousand Giant Pandas left in the wild because of habitat destruction.

Sloth bears are hunted in order to become dancing bears or their body parts are used for traditional medicinal purposes. They are also killed because they wonder into human populations due to habitat loss.

Sun bear cubs are often taken from their mothers and kept as pets. When they get too be too big to care for, they are either killed or released back into the wild. Since they live with people for the entire time in which they are cubs, they do not learn how to survive in the wild.

How can you help make sure that bears are protected in the wild?

Visit these sites for information on conservation and environmental protection for bears:

World Wildlife Federation (WWF)

Polar Bear Conversation @ Sea World

Conservation Northwest: Grizzly Bears

What did you learn about bears today? Which bear is your favorite? Which book would you like to read about bears? Share in the comments!

Review: Gwynne Fair and Shining by Stephanie Lisa Tara

2013-03-14T12:00:00.000-04:00

Castles are cold,
Castles are dim,
Cold without,
Cold within.

But hearths are warm
With fire and flame,
Hearths hide magic
All the same.

Magic as music
That's something rare!
Thought Gwynne, the maid
Shining and fair.

So begins the fairy tale story of Gwynne, a young maid who would much rather be a part of the magic of music than cleaning all day long! The knight of the hall doesn't want Gwynne dancing and singing about, but Gwynne refuses to let him dim the magic she has inside her. She even goes through the forest encouraging the animals to dance to the music. Because of this, a fairie-queen makes her into a princess so that now she is shining and fair both inside and out.

Simplistic lines, but nice repetition with the "one-two, one-two" she dances to throughout the picture book. This would be a good fairy tale for 2-4 year olds. Older children may want more of a story. This book won the Gold Ink Award in 2007.

BOOK BRIEFS:
A - Animals
B - Book Awards
E/S - Emotional & Social Development
LC - Language Concepts

Review: Cat or Dog for President by Julia Dweck

2013-03-13T12:00:00.000-04:00

The narrator dreams up what it would be like if his cat and his dog ran in an election in this interesting rhyming tale. It goes through what kind of platform each would run, how they would recruit voters, where they would have their office, even how they would work against each other. Except, at the end they realize it would be much more fun and better for everyone if they ran together and everyone would be happy. It could be very useful to help explain the voting process to children, via pets, something they know and understand. Recommended!

BOOK BRIEFS:
A = Animals
HIS = History (Politics)
I = Insightful

Bookworm's Favorite Links - March

2013-03-11T23:57:00.003-04:00

1. Picture Books Everywhere! @ This Kid Reviews Books

2. Review: Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor @ Ready When You Are, C.B.

3. Use This Technology to Tame Your Chid's Inner Brat @ Mashable "Over-indulgent parents and an ad-infested childhood can turn even the nicest kind into a big brat. The nag factor can kick in anytime, anywhere. Can technology help cure a case of the "gimmes"?

4. Review: Exclamation Point by Amy Krouse Rosental and Tom Lichtenheld @ Red Headed Book Child

5. Review: This Moose Belongs to Me by Oliver Jeffers @ PBJunkies

6. Recommended concept books by grade level @ The Horn Book

7. Women's History Month Kid Konnection- Review of Seraphina by Rachel Hartman @ Rhapsody in Books

Check back next month to find more of Bookworm's Favorite Links!

IT'S DR. SEUSS' BIRTHDAY!!!

2013-03-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

It's your Birthday, Dr. Seuss,

And we are here to say to you

Thanks for all of our smiles so bright

From reading the wonderful books you write!

(Sadly, I cannot show you photos of Dr. Seuss activities I have done in the classroom because of privacy laws, so here are some websites where you can check out pics of the activities being done.)

FANTABULOUSLY SPENDIFIFULAR

DR. SEUSS DAY ACTIVITIES

Make up your own words, a la Dr. Seuss. I just did. It was lots of fun.

Make these adorable Lorax cookies!

Make Thing 1 and Thing 2

Bartholomew and the Oobleck Recipe

It's a solid AND a liquid!!

3/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup water

2-3 drops food coloring

Mix together.

Seal in a Ziploc bag.

Gak aka Silly Putty Recipe

(Just for another hands on recipe)

8 oz. Elmer's glue

8 oz. water (use glue bottle, shake it, then pour out what's left)

2-3 drops of food coloring

Add 1 tsp. Borax powder slowly as you mix the glue mixture up.

Stir until it is the consistency you desire.

Seal in a Ziploc bag.

Build a Seuss City

(Directions)

MORE:

Dr. Seuss Themed Snacks

The Foot Book Movement Activity

Fizzy Footprints

Seussville

What is your favorite Seuss book?

What is your favorite Seuss activity?

National Fairy Tale Day Activity

2013-02-26T15:51:00.000-05:00

Did you know that today is National Fairy Tale Day? Well I didn't either until a couple of days ago. I think it is a day worth celebrating though, don't you?

So I thought a fun idea would be to give you some pictures of fairy tales. Ask your child if he/she can name the fairy tale and tell you the story. If they don't recognize it, ask them to make up a story about the people in the picture. This is a great activity for helping children with recall and also fueling their imaginations.

Let the fun begin!

Which was your child's favorite story to tell? Did he/she create any stories? Tell all about it in the comments!