Early Elementary Fun Grammar and Word Books

Having been to the library more than once this summer {for the summer reading program we do every year}, I decided to be more productive in my book selections during our last visit.

I read recently that a child loses the most knowledge between first and second grade. This statement bothered me because I have a son about to enter second grade. Deciding to concentrate on language and grammar skills, I perused the 420 shelf. {Our library uses the Dewey Decimal System.}

There was a plethora of interesting books about words, word usage, punctuation, and grammar which could be read by or to a younger elementary aged child.

For prefixes and suffixes, I found If You Were a Prefix and If You were a Suffix. Both are written by Marcie Aboff. With whimsical text, each takes a personal approach to learning about word parts. At the end, each book has a suggestion for a hands-on activity to learn more.

Emphasizing the importance of commas and their placement, Eats, Shoots & Leaves has a picture book version available. Each facing page presents the exact same worded sentence. The only difference between each sentence is the comma placement. The illustrations reflect the different meanings and often present hilarious scenarios.

For some plain ol' fun with words and phrases, I read my son Antics, Monkey Business, and I Scream Ice Cream: A Book of Wordles.

Written by Cathi Hepworth, Antics is an ABC book which features a word containing 'ant' for each letter of the alphabet. For instance, for 'h' the word is 'hesitant' and the picture shows an ant on the high diving board hesitant to jump.

Monkey Business is another cute book. Each page illustrates an idiom. 'Spring chicken' and
'fish out of water' are just two of the idioms used throughout the book. Each page features a monkey somewhere in the picture. My son and I read through the book once and then returned to each illustration to find the monkey.

Wordles is not a word my son or I were familiar with before reading I Scream Ice Cream. Apparently, the author thought many readers would wonder and included a definition on the title page. Wordles are phrases or groups of words which sound the same, but are different in spelling and meaning. The example given in the beginning is 'Heroes' and 'He rows.' Throughout the book there are some silly wordless which had my son cracking up. The illustrations help explain any unfamiliar terms or words as well.

Finally, I had picked up two rhyming dictionaries. To be truthful, I did not even know there was such a thing. Both Junior Rhyming Dictionary and Collins Rhyming Dictionary are set up alphabetically with a common word and a list of words which rhyme following the entry word. The Junior Rhyming Dictionary is for younger uses and the one I encourage my younger son to use. However, the other book is just as nice and I did find my older children scanning its pages more than once. Each rhyming dictionary features a few activities and ideas for using the books or rhymes.

Macy's Parade Read Aloud

Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade, by Melissa Sweet is a biography about Tony Sarg, the man who created the first puppets of the Macy's Parade.  The book shares interesting tid bits like a pulley and rope contraption Tony made as a young boy so he could feed the chickens without getting out of bed at 6:30 in the morning.  From this initial funny anecdote, Sweet tells of Tony's marionettes in London, his move to New York City, his work on Broadway, and finally his job at Macy's store designing their store window displays. 

 

It is at this point, a parade began for immigrants who missed the festivals of their homelands.  Sweet tells us that Tony began making costumes and floats for it.  Animals were part of the parade, but the live animals scared young children.  Macy's asked Tony to think of something different.  Inspired by an Indonesian rod puppet in his collection, Tony decided on puppets.  His first puppets were a hit, but were too small to be seen by the large crowds.  Over the years, he made some adjustments in materials, enlarged balloons, and eventually made some balloon puppets similar to what we now immediately associate with the Macy's Parade. 

 

Overall, the book tells an inspiring history of Tony Sarg and the Macy's parade balloons.  It is a fitting book for our family as we love watching the Macy's Parade each Thanksgiving Day.  Additionally, since we are currently moving through history toward the present time in our studies, this picture biography fits right into that time period.

Picture Book Biographies of Scientists

...which my kindergartner loved!

Often, my youngest son and I take turns choosing books.  He chooses one, and I read it to him.  Then, I choose one and read it to him.  In this way, I am able to read him his favorites, as well as introduce him to some really great books which he may have passed over during a recent library trip.  On my turns, I try to read nonfiction books, biographies, or a piece of literature. 

Recently, I have found two new-to-us picture book biographies of scientists.  I shared them with my kindergartner son and he loved them both!  Of course, it didn't hurt that both were about his favorite science topics: dinosaurs and rocks. 

Barnum's Bones: How Barnum Brown Discovered the Most Famous Dinosaur in the World, by Tracey Fern tells about Barnum Brown's adventures hunting fossils and dinosaur bones during the early 1900's.  Most of the adventures occur in the United States, but a few foreign places like Cuba and India are briefly mentioned.  The book ends with a one page biographical sketch of Barnum Brown's life, including a photograph of him cleaning a T. Rex skeleton.  {This book has two references to an old earth.  Both of which I easily changed to young earth terminology.}

Rocks in His Head, by Carol Otis Hurst describes the rock collecting passion of her father.  He loved rocks and always had a collection.  At the beginning of the book, Hurst describes how her father owned a filling station and kept a rock collection.  The Depression results in less customers, and the business eventually fails.  The family sells out and moves.  However, as time goes on, her father finds a job as a janitor in a museum, which happens to have a rock collection.  He fixes an inaccurate label one day and finds himself promoted.  His new job is taking care of the rock collection at the museum.

Previewing Our History Lessons

We are still enjoying our summer break, but that doesn't mean we aren't learning new things!

For the most part, our summer learning has been very laid back and relaxing.  However, one thing I definitely wanted to do over these relaxing weeks was provide our children with an introduction to some of our upcoming history topics, especially for the younger children.  The older two children have been through this time period before, but even so, a refresher can be nice before the school year 'officially' starts.

A few library books we borrowed recently...

Whatever Happened to the Pony Express, by Verla Kay
Using a poetical style, Verla Kay intertwines family letters with a wonderful poem full of strong rhythm and fun descriptive words. This style made the book an enjoyable read aloud with fascinating facts interspersed.  {Personally, I learned about the trial run with camels, which didn't work out and were replaced by horses.}  The extended family's communications span the time period of the pony express.  The family's dilemmas increase with time, and are eventually worked out just as the telegraph and trains completely replace the pony express.  It was a wonderful way to trace the historical developments of delivering mail throughout the continental United States.

Civil War Drummer Boy, by Verla Kay
Another selection by Verla Kay was also a poem.  Civil War Drummer Boy is the story of a young boy who becomes a drummer for the Confederate Army.  Though the book has an adventure feel to it, the reality of war is shared.  Vivid words describe the experiences of Johnny as he signs up, serves, and eventually returns home during the Civil War era.  The ending does leave readers with some hope as the family gathers on a porch to enjoy the flower blossoms and one another.  

A Picture Book of Sam Houston, by David A. Adler and Michael S. Adler
This one was quite the informative picture book biography.  We learned about Houston's political career as governor, senator, and president of Texas. Intertwined amongst these roles, we read about Houston's personal beliefs against slavery and his courage to stand up (and lose his job) because he would not be swayed to sign something he didn't believe: a loyalty oath to the Confederacy.  The illustrations by Matt Collins are superb, soft pictures filled with vibrant colors.

The Cowboy ABC, by Chris Demarest
A fun alphabet book telling about cowboys and the west was another read aloud.  Each page has one letter and one short one sentence per page.  The illustrations show the idea or item of the word highlighted for that letter.  Some of those items are kerchief, lariat, reigns, and tumbleweed.  It was a simple and easy introduction to cowboy and western life for my youngest who will begin kindergarten soon.

Looking at Lincoln, by Maira Kalman
This book was about a young girl who sees a man who reminds her of Lincoln.  This prompts her to research and learn more about Abraham Lincoln.  She shares her findings within the book by narrating them to the reader.  Interesting tidbits, like there are 16, 000 books written about him, are blended with common facts about his schooling.  The main character exudes a fascination and admiration of Lincoln which makes the fact reading enjoyable.  Our children recognized the Lincoln statue referenced to at the end, because we had visited it years ago on one of our trips to D.C.

Not only does this simple preview of a few of our history topics excite our children, it helps me to plan for our upcoming year as I gauge their interest and knowledge.

Arnosky Read Alouds

Probably the first time I heard about Jim Arnosky's books was when I read one of Mary's posts at Homegrown Learners.  She was sharing about Crinkleroot.  Whether it was the character's odd name or remembering Mary's recommendation, I recognized the name immediately when I saw Crinkleroot's Guide to Giving Back to Nature in the library's new books section.  I snagged it right away.  Then, when the children were done logging their summer reading hours with the librarian, I moved with my littlest to the picture book section.  I was determined to find more books by Arnosky.  Though the library had no other Crinkleroot books, there were plenty of other Arnosky books.  We checked out five more titles. 

Three of our favorite Arnosky titles {so far}:

Beaver Pond, Moose Pond - In the mountains a pond created by the beaver's dam is visited by many animals.  Each animal 'sees' the pond as his special place.  We enjoyed how each animal had their own perspective, ownership, and use for the pond.  Also, it was neat to read about the different animals interacting or avoiding one another at the pond.   My youngest son liked this one the best, so I listed it first.

A Manatee Morning - Told in a lyrical style this book flows through the manatees experience.  Set in the Crystal River, a group of manatees swim, eat, nuzzle, and rest.  The book focuses on a pair of manatees, a mother and her calf, as they swim through the river past dangerous alligators and boats to a calm part of the river.

At This Very Moment - Perhaps this one is my personal favorite.  The entire book pairs a school aged child's typical activities with activities of animals around the world that are happening simultaneously.  It starts in the morning and moves through an average day.  Waking, breakfast, getting ready for the day, being at school, playing in the afternoon, and dinnertime are some of the child's activities mentioned.  Each one is paired with one or more animal activity that could be happening somewhere in the world.  Fascinating way to teach a child that more is occurring in the world then what they can see before them!

The other two Arnosky titles we picked up and read were Turtle in the Sea and Babies in the Bayou.  Both were good reads. 



Linking to Read Aloud Thursday at Hope Is the Word.

Studying the Lewis and Clark Expedition

We started with chapter 32 in The Story of the World, Volume 3.  Then we mapped the Louisiana Purchase on the map and colored a picture of Sacagawea from the Activity Guide. 

Together we read through several books, including The Crossing, A Picture Book of Lewis and Clark, and The Lewis and Clark Expedition.  The children narrated and summarized.  They answered some questions and asked plenty more. 

We perused through a binder of information friends gave us.  It included a printed copy of a letter written by Thomas Jefferson to Meriwether Lewis, a roster of the people on the expedition, and various articles about the journey. 

Using the computer, we looked at Edgar Samuel Paxson's painting of Sacagawea.  Then we checked out this site: Discovering Lewis & Clark. 

Finally, we also took the time to watch a documentary streamed from our Netflix account.  It was called Lewis & Clark: Great Journey West, by National Geography.  This resource had a few opposing facts to what we found in our reading.  When this happens, it is a good chance to discuss information sources and how to discern opinions guised as facts.

Our oldest was assigned a report.  He chose to focus on the various travel methods used in the journey.  As he also had a large science experiment to finish for science, I cut him a slight break and gave him some extra time to finish his Lewis and Clark report.  Don't you just love the flexibility of homeschooling?


Resource Books:
Animals on the Trail with Lewis and Clark, by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent* - This book is a resource indeed!  Filled with information on various animals encountered by Lewis and Clark as well as tidbits about their journeys, the book is perfect accompaniment to any Lewis and Clark study.  There is even a table outlining and dating chronologically when and where Lewis and Clark first saw each animal.  Honestly, the possibilities for structured lessons using this book span science, history, and geography.  We happened to use it more for interest led studies and allowed our children to freely explore it.

The Lewis and Clark Trail: Then and Now, by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent* - Another fascinating find by Patent.  This book includes maps, images of historical paintings, and photographs by William Munoz.  Basically, the book is set up in two facing page sections, similar to an Usborne book, but meatier in content.  A few of the sections are "Equipment and Supplies," "The Bitterroot Valley," and "Living with the Nez Perce."  The book would lend itself well to the outlining activities often suggested by Susan Wise Bauer in The Well Trained Mind.  However, we used it more as a reference book, reading the sections we found interesting and skipping those we didn't.

Picture Books:
Lewis and Clark: Explorers of the American West, by Steven Kroll*
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, by John Perritano*
A Picture Book of Lewis and Clark, by David A. Adler*
Sacagawea, by Lise Erdrich*
Seaman's Journal: On the Trail with Lewis and Clark, by Patricia Reeder Eubank
The Crossing, by Donna Jo Napoli*
Lewis and Clark: A Prairie Dog for the President, by Shirley Raye Redmond

Chapter Books:
The Incredible Journey of Lewis & Clark, by Rhoda Blumberg
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, by Richard L. Neuberger
As Far As the Eye Can Reach, by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel*
The Journals of Lewis and Clark, by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, edited by John Bakeless

*Books we found at our local library.

Nature Observations from the Beach

We hadn't planned a trip to the beach.  It was a whim.  Originally, we were to spend Mother's Day afternoon at an art museum, but that plan got scratched while sitting in the pew Sunday morning.  We were singing a song, and the lyrics were set to a picture of the ocean, which got me thinking about going to the beach.  So, we did.  By early afternoon, we were eating a late lunch on the shore. 

As with every outing in nature, we tend to observe our surroundings, whether it is a full blown nature walk or not.  Yesterday, we watched porpoises in the water, tracking their travels through the ocean waves.  Gulls circled overhead,

and lizards creeped in the sandy soil?! 

We do not believe this little critter is native to our area as he seems more suited for an all year warmer climate.  However, he was an interesting find. 

As the crowds gathered around to check out the lizard, it reminded me of a book my children love, Lucas the Littlest Lizard, by Kathy Helidoniotis.  In this book, Lucas lives at a zoo, and is very upset that the crowds pass him by, in favor of the more entertaining animals.  He decides to learn to perform, and he does, but still no one notices him.  Until, the rain cancels the other animal shows.  Then, someone notices Lucas, and the crowds surge about him as he performs.

Light House Books

When our youngest finished his A to Z preschool year, I decided to review his letters and sounds, numbers and counting until summer break.  With that in mind, I started looking through the library shelves for some interesting books with a summer theme or summer topic.  We had already spent a great deal of time in science co-op learning about the ocean and coral reefs, but we hadn't really touched upon light houses.

Last year, for Mother's Day we had hiked to a nearby light house, and I knew our youngest remembered the experience.  He knew what a light house was for and the importance of it.  Without having to explain this to him, he could simply enjoy two new to us books we found at our local library.

The Bravest Woman in America, by Marissa Moss, describes the true adventures of Ida Lewis in picture book form.  Ida grew up with a father who maintained a light house in the mid 1800's on the coast of Rhode Island.  Ida helped her father and eventually became the light house keeper.  The book we read told about Ida's first time saving lives at sea.  Apparently, Ida went on to save many lives and was even awarded the Congressional Life Saving Medal.  Following the story, an Author's Note offers a brief biographical sketch of Ida's life and work.
 
The Sea Chest, by Toni Buzzeo, offered a poetical version of a light keeper legend.  Set on the coast of Maine, this book tells the tale of one light house keeper's family who finds a chest wrapped in bedding.  Upon opening the chest, the family of three finds a baby with a note attached to her wrist.  The family adopts the child and raises her on the light house island.  Though the story is based on a legend and its truth is unknown, the story offers readers a sweet reminder of grace and love with the beautiful message of a child being a blessing.

In the past, our older children have enjoyed other light house books.
From our personal book shelves -
Manning the Light, by Terry Webb
Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie, by Peter Roop and Connie Roop


Linked to Read Aloud Thursday at Hope Is the Word

Picture Books I First Read as a Grown Up

A while ago, I shared picture books I loved as a child and have shared with my little ones.  However, today, I want to share five picture books which I have read for the first time as a grown up.  Now, I thoroughly enjoy reading, and re-reading, these titles to my little ones.  {I should note that each of these books was in print when I was a child, all for decades before my birth.  Yet, somehow, I never read them as a child.} 

5.  Bread and Jam for Frances, by Russell Hoban, first printed in 1964*.  All Frances wants is bread and jam to eat.  One day, that's all she gets.  Is it as good as she hoped?

4.  Stone Soup, by Marcia Brown, with a copyright date of 1947.  Three hungry soldiers enter a village and are denied a meal.  The soldiers then begin making a meal of stone soup.  The villagers are intrigued and begin to gather, bringing ingredients for the soup.

3.  Make Way for Ducklings, by Robert McCloskey, first published in 1941.  Mr. and Mrs. Mallard are looking for a perfect home for their family.  Though one is found, the Mallard family must cross through the busy streets of Boston to get there.  Will the ducks arrive safely?  Another McCloskey title we love is Blueberries for Sal, printed in 1948.

2.  The Biggest Bear, by Lynd Ward, published in 1952.  Johnny is aghast that his family's barn is the only barn in the valley without a stretched bear skin displayed on the wall.  He is determined to have one, and sets out to hunt down a bear.  Instead he finds a cub.  The little cub becomes a pet to the family, but once full grown, becomes more of a pest.  Johnny must determine how to get rid of the bear.

1.  The Little House,  by Virginia Lee Burton, published 1942.  A little house, in the countryside, ontop of a hill, is loved by a couple.  The little house loves the family and the country pace of life.  All too soon things begin to change as more people move into the countryside.  A town grows into a city.  All the while, the little house yearns for the countryside.  Until one day a couple sees the little house, and the wife remembers a similar house which her grandmother lived in as a child.  Two other titles by Burton we love are Katy and the Big Snow Storm, 1943, and Maybelle: The Cable Car, 1952.


*In an effort to be completely honest, this book was published not quite decades before my birth but over one decade and under two.  Since that's more than one, is it technically still plural?

Related Post:
Picture Books I Love

Reading Aloud Fairy Tales

"If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. 

If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales."

~ Albert Einstein

Don't you just love that quote by Einstein?  Though I don't hold stock in it completely, I do know it can be fun to read fairy tales to children. 

Lately, I have been reading a few more fairy tales to our younger children.  The older have perused these picture books on their own.  {All the books mentioned in this post were found at our local library.}

The top three favorites in our house, over the past three weeks, have been:

1. Jack and the Bean Stalk - We found two versions at our library.  The first version was retold by Ann Keay Beneduce and the second was retold by Jonh Cech.  Each tell the tale in a slightly different manner, but the children liked them both.  A young boy sneaking by a giant more than once delighted our youngest. 
2. Rumpelstiltskin - The version we found is yet another fairy tale retold by John Cech.  The children love to revisit this tale of triumph.  Outsmarting the trickster Rumpelstiltskin provides great enjoyment to our young listeners.
3. The Nightingale - Originally written by Hans Christian Andersen, this fairy tale tells of a Chinese emperor who has everything.  He is praised by travelers for his beautiful palace and gardens.  However, each one mentions the beauty of a singing nightingale.  The emperor's jealousy leads to a search and capture of the nightingale.  Onward the story continues through twists and turns that captivated our young listeners.

Related Post:
One of Grimm's Tales in Two Picture Books


Linked to Read Aloud Thursday at Hope Is the Word

Arm Chair Nature Walks

When the weather outside is too cold or windy, or the roads are too icy, exploring nature may just not be an option.  However, you can always take 'an arm chair kind of nature walk.'  One of our favorite ways to take an arm chair walk through the woods is with a good photography book. 

Two books we recently found at our library are Lost in the Woods and Stranger in the Woods.  Both are by Carl R. Sams II and Jean Stoick. 

The first book, Lost in the Woods, tells the tale of a fawn's first few weeks of life spent hiding in the woods.  The other animals declare the fawn to be lost, despite the fawn's explanations.  The conversations among the woodland animals is comical and endearing.  Each accompanying photograph is incredible. 

Stranger in the Woods is very similar to Lost in the Woods, except it takes place in the winter and includes a few little children.  With the variety of woodland animals and their mission to discover the stranger's identity {a snowman}, this story is fun to read aloud.  Just like the first, the photographs are amazing.


For our family, we haven't had too much opportunity to be snowed in this year as it has been one mild winter!  However, one rainy afternoon we did enjoy perusing through these books.

Picture Books I Love

Today, I wanted to share five of my favorite picture books from my childhood.  These five books I borrowed from the library time and time again.  Now, we own all five titles so I can read them to my children.  Without further delay...in reverse order...

Five Favorite Picture Books from My Childhood ~

5.  The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein 
A book about a boy, a tree, and a relationship over many years tells a story in simple language.  The acts of giving and taking, the contrasting of selflessness and selfishness, and the end results spoke to me as a child and still do now, as a grown up.

4.  The Emperor's New Clothes, by Hans Christian Anderson
The vain emperor commissions two traveling men to weave exquisite cloth from the finest thread and then sew clothing from it for himself.  Yet, as the two men assure the emperor the cloth is so fine that no one not even the emperor himself can gaze upon it and see it.  How it made me laugh!

3.  Harry the Dirty Dog, by Gene Zion
This was an absolute favorite of mine, because as a child I adored dogs.  Harry, who hates baths, buries his scrub brush and promptly escapes from the yard for a grand time of playing in all the dirt he can find.  The results: Harry a white dog with black spots becomes Harry a black dog with white spots.  His appearance is so altered his own family doesn't recognize him.

2.  Caps for Sale, by Esphyr Slobodkina
A peddler goes to town selling caps of different colors, but no one is purchasing today.  He decides to rest beneath a tree outside of town.  When he awakes, his caps are missing.  He finds them among a group of monkeys.  The peddler's outrage and subsequential actions are humorous and fun to read.

1.  A Pocket for Corduroy, by Don Freeman
This was by all counts my absolute favorite picture book.  Lisa and her bear, Corduroy, go with Lisa's mother to the laundry mat.  Corduroy discovers he has no pocket, and suddenly he wants one.  He leaves his chair in search of one.  In a series of funny events, Corduroy ends up left at the laundry mat overnight.  Like all great picture book stories there is a happy ending when Lisa finds him the next morning, and makes Corduroy his own pocket.


What would be on your list?

Picture Book Biographies and a Capybara

Don't you just love those picture book biographies by Diane Stanley?  We have read aloud five this year, including Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Good Queen Bess, Bard of Avon (Shakespeare), and most recently, Peter the Great. 

 

After reading through a chapter about Peter the Great in Story of the World (volume 3), we read Stanley's picture book biography.  Since the children had already completed a written narration and a map, we simply enjoyed the book.  Afterward, we discussed some of his decisions and how he was portrayed within the biography. 

A family favorite read aloud of ours is Capyboppy, by Bill Peet.  This time around, I read it to our youngest son late one afternoon.  The story is about a typical family.  One son, named Bill, happens to be an animal lover.  He has a zoo/museum in his bedroom.  As a college student, he wants a boa, but the family rejects a snake.  He gets a capybara instead.  The young capybara comes to live with the family.  Capyboppy, as Margaret the mom calls him, becomes a beloved pet to the family.  However, as with most wild animals, Capyboppy outgrows the home, and needs to live somewhere, anywhere other than the residential home of the family.  We laugh aloud with the antics of Capyboppy each time we read this book.



Linked to Read-Aloud Thursday at Hope Is the Word

One of Grimm's Tales in Two Picture Books

Recently, I have been searching through the library picture book shelves for Brother Grimm tales and found two versions of The Elves and the Shoemaker.  The version retold by John Cech was similar to the version I remember from my childhood.  The accompanying illustrations were slightly rough looking, with pencil markings and lines.  A few were in a pen and ink style.  This lent to a somewhat eerie feel to the book, something that seems to go hand and hand with most Grimm tales.

For a more comical version, we read The Bootmaker and the Elves, by Susan Lowell.  This story offered more than a few humorous twists and turns to the original fairy tale.  A definite western feel was achieved with the illustrations and words like moseyed, buckaroo, and swaggering.  There were comical characters like an 'old cowpoke' and a tall, lean, bowlegged man.  Overall, though it wasn't completely true to the original, it told the same basic story line, and had us laughing.



Linked to Read-Aloud Thursday at Hope Is the Word

The Mitten - A Folktale and Mini Preschool Unit

An old Ukrainian folktale called The Mitten tells of a mitten lost on a cold winter's day.  Slowly, one by one, the animals of the forest climb into the mitten.  Eventually, the mitten, bursting at the seams, can hold no more.  It busts open.  All the animals scatter and the mitten is found, broken into pieces.

We read several versions of the folktale.  Each altered the details slightly, but the main idea remained intact.  Every reading delighted our youngest son.  He laughed as the animals moved and squeezed to get inside the mitten, and laughed harder when the mitten burst open.

Since he enjoyed the folktale so much, I added a few learning activities based on, or related to, the story.

He completed some worksheets and an activity from Enchanted Learning.  Several were focused on reading sight words and recognizing beginning consonant sounds.  Others involved matching and counting.  Then, we made a mitten to reenact the story by stuffing pictures of forest animals inside the mitten.  {The one pictured above is his 'fixed' mitten.} 

Afterward, I pulled out his Winter Pocket Folder that I had made him last year. 

He completed several of the hands on activities like matching colors...

putting numbers in order...

and matching shapes and scenes.

To end this mini preschool unit, we read The Hat, by Jan Brett.  Written as a companion book to The Mitten, the book, The Hat, depicts a little hedgehog who accidentally gets a sock caught on his head.  He tells all the other animals that it is his hat, and the results are comical.

Versions of The Mitten we found at our library:
The Mitten, by Jan Brett
The Mitten, by Alvin Tresselt
The Mitten, by Jim Aylesworth

Books for Boys

Strolling through the children's section of our library, this cover caught my eye.  Though it is about baseball, I was drawn to the illustrations by C.F. Payne.  The pictures are realistic, but with a bit of whimsy and slight exaggerations of features.  Instantly, I knew my sons would like this book.   

The picture book, like the poem it is based upon, is arranged alphabetically naming twenty-four iconic baseball players.  Two letters, I and Z, do not represent baseball players.  Instead, I stands for the Incurable fan (poet Frederick Ogden Nash) and "Z is for Zenith..." 

Lineup for Yesterday, by Ogden Nash features not only the poem, but biographical inserts for each of the players mentioned.  The informative biographical notes were written by Nash's daughter, Linell Nash Smith.  The book can be read in a couple of ways.  For younger listeners the main alphabetical poem is sufficient, but for older audiences, the poem and biographical information can be poured over together.

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Another book we read offered more comedy than history.  Entitled Levi Strauss Gets a Bright Idea, the book's subtitle, A Fairly Fabricated Story of a Pair of Pants, hints at the tone to come.  Written in the style of a tall tale, Tony Johnston tells the story of Levi Strauss and the invention of denim jeans. 

The book had us laughing with delight as Strauss joins the California Gold Rush, only to discover he is late, there is no gold left, and the men's pants have disintegrated.  Strauss laments his loss of gold and devises a way to fix the miners' pants problem.  Like any good tall tale, these story elements stretch the historical facts and create a humorous adventure. 

The book does conclude with a page telling the real story of Levi Strauss and denim jeans.

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The final book I'll share today was read more for my youngest son.  Solomon Crocodile, written by Catherine Rayner, is a fantastic read aloud book for preschoolers.  The vocabulary used is perfect for my active boy!  Verbs such as stalk, splats, slops, charges, and croaks are his kind of words.  The repetition of several lines makes for a delightful read aloud.

Linked to Read-Aloud Thursday at Hope Is the Word where you will find a lot more great books!

When the Weather Outside is Cold

When the January wind starts to blow, and we are driven inside from the cold, it is a great time to learn how animals and people survive and thrive in the colder areas of the globe.  Three books our children have read (or were read aloud) are:

Survival at 40 Below, by Debbie S. Miller, describes life just north of the Arctic Circle in Alaska's Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve.  The book begins in autumn.  Animals are scurrying to prepare for the next eight months of winter.  Miller explains how a wide variety of animals get ready for snow and survive cold winter temperatures.  We were fascinated by the frog freezing and the squirrel's cyclic hibernation.  Another interesting tidbit we learned was about a caterpillar that spends 14 winters in the caterpillar phase and after those years, just one summer as a moth.  The book concludes with an author's note explaining her inspiration behind the book and a glossary defining possible unfamiliar terms.

Another book set in an Arctic winter is Welcome to the Ice House, by Jane Yolen.  A plethora of animals from land to sea who find homes in the frigid Arctic winter are presented.  Lovely illustrations by Laura Regan set a tranquil tone and the lyrical text creates a melodious read aloud.  A final page entitled "Did You Know?" explains the origin of the term 'arctic' and offers the University of Alaska Museum website address for more information.

For a different perspective on the cold, the book Antler, Bear, Canoe: A Northwoods Alphabet Year, by Betsy Bowen depicts life in the northwoods of Minnesota.  While moving through the alphabet, Bowen shares a bit about the northwoods from January to December.  Each entry portrays an activity, observation, or incident from the author's life.  This provides readers with a more personal connection with life in the northwoods.  The wood block illustrations lend to the rustic appeal of the book.

Over the years, we have enjoyed a great variety of books set in the Arctic or winter time.  Below, I have listed a few all time favorites.

Other books set in the Arctic or cold, winter time:

In the Far North, by Lola Kamalova

Arctic Son, by Jean Craighead George

The Long Winter, by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Adventures of an Arctic Missionary series, by Gloria Repp

Trapped by the Mountain Storm, by Aileen Fisher

Snowflake Bentley, by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

Tikta'Liktak: An Inuit-Eskimo Legend, retold by James Houston

Animals on the Move and at Rest

Animals fascinate our children.  Their diversity in appearance, movement, rest patterns, and homes captivate our young ones' interest.  When I found a few more books at our local library on animal travels, migrations, and resting, I plucked them right off the shelves.

Though we are quite familiar with the wild horses of Chincoteague and Assateague Islands, we had no idea there was a similar island located off the shores of Nova Scotia.  The origin of the Sable Island wild horses is a mystery.  In her book, Race the Wild Wind, Sandra Markle explores one theory of abandonment using a race horse, work horses, and various other types of domesticated horses.  The story line centers on the race horse stallion and his acquiring a herd of mares.  Spanning about two years, the book explores how the horses might have survived those very first seasons on the island.  The book includes an author's note discussing the possible reasons the wild horses live on Sable Island, other books and websites for more information, and a short list of interesting horse facts.


Our youngest son adores turtles.  Finding a book on turtle travels for him was a highlight to this mini unit.  Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out! by April Pulley Sayre outlines a twenty year time period of turtle travel.  From Florida shores to a coral reef and back, the turtle travels and thrives despite predators.  A repeating line like the title adds to the excitement of the dangers and escapes.  Overall, the book is fun and appealing.  With its short text and colorful pictures, Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out! is an easy read aloud for younger children.

Covering ten traveling animals, Going Home: The Mystery of Animal Migration, by Marianne Berkes, delves into seasonal migrations.  Each two spread page displays one specific animal, including caribou, arctic terns, and pacific salmon.  For each animal, a short descriptive paragraph appears on the page within the book and another informative paragraph is located in the back of the book.  Overall, the lyrical text can be read two stanzas per page without reading the descriptive paragraphs.  I liked reading it this way the first time through the book.  It lent itself to a more cohesive read, and the rhythm of the words was easier to hear.  There is a sense of movement and underlying urgency in the rhythm that mimics migration.  However, the descriptive paragraphs are worth a read through afterward.  Berkes has spent many years working with children, and this is evident in the "Tips from the Author" section in the back of the book.  Many creative and extension ideas are included.

For our older children, a more textual book, The Journey: Stories of Migration, by Cynthia Rylant was read.  Highlighting a half dozen migrating species, Rylant takes the reader on a journey world wide.  Locusts, grey whales, and butterflies are a few animals highlighted.  Each animal is covered in about six pages and includes idyllic illustrations.  From the text, readers sense wonderment of how incredible migration is.  Some fascinating tid bits we learned included a herd of caribou nearly 200 miles long and female eels traveling from salty ocean water to fresh water streams to live for ten years before returning to the salty ocean water.

After all that travel, animals need to rest!  And, so we capped off the mini unit with a short book entitled Animals Asleep, by Sneed B. Collard III.  This is another book that can be read through twice.  By reading the sparse large printed words from each page and enjoying the animal pictures, the text whets the appetite to know how and where all these different animals find rest.  The second time through, the descriptive paragraphs for each animal explain the how and where.  Collard certainly included a vast array of animals and sleeping habits.  Tid bits like sea otters sleeping in a bed of kelp offer a fun outlook on rest.  There were a couple of word choices that pointed to evolution, but nothing explicit. {I simply omitted or changed these words to reflect our family's beliefs.}

Through the Year(s) with Books

The concept of time can be hard to grasp when you are only a handful or so years old.  However, there are some amazing picture books with great story lines that help convey the concept of time to youngsters.  I've compiled a listing of our favorite books from our very own shelves, that help develop a sense of time. 

Books Spanning One Year of Time

Trace time and seasons with the farm animals of The Year at Maple Hill Farm, by Alice and Martin Provensen.

Written by Harriet Ziefert, this year long story follows Anna and her mother as they resourcefully get A New Coat for Anna.

The story of the Ox-Cart Man, by Donald Hall, spans a year in the life of a hard working New Hampshire family of the nineteen century.

A more whimsical tale is found in Frog and Toad All Year, by Arnold Lobel.  We are always amused by the mishaps and adventures of these two lovable friends.

Filled with folk art and memoir excerpts of Grandma Moses, The Year with Grandma Moses, by W. Nikola-Lisa transports the reader to a simpler era filled.


Books Spanning Multiple Years

 

The Little House, by Virginia Lee Burton, tells an endearing tale of urbanization through the eyes of a little home on a hill.

Generations are tied together with The Keeping Quilt in the story by Patricia Polacco.

Then and Now, an Usborne book by Heather Amery uses places of interest to demonstrate change over time.  Readers visually observe the changes through time to stores, countryside, home life, and railroad stations.

Ever wonder what changes are brought about when a farm is left idle?  Find out how over many years, an unused farm turns into a forest while reading McCrephy's Field, by Christopher A. Myers and Lynne Born Myers.


Linked to Read-Aloud Thursday at Hope Is the Word

The Gift of the Magi

One read aloud I wanted to be sure to include this year was The Gift of the Magi, by O. Henry.  A story of self sacrifice on the behalf of a beloved is a timeless message, and definitely appropriate for this time of year. 

I searched our library for an illustrated version to better engage my younger children.  One picture book with illustrations by Lisbeth Werger was my only option.  However, this one option proved to be fabulous.  The muted illustrations of pencil drawings and watercolor resonate with the story line.  The underlying sorrow of poverty and somber story line are superbly depicted. 

The story, in this book, is unaltered.  Though some of the vocabulary needed to be explained as I read aloud, it did not hinder the children from understanding and appreciating the plot and broader themes of this short story.  We followed the reading with a brief discussion on O. Henry's concluding sentiments of sacrifice, gifts, and wisdom.