Learning about COLORS

One of the best things about being a mom is watching your littles learn new things. It is so fun to see their curiosity about the world and how fascinated they become with things I take for granted. For us this summer, it has been colors. Leo has really enjoyed learning his colors this year and LOVES to point them out wherever he finds them. He gets so excited when he discovers a flower that is yellow. Or a sign that is yellow. Or a car that is yellow. Can you tell his favorite color is yellow? Actually, it's yellow AND blue and he tells me this about every day. So you can imagine how excited I was when I stumbled upon this gem at the library one day:

Little Blue and Little Yellow
Written and Illustrated by Leo Lionni

This is a simple story about a blue dot and a yellow dot who are best friends. One day they give each other a big hug and discover that they have become green! When they return home and their parents don't recognize them, Blue and Yellow find a way to separate and then share with their parents what really happened.

The story is not life-changing. It's not really all that interesting, to be honest. But I still really like this book. My two-year-old loves it. It's been a bedtime staple since we brought it home from the library. It is all about his two favorite colors and he loves pointing out where they turn into green. I really enjoy the illustrations because they are very different from most cartoony illustrations these days. It looks like Lionni created each page by tearing shapes from construction paper. A school is made from a black rectangle with nine rough circles sitting in three rows. The pictures are crude and simplistic but I find them imaginative. And it turns out, this is just how it was created. Lionni liked to draw pictures as he told stories to his grandchildren. One time, on a long train ride, he had no drawing materials and, instead, tore out small blue and yellow circles from a magazine to tell his story. Little Blue and Little Yellow (his first book for children) was born from this experience (source). It's a cute little story and it's helped my son start learning that mixing two colors creates a new color. Ever since we read it that first night, I've been dying to do a mixing colors activity with him.

Mixing Colors: After reading this story, my toddler can tell me that blue and yellow make green; a fun extension is to provide an opportunity for him to show that they make green. You can use lots of different materials for mixing colors. Here are a few of my favorites (check out the linked blogs for a more detailed description of each activity):

• Playdough: This is a kid favorite because the possibilities are endless. Use store-bought or whip up your own, dye it the three primary colors, and let your kid explore. I'd actually start with only blue and yellow so they have a chance to figure out those two colors. Save the others for another day and a new experiment (otherwise it'll all turn into one brown mess pretty quick). 
• Translucent Plastic File Folders: Cut blue, yellow, and red plastic file folders into strips. Because they are translucent, you can lay them on top of each other to see what they become when they "hug." Older kids will have fun creating patterns and pictures. Tape them to the window for extra fun.
• Shaving Cream: Dollar store cream makes for a cheap and easy activity with a fun texture. Dye with food coloring, use ice cube trays or cupcake trays to separate colors, and let the kids mix, play, and explore as they please. * If your kids are anything like mine, this is a great activity to do outdoors or in the tub!
• Paint: I love this blogger's advice on mixing paint. Starting with just two colors is complex enough for toddlers. Let them explore and figure out how mixing works and that different amounts of each color produce different shades. She shares some great tips for different ages that I plan to use in the coming years. Alternatively, use watercolors as a medium for mixing blue and yellow. Draw a simple Venn Diagram with a sharpie and help your child recreate the book's cover by making green. 

We chose to start with shaving cream. In an effort to enjoy the last of summer, we did this activity outside. It was so much fun. My toddler loved mixing the colors together and got SO excited when he was able to make green. Using only blue and yellow kept the activity simple and made sure he was successful. Next time, we'll try mixing red and yellow to help him discover how to make orange. I love that the lessons can build on each other.

That was his special "I made green!" dance. He was so proud. Though my one-year-old is too young to really get it, she still had fun squishing the shaving cream... and then rubbing it all over her hair.

The next book is one that I heard about a few years ago from my nephew who absolutely loved it. I remembered it one day while we were at the library and brought it home hoping Leo would enjoy it as much as his cousin used to. Since then, he insisted we read it at every nap time and every bedtime for over a month. It was an instant fave and we are still reading it at least once a day:

Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes
Written by Eric Litwin
Illustrated by James Dean

This is the story of Pete, a laid-back, take-life-as-it-comes kind of guy. He starts the story in his brand new white shoes and sings a little song to tell us how much he loves them (The story is by a guitar-playing storyteller who likes to include music in his performances. To tell the story correctly, you must listen to his song so you can sing it the right way!). Unfortunately, while Pete is walking through town, he keeps stepping in things and it changes the color of his shoes. But "does Pete cry? Goodness, no!" He just keeps on walking and changes his song to match the new color of his shoes.

The book has a great rhythm and enough repetition that my toddler could start helping me "read" the story after only a few reads. He loves to shout out the new colors and sing Pete's song with me. He has been a bit reluctant to try new words, but since we've started reading Pete, he has started saying red, mud, and wet. I love that he's learning new words and I actually enjoy reading this story with him despite having read it a hundred times. The illustrations are bright and interesting and the story has a great message, too. Here's one of our new favorite games.

Pete's Color Game: In the story, Pete steps in a variety of things that change the color of his shoes. The pattern in the same throughout the book so it is familiar to my son. Sometimes I'll make up a verse for him to figure out. Example: "Oh no! Pete stepped in a pile of bananas! What color did it turn his shoes?" I usually use items around us so I can hold it up for him. He answers, "Yellow!" We'll finish the pattern and then sing Pete's song together. "I love my yellow shoes!"

This works great with my toddler. He has fun with the variety of colors and I enjoy trying to find new items for Pete to step in. If your kids are older, let them come up with something for Pete to step in. This is especially fun while out on a walk or in the grocery store where there are lots of things to look at.

James Dean has come out with several other Pete the Cat books and I'm dying to get the one about his four groovy buttons (all about numbers) to read with my little guy. Go check them out with me!

Do you have any favorite books about colors? What are your little ones learning about lately and what big things (and little things) are they discovering? Whatever it is, go find a few new books to encourage it and enjoy it with them!

The Most Magnificent Thing

The Most Magnificent Thing
Written and Illustrated by Ashley Spires

This is a charming story that I can really relate to. It's about a "regular" girl and her best friend, her dog. She is a creative, hard-working, spunky girl who likes to invent things and then build them. When she thinks up THE MOST MAGNIFICENT THING, she excitedly gets to work to make it happen. Unfortunately, it's not coming together quite like she imagined and there are several hiccups along the road. But she overcomes her feelings of defeat and finds a way to create something magnificent, even though it may not be perfect.

One of my favorite things is before the story even begins, when Spires dedicates the book to "all the little perfectionists of the world." Ya know how everything is always way harder and way more time consuming than you think it is going to be? Like I said, I can relate to this one. And I bet most kids can. But it's important to learn strategies to deal with those feelings of frustration and defeat. This is a great story to talk about what makes us feel frustrated and what we can do when we feel like quitting.

It is such a fun story and has adorable illustrations. My two-year-old loves it and I love reading it to him. It's a great bedtime story but I would absolutely use it in my classroom, too. Here are a few ideas:

Verbs: Learning and practicing parts of speech is an important part of every grade. This book is great for exploring verbs. Here in Utah, students are expected to "explain the function of verbs" in third grade (standards here). This story could be used to introduce verbs earlier than that or to review them in the later grades. There are SO MANY verbs in it. It's the thing that jumped out to me the first time I read it. This girl is always doing something. After discussing the role of verbs, ask students (individually or with partners) to make a list of all the verbs they can find in this book. Go over a page or two together first so they can see how you do it.

Writing: This story is a great inspiration story to kick-off a personal writing session. Ask students to write about a time when they had a problem and had to solve it. Or when they created something. What problems did they run into? How did they deal with them? What did they create? In fifth grade, Utah students are supposed to "write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences" (standards here). Make sure students pay attention to the event sequence. There should be a clear problem and solution. Ask them to use descriptive verbs in their story like Spires. I love that there are so many different words for "make." Sure, she spends most of the story making something. But there are so many better, descriptive, interesting words for what she is doing. The story would be a whole lot more boring without those juicy words.

Prediction: Prediction is probably the easiest comprehension strategy to practice because it can be used with almost any story! This one is fun because from the first page, we know the little girl is going to make something magnificent. Each page and picture after gives us clues to what it is, but it's not until the very last page that we find out what she has been envisioning all along. To practice, ask students: What do you think she wants to build? How will she make it? What do you think it will look like? What will she do when she starts to feel frustrated?

Experimenting: I'd love to start an experiment or project (or heck, even a math lesson) with this story to talk about how scientists and engineers often spend a lot of time and energy to find answers or make something that works. A big part of their job is to come up with a hypothesis, test their experiment, analyze the results, and then go back and tweak their experiment. It probably won't work the first time but that's okay! Making mistakes is okay. Working hard is okay. The process of trial and error is important in a lot of subjects and professions (just ask my husband, the computer programmer). Failing is a part of finding answers. Failing is valuable. It is usually through our mistakes that we recognize what is right. The girl in the story has to revisit all 14 of her "wrong" inventions, come at her problem from a different angle, and find the parts that she did right before she finally creates the magnificent thing that is just what she wanted. This is a great pattern for us to realize in our own lives. (Related side note: This made me think a lot about the great book I'm reading now called Mindset. Check it out! It's definitely worth reading!)

Are you convinced that this is a great story yet? Go read it to the little tinkerers and inventors in your life. It's got a great message, subtle humor, and a magnificent story!

Wonder

Wonder
Written by R. J. Palacio
Ages 8-12

Auggie Pullman is about to start 5th grade at a new school, his first school, actually. He has been home schooled his whole life because he was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a normal school. But he is a normal kid in every other way. Convincing all the other kids of that, however, will be a challenge. This heartwarming realistic fiction takes a look at how powerful kindness can be and how much we can each learn and grow from our trials.

I really enjoyed this story. It is a quick read but provides a lot of depth. It actually made me really wish I had a class of my own so I could share it with them. It is funny, relatable, and tackles some big issues like bullying and empathy. It is definitely worth a read and, if you are so lucky as to have a class of your own, worth sharing! Here are a few ideas on how to use it:

Read Aloud
My first thought was that this would be an AMAZING read aloud story. It is full of big important lessons that every teacher and parent wants their children to learn. There are lots of great talking points and interesting subjects to discuss with a class. I would especially use this at the beginning of the year when everyone is trying to figure out who they are going to be and how to act around others. Even if everyone has been in the school for years, the beginning of a new school year is a fresh start and everyone feels kind of new. Some things to discuss:

• Kindness: One of Auggie's teachers challenges the kids, "When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind." I love how the quote emphasizes that kindness is a choice. Each of us is capable of choosing to be kind and each of us deserves to be respected by others. Some of the kids in the story were probably afraid to be kind to Auggie because they didn't know how others would react. But they missed out on all the good things that come from being kind. How are Summer and Julian different? How are Summer and Charlotte different? Choosing to be kind can be more than not being mean. It can be more than just being nice. Let students share experiences when others were kind to them and when they were kind to someone else. What happened? How did they feel? One of my favorite things in my 5th grade class was a spotlight jar where students got to highlight the good deeds they saw happening in the classroom. Fostering an environment of kindness and friendship is so important to helping students grow.
• Empathy: One of the strengths of this story is that it is told through several different perspectives. Many characters get to speak to us and we learn a lot about each of them through their own words and thoughts. Since we are kind of stuck in our own minds and only see the world through our own eyes, it is helpful to remember that other people see the world differently. They each have their own problems, difficulties, and concerns. Auggie is so wrapped up in his experiences at school that he doesn't always understand why Via is upset. Via sees the changes making Miranda popular but doesn't understand the problems making her so sad. We often don't see the trials people hide but we all have them. Recognizing that everyone has good things and bad things going on in their life might help us choose to be kind a little more often.
• Bullying: Unfortunately, I don't think bullying will ever go away. It will always be something children (and adults) have to face at some time in some form. Along with kindness and empathy, I believe it would be helpful to discuss how the kids in the story hurt Auggie. Only one time does a bully physically hurt him, but there are many times that he is hurt. How do the kids hurt him with words? How do they hurt him with the things they don't do? What things can your students do to prevent that kind of bullying in their school?

Voice
I love that this story is told from the perspective of several different characters. As a reader, I get more than one perspective on events from the school year which is helpful in seeing the whole picture. And it is done very well! Palacio carefully considers the voice of the character narrating and his or her personality certainly shines through the writing. Some of the "background" characters that we might not really get to know get to speak to us in their chapters with their own quirks about their own concerns. Some, like Justin, even use their own teenage, casual, too-cool-for-capitals writing style. I remember our fifth grade class working a lot on the Six Traits of Writing (and I'm sure this starts in the younger grades). Voice can be a tricky one to show because it is kind of abstract. Wonder is a great example of Voice that can really help young students grasp what it means and start thinking about their own voice.

After talking about Voice and how it is used in this novel, I would want my students to practice. As an exercise, ask students to write about a personal experience from someone else's perspective. Preferably, this would be an event or story that they've already written about (possibly in their journal). They will have to think about the other person's personality, feelings, and opinions. How do they talk? What kinds of words do they use? This would be a fun opportunity to buddy up and share the two versions with a partner who can help identify the differences in voice.

Alternatively, ask the students to write a new chapter for Wonder from the perspective of someone else in the story. There are still many characters we don't hear from that would be really interesting to read. A few options would be Auggie's mom, Charlotte, Mr. Tushman, Miles or Henry. There are lots of new perspectives waiting to be explored.

Mr. Tushman (the principal at Auggie's school) knows there is something special about this fifth grade age. He tells them that this moment in their lives moves him, "because you're at the cusp, kids. You're at the edge between childhood and everything that comes after. You're in transition" (p. 299). We need more stories like Wonder to help inspire our children in that transition to be better, to try to understand others, and to choose kindness.

*Bonus! Here's a link to a great article with lots of stories and behind the scenes from Palacio. If you've read the book, you'll especially find it interesting!

LMNO Peas

LMNO Peas
Written and Illustrated by Keith Baker

From acrobats, artists, and astronauts all the way to zoologists, the little green peas in this story introduce themselves one letter at a time. The big, bright letters on each page are accompanied by cute round peas with arms, legs, and costumes that show us what they do best. It's filled with alliteration (which I love!) and great rhyming and rhythm that bounces through the pages.

This is a unique book that shows off some words you don't find in a typical ABC book for children - words like electricians, investigators, and parachutists. There is a wide variety of jobs, hobbies, and interests included, so everyone can find something with which they identify. It's snappy, fun to read, and more interesting than many of the other ABC books I have read to my little guy. Though he's not quite old enough to recite his ABCs yet, it won't be long until he can appreciate this one more fully!

Fun Fact! I learned a new word while looking up some info and pictures for this book! It's a cool one too: An abecedarian (noun, pronounced ay-bee-see-dair-ee-uhn) is a person who is learning the alphabet, or a beginner in any field of learning. It can also be an adjective describing something pertaining to the alphabet or something arranged in alphabetical order. For example, "This abecedarian book shows little green peas doing a variety of jobs to help abecedarians practice each letter of the alphabet."

This would be a great story to share with a classroom! Although its target audience is probably the younger grades, I had a few fun ideas for activities to help you use it in both younger and older elementary grades that I think all will enjoy.

First Day of School (older grades)
After introducing themselves, the story ends with the peas asking, "Who are you?" I was always looking for fun new ways to get students to introduce themselves during the first week of school. I love that the peas in this story introduce so many different roles. There are very specialized occupations like farmers and vets, but there are also many everyday activities, like listeners and readers, that many of us would use to describe ourselves. It would be so fun to see what the kids could come up with to describe themselves. Ask them to list the alphabet vertically on a piece of paper and give them enough time to think through each letter of the alphabet and come up with at least one role for each letter that describes them. They can be as serious as "painters" or as silly as "gigglers." Encourage them to be creative!

Jobs (younger grades)
Younger elementary grades often spend time discussing different roles of members in a community. In Utah, I know first graders identify roles of people in school and in the neighborhood. LMNO Peas can be a fun book to use in a lesson about identifying jobs. As you reread the story with the class, ask them which of these roles they can find in school? Which can be found in their community? Are any of them found in both? You could also make a class list of jobs not included in the book. I'm sure the students will have lots of ideas to contribute to your list.

Career Day
If you have a career day in your classroom, this would be a great story to share with them on that day or as an introduction to the special day. Invite students to dress up in the "uniform" of whatever they want to be when they grow up. Each student could draw his own picture of a pea as someone that he wants to become (or assign each student a different letter of the alphabet and ask them to illustrate one job for that letter). I love the diversity of jobs in the book and the idea of exposing students to careers they've never considered.

If you enjoy this one, be sure to check out Baker's other pea-inspired stories, 1-2-3 Peas (all about numbers) and Little Green Peas (all about colors).

Hoot

Hoot
Written by Carl Hiaasen
Ages: 10-14

Roy Eberhardt just moved to Coconut Cove, Florida. He doesn't have any close friends in his new middle school, but he does have a bully. While trying to stand up for himself without getting beat up too badly, Roy becomes captivated with a mysterious, barefooted boy he sees running by the school bus one day. When Roy meets the mysterious boy and his bully-defeating sister Beatrice, the unlikely group of friends tries to stop Mother Paula's All-American Pancake House from building a new restaurant in Coconut Cove. The new restaurant would destroy a colony of borrowing owls, so Roy battles with issues of right and wrong and he tries to figure out what to do.

This is a fun story filled with interesting characters (both children and adults) that I think children will enjoy. Though I didn't love the book, it was enjoyable and there are several reasons I would keep this one in my classroom. There are so many things about the story that children can relate to that finding connections will likely be easy for any student. It connects well with curriculum taught in the classroom, so it would make a great literature circle novel, class novel, or read aloud. Hiaasen includes lots of humor in his story and provides enough mystery that kids will enjoy reading and want to keep reading to find out what happens. Here are a few ways you could use it in the classroom:

Science
There are several cross-curriculum connections between this book and science. It's a great one for connecting with the science content I taught in a 4th grade Utah classroom, and I would suppose the core standards are similar for 4th-graders in other states (they are in Pennsylvania!). While I wouldn't use the novel to teach the content, it provides a great support to concepts that have been taught. Here are some things I would want to connect the novel to:

• Animal classification: There are quite a few animals mentioned and described in Hoot. My 4th graders and I spent a lot of time talking about and looking at the different classifications of animals (amphibians, reptiles, mammals, etc), so this would be a fun way to review those classifications by identifying the groups of the animals mentioned in the book. Some of the animals in Hoot are burrowing owls, osprey, tarpons, white herons, alligators, blue crabs, mullet, and cottonmouth water moccasins.
• Environment: We also spent a good chunk of time learning about the desert environment of Utah and the plants and animals that exist in that climate. Hoot is set in Florida, which has a very different climate than Utah. It would be fun to compare and contrast the two environments (or wherever you teach) and identify which type of environment is found in Florida.
• Plant and animal adaptations (or characteristics that plants and animals have that help them survive in their environment) were a fun part of the 4th grade curriculum. While reading, I would review this concept with the class and talk about some of the adaptations of the animals found in Hoot, such as Borrowing Owls.
• Changes in habitat: A big theme of the story is how the building of a new business will affect the habitat of Burrowing Owls. I would definitely use this to ask students to predict how the changes proposed in the book would affect the animals and how the animals might react if they are made. 

Persuasive Writing

While this was a really big deal for the 5th graders in Utah, we started learning about and practicing persuasive writing in 4th grade, too. This is a fun novel to connect to writing because it brings up a great topic students can think about and respond to. Here are a few ideas:

• Discuss how Mullet Fingers, Beatrice, and Roy tried to persuade Mother Paula's to stop building a new pancake house on the empty property. List the things they tried. Why do you think those things worked or didn't work?
• Choose a side: Do you think Mother Paula's should be allowed to build a new pancake house? Write a 5-paragraph essay to express your opinion and convince your reader to agree with you.
• *We expected our 5th-graders to write a well-thought out five paragraph essay to back up their position. Depending on the age you teach, that can be adapted. Younger students may be asked to make a list of reasons they think one way or the other. 

I would definitely keep this one in mind and put it on a list of recommended books for students. Whether used with the whole class or read by an individual, I think any student will get a "hoot" out of this one!

A Home for Bird

A Home for Bird
Written and illustrated by Philip C. Stead
Winner of the Cybils Award for Fiction Picture Book published in 2012

Vernon is a very friendly toad who meets a new friend, Bird, while foraging for interesting things. After showing Bird around and introducing him to his friends, Bird remains silent. Vernon becomes worried that Bird is sad and misses his home. A loyal friend, Vernon goes on a quest to help Bird find his home in order to make him happy.

This is an incredibly cute story! Vernon is a thoughtful, patient friend who tries so hard to help his new friend. The illustrations are great - what looks like a combination of crayon and watercolor. They help bring out the subtle humor of the story, showing us that Bird is actually made of wood (though Vernon doesn't seem to notice). I loved seeing how Vernon interpreted all the moments of Bird's silence as positive personality traits. The story is not complicated but has a perfectly happy ending. It is a fun read and I have no doubt you will enjoy it.

This would be a fun story to use in the classroom. It would be a great, quick read aloud for younger grades, but can be used for older grades as well. I love using picture books when introducing and practicing reading comprehension strategies. Because they are short and simple, students can practice a particular skill on the whole book within a single lesson. They are engaging and interesting and require no background knowledge of the story. This book would be great to use in a lesson to practice questioning or making inferences.

Questioning: Good readers ask themselves questions while they read to clarify and better understand the text they are reading. I really like the QAR (Question-Answer Relationship) strategy for asking and answering questions based on differing amounts of explicit information. It is a good guide to helping students think about different kinds of questions and the application of what they are reading. Let's review the four parts of the QAR strategy with examples from this book:

• Right There: These are questions that have a single answer written explicitly in the text. You can point to the answer. 
• Example: What was Vernon doing when he found Bird? Answer: He was foraging, or searching, for interesting things.
• Think and Search: The answer to this question can also be found explicitly in the text, but is usually found in more than one spot. 
• Example: Why does Vernon think Bird is shy? Answer: Bird does not say anything when Vernon introduces him to his friends.
• Author and You: Readers must use their prior knowledge AND information in the text to answer the question.
• Example: Why do you think Vernon was sad during his journey? Answer: He was probably sad because he really wanted to help Bird find his home, but nothing seemed to be working. I get sad when I'm trying to help someone but cannot.
• On Your Own: These questions are answered based on a reader's prior knowledge and experience. Though they are related to the story, reading the text is not essential to answering these questions. 
• Example: How do you feel when you help a friend? Answer: I feel happy and proud of myself because my friend is happy, too.

Making Inferences: Good readers make inferences to "read between the lines." They use background information and clues in the story to understand what the author means even if he doesn't say something explicitly. This can be a difficult strategy for students and they need to see it and practice it many times in order to become comfortable doing it. I like to break it into three parts (and provide graphic organizers for the students): 1)The author says, 2) and I know, 3) so I can infer... This story provides several opportunities to practice inferring. Here are some examples I found in this story:

          The author says: Vernon thinks Bird is a good listener.
          I know: I like to be friends with people who listen to me.
          So I can infer: Vernon thinks Bird is his friend.

          The author says: Vernon was sad.
          I know: I feel sad when I am trying to do something but it is not
          working.
          So I can infer: Vernon is sad because he doesn't feel like he's helping
          his friend.

          The author says: Vernon thinks Bird is very brave when they use a
          balloon to fly.
          I know: I would probably scream if I was flying away with a balloon.
          So I can infer: Vernon thinks that Bird is brave because he isn't acting
          scared.

There are a lot of places students can make inferences about what Vernon is thinking and why he does what he does. The pictures also create many clues that can be used to infer. I would probably use this story to model making inferences or to practice with students during a lesson by asking them questions. They probably made many inferences naturally without thinking much about it. Students can also practice making predictions which is a type of inference. They use clues to make their best guess about what will happen. There are several opportunities for students to make predictions throughout the story as well.

Whether as a tool in the classroom or as a fun bedtime story, go find this book at your library! It is a cute story about friendship and has a really fun ending.

One Special Day

One Special Day
Written by Lola M. Schaefer
Illustrated by Jessica Meserve

"Does having a new brother or sister make you into more than you already are?"

This beautiful story for big brothers and big sisters shows how Spencer is strong, funny, and fast. But when a new little someone comes into his life, he becomes a big brother, too. I love that this story shows how even though he has a new role, Spencer stays the same little boy he always was. He can be all the things that he already was AND he can be new things, too. All of us are many different things and this is a great book to share with our little ones to help them see all the things that they are too.

This is a fun story for small children because of it's familiar pattern and predictable text. Each page shares a new attribute of Spencer's personality ("He was strong-") with a picture of him playing outside and showing that attribute somehow. When you turn the page, the sentence is completed with a short phrase and a picture of an animal that embodies that attribute as well ("strong as a" bear). Children can guess what animal will be shown on each page and then figure it out as they observe the picture on the next page. After a few readings, they will be able to predict which animal will appear next.

One Special Day can be used in the classroom to help students learn about similes. After introducing the idea and definition, students can help identify the similes in the story. As a follow-up activity, it would be fun to let students create a poster with similes to describe themselves. What characteristics (and animals/objects that share those characteristics) would they use to show who they are?

I think one of my favorite things about this book, though, is the illustration. Each page is bold, with strong lines and vibrant colors. Spencer is an adorable, messy-haired boy with simple, but expressive, features. The animals are cute and fun, showing just as much personality as Spencer. The illustrations add so much to this sweet story. My favorite picture is at the very end of the book, where the two sweet children are lying next to each other. I can't wait to see my own little ones cuddling like this.

I love this one too, but it isn't the picture I said is my favorite. You'll have to check out the book to see that one. 

There are a lot of "new baby" books out there. While many of them cover possible jealousy or attention issues, this is a sweet, refreshing story that focuses on the loving excitement of new older siblings. There's a time to be wild and a time to be gentle and kids need to know that they can be both. I definitely recommend sharing this one with your favorite little ones!

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Where the Sidewalk Ends
Written and Illustrated by Shel Silverstein

Okay, obviously this is a classic. It's been around for decades and just never gets old. This book is chock full of fun, silly, sentimental, entertaining poems that children and adults can enjoy. My husband and I started reading a few poems each night this month to our one-year-old as part of our bedtime routine. We just finished all of them and I'm sad it's over! While I'm not sure our little guy picked up on the subtle hilarity of Silverstein's poems, we sure got a kick out of rereading all of our favorites and I have no doubt he will learn to love them soon. I definitely recommend rereading this one with your kids or even by yourself (because I'm sure you've all read it at least once already, right?).

I also enjoyed sharing a few of my favorites with my class during a poetry unit when I was teaching in an elementary school. There are lots of fun activities you can do with his poems, but I chose just two poems to talk about here.

"What's in the Sack?"

        What's in the sack? What's in the sack?
        Is it some mushrooms or is it the moon?
        Is it love letters or downy goosefeathers?
        Or maybe the world's most enormous balloon?

Accompanied by a picture of a solemn man carrying a ginormous sack, the poem continues with all the silly and random things that people suppose he is carrying around on his back. With a fun subject, kids would have fun adding stanzas to this poem. This would be a great practicing lesson after having introduced rhyme schemes to a class. After students are familiar with a few basic rhyme schemes such as AABB, ABAB, and ABCB, students should be able to identify the scheme in this poem. Then, they can create a new stanza for the poem using the ABCB pattern in Silverstein's poem. This is a fun one to use because the man could be carrying just about anything in that sack, so children can be really creative. They need only come up with 3-4 possibilities and rhyme two of the objects (the second and fourth lines). Advanced students could be challenged to create multiple stanzas or think about the number of syllables in each line to make sure their poem flows the way Silverstein's does.

When the activity is finished, you will have to let students read their poems, because I'm sure they will be dying to share their silly ideas!

A real life man traveling with a giant sack! 

"Invisible Boy"

        And here we see the invisible boy
        In his lovely invisible house,
        Feeding a piece of invisible cheese
        To a little invisible mouse.
        Oh, what a beautiful picture to see!
        Will you draw an invisible picture for me?

The only picture for this poem is an empty white box. I love the idea of the invisible boy because it opens the door to imagination. All creative writing is using our imagination to create an image or a story, but the invisible boy helps to provide a bit of structure to this vague idea for children. Since we cannot just watch the invisible boy to see what he is doing (like passively watching a movie), we must use words (the more descriptive the better) to create the scene for our reader. He can do just about anything just about anywhere, but it is up to them to "draw an invisible picture" using words.

Showing versus telling can be a difficult skill to learn and takes a lot of practice. Depending on the age and ability of your kids, this activity might best be done as a creative writing prompt rather than a poetry prompt. Using the idea of the invisible boy (or girl), students can write a story about their character, the setting, and what their character is doing. Encourage students to give as many details as they can to help us see their picture just as they see it. One of my favorite activities to do during revising is to have students share their writing with another student. Afterward, the partner must ask the writer a question about his writing, such as, "While reading about _____, I was wondering, ______." This activity would be a great way to help students find things in their invisible story they can describe in more detail. While sharing stories at the end of the lesson, it might be fun to let the listening students actually draw a picture of the author's story as she reads.

And just in case you were wondering, a few of my personal favorite poems are "Boa Constrictor," "Sick," "Smart," and "Colors." What are yours?

The Tale of Despereaux

The Tale of Despereaux: Being the story of a mouse, a princess, some soup, and a spool of thread
Written by Kate DiCamillo
Ages: 8-12

"Stories are light. Light is precious in a world so dark. Begin at the beginning. Tell [me] a story. Make some light."

This is a charming story about a small mouse with big floppy ears who just doesn't seem to fit in with his family or the whole mouse community, for that matter. He is not interested in scrounging for every last crumb or in quietly scurrying around the castle in which he lives. Despereaux likes to spend his time reading stories about a beautiful princess, listening to music, and talking with humans! His tale is one that will cause him to meet an interesting cast of characters and force him to be braver than he ever thought possible in order to save someone he loves.

DiCamillo is a wonderful author and she did not disappoint with this delightful novel, which won the Newbery Medal in 2004. It is beautifully written, engaging, and finishes with a happy ending. Though it is written for children, it does not feel childish. The characters are interesting and complex, each struggling with his or her own wishes and reality. One of my favorite things about the story, however, is the lesson it teaches about the importance of our choices. Using symbols of light and darkness, the characters reveal how their choices, not their circumstances, define who they are. The best stories have good lessons and make you feel good, too. Despereaux is the hero of such a story.

Here are a few ideas on how you could use this novel in your classroom or home.

Read Aloud: This would be an excellent book to read aloud to a class. It is very engaging, has fun characters, and would be great to discuss with a class. The best part? It is filled with lots of short chapters! Short chapters make it easy to stay within your allotted time for read aloud or great for filling just a few minutes when transitioning to a new activity. Seriously, students will love this book.

Small group (or book clubs): Students would enjoy using this book in a small group as well. It provides great support to its readers, helping them identify important vocabulary that may be new and even posing a few questions to think about. After using the word, the author asks us, "Reader, do you know what 'perfidy' means? I have a feeling you do, based on the little scene that has just unfolded here. But you should look up the word in your dictionary, just to be sure." She similarly defines or talks about vocabulary in several other places (though it is not so much that it is tiring). There are plenty of opportunities for students to visualize, make connections, ask questions, and discuss important ideas. It is a story that is easy to understand but provides a lot of depth that students can enjoy.

Choice and Accountability: This is a great story for facilitating a discussion with students about the power of their choices. The two main characters, Despereaux and Chiaroscuro, are born into families in which they just don't feel like they fit in. Both are drawn to light but find themselves rejected and left to darkness where they must choose how they will react. One reacts with bravery, choosing to define himself through love. The other chooses revenge. Children can compare and contrast these characters to see how their choices affected them and those around them. We, too, face difficult and sometimes heart-breaking situations, but we still get to choose how we react and how we define ourselves.

Voice (writing): One of the most charming elements of this book is the author's voice. When I taught in Utah, I know my 5th graders were heavily exposed to the six traits of writing. Voice is the trait that shows the personality of the writer, making it feel like there is someone talking to you. This is a great novel for showing an example of strong voice. The author actually DOES talk to you. On page 111 she tells us, "Reader, in the spirit of honesty, I must utter a difficult and unsavory truth: Rats are not beautiful creatures. They are not even cute. They are, really, rather nasty beasts." DiCamillo feels like your friend and your guide, navigating you through the story. It really feels like she is sharing this story with you. Voice, of course, does not have to be so explicit, but hers is a fun one to help introduce the concept.

Writing: DiCamillo has shared the story behind her story of Despereaux (I found it in the description of the author in the back of the novel). Her son's best friend asked her to write a story about an unlikely hero, one with exceptionally large ears. This is the tale she created about that unlikely hero. I love the idea of an unlikely hero. Not a Superman or a James Bond. A simple, relatable character who finds out how to be a hero. In a fun lesson about characters, students could create their own unlikely hero. They would have to describe the character's appearance (and draw a picture, of course), his or her attributes, strengths, weaknesses, desires, and come up with a name. They would then need to write a short explanation of what makes their character a hero. This could be turned into a longer project where students create a setting, problem, events, and resolution for their character as well. I'm sure they'll all be excited to create a life for their hero.

This one will not disappoint! I wholeheartedly recommend reading about Despereaux with your class or family.

Van Gogh and the Sunflowers

Van Gogh and the Sunflowers
Written and illustrated by Laurence Anholt

When 11-year Camille meets a strange painter that moves onto his street, they quickly becomes friends. He loves watching the painter, Vincent van Gogh, create beautiful pictures of sunflowers and fields. The rest of the town, however, does not appreciate his work and forces him to leave. Camille struggles when he sees others being so mean to his friend. This is a charming story about van Gogh's life while teaching us about accepting those that are different.

This was a really cute story. It caught my eye in the library because I’ve always had a thing for van Gogh, but when I found out the story takes place while he lived in the south of France, I was sold. This is part of a series by British author and illustrator Laurence Anholt who teaches about famous artists and the real children that knew them. It’s a fun way to learn more about the artists, see some of their work, and learn about important virtues through a relatable story.

Though I’ve always been drawn to van Gogh’s work, I am no expert. After reading the story, I wanted to know what in the book was true and what was fabricated to make a good story. For instance, after Camille befriends the strange new artist, Vincent paints a portrait for each member of Camille’s family. It turns out that this really did happen. Camille’s dad, a postman named Joseph Roulin, actually became a good friend to Vincent when he moved to Arles (in southern France) in 1888. He usually had trouble finding models to paint, so Vincent was very pleased that the entire Roulin family sat for him. Each member ended up sitting for him several times and, in exchange, Vincent gave the family a portrait of each family member.

I loved that Anholt included so many of Vincent’s masterpieces in the story as well. The yellow house shown in the story really was where Vincent lived during his time in Arles. It was also here that he painted his famous sunflower paintings and bedroom. It was not, however, where he painted Starry Night. That one was actually painted while he was in an asylum in Saint-Rémy. Interestingly, he didn’t even paint it at night. Instead, he painted it during the day from memory. It doesn’t bother me that he included it in the book though. It is probably his most well-known piece and the story wouldn’t feel complete without it.

“I long so much to make beautiful things. But beautiful things require effort—and disappointment and perseverance.”

There was something else in the picture of Vincent painting Starry Night that caught my eye. Looking out onto the small town at night, he is wearing a straw hat with several candles balancing on its brim so that he could see. It seems like a cute anecdote so I wanted to find out if it was true. I wasn’t able to find a definite answer, but I think it is just a van Gogh myth. Though several internet sources document this as a fact, I couldn’t find where the story originated. Most of what we know about van Gogh comes from letters that he wrote to friends and family. While there is nothing about painting by candlelight, he did tell his brother that he painted "the starry sky at last, actually painted at night, under a gas-lamp." He is talking about a similar starry painting called Starry Night Over the Rhone. While the candles make for a good story, I don’t think it actually happened.

Lastly, it is true that many of the people in Arles did not appreciate his art or want him in their town. He finally left Arles after a petition from 30 townspeople calling him a “fou roux” (red-headed madman) was given to the police. Vincent committed himself to the asylum in Saint- Rémy only two months later. He was undoubtedly rejected and unappreciated by most he met during his life.

Students will recognize many pices of this painting in Anholt's story.

Phew. That was a lot of background, but I do also have a few fun ideas on how to use this story to teach.

Bullying: Vincent van Gogh is a great example of someone who was not admired or even liked but that was very talented. He only sold one painting during his life but is now one of the most recognizable artists of all time. Camille looked past his oddities and saw that the stranger actually had many things to teach us. This would be a great story to help address issues of acceptance and kindness.

Writing Letters: Most of the information we know about van Gogh and the Roulin family comes from letters that he wrote to his brother Theo. It would be fun to connect this story to a lesson on letter writing and format. Students could then write a letter like Vincent to a friend or family member to tell them about something going on in their life. Or, students could write a letter to Vincent to tell him what they think about his artwork. This would also be a fun way to help teach students about primary documents.

“I am always doing what I cannot do yet, 

in order to learn how to do it.” 

Creative Writing: When you see a portrait for the first time, you usually don’t know who the person is or why the artist painted them. But there is always a story behind the picture. I loved this book because the reader gets to actually learn about Camille, the boy in the painting, and imagine what a day in his life was like. A painting would be a great source of writing inspiration. Students are incredibly creative and would have a great time imagining who the person in a new painting is, how they knew the artist, or why the artist chose to paint them. Van Gogh has several other portraits that could be used for this activity.

Music/Poetry: The song “Starry Starry Night” by Don McLean provides a wonderful opportunity for a cross-curriculum lesson. The song contains a lot of imagery that connects to van Gogh’s life and several of his works. Used with the book, this could make a fun introduction to the artist’s life. It would also be great at the end of a van Gogh unit where students can use their knowledge of his life and paintings to find meaning in McLean’s song. There is an awesome website that could be used for such a lesson here.

“For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.”

Art: There are obviously many different art lessons to teach when studying van Gogh. I would love to use his work to teach students about Impressionism, contrast, movement, and color. Colors hold a lot of symbolism and even young children will relate certain colors with certain feelings. Van Gogh once wrote, “There is no blue without yellow and without orange.” I would love discuss the meaning of this quote, both in art and in life. Even though Vincent faced rejection and depression during his life, he was still able to find the sunflower and stars. He has made a huge impact in the world of art and this book would be a great introduction to his life and talent.

I would absolutely recommend this book and this series. Laurence Anholt crams so much history and art in his short stories and does a fabulous job of making artists relatable. They are great for teaching art, connect to many other disciplines, and inspire learning.

“If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’
then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.”

Sources: 

Camille

Joseph

Augustine

Armand

Marcelle

Yellow House

Vincent's Room

Arles landscape

Sunflowers

Starry Starry Night

van Gogh self portrait

The Hair of Zoe Fleefenbacher Goes to School

The Hair of Zoe Fleefenbacher Goes to School
Written by Laurie Halse Anderson
Illustrated by Ard Hoyt
Picture Book

This is a darling story about Zoe Fleefenbacher, a spunky first grader with wild red hair that has a life of its own. No, really. Her hair can change the channel, pet the cat, and take out the trash. Though her crazy hair is loved by her parents and friends, Zoe’s no-nonsense first grade teacher is not so excited about having it in her classroom. This is such a fun story about working together and finding solutions. This is a great one to use just for fun, but there are several other ways to use it in a classroom. Here are a few ideas:

Classroom Discussion: I would love to use this story at the beginning of the school year. Students (and teachers) are often apprehensive about their new class. They have to learn new rules, new expectations, and a new teacher. This silly story can help break the ice and open discussion on how students can work together with the teacher to create the best learning environment. This would be a great time to talk about how the “strict” teacher was not trying to torture Zoe, but she simply wanted to create a classroom where everyone would be able to learn. Once Zoe’s hair got on board with that goal, the problem was solved. I am a big supporter of letting the class help come up with classroom expectations. When they become a part of the creation of rules, students have a greater desire to follow them. Even the “hairy” students (pun intended) tend to respect expectations that they helped create.

Making Connections: Even though this story is quite fantastical, its very relatable setting makes it a great one for connections. Sometimes it’s helpful to encourage thinking by asking questions and having a student explain or share. Some questions to promote Text-to-Self connections might be: Can you relate to how Zoe’s parents love her odd hair? Have you felt comfortable in a class the way Zoe did in kindergarten? Can you relate to having a strict new teacher? Have you ever been punished for something you didn’t think was your fault? Have you ever felt misunderstood?

Visualizing: What a fun story to visualize! There are so many fun images in this story. I can guarantee that every elementary student would LOVE a chance to draw you a picture of what Zoe’s hair can do. I love descriptions that show how her hair “went on forever,” could do several tasks “all at the same time,” and finally “exploded into the classroom.” Just about every page describes how her hair looks or something it could do. I love using a book as a read aloud and letting the students draw what they visualized before I show them the illustrator’s version in the book.

Onomatopoeia: This would be a really fun book to use to introduce the concept of onomatopoeia. There are several examples in the story that students could identify and easily demonstrate. After discussing the definition and several examples, I might have students look for examples in a book they are reading on their own. They could also incorporate them into a story they are writing or create a comic to use them.

I definitely recommend picking this one up at your next library visit. It's a fun one you and your kids will love.