If you have not visited the library with your children, this would be a great week to do it. Check out books to read with your children and find out when the library offers story hour or other special activities for children. Help older children to discover research opportunities to help them with their homework.
Check out local library news at http://www.librarypoint.org/
Animals handle cold winter weather in a variety of ways. Some travel to a warmer climate. Others grow thicker fur coats so they can stay warm and active during the winter. Many animals hibernate during the coldest weather – they spend the warmer months eating and storing as much body fat as they can and then live off this extra weight as they sleep. Learn about hibernation as winter starts:
At the library!
Play “hibernation” – pretend to be one of the animals you have researched. Curl up and “sleep,” then wake up HUNGRY for snack time!
Which ones have you read to your children?
#1: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (1963)
#2: Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown (1947)
#3: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (1979)
#4: The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats (1962)
#5: Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems (2003)
#6: Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey (1941)
#7: Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson (1955)
#8: Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans (1939)
#9: Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag (1928)
#10: Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems (2004)
#11: The Story of Ferdinand by Monroe Leaf, ill. Robert Lawson (1936)
#12: Good Night Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann (1994)
#13: Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey (1948)
#14: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka, ill. Lane Smith(1989)
#15: Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes (1996)
#16: Owl Moon by Jane Yolen (1987)
#17: Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina (1947)
#18: In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak (1970)
#19: Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney (1982)
#20: George and Martha by James Marshall (1972)
#21: Bark, George by Jules Feiffer (1999)
#22: The Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone, ill. by Mike Smollin (1971)
#23: Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban, illustrated by Lillian Hoban (1964)
#24: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault, ill. Lois Ehlert (1989)
#25: The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton (1942)
#26: Corduroy by Donald Freeman (1976)
#27: The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter (1902)
#28: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst, ill. Ray Cruz(1972)
#29: Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig (1969)
#30: Brown, Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See? by Bill Martin Jr., ill. Eric Carle (1967)
#31: No, David by David Shannon (1998)
#32: Click Clack Moo, Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin, ill. by Betsy Lewin (2000)
#33: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi and Ron Barrett (1978)
#34: Olivia by Ian Falconer (2000)
#35: Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel, ill. Blair Lent (1968)
#36: Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka, ill. Lane Smith (1992)
#37: Eloise by Kay Thompson, ill. Hilary Knight (1955)
#38: Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion, ill. by Margaret Bloy Graham (1956)
#39: The Napping House by Audrey and Don Wood (1984)
#40: Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton (1939)
#41: The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant, ill. Stephen Gammell (1985)
#42: Curious George by H.A. Rey (1941)
#43: Tuesday by David Wiesner (1991)
#44: Strega Nona by Tomie de Paola (1975)
#45: The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg (1985)
#46: Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt (2006)
#47: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff (1985)
#48: The Big Orange Splot, by Daniel Pinkwater (1977)
#49: King Bidgood is in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood, ill. Don Wood (1985)
#50: Black and White by David Macaulay (1990)
#51: Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg (1981)
#52: Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry Allard, ill. James Marshall (1977)
#53: The Snowman by Raymond Briggs (1978)
#54: The Three Pigs by David Wiesner (2001)
#55: The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper, ill. George & Doris Hauman (1961)
#56: Frederick by Leo Lionni (1967)
#57: Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin, ill. Harry Bliss (2003)
#58: Flotsam by David Wiesner (2006)
#59: Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears (1975) by Verna Aardema, ill.Leo and Diane Dillon (1975)
#60: Chicken Soup With Rice: A Book of Months by Maurice Sendak (1962)
#61: Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers (2005)
#62: The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack (1933)
#63: Traction Man is Here!, by Mini Grey (2005)
#64: “I Can’t,” Said the Ant: A Second Book of Nonsense by Polly Cameron (1961)
#65: Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner (2003)
#66: Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann (1995)
#67: Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni (1959)
#68: The Arrival by Shaun Tan (2006)
#69: We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen, ill. Helen Oxenbury (1989)
#70: Miss Fanshawe and the Great Dragon Adventure by Sue Scullard (1986)
#71: The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch, ill by Michael Martchenko (1980)
#72: The Little Brute Family by Russell Hoban, ill. Lilian Hoban (1966)
#73: The Story of Babar, the Little Elephant (1933) by Jean de Brunhoff
#74: Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown (1942)
#75: Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss (1940)
#76: Zoom at Sea by Tim Wynne-Jones, ill. Eric Beddows (1983)
#77: The Library by Sarah Stewart, ill. David Small (1995)
#78: How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
#79: Our Animal Friends at Maple Hill Farm, by Alice and Martin Provensen (1974)
#80: The Jolly Postman: or, Other People’s Letters by Janet Ahlberg (1986)
#81: Possum Magic by Mem Fox, ill. Julie Vivas (1983)
#82: Who Needs Donuts? by Mark Alan Stamaty (1973)
#83: The Lorax by Dr. Seuss (1971)
#84: Chester’s Way by Kevin Henkes (1988)
#85: Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats (1964)
#86: Yoko by Rosemary Wells (1998)
#87: Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes (2004)
#88: Stellaluna by Janell Cannon (1993)
#89: A Hole is to Dig: A First Book of First Definitions by Ruth Krauss, ill. Maurice Sendak (1952)
#90: Not a Box by Antoinette Portis (2006)
#91: Dinosaur Bob and His Adventures With the Family Lazardo by William Joyce (1988)
#92: Swimmy by Leo Lionni (1963)
#93: The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein (1964)
#94: The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Audrey and Don Wood (1984)
#95: The Gardener by Sarah Stewart, ill. David Small (1997)
#96: The Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle (1990)
#97: Where Is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox, ill. Judy Horacek (2004)
#98: Anatole by Eve Titus (1956)
#99: Little Pea by Amy Krause Rosenthal, ill. by Jen Corace (2005)
#100: Go Away, Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley (1992)
#101: More, More, More Said the Baby: Three Love Stories by Vera B. Williams
from http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/afuse8production/2009/05/16/top-100-picture-books-poll-results-1-101/and examiner.com
Every family and culture has their own Christmas traditions. Try some of these ideas with the children:
Art Activities
Books to Read
A Fingerplay for Fun
At the library!
Look for books about animals in winter.
Watch for animals in your neighborhood. Are there more or less than in the warmer weather?
Play “hibernation” – pretend to be one of the animals you have researched. Curl up and “sleep” and then wake up HUNGRY for snack time!
The first box of 8 crayons was introduced in 1903 and by now well over a 100 billion crayons have been produced.
At the library!
1. Books about crayons
From Wax to Crayon by Michael Forman
How Is A Crayon Made? By Oz Charles
Crayons by Henry Pluckrose
2. Stories about Crayons
The Strange Blue Creature by Paul Borovsky
My Crayons Talk by Patricia Hubbard
Not in the House, Newton! By Judith Heide Gilliland
Bad Day at Riverbend by Chris Van Allsburg
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
If you have not visited the library with your children, this would be a great week to do it. Check out books to read with your children and find out when the library offers story hour or other special activities for children. Help older children to discover research opportunities to help them with their homework. The 2013 theme is COMMUNITIES MATTER at your library
Check out local library news at http://www.librarypoint.org/
Last month many people celebrated Easter and the Bunny rabbit is a universal symbol for the holiday and springtime in general. Out in the gardens, rabbits are active – watch for them from your windows and enjoy some “Funny, bunny” reading, crafts and games throughout the month.
Head for the Library and find some “Bunny Books”:
The Bionic Bunny by Marc Brown
Bunny Money by Rosemary Wells
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
Little Rabbit Foo Foo by Michael Rosen
Good Job, Oliver! by Laurel Molk
The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
Dear Peter Rabbit by Alma Flor Ada
Bunny Crafts
“Rip a Rabbit”! Cut a sheet of paper in half – plain white or pastels work fine. Have the children tear an oval shape from one half and two ears from the other half. Glue the ears to the top of the oval; use crayons to color ears, eyes and nose. Poke 3 whisker holes on either side of the nose with a toothpick and thread dry spaghetti or straws from a broomstick through the holes for whiskers. Add a cotton ball for a tail – display your bunnies around the house.
Bunny Game
I Spy a Bunny – if you have a stuffed bunny at your house “Hide” it in a different place every morning, not too difficult to find, and challenge your children to find it. After a day or two they will really look forward to this morning puzzle!
“Here’s a Bunny” finger play
Here’s a bunny, with ears so funny (hand forms head with two fingers slightly bent for ears)
And here is a hole in the ground (form a hole with the other hand)
When a noise he hears,
He perks up his ears (wiggle ears)
And jumps in the hole that he found. (bunny dives into the hole)
Rent a Winnie the Pooh movie or read one of the many books about Winnie the Pooh, Christopher Robin, Piglet, Tigger and Eeyore today! Which character is your favorite?
Gingerbread is an important part of many cultures’ holiday celebrations. The story of the Gingerbread Boy has been retold in many versions. It might be fun to make some gingerbread cookies and read the story.
Visit the Library!
Head for the Kitchen!
Make a batch of gingerbread and bake and decorate a tray of gingerbread boys. Read the story while they bake.
Stir the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture. Cover and refrigerate for one hour. Roll out on a lightly floured surface and cut out cookies. Bake on a greased cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes. Place on a rack to cool. Decorate.
