Book of the Week

Our book of the week this week is:

 

The Little Fire Engine

 

By: Lois Lenski

 

 

So.  The Little Fire Engine is a good read, especially if you have a kid that is interested and has discovered fire engines and fire.  Which, to me, can be a good thing and a bad thing.  I like this book and the way the fire engine was described when going to an emergency of a house fire and hooking up the hose and where all the parts are on the fire engine.  All that was cool.  The part I didn't like so much was the actual putting out of the fire and the family going back in the house to get furniture as the picture showed flames coming out the windows and then the fireman telling them to move it all back in, the fire's out.  I know it is hard to explain reality to a child when it comes to the seriousness of fire.  Maybe I have a hard time tapping in to the innocent, child-like mind view of the "Yay" factor.  Maybe I get slightly thrown off at times.  It can, however, lead to other conversations to have with children about what you would do in case of a fire.  Still, the rating is theirs to give and they asked me to read it one more time after the initial reading.

 

Again, Again Rating: 6

 

 

Book of the Week

Our book of the week for this week is...

 

 

When Dinosaurs Go to School

 

By: Linda Martin

 

 

This is another book that the children have asked for multiple times during story time.  It is about a normal day of getting ready and going to school for your average dinosaur.  The pages are very colorful and full of action and illustrations of what is going on with each page read.  I could just see the kid's eyes dancing around the pages trying to take everything in before the page was turned. 

We have even gone back through the pages and I would ask them if they could find certain things like a clock, a flag or even spot the teacher.  It is funny that even at two and three year olds can spot the teacher in an instant.  It is a super cute book that these kids really enjoyed.

 

 

Again, Again Rating:  10

 

 

 



Story Time Guidelines

When I was a child, and in elementary school, I strongly remember sitting on the floor in the library as the librarian read books to us.  I'm not sure how often this actually happened in reality but in my mind it was a lot.  The librarian had a little spill that she would recite to us each time we sat down during story time to make sure she had our attention.  To this day I remember my friend Annemarie and I teasing to each other about the way she pronounced watching as wartching.  We giggled and giggled about that. 

 

Now, during story time each day, I find myself using the very same spill with the children.  It really does work.  It is like a little agreement when they first sit down that all eyes are on what is going on right in front of them.   The magic spill goes like this...

Are your hands in your lap?

Are your eyes watching?

Are your ears listening?

Are your mouths silent? (in a whisper)

 

And then the book can begin.  Little bodies are still.  Little pairs of eyes are focused on the book and the colorful pages unfolding as they listen to the story.  And most of all they are quiet so that everyone can listen to the story. 

 

I also add motion to the spill, pointing to my eyes, hand behind my ear, fingers move across my mouth in a zippy motion.  They actually love this part of story time and I catch them saying this to each other when one of them decides they are going to read to the others.  It is fantastic.

 



Book of the Week

This week, our book of the week is:

 

Little Quack

 

By: Lauren Thompson

 

This book of the week this week is one of the cutest books I think I have ever read to these kids.  It is about a Mama duck deciding that it's time for her ducklings to take to water and as she speaks so sweetly and encouragingly to her babies as they respond with fear then bravery.  I was really able to change my voice from the Mama voice to the duckling voice pretty easily so it made for an easy and fun book for me too. 

The kids have asked for this one for a couple of days in a row now which gives it a boost for the rating.

 

Again, Again Rating: 10

 

 

 

 

 

Book of the Week

This week's book is by one of my favorite children's books authors, Kevin Henkes.

The name of the book this week is:

 

"Kitten's First Full Moon"

 

By: Kevin Henkes

 

 

Children seem very curious about night and dark.  This book holds a sweet story of Kitten's First Full Moon and what she thinks the moon is. 

 

After we read this book we pulled out some black construction paper and traced circles with white chalk on the paper.  The kids enjoyed making a full moon and even made marks for stars.

(sadly, I did not take pictures of the activity part)

 

 

Again, Again Rating: 8

 

Mainly because we started the activity after the second reading.

 

 

Here are a few more books by Kevin Henkes to enjoy.



Book of the Week

This week  I am happy to say that our book of the week is:

 

"Tap Tap Bang Bang"

 

By: Emma Garcia

 

 

I have to tell you that we read this book over and over until the library almost demanded it back!  The part I like about reading a book like this is the looks on the faces of the children as they are looking at the pages listening to my book voice razzle-dazzle up the words. 

 

This book shows lots of tools, which the boys are very in to, what they do and the sounds they make.  Then the ending shows what they made with all the tools. 

Fantastic. 

 

 

Again, Again Rating: 10

 

 

I much enjoyed "Toot Toot Beep Beep" also by Emma Garcia.  Enough to where I checked with the library to see how many other books they had by her and made my requests. 

 

 



Book of the Week

Our book of the week this week is...

 

TILLIE LAYS AN EGG

 

By: Terry Golson

 

 

The kids loved when I read this book.  We have a couple of chickens here on our farm so even if they don't have them at home they are exposed to them somewhat here.  The story of Tillie Lays and Egg was just precious I thought and you just fall in love with little Tillie.  She is adventurous and seems like you would never know what to expect from her.  The faces of these kids would light up, when I would turn each page, as they hunted for the spot where Tillie had laid her egg.  So cute.

 

 

Again, Again Rating: 10

 

 

And to explain the "Again, Again Rating", when I finish reading a book during story time and at the end I say "The End", the "Again, Again Rating" comes in depending on how many times the children ask me to read it Again and  Again!