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

Our book of the week is called:

 

"Sitting in My Box"

 

By: Dee Lillegard

 

 

This is a book that I checked out last Fall, from the library, that remains one of our favorites.  The children listening intently as I read about a little boy who gathered up a book and got inside his cardboard box to be along and read.  To his surprise the box quickly filled.  The book ends with the boy saying "sitting in my box, just me."  This line hit one of the three year old boys here.  I have watched him many times take a book from our book shelf and sit down alone in the playroom somewhere to read.    I have even heard him say "just me."  It makes me smile when a book impacts a child in some way.

 

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.