by James W. Hackett
The grasshopper springs,
and catches the summer wind
with his outstretched wings.
from The Beauty of the Beast: Poems from the Animal Kingdom, selected by Jack Prelutsky, illustrated by Meilo So, 1997, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Monday, June 17, 2013
FISH (Monday Poem)
by Mary Ann Hoberman
Look at them flit
Lickety-split
Wiggling
Swiggling
Swerving
Curving
Hurrying
Scurrying
Chasing
Racing
Whizzing
Whisking
Flying
Frisking
Tearing around
With a leap and a bound
But none of them making the tiniest
tiniest
tiniest
tiniest
sound.
from The Beauty of the Beast: Poems from the Animal Kingdom, selected by Jack Prelutsky, illustrated by Meilo So, 1997, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
Look at them flit
Lickety-split
Wiggling
Swiggling
Swerving
Curving
Hurrying
Scurrying
Chasing
Racing
Whizzing
Whisking
Flying
Frisking
Tearing around
With a leap and a bound
But none of them making the tiniest
tiniest
tiniest
tiniest
sound.
from The Beauty of the Beast: Poems from the Animal Kingdom, selected by Jack Prelutsky, illustrated by Meilo So, 1997, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Favorite Folktales (FAMILY magazine reviews)
As summer begins there are many activities you and your child will plan
to do. You will likely want a variety of active and quiet choices to
share. Reading is among the
chances to spend time together.
Here are several ways to prepare for reading time.
· Look for books you
and your child are interested in at garage sales, flea markets, used book
stores, and local library book sales
· Find a cardboard
box to decorate together, or a basket, a small bookshelf, or a low shelf where
your child can safely keep his books
· Pick a special
place at home where your child can look for her books herself
· Visit the
children’s section in your local library; public, school or church/synagogue/mosque. Read books there and choose several
books to borrow and take home to read.
These can be kept in the space you have prepared together.
· Suggest to family
members and friends that books are a terrific gift idea for your child’s
birthday and other occasions
· Add books you make
with your child to the place you have set aside for your home library
When you collect, borrow, purchase and read books as a part of your
family life, you communicate to your child that books are interesting,
important, and fun!
Below is a selection of folk tales and retellings of familiar stories
with a new twist. You and your
child may want to write a variation of one of your favorites. Try it!
Three Ninja Pigs by Corey Rosen
Schwartz
illustrated by Dan Santat
Putnam, $16.99 (hardcover)
Interest Level: Kindergarten – Grade 2
(This
book is available to purchase from Books and Books online)
In
this fractured version of The Three
Little Pigs, the Japanese porkers go to Ninja school to learn aikido,
jujitsu, and karate. Confident, the
first two end training early. This
leaves them open to attack by the wolf.
He chases them to the house of their sister – who has kept on – and
earned her black belt. She displays
her skill, frightening the wolf, who escapes. Newly determined, the brothers successfully finish their
training and the three set up their own dojo.
Using
Sumi brushwork on rice paper, the artist completes his work in Photoshop. His skills as a Disney animator are
evident in matching his full color, double page action packed illustrations
with the smartly crafted rhyming verse. At the end is a glossary of martial
arts terms.
Miss Sally Ann and
the Panther retold by Bobbi Miller
illustrated by Megan Lloyd
Holiday House, $16.95 (hardcover)
Interest Level: Junior Kindergarten – Grade 3
(This book is available to
purchase from Books and Books online)
Miss
Sally Ann is a frontier wonder woman – she can rope a hurricane, blow out the
moonlight, and she’s a great one for adventure. Her best one is a meet up with giant Fireeyes, the “mean-as-tarnation”
panther. Each notices the other’s
fine coat and wants it to keep warm in winter. They wrestle through day and night, and into the next
morning. When they finally stop fighting long enough to become “great and
glorious friends” - because they have more to gain by working together – the
ending is a win for both.
Tall-tale
teller Miller uses exciting words – like thunderferous, terrifiacious, conbobberation
– to delight young readers and adults alike.
Tortuga in Trouble by Ann Whitford
Paul
illustrated by Ethan Long
Holiday House, $16.95 (hardcover)
Interest Level: Kindergarten – Grade 2
This book is available to borrow at the Miami Dade Library; Main Branch,
Little River, Miami Lakes, North Dade Regional)
Tortuga’s
(turtle) friends, Conejo (rabbit), Culebra (snake) and Iguana help him load a
basket of goodies (salad, tamales and flan) on his back. He’s on his way to
Abuela’s (Granma’s) for supper.
They follow him, watching as he meets up with hungry Coyote. They warn
him, but he is not worried. In the
meantime, Coyote has captured Abuela, and dressed in her clothes. After the three clever friends rescue
Tortuga and Abuela, they all share the delicious supper together.
Florida
cartoonist Long uses gouache and colored pencils to show motion and emotion in
this desert southwest version of Red
Riding Hood. His bright oranges,
yellows and greens are paired with humorous text dusted with Spanish
words. A glossary is included at
the front.
The Wooden Sword by Ann Redisch Stampler
illustrated by Carol Liddiment
Albert
Whitman, $16.99 (hardcover)
Interest Level: Kindergarten – Grade 2
(This book
is available to purchase from Books and Books online)
Presenting
a kind view of the war torn nation, this old Afghani tale begins with a shah
who wears disguises to observe his people. He meets a happy shoemaker who shares even from his small
meal. The shah decides to secretly
test the man’s happiness. New laws
the shah creates make it hard for the shoemaker to earn wages. However, each
time, the shoemaker happily finds new work as a water carrier, woodcutter, and
royal guard. That is, until he
becomes executioner, and must cut off a thief’s head. The shah is - and readers will be – delighted with the poor
man’s quick thinking.
Colorful
rugs, beautiful wall hangings, detailed robes and traditional turbans are contrasts
to sandy streets, simple mud-brick buildings and far-away mountains. The artist has created a convincing setting
to accompany the fast-paced and carefully researched retelling of this ethnic
tale. See Author’s Note for added
background.
Choose more great folk tales from this list!
Tiger and Turtle by James
Rumford. Roaring Brook Press,
$17.99 (hardcover) Interest Level: Grade 1-3 (This book is available to
purchase from Books and Books online)
The Three Bully
Goats by Leslie Kimmelman, illustrated by Will Terry. Albert Whitman, $16.99 (hardcover)
Interest Level: Kindergarten – Grade 2 (This book is available to purchase from
Books and Books online)
The Three Little
Gators by Helen Ketteman, illustrated by Will Terry. Albert Whitman, $16.99 (hardcover) Interest Level: Junior
Kindergarten – Grade 2 (This book is available to purchase from Books and
Books)
Jonah’s Whale by Eileen Spinelli,
illustrated by Giuliano Ferri.
Eerdmans, $16 (hardcover) Interest Level: Junior Kindergarten – Grade 2
(This book is available to purchase from Books and Books online)
Monday, June 10, 2013
SITTING IN THE SAND (Monday Poem)
by Karla Kuskin
Sitting in the sand and the sea comes up
So you put your hands together
And you use them like a cup
And you dip them in the water
With a scooping kind of motion
And before the sea goes out again
You have a sip of ocean.
from The Sky is Full of Song selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins, illustrated by Dirk Zimmer, 1983, Harper & Row
Sitting in the sand and the sea comes up
So you put your hands together
And you use them like a cup
And you dip them in the water
With a scooping kind of motion
And before the sea goes out again
You have a sip of ocean.
from The Sky is Full of Song selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins, illustrated by Dirk Zimmer, 1983, Harper & Row
Monday, June 3, 2013
DOWN ON MY TUMMY (Monday Poem)
by Myra Cohn Livingston
I will gather sunshine in my hands
and lay it warm on the ocean sands
where the sea shells and the waves can see
me, down on my tummy, quietly.
from The Sky is Full of Song selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins, illustrated by Dirk Zimmer, 1983, Harper & Row
I will gather sunshine in my hands
and lay it warm on the ocean sands
where the sea shells and the waves can see
me, down on my tummy, quietly.
from The Sky is Full of Song selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins, illustrated by Dirk Zimmer, 1983, Harper & Row
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