photo by digitalART2 www.flickr.com
Before I write about this super cute book, Felicity Floo Visits the Zoo, I want to announce the winners of Clara Gillow Clark’s Hattie books from the contest I held on Tuesday and Wednesday. And the winners are. . .
*1st place: Tami R.
*2nd place: Shelby S.
*3rd place: Bailey
Thank you to everyone who left such thoughtful comments. If you didn’t win, you can purchase the Hattie books right from Tuesday and Wednesday’s posts! They are a great way to teach children about this time in United States history. Now on to Felicity. . .
*Picture book for preschoolers through first graders, contemporary, fantasy (sort-of:)
*Young girl as the main character
*Rating: Felicity Floo Visits the Zoo has great rhyme and a good message about why we really need to wash our hands–even at the zoo. 
Short, short summary: Do you know why we call that cold-sniffling-body-aching-high-temperature-illness the flu? Well, if you don’t, then you need to read this book and meet Felicity Floo. One day, Felicity decides to go to the zoo. Right before, she sees all the animals, including a blue-footed booby and rare jabiru, she wipes her nose without a tissue! Her hand becomes sticky with a green, gloppy goo, which she gets all over the animals when she pets them and hugs them. Then she leaves the zoo, and the animals are all sick with flu symptoms. E. S. Redmond does a wonderful job with her humorous rhyming text and cute illustrations. This is her first book.
So, what do I do with this book?
1. This is an excellent book to talk with your child or your students about why it is so important that they wash their hands after they sneeze or why they should use a tissue. Felicity Floo Visits the Zoo gets this point across without preaching. You can also talk about flu symptoms and how to take care of yourself during flu season–using hand sanitizer, staying home when you are sick, getting plenty of rest, and so on.
2. Make a list of all the animals that E. S. Redmond mentions and illustrates. Divide the animals up among your students (or if you home school allow your child to pick one or two animals). Depending on the age of your students, you can have them draw a picture of the animal and write a sentence if they are young. If they are in elementary school, they can do a mini-report, such as find five facts about the animal and make a poster to hang on the classroom wall.
3. As children are listening to you read the book, ask them to give you a thumbs-up anytime they hear a pair of rhyming words. After you read the book twice, see if they can tell you some of the rhyming pairs. Put these pairs on chart paper. Then students can brainstorm other words that rhyme with these, and you can discuss what makes words rhyme.
Come back to this blog on Tuesday, January 26 and Wednesday, January 27 as I am having another book contest giveaway. This time, it is a young adult fantasy called Watersmeet!
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