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By: Brimful Curiosities,
on 4/18/2013
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As I child, I understood the poetic magic of origami even before I knew the name of the art. One of my great-great aunt's many skills was paper-folding. She could swiftly make an origami bow tie appear out of a paper scrap. That fascinating talent was as magical ability as anything I'd ever witnessed, and it was always an honor to receive one of her tidy, crisp bow ties.
Since it's National Poetry Month, the kids and I picked up a few new poetry books at the library. One picture book we particularly like has an origami theme --
Fold Me a Poem by Kristine O'Connell George, illustrated by Lauren Stinger.
The summary on the copyright page states that the book is "a collection of poems about origami animals." In reality, the
Fold Me a Poem is much more than a collection. The poems, read together in succession, collectively tell a story about an imaginative boy who plays with his origami creations all day long, from the moment he wakes up in the morning until he falls asleep in his bed at night. The short poems are rather like private thoughts as he brings the origami animals to life, folding them into splendid creatures and playing with them afterward: "Forty bright sheets / of colored paper, / a world of animals. / Who will be next?" The animals race each other, hide, and get into trouble. Even the boy's cat joins in the fun, by attacking and injuring a poor pink ostrich during a "wind storm" produced by a fan. The cleverly designed square book has end papers that look like origami paper. In total, the book contains 32 original poems; it does not include instructions for creating origami animals -- however, the illustrator in her end note mentions various book resources.
This poetry book provides wonderful inspiration for showing children how to capture their own thoughts in poetry form on paper! All children need to do to write their own poems is describe their own play. O'Connell's poems are written in many different forms including haiku, apostrophe (poems of address), mask or persona poems, and process poems, making the book a useful springboard for teaching these styles. Lauren Stringer's painted illustrations beautifully accompany the poems and are instrumental in helping the reader visualize the poems. Stringer skillfully captures the origami creatures -- folding origami is hard enough, but painting all the shadows, showing the folds through illustration takes real talent indeed!
As for favorite poems, I adore "Night," a poem that tells how the boy adds his own star to the night sky. My son likes the poem "Tub" mostly because the illustrations for the poem show many of the origami creations waiting for a ride on an origami boat, including a bandaged ostrich. My daughter especially likes "Mystery" because it fully captures the wonder and joy of creating your own origami. Anything, yes, anything is possible with a little imagination.
Fold Me a Poem
by Kristine O'Connell George, illustrated by Lauren Stringer. Harcourt (April 2005); ISBN 9780152025014; 32 pages
Book Source: Borrowed from our local library
I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.) Related Links:Kristine O'Connell George - Author WebsiteLauren Stringer - Illustrator WebsiteTeacher's Guide - Fold Me A PoemBaby Chick in Egg - Origami and Poem
Today is Poem in Your Pocket Day! When thinking about combining origami and poetry, we chanced upon a verse by the brilliant children's poet, Aileen Fisher. The poem "
Baby Chick" questions how a chick knows its way out of the egg. We've created a neat origami project to go along with the poem (plus the paper egg shell makes a neat, handy pocket to tuck the poem into!)
The directions to fold the chick and egg origami can be found at
http://www.kutchuk.com. The design is made from a single piece of paper. This is an easy, beginner origami project for kids. I created a pdf template with folding guides to make it even easier to fold your own origami if you'd prefer to use that instead. One is full color and the other can be colored-in by a child. Make sure to print with page scaling set to "none" or
unclick "fit to page" so that it doesn't resize the document. Click on the google doc links below to print your own copy (clicking on the image won't work).
To extend the poetry in a pocket idea and fold a poem, you could have your child write the poem on the paper before folding it into the chick/egg shape! Or, if your child can't write, print out the poem and tuck it into the pocket formed by the folded egg shell.
By: Brimful Curiosities,
on 10/12/2012
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I've traipsed through many a wood and have collected my share of pinecones, but never, never on any of my adventures have I come across a friendly, mechanized, working robot. I must be walking through the wrong kind of woods, because in Ame Dyckman's picture book world this scenario is entirely possible.
Simply and perfectly told with bold, eye-pleasing illustrations by robot-lover Dan Yaccarino,
BOY + BOT
is quite possibly the best robot picture book we've ever read (and believe me, we've read several). The story-line goes like this: Boy walks through the woods. Boy meets a big, red robot. Boy and robot problem-solve. Robot and boy become BFF. Now obviously there's more to it than that, like for instance both boy and bot have similar "misunderstood malfunctions" and need fixing, but to say any more would spoil the fun. Read the robot parts aloud in your best robot voice. Remark on all the fun things the robot and boy do together like swimming, apple-picking and rock-skipping. And remember, little boys do not need oiling, and never, ever feed your robot applesauce.
This book deservedly received starred review from Kirkus, Booklist, and Publishers Weekly. Take our word for it (and theirs), if you have a young, robot-loving child,
BOY + BOT is for them and worth purchasing.
Fun fact:
If you look closely at the illustrations in BOY + BOT you'll discover one of Yaccarino's creative additions to the story -- a light-bulb shaped, one-eyed robot that Ame Dyckman calls "Watt." Not surprisingly, illustrator Dan Yaccarino has a self-described "
slight penchant for robots." He is also the author/illustrator of another robot picture book,
If I Had a Robot
, a story about a boy who dreams about all the things he could or wouldn't have to do if he had a robot. His robot illustrations have a retro, vintage look reminiscent of those tin
wind-up robot toys from the past. Related links: Ame Dyckman - Author Website Dan Yaccarino - Illustrator Website BOY + BOT by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino. Alfred A. Knopf / Random House (April 2012); ISBN 9780375867569; 32 pages
Book Source: copy from our personal library
Sadly we have not discovered our own robot friend in the woods, so my son and I did the next best thing ... made our own robot out of LEGOs. Our LEGO collection is large and diverse enough to provide ample parts for robot building. We have eyes, connecting parts to make arms that swing and plenty of multi-sized, red blocks.
My son insisted that our BOT robot have a power switch in the back. Pair the LEGO bot with a boy mini-figure and let the book play-acting begin!
'"What's wrong?" the boy asked. The robot did not answer.
"Are you sick?" the boy asked. The robot still did not answer.
"I must help him," the boy said."'
I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.)
By: Brimful Curiosities,
on 1/30/2012
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Children beware -- you may not want to leave your sled outside at night. Or maybe you should. A forest creature might snatch the sled up one winter evening, take it for a joy ride and return it with a thanks, leaving only a few tracks outside to tell of the adventure. One can hope!
Lita Judge is one of our newest favorite author/illustrators. She grew up enjoying wintery weather and, according to her latest book, Red Sled, as a child she often wondered about the tracks left behind by the woodland animals. Judging from the animals' expressions in the book it appears she also knows a thing or two of the joys (and perils) of sledding downhill.
Red Sled is a nearly wordless picture book that shows the events that occur when a child leaves a red sled propped against the side of a home. A bear wanders by, notices the sled and sneaks away with it, scrunch, scrinching through the snow. The bear invites a rabbit friend for a fun, moonlight ride. As the sled flies downhill, other animals pile on one-by-one, gadung, gadunging on the snowy surface together while making gleeful noises. The impromptu sledding party results in smiles shared by all.
The illustrations in this endearing book are truly remarkable, from the animals' exuberant expressions to the little boy's wonderment at the tracks found near his sled. My kids giggle with delight at all the silly sledding antics and the faces the animals make. The adorable, bundled-up, red-hatted child reminds us of the classic character in Keats' The Snowy Day. The text consists only of a few joyful utterances and onomatopoeias like "sssssffft" for the sound the sled makes as it glides across the snow. The wordless silence punctuated by random sounds is a perfect textual interpretation of a sledding experience. Judge's Red Sled so beautifully captures the exhilaration of a sledding adventure that you'll want to immediately head to your favorite sledding hill!
Red Sled
by Lita Judge. Atheneum Books for Young Readers (November 2011); ISBN 9781442420076; 40 pages
Book Source: Copy from public library
Lita Judge spent part of her childhood living with her grandparents in Wisconsin. In an interview with Jules at
Seven Impossible Things before Breakfast she tells how this experience helped partly inspire her to write
Red Sled. There's also an adorable photograph of a grizzly bear she grew up watching (apparently her parents are wildlife photographers).
Related Links:
Lita Judge - Website ❄ ❄ ❄ ❄ Popsicle Stick Sled Craft ❄ ❄ ❄ ❄My kids, like many nowadays, think that all sleds are mad
I know that many people read the story of the three trees at Christmas, but for me the story is one that evokes especially poignant emotions at Easter. While several retellings of this story exist, I really like this new, beautifully illustrated picture book version by Elena Pasquali and illustrated by Sophie Windham.
"Long ago, on a hillside, stood three trees ... Under the cold night sky that glittered with stars, they dreamed their dreams."
The Three Trees: A Traditional Folktale
by Elena Pasquali, illustrated by Sophie Windham. Lion UK / Kregel (September 2011); ISBN 9780745962894
Book Source: Copy from our personal library
The Three Trees folktale is one with a Christian message that tells of Jesus' life journey from cradle to cross from the perspective of three forest trees. Each of the three trees stand together on a hill and dream of greatness: the first wants to be made into a chest and hold a fine treasure, the second yearns to be a proud ship and carry a king and the third tree hopes to remain forever on the hillside pointing to heaven. One day, woodcutters climb the hill and chop down the trees. The three trees lament over their situations as the forms they eventually take are not as they had dreamed. However, overtime the trees each realize they play a greater role than they could ever imagine. They are each part of God's plan and play a part in Jesus's life.
I like several things about this version of the familiar tale. First of all it provides a wonderful example of how God's will may not always be the same as our will, but God does have wonderful plan, a purpose in mind for each and every one of us. Also, in Windham's illustrations each of the trees is different, just like each of God's children. The text is not overly long and slightly simplified when compared to alternate retellings, and Pasquali retains the heart and emotion of the story. For this reason, this retelling is particularly suited for younger children. Windham's folksy artistic style definitely is a good fit for this story. My kids remarked at all the extra details in Windham's colorful illustrations, and we especially like the elaborate borders and different sized panels.
"The tree that had borne his death was now a symbol of his life. And the third tree knew that it would stand for ever, pointing to heaven."Because of the way the final sentences are worded, the book can be used as a useful tool in talking about the symbolism of the cross in Christianity -- the cross is not only a symbol of the suffering and death of Jesus but, as it stands empty pointing toward heaven, it also serves a reminder of the promise of salvation through Jesus Christ. Windham's final illustration shows a cross superimposed over a tree full of life, a lovely image showing the Easter blessing of new life through Jesus Christ.
✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ Stand Up Cross Craft ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞My kids made 3D crosses th
By: Brimful Curiosities,
on 5/4/2012
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Mornings would be so much brighter if every box of cereal contained a book to read! That's why I always look forward to the Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories® program every year. The Spoonful of Stories program recently celebrated its 10 year anniversary with the distribution of more than six million children books! This year's books could be found free inside specially marked Cheerios boxes starting in March 2012. However, if your area is anything like ours, the boxes flew off the shelves! But don't worry if you missed all the new stories this year -- read on for a giveaway you won't want to miss.
Several great Simon & Schuster small-sized paperback books were offered this year in the Cheerios boxes. The selection featured six picture book titles, written in both English and Spanish and appropriate for ages three to eight:
● Noodle & Lou by Liz Garton Scanlon and illustrated by Arthur Howard
● Hello Baby! by Mem Fox and illustrated by Steve Jenkins
● If I Were a Jungle Animal by Amanda Ellery and illustrated by Tom Ellery
● Peeny Butter Fudge by Toni and Slade Morrison and illustrated by Joe Cepeda
● Mostly Monsterly by Tammi Sauer and illustrated by Scott Magoon
● Can I Just Take a Nap? by Ron Rauss and illustrated by Rob Shepperson
In addition to providing books in the cereal boxes, Cheerios made a $300,000 donation to First Book, a literacy focused non-profit, and also gave 5000 children's books to 10 First Book local volunteer chapters nationwide.
I applaud Cheerios for promoting literacy through this wonderful book distribution program. If only they could continue the program year round, and work together with other publishers, to get more free books in the hands of children!
One of the best things about the books is that they are bilingual! (And, due to the small paperback size (7" x 5-1/4"), they are also very portable and easy to stash inside a bag for trips.) My kids and I have been reading a few of the Spoonful of Stories titles this week to brush up on our Spanish just in time for Cinco de Mayo.
Both my kids really enjoy reading Tammi Sauer's
Mostly Monsterly (Mayormente Monstruosa). The book stars a mostly monsterly little girl monster named Bernadette (though for a monster she's not really all that
By: Brimful Curiosities,
on 5/19/2011
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What is a square? A square is a shape with four equal sides and four right angles. But what happens when a square is forced to break out of its boxy, confining shape? Though it starts out as a perfect square it can transform into something else entirely, something perfectly amazing.
Perfect Square
by Michael Hall. Greenwillow Books (March 2011); ISBN 9780061915130; 40 pages
Book Source: F&G provided by publisher
"It was a perfect square. It had four matching corners and four equal sides. And it was perfectly happy."
One square. Unlimited possibilities. One bright red square starts out perfectly happy. But then something happens. On Monday, the square gets cut up and punched with holes. Though no longer a perfect square, it transforms into something just as wonderful...a babbling, giggling, clapping fountain. On Tuesday, the square (now yellow), gets torn into pieces and turns into a garden. Each day of the week something different and extraordinary happens to the square. All the square's colorful adventures cleverly tie together into a perfect and inspiring story.
Colors, shapes, days of the week, but with a sophisticated theme that appeals to all ages, I can honestly say that this is one of the best books out this spring. With every page turn my kids wanted to know what was next for the ever changing square. And, inspired by the story, they wanted to have a try at transforming their own square. The book screams for an art project. I love how the story sort of comes around full circle, or rather, in this case, full square with a twist. The "rise to the occasion when forced to break out of your mold" message is probably, for the most part, lost on the youngest crowd but if you know a recent graduate, Hall's book with an adventurous, out of the box message, would make a thoughtful gift for all those ready to embark on a new path in life.
❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ Story + Art Craft: Transformed Square Art Project ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖I love projects that allow my children to think for themselves and create something new. Hall's book provides the perfect art challenge. What can you make out of a perfect square? I provided both kids with a square in the color of their choice, cut to the same size as the square in the book. They set to the task, cutting up their perfect squares with scissors and pasting the pieces together to make something different.
Here are the results. My son originally wanted to make a lamp but in the end decided the pieces made a better lighthouse (all his own ideas, I might add)! My daughter wishes she could add her hat to the book. Maybe her hat could land on the head of someone standing by the fountain?
I always glance at the copyright page when reading a book -- you know, the part that contains all information like the Library of Congress Cataloging Data, edition and publication date. That part usually is not all that thrilling, but sometimes, SOMETIMES when the author feels particularly creative, the page will contain special little hidden messages. Cloudette by Tom Lichtenheld is a perfect example. Here's the illustration description on the copyright page:
"The illustrations are rendered in ink, pastel, colored pencil, and watercolor. The water part of the watercolor was collected in a bucket during a rainstorm, so this book is partially made of clouds. Thank you, clouds."
A cloud book made partially of clouds? A must read!
Cloudette
by Tom Lichtenheld.
Henry Holt / Christy Ottaviano Books (March 2011); ISBN 9780805087765; 40 pages
Book Source: Copy from public library
"Cloudette was a cloud. A very small cloud. Usually, Cloudette didn't mind being smaller than the average cloud. In fact, being small had lots of advantages."Though Cloudette is content with her small size, she still wishes she could do "big and important" things like the other clouds -- cloud things like watering crops and making rivers flow. She is so small that she fits comfortably in the crook of the crescent-shaped moon and she's especially good at hide and seek, but what she wants most of all is to be able to help out in a big way. She finds out she just needs a little push!
It seems Cloudette isn't the only one that can productively brainstorm and create perfection and happiness. Clever books seem to pour of out Lichtenheld's mind, and we love
each one. His books entertain both adult and child alike with witty dialog that accompanies the text, thoughtful word play and neatly drawn illustrations packed with tiny, often humorous details. After the first read, we went back just to make sure we didn't miss anything, like the cow perched on the moon or the "higher-up" that uses alliteration.
Lichtenheld's book got its start in a little way, kind of like Cloudette, with just
two little scraps of paper. Cloudette provides a great example for kids and shows how something small can produce big results with the appropriate impetus.
P.S. Don't miss the UPC Code on the back and the rocket reference on the copyright page...the book is full of little surprises (Cloudette included)!
Related Links:Tom Lichtenheld WebsiteWhere'd That Little Cloud Come From? - MacKids blog
Happy Birthday Author
You can't celebrate Independence Day without fireworks! We're enjoying a spectacular 4th of July fireworks show a little early thanks to the homemade pasta noodle fireworks hanging from our dining room chandelier. The pasta fireworks sparkle as much as the real deal, and they are a whole lot quieter and safer.
Fireworks Craft Materials:
variety of pasta shapes
Glue (we used Elmer's School Glue)
Waxed Paper
Glitter
Glitter Glue
Squirt a large circle of glue on a piece of wax paper. Create an exploding fireworks shape by positioning the pasta partially in the glue to make a pattern radiating outward from the center. Use different lengths and types of pasta to add dimension.
Sprinkle glitter on the fireworks and/or use a little glitter glue to add some sparkle.
Allow the pasta fireworks shape to dry fully before peeling off the waxed paper. (Ours took about two days to dry.) If you want to hang the fireworks decoration, tie a piece of string to one of the noodles.
For a little nighttime fun, try photographing the pasta fireworks against the dark evening sky. Capturing the pasta fireworks on camera is a lot easier than trying to photograph actual fireworks!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Last year we featured our favorite children's picture book containing fireworks ...
Olivia Forms a Band by Ian Falconer. Since then we've discovered several other boo
A shark has the power to strike fear into the hearts of many. But what do sharks fear? Bob Shea presents a very silly scenario in his very humorous book, I'm a Shark, about the most awesome, self-assured shark ever.
I'm a Shark
by Bob Shea. Balzer + Bray (April 2011); ISBN 9780061998461; 40 pages
Book Source: Copy from public library
"Well, I guess everyone is scared of something. I'm not."
"What about spiders?"
Shark has an ego the size of a whale and doesn't mind boasting a little to his two ocean friends, fish and crab. He's not afraid of anything -- not shots, not bears, not dinos. Not even the dark, as evidenced by his remark, "the dark is afraid of me. Dark heard I was coming and ran." But shark isn't as brave as he lets on. There's something itsy bitsy that does frighten him just a tad. In fact, Little Miss Muffet just might be able to offer that shark some helpful advice, though he's so full of himself that he probably wouldn't listen. From the unexpected picture of the author and son on the dustcover flap to the hilarious tongue-in-cheek text -- everything in this book works swimmingly.
After seeing the bold, enticing cover of I'm a Shark, my shark fanatic son couldn't wait to read this one with me. Neither of us was disappointed. The book contains all the elements of a fun read-aloud: lively dialog, sharp illustrations, and plenty of humor. Add in the snappy shark with an attitude and my son has a newest favorite book. Plus, like many kids, my son understands the shark's fear of spiders. He hates them, probably even more than shark. Pick this book up before Shark Week ends!
Related Links:
Bob Shea - Website
Bob Shea - Facebook & Twitter
▪ ▪ ▪ Story + Art craft - Paper Plate Shark Craft ▪ ▪ ▪Earlier this year,
Almost Unschoolers posted one of the neatest
shark crafts I've ever seen. I knew someday my son would enjoy making one, so I saved the link. Visit her blog for the complete directions.
We didn't alter the craft much. My son wanted the inside of the mouth to look red so he colored the interior of the mouth with a marker. What's a shark without a little blood? He tried to cut some of the teeth out of the paper plate himself, but that task proved a little too challenging for his preschool skills. And as a tie-in to Shea's
I'm a Shark book, we attached a construction paper spider to the shark's fin. My daughter said it looks like the shark has a spider yo-yo. Maybe that's just what the shark needs to help him get over his arachnophobia?
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by Hervé Tullet. 
by Anna Dewdney. 
by Robert Burleigh, paintings by Wendell Minor. 
by Brian Biggs. 
by Lauren Castillo. 
by Philip C. Stead, illustrated by Erin E. Stead. 
by Melissa Iwai. 
by Kazuno Kohara. 
by Kevin Henkes. 
by Lester L. Laminack, illustrated by Henry Cole. 
(seriously, every home library should contain at least one animal encyclopedia) and found the page about peacocks. It shows a nice picture of a peahen next to a peacock. We learned that peahens, the female birds, do not have colorful fans. Male birds sport the fancy feathers and use them to attract the females. Thus, the bird pictured in Laminack's book is a male, and male peacocks cannot lay eggs. :) We also learned that a peacock's train can reach up to 5 ft.-3 in. high! Wow, that's only a few inches shorter than Mommy! 
by Bob Logan. 
with illustrations by Jamichael Henterly at our library. Henterly's breathtaking pictures depict an amazing fairy-tale world full of the wonders of nature. The fairy, with her beautiful, long brown hair and spectacular butterfly-like wings, goes to market and ends up helping out various animals including a fish, bird, frog and mouse. My daughter loves to slowly page through the illustrations and point out all the interesting fairy world details. 
by Linda Leopold Strauss, illustrated by Malene Reynolds Laugesen. 
I haven't heard of this book, but it sounds wonderful. Even though poem in your pocket day is past, I'm going to print out the baby chick origami, my four year old will love it.