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I know I'm running super-late on IMM now but I just had to share one more thing for the end of Children's Book Week:
"This animation, Crayon Dragon, was made by California Institute of the Arts student Toniko Pantoja as a second-year project."
Thank to my cousin TJ for drawing attention to this post on io9. I hope you love it as much as I did--if you like it, share it everywhere!

© 2009-2012 Alethea Allarey / Read Now Sleep Later

Written by Thad Krasnesky, illustrated by David Parkins

Although National Pet Week was last week, it’s never too late to celebrate. And with the five cats from That Cat Can’t Stay, it’s sure to be quite the party!

Judith Viorst, renowned author of  Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, sent us a handwritten postcard:

Thanks for letting me see That Cat Can’t Stay. It’s an absolutely adorable book – and exactly how the Viorsts once wound up with four cats.

From Waking Brain Cells, the blog of  the Menasha library:

Recommended for cat storytimes.  This is a purr-fect readaloud for any family that finds that they too seem to collect animals. I’d even recommend it happily to dog lovers.

Grab your copy and take the stray cats out to play! An online preview of the book is available here.

Dart into the drizzle, Cool down summer heat. Slip out of the spray with wet hands and feet. FRESH! ………. 5 Stars  In this charming book for preschoolers, vibrant photographs combine with delightful illustrations and bouncy, fun-to-read rhymes that will inspire children to use their imagination to transform into play what they see in the [...]

Why do fairy tales endure?  Even in this age of digital entertainment, people still love to hear a classic tale or see a new drawing of their favorite character.  Maybe it brings us to a simpler time, less clutter in our lives, when we believed in the possibility of being a princess or a brave knight.

Monster Party

The ability to forget our troubles and go to a place where good and evil are clearly defined, but the monster may not be the evil one. Where the creatures are fantastical and adventure reigns supreme, yet we can still relate to the character’s problems as though they were our own.

Caterpillar

Through my art I am able to escape to those worlds and forget the bills I have to pay, the menial work that must be done, and become the little girl that dreamed of being a mermaid in the pool once again.  I want people to see my art and get the same sense of wonderment and adventure I get whenever I open up a fairy tale book.  But most of all, I hope that they lose themselves in a world that will make them smile.

My imagination doesn’t requires anything more of the book than to provide a framework within which it can wander. ~Alphonse Daudet

Even though it isn't Grandparents Day any more, it's never too late to celebrate! Join in the fun with these Silly Frilly Grandma Tillie-inspired activities from the Mommy and Me Book Club blog.


Silly Frilly Grandma Tillie by Laurie Jacobs was the featured selection this week for our book-inspired fun! I wanted to feature a book about Grandparents, in honor of Grandparents' Day this weekend in the US. And I ADORE this book. It was a new find for me this summer.

Gathering Activity: Make Hand Print Pot Holders for Grandparents
I was inspired to make these potholders with our hand prints painted on them from an idea on saw at Second Grade Sparkle.

Materials Needed:
Fabric solid colored pot holders
fabric paint, coordinating ribbon
copies of the poem to attach to the pot holders printed on cardstock
hole punch

We attached a great poem I discovered at Kindergarten Rocks! Make sure you go there to see all of the words! We will mail these (or hand deliver these) to our grandparents since the next Sunday is Grandparents' Day in the US.

Circle Time

*We read Silly Frilly Grandma Tillie by Laurie A. Jacobs.
This is a delightful book about a grandma who comes to babysit for the evening.  She brings a bag full of fun and for each activity, Grandma Tillie changes clothes and becomes a very fun and very silly character.    For playtime, she wears a pink wig and pretends to be Tillie Vanilly who can stand on one foot and say the alphabet backwards, tell jokes, juggle and dance the Conga.  For dinner she is Chef Silly Tillie who wears a lampshade hat and makes yummy food.  At bath time she transforms into Madame Frilly Tillie who gives them glamorous makeovers during a bubble bath.    But at bedtime, their REAL grandmother comes to tuck them in and read them stories.

My children love this book. It was actually in the top 5 of their favorites from this summer.  I love the portrayal of a Grandmother who is fun and playful.  I love the sweet relationship the girls share with their Grandmother.  I love the illustrations, too!  They are delightful.  And I LOVED sharing it with our little Mommy and Me friends today.

*We sang a fun song about families.  “We are a happy family.”
*Then each of the children took turns sharing the special names they call their grandparents.
*We did the Conga to the kitchen for our next activity!

Art Activity: Tissue Paper Hats

In the story, Grandma Tillie wears several large and colorful hats.  Of course we had to make our own.  While searching for a poem to go with the handprints, I also found this great idea for hats at Kindergarten Rocks!  What a fun site!  Please go there for a complete tutorial.

Supplies needed: several sheets of colorful tissue paper, heavy brown package paper, tape, ribbons, glue, materials to decorate the hats

 Creating a customized fit!After finding the perfect fit, the children decorated with stickers, markers, and tissue paper.

Check out this video of Mrs. Bright’s second grade class in Alpharetta, GA. The students chose I Need My Monster (written by Amanda Noll, illustrated by Howard McWilliam) for their Book Parade!

The costumes are amazing! Way to go!

A plague of locusts…
A pride of lions…
A flock of sheep…

But what do you call a collection of books about collective nouns?

A brilliance?
A giggle?
A talent?

When it comes to the set published by PatrickGeorge, all of the above could apply.

A filth of starlings, A drove of bullocks, A crackle of crickets and A shiver of sharks each take a themed set of collective nouns, illustrate them in witty and bold ways, a provide a paragraph of information about each animal in question. Part non-fiction book, part English-language/literacy book, part science book, part word-play book, each of these volumes is inventive and engaging.

Whether you are reading about a run of salmon, where an optical illusion allows the illustration to look both like a salmon’s head and a running shoe, or a culture of bacteria, where the contents of a petri dish looks like Mona Lisa, each page plays with our understanding of language and the way we look at objects.

A quiver of cobras

The modern, bright illustrations are crisp, cool and clever. The text is informative and playful. Perfect for any kid who enjoys puns or animals, these bold books are fun for all.

With these books in mind the girls and I made our own volume of collective nouns:

We all enjoyed playing with language and sitting down simply drawing together.

Now, I’m delighted to say I have one set of all 4 books on collective nouns to give away to a lucky reader.

Good luck!

Jarrett J. Krosoczka writes books that kids connect with on so many levels, through his artwork, his humor, his understanding of childhood.  When I am asked for a recommendation from a parent going in to a classroom to read, I want to give them a sure fire hit. I give them a Krosoczka picture book. 

I did not think I could be a bigger fan girl but now I've viewed his TED talk.

Krosoczka's TED talk should be a must view for everyone.