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Colouring books are slowly taking over the world, and with their ubiquity it’s interesting to find ones which take an innovative, unusual approach to the pastime. Cut and Colour Playbook: Seasons by Anouck Boisrobert is just such an eye-opener.
In fact, this book turns people into little magicians, for with just a few pencils or crayons and a pair of scissors, it allows you and your kids to conjure into being 3-D landscapes across the seasons. The process is simple but hugely effective – as this short video shows:
The explanation and design is very clear and the illustrations are clean and uncluttered with just a sprinkling of detail and pre-printed colour. Young children may need some support with the cutting, not least because the pages are all bound tightly into the book, rather than with perforated edged for easy removal.
Boisrobert’s pop-up books are among the most treasured books-as-objects in our home, with their crisp lines and clever paper engineering never failing to delight. It’s such fun that with Cut and Colour Playbook: Seasons a little of their beauty has been packaged up in such a way as to enable children to create something a little similar.
Whilst colouring and cutting out the scenes in this activity book it occurred to me that we could adapt the basic idea of Boisrobert’s book to create our own layered landscapes. First I gathered together examples of paintings where layering, in terms of shades and colours, plays a big role. You can see what I found (with much appreciated help from blog/twitter followers Anamaria Andersen and Fiona Barker amongst others) on this Pinterest board.
With these beautiful pieces of art in mind, M put watercolour washes in several shades of blue on separate sheets of paper, basically making each sheet lighter than the last by using more water on her brush.
When dry, she draw mountain ranges on the reverse of each sheet…
…before cutting them out and layering them up.
We noted how when hills or mountains are “layered” in a picture, they tend to “fade” the further they are away. M also noticed how in many of the pieces of art we looked at the sky’s colouring typically went from darker up above, to lighter near the horizon. She decided her “mountains” were beneath a stormy sky and so painted a final sheet with a graded black-grey watercolour wash.
Finally everything came together and I framed it:
For such a simple art project, I think it is remarkably effective, and M is definitely delighted with the results.
Jax Blunt (@liveotherwise) said, on 2/1/2016 10:59:00 AM
This is absolutely gorgeous, and what lovely ideas you’ve spun off from it. Definitely going to give some of those a go.
Zoe said, on 2/1/2016 1:07:00 PM
Thank you Jax. The painting/layering gave everyone a big sense of satisfaction – and just looking at the one detail ie the shading, gave a focus to looking at “famous paintings” which made it not overwhelming.
Bear Snores On is the first book in Karma Wilson’s series about Bear; a huggable and loyal friend, connoisseur of popcorn, and avid swimmer. It’s that time of the year and Bear has gone to sleep for a long time. What happens when several of his woodland friends happen upon his warm lair?
Bear Snores On is a great book you can use to teach young readers about seasons, hibernation, friendship, and sharing. There are so many big lessons in one small book!
Karma Wilson’s reading of Bear Snores On was filmed during Angie Karcher’sRhyming Picture Book Revolution Conference (RPBC). The purpose of the RPBC is to educate and support authors who write rhyming picture books.
KidLit TV’s Read Out Loud series is perfect for parents, teachers, and librarians. Use these readings for nap time, story time, bedtime … anytime!
Parents and Educators: Click here to download free Bear Snores On activities! Explore books written by Karma Wilson including more books about Bear!
ABOUT BEAR SNORES ON
Bear Snores On(Illustrated by Jane Chapman) – One by one, a whole host of different animals and birds find their way out of the cold and into Bear’s cave to warm up. But even after the tea has been brewed and the corn has been popped, Bear just snores on! See what happens when he finally wakes up and finds his cave full of uninvited guests — all of them having a party without him.
Karma Wilson grew up an only child of a single mother in the wilds of North Idaho. Way back then (just past the stone age and somewhat before the era of computers) there was no cable TV and if there would have been Karma could not have gotten it. TV reception was limited to 3 channels, of which one came in with some clarity. Karma did the only sensible thing a lonely little girl could do…she read or played outdoors.
Playing outdoors was fun, but reading was Karma’s “first love” and, by the age 11 she was devouring about a novel a day. She was even known to try to read while riding her bike down dirt roads, which she does not recommend as it is hazardous to the general well being of the bike, the rider, and more importantly the book. Her reading preference was fantasy (C.S. Lewis, Terry Brooks, etc…) and historical fiction (L.M. Montgomery, Laura Ingalls Wilder, etc…). Those preferences have not changed much.
Karma never considered writing as a profession because her mother was a professional writer which made it seem like boring and mundane work. At the age of 27 she realized that she still loved well written children’s books of all kinds, from picture books to young adult novels. By that time Karma was a wife and the mother of three young children. Trips to the library with her children were a combination of emotions…when they got a good book there was fun to be had by all, but so many of the books weren’t what her children wanted to listen to.
I've been blogging here at my juicy little universe for 7 YEARS this month. I thought of doing A Thing to celebrate back in September, but by the time October 15 rolled around these plans and even the momentous event itself escaped me. (We have officially reached the stage where the kids have more obligations and events than their moms.)
not quite my costume, but you get the idea
So today I'll just remark that for at least 5 of those 8 Halloweens, I've gone to school dressed as Mother Nature, or more specifically Lady Autumn. I wondered whether I should make a change now that I'm in 2nd grade, but I just love the deep green velour dress with its texture and sweep, and I adore how the colorful paper leaves look pinned or taped against its background, just like the changed trees stand in contrast, both mellow and sharp, with those still staunchly chlorophylled.
I went looking for a poem to match my wonder every October at this color scheme and was dismayed by the length and complexity of every suggested poem I found at the Poetry Foundation (but it was very late). And then I remembered this:
"Autumn time: days get cool, it's back to school. It's Autumn time: the world turns golden brown... Mother Earth's about to change her gown.
She loves to change her season; It's Mother Earth's routine. Green to brown, brown to white white back into green-- she changes clothes and puts on something clean.
And she has reasons for changing seasons-- You have to change to grow; You have to change to grow."
- "Mother Earth's Routine," from the album Mother Earth
Tom Chapin and John Forster do it again and provide the perfectly detailed simplicity I'm looking for. Thanks, guys!
The roundup today is with Jone at Check It Out, we think! See you there.
0 Comments on costumed for a bloggiversary as of 10/30/2015 10:17:00 AM
I you are looking for a series of picture books that share the delightful fun and magic of each season with your preschooler...Author, Debbie Estrem has a little collection for you.
Winter Wonderland
Written by Debbie Estrem For ages 2 -5 Coming soon from Halo Publishing.
A Time for Fall Fun - Coming Soon from Halo Publishing
Wise old owl who lives in this tree has seen it all before, but in fact there’s something reassuring about his experiences. Seasons come and seasons go, but life continues. And it’s a beautiful life, one to take time to savour.
Tree by Britta Teckentrup (@BTeckentrup) explores the life of a tree across the span of a single year, watching changes in leaves, blossom, fruit and the landscape around. Teckentrup celebrates the seasons with eye-catching beauty and soothingly rhythmic, lullaby-like text, reminding me of Walt Whitman’s tree which “utter[s] joyous leaves“.
We witness the circle of life not just on the tree, but also with the animals who visit; look out for the birds who build a nest and see what happens! What makes this book about seasonal changes stand out is its beauty, attention to detail, and lovely, quiet text which works very well for reading aloud. The physical book is incredibly inviting – from the textured hardback cover, to the satisfyingly thick pages, and most delightful of all – the peep-through holes, which page-turn by page-turn reveal and then conceal visiting animals.
The illustrations look like relief printing, with a handmade texture and matt finish that perfectly reflects a delight in nature and “the natural”. Jubilant use of colour lights up every page.
Interestingly, the text for this picture book was actually written by Patricia Hegarty, but her name doesn’t appear on the book cover or title page inside. I imagine this is because the book is really a vehicle to let Teckentrup’s illustrations sing – which they do in all their glory – but it’s an interesting detail given the current debate about equal recognition for authors and illustrators reflected by the Pictures Mean Business campaign. Do you know of any other picture books where the author doesn’t get the same credit as the illustrator?
Sumptuous, strokable and always in season, Tree tells a timeless tale to delight all.
Inspired by Teckentrup’s artwork, we set about creating our own colourful trees. First we stencilled a trunk…
…before adding tissue paper leaves in a variety of colours.
When dry, we cut out our trees to include their canopy, added a few hand-drawn animals, and put them up somewhere a little bit unusual – by our skirting board – so that other woodland creatures could come and play.
This books looks gorgeous.
We’re looking at Spring so it will fit well into that theme.We can add it to our booklist.
I’m putting it up on our 100 Stories Facebook page later today.
sara stanley said, on 9/27/2015 5:50:00 PM
Love that photo of the two rabbits looking at each other .may i replicate it for a philosophical play idea please ?
Zoe said, on 9/27/2015 10:42:00 PM
Yes Sue, it would work right now in the Southern hemisphere too Thanks for sharing.
Spring has sprung in our neck of the woods and it’s putting a big smile on my face! The afternoons and weekends where we just want to be outside have begun, and we’ve a sumptuous book to inspire us to look with new season’s eyes at the growth and activity all around us in the garden, parks and streets nearby; Nature’s Day written by Kay Maguire, illustrated by Danielle Kroll.
This chocolate-box of a book takes 8 different outdoor locations and follows them from Spring through to Winter (in the Northern hemisphere), watching changes in nature as plants and wildlife go through their seasonal cycles. Like a spotter’s guide, pages are packed with incredibly pretty illustrations, with short text dotted all around introducing readers to different sights and sounds relating to the highlighted flora and fauna.
As the very first sentence of this charming book reminds us, nature is indeed everywhere – not just in remote countryside; the locations chosen tend to be those created by humans, such as the vegetable patch, the farm, the orchard and the street. These are settings which many children may have access to nearby (as opposed to looking at nature in wild landscapes relatively untouched by human activity), making this book accessible and meaningful to families even in urban settings.
You can enjoy the book chronologically, comparing each location at the same time of year or you can dip in and out, enjoying each section as a stand-alone. The stylized handwriting font used in places may make it a little more of a challenge to new readers to enjoy on their own, but it adds to the “hand made” feeling this book has, from its cloth cover to its design reminiscent of a flower press, full of individually chosen treasures.
One of a new breed of children’s non-fiction books which are not only informative but also utterly gorgeous to look at, making them appeal to readers who might otherwise claim to be less interested in “fact books”, Nature’s Day breaks the mould and seduces its readers.
Inspired by the book’s design and focus on the changing seasons I designed a card for my girls to make, using pressed flowers and a rotating wheel.
Using the template above (you can download the two pieces here and here, ready to print onto A4), I cut out a window and side slot in a piece of folded A4 card. For each card I also cut out one wheel. The kids then glued pressed flowers onto the outside of the card (a collage with pictures of flowers/plants cut from magazines or catalogues would also work well).
Whilst the glue dried, the girls drew a picture for each season on the quarters of the wheel, and when that was completed, I used a split pin (paper fastener) to attach the wheel to the inside of the card, so that it could rotate round the whole year.
I don’t often make product specific recommendations, but my girls are using these pencils which they’ve recently discovered and really, really love. They have coloured rubbers and a place to write your name on each pencil, as well as being really bright colours which easily leave good strong marks.
I don’t know about you, but I think this card design could make a great mother’s/father’s day card – perhaps with some inscription like “I love you all year round” inside
Whilst making our cards we listened to:
Springtime: It’s My Favorite by Billy Kelly and the Blah Blah Blahs
Summer Song by Joe McDermott
Falling by Joanie Leeds and the Nightlights
Another Good Year by Lori Henriques
Other activities which would go well with reading Nature’s Day include:
Collecting twigs to use in a “trees through the season” painting activity, as inspired by this idea from KCEdventures.
In Australia we’re in the midst of Summer, although here in Melbourne we’ve already had all four seasons in one, sometimes even in one day! A great way to familiarise children with all that the season encompasses is through engaging language experiences. That means providing children opportunities to see, do, touch, listen, read and think […]
The winter solstice settles on 21 December this year, which means it’s the day with the least amount of sunlight. It’s the official first day of winter, although people have been braving the cold for weeks, huddled in coats and scarves and probably wool socks. It’s easy to pass over the winter solstice because of the holidays; however, many traditions center around the solstices and equinoxes, and even Christmas has borrowed some ideas from the midwinter celebration. Below are a few facts about the winter solstice and the influence it has had on religion.
1. The winter solstice occurs when the sun at noon is in its lowest position in the sky, which puts it over the Tropic of Capricorn (22-23 December).
2. The astronomical solstice is 21 December, but midwinter or Yule covers a few weeks during the time of the solstice. During medieval times, this period would stretch from the feast of St. Nicholas (6 December) and Christmas Day, then from Christmas to Epiphany or Candlemas.
3. It is most likely untrue that Christmas is the birth-date of Christ. However, it was likely set on 25 December to coincide with the already well-established Pagan holidays. In ancient times, the winter solstice was celebrated as the birthday of the two gods Sol Invictus (the invincible sun) and Mithras.
4. In contemporary Paganism, Yule celebrates the rebirth of the sun with the winter solstice, as it is the darkest time of the year with the days get longer after the solstice.
5. The Christmas traditions of gift-giving, candles, mistletoe, evergreens, holly, yule logs, Old Father Time, red and white colors, and others all come from Latin and Germanic yuletide celebrations. The word “yule” is thought to have originated from the Anglo-Saxon word for “yoke,” although it is possible it is connected to the words for sun in Cornish and Breton.
What was the relationship between the Druids and nature? The excerpt below from Druids: A Very Short Introduction looks at seasonal cycles, the winter solstice, and how the Druids charted the movement of the sun, moon, and stars:
How far back in time European communities began to recognize and chart the movements of the sun, moon, and stars it is impossible to say, but for the mobile hunting bands of the Palaeolithic period, following large herds through the forests of Europe and returning to base camps when the hunt was over, the ability to navigate using the stars would have been vital to existence. Similarly, indicators of the changing seasons would have signalled the time to begin specific tasks in the annual cycle of activity. For communities living by the sea, the tides provided a finer rhythm while tidal amplitude could be related to lunar cycles, offering a precise system for estimating the passage of time. The evening disappearance of the sun below the horizon must have been a source of wonder and speculation. Living close to nature, with one’s very existence depending upon seasonal cycles of rebirth and death, inevitably focused the mind on the celestial bodies as indicators of the driving force of time. Once the inevitability of the seasonal cycles was fully recognized, it would have been a short step to believing that the movements of the sun and the moon had a controlling power over the natural world.
The spread of food-producing regimes into western Europe in the middle of the 6th millennium led to a more sedentary lifestyle and brought communities closer to the seasonal cycle, which governed the planting of crops and the management of flocks and herds. A proper adherence to the rhythm of time, and the propitiation of the deities who governed it, ensured fertility and productivity.
The sophistication of these early Neolithic communities in measuring time is vividly demonstrated by the alignments of the megalithic tombs and other monuments built in the 4th and 3rd millennia. The great passage tomb of New Grange in the Boyne Valley in Ireland was carefully aligned so that at dawn on the day of the midwinter solstice the rays of the rising sun would shine through a slot in the roof and along the passage to light up a triple spiral carved on an orthostat set at the back of the central chamber. The contemporary passage grave at Maes Howe on Orkney was equally carefully placed so that the light of the setting sun on the midwinter solstice would flow down the side of the passage before filling the central chamber at the end. The passage grave of Knowth, in the same group as New Grange, offers further refinements.
Stonehenge, by .aditya. CC-BY-NC-SA-2.0 via Flickr.
Here there are two separate passages exactly aligned east to west: the west-facing passage captures the setting sun on the spring and autumn equinoxes (21 March and 21 September), while the east-facing passage is lit up by the rising sun on the same days. The nearby passage grave of Dowth appears to respect other solar alignments and, although it has not been properly tested, there is a strong possibility that the west-south-west orientation of its main passage was designed to capture the setting sun on the winter cross-quarter days (November and February) half way between the equinox and the solstice.
Other monuments, most notably stone circles, have also been claimed to have been laid out in relation to significant celestial events. The most famous is Stonehenge, the alignment of which was deliberately set to respect the midsummer sunrise and the midwinter sunset.
From the evidence before us there can be little doubt that by about 3000 BC the communities of Atlantic Europe had developed a deep understanding of the solar and lunar calendars – an understanding that could only have come from close observation and careful recording over periods of years. That understanding was monumentalized in the architectural arrangement of certain of the megalithic tombs and stone circles. What was the motivation for this we can only guess – to pay homage to the gods who controlled the heavens?; to gain from the power released on these special days?; to be able to chart the passing of the year? – these are all distinct possibilities. But perhaps there was another motive. By building these precisely planned structures, the communities were demonstrating their knowledge of, and their ability to ‘contain’, the phenomenon: they were entering into an agreement with the deities – a partnership – which guaranteed a level of order in the chaos and uncertainty of the natural world.
The people who made the observations and recorded them, and later coerced the community into the coordinated activity that created the remarkable array of monumental structures, were individuals of rare ability – the keepers of knowledge and the mediators between common humanity and the gods. They were essential to the wellbeing of society, and we can only suppose that society revered them.
I want to thank and welcome magnificent middle grade author, C.S. Ulyate for sharing his personal writing journey with us on my blog today. C.S.’s book Seasons is the first book of a series and can be purchased from Amazon, and other on-line bookstores. Bonus: Stay tuned for a chance to win an ecopy of Seasons at the end of this post. So let’s get this interview started…
How long have you been writing, C.S.?
I’ve been writing for about 8 years now and will continue to write every day.
Now that’s dedication! Where did you get your idea and inspiration to write Seasons?
The idea for Seasons came from an environmental awareness project that I worked on in 2010. I fell in love with drawing and writing about a list of villains that represent different forms of pollution. Add a bit of wacky costumes, inspiration from video games, and give the villains’ world breaking superpowers and you got Mother’s Nature’s true nightmares.
What sets Seasons apart from other books/series in the same genre?
Miss Plastic
The thing about Seasons is I wrote it in mind for ADHD non-reader and female audience. I understand that finding the perfect book to read can be a bit of challenge for kids. The plots can be slow and drag on until finally something starts, but by that time the readers have already lost interest. I throw my readers into constant conflict and mystery, and make it as unexpected as it can be. I write the book like a video game; I’ll keep my characters moving to new locations, send them into the sewers, burning forests, and where ever a battle with Pollution takes place.
In the middle grade genre, I always hear about super powered boys getting to go on an awesome battle adventure full of dangerous monsters and evil forces. That’s why I have Winter take the main role with her brother Fall right behind her. Winter’s independent, she’s wants to rescue her sister and is willing to start a war over it. She may have a love interest, but her end game isn’t to fall in love with the boy, but solve the mystery of Mother Nature’s disappearance. Her ice abilities will become stronger as the series progresses to the point where she may be able to create the next Ice Age.
The world certainly needs authors like you to bring awareness to what’s happening to the Earth. As a middle grade/young adult author, what is your writing process?
Mr. Oil
My writing process involves listening to tons and tons of music from Pandora. Music brings me into the writing vibe and motivates me to come up with some awesome scenes. I’ll research the pollutions that I’m going to cover and scientific topics like water or soil to develop an overall theme. I also create a small outline for each chapter. I’ll plug in what characters I want and decide where I want them to be mentally by the end of the chapter.
How long did it take for you to start and finish Seasons?
Seasonstook me around four months to write and another four months for the editing process. I want to make sure my novel is as polished as it can be.
Wow, you’re certainly focused! Do you have any advice for other writers striving to write in your genre, C.S.?
I’ve always wanted to answer this question! I would say have good judgment when you’re
Professor Voltage
researching about the writing world. There is tons of conflicting information out there that can lead you in the wrong direction. Be wise and keep researching until you’re certain. When being critiqued, don’t worry—some people will love your work and others may absolutely hate it. Know your strengths and strengthen your weaknesses. When writing for the Middle Grade genre, it’s ok to be immature; it’s our business to be immature. Don’t be afraid of what you are, some of the best inspiration comes out from things we never expect.
Wonderful advice! I love your take on strengths and weaknesses. So, what’s next for C. S. Ulyate the author?
I’m currently working on book two for Seasons: Waves of Madness. As well preparing for the two new series I will be writing in the future. Curious what the series are? Don’t worry the main characters have already made cameos and introduced themselves in Seasons.
I also have a hint for any of my readers looking forward to book 2.
Be welcomed into the sea, but for those who seek Hy-Brasil will turn to madness.
Queen Noise
The Perfume Inhales
The Farmer Counts
The Toymaker Ticks
Intriguing! You’ve got me hooked. Okay, here’s one for me, since I’m writing a time travel series—If you could time travel anywhere into Earth’s past, where would you go and why?
Pre-American colonization, way back before Columbus, the Native American world is so mysterious and filled with lost history. Traveling through that time would make up for an interesting adventure.
Synopsis:
Twelve-year-old Winter is starting to believe she might be going crazy. It seems like every other way she looks, she’ll see soup cans and plastic bags form into monsters to terrorize her. But when Winter discovers that she and her three siblings were born from Mother Nature, everything is about to change. Winter’s evil relatives have kidnapped her little sister Spring and are using Spring as bait to bring Winter to Yellowstone National Park.
Now Winter and her other two siblings have five days to get Spring back. However, Winter must be strong if she ever wants to confront her evil relatives that control oil, plastic, tin, and their monstrous trash pets. She will need to learn to surf on rivers and master her ice-age ability, unravel the past for her Mother’s disappearance, and control the nightmare that makes her maple syrup for blood boil. Unknown to Winter, the true evil waits for her underneath the Park.
C.S. Ulyate (Cameron) grew up in California. As a kid, he could be found climbing mountains or kayaking in the ocean when he had free time from acting rehearsals. As an author, he loves writing about adventures that he never read as a kid. And he loves to break the rules. Who said wizard pirates can't ride mechanical dinosaurs? In the past, he has worked for several acting agencies and promoted environmental ad campaigns.
Fall Leaves by Loretta Holland Houghton Mifflin Harcourt September, 2014 Review copy from the public library, via my amazing literacy coach, Brooke!
The best compliment I can give this book is that I have read it at least 5 times and I am still finding new things to love!
When Amazing Literacy Coach Brooke handed it to me with a, "Have you seen this? I think it would make a fabulous mentor text." I read through it quickly, seeing the short phrases in large font with informational text in smaller font below.
On the next read, I really thought about the word choice for the words in large font. The book begins with, "FALL ARRIVES" and on the next page, "BIRDS LEAVE," then "LEAVES TWIST" and "RAIN FALLS."
I started to form a theory about the pattern of the words on my second read, but I had to read the whole book again from start to finish to confirm it: (spoiler alert) every page has either FALL or LEAVES in the text! Fall can be used as the noun (the season) or the verb (to fall). Same with leaves. So cool! And the text is satisfyingly circular.
On the fourth read, I studied the illustrations and marveled at the use of color, light, and movement that Loretta Holland used to perfectly capture the mood and feel of fall. On Goodreads, I tagged this book "Potential Caldecott."
Finally, on the fifth go-round, I read the nonfiction text under the large words on each page. The science behind each phrase is clearly explained and includes the large words (in italics).
Brooke was right. This would make a fabulous mentor text. Not since Nothing Like a Puffin have I read a picture book that calls to me to use its pattern to write my own version. The hardest thing will be to find two words that can both be used as nouns and verbs. I'm off to my notebook to brainstorm...
0 Comments on Fall Leaves as of 9/25/2014 8:26:00 AM
Grief by any measure can be overwhelming. The grief one experiences after the loss of a family member never more so, even if that member happens to have whiskers and furry ears.
Who knew I’d still be grieving the loss of my dog so intensely four months on? That the thinnest memory of him could unveil a mountain of yearning and loss and cause small avalanches of tears – again and again.
Penned after the loss of her beloved pet rabbit, Winston, Here in the Garden is more than an inspired cathartic exercise. It is an exquisitely crafted passage-of-time tale that allows ‘anyone who reads it (a) way back to a loved one through (their) heart and (their) memories’.
A young boy loses his special friend, a pet rabbit and wishes fervently that they were still together in his garden. Seasons slide by with the passing of time yet his yearning never diminishes. The boy’s present day feelings are sensitively juxtaposed with each new season and the past memories they reawaken of his days shared in the garden with bunny.
Stewart’s heart-felt narrative is poetic and poignant and at times a little tear-inducing. The evolution of the seasons is beautifully measured by her splendid illustrations; most notably, the stirring string of pencilled line drawings at the end leading us and the boy beautifully from grief to resignation to jubilation of better days. By the end of story and the passing of a year, the boy comes to realise that whilst not everything we hold precious and dear in life can remain with us physically, memories are forever.
Here in the Garden is ultimately a moving yet magnificent and uplifting testimony to life and that wondrous salve of all hurts, time. Older readers will need tissues. Younger ones will cherish the joy and hope hidden within just as easily as they will locate the leaf-shaped bunnies drifting throughout this book.
Have you and your kids ever attempted to grow your own vegetables and failed miserably? Maybe the weather’s contrived against you? Or the slugs have slithered wild and destroyed your crops?
Pettson, a crochety but ultimately kind and charming old man lives on a small homestead in the countryside, with a mischievous cat, Findus, as his only real family. Spring has arrived and it’s time to plant their vegetable patch.
But try as they might, the odds are not in their favour. First the chickens dig up the newly planted seeds. Then a neighbour’s pig escapes and runs riot. Should Findus and Pettson just give up on vegetables altogether? (Many a child reader/listener might well cheer at this point!)
Slapstick humour abounds in this seasonal tale full of optimism and utter chaos. It’s is also great for starting discussions about where food comes from (tying in with the primary school ‘field-to-fork’ topic rather nicely).
Fans already familiar with Pettson and Findus (this is the seventh Findus and Pettson book now translated into English and published by Hawthorne Press) will delight in familiar tropes; the threat of the fox, the problematic fellow farmer Gustavsson, the crazy DIY projects and the mysterious mini magical folk. If you’re new to this utterly delightful Swedish import the ramshackle illustrations teeming with life and laughter will quickly win you over.
You’ll be infinitely richly rewarded for spending time pouring of the illustrations; even in choosing just a few cameos to share with you today, we’ve discovered many more visual jokes, even though this must be the 20th time we’ve read the book.
Charismatic characters, high jinks, and heart-warming friendship combined with witty, surprising and satisfying illustrations all add up to another winner from Sven Nordqvist.
We’ve been reading this funny book down on our allotment in between planting our vegetables and flowers for this year.
And just like Findus, the girls said they wanted to see what would happen if they planted meatballs. So I called their bluff, and said that of course they could plant meatballs (along with carrots, onions and beans)…
And thus a new family dinner was created! A field of mashed potato made the most fertile ground for planting sauted onions, carrots, steamed beans, and – of course – some extra special meatballs.
Whilst planting our meatballs we listened to:
On top of spaghetti (all covered in cheese, I lost my poor meatball when somebody sneezed), here sung by Tom Glazer
One Meatball by Fred Mollin (from the film Ratatouille) – here’s an older version (lovely, but not quite a jazzy as the Disney version):
Exploring the garden activities over on NurtureStore. Cathy produces handy month by month guides to getting planting, playing and harvesting with your family.
Making some bird houses to put up in your garden. Pettson and Findus’s world is full of little cottages up in the trees and you might find inspiration to add one or two to your outdoor space on this Pinterest board.
We are big Findus and Pettson fans! Even have a computer game that must be 15+ yrs old!
Zoe said, on 5/11/2014 10:50:00 PM
Oh! A computer game? Wow. I know there’s lots of tie ins available in Sweden – I’ve always rather fancied a Pettson and Findus calendar.
Catherine said, on 5/12/2014 12:29:00 AM
We love Pettson and Findus, a lot of the stories have also been translated into German, they’re so full of humour.
We have kebab sticks dotted around the garden to show where my daughter planted apple pips in February (no sign of anything growing yet though!). A day after we planted them she decided she should make a sign saying apples for sale. Luckily she doesn’t sen too disappointed by the lack of progress but that’s part of learning about gardening
Title: Hi, Koo, A Year of Seasons By Jon J Muth Published by Scholastic, 2014, February 25 Ages: 4-8 Themes: seasons, haiku, poetry First Haiku: Autumn, … Continue reading →
Every year from Kindergarten through second grade, my son came home with a picture he'd drawn of an apple tree seen through all four seasons. While I love the book that these were modeled on, I often found myself wishing that this activity was done at the end of the year as a culmination of months of studying the same schoolyard tree through the seasons. This isn't hard to do and teaches kids much about the skill of observation and keeping a nature journal. It's also a much better way to document the changing of the seasons. It may take longer to teach this way, but the benefits of long-term study are undeniable and vastly more interesting.
Today's book pairing offers an unusual, non-traditional and very clever look at our four seasons.
Poetry Book
Pumpkin Butterfly: Poems From the Other Side of Nature, written by Heidi Mordhorst and illustrated by Jenny Reynish, is a collection of 23 poems that begins with fall and cycles through the year's seasons, inviting readers to think about the signs of these seasons and new and extraordinary ways. Readers will be struck by the terribly clever metaphors as they find new ways to see and think about the world around them. Here's one of the poems that I particularly love.
Botanical Jazz
Quiet down, flower— not so loud!
All this stretching your neck and spreading your arms bellowing your brassy yellow sass—
you’re breaking our eyedrums trumpeting all that color and sun blowing that blazing yellow jazz. . . .
Belt it out, flower— we’ll join in!
As someone who uses poetry to teach science, I especially appreciate Mordhorst's gift for observation and her use of metaphor to help us see the everyday in new ways. Here's a terrific example of this.
Fireplace
It's only because of the low December sun bearing down along the street that I notice half a dozen fires without flame smoldering among the roots of
a monumental oak where leaves and fat acorns have pooled. Their whispering columns of smoke climb the trunk, turning it into a risky thing: a chimney made of wood.
I follow the white morning beams, mingle my clouded breath with the twisting wisps of smoke, and warm my hands over the burning of those acorn coals, of that timber chimney.
While these are ostensibly nature poems, they so keenly reflect the markers of each season that together they make this a perfect book for sharing during a study of the seasons. Nonfiction Picture Book
Our Seasons, written by Grace Lin and Ranida McKneally and illustrated by Grace Lin, is a beautiful combination of science and poetry that explores questions children often have about these seasons. Beginning with fall, each season is explored in three double-page spreads that includes a haiku, related question, and the answer to that question.
Before the exploration of seasons begins, the book opens with this haiku and question-answer selection.
When the earth is cold We long for the butterflies, Yet in warmth we want snow.
Why do we have seasons?
Did you know that the earth is titled as it revolves around the sun? If you drew an imaginary line through the earth's poles, this line (the axis) would be tilted at an angle, not straight up and down. The tilt of the axis never changes, so part of the year you are facing the sun more directly and part of the year you are not. Which season you experience depends on where you live and on the time of year.
The answers to each of these questions are written in a clear, understandable, and engaging manner. The book wraps up with the answer to the question, "Does everyone have four seasons?" Back matter includes a glossary of terms.
Perfect Together
While not a typical look at the seasons, Mordhorst's poetry will encourage students to look for signs of the seasons and imagine them in different ways. Pair this with Lin and McKneally's book to provide answers to often asked questions about the seasons and common events that occur in each.
Discovery Kids has a page about the reason we have seasons. It also includes images of one tree through the seasons.
Finally, if you decide you want to try a year-long tree study, consider using this amazing book.
Sky Tree: Seeing Science Through Art, written by Thomas Locker and Candace Christiansen and illustrated by Thomas Locker, is a detailed look at one tree through a single year. The gorgeous oil paintings and lyrical text invite readers to look closely at the world around them. The author's note that opens the book reads:
I have spent most of my life learning to paint trees agains the ever changing sky. After all these years I still cannot look at a tree without being filled with a sense of wonder.
Since I began collaborating with Candace Christiansen, who is a science teacher, I have become increasingly aware of the scientific approach to the natural world. I was amazed to discover that the more scientific facts I learned, the deeper my sense of wonder became. This realization led to the creation of Sky Tree.
Sky Tree invites adults and children to experience the life of a tree and its relationship to the sky in several different ways. Through storytelling, art appreciation, and scientific exploration, Sky Tree attempts to reach both the heart and mind.
Back matter includes a section in which questions asked in the text are answered, linking science and art.
0 Comments on Science Poetry Pairings - Seasons as of 4/17/2014 12:55:00 AM
As regularly as the swallows depart from and return to San Juan Capistrano, teachers will soon flock to classrooms and libraries. Sooner or later, they will seek the books on seasons. I will be ready.
DeGezelle, Terri. 2012. Exploring Fall. North Mankato, MN: Capstone.
Crisp and attractive photographs, single-page "chapters," minimal text in simple font, a pleasing buttery yellow color, and a generous 11" x 9" size, are the hallmarks of this Exploring the Seasons series.
Each book contains eight chapters. The first is specific to a season ("Season of Change" for fall, "Hot, Hot, Hot" for summer), and the rest follow a predictable pattern ("What Causes Seasons?," "Water in Fall," People in Fall," etc.) The text is simple and easy to follow,
Lakes and ponds get cold in fall. But oceans have built up warmth over the summer. The warm water makes hurricanes more common in fall.
and is accompanied on the facing page by a full, or larger-than-full page photograph or illustration. With enough scientific data to cover necessary standards, the Exploring the Seasons series is nevertheless, attractive enough to appeal to young readers or listeners. A word count , grade level and Early-Intervention Level are included on the last page. (255, 1, and 21 respectively)
Each title also contains a Glossary, Read More, Internet Sites, and Index.
Because Capstone Press' target audience is beginning, struggling and reluctant readers, these books have a target age range of 5-7, but will be equally useful as preschool read-alouds to accompany storybooks on the same topic.
Note:
See more posts related to science, technology, engineering and math at STEM Friday.
0 Comments on Exploring the Seasons - a review as of 9/8/2012 1:06:00 PM
This week I'm sharing a poem that the Might Minnows discovered, hiding in plain sight, in the Leo Lionni book Frederick. We read it in November, when the change of seasons was unmistakable here in the mid-Atlantic and it was important to think about storing up food--and sunrays, colors and words!--in preparation for the long winter. This book also served as our first introduction into what it is to be a poet.
I won't post the well-known "Five Little Pumpkins" rhyme that came before this one--it can be found enough places. But I will point out that our poetry anthology, when completed, deliberately included both simpler poems like "Five Little Pumpkins" and more complex ones like the one below that I titled "Frederick's Sky Mice." Sometimes we all learned the poem by heart, and sometimes it was enough to hear it over and over again and complete each line as the teacher read it. When we reviewed our anthologies at the end of the year, some children were surprised to find that they could read this one independently now!
Frederick’s Sky Mice by Leo Lionni
Who scatters snowflakes? Who melts the ice? Who spoils the weather? Who makes it nice? Who grows the four-leaf clovers in June? Who dims the daylight? Who lights the moon?
Four little field mice who live in the sky. Four little field mice … like you and I.
One is the Springmouse who turns on the showers. Then comes the Summermouse who paints in the flowers. The Fallmouse is next with walnuts and wheat. And Wintermouse is last … with little cold feet.
Aren’t we lucky the seasons are four? Think of a year with one less … or one more!
Teachers, go here and here for great resources on Lionni's books, and enjoy the photos of mice visiting the Mighty Minnows!
1 Comments on OIK Tuesday: sky mice, last added: 7/21/2012
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 [...]
Truth in advertising -- this is neither an iris from my garden, nor is it an iris that's blooming right now (it's name is Fire and Ice, and it's from Mom's garden last June).
But I really did do a complete double-take last week when I saw whole beds of iris blooming in Denver. Some are blooming here, too. What's up with THAT?!?! Iris bloom at the end of May so that you can cut them and take them to the cemetery to lay on the graves on Memorial Day. Used to be, at least. Can't tell me nothing's wacko about the weather and/or the seasons...
You are so right! My iris are up, not blooming yet, but the color is there. And it's supposed to be 90 today, while it's snowing in the northeast. Wacko for sure. The haiku makes just the right comment!
5 Stars Rhyming text and illustrations explore some of the many things a leaf can be, from tree topper to rain stopper. Includes facts about leafs and a glossary. A leaf is a leaf— A bit of a tree. But just try to guess What else it can be! This book, A Leaf Can Be [...]
The ancient Indo-Europeans lived in the northern hemisphere (see the previous post), but, although this conclusion is certain, it does not follow that they divided the year into four seasons. Our perception of climate is colored too strongly by Vivaldi, the French impressionists, and popular restaurants. At some time, the Indo-Europeans dominated the territory from India to Scandinavia (hence the name scholars gave them). They lived and traveled in many climate zones, and no word for “winter,” “spring,” “summer,” and “autumn” is common to the entire family; yet some cover several language groups.
It is rather probable that the worldview of the earliest Indo-Europeans was in part determined by a tripartite model of the universe. Julius Caesar must have divided Gaul into three parts almost instinctively. He grew up knowing three main gods: Jupiter, Mars, and Quirinus. The terrible hell dog Cerberus had three heads. An echo of the old beliefs is still distinct in epic poetry and fairy tales. The story usually revolves around three brothers or three sisters. The protagonist performs three difficult tasks. The Scandinavian gods often travel in three’s company, and so do Russian warriors. Heaven, our earthly habitat, and the underground kingdom make up another familiar triad. At some time, the “Indo-European year” may have consisted of (1) spring and summer, (2) summer and autumn, and (3) winter.
But the speakers of Greek, Latin, Slavic, and Germanic already knew four seasons. At least some of their names are still clear to us. Gothic asans (a word recorded in the fourth century, like the rest of Gothic) glossed Greek théros and meant “harvest” and “summer; heat” (English has many therm- words from this root). Its Slavic cognate (for example, Russian osen’) means “autumn, fall.” Thanks to Gothic, the Slavic word becomes transparent: not “autumn,” but “harvest.” German Ernte “harvest” and Engl. earn are related to asans ~ osen’. Perhaps gathering a crop was called simply “work”; then from “work (in the field)” to “harvest” and “autumn.” German Herbst “autumn, fall” corresponds to Engl. harvest (see again last week’s post); here English sheds light on German. It is of course more natural to associate harvest with the fall than with summer, but all depends on when summer ends and autumn begins. According to the conventional division of the year, spring consists of March, April, and May. However, “real” spring comes to us on March 23, which pushes summer to June 23, and so on.
Été by Alphonse Mucha, 1896.
Summer and its cognates dominate the Germanic languages: compare German Sommer, Dutch zomer, Old Icelandic sumar ~ sumarr, and so forth. If Armenian amarn “summer” (the transliteration has been simplified) is related to it, we get a glimpse of another sense of summer, because the Armenian word is a derivative of am “year”; summer emerges as “(time of) year.” The identification of one season with the whole year is not uncommon. In Germanic, people counted years by winters (more about it will be said in the
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Thanksgiving has come and gone. Well, not quite gone. The feel of the week-end lingers, perhaps because I didn't take part in the Black Friday feeding frenzy. Instead my husband and I took time off from our busy lives and enjoyed slowing down and savoring the splendid fall we are having.
Autumn came late to Sacramento and its surrounding areas. The air has only recently turned nippy. Consequently, the leaves have been turning colors slowly, steadily becoming more brilliant against the gray sky before they fall. Their leaf litter on sidewalks or piled in gutters makes a walk through Midtown an uplifting experience. No matter how much I like spring and summer (even winter with it's own beauty carved from branches splaying the air in webby patterns), autumn has become my favorite season.
It seems ironic that in such a cool season, the colors are from the warmest tones of the palette: yellow, gold, bronze, orange, every shade of red and brown. The colors both cheer and sooth—comfortable colors associated with pumpkins and pumpkin pie, with yams and carrot cake and corn on the cob. Or roast chestnuts. A glowing fireplace. Bouquets of golden mums by a window.
Spring may burst out in a rainbow of blooms and promise. Autumn is a promise kept, a season of harvest and sharing the bounty, a sharing that doesn't require standing in long lines at midnight in order to grab the latest bargain, but instead calls us back to fellowship and the abundance in our hearts.
13 Comments on Post Thanksgiving Musings, last added: 11/30/2011
That IS really interesting that this cool time of year has so many golden colors. Ha, and I like your description of Black Friday as a "feeding frenzy." No kidding!
I, too, love autumn more than any other season. The the cool, crisp air invigorates and colors are spectacular. It's interesting to me, though, that leaves are most beautiful as they are dying. There's me, having a dark moment.
Rosi, not so dark. It really is an interesting contrast. Although, only the leaves are dropping off, the trees are just going dormant, entering a period of incubation. Maybe that's why creative people like the season so much.
Mayra, you and me both. The holidays are so close together, and both of them such busy times!
Hi, Rachna, it's going great. About fifteen minutes ago I submitted a short story to an online magazine. I'm impressed that you are working on a trilogy. Enjoyed your post about that this morning.
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Thanks for sharing.
Spring has sprung in our neck of the woods and it’s putting a big smile on my face! The afternoons and weekends where we just want to be outside have begun, and we’ve a sumptuous book to inspire us to look with new season’s eyes at the growth and activity all around us in the garden, parks and streets nearby; 
If so, perhaps 
This is absolutely gorgeous, and what lovely ideas you’ve spun off from it. Definitely going to give some of those a go.
Thank you Jax. The painting/layering gave everyone a big sense of satisfaction – and just looking at the one detail ie the shading, gave a focus to looking at “famous paintings” which made it not overwhelming.
This is so great!