A Boy Had a Mother Who Bought Him a Hat

H is for Hat!

Kuskin, Karla.
A Boy Had a Mother Who Bought Him a Hat.
March 2010.
HarperCollins.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

When a young boy's mother bought him a new red hat the color of a rose, it sets off a whole chain of events that readers will surely not be expecting! As his mother continues to purchase him new toys, the little boy is determined he must be able to take everything with him, able to show everyone his possessions. One day, in a race, the treasured hat is swept away during an elephant race... and must be replaced.

With rhyming, lyrical text, children are sure to love this story! The ending, in which the little boy is in need of a new hat will inspire children to imagine in their mind the next turn of events and what more adventure can possibly take place with the arrival of a new hat. I really, really enjoyed this story and have made a note to include it in my curriculum plans for letter Hh week next school year! Hopefully you and your children will find it just as enjoyable!

Learning/Reading Activities:

• The story ends with Then his mother yelled, "Dear, I am off to the store. It is very clear that you must have a new hat." And she rushed out the door.Encourage your child to show his/her creative side by asking them to create the boy's new hat. You can use the worksheet I created, or just have your child use construction paper. I would suggest sharing with children photographs of or actual different hats, so they can see just what a wide variety of hat designs there are out there and then ask them to see what they can come up with!
• I am going to attempt to create a flannel board set to go along with this story! The story is a lot of fun and I'm sure children would love partaking in the flannel board retelling. If I am able to create one, I'll be sure to post pictures and patterns!
  

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Esphyr Slobodkina's Birthday

Today is Esphyr Slobodkina's Birthday. I have always known her for her popular children's book, Caps for Sale, although she does have a few other books out there, one of which is Circus Caps for Sale.
-The Teacher's Calendar, 2008-2009

Slobodkina, Esphyr.
Caps for Sale.
2008 (1947).
HarperCollins Publishers.
Guided Reading Level: K

Summary from Barnes & Noble:

A band of mischievous monkeys steals every one of a peddler's caps while he takes a nap under a tree.

I could see this book being used in a classroom for so many different activities... it's a shame I haven't yet had the opportunity to be the one doing the sharing!

• It's a perfect book for teaching children the process of retelling.
• For math, the book could be used for teaching about patterns (I've seen a file folder game for this in a classroom, but haven't yet been able to come across it online for download).
• It would fit perfectly as a read aloud on a hat or monkey unit!

It's just a great book and should be on all shelves!

Slobodkina, Esphyr.
Circus Caps for Sale.
2002 (1967).
HarperCollins Publishers.
Guided Reading Level: K

Summary from Barnes & Noble:

A peddler who sells caps by balancing them all on his head is invited to do an act in the circus.

This is by far my favorite of the two "Caps for Sale" books, but in order to fully appreciate this one, your child must be familiar with the first! I could totally see this book being made into a reader's theater for children! Perhaps I'll try to create that...

Lesson Plans/Reading Activities:

• Retelling: Beginning, Middle, End
• A Lesson on Patterns and Sequencing (Kindergarten Math)
• Who's Dancin' Now?
• For Sale!
• Hubbard's Cupboard: Caps for Sale Activities
• Caps for Sale Extension Activities - Scholastic
• Caps for Sale Felt Set (These can be found cheaper on ebay)
  

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com.

Hats off to September!!!

Well, it's mid-September... another summer is (successfully) behind us! Hats off to Fall! There are some fun activities that go along with this post that might be handy through the winter to make time pass more quickly until next summer! Hopefully you'll enjoy them!

Holm, Sharon Lane.
Zoe's Hats.
2009 (2003).
Boyds Mills Press.

Summary from Boyds Mills Press:

Zoe loves hats - floppy hats, flowery hats, and downright funny hats. Some hats look wonderful on her, while others, well... even Zoe has her doubts. But there's no doubt that children will share Zoe's enthusiasm for dressing up. Sharon Lane Holm's lively book introduces children to colors and patterns with bold illustrations and a simple, rhythmic text.

This is a wonderful book that could be used in so many ways! It's perfect for very young children to simply teach them their colors. As for children just a bit older, it makes for a perfect book for beginning readers, as the illustrations allow for children to use context clues to figure out words - if they know their colors, they'll feel confident that they can actually read this whole story!

Kitamura, Satoshi.
Millie's Marvellous Hat.
2009.
Andersen Press USA.

Summary from Amazon:

Millie loves hats, but she can't afford to buy any of the beautiful ones in the hat shop. But the shopkeeper has an idea. He produces a box containing an amazing hat with the most perfect shape and color imaginable - if Millie dares to imagine it. Millie does dare, and soon she sees not only her own marvellous hat, but everyone else's hats as well.

This book is every bit as wonderful as Zoe's Hats. However, the lucky thing about this book is that it's level of appropriateness extends to much older children! Millie's use of her imagination is enough to inspire children to imagine their own fancy hats! Encourage children to draw "their" hat, as they wish they could own. Children of any age love to draw, and this would be tying in literature to the drawing activity! If you so wish, engage them in writing about their hat. What materials would they need in order to create their hat? What steps would have to be taken to create this hat? How much would they be willing to pay for their hat? Have children create an add for their hat, giving the sale price and a brief description of the item. If you're really into the project, allow your child to actually create his or her hat!

Other Teaching Ideas:

• H is for Hat, when teaching children the alphabet. Use the following printable as handwriting practice for the letter "H."
• Invite children to wear their favorite hat for the day to participate in Hat Day!
• Plan a day to clean out your craft cupboard - cover the table with newspaper and fill it with all your scrap crafting supplies. Buy each child a plain hat at the local craft store and then encourage them to be creative and design their own Crazy Hat.
  

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com.