Piggy Pie Po

Help beginning readers understand the use of context clues and rhyming words to simplify the reading process!

Wood, Audrey & Don.
Piggy Pie Po.
September 2010.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Piggy Pie Po, a new title by authors Audrey & Don Wood (known for The Napping House) is an ideal book for beginning readers. The three short stories found within the pages are extremely funny and sure to have young children laughing and begging for the stories to be reread! The delightful text is extremely simple and rhythmic. These, coupled with the easily interpreted context clues found within the illustrations will ensure children find the confidence to pick up this book and give it a read on their own!

Learning/Reading Activities:

• Reinforce the idea of rhyming words with your students/children by playing rhyming lotto, using the words from the first story in Piggy Pie Po. The game can be downloaded and printed for use here.
• Check your students'/childrens' understanding of rhyming words by using the Piggie Pie Po rhyming activity worksheet which can be downloaded here. This asks children to find the word that does not rhyme and circle it.
• After reading the third story in the book, discuss what an incredibly funny pig Piggy Pie Po is! Talk about all that he is, all that he can do and all that he has done. Afterwards, as a group, create a shared writing list in which children add words to a list that rhyme with "pig." Use a big piece of chart paper and write "pig" at the top. Then, have children share the pen/pencil/marker to add a word that rhymes with pig. This would be a great time to reinforce the idea that rhyming words typically end with the same letters!
  

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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!

The Napping House

Children will find great pleasure and much laughter in this cumulative tale!

Wood, Don and Audrey.
The Napping House.
August 2010.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

The problems caused by a wakeful flea are seeming endlessness in this hilarious classic from Don and Audrey Wood! Who knew such a little critter could cause such a ruckus?! The pesky little fleas begins a chain of awakening various critters, ultimately resulting in a broken bed and NO ONE napping!

Learning/Reading Activities:

• Create The Napping House lapbook - perfect for young children to take home to share with families!
• Print out the templates for characters from The Napping House. Laminate and glue to scrap pieces of felt. Have children take turns retelling the story using the flannel board and felt board pieces!
  
• Scholastic's Study Guide for The Napping House
  

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!

Friday Frenzy

I've decided to use today as "Friday Frenzy" because I have so many books awaiting review that don't fall into my daily posts or any other topics I've planned. So, it's a whole frenzy of material to share today! Hopefully you'll find something to share and enjoy with your kiddos!

Wood, Audrey.
The Napping House.
2009 (1984).
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Guided Reading Level: I

Summary from Barnes & Noble:

In this cumulative tale, a wakeful flea atop a number of sleeping creatures causes a commotion, with just one bite.

So, as a teacher, you'd think I'd have been familiar with The Napping House long before now... but that's not the case and I can't even begin to tell you how cheated I feel! This story is absolutely wonderful and kids are sure to love it. It's a perfect book to use as a retelling activity or even as a cause-and-effect lesson. This book is definitely worthy of a spot on your shelves!

Reading Activities to Accompany The Napping House:

• The Napping House Guide
• The Napping House Extension Activities
• The Napping House Nouns/Adjective Concentration
  

Willis, Jeanne.
Flabby Cat and Slobby Dog.
2009.
Andersen Press, USA.

Summary from Barnes & Noble:

Flabby Cat and Slobby Dog were very lazy. They ate and ate and ate. They drank and drank and drank. And they slept and slept and slept. But when they woke up, they were most uncomfortable. The sofa had shrunk! Or so they liked to think!

This book was really funny and definitely has the ability to get children laughing! Besides being used as a read-aloud, I can almost visualize this book being used in a classroom (or Phys Ed class) as a motivator to get children moving! According to the American Heart Association, 17% of children between the ages of 6-11 are overweight... We need to do something to decrease this number! Perhaps this goofy book will be the inspiration that children need!

Mordhorst, Heidi.
Pumpkin Butterfly: Poems from the Other Side of Nature.
2009.
Wordsong.

Summary from Wordsong:

Look closely at the world around you, and you may see another world—a world where butterflies are the ghosts of pumpkins and an oak tree turns into a timber chimney; where raccoons are party animals, sunflowers blow jazz, and an ordinary egg is a source of wonder.

I think I've mentioned before that I always struggled with writing (and understanding) poetry. However, it's a big part of the ELA curriculum in schools today and because of that, I think there's no better way to familiarize children with poetry than to bring it into the classroom on a daily basis beginning in preschool. Even if kids can't put a name to that "weird story," they'll at least be able to recognize that it's different than a story. The poetry in this book would be perfect to share throughout the year, as it's broken into seasons and children will easily connect with the messages shared. I'll share my favorite fall poem with you!

Most Realistic Costume Award

trick sneaks under the gate
black-sleek
queen of scratch queen of screech

lying low
slipping spilling chasing treats

spine-stretch
crouch creep

pounce! she's got one
she's caught it like a bird
in her sugarsharp teeth
a little candy bird flapping
cellophane wings

Trick sneaks under the gate
blink-slink
howl-yowl queen of prowl

far near disappear

Yeoman, John.
The Wild Washerwomen.
2009.
Andersen Press, USA.

Summary from Barnes & Noble:

Once upon a time there were seven unhappy washerwomen. They had far too much washing to do and the owner of the laundry, Mr. Balthazar Tight, was simply dreadful! See what happens when these feisty washerwomen decide to escape from a very large pile of laundry and go on strike!

This is another one of those stories that will have kids laughing! Immediately, I thought of my childhood favorite, Mrs. Wishy-Washy and it's definitely a book I'd use along side that one! The book is great for children if you're trying to encourage the skill of predicting what will happen next. It's also perfect for retelling, as there are many simple events that will catch children's attention quickly and easily! Definitely worth having on the shelves!

Bunting, Eve.
So Far from the Sea.
2009 (1998).
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Summary from Barnes & Noble:

Laura Iwasaki and her family are paying what may be their last visit to Laura's grandfather's grave. The grave is at Manzanar, where thousands of Americans of Japanese heritage were interned during World War II. Among those rounded up and taken to the internment camp were Laura's father, then a small boy, and his parents. Now Laura says goodbye to Grandfather in her own special way, with a gesture that crosses generational lines and bears witness to the patriotism that survived a shameful episode in America's history.

I absolutely love the moving stories behind Eve Bunting's works... they are so powerful, yet children can easily connect with them and understand that there's something important to be learned. This is definitely a book I will be using someday in a classroom to help children understand what World War II meant for not only the Americans (who get the majority of the focus in today's history lessons), but also for the Japanese-Americans, who were [in many cases] wrongly imprisoned based on their heritage. It's important for children to see all sides of the story, and Eve Bunting helps make this possible in this book!

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.