WILD ABOUT BOOKS

WILD ABOUT BOOKS

By Judy Sierra and Illustrated by Mark Brown

Are you WILD????

What animals are you WILD about?

What books make you WILD?

This is the PERFECT story for you... Discover how the wild animals go wild for books.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrguoU_snJ8

ACTIVITY: What is YOUR favorite animal? What kind of books might that animal like to read? Make up a story about it. Paint or draw some pictures. Put the pages together and now YOU have a Wild about Books book!

Can you Grow a Rainbow? 

Remember in Italy, they show sign with rainbows that say, 

"Andra' Tutto Bene - Everything will be Fine! 

This activity is borrowed from: https://www.thebestideasforkids.com/grow-a-rainbow-experiment/

YOU WILL LOVE SEEING THE RAINBOW COME TOGETHER in this simple science experiment.

You need :
Paper towel, water-based markers, water, and two small glasses.

See other RAINBOW activities in this blog. Look under RAINBOWS in the list.

The Day the Crayons Quit - Read Aloud

The Day the Crayons Quit - Read Aloud

Read Aloud here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=489micE6eHU

ACTIVITY:  See Poetry selection: The Crayons that Talked

ACTIVITY: YOU HAVE BEEN USING YOUR CRAYONS A LOT LATELY. WHAT WOULD THEY SAY ABOUT YOU?

USE A STORY BOARD format (See StoryboardTHAT.com) and make a cartoon story about what YOUR crayons think.

Use your favorite colors, too.

The Crayon Box That Talked - Poetry Month

The Crayon Box That Talked

By Shane DeRolf

While walking in a toy store the day before today

I overheard a crayon box with many things to say.

"I don't like Red!" said Yellow, 

and Green said, "Nor do I!

And no one here likes Orange, 

but no one knows just why."

"We are a bunch of crayons that doesn't get along," 

said Blue to all the others, 

"Something here is wrong!"

Well, I bought that box of crayons and 

took it home with me,

And laid out all the colors so the crayons could all see.

They watched me as

I colored with Red and Blue and Green,

And Black and White and Orange and every color in

between.

They watched as Green became the grass and Blue became the sky.

The Yellow sun was shining bright on White clouds drifting by.

Colors were changing as they touched becoming something new.

They watched me as I colored, they watched 'til I was through.

And when I'd finally finished I began to walk away.

And as I did, the crayon box had something more to say.

"I do like Red!" said Yellow, and Green said, "So do I!

And, Blue, you were terrific so high up in the sky!"

"We are a box of crayons, each one of us unique.

But when we get together the picture is complete."

Source: http://rwatersunioncity.sharpschool.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_4478637/File/Expository%20Poem%20Prompt.pdf

 

ACTIVITY: YOU HAVE BEEN USING YOUR CRAYONS A LOT LATELY. WHAT WOULD THEY SAY ABOUT YOU?

USE A STORY BOARD format (See StoryboardTHAT.com) and make a cartoon story about what YOUR crayons think.

Use your favorite colors, too.

(See the next Post for read aloud video of 
The Day the Crayons Quit.

I’m Glad I’m Me - Poetry Month

                                        I’m Glad I’m Me

BY Phil Bolsta

I don’t understand why everyone stares

When I take off my clothes and dance down the stairs.

Or when I stick carrots in both of my ears,

Then dye my hair green and go shopping at Sears.

I just love to dress up and do goofy things.

If I were an angel, I’d tie-dye my wings!

Why can’t folks accept me the way that I am?

So what if I’m different and don’t act like them?

I’m not going to change and be someone I’m not.

I like who I am, and I’m all that I’ve got.

Source: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46931/im-glad-im-me  

ACTIVTY:  It's good to be SILLY! 

Use some of these funny faces to inspire you to draw or paint a picture of you being silly, and wondering what everyone who sees you will think! 

The Owl and the Pussy Cat - Poetry Month

The Owl and the Pussycat

By Edward Lear

 

The Owl and the Pussy-Cat went to sea

   In a beautiful pea-green boat:
They took some honey, and plenty of money
   Wrapped up in a five-pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above,
   And sang to a small guitar,
"O lovely Pussy, O Pussy, my love,
   What a beautiful Pussy you are,
            You are,
            You are!
   What a beautiful Pussy you are!"
   How charmingly sweet you sing!
Oh! let us be married; too long we have tarried,
   But what shall we do for a ring?"
They sailed away, for a year and a day,
To the land where the bong-tree grows;
And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood,
   With a ring at the end of his nose,
            His nose,
            His nose,
   With a ring at the end of his nose.
   Your ring?" Said the Piggy, "I will."
So they took it away, and were married next day
   By the turkey who lives on the hill.
They dined on mince and slices of quince,
   Which they ate with a runcible spoon;
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
   They danced by the light of the moon,
            The moon,
            The moon,
   They danced by the light of the moon.

Source: https://poets.org/poem/owl-and-pussy-cat

ACTIVITY:  Enjoy the imagery in this poem. Using the HOW TO DRAW A CAT from this blog, draw your favorite part of the poem. Use watercolor paints to add color to your drawing. 

Make a Gratitude Chain

Mr Putter and Tabby Write the Book

Mr Putter and Tabby Write the Book

by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Arthur Howard.



Listen and See the story here:
https://www.youtube.com/watchv=zqsT2yHus4U&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR2p8sTURXg56RunnOOrjO7zYK1cEhEICBEwhO-WMRDGyBkSYLjqKxl-XZw

ACTIVITY: Make a list of things YOU are thankful for. Doodle around the edges to make it FANCY.


See the next activity.

Designer Masks

Designer Masks

To be safe, many people are wearing masks when they go out in public. 

What will everyone look like? What will they say about wearing masks? 

ACTIVITY Make some masks 

You need: old magazines (ask)

Glue

Markers

You can even cut out your characters to make them puppets. What would YOUR character say about his or her mask? Make up a story. Write your story and paste your masked characters on the paper.

Smart - Poetry Month

Smart

By Silverstein

My dad gave me one dollar bill
‘Cause I’m his smartest son,
And I swapped it for two shiny quarters
‘Cause two is more than one!

And then I took the quarters
And traded them to Lou
For three dimes — I guess he didn’t know
That three is more than two!

Just then, along came old blind Bates
And just ’cause he can’t see
He gave me four nickels for my three dimes,
And four is more than three!

And then I took the nickels to Hiram Coombs
Down at the seed-feed store,
And the fool gave me five pennies for them,
And five is more than four!

And then I went and showed my dad,
And he got red in the cheeks
And closed his eyes and shook his head —
Too proud of me to speak!

Source: https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/snowball/#content

ACTIVITY:  This poem talks about changing amounts of money. Keep track of the money the speaker trades away. 

FINGER PUPPETS

FINGER PUPPETS

There are so many GREAT books we have shared at Reading Rhinoceros Resources. 

ACTIVITY:  Pick your FAVORITE story from the blog or elsewhere)  and make some finger puppets to help you retell the story. Make some for your family, too.

Be sure to clean up.

CALM - CALMA - TRANQUILITY -TRANQUILA

HOW TO HELP YOURSELF  FEEL RELAXED

Try these movements to make yourself feel calm and tranquil.

Listen to some soothing music.

Read Tomie de'Paola's book, Quiet
(see posting)

and breathe in... breathe out....

Find a web page about Yoga for kids.

Do some yoga with your family.

Gratitude

Being Grateful

There are times in life when things get tough. We can make ourselves feel a little better when we think of the things we have to be grateful about - things and people and places that make us happy.
Today, go on a:


What other things are you grateful for? Add to your list.  Pick your FAVORITE thing and make the word very colorful and bold.  Post your list where you can see it every day.

Let's be Friends - Poetry Month

Let's be Friends   posted by Jayla in GA USA

                                by Christina Corona

Would you like to be my friend?

That would be so fine!

We'll run around in your backyard

And then we'll play in mine.

We'll Wal to school together

And share our lunches, too.

Oh! What a lucky kid I am

To have a friend like you!

The theme of this poem is being friends. The poem is also about what friends playing together, walking to school together, and sharing their lunches with each other.

Funny poems for kids. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/246572148318071068/

ACTIVITY: What do you like about your friends? What do you do together? What do you miss most when you are not with them?

Paint or draw a picture of your friend.  Make a 
WORD CLOUD  (WordArt.com) to describe what you like about your friends.

Simple Art - Paper Towels and Markers

Paper Towel Art -  carta per le mani

Follow the patterns on the paper towels to make colorful designs with water based markers.

Every company will have a different pattern. Us different colors, make patterns, use a rainbow of colors.

Take one sheet of designed paper towel and let a drop or two of water fall on it. The colors will spread. Pretty!

BUBBLE ART

Do you LOVE to blow bubbles?  It’s fun to see the RAINBOW colors and watch them pop and fly away.

If you don't have any in the house, don’t worry. You can MAKE some…

Get a small cup (a paper one of plastic is best, so it won’t accidentally break).  Put in a few drops of dishwashing soap and add a little bit of water. 

Bend a paperclip to use as a wand, or follow the directions in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuFgHTuoyzw

Dip the circle part of the paper clip into the soap and blow!  

You can also create beautiful abstract art.  Use the paper to make a book cover or a card.

.

Thanks to Medical Personnel - Rainbow and Poetry Month

During this world wide pandemic, let's take time to thank those who are helping us.

Here's. WORD CLOUD (USING WORDART.COM) and a rainbow.
    ACTIVITY:  Make some of your own (you don't need a word cloud maker.)
                   SEND THEM SOMEONE!

Where the Wild Things Are - Feed the Monsters

Read Where the Wild Things Are 

by Maurice Sendak
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnJn3567UMo

Then create a game where Mom can make supper for Max's new friends, the Wild Thing Monsters.

CARTOONIFY

CARTOONIFY  Create a Cartoon of Yourself

USE THIS CARTOON MAKER. https://www.cartoonify.de

This is me...                         This is my cartoon...            What do you think?

Fireflies in the Garden - Poetry Month

Fireflies in the Garden
         by ROBERT FROST

Here come real stars to fill the upper skies, 
And here on earth come emulating flies, 
That though they never equal stars in size, 
(And they were never really stars at heart) 
Achieve at times a very star-like start. 
Only, of course, they can't sustain the part.

Frost, R. (n.d.). Fireflies in the Garden by Robert Frost.  from https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/42892/fireflies-in-the-garden

The main theme of the poem is nature and fireflies. Frost was admiring the fireflies for trying to shine like the stars.

This poem could connect to the children’s book Firefly Hollow by Alison McGhee. This book is about creatures escaping from Firefly Hollow to reach bigger things (dreams). Also, an extension activity (separate from book) would be to create a life cycle circle for fireflies.

If you have a VOOKS.com account, you can watch and listen to the story: Papa is a Poet. This is the story of Robert Frost, the author of this poem.

 https://watch.vooks.com/be-creative/videos/papa-is-a-poet

Stress Relief Ball

Stress Relief Balls you can make at home

I needed a break this afternoon and I thought of  when I did these with my class a few years ago.

All you need is: a balloon and some flour. (1 cup)

Empty plastic bottle

1 Balloon

1 Sharpie

Ribbon or yarn

Empty plastic bottle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz5iEBdJM84

Have fun and    R E L A X.    Maybe read Quiet by Tomie dePaola (see posting on 3/23/20)

A Journey - Poetry Month

A Journey
                   By Nikki Giovanni
It’s a journey... that I propose... 
I am not the guide... nor technical assistant... 
I will be your fellow passenger...
Though the rail has been ridden... 
winter clouds cover... autumn’s exuberant quilt... 
we must provide our own guideposts...
I have heard... from previous visitors... 
the road washes out sometimes... 
and passengers are compelled... to continue groping... 
or turn back... I am not afraid...
I am not afraid... of rough spots... or lonely time... 
I don’t fear... the success of this endeavor... 
I am Ra... in a space... not to be discovered... but invented...
I promise you nothing... I accept your promise... 
of the same we are simply riding... a wave... 
that may carry... or crash...
It’s a journey... 
and I want... 
to go...

The collected poetry of Nikki Giovanni, 1968-1998.  https://poets.org/poem/journey Giovanni, N., & Fowler, V. C. (2007). New York: William Morrow.

Main theme of poem, style, etc. This is a little more on the serious side of poetry. This poem talks about the journey of life and how no one should be leading. We should all walk side by side with each other.

ACTIVITY:   Where do YOU want to go on life’s journey? Using the style of Nikki Giovanni, try to write your own poem about your journey. Use lots of descriptive words, too.

The Crocodile - Poem

The Crocodile by Lewis Carroll  How doth the little crocodile Improve his shining tail,  And pour the waters of the Nile On every golden scale! How cheerfully he seems to grin! How neatly spread his claws, And welcomes little fishes in With gently smiling jaws!

Carroll, L. (n.d.). The Crocodile. Retrieved April 15, 2020, from https://poets.org/poem/crocodile

The theme of this poem is about a crocodile who uses his friendly smile to lure in fish to his mouth to eat them.

This poem could be connected to the children’s book Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile by Bernard Waber. Watch the Musical of Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile by Bernard Waber here  (25 minutes)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPLQT7QrXco

Can you tell that we like R A I N B O WS ??  

LOOK on the list to the right and click on Rainbows... (3/26/20, 3/31/20, 4/3/20, 4/6/20,4/9/20, 4/10/20, 4/15/20)

In Italy, signs are everywhere of a rainbow with the words, 

"Andra' Tutto Bene" - Everything Will Be OK.

Today's video is reading

Planting a Rainbow 

by Lois Ehlert

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7hz32HLmYE



It's spring and time to start thinking about what we can plant in the garden. THIS year, Ray and Deb will plant a RAINBOW of flowers and vegetables.

ACTIVITY: What would YOU want to plant in your RAINBOW garden? Use crayons, markers, or paint to show your garden.

 Even if you don't have any seeds, you can start growing plants, like carrots, celery, and potatoes. https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/regrow-food-water/

growing vegetables from cuttings

https://www.top10homeremedies.com/news-facts/10-vegetables-herbs-can-regrow-kitchen-scraps.html

Look at these pictures:

Wind on the Hill - Poetry Month

A. A. Milne

ACTIVITY: Observe and write down characteristics of the wind. Give examples of how the wind effects the world around us.

         Milne, A. A., & Shepard, E. H. (2016). Now we are six. London: Egmont.