Best of 2016: December 27, 2016

Books:
The Cow Who Climbed a Tree by Gemma Merino
Dragon Was Terrible by Kelly DiPucchio
It Came in the Mail by Ben Clanton
Lion Lessons by Jon Agee *
Oh No, Astro! by Matt Roeser
Woodpecker Wants a Waffle by Steve Breen *

Craft: Waffle
The kids colored a cut out woodpecker and glued onto a jumbo craft stick as a tree.

Literacy Extensions:
- Lion Lessons tells kids how to act like a lion.  See if your child can follow the lessons to become an honorary lion.
- Use It Came in the Mail to talk about letter writing.  Have your child practice writing a letter.

Christmas Story Time: December 19-20, 2016

Books:
Babushka by Sandra Ann Horn
Bear Stays Up for Christmas by Karma Wilson *
I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas by John Rox
Minerva Louise on Christmas Eve by Janet Morgan Stoeke *
Monster Needs a Christmas Tree by Paul Czajak *

Craft: Candle Wreath
This week's craft was based on the picture at left.  The children colored a candle cutout before gluing it to a small paper plate with the center cut out.  Die cut holly leaves and large sparkles for berries were also glued onto the plate.

Literacy Extensions:
- Minerva Louise is a chicken that is confused about the different symbols at Christmastime.  Have your child identify different Christmas symbols and talk about what they mean (i.e. star, Christmas tree, Santa, angels, etc.)
- Christmas is a great time to give back to those who are less fortunate.  One great way is to have your child donate a toy to a charity for each new toy they get at Christmastime.


Candle Template:

Best of 2016: December 12-13, 2016

Books:
Alan's Big, Scary Teeth by Jarvis *
President Squid by Aaron Reynolds
Rex by Simon James
Still a Gorilla! by Kim Norman *
There's a Bear on My Chair by Ross Collins *
When Spring Comes by Kevin Henkes

Craft: Gorilla
This week's craft is pictured above.  Kids colored the parts of a gorilla - body, head, arms and feet - before gluing them together.

Literacy Extensions:
- Reading Alan's Big, Scary Teeth would be a great lead-in to a talk about tooth brushing and dental hygiene.
- Have your child act out the various animals while reading Still a Gorilla.  See if your child can come up with additional animals to extend the story.

Best of 2016 Story Time: December 5-6, 2016

Books:
Barnacle Is Bored by  Jonathan Fenske *
I Am Bear by Ben Bailey Smith *
Is That Wise, Pig? by Jan Thomas *
The Mixed-Up Truck by Stephen Savage *
They All Saw a Cat by Brendan Wenzel

Craft: Barnacle
The children colored a cutout template of a barnacle before gluing it into a cylinder.  The legs could be slightly bent to make it look like they were moving in the waves.

Literacy Extensions:
- I Am Bear's humor comes for the odd things he says based on his rhymes.  Practice rhyming with your child.  See how many rhyming words they can come up with.
- They All Saw a Cat demonstrates in its pictures how different animals see something in different ways.  Have your child experiment with that by having them ask various people for the names of shades of colors.


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