Jon Agee Story Time: July 24-25, 2017

Books:
It's Only Stanley by Jon Agee
Life on Mars by Jon Agee *
Mr. Putney's Quacking Dog by Jon Agee *
My Rhinoceros by Jon Agee *
The Retired Kid by Jon Agee *

Craft: Sock-topus
The kids were given an octopus template which was colored and then glued into a cylinder.  The legs were spread apart before gluing on a multi-colored paper sock to each leg.

Literacy Extensions:
- Mr. Putney's Quacking Dog introduces kids to simple riddles and wordplay.  If your child likes the book, try out some simple knock knock jokes that also include wordplay.
- Life on Mars tells two different stories -- one in text, one in pictures.  Before reading the book to your child, show them the pictures and see what story they come up with to go along with them.


Template --

Cut on the lines to make legs.  The shaded section is cut off and thrown away.

Mo Willems Story Time: July 17-18, 2017

Books:
Edwina, The Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct by Mo Willems
Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems
Leonardo, The Terrible Monster by Mo Willems *
The Pigeon Wants a Puppy! by Mo Willems *
We Are in a Book! by Mo Willems *

Craft: Walrus Puppet
The children colored the pieces of a walrus's face (eyes, tusk, cheeks) before gluing them to a paper bag to make into a puppet.

Literacy Extensions:
- Mo Willems is a great way to introduce children to comic strips as his Cat the Cat, Elephant and Piggie, and Pigeon books are all very simple forms of comics.  Point out the speech bubbles and how they are linked to specific characters to tell who is talking.
- After reading Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs, have your child "retell" another fairy tale replacing some of the characters with dinosaurs.


Templates --

 

Michael Ian Black Story Time: July 10-11, 2017

Books:
Chicken Cheeks by Michael Ian Black *
I'm Bored by Michael Ian Black *
Naked! by Michael Ian Black *
A Pig Parade Is a Terrible Idea by Michael Ian Black
The Purple Kangaroo by Michael Ian Black

Craft: Paper Plate Flamingo
This week's craft was based on the picture at left.  We made a few alterations to the craft.  We used small paper plates and cut out the body and neck as one piece.  The kids colored the body and the head before gluing them together.  They then added the legs by placing a black pipe cleaner through a hole punched at the bottom of the plate.

Literacy Extensions:
- After reading A Pig Parade Is a Terrible Idea, extend the story by coming up with reasons why a panda bear parade would or would not be a good idea.
- Chicken Cheeks gives several alternate words for "derriere".  See if your child can come up with alternate words for other body parts.


Template --

Mem Fox Story Time: July 1, 2017

Books:
Let's Count Goats! by Mem Fox *
The Magic Hat by Mem Fox *
Nellie Belle by Mem Fox
Possum Magic by Mem Fox
Where Is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox *
Yoo-Hoo, Ladybug! by Mem Fox

Craft: Goat Headband
The children colored the head, horns, ears, and beard of the goat before gluing them all together and then onto strips of paper turned into a headband.

Literacy Extensions:
- Continue the counting fun by having your children count items throughout the house (i.e. chairs in a room, magnets on the refrigerator, etc.).
- The author Mem Fox is from Australia and her books The Magic Hat and Possum Magic reflect that country in the animals and food from that country.  Learn more about Australia by checking out some books at the library.