Merry Christmas Story Time: December 17-18, 2018

Books:
Christmas Parade by Sandra Boynton *
Click, Clack, Ho! Ho! Ho! by Doreen Cronin
Decked Out for Christmas! by Ethan Long *
Here Comes Santa Cat by Deborah Underwood
How Do Dinosaurs Say Merry Christmas? by Jane Yolen
Snowmen at Christmas by Caralyn Buehner *

Craft: CD-Rom Wreath
Children glued crumpled pieces of tissue paper to a used cd to decorate as a wreath.  They could then tie on a piece of string so it could be hung on a tree if they liked.

Literacy Extensions:
- How Do Dinosaurs Say Merry Christmas? is a great addition to the manners books by Jane Yolen.  (There is also How Do Dinosaurs Say Happy Chanukah?.)  Talk about etiquette for the holidays as well as throughout the year.
- After reading Snowmen at Christmas, ask your child to come up with stories for various holiday objects to celebrate the holidays (i.e. ornaments, candy canes, Santa, etc.)

Our Favorite Books of 2018 Story Time: December 10-11, 2018

Books:
Bear's Scare by Jacob Grant
Hello, Hot Dog! by Lily Murray *
Honey by David Ezra Stein *
Neck & Neck by Elise Parsley
Penguin & Tiny Shrimp Don't Do Bedtime! by Cate Berry
People Don't Bite People by Lisa Wheeler *

Craft: Gingerbread Man
The kids colored a diecut cardstock gingerbread man before gluing on sequins.  They could tie on a piece of string to turn it into an ornament for their Christmas tree if they liked.

Literacy Extensions:
- After reading People Don't Bite People, have your child list things they can and can not bite.
- Honey tells why a bear likes to eat honey so much.  Have your child give the reasons for why a certain food is their favorite. 

Our Favorite Books of 2018 Story Time: December 3-4, 2018

Books:
Big Box, Little Box by Caryl Hart
Crunch, The Shy Dinosaur by Cirocco Dunlap
Do You Believe in Unicorns? by Bethanie Deeney Murguia *
The T-Rex Who Lost His Specs! by Jeanne Willis *
The Tiptoeing Tiger by Philippa Leathers
The Wall in the Middle of the Book by Jon Agee *

Craft: Unicorn Puzzle
Children colored a coloring sheet of a unicorn.  They could then cut on the lines on the back of the sheet to turn it into a puzzle.

Literacy Extensions:
- This week's books are some of our favorite picture books from 2018.  Discuss what the word "favorite" means.  Have your child list their favorite books.
- Big Box, Little Box lists how different boxes can be opposites.  Have your child "write" their own book of opposites using a similarly common object.

Moose Story Time: November 26-27, 2018

Books:
Ernest, the Moose Who Doesn't Fit by Catherine Rayner *
If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Numeroff
Looking for a Moose by Phyllis Root *
Moose Tracks by Karma Wilson
This Is a Moose by Richard T. Morris *

Craft: M Is for Moose
This week's craft was based on the picture at left.  The children colored a page with a large M on it.  They then glued on handprint antlers and eyeballs.

Literacy Extensions:
- While reading Looking for a Moose, have your child try to find the moose hiding on each page.  It might be a little difficult as it is just part of the moose's body.
- Have your child come up with their own moose story in the style of If You Give a Moose a Muffin.


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Turkeys Story Time: November 29-20, 2018

Books:
10 Turkeys in the Road by Brenda Reeves Sturgis *
The Best Thanksgiving Ever! by Teddy Slater *
I'm a Turkey! by Jim Arnosky *
A Plump and Perky Turkey by Teresa Bateman
Run, Turkey, Run! by Diane Mayr

Craft: CD Turkey
This week's craft was based on the picture at left.  The children glued strips of brown paper onto a used cd-rom.  They then glued on the eyes/beak/waddle combo piece to make the face.  They colored cutout feathers to glue to the back of the cd-rom.  An orange pipe cleaner was folded in half and taped to the back of the cd-rom to make the turkey's legs.

Literacy Extensions:
- We read about turkeys this week in preparation for Thanksgiving.  Talk with your child about things for which you are thankful.  Have your child draw or "write" on the turkey's feathers different things for which they are thankful.
- Practice drawing skills.  Have your child trace their hand to make the traditional turkey.


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Squirrels Story Time: November 13, 2018

Books:
Bear and Squirrel are Friends . . . Yes, Really! by Deb Pilutti *
Nuts to You by Lois Ehlert
Ol' Mama Squirrel by David Ezra Stein *
Scaredy Squirrel at Night by Melanie Watt
The Secret Life of Squirrels by Nancy Rose
Squirrels Leap, Squirrels Sleep by April Pulley Sayre

Craft: Standing Squirrel
Children colored a squirrel cutout and two legs.  They then bent the legs and glued them to the squirrel's body to make it stand.  (Note - the template includes a slit for the legs to slide into but that didn't seem to work very well.  So instead we glued the legs on.)

Literacy Extensions:
- Practice letter recognition.  Squirrel is one of the first words found in picture books that includes the letter "Q".  Ask your child to find various letters as you are reading the book.
- Learn more about squirrels.  Check out a nonfiction informational book about squirrels from the library.


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Bears Story Time: November 5-6, 2018

Books:
Bear & Hare: Where's Bear? by Emily Gravett *
The Bear Came Over to My House by Rick Walton
Hugless Douglas by David Melling *
Make a Wish Bear by Greg Foley
My Friend Bear by Jez Alborough
Old Bear by Kevin Henkes *

Craft: Bear in a Cave
This week's craft was based on the picture at left.  A brown paper lunch bag was cut so it stood about 4" standing up.  A door was cut into one side.  The bag was opened and then the edges of the sides glued in front to make a cave.  Kids colored a tree and bear cutout before gluing them to the cave as they like.

Literacy Extensions:
- Several of this week's book touch on hibernation.  Briefly explain what hibernation is and ask your child to identify animals that do and do not hibernate during the winter.
- Bear & Hare: Where's Bear? includes counting practice by playing "hide and seek".  Have some fun with your child's counting practice by doing the same.


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Wild Witches' Ball: A Trick or Treat Story Time: October 29-30, 2018

Books:
10 Trick or Treaters by Janet Schulman
13 Ghosts of Halloween by Robin Muller *
At the Old Haunted House by Helen Ketteman
We're Off to Find the Witch's House by Mr. Krieb *
Wild Witches' Ball by Jack Prelutsky *

Craft: Witch Trick or Treat Bag
Children colored a cutout of witch legs and then glued to a brown paper lunch bag.  The bag was then used to go trick or treating in the library.

Literacy Extensions:
- Almost all of this week's books involve counting in some way.  Practice counting while reading the books by asking your child how many of certain type of monsters are on a page as you read through the book.
- Before going trick or treating discuss safety issues such as walking in the dark, stranger safety, etc.

Ghost in the House (Monsters) Story Time: October 15-16, 2018

Books:
Ghost in the House by Ammi-Joan Paquette *
Little Goblins Ten by Pamela Jane
The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone *
Monster Boogie by Laurie Berkner *
Thelonius Monster's Sky-High Fly Pie by Judy Sierra


Craft: Ghost Windsock
The children glued a white circle over a recycled CD and drew on a face.  They then glued on long strips of tissue paper to the bottom to make into a windsock.  Small white tissue paper squares could be glued around the face if they liked.


Literacy Extensions:
- Both Ghost in the House and Little Goblins Ten feature counting.  For practice, have your child count the monsters on each page as you are reading the story.
- Monster Boogie has two verses using different words for dancing (i.e. boogie, wiggle).  See if your child can add more verses to the song / book with other words for dancing.

Sally and the Some-Thing (Monsters) Story Time: October 9, 2018

Books:
Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems *
Monster Trucks by Joy Keller
Sally and the Some-Thing by George O'Connor *
Tickle Monster by Edouard Manceau *
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Craft: Frankenstein Head Monster
The children were given a Frankenstein head and hair to color.  The hair and four strips of paper were glued to the head for arms and legs.


Literacy Extensions:
- Both Sally and the Some-Thing and Leonardo the Terrible Monster are about friendship.  Ask your child why the monsters in the books would or would not make a good friend.
- Tickle Monster focuses on the different parts of the monster's body.  As you are reading the book, have your child point out the different body parts on their own body.


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Skeleton Hiccups (Monster) Story Time: October 1-2, 2018

Books:
Bonaparte Falls Apart by Margery Cuyler
Skeleton for Dinner by Margery Cuyler
Skeleton Hiccups by Margery Cuyler *
The Skeleton in My Closet by Alice Schertle *
Where's My Mummy? by Carolyn Crimi *

Craft: Skeleton Picture
Kids glued a skull and small strips of paper (bones) to a simple skeleton outline on a piece of paper.


Literacy Extensions:
- Practice number recognition when doing the craft.  Write numbers on the strips of paper (bones) and have your child glue them to the picture in order.
- Monsters are a common fear for young children.  Discuss reasons we fear things and why we do not need to fear the monsters we are reading about.


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Building Block Nominees Story Time: September 24-25, 2018

Books:
Everybunny Dance! by Elle Sandall
The Giant Jumperee by Julia Donaldson
Go Sleep In Your Own Bed by Candace Fleming

Craft: Standing Frog
The kids colored a frog body, two eyes, and two legs before gluing them to the frog.  The legs were folded and glued so they stuck out a little making the frog stand up.



Literacy Extensions:
- Go Sleep In Your Own Bed foreshadows the story with the use of animal noises.  As you are reading the book, ask your child to figure out which animal will be appearing next.
- The Giant Jumperee is a book dealing with fear.  Discuss what things scare your child and how they might not be as scary as they seem.

Building Block Award Nominees Story Time: September 17-18, 2018

Books:
Barnacle Is Bored by Jonathan Fenske *
Plankton Is Pushy by Jonathan Fenske *
Spunky Little Monkey by Bill Martin Jr. *

Craft: Monkey Doorhanger
The kids colored a monkey head before putting on a small shaped foam sticker for a nose.  The monkey was then glued to the die-cut doorhanger.  They could write on the doorhanger what kind of monkey they felt they were (i.e. Spunky Monkey, Silly Monkey, Happy Monkey, etc.).

Literacy Extensions:
- This month, is a great time to work on memory recall.  Since it's been a week since we read the first nominee books, ask your child to tell you what each book was about before reading this week's nominee books.
- Spunky Little Monkey is a great book to get a child up and moving.  Use it as a springboard to continue with more movement by playing a game of Simon Says.

Building Block Award Nominees Story Time: September 10-11, 2018

Books:
Carrot & Pea: An Unlikely Friendship by Morag Hood
A Good Day for a Hat by T. Nat Fuller
I Got a New Friend by Karl Newson Edwards
Pug Meets Pig by Sue Lowell Gallion

Craft: Carrot Shapes Match
Children glued cutout orange shapes to their matching shapes on a carrot printout.  Cutout peas were glued in the spot with the missing shape.


Literacy Extensions --
- After reading A Good Day for Hat, discuss why different hats are better for different situations.  Have your child explain why each hat bear chooses is good for the situation he is in.  Ask for them to come up with situations and the hats they would wear.
- Most of the today's books are about friendship.  Discuss characteristics that make good friends.


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Building Block Award Story Time: September 4, 2018

Books:
10 Little Ninjas by Miranda Paul *
Bunnies!!! by Kevan Atteberry *
Mustache Baby by Bridget Heos *

Craft: Bunny Puppet
Children colored cutout ears, eyes, nose, and teeth before gluing to a paper bag to turn into a puppet.



Literacy Extensions:
- Come up with your own version of 10 Little Ninjas asking for suggestions for different types of characters.
- After reading Mustache Baby, discuss different activities and what makes them good or bad behavior.

Day/Night, Black/White: Opposites Story Time: August 27-28, 2018

Books:
Big Bear, Small Mouse by Karma Wilson *
Black? White! Day? Night! by Laura Vaccaro Seeger *
Dogs by Emily Gravett
Double Take! A New Look at Opposites by Susan Hood
Go! Go! Go! Stop! by Charise Mericle Harper *
Marta! Big & Small by Jen Arena

Craft: Stop / Go Sign
This week's craft was based on the picture at left with a few modifications.  We made one sign with STOP on one side and GO on the opposite.  The children colored two circles to glue onto a used CD-rom.  They then glued or taped a jumbo craft stick with STOP written on one side and GO on the other side to the CD to match the colored circles.

Literacy Extensions:
- Practice opposites by making it a game.  Have your child try to come up with opposites throughout the day.  (i.e. hungry and full, up the stairs and down the stairs, etc.)
- Review all the various learning concepts you've covered this past month -- alphabet, counting, colors, and opposites.  Introduce other concepts such as shapes.

Red, Yellow, Blue: Colors Story Time: August 20-21, 2018

Books:
Bear Sees Colors by Karma Wilson *
Mix It Up! by Herve Tullet
This Book Is Red by Beck & Matt Stanton
Warthogs Paint: A Messy Color Book by Pamela Duncan Edwards *

Craft: Caterpillar Color Match
The kids were given a caterpillar coloring page with circles outlined in different colors.  They glued matching pieces of paper to the correct color circle.


Literacy Extensions:
- Practice number and color recognition at the same time.  Do some color by number coloring pages.
- Go on a color walk.  Try to find items while walking of the different colors.


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123: Numbers & Counting Story Time: August 13-14, 2018

Books:
10 Little Hot Dogs by John Himmelman
20 Big Trucks in the Middle of the Street by Mark Lee
Counting in the Garden by Emily Hruby
Mouse Count by Ellen Stoll Walsh *
The Right Number of Elephants by Jeff Sheppard *
Ten Pigs: An Epic Bath Adventure by Derek Anderson *

Craft: Fish Count Sparkles Sheet
The children colored a coloring sheet with fish / ocean creatures on it.  They then glued the correct number of sparkles to match each fish's number.

Literacy Extensions:
- Practice counting while eating.  Have your child count the number of things they are eating (i.e. 10 chips, 2 carrot sticks, 1 sandwich, etc.).
- A traditional clock is a great way to practice counting and number recognition.  You can point to each number as you count.  You can ask your child to point out random numbers on the clock.

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ABC: Alphabet Story Time: August 6-7, 2018

Books:
A Is for Salad by Mike Lester
ABC School's for Me! by Susan B. Katz
Animal ABC by Marcus Pfister *
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. *
Did You Take the B From My ook? by Beck & Matt Stanton

Craft: Chicka Chicka Name Tree
The kids colored a coconut tree coloring sheet.  They then glued the letters of their name on the tree.


Literacy Extensions:
- Sing the alphabet song with your child.
- Play the alphabet game in the car.  Ask your child to point out the letters of the alphabet in signs as you drive.


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The Croaky Pokey (Movement) Sing-Along Story Time: July 30-31, 2018

Books:
The Croaky Pokey by Ethan Long *
From Head to Toe by Eric Carle *
If You're a Monster and You Know It by Ed Emberley *
Stretch by Doreen Cronin

Craft: Frog Puppet
This week's craft was based on the picture at left.  The kids colored eyes, tongue and hands before gluing to a paper lunch bag to turn into a puppet.


Literacy Extensions:
- This week's story time was all about movement.  So get up and moving.  Go to a park playground, take a walk, do some simple yoga together, etc.
- Both of our song books this week took familiar songs and revised them just a little.  See if your child can revise a familiar song from an animal's point of view. 


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I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas (Christmas) Sing-Along Story Time: July 23-24, 2018

Books:
Bear Stays Up for Christmas by Karma Wilson *
The 12 Days of Christmas by Jane Cabrera
I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas by Jon Rox *
Minerva Louise on Christmas Eve by Janet Morgan Stoeke *

Craft: Hippo with Santa Hat
The children colored hippo pieces (circle body, head, two feet) and a Santa hat before gluing them all together.


Literacy Extensions:
- After listening to the song I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas, read an informational book on hippos.  Have your child give reasons why a hippo would or would not make a good pet.
- See if your child can remember the words and sing various Christmas songs.  (i.e. Jingle Bells, Away in a Manger, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, etc.)


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The Itsy Bitsy Spider (Bugs) Sing-Along Story Time: July 16-17, 2018

Books:
The Itsy Bitsy Spider by Iza Trapani
Spider on the Floor by Raffi *
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simm Taback *
Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert *

Craft: Lady Who Swallowed a Fly
Children colored a lady cutout with slits in her stomach.  They also colored strips of paper with the various creatures the lady swallowed.  The strips were threaded through the slits and glued together to make a circle.

Literacy Extensions:
- After reading Waiting for Wings, visit The Butterfly House to view some of the different butterflies found around the world.
- Add verses to Spider on the Floor using different parts of the body.


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The Farmer in the Dell (Farm) Sing-Along Story Time: July 9-10, 2018

Books:
Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown
The Farmer in the Dell by John O'Brien *
Farmyard Beat by Lindsey Craig *
I Spy on the Farm by Edward Gibbs *

Craft: Cow Mask
This week's mask was based on the picture at left with one small change.  The make the cow's head, we chopped the plate in half and then cut out the center of the plate so that it looked like a "C".  The kids then colored the plate, nose, ears, and horns before gluing them all together.

Literacy Extensions:
- Extend I Spy on the Farm by giving clues about farm animals and seeing if your child can guess them.  Ask them for what the different baby animals are called or what sounds they make.
- Visit a farm and see if the owners will let you go on a tour. 

Take Me Out to the Ballgame (Baseball) Sing-Along StoryTime: July 2-3, 2018

Books:
Batter Up Wombat by Helen Lester
Dino-Baseball by Lisa Wheeler *
Hello, Fredbird by Ozzie Smith *
Just a Baseball Game by Mercer Mayer
Take Me Out to the Ballgame by Maryann Kovalski *

Craft: Baseball Pennant
The kids decorated a cardboard pennant taped to a BBQ skewer.  They could add a Cardinals logo cutout and sequins if they wanted.

Literacy Extensions:
- Watch a game with your child and see if they can explain the rules of baseball to you.
- Take a field trip to Busch Stadium for a baseball game or for a tour of the stadium.

Old Mikamba Had a Farm (Around the World) Singalong Story Time: June 25-26, 2018

Books:
Old Mikamba Had a Farm by Rachel Isadora *
A Penguin Story by Antoinette Portis *
Possum Magic by Mem Fox
Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young
Tulip Sees America by Cynthia Rylant

Craft: Giraffe
Children colored a giraffe body and head.  The body was then glued to a used cd-rom.  The head was glued to a jumbo craft stick which was in turn glued to the body for the giraffe's long neck.  Two clothespin were added for the giraffe's legs.

Literacy Activities:
- A Penguin Story introduces color into Antarctica.  Extend the story by asking your child to come up with objects of particular colors that could be included into the story.  (i.e. gray whales, red flags, etc.)
- Pick a country to learn about.  The library has lots of books for kids to learn about various countries.

Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes (Clothes) Sing-Along Story Time: June 18-19, 2018

Books:
Clothesline Clues to Jobs People Do by Kathryn Heling *
Hello, Sun! by Dayle Ann Dodds
How to Dress a Dragon by Thelma Godin *
The Nuts: Sing & Dance in Your Polka Dot Pants by Eric Litwin *
Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin *

Craft: Pete the Cat Headband
This week's craft was based on the picture at left.  The children were given a strip of cardstock with Pete's eyes and nose to color as well as two triangles for ears.  The pieces were then glued together along with another strip of cardstock to make into a headband.  Thin black strips of paper were then glue on for whiskers.

Literacy Extensions:
- Learning to dress yourself is an important skill for children to learn.  Have your children pick out their outfit to wear and practice dressing themselves.  Work on snaps, buttons, and ties.
- Extend Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by asking your child to name more things that Pete can step in and then what color it would change his shoes.


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Mary Had a Little Lamb (Sheep) Sing-Along Story Time: June 11-12, 2018

Books:
Farmer Brown Shears His Sheep by Teri Sloat *
Mary Had a Little Lamb by Maryann Hoberman *
Six Sandy Sheep by Judith Ross Enderle
Where Is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox *

Craft: Standing Sheep
Children colored a sheep body that was folded in half to stand and then glued on the sheep's head.  They could then glue on multi-colored pieces of yarn to give the sheep wool.

Literacy Extensions:
- See if there is a working sheep farm nearby to visit that will allow your child to interact with the sheep.
- Farmer Brown Shears His Sheep gives the basic steps of turning sheep's wool into sweaters by knitting.  Maybe try some simple finger knitting or paper weaving with your child.


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Row, Row, Row Your Boat (Transportation) Sing-Along Story Time: June 4-5, 2018

Books:
Bear on a Bike by Stella Blackstone *
McToad Mows Tiny Island by Tom Angleberger *
Pete the Cat: The Wheels on the Bus by James Dean *
Row, Row, Row Your Boat by Jane Cabrera *

Craft: Ship in a Bottle
The kids were given a bottle with a boat cutout to color.  They then glued on blue sequins and ocean-themed sequins for decoration.


Literacy Extensions:
- See how many different types of transportation your child can list.  Give them clues if needed.
- Visit the Transportation Museum in Kirkwood to view the different types of transportation.

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (Bedtime) Sing-Along Story Time: May 29, 2018

Books:
Chengdu Could Not, Would Not, Fall Asleep by Barney Saltzberg *
Good Night Owl by Greg Pizzoli *
Hush Little Baby: A Folk Song by Marla Frazee
Rock-A-Bye Baby by Jane Cabrera
Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star by Jane Cabrera *

Craft: Star Streamer
The children were given a twinkle star cutout to color.  They then glued on sparkles and streamers to the bottom.  A string was tied through a hole punch at the top of the star.

Literacy Extensions:
- Twinkle Twinkle Little Star by Jane Cabrera extends the popular song by adding several verses.  See if your child can come up with some verses highlighting other animals and parts of the world.
- Good Night Owl is a good book to discuss how to problem solve.  Ask them how they would have solved the problem of finding the "noise".


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Driver Story Time: May 21-22, 2018

Books:
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems *
Five Trucks by Brian Floca *
The Little School Bus by Margery Cuyler
My Big Rig by Jonathan London
The Wheels on the Race Car by Alexander Zane *

Craft: Pigeon
The kids were given a pigeon body and two wings to color and glue together.  They then bent a black pipe cleaner in half and taped it on for the legs.

Literacy Extensions:
- When in the car, ask your child to find certain types and colors of vehicles (i.e. red truck, yellow car, silver van, etc.).
- After reading Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, ask your child for reasons why the pigeon wouldn't be able to drive a car.  See if they can come up with ways for the pigeon to drive.

Construction Worker Story Time: May 14-15, 2018

Books:
Busy Builders, Busy Week! by Jean Reidy
Construction by Sally Sutton
Dig! by Andrea Zimmerman *
Go! Go! Go! Stop! by Charise Mericle Harper *
Job Site by Nathan Clement *

Craft: Construction Puzzle
The kids colored a cardstock coloring sheet of a construction site.  They could then cut along the grid on the back of the sheet to make a 16 piece puzzle.

Literacy Extensions:
- Kids love construction vehicles.  Learn more about the different types of vehicles by checking out books at the library.
- As you read various construction books, see if your child can tell you what the different construction vehicles do.


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