I'm sorry but while I was adding some new labels to my posts everything got out of order and I'm having a hard time fixing it!  If you are looking to see June's books just scroll down a little ways.  Also with it being summer I will try to add a few more books at least twice a month.  Enjoy your reading and most imporantly enjoy your kiddos :)

Joseph had a Little Overcoat

by: Simms Taback

Why we liked this book:  I had never read this book before and I thought it was SO CUTE.  It teaches kids how you can always make something from something old or even something from nothing at all!

Activity:  We did overcoat puzzles.  I made my own template and had the kids pick out a pattern of scrapbook paper to make it fun.  However, I did find this template that you could use!

Overcoat Puzzle

At the end of the book there is also a little song.  My kids wanted to know how it went and I found this video on youtube.  Watch out though because this song gets stuck in your head!!!

I Had a Little Overcoat

Ira Sleeps Over

by Bernard Waber

Why we liked this book:  Ok, so I was hesitant to put this book up here because this it is about a girl sleeping over at a neighbor boys house.  I didn't want people getting offended...but guess what.  This book was written in the 70's and it really does have a good message.  Ira is hesitant to take her teddy bear that she ALWAYS sleeps with to her friends house for a sleepover because she is worried about being made fun of.  It taught my kids that it is important to just be who you are and not to worry so much what other people think of you.  My kids really liked it :)

Activity:  My son wanted to make teddy bears with this activity.  I remember making mosaic type teddy bears in Kindergarten and thought this would be fun for the kids.  All you need is some colorful paper or scrapbook paper.  Let the kids rip it in to tiny pieces and then glue them on your bear.  Googly eyes are fun to add as well.  Easy!

All you do is print out the bear on a piece of paper.  Let your kids glue all their papers on BEFORE you cut it out.  That way you make sure you maintain the shape of a bear with all their crazy gluing :)  (It is helpful to print the bear on both sides of the paper so you know where to cut when they are all done.  Just make sure the ends match up so you don't cut out the feet where the head is supposed to be!)

 Teddy Bear Template

Where the Wild Things Are

by: Maurice Sendak

Why we liked this book: A fun book with a great imagination.  This book is a classic.  I remember reading it when I was a kid.

Activity: We made monster puppets.  This activity is a little bit more time consuming but not hard at all to do.  It is also an activity that you can keep for a while!

I didn't do any sewing with these.  Just used my best friend the glue gun!

You can find instructions on how to make these puppets at this website:

Monster Puppets Pattern

June 2014

My Father's Dragon

by: Ruth Stiles Gannett

 

 

Why we liked this book:  This was another chapter book we read together and has been one of my favorite with the kids so far!  The story is full of adventure and fun characters but the book isn't too long that it takes forever to read.  There are more books in the series that I hope to check out!

 Activity:  We made dragons out of cardstock, streamers, pom poms, markers and googly eyes.  You could also make it out of a toilet paper tube instead of the cardstock.  If you use cardstock: place the paper so it is portrait style.  Then cut in half horizontally.  Then you roll up the paper to make it about the size of a toilet paper tube, maybe a little smaller, and tape it shut.  Then you glue or tape 4-5 streamers around the hole.  This is the fire for the dragon.  At the top you glue two pom-poms and then two googly eyes on top of the pom-poms.  Then you can add whatever other decorations you want to your dragon, we added feathers.  Also be sure to add some nostrils for the nose!  We just did that with markers.  When you are all done the kids can put their mouths up to the hole and blow fire like a dragon!

 

Strega Nona

by: Tomie dePaola

 

 

Why we liked this book:  I really loved the pictures in this book!  They were something different from the usual picture books we read.  The story is really fun and interesting too!

 Activity:  We did macaroni art to go with the "magic pasta" theme.  We had already done a spaghetti dinner so I thought it would be fun to do something new.  The kids had a lot of fun with this project!  All we did was I had the kids draw their picture on a piece of paper first with a pencil (make sure they draw it BIG).  Then they put glue on top of the pencil and glue the pasta all around.  I bought a colorful bag of pasta that had different shapes in it but you can use whatever!

Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!

by Candace Fleming

 

 

Why we liked this book:  The kids thought it was fun to see the different ways this man tried to keep the crazy rabbits out of his garden.  They thought it was funny he had to go to such extremes!  I thought this would be a good book to read since we have planted a garden this year!

 Activity:  Since we do have a garden, I had the kids paint different rocks and label them with all the plants we are growing in our garden.  Then we went out and placed all the rocks in our garden by the corresponding plants.  Now when something comes up they know what it is by the rocks they have made!  If you don't have room to plant a garden you can do some plants in small pots or containers like peas, tomatoes, peppers or even just some flowers!