I know you don’t want to hear this, but Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and Christmas won’t be far behind! It’s a busy time for everyone, especially parents of young children.
Keeping the stress level down is definitely a challenge. One of the most important things is for moms and dads to have good communication with each other so they are on the same page about activities and gifts – present a united front for the kids – things go much more smoothly if you do.
Whether you’ve got one child or several, sharing is almost always an issue. Young kids can be very possessive about their things. Sharing is a learned skill…most kids don’t come by it naturally. Reading today’s Perfect Picture Book with your children would be a great opportunity to talk about sharing.
ONE BIG PAIR OF UNDERWEAR
Written by Laura Gehl
Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
Publisher: Beach Lane Books (2014)
Ages: 2-8
Themes: Sharing, counting, animals
Opening Lines:
“One big pair of underwear, Two brown bears who hate to share. One bear wears the underwear. One bear cries, “That isn’t fair!”
Synopsis:
From Booklist: “The word underwear is enough to make kids erupt in giggles. But when two bears contemplate sharing one pair of underwear, youngsters will be rolling in the aisles. Add rhymes, tongue twisters, and alliteration into the mix, and you’ll find spirited entertainment in this picture-book introduction to basic concepts. A joy to read aloud with digitally colored pencil illustrations that are full of charm and humor.”
Why I like this book:
- Great read-aloud
- Hilariously funny…just the word underwear is enough to get kids laughing!
- Great rhyming counting book
How a parent can use this book:
- Great read-aloud
- Not only counting…but subtraction as well – very clever!
- Talk about sharing – the animals had more fun when they shared
Related Activity:
MAKE A CEREAL ABACUS
Photo courtesy: http://www.education.com
You will need: Fruit loops or some other type of colorful cereal with holes, string, shoebox, scissors.
For detailed instructions and more fantastic preschool crafts: http://www.education.com/activity/article/cereal-abacus/
I’m excited that author Laura Gehl will be visiting with us for Will Write for Cookies next March. To learn more about Laura and her books, please visit her fantastic website filled with free curriculum guides, free activity sheets and free autographed bookplates for teachers, parents and kids: http://www.lauragehl.com/
And a week from tomorrow, on November 15 , another Laura (Laura Purdie Salas) will be our featured author. So please stop by.
And if you’d like to find many more picture book reviews and activities, please hop over to Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Book Friday.
VIVIAN KIRKFIELD - Writer for Children 
I LOVE the cereal Abacus craft for kids, Vivian!
How much fun…and (kind of) edible, too. 😉
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Keep seeing this book reviewed and I think it’s a message for me to buy it for grandchildren. Creative and fun activities as always.
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There seem to be more than a few hilarious PPB picks to split our sides. Thanks!
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I LOVE the cover and that in itself already cracks me up!
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Looks like a keeper, as my mother would say. Thanks for sharing!
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This is an awesome book, Vivian. I posted about it a few weeks ago. Don’t you just love the rhyme??? Well, I actually loved everything about the book. I look forward to March when Laura will join you for cookies 🙂
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Great book and review, Vivian. Thought I had seen this book around. But one can never tire of seeing that hilarious cover.
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Yup, I’m sure someone else probably reviewed it…but Laura had asked me to be part of her blog tour and I thought that doing it for #PPBF would give her the most exposure. 🙂 It is a hilarious title, isn’t it…I really have to think about writing a book with underwear or underpants. 🙂
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Great Book and great review. Thought I had seen this before, but one can never tire of its hilarious cover. Thanks Vivian.
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Glad you stopped by, Diane! It is such a funny book…I think I need to write a pb with the word ‘underwear’ or ‘underpants’…the kids absolutely LOVE it!
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Love this Vivian. I got out the last time I saw it on PPBF and loved it. This time I am also going to put it on my PPBF board in Pinterest.
Thanks so much for the review. 🙂
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Great review! 😀 This sounds like a book that I would like! 😀
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Sharing is all fine and good until it comes to that last pair of underwear…. And Vivian – I love the froot-loop abacus. Yummy math….
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Thank you for your kind words about our book. You’ll find more activities on my site, tomlichtenheld.com
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And thank you for doing such a wonderful job illustrating ‘One big Pair of Underwear’…my grandson loved every page. Thanks for the tip about the activities, Tom…I’ll go and look. 🙂
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