Perfect Picture Book Fridays: Julius…The Baby of the World

Posted on March 2, 2012 by viviankirkfield

Today is Perfect Picture Book Friday where I link up with Susannah Leonard Hill’s fantastic group of writers who contribute a picture book review and related resources. Before I do the review, I have a few things I need to share with you.

My little poem, Fears of the Inner Child, took second place in Marylin Warner’s February Poetry Contest. You can see all of the awesome entries on her blog: Things I Want to Tell My Mother.

It’s also the beginning of a new month…so we will be choosing the February winner of the Positive Parental Participation Reading Challenge and sending a picture book out in the next few days. I know parents are so very busy…but I hope you are reading with your children every day, even if you are not able to post a comment.

Since February has come to an end, it’s also time to check-in with the 12 x 12 group…yes…my February picture book draft is completed.

Last, but not least, today is Dr. Seuss’ birthday!!! For more information, resources and events, you can go to the official Dr. Seuss website.

Oh…sorry…one more thing! Don’t forget that March 7th is World Read Aloud Day…go to the LitWorld website to find out about planned events…or celebrate by reading aloud to kids. I just got back from reading Spaghetti Eddie to 15 Pre-K children…they LOVED it! Fifteen hands shot up when I asked “Who likes to eat spaghetti?” Next week, to join in celebrating World Read Aloud Day, I’ll be reading Julius – The Baby of the World, to 20 Pre-K kids at Keller School.

You can also visit Ella Johnson’s wonderful website to get more information about the NEA’s Read Across America program and to enter to win several books and hop from there to over 100 other blog sites that are hosting book giveaways.

And now…(drumroll please)…Perfect Picture Book Friday.

My picture book selection today is one of the hundred picture books I recommend in my book for parents and teachers, Show Me How. Julius: The Baby of the World is a veritable “baby” compared to some of the others I have picked…only twenty-two years old…but again, as relevant today as when it was published in 1990.

Julius: The Baby of the World

Written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes

Publishers: Greenwillow Press

Ages: 3 – 8

Themes:

Sibling rivalry, bullying, celebrating an individual’s unique strengths and talents

Opening:

“Before Julius was born, Lilly was the best big sister in the world. She gave him things. She told him secrets. And she sang lullabies to him every night.”

Synopsis:

Lilly eagerly awaits the birth of her baby brother, but when Julius finally arrives, Lilly wishes that he would go away. Her jealousy causes her to resent the attention her mother and father shower on Julius, even though they continue to treat her with love and affection as well. She sings mean songs to him, tweaks his tail and draws a family portrait leaving Julius out of the picture. Her parents call Julius, the baby of the world, but Lilly wishes he would go away so that things would go back to the way they were before he was born. At a family party for the baby, her cousin begins insulting Julius. What will Lilly do…join her cousin in making fun of Julius…or defend her baby brother?

Why I like this book:

Sibling rivalry is a common occurrence. Many children resent the arrival of a new baby…and why shouldn’t they? Now they have to share the time and attention of their parents…and sharing is a difficult skill to learn. Reading this book to a young child who is in that situation would provide parents with a great opportunity to engage with their child and discuss how their child is feeling about the situation..allowing the child to express his or her feelings. The author/illustrator, Kevin Henkes, uses his amazing talent for knowing just what little ones are thinking and feeling. Lilly leans over and whispers to her baby brother, “If you were a number, you would be zero.” The book is funny and heartwarming. If I could change anything about the book, I would wish that Lilly was not such a bully as she insists that her cousin praise Julius. Perhaps this is Lilly’s persona…but I would rather end with her learning a “kinder, gentler” way to encourage others to see things her way.

Related Activities:

When I read picture books to kindergarten and Pre-K classes, I always follow-up the story with a simple arts and crafts project. Not only does this extend the learning experience, it also gives the kids a chance to talk about the story and how it relates to their own situation.

For this story, I love to make Popsicle stick puppets. The kids love this activity…and then can do role-playing with the puppets they have made…another opportunity for them to express their feelings. Parents can encourage their children to put on a puppet show with the family of puppets they have made and then join in, perhaps taking the role of the child while the child becomes the mother or father.

Popsicle Stick Puppets

You will need: Several Popsicle sticks, construction paper, markers or crayons, scissors and glue.

1. Let your child decide how many puppets to make and who they will be.

2. Draw the people (you can also use people cut out from magazines).

3. Cut out the people and paste them onto the top half of each Popsicle stick.

4. Put on a play!

The above image is from the blog of Muffin Tin Mom.

Read/Write/Think has a lesson plan for Julius the Baby of the World.

You can find lots of quick and easy instructions for Popsicle stick puppets at ehow.com here

Education.com also has great puppet-making instructions here.

This post is part of a series for parents and teachers called Perfect Picture Book Fridays hosted by Susannah Leonard Hill. Click on her link and find lots of other picture book suggestions with summaries and activities.

Seeing a new picture in picture books (mummumstheword.wordpress.com)

Sunday Post: Landscapes and a February Poetry Contest

Posted on February 26, 2012 by viviankirkfield

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Jake at Time after Time has a Sunday Post Challenge and every week he provides a theme…this week’s theme is LANDSCAPES.

In addition, Marylin Warner over at Things I Want to Tell My Mother is having a February Poetry Contest

The Rules:

“Be a rebel with a writing cause; break away from the expected February verses and write a poem about a date or an activity or adventure that WASN’T what you (or your mother) wanted to do…and how it ended.

You choose: rhymed, free verse, a sonnet or a series of Haikus or even non-bawdy limericks, etc. Just keep your poem to a maximum of 50 words (not counting the words of the title–and please have a title). JOIN THE FUN!”

I began to wonder how I could combine these two seemingly unrelated ideas into one post.

And then I had an idea!

According to the dictionary, a landscape is a picture representing a view or expanse of scenery that can be seen in a single view.

My poem, Fears of the Inner Child, is really a landscape of my life. I hope you enjoy reading it.

FEARS OF THE INNER CHILD

Childhood often invades adult life.

Fears laid down early create later strife.

Afraid of adventure and trying new things,

Mom constantly cautioned: Be careful! Life stings!

To conquer that panic is my fervent wish.

I’ve parasailed, skydived and swum with the fish.

If you have the time and want to see the sky-dive I did with my son in the summer of 2010, you can go here.

It was an amazing adventure…and a wonderful bonding experience to have with an adult son. With my book, Show Me How! and my school programs and workshops, I encourage parents to spend time with their young children…reading, crafting and cooking or doing anything positive. “Raising the Next Steve Jobs”, the cover story in the February issue of Parenting Magazine, offered parents some simple advice: read with your children, talk with your children, participate with your children. I was quoted in that article…and my book was mentioned. You know that if want to be in your children’s memories tomorrow, you need to be in their lives today. The fantastic skydive I did with my son only strengthened the connection we forged over thirty years ago when he was a little boy…believe me, those early years are so very important!

If you’d like more information about Jake’s Sunday Post:

http://jakesprinters.wordpress.com/

And here are a few of the posts from other participants in Jake’s Sunday Post:

http://imagesoftheheart.wordpress.com/2012/02/25/sunday-post-landscape/

http://reflectionsinapuddle.wordpress.com/2012/02/25/sunday-post-landscape/

http://truthaboveallreligions.wordpress.com/2012/02/25/sunday-post-landscape/

http://orples.wordpress.com/2012/02/26/sunday-photo-challenge-landscapes/

http://thismansjourney.net/2012/03/04/sunday-post-landscape/#comments

PPBF: Crow Boy and World Read Aloud Day

Posted on February 24, 2012 by viviankirkfield

Today is Perfect Picture Book Friday where I link up with Susannah Leonard Hill’s fantastic group of writers who contribute a picture book review and related resources. Parents and teachers can find the best of the best in picture books…a little synopsis, a thoughtful review, and an activity and/or resources to extend the learning experience. This is a great way for parents and teachers to preview a book before they take it out of the library or spend money buying it.

My selection today is another classic picture book recommended in Show Me How!…this one from 1955…the author/illustrator, Taro Yashima, won the Caldecott Honor Book Award.

World Read Aloud Day is coming up on March 7^th and I thought that Crow Boy would be a perfect choice to get us all in a global awareness mood.

Crow Boy

Written and illustrated by Taro Yashima

Publishers: Viking Juvenile (original edition 1955), Picture Puffins (1976)

Ages: 4 – 8

Themes: Celebrating the uniqueness of each individual, bullying/teasing, mastering tasks and skills, positive attitude, goal-setting, fitting in.

Opening: “On the first day of our village school in Japan, there was a boy missing. He was found hidden away in the dark space underneath the schoolhouse.”

Synopsis: Many years ago, in a small village school in the countryside of Japan, a young boy attends school. Chibi is always perceived as stupid and is treated as an outcast by the other students. When Mr. Isobe, the new teacher, observes Chibi’s strengths and talents (the boy is a wonderful artist and is also the only person with perfect school attendance even though he has to walk seven miles to school each day), he encourages the boy to participate in the school pageant with an imitation of the voices of crows. Does Chibi’s performance have any effect on how the children perceive him? Remember the talent show in Oliver Button is a Sissy.

Why do I like this book:

Wonderful illustrations give the reader the sense of the small rural area in Japan…I love books that give young children a window on the world. The story addresses many important issues as well…bullying/teasing, teacher recognition and encouragement of a student’s gifts and talents, overcoming obstacles in order to achieve one’s goals…as relevant today as it was almost sixty years ago when it was first published.

Related Activities:

Black and White Painting

Although Crow Boy had a difficult time expressing himself verbally, he was able to do so more easily with his artwork. Painting is a wonderful way to allow a young child to express his feelings and to encourage his creativity.

You will need: Paper (construction paper or grocery bag cut open), black and white non-toxic tempera paint, brushes (or Q-tips) and coverups to protect work surfaces and clothing.

1. Cover the work surface and your clothing to protect from splatters.

2. Pour a small amount of black and white paint into two separate containers.

3. Let your child paint several pictures using different size brushes and/or Q-tips.

4. When dry, hang up this amazing art.

5. Tip to parents and teachers: Art is one thing…crafting is another. Art is pure expression. Crafting is following certain rules or steps to produce a particular product. This activity is art…the child is creating whatever he or she desires…if you ask, “What is this?” or you inquire, “Didn’t you forget the dog’s tail?”…you are passing judgement on your child’s creative voice…I beg you, please don’t! You can engage with your child by asking, “Please tell me about your art.” In praising, it is more empowering to say, “I’m so proud of how hard you worked making thick strokes and thin strokes. Was it difficult?” instead of just saying, “That’s nice!”

Crayola official website with lots of arts and crafts activities and print-outs for kids.

Website for the Japanese American National Museum where you can purchase the documentary narrated by Mr. Yashimo, Golden Village.

Taro Yashimo papers in the de Grummond Collection

SAVE THE DATE:

WORLD READ ALOUD DAY…MARCH 7TH

Do you have anything special planned?

You can go to LitWorld’s website to get more information and/or register…there will be events online and in different locales around the world.

They are a global literacy organization that aims to help entire communities through books. We all that that, I know! According to their website:

“LitWorld’s mission is to use the power of story to cultivate literacy skills in the world’s most vulnerable children through Education, Advocacy and Innovation. Lit World creates resilience building reading and writing experiences which connect and fortify communities.”