A Picture for Harold’s Room…Shoebox Crafts for Kids

Posted on March 22, 2013 by viviankirkfield

Do you read with your child every day? It’s fun and builds vocabulary!

Would you like a great list of books to choose from? Head over to Perfect Picture Book Friday with Susanna Leonard Hill and friends.

My Perfect Picture Book recommendation for today is an old classic from master storyteller and illustrator, Crockett Johnson.

A Picture for Harold’s Room

Written and illustrated by Crockett Johnson

Publisher: Scholastic Book Services (Harper Row) (1960)

Ages: 3 and up

Themes:

Imagination, creative expression, adventure, there’s no place like home, art, problem solving

Opening Lines:

“I want a picture to put on my wall” He drew a house with his purple crayon.

Synopsis:

Little Harold thinks the wall in his bedroom looks too bare. He takes his purple crayon and begins to draw. Thus starts an adventure for the little boy who gets into and out of trouble as he draws a new world for himself.

Why I like this book:

This is another classic picture book from author/illustrator Crockett Johnson of Harold and the Purple Crayon and The Carrot Seed fame. I love the simplistic pictures and text…all about problem solving and conflict resolution. Very young children will enjoy the pictures and story…older ones will appreciate the page turning tension and suspense…will Harold ever get back to his room?

How a parent can use this book:

As a lovely read-aloud
To show children that each of us is the ‘master of our fate’
As an introduction to creative art expression
To help kids realize that every problem has a solution

Related Activities:

THE AMAZING SHOEBOX

Spring is here! Why not help your child put together several art supplies in a little box to keep on hand for outings. Bring it to the park, keep one in the car, take it along for doctor’s appointments. What should you put in it? Small pad of paper and a box of crayons are the basics…but you can add a glue stick, a pair of blunt safety scissors and a sheet of stickers…hours of fun and very little expense.

You can also use shoeboxes (THEY ARE FREE…most shoe stores or department stores will give you as many as you want) to make dioramas, doll houses, buses and other vehicles…here’s an awesome link for many step-by-step instructions:

http://www.ehow.com/list_6733140_shoebox-crafts-kids.html

The voting is still going on over at Susanna’s In Just Spring Contest…if you haven’t already voted, hop on over…the seven stories that made it to the finals are AWESOME! http://susannahill.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-in-just-spring-contest-finalists.html

Do you want to encourage your child’s creativity? Show Me How gives you 100 picture book suggestions and a simple arts and crafts activity for each one! The book makes spending time with kids fun AND easy!

You can click this link to purchase a copy

Asian Festival of Children’s Content and PPBF (viviankirkfield.wordpress.com)
PPBF: Be The Kite…Inspiring Kids to Imagine and Soar (viviankirkfield.wordpress.com)
https://viviankirkfield.wordpress.com/2012/02/10/perfect-picture-book-fridays-little-toot/

Maria’s Mysterious Mission…Hiking the Colorado Rockies with John Fielder

Posted on March 8, 2013 by viviankirkfield

The east coast has been pounded by massive snowstorms recently. But here in Colorado Springs, the last few days have brought some unmistakeable signs that spring is coming soon.

Photo courtesy of Malou, a fantastic photographer in the Netherlands.

The breeze carries with it the fragrance of warmth and new green day lily shoots are poking their spikes up through the decaying leaves of a past autumn.

Yes, I know. We may still get major snowstorms and plenty of frosty mornings…we often have heavier snowfalls in March and April than we do during the winter. But spring is definitely on my mind, especially since I’ve been working on my entry for Susanna Leonard Hill’s In Just Spring Children’s Story Contest. Head over there to check it out…submissions are due next Friday!

What luck! A book arrived in the mail yesterday. When I opened the package, I knew it was just the one to review for today’s Perfect Picture Book Friday. It demonstrates the beauty of Colorado’s majestic mountains and contains an important lesson about finding one’s way in a new place.

Maria’s Mysterious Mission

Written by Claudia Cangilla McAdam

Illustrated by Anna-Maria Crum

Photography by John Fielder

Publisher: Westcliffe Publishers/John Fielder Publishing (2007)

Ages: 4 and up

Themes:

Homesickness, moving, new experiences, friendship

Opening Lines:

“Maria was homesick. She spent her days wandering in and out of the barn and poking around the corral. She hadn’t cut a trail or carried a pack in months, not since she’d come to this new place in Colorado, far from her home in South America.

I don’t belong here, she thought. Her eyes stung, and her throat felt tight. “I miss the Andes.”

Synopsis:

From the Amazon page: “Far from her native South America, Maria is homesick. When she sets off on a mysterious mission with a heavy pack on her back and a heavier weight on her heart, she forges a new friendship and comes to see her life in Colorado with very different eyes.

Why I like this book:

Many children experience anxiety when they move to a new place or face the challenge of doing something different. The story of Maria, the llama, is one of realizing that we can be happy no matter where we are and that no matter where we go, there will be some things that are the same and some that are different. Stepping outside of one’s comfort zone can also be a stepping stone to new and wonderful friendships. This book was especially relevant to me because it spoke to the fears I had to face concerning my upcoming trip to Singapore in May for the Asian Festival of Children’s Content.

The book is an amazing collaboration between author, illustrator and America’s foremost outdoor photographer, John Fielder. Each spread contains the text and illustrations against a background of Mr. Fielder’s fantastic photography. Living in Colorado…and having hiked many of the back-country and high mountain trails, I was overjoyed to see familiar scenes with the turn of each page.

How a parent can use this book:

As a lovely read-aloud (let’s make a pact…let’s celebrate World Read-Aloud Day EVERY DAY of the year by reading aloud to children at every opportunity).
To encourage children to accept new challenges and try new things
To help kids whose families have just moved or are planning to move
As an introduction to hiking and outdoor pursuits as well as to photography
To show children the amazing natural resources and wildlife habitats that exist and that need our careful protection

Related Activities:

Here’s a great trail mix recipe from my book. Why not invite your child to help make a batch…and then go out for a hike together. Do you have a local nature sanctuary or botanic gardens nearby? If not, how about a walk to a nearby park or playground. First Lady Michelle Obama is encouraging parents and schools to make physical activity a priority in every child’s day.

HOMEMADE TRAIL MIX

Photo courtesy www.livelearnloveeat.com

You will need: 1 cup unsalted nuts (peanuts, almonds, etc.),1 cup hulled sunflower seeds, 1 xup coconut flakes, 1 cup raisins, 1 cup dried fruit cut into small pieces, 1 large bowl and a package of zip-lock sandwich bags.

Mix together all ingredients in a large bowl.
Store in airtight container or large glass jar with lid.
Scoop into sandwich bags, grab a bottle of water and take a walk.
Makes about 5 cups of trail mix.
If your child is allergic to nuts…or too young for them…you can substitute healthy dry cereals and mini-pretzels.

Join Perfect Picture Book Friday with Susanna Leonard Hill and dozens of other kid lit lovers who post a picture book review every week:

Would you like to take the muss and fuss out of planning fun activities with your child. No batteries required…powered by a child’s imagination! Please click this link to purchase a copy

PPBF: The Boy Who Lost His Bellybutton (julierowanzoch.wordpress.com)
PPBF! Back to Front and Upside Down! By Claire Alexander (thiskidreviewsbooks.com)
PPBF! Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk (thiskidreviewsbooks.com)
Asian Festival of Children’s Content and PPBF (viviankirkfield.wordpress.com)
GRAINLESS GRANOLA – Nutrient dense recipe and perfect as a breakfast meal or trail mix for the whole family! (powerfoodsfitness.wordpress.com)
Backpacking Food Galore! (wanderingthewild.com)
Trail Mix Breakfast Cookies (cutoutandkeep.net)
Homemade Trail Mix Recipe (fitfunmom.com)
Backyard Bonfire: Trail Mix Party Favors (abeautifulmess.typepad.com)
Celebrating World Read-Aloud Day with Eric Carle (viviankirkfield.wordpress.com)

Celebrating World Read-Aloud Day with Eric Carle

Posted on February 28, 2013 by viviankirkfield

Eric Carle Alert: A new Eric Carle book is in the works. You can visit his website for more info. http://www.ericcarleblog.blogspot.com.au/

Why do I mention this? Because Wednesday is World Read Aloud Day and Eric Carle picture books are perfect for reading aloud. With that in mind, and because today is Perfect Picture Book Friday (over at Susanna Leonard Hill), my perfect picture book choice today is an older Eric Carle story.

“Slowly, Slowly, Slowly,” said the Sloth

Written and illustrated by Eric Carle

Foreward by Jane Goodall

Publisher: Scholastic, Inc. (2002)

Ages: 3 and up

Themes:

Be yourself, diversity, animals of the jungle, getting along, self-esteem, enjoy life (stop and smell the roses)

Opening Lines:

“Slowly, slowly, slowly, a sloth crawled along a branch of a tree. Slowly, slowly, slowly, the sloth fell asleep. Slowly, slowly, slowly, the sloth woke up.”

Synopsis:

In a jungle in South America, the other animals question the way of the sloth. The anteater says he is boring. The jaguar says he is lazy. The howler monkey says he is slow. Finally, the sloth answers them, giving them a dozen synonyms for slow and quiet and boring. He admits that he is lackadaisical, mellow, placid, lethargic, laid-back and tranquil because he likes to live in peace. “That’s just how I am.”

Why I like this book:

In the style of The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf, “Slowly, Slowly, Slowly,” said the Sloth celebrates our right to be who we are. Without making excuses, the sloth accepts his personna and embraces it. What a wonderful story for both parent and child to read together…what a wonderful opportunity to talk about how we are each different and how that very diversity contributes to the beauty of the world.

The illustrations are bold, a kaliediscope of color collages…exactly what we would expect from an Eric Carle book. The text is simple and effective…and the section where the sloth gives over a dozen synonyms for slow, quiet and boring is fantastic…kids will LOVE those big words: lackadaisical, lethargic, sluggish, languid…oh my, what fun…and learning all the time!

How a parent can use this book:

The story addresses friendship, diversity, pride in oneself, awareness of one’s own values and strengths. The foreward, by the famous Jane Goodall, relates some of her experiences with sloths in the jungles and rainforests of South America I did not know that sloths sleep nineteen hours out of twenty-four…and that they are basically silent creatures who occasionally comment on life with a small sigh, ‘ah-ee’. Sleeping nineteen hours out of twenty-four…that sounds like a spa vacation to me.

Related Activities:

Eric Carle is famous for his collage illustrations. Why not do a collage with your child?

Photo courtesy Melissa Iwai, author/illustrator of Soup Day and illustrator of Hush Little Monster: http://thehungryartist.wordpress.com/2010/03/24/collage-crafts-for-kids/

You will need:

One piece of construction paper, several pieces of other paper/fabric/tissue paper/giftwrap/newspaper/magazine/wallpaper swatches, glue, scissors, markers or crayons.

Let your child decide what the picture will be…a person, a landscape, a jungle filled with animals. Or, perhaps your child prefers to just cut or tear and paste his own design.
If your child wishes to make a specific picture, he might want to draw the picture on the construction paper first, before cutting or tearing the collage pieces.
Cut or tear the paper/fabric/newspaper/etc and glue on the construction paper.

More about Eric Carle here: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/book/slowly-slowly-slowly-said-sloth

And here: http://www.ericcarleblog.blogspot.com.au/

More collage activities here: http://www.artistshelpingchildren.org/collagesartscraftsideasprojectskids.html

And more here: http://www.artsandcraftsforkids.co.uk/collage-crafts-for-kids.html

They say good things come in threes.. .I just noticed that my blog has 300 followers. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO READS MY POSTS…AND TO THOSE WHO COMMENT…I REALLY DO APPRECIATE IT. Also, Tuesday, March 5, I am joining author/educator Susan Case for a #SpringintoEducation Google Hangout…we are going to be chatting about how educators can positively influence their students. And Monday, March 4, will be Michelle Obama’s first #letsmove #firesidechat Google+ Hangout. Individuals were invited to submit a video question for possible inclusion…here’s mine: http://youtu.be/7u1X8dOnpzc

Mrs. Obama’s goal is to create awareness and find answers to help our children live a healthier lifestyle. My book provides many of those answers…please check out it out…you’ll find quick and easy healthful recipes that your kids will enjoy preparing with you as well as lots of other simple activities and great picture book suggestions. Click this link to purchase a copy