Save The Bookstores Day…Indian Two Feet and His Horse Book Review

Posted on June 8, 2012 by viviankirkfield

Today is Perfect Picture Book Friday where I link up with Susannah Leonard Hill’s fantastic group of picture book writers, illustrators, librarians and others who contribute a picture book review and related resources for parents, teachers and children.

Did you know that June 16^th is Save The Bookstores Day? Mega-stores like Walmart are putting bookstores out of business and bookstores in small towns and big cities continue to close. Tara Lazar has a great post about this: http://taralazar.wordpress.com/2012/06/04/support-save-the-bookstores-day-on-june-16th/ and I hope everyone will spread the word about this event. I’ll be stopping and shopping in at one of our local Indie bookstores here in Colorado Springs, Poor Richards. What will you be doing?

As a child, I was fascinated with books and I would have been happy to live in a bookstore. One day that almost happened! My mom needed to buy a junior high school graduation dress for my older sister. We went to Abraham and Straus, a big New York City department store and my mother left me in the book department which covered the entire eighth floor. Floor to ceiling bookshelves lined the rooms and tables filled with books crowded the space so there was little room to walk. Finding a little kneehole desk amidst the book strewn tables, I took a copy of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (one of my favorites), crawled into the space under the desk and proceeded to read the entire book from cover to cover.

Like many of you, when I am reading, I become one with the book and get lost in the story between the pages. So engrossed was I that I never heard my mom and sister calling for me a couple of hours later. It wasn’t until I turned the last page and stood up that I saw the store security guards, police and my mom and sister, frantically searching for me. They had been looking for an hour. You can read more about that day in a blog post I did last year. You’ll get a bonus if you go there because I was doing picture book reviews back them and you will find a review of Don’t Worry, I’ll Find You by Anna Grossnickel Hines as well as some great tips for Shopping with Kids. With summer just around the corner and kids tagging along when parents are shopping, those tips might come in handy!

Today’s classic picture book pick is about as far away in time and place from the above book as you can get…but with a similar theme…listening to our parents and following their instructions.

Indian Two Feet and His Horse

Written by Margaret Friskey

Illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats

Publisher: Children’s Press (1959)

Ages: 3 – 8

Themes:

Books for boys, goal setting, problem solving, responsibility, self-reliance, family, diversity, maturation

Opening:

“There was a little Indian. He wished he had a horse. But he did not have a horse. He had to walk, walk, walk.”

Synopsis:

Little Two Feet wishes he had a horse. He can sing and dance and draw and swing across the river from a tree. But he can’t ride a horse because he doesn’t own one. His father suggests he go and look for one and little Two Feet decides to look in places he would go if he were a horse. In the end, a horse finds the boy and they develop a friendship based on mutual trust and caring.

Why do I like this book:

The story text and message is simple enough for very young children to understand and enjoy, while older kids will identify with the boy who could master many tasks and skills, but dreamed of riding a horse of his own.

Ezra Jack Keats (Peter’s Chair, The Snowy Day, Whistle for Willy, etc.) is one of my favorites author/illustrators. This book is one of his lesser known illustrating gems.

Related Activities:

Indian Headband Craft (from Cool Kids Crafts)

You will need: Construction paper, crayons or markers, scissors, glue or tape…real feathers, beads and string are optional.

How to Make an Indian Headband Craft

Step 1

Cut a strip of brown paper about 2 to 3 inches wide. Make it long enough so that when you bring both ends together it will sit on the child’s head comfortably.We used some craft scissors with a wavy design to cut ours just to give it a bit more flare.Tip: If you need it to be longer, just cut two strips and tape it together.

Step 2

Using your crayons or markers, decorate the outside of the strip (the side you will see once you tape both ends together).

Step 3

Bring both ends together to form the headband and tape or glue together.

Step 4

Cut out several feathers using colored construction paper. Cut small slits on both sides of your feathers leaving about 1/2″ in the middle uncut.

Step 5

Glue the feathers to the back of the headband.

Step 6

Optional:Cut out one more feather. Then glue some real feathers to the bottom of the feather (so that when you hang the feather upside down, the bottom becomes the top and the top becomes the bottom – see picture). Add a string of beads and glue this onto the feather.

Step 7

Glue this feather to the side of the headband and hang it upside down so that it will hang down when you wear the headband.

This Native American Indian headband craft is a fun kids Thanksgiving activity and has been a traditional craft for many during the holidays. However, kids will enjoy making it at any time of the year. In addition to this indian headband craft be sure to check out these Native American Indian coloring pages.

Talk about different animals people can take care of…which ones would make good pets? Which ones would be difficult to keep in the city? What are some of the responsibilities a pet-owner has? What did little Two Feet do to be a good horse owner?

Official website of Ezra Jack Keats with tons of info and activities.

Lovely site that gives interesting background on Ezra Jack Keats and a number of activities 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.

Picture Books Challenge (sonderbooks.com)
Picture Book Writing Tips (kathytemean.wordpress.com)
#3: Picture Books Are for Any Age! (cricketmuse.wordpress.com)
“Snow Games” (thepatientdreamer.com)
10 Picture Books to Encourage Outdoor Adventure (52brandnew.com)
‘Indie Saturday’ – A Special Shout Out to ERIK! of THIS KID REVIEWS BOOKS! (randomizeme.net)
PPBF: The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes (viviankirkfield.wordpress.com)

Celebrate World Environment Day: Read The Carrot Seed

Posted on June 1, 2012 by viviankirkfield

Today is Perfect Picture Book Friday where I link up with Susannah Leonard Hill’s fantastic group of picture book writers, illustrators, librarians and others who contribute a picture book review and related resources for parents and others who work with young children.

June 5^th is World Environment Day. The theme for 2012 is Green Economy: Does It Include You? According to Wikipedia, Green Economy is “growth in income and employment that is driven by public and private investments that reduce carbon emissions and pollution and prevent the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem.”

Does Green Economy include you? How can parents become involved in lessening the carbon footprints of their family? How can parents engage young children in environmental activities?

Here is the perfect picture book that can serve as a launching pad for a summer family vegetable garden that will inform, engage and involve kids in what will hopefully become a life-long concern for preserving the environment and living a healthier lifestyle. The book is one of the hundred classic picture books recommended in Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking. Please check out a stellar review of my book by Nancy Hatch on Spirit Lights the Way.

The Carrot Seed

Written by Ruth Krauss

Illustrated by Crockett Johnson

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (1945…and NEVER out of print since then!)

Ages: 2 and up

Themes:

Determination, perseverance, self-esteem, gardening, self-reliance

Opening Line:

“A little boy planted a seed. His mother said, “I’m afraid it won’t come up.”

Synopsis:

From Amazon: “Ruth Krauss, author of A Hole Is to Dig, has crafted a story almost Zen-like in its simplicity. A little boy plants a carrot seed and waits patiently, tending to it carefully, while everyone around him insists that “it won’t come up.” His conviction is steadfast, however, and sure enough, a carrot worthy of first prize at any state fair springs forth from the earth. Krauss’s husband, Crockett Johnson (creator of Harold and the Purple Crayon), illustrated The Carrot Seed, and while the little boy is rendered with uncomplicated lines, all of his hope, confidence, and serenity shine through. The image that resonates most strongly in this minimalist tale is the unfaltering faith of the mild-mannered little boy. Young readers learn that standing your ground in the face of opposition and doubt can often result in twice the reward expected (even thrice the reward, if judging by the girth of this carrot).”

Why I like this book:

The illustrations: simplicity in its purest form!

The text: minimalistic and appealing!

The message: POWERFUL…believe in yourself, even when no one else does!

What a wonderful book for every young child…this is a story that encourages kids to stand up for what they believe in. With World Environment Day coming on June 5^th, this book can be a launching pad for starting a home vegetable garden this summer that will decrease your family’s carbon footprint.

Related Activities:

Plant a carrot seed, of course! With young children, you can also take the butt end of a fresh carrot and plant that in a container of soil. The carrot will grow profuse greenery that smells just like a carrot and can be cut and used to garnish salads and vegetable dishes.

You can find some great instructions for container gardening here.

There are lots of good tips for growing veggies with kids here.

Investigate your local community to see if there is a community gardening project that your kids can get involved in.

Lesson plan and activity unit for third grade based on the Carrot Seed.

Crockett Johnson’s Homepage has some interesting info on the Carrot Seed song.

Brighttub has a page of lesson plans and activities.

Scholastic has a page of lesson plans and activities.

Curriculum for The Carrot Seed.

Read about World Environment Day 2012 on Mauritius first-ever youth newspaper

Read about the 2012 Theme of Green Economy: Does It Include You on Wikipedia

Connect with world-wide events and celebrations on the United Nations site

San Francisco has been in the forefront of green mandates…Sophie Azouaou is the SF Green Living Examiner.

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. Her page is a perfect resource go-to for summer activities for kids!

The summer is a perfect time to be reading with young children! Leave a comment on this post any time during June telling what books you are reading with your kids and you will be entered into the 2012 Positive Parental Participation Reading Challenge. Each month we mail a lovely picture book to one lucky winner! It could be you!