All the World

All the World

Liz Garton Scanlon (Author)

Marla Frazee (Illustrator)

Comprehension Strategy:

Synthesizing

Art Modality:

Music

Summary:

All the world is here.

It is there.

It is everywhere.

All the world is right where you are.

Now.

Following a circle of family and friends through the course of a day from morning till night, this book affirms the importance of all things great and small in our world, from the tiniest shell on the beach, to warm family connections, to the widest sunset sky. (Summary from Simon & Schuster.)

Materials:

All the World

Lesson:

Here’s a book to help you welcome spring and celebrate Earth Day. As I recommend this book, I’m sitting on a screened porch, looking at my mother’s garden (“All the world’s a garden bed.”), listening to the birds sing (“Nest, bird, feather, fly. All the world has got its sky.”) and watching my son with his grandparents (“All the world is old and new.”).

Perfect.

“All the world can hold quite still.”

I hope you can find a moment in your busy world to hold still and listen to this book. Just click here for a heartwarming song and view of the book:

To share this book with your class and encourage the thinking work of synthesis, you might want to discuss the book spread by spread. I simply asked, “What is going on here? What do you think it means?” Then I listened and the students listened to each other. When you arrive at the end of the book, ask once more, “Now what does it all mean?” You’ll be amazed at the insight and wisdom that will come out of the mouths of your babes. It’s a simple lesson, but with an effort on listening and thinking, students will have good practice at putting the parts of a text together to make meaning and to find a theme. Since singing together is one sure way to build community, you’ll want to invite the children to sing along with the video for several days. Each day, invite the children to discuss together what they think about the author’s message. How does the illustrator help us find meaning in the poem?

"Hope and peace and love and trust. 
All the world is all of us."

Blessings,

Jayne

A world-wide-web of information....

For a simply lovely teacher’s guide, click this cover:

To listen to Marla Frazee talk about her illustrations, click on this scene:

Over the River: A Turkey's Tale

Title: Over the River: A Turkey's Tale

Derek Anderson (Illustrator)

based on the song by Lydia Maria Child

Comprehension Strategies: Visualizing, Inferring                  

Art Modality: Music

Summary:

Over the River Mama, Papa, and Baby Turkey embark for their vegetarian Thanksgiving feast. But when a hungry boy and his dog start sniffing around, the turkeys have got to think fast before they become the main course! Readers of all ages will be wondering who's going to gobble up whom until the dessert finale. (Summary from www.derekanderson.net.)

Materials:

Over the River: A Turkey's Tale

Lesson:

Thanksgiving is coming up on us like a hound dog on a turkey! Here's a quick side dish for your reading lessons this week. I saw this book at my local big-book-store chain last night. I "gobbled" it up, and thought you might like it, too. The recipe is quick and simple. Just cover the outside of the book. Read or sing the words; then have students discuss, draw or write what they visualized. Reread or resing the story. This time invite students to carefully view the illustrations to discover the story of the turkey family on the way to their feast. Can your students infer how the turkeys are feeling along the way? Now it's time for all your little turkeys to sing along.


Over the river and through the woods, off to the bookstore you go!

For more information about the illustrator:

http://www.derekanderson.net

Farmyard Beat

Title: Farmyard Beat

Lindsey Craig (Author)

Marc Brown (Illustrator)

Comprehension Strategy: Making Connections

Art Modality: Music

Summary:

“Chicks can’t sleep. Chicks can’t sleep. Chicks can’t sleep ’cause they got that beat!” The sounds of the farm animals create a lively beat that keeps Farmer Sue, the chicks, sheep, and other farm animals awake. (Summary from book.)

Materials:

Farmyard Beat

rhythm instruments

Lesson:

Peep! Peep! Peep-peep-peep! Early childhood teachers...Your little chicks might not be “reading” yet, but they are sure to get the beat of books with this fun farmyard chant. Here’s a reading lesson that will have your pre-readers making connections, predicting and making music. First, drag the box of rhythm instruments out of the back of your school’s supply closet. Kindergarten teachers, beg your music teacher to loan you a set. Next, have your kids help you match up the instruments you have with the animals in the story so each animal is represented by one instrument.

Here are some ideas:

animal	sound it makes	possible instrument
chick	Peep! Peep! Peep-peep-peep!	triangle
sheep	TAT! TAT! Tattity-  tat-tat!	rhythm sticks     or drum
cat	Puuuurrrr! Mee-ooow!	tambourine
cow	SWISH! CLANK! Swish-swish! Clank!	cymbals
dog	Woof! How-WOOOOO!	sound tube
owl	WHOOO?	sounder or    whistle

When your students are familiar with the rhythm and sequence of the text, have them join in by playing the appropriate instrument as each animal gets the beat. Pretty soon your class will be like the farmyard...you’ll all “fall in heap! Asleep!” Naptime!

There Was An Old Monster

Click here to buy the book!

Title: There Was An Old Monster

Rebecca Emberley (Author)

Ed Emberley (Illustrator)

Reading Skill: Sequencing

Art Modality: Music/Visual Art

Summary:

In this variation on the traditional cumulative rhyme, a monster swallows ants, a lizard, a bat, and other creatures to try to cure a stomachache that began when he swallowed a tick. (Summary from book.)

Materials:

There Was An Old Monster

small, empty boxes (recycle food boxes)

school glue or Mod Podge

colorful paper scraps

paintbrushes

Lesson:

Fellow teachers of boys and ghouls....usually I try to give you a teaching idea first and follow with some internet links. However, pleeeaase click this link NOW and get ready to scritchy-scratch with a free audio of There Was An Old Monster.

www.scholastic.com/oldmonster

Isn’t that just pure inspiration? Not only will your little ones want to read along, they’ll want to scritcy-scratch along, too! These collage-style shakers—inspired by Emberley’s colorful illustrations—are sure to do the trick. For each child, pour a small amount of rice into an empty food box. Seal the lid with masking tape. To complete his instrument, a child cuts or tears colorful paper into shapes. He then uses a paintbrush and slightly watered-down glue to adhere the scraps to the box. (Older students might want to make their boxes look like monsters. Younger students may prefer abstract designs.) When the child is happy with the designs on the box, he paints a final layer of glue over it. When the shakers are dry, play the audio and sing and shake along!

If You're A Monster and you Know It

Title: If You’re a Monster and You Know It

Rebecca Emberley (Author)

Rebecca Emberley and Ed Emberley (Illustrators)

Comprehension Strategy: Visualizing (Sensory Images)                 

Art Modalities: Music and Movement

Summary:

Children will stomp their paws, twitch their tails, snort and growl, and wiggle and wriggle along with this bright and bold twist on "If You're Happy and You Know It." Rebecca Emberley has written a rollicking text, which she has illustrated in collaboration with her father, Caldecott Medalist Ed Emberley. (Summary from Scholastic.)

Materials:

If You’re a Monster and You Know It

rhythm instruments

Lesson:

We know that visualizing is creating mental images while we read, right? In chapter nine of Strategies that Work, the authors encourage readers to create mental images that go beyond visualizing to include responses like “I see, I hear, I feel, I smell and I taste.” To better imagine this lesson, first listen to this fun audio of If You’re a Monster and You Know It.

www.scholastic.com/ifyoureamonsterandyouknowit

Next, go make friends with your school’s music teacher and ask her if you can borrow a box of rhythm instruments for your reading lesson. (Pick her up off the floor when you leave.)

Reread this story over several days to give your students multiple opportunities to sing and move along. Ask your group to help you list the actions in the song:

*snort and growl

*smack your claws

*stomp your paws

*twitch your tail

*wiggle your warts

*give a roar

Next invite children to explore the different sounds that the instruments make. Ask questions like, “Which of the instruments makes a sound like snorting and growling? Which instrument’s sound would remind you of smacking your claws? Which instrument’s sound could represent stomping your paws?” Give volunteers an opportunity to match each action with an instrument. As you sing along, pause to play the instrument with the actions. Can you visualize this lesson? Can you hear the fun? Can you feel the beat? Great. If you’re happy and you know it, buy this book!

She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain

Title: She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain

Jonathan Emmett (Author)

Deborah Allwright (Illustrator)

Comprehension Strategy: Visualizing

Art Modality: Movement/Music

Summary:

Forget everything you know about who’s comin’ ’round that mountain! This pink-pajama-wearing, jelly-jar-juggling, rooftop-dancing cowgirl is sure to charm the spurs off any rancher, and tickle the funny bone of the most ornery varmit. This classic song has brand-new verses and enough “tee-hees,” “toot-toots,” and “squish-splats” to keep kids singin’, shoutin’, and reading again and again. (Summary from book.)

Materials:

She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain

copier

card stock

Lesson:

Yee-haw, y’all! This book has a built-in in music and movement motivator. Just check out the back pages; then gallop over to a color copier to enlarge and copy the movement cards. Why? Well let’s just whoa-back to the beginning of the lesson.

Begin by reading...er, make that singing aloud each verse of the song. Encourage students to visualize the details of each verse before showing them the illustrations. Your students will get some great practice creating images in their minds as you sing about the cowgirl wearing pink pajamas and juggling jelly.

Next use the movement cards you created to encourage students to move and sing along. After several group rounds, you might want to divide the class into eight groups to represent the eight verses. Time to round up some reading fun!

Take a listen to the audio version of the book:

http://www.theaudiobookstore.com/jonathan-emmett/shell-be-coming-round_bkegmt000010.aspx

Find out more about the author at his website:

http://www.scribblestreet.co.uk/

Pete the Cat: Rocking in my School Shoes

Title: Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes

Eric Litwin (Author)

James Dean (Illustrator)
Amazon Link: Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes

Comprehension Strategy: 
Making Connections (Using prior knowledge, activating schema, text-to-self connections) 

Art Modality: Music and Movement

Summary:

Pete the Cat is back—and this time he’s rocking in his school shoes. Pete discovers the library, the lunchroom, the playground, and lots of other cool places at school. And no matter where he goes, Pete never stops moving and grooving and singing his song . . . because it’s all good. (Summary from HarperCollins Childrens Books.)

Materials:

Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes

Red high-top shoes (Optional but totally desirable)

Lesson:

I’m back in school and I’m blogging in my school shoes! The first step in this groovy lesson is to download the free song and listen to it.

http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/feature/petethecat/

You’re dancing and singing already aren’t you?! But wait, it gets better. The next step is to watch the video:

http://www.youtube.com/harperkids#p/u/7/QNAeRy6jS7c

The third step is to order the book, silly!
Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/Pete-Cat-Rocking-School-Shoes/dp/0061910244

Read aloud the book to your class. (I put my copy under the document camera while we listened to the song.) When your students are familiar with the words, create your own class book or powerpoint that will focus on verbs ending in -ing. To begin, create a class list of things kids can do in their school shoes. For example, “I’m counting in my school shoes.” Next take a picture of each child performing an action in his school shoes. Combine the pictures in a class book or powerpoint along with the simple, repetitive text. Finally, invite the class to read and sing along.

It’s all good.

Pete the Cat has a unique story. Find out more here:

http://www.petethecat.com/

For more groovy music, visit Mr. Eric at  Eric Litwin’s website:
http://www.ericlitwin.com/

I’m off to find some red high-top sneakers. Let me know if you find any. “I’m shopping in my school shoes...”

Mind Your Manners, B.B. Wolf

Title:  Mind Your Manners, B.B. Wolf

Judy Sierra (Author), Jotto Seibold (Illustrator)

Comprehension Strategy: Making Connections (using Prior Knowledge)                       

Art Modalities:  drama, music

Summary:

When B. B. Wolf, who now lives in the Villain Villa Retirement Residence, is invited to the library for a storybook tea, he is careful to follow the advice of this crocodile friend and impresses everyone with how polite he can be. (Summary from book.)

Materials:

Mind Your Manners, B. B. Wolf

optional: The Three Little Pigs

Little Red Riding Hood

The Gingerbread Man

(Choose versions of these stories most appropriate for the listening skills of your students.)

Lesson:

Who's afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? None of your students will be scared of B. B. Wolf—or good manners—after listening to this story about his excellent etiquette lesson. To prepare students to make text-to-text connections, you might want to first read several classic tales of wolf mischief, such as The Three Little Pigs and Little Red Riding Hood. Even though it is most often a fox and not a wolf that is the danger in The Gingerbread Man, you might also want to read this story because a gingerbread man is featured in the illustrations of this book. Finally, you might also wish to discuss why Little Bo Peep, in the traditional nursery rhyme, would need to be afraid of wolves since they were a danger to her sheep.

Prior to reading the story, invite students to choose characters from these classic tales to portray. Options include any of the three pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, her grandmother, the woodsman, and the Gingerbread Man. Group students by their chosen characters, or have them label themselves with nametags. Using a toy microphone, and perhaps even a video camera, interview the characters to find out what they already know about our main character: B. B. Wolf. How have their previous experiences with the wolf affected their opinion of him? What words best describe his personality? What are his motives in most stories? What advice would these characters give to other storybook characters about the wolf?

In the story, B. B. Wolf makes up a song to help himself remember the etiquette advice provided by his friend the crocodile. Following your read aloud of the story, invite students to help you create a tune for the crocodile's advice. Perhaps you could try the words to the tune of popular songs that the students already know. Or challenge older students to create their own tunes to perform for the class. If desired, sing the text to the tune of "Bingo."

Sip your tea and never slurp,

Say, "Excuse me" if you burp.

Use good manners, please!

Use good manners, please!

Use good manners, please!

When you go to the library.

Smile and have a lot of fun,

but don't go biting anyone!

Use good manners, please!

Use good manners, please!

Use good manners, please!

When you go to the library.


For more information about the author, visit: 
http://www.judysierra.net/index.htm