Cars Rushing! Honking! Zooming! ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

by Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

Cars Rushing! Honking! Zooming!
By Patricia Hubbell
Illustrated by Megan Halsey and Sean Addy
(Marshall Cavendish Children, 2006)

I love the vintage illustrations of Cars Rushing! Honking! Zooming!

This fun picture book is about all sorts of vehicles. And the drivers are not necessarily human!

Told in rhyme, Cars Rushing! Honking! Zooming! features things vehicles do as well as places they go and specific information about them (like the parts of a car).

I enjoyed the feel of this book. Any child who loves things that GO will have fun reading Cars Rushing! Honking! Zooming!

KID KANDY:

Masking Tape Highways

Materials: toy vehicles, blocks, masking tape

1. Stick masking tape on the floor or carpet (or furniture) to create winding roads on the floor.

2. Use blocks to build homes, businesses, and community features.

3. Drive those vehicles along the roads and use your imagination to pretend you are really in a car. Isn't that fun?

4. Pull up the tape as soon as you are done playing so it doesn't stick on the floor!

Zoom, zoom!

It Came in the Mail ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

by Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

It Came in the Mail
By Ben Clanton
(Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2016)

Who doesn't love mail and wish for something exciting to show up in the mail box?

Liam does, that's for sure. But, as he put it, after checking daily (and more), he got diddly-squat.

After an idea brainstorm, Liam decided he needed to write some mail in order to get some. So Liam wrote a letter to his mailbox and asked for something BIG.

The mailbox delivered.

And delivered. And delivered. Until finally, Liam had so much mail, he had a different problem to solve.

I love It Came in the Mail. Lots of wonderful illustrations filled in the blanks and added details for readers to enjoy. Liam and his buddy, Jamel, were fun characters. The common thread of a childhood wish (to get mail, just like a grown-up) was solved in a very inventive way!

Readers will love It Came in the Mail. Who knows? Maybe your child will even want to write a letter to the mailbox. Just be prepared for an answer.

KID KANDY:

Write a Letter

Materials: writing paper, pencil, crayons, envelope, stamp

1. Choose the person (friend, aunt, uncle, grandma, grandpa, dad, mom, or the mailbox) for whom you want to write a letter.

2. Write a letter to that person.

3. Decorate the letter.

4. Fold the letter and place it in the envelope. Ask an adult to help you address the envelope and place the stamp in the correct place.

5. Mail the letter.

6. Wait.

7. Check the mailbox for an answer. Every day.

P.S. You can write more letters while you are waiting. Or draw pictures of what you think you will get in the mail. Or use your imagination to think of things you'd like to see come out of the mailbox.

Getting mail is so much fun! I'd love to hear what showed up in your mailbox!

I Want a Monster! ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

by Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

I Want a Monster!
By Elise Gravel
(Katherine Tegen Books, 2016)

Baby monsters are cute, right? Just like puppies, kittens, and human babies.

But just like all babies, baby monsters can be counted on to make messes, grow, and engage in all sorts of disastrous activies.

A young girl wants a pet monster. ALL of her friends have one! But where will it stay? What will it eat? Who will take care of it?

Papa finally relents and together they visit the Monsterium. Gus, an adorable baby oogly-wump, goes home to live with the family. And that's when the fun really begins.

Because baby monsters are just like baby-babies. They don't know anything. They do silly things. They don't sleep!

I Want a Monster! is a hilarious picture book. All sorts of mayhem and excitement invade the house when Gus comes home.

Your monsters will love reading I Want a Monster! Just don't be surprised if they want to adopt their own baby monsters. If only you could find a monsterium...

KID KANDY:

Create Your Own Monster

Materials: paper, pencil, markers, art supplies

1. Draw your monster - any shape or size.

2. Color in your monster. Add facial details (eyes, teeth, mouth, ears, horns). Remember, you can make it anyway you want. Maybe your monster has only 1 eye! Or 5 ears!

3. What is your monster's name?

4. What does your monster eat? Where does it sleep? What does it like to do?

5. Label your monster with its name. Go tell someone about your new pet!

Thanks for adopting a monster!