G is for Goat ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

G is for Goat
By Patricia Polacco
(Philomel Books, Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers, 2003)

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G is for Goat is a delightful alphabet book that consists of cavorting goats. Now, that doesn't sound too exciting, but it really is cute. If you know anything about goats at all - say, how naughty they can be, how they love to nibble on everything in sight, how they leap and act goofy - you will laugh when you read this picture book.

G is for Goat is wonderfully illustrated. The main character, a young female, certainly has her arms full with wayward charges. The alphabet incorporated into the story is wonderful. As an early childhood educator, I am always looking for clever alphabet books with which to reinforce letters, language, and reading fun, all experienced within the pages of a good book.

Farmers, readers, young children, animal lovers - all will love reading G is for Goat.

KID KANDY:

Make Your Own Alphabet Page

1. What does your name begin with? Find that page and reread it.

2. Make your own alphabet page. It doesn't have to be with goats. Choose something you love that begins with the first letter of your name.

3. For instance, my first name is Angie.

Looking at the Aa page, I see that Patricia Polacco (the author and illustrator of this lovely book) shows apples that begin with Aa.

On my page, I can print the letters - Aa - and choose something that begins with Aa to put on my page. Hmmm, let's think: apple, aardvark, ant, automobile, author, anthill, avocado, ape...

4. Illustrate your alphabet page.

5. Show your alphabet page. Choose another letter and make a second page!

Sing the alphabet song. Don't you love letters and words and reading and singing and drawing?

Me, too.

The Three Billy-Goats Gruff

The Three Billy-Goats Gruff
A Norwegian Folktale with Woodcuts by Susan Blair (Scholastic Book Services, 1963)

"Read it again, Nana, again," exclaimed 2.75 year-old Khloe.

Classics will always bring that response from children. Especially if readers adhere to the strict requirement of utilizing different voices, sound effects, and actions. Guaranteed.

Some fun activities to do after reading (and rereading) The Three Billy-Goats Gruff:

~ Use blocks to build a bridge. Build on pieces of green, brown, and blue felt for setting the scene. Dig out the plastic farm goats and some ugly alien toy for re-enacting the story.

~ Use paper plates to make goat and troll masks. Cut out eye and mouth holes. Glue (and staple) on ears, horns, whiskers, beards, and so on. Use elastic or ribbons to tie in place. Add pieces of rope or leather to back of pants for tails. The bridge? A table for the troll to hide under.

~ Make play dough. Add sticks, rocks, plastic farm goats, and a troll figure. Build the set and act out the story.

~ Check out and watch a video version of The Three Billy-Goats Gruff from the library. While you are there, check out different versions of the same story. Read and compare them all. Vote for the favorite. Talk about illustrations and differences in books with the same story.

~ Fold a large sheet of construction paper (or take apart a brown paper grocery sack) into six sections. Let children draw each part of the story with markers.

*The troll hiding under the bridge.
*Little Billy-Goat Gruff tripping over the bridge.
*Middle Billy-Goat Gruff tripping over the bridge.
*Big Billy-Goat Gruff tripping over the bridge.
*Big Billy-Goat Gruff butting the troll off the bridge into the river.
*Three Billy-Goats getting fat on the hillside.

Really, kids love to act out this story! Beware, as you may soon be drafted to become any one of the characters.