The Typewriter ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

What a vibrant cover!

By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

The Typewriter
By Bill Thomson
(Two Lions, 2016)

There are not many words to read in The Typewriter, but oh, what a story they tell!

Three children out riding bicycles discover an old-fashioned typewriter on the back of a merry-go-round bee (the merry-go-round is not working). Fascinated, they place the typewriter on the ground and start to type out words. Very few words.

That's because each word that is typed instantly becomes reality.

Beach. Ball. Ice Cream. Crab...

Each word does not come to life in the size one would imagine. Some are much larger. Imagine what would happen if a crab the size of an elephant appeared?

The children discover the ways of the typewriter and finally decide enough is enough.

I was enthralled by the illustrations and story line of this simple yet complex picture book. Readers will be surprised and enchanted as they read The Typewriter.

KID KANDY:

Typewriter Exploration

Materials: an old typewriter (the kind with a ribbon, not a printer), paper, crayons

Hint: Borrow an old typewriter or find one at a thrift store.

Welcome to old-fashioned computers!

1. First, you have to roll a piece of paper between the rollers on top. Turn the knob on the right side to advance the paper.

2. Now you are ready to type words or write a story. Start by typing your name.

3. Explore what each key does. Can you find the shift key? Punctuation marks?

4. To go to the next line to continue typing, you have to advance the paper again with the handle on the right side.

Fun, isn't it?

5. Try typing single words like in The Typewriter. Use your crayons to illustrate your own story.

Dog. Cat. Cactus. Bee. Rain. Lightning. Car. Wind. . .

Anything could happen!

The Christmas Tree Skirt - aka Tosca's Christmas

I can't imagine why the Christmas tree skirt looks like this. Or why the ornaments are falling down.

- House with 2 Cats

This picture (and daily life event during this season of the year) reminds me of a favorite picture book by Matthew Sturgis and Anne Mortimer.

Tosca's Christmas was one of my children's favorite books to read. That naughty Tosca!

Read more about Tosca here. http://bookblabbyabooklover.blogspot.com/2014/12/toscas-christmas-christmas-picture.html

Meow-y Christmas!


How about you? Who are your special helpers this year?

My Pen ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

My Pen
By Christopher Myers
(Disney - Hyperion, 2015)

My Pen perfectly captures the artist imagination of Christopher Myers.

Within the black and white pages, detailed illustrations point to the power of expression that is held in the hand of someone with a pen. Oh, the dreams, ideas, and worlds that can be drawn with a pen.

Imagination is a big thing. Readers will love the creativity and ideas found in My Pen.

KID KANDY:

Draw With a Pen

Materials: sketch pad or paper, pen

Go ahead. Do it. Doodle. Draw. Scribble. Create. Imagine. Tell a story with your drawings.

It's ok to not be perfect. Even Mr. Myers says his work does not always do what he wants. Just turn those mistakes into something new.

Have fun!

P.S. What is your favorite drawing?

A B See ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

A B See is an engaging alphabet board book.

Embossed and sturdy, A B See shows one or two letters of the alphabet on each page. The letter (bumpy for touching) is composed of small illustrations of things that begin with that letter.

For instance, the letter Q is made up of a quilt, question marks, a queen, a quetzel, a quarter, a quarterback, a quacker, quartz, and a quill. The short line that goes over the oval part is a quail.

The intricate and fascinating illustrations capture attention. Each letter also has a simple sentence with most words beginning with the letter.

Delightful! I know my Donavyn will love this book. He is two-years-old and loves to see the 'etters!

Preschoolers and early readers will learn and enjoy A B See. Any way you can engage young readers in books and the alphabet is worth the effort!

KID KANDY:

Find the Letter of Your First Name

1. Go ahead. Read A B See. Sing the "Alphabet Song." Enjoy the pictures.

2. Find the page with the first letter of your first name.

3. Look at all of the pictures and words that begin with that letter and are a part of the illustration.

4. What is your favorite thing that begins with the same letter as your name? Can you think of anything else that begins with that letter?

5. Can you bend your body to make the first letter of your name? Try and spell out your whole name with your body! Maybe mom or dad can take pictures of you making each letter.

Thanks for reading and loving books!

Winter Is Coming ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

Winter Is Coming
By Tony Johnston
Illustrated by Jim LaMarche
(Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2014)

Winter Is Coming is a beautiful book that chronicles the changing of the season from fall to winter.

A young girl quietly and carefully perches on a platform in a tree and takes note of the many wild animals that pass beneath her. She sketches pictures of them and thinks about how they prepare for winter. Patiently, she learns from the animals - lessons of nature. Throughout October and November, she watches the changes taking place around her. And then winter comes.

The captivating illustrations and engaging text inspire, amaze, and teach much about the natural world. Readers both young and old will love to read and reread Winter Is Coming.

KID KANDY:

Observe Fall Changing to Winter

1. Go out for a walk (take a friend or parent or older sibling). You might want to do this walk the same day each week all through October and November, and maybe even into December.

2. Notice what is happening in nature. What are the animals doing? (Check the air and ground.) What about the plants? Look at the colors, textures, and changes that are taking place.

3. If you like to draw, take along a sketchbook and a few pencils. Or remember what you see and draw when you get home. Put the date on the page so you can tell how things change over time.

4. Repeat your walk several times all the way through the fall months. You will have to be quiet and patient and observant - like a scientist!

5. Each time you go, look at the same things, but also try and find new plants and animals to notice.

Isn't watching fall change to winter amazing? Seasons are a wonderful gift for us to enjoy.

Watching the Seasons - Fall ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

Watching the Seasons - Fall
By Emily C. Dawson
(Bullfrog Books, Jump!; 2013)

Watching the Seasons - Fall is a perfect nonfiction picture book. Filled with glorious fall photos, one could not wish for better pictures.

The nonfiction book features are what make this book stand out. Table of contents, charts, glossary, index, short sentences, text boxes, and learning more about the topic section really make Watching the Seasons - Fall shine.

Early readers will love the challenge of reading this beautiful book and learning how much fun nonfiction can be.

KID KANDY:

Rank Your Favorite Fall Activities - And Then Do Each One!

1. Make a list of your favorite autumn activities. Put each activity on a separate index card. Some people enjoy raking leaves, visiting pumpkin patches, carving pumpkins, or touring apple orchards. Ask your family for their ideas.

2. Rearrange the cards until they are in the order of your favorite fall activities.

3. Start at the top of the list and do that fun activity. Place the card on the bottom of the list and continue having fun with all of the other activities.

4. Did you find a new favorite? Did you learn something?

5. Invite a friend to choose his or her favorite and have some fall fun together!

P.S. Fall is my absolute favorite season. I love pumpkins, so one of my favorite fall activities is going to pumpkin patches and buying pumpkins for my house!

Pumpkin Town! ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

Pumpkin Town! (Or, Nothing Is Better and Worse Than Pumpkins)
By Katie McKy
Illustrated by Pablo Bernasconi
(Scholastic, Inc., 2006)

It's pumpkin time! Jose and his family grow pumpkins in a variety of sizes, from too small all the way to giant and too big to carry.

Before the pumpkins could be hauled off to market, Jose and his brothers had to find the biggest and best seeds from a few choice pumpkins.The rest of the seeds could then be tossed off the hill overlooking the town.

One very windy day, the tossed seeds were carried over the town and fell like rain. What happens next is too funny!

Readers will love this tale of pumpkins. Clever illustrations tell the rest of the tale. It's time for Pumpkin Town! (Or, Nothing Is Better and Worse Than Pumpkins).

KID KANDY:

Save Some Seeds

Jose and his family saved seeds every year for the next year's crop of pumpkins.

Let's do the same thing.

1. Visit a pumpkin patch or farmers market. Choose a pumpkin. There are so many varieties to choose from, I know it will be a difficult choice.

2. Decorate your porch or yard with your pumpkin until it is time to carve it. (Hint: If you carve a jack-o-lantern too early, it will rot before the end of October.)

3. Carve (with help) your pumpkin to make a jack-o-lantern. Save the seeds!

4. Before you cook the seeds (you have to cook them - they are fantastic to eat), choose 5 or 6 of the biggest, best seeds. Let them dry and keep them in an envelope until next spring.

5. In the spring, plant your pumpkin seeds in the garden. You will have your own pumpkin patch!

What is your favorite thing you do with pumpkins?

Daredevil Duck ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

Daredevil Duck
By Charlie Alder
(Running Press Kids, 2015)

Daredevil Duck dreamed of being the bravest duck in the whole wide world. Except he wasn't. He really, really wanted to be brave. But the truth was, there were some things that scared him.

Daredevil Duck tells about the adventures of, well, Daredevil Duck. After facing various trials, Daredevil Duck finally finds that he is indeed very brave! (It helps that he is cheered on by his friends.)

Daredevil Duck has colorful illustrations, different sized pages, and lots of excitement. Young readers will love finding out that Daredevil Duck is afraid of common things and he still finds out how to be courageous.

KID KANDY:

What Are You Afraid Of?

1. Make a list of things that scare you (snakes, mud, dark rooms, airplanes, . . .).

2. Choose one thing and figure out how to face that fear and become brave! Maybe it is spiders or bees or loud cars. How can you get over that fear?

3. How did Daredevil Duck get over his fears? Would that help you get over yours?

You could be the bravest duck in the whole wide world! Oops, I mean the bravest child in the whole wide world!

First the Egg ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

First the Egg
By Laura Vaccaro Seeger
(Roaring Brook Press, 2007)

First the Egg is a clever cut out book about what comes first. The egg, then the chicken; the tadpole, then the frog; and so on. Holes in one page become part of the picture on the next page. I love the illustrations and simplicity of First the Egg.

Readers who enjoy nature books and want to think and predict as they read will love First the Egg.

KID KANDY:

Play the "What Came First?" Game

Brainstorm different things: person, cat, dog, house, tree, apple

Figure out what came first.

"First the baby, then the child."

"First the kitten, then the cat."

"First the puppy, then the dog."

Continue with other ideas. This game could get really silly! Have fun!


I hope you enjoyed this blog post. Please do share. Thanks!

Extra Yarn ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

Extra Yarn
By Mac Barnett
Illustrated by Jon Klassen
(Balzer + Bray, An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2012)

Annabelle found a little box that was filled with yarn of every color. Actually, the box looked like a lunch box.

So Annabelle knitted a sweater for herself and Mars, her dog. She had leftover yarn, so she made sweaters for . . . well, lots of people. And animals. And buildings. And trees.

Because, no matter what Annabelle knitted, she always had leftover yarn.

The entire town began to look decidedly cozy and rumors of her yarn spread far and wide. In fact, one day, an archduke demanded that Annabelle sell him the box of yarn for horribly huge amounts of money.

But Annabelle said no.

So the archduke stole the box in the middle of the night and sailed away.

Never fear, though. The yarn box once again found itself in the hands of Annabelle. And she was happy.

Extra Yarn is a Caldecott Honor Book. Both the story and the illustrations are perfect and tell the story simply but captivatingly. Readers will enjoy Extra Yarn very much.

KID KANDY:

Extra Yarn

Here are some things you can do with extra yarn:

1. Roll a skein of yarn into a ball. It's fun!

2. Use heavy paper, white school glue, and pieces of extra yarn. Make a design with glue and put yarn right on top of the glue. Let it dry. This is a fun way to make wall hangings.

3. Cut long pieces of extra yarn and use them when you create a city with blocks and toy vehicles. The yarn can outline the roads or parks or buildings. If you make a farm, the yarn can corral all the animals and fence in the crops.

4. Cut three long pieces of yarn. Tape one end of all three together. I like to tape them to a table to keep them still. Braid the three pieces into a long braid. Tie knots at each end. Use the braid for a bookmark, a headband, or a backpack decoration.

5. If you really, really love yarn, ask someone to teach you to knit or crochet. Be patient! It takes lots of practice. Before you know it, you will be making hats and scarves and blankets.


Happy yarning!

A Small Brown Dog with a Wet Pink Nose ~ Wacky Wednesday Picture Book & KID KANDY

A Small Brown Dog with a Wet Pink Nose
By Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen
Illustrated by Linzie Hunter
(Little, Brown and Company, 2010)

Oh, what an adorable book! A Small Brown Dog with a Wet Pink Nose is the perfect marriage between words, story, humor, and illustrations. This Wacky Wednesday feature is fun for readers - even adult ones like myself.

Amelia wanted a dog. Not just any dog, but a small brown dog with a wet pink nose.

Her parents said no.

Amelia did not give up. She finally pretended that she had a small brown dog with a wet pink nose named Bones. Amelia taught her parents to live with a dog. Imaginary though he was, Bones and Amelia trained the parents. All went well until one day Amelia woke up and found that Bones was lost! Remember? Bones is imaginary.

As her parents had previously promised that they would help her look for Bones until he was found, they searched high and low. Bones was nowhere. The family finally ended up at the animal shelter.

Did Amelia find her dog? Yes. Her parents finally realized that they might not be ready for a dog, but Amelia was.

Dog lovers and every other type of reader will love this clever book. Funny, kid-true, and delightful, A Small Brown Dog with a Wet Pink Nose is a must read. Don't forget to check out the inside book covers!

KID KANDY:

Draw Your Dream Dog

Do you have a dog? If you do, you can draw your dog. If you don't, imagine what kind of dog you would like.

Use crayons, pencils, and markers to draw your dog.

Think about:

- fur
- ears
- tail
- nose
- eyes
- size
- colors
- nose and whiskers

What does your dog like to do?

Look at the pictures in A Small Brown Dog with a Wet Pink Nose to find ideas for dog treats, toys, and activities. Include those on your drawing.

Display your drawing. Take your dog (real or imaginary) for a fun walk.

Roof, roof!

My Little Round House ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

My Little Round House
by Bolormaa Baasansuren
adapted by Helen Mixter
(Groundwood Books, House of Anansi Press, 2006/2009)

My Little Round House is the story of a young boy who was born in Mongolia. Jilu lived in a nomadic community that traveled to new places in the different seasons.

Little Jilu remembers his first round house - his mothers' stomach. After he was convinced to come out by his father, Jilu begins to appreciate the round house of his family, or ger, with its round circle of sky blue in the roof. The story of Jilu and his round ger is enchanting as it weaves the seasons of life in pictures and words. Baby lambs lived in the ger to be fed by Jilu and his grandmother. Spring brought dumplings and fermented milk for meals and warmth after winter snows.

Reading My Little Round House made me want to live in a ger!

Summer, autumn, winter, spring, and summer again bring Jilu to his birthday. Jilu plays with animals and friends, running free in the summer green grass. Jilu loves the blue sky overhead, which reminds him of the sky blue circle in the roof of his ger, his home.

My Little Round House shows a different life than the one we are accustomed to in America. Readers will be enthralled to see how a small boy in a different country lives his life in a ger.

KID KANDY:

Make a Round Home

Materials: sticks, rocks, fabric scraps, string, tape, toy people figures

Look at the pictures of the ger to see how it is shaped and formed. Use the sticks to make a round structure, anchoring the sticks in the dirt to make them stable. Rocks, tape, and string can help hold your ger together. Cover the ger with fabric pieces. Let your toy people figures live in the ger. Add toy animals and other natural materials to your community.

Did you make a circle in the ger rooftop? Is there a door? What do you like about a round ger? Would you like to live there? Why?

***I have the hardest time trying to get good pictures of the library books that are covered in plastic! I apologize for the quality of photos, but I do want you to be able to see the cover.

The Baker's Dozen, A Counting Book ~ Wacky Wednesday Picture Book & KID KANDY

The Baker's Dozen, A Counting Book
by Dan Andreasen
(Henry Holt and Company, 2007)

Everyone knows how many treats are in a baker's dozen, right?

Maybe not. It is sort of wacky that a dozen equals 13 when it is used to describe baked goods. Of course, I would love one more bakery treat than 12 when I purchase a baker's dozen - oh, let's say of donuts or cupcakes or brownies or anything full of calories and flavor!

The Baker's Dozen, A Counting Book, is full of examples of delicious bakery chef created delectables. Each page gives descriptive vocabulary words for special desserts and places the number of goods on that page in a prominent location. Every illustration shows the baker performing a baker's task as he prepares yummy mouthfuls of joy.

Food is important to me and desserts are special treats. Readers who appreciate baked goods and young children who are learning about numbers will enjoy counting their way through The Baker's Dozen, A Counting Book.

KID KANDY:

What is a Baker's Dozen?

Materials: egg carton, variety of counting objects

Help your child place one item in each egg section of a carton. Count the objects together. Trade objects and count something else. Discuss that 12 is called a dozen, but in the baking world a baker's dozen is 13.

Help your child figure out how to put 13 things in the carton and count them.

Play a counting game. Ask your child to close his eyes. Place either 12 or 13 objects in the carton. Tell your child to count the objects and tell you if it is a dozen or a baker's dozen. Repeat the game again and make sure you take a turn closing your eyes!

After you are done, go to the bakery and buy a baker's dozen of a special treat to share for dessert. Your child will surely remember baker's dozen after that!

TipTop Cat ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

TipTop Cat
by C. Roger Mader
(Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014)

TipTop Cat combines two of my favorite things - cats and Paris.

Mr. TipTop cat was the very best birthday present. He liked his new home, especially the balcony where he could go and climb up to the rooftops. From there, this beautiful black and white cat could survey his domain - the entire world.

Except for that one day, the day when a pigeon landed on his balcony. What else could he do but attack that intruder? Disastrous results left kitty with a broken spirit but no broken bones. A surprise inspiration helped Mr. TipTop cat reclaim his throne on the top of the world (of Paris).

Cat lovers and readers who love adventure will enjoy TipTop Cat.

KID KANDY:

Up, Up, Up

Draw a Cat on Top of a Building

1. Gather paper and pencils.

2. Draw a large rectangle at the bottom of the paper to make a building. You can add windows and doors if you want.

3. To draw a cat, start first by drawing a large circle on top of the building roof. This is the cat body. Attach a smaller circle to the top for the cat head. Draw 2 small pointy triangle ears on the head.

4. Cats have 4 legs with paws and claws at the ends. They also have a long moving tail. Add legs, claws, paws, and tail to the large circle body.

5. Add eyes, nose, and whiskers to the smaller circle head.

6. What color do you want your cat? Color your tiptop cat and give it a name.

My two gray kitties love to be up on top of the world. The highest place inside the house they enjoy is on top of a tall, almost to the ceiling, fancy hutch that is filled with pretty glass dishes. Outside, they both try to sneak up on top of the roof of the house!

Where is the highest place you have seen a cat?

Honeybee Man ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

Honeybee Man
by Lela Nargi
pictures by Kyrsten Brooker
(Schwartz & Wade Books, 2011)

If you are like me and are concerned about the plight of honeybees, you will want to read Honeybee Man.

Fred lives in Brooklyn like so many other people. What is different about Fred is that he has three bee colonies (and hives) on the top of his home. All summer long, Fred visits, talks to, and watches his bees zoom to and fro, searching for flowering plants from which to drink nectar. When the hives are full, Fred harvests honey from the top of each hive and fills jars with the beautiful results of the work done by the sister bees.

Honeybee Man is a story about a man who loves his bees and the honey they make. But it is also a tale of bees and tells who lives in the hives, the jobs of each type of bee, the life cycle of bees, and the tasty treat that is found inside each hive. Readers will learn much about bees and how they create honey.

By the end of the book, you will definitely have to go have a peanut butter and honey sandwich or a cup of tea with honey.

KID KANDY:

Investigate Honeybees

Materials: flowering plants and magnifying glasses

1. If you do not have any flowers in your yard, honeybees will love it if you plant some! Flowers attract honeybees. In my yard, lavender, thyme, sunflowers, squash and zucchini, raspberries, and strawberry plants have flowers that the honeybees love to visit.

2. Holding a magnifying glass, slowly and calmly approach flowers that are being visited by honeybees. Hold the magnifying glass in front of your eyes and look at the bees. If you stay calm and move slowly, they won't mind you at all. They will just keep working.

What do you see? Can you see the body parts of a honeybee? The wings? The legs? The long tongue?

Have you tasted honey? It is super duper sweet and delicious. Try some on a spoon or spread a bit on top of peanut butter on bread. Don't forget to thank a honeybee!

Inside Outside ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

Inside Outside
By Lizi Boyd
(Chronicle Books, 2013)

Clever cut-out windows play a part of two different story book pages in Inside Outside.

Inside Outside is a wordless picture book about things that happen inside and outside. Designed on brown craft look-alike paper, ink drawings and focused infusions of color draw attention to the inside and outside activities of the main character. I love this picture book and its simplicity and story about an industrious and creative child.

Inside Outside is full of ideas of things to do. I don't think that is the main purpose, but readers will be inspired about activities that could entertain and inspire children. The four different seasons are a part of the illustrations and activities in Inside Outside.

Young readers will love looking through the windows and cut-outs to discover how the pictures connect to both sides. Non-readers and readers alike will be engaged in this fun book.

KID KANDY:

What Is Outside and Inside Your Window?

Look out your window. What do you see? Does it change when you move?

Go outside. Look in your window. What do you see now? Do you need help to see inside the window?

Choose which way you prefer to look out (or in) the window. Draw a large rectangle on paper to make a window. Draw things inside the rectangle that you see through your window.

Use a different piece of paper to cut out a window. Hold it up and look through the paper window. What do you see?

Hold your thumbs to the opposite index fingers (the finger you use to point) to make a window. Walk around and look through the window made by your fingers. How does the view change when you are inside? Outside?

Where do you like to spend most of your time - inside or outside? Why?

Coming Home ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

Coming Home
By Greg Ruth
(A Feiwel and Friends Book, Macmillan, 2014)

Coming Home is a beautiful book. Period.

Eighteen words and gorgeous full-page illustrations tell the story about a boy waiting for his parent to return from overseas military service. The pictures fill in many details about military family life. Both poignant and delightful, I would recommend Coming Home to any family with serving military members. Any parent who wants to teach their child about sacrifice and freedom should also read Coming Home. Teachers and workers with children will want to read Coming Home to their groups of children, especially if one of their students has a family member away from home due to military service.

On behalf of all of those military members who have served our country, I say, "THANK YOU!"

And for the family members left behind, the ones who had to wait, worry, and pray, I say, "THANK YOU!"

KID KANDY:

Thank A Military Member

Find someone who served (or is serving) in the military - Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, National Guard, or any other military service.

Draw a picture and write a note to that person. Make sure to tell them thank you for serving our country.

With your parent, mail or deliver the picture and note.

If you deliver your note in person, be sure to:

- say "Thank you"

- shake hands

- make eye contact


Serving in the military is the choice of thousands of men and women. Remember to pray for our military service men and women and their families who miss them when they are away on duty.

Angie Quantrell was very happy and thankful when her son, Taylor, returned from serving overseas in Iraq.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star ~ Books You Can Sing & KID KANDY

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
By Jane Cabrera
(Holiday House, 2012)

We are all familiar with the song called "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."

Jane Cabrera takes the song a few steps higher in her sparkly book. In Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, Cabrera used twinkle, flicker, glisten, shimmer, and sparkle in a variety of worldwide habitats to show places that the little star shines. Bright colors were used to illustrate people and animals that gaze up and wonder about the star.

Young readers will love the familiar melody and twinkling star found in Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.

KID KANDY:

Make a Sparkly Star

1. July 4th is almost here. Stars are seen everywhere when America celebrates her birthday. This is a perfect time to help little ones learn the star shape. Search and find stars any time you are out in the community.

2. Teach older children to draw stars. Help younger ones make stars. Practice on paper.

3. Draw large stars on cardboard. Adults only: Cut out the stars with a craft knife. Punch a hole in one point.

4. Put the stars on wax paper. Let your child paint the star with white school glue. Provide a shaker container of glitter and let your child cover the wet glue with glitter.

5. Let the glitter dry. Shake off the excess glitter and return it to the shaker for a future project.

6. Add a hanging loop of yarn or string.

7. Let your child find a spot to hang the glistening star.

Now you have to sing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" again!

How to Bake an American Pie ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

How to Bake an American Pie
by Karma Wilson
illustrated by Raul Colon
(Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2007)

Here is the perfect book to read for July 4th - How to Bake an American Pie.

This book is not truly a recipe book, but uses baking a pie as a metaphor for how America came to be. How to Bake an American Pie uses the ideals of our planning forefathers and many of the words from the song "America the Beautiful."

Who are the chefs? In this book, a cat and a dog join in the work and fun as a nation is put together and baked to make the best ever American pie. Cooking tools and terminology meld the baking theme with the lofty goals of the American dream.

Freedom for all. And plenty of American Pie for all who care to stop by.

KID KANDY:

Bake a Pie

1. Find a recipe and bake an apple pie. Use the terminology and tools of baking and let your child(ren) help you!

2. Share the pie. Have a slice of good old apple pie.

3. Reread How to Bake an American Pie. Notice the vocabulary and lavish language. Do the words make more sense to your child now that the experience of baking a pie has been enjoyed?

Happy 4th of July, America!

Home ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

Home
By Carson Ellis
(Candlewick Press, 2015)

Home is where you lay your head or where your heart takes up residence. Home is usually where you reside or where you grew up or where your loved ones live.

Welcome to Home by Carson Ellis.

In her book, Ellis simply and beautifully shows many of the places we call home. Reality and whimsical as well as fairy tale and modern pop culture all have a part in the meaning of home. Ellis even makes up a few words, just to surprise and delight readers. Home is one of my new favorite books.

Home would be a great book to use at the beginning of school to get students to share about their own homes. What a fun Open House art project!

Where is your home?

KID KANDY:

Draw Your Home

Do you live in a house? A log cabin? A mobile home? An RV? An apartment?

Get out the pencils, markers, crayons, or paints. Draw a picture of your house. Color it in. Decorate the outside so that it looks just like your house. Sign your name and put the date on your drawing. Display it so others can see your home as it looks on paper.

Take a walk. How do other homes in your neighborhood compare to your home? Don't just look at people homes - check out animal, plant, and other nature type homes.

How do you feel about your home?