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?

Boom Snot Twitty ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

Boom Snot Twitty
By Doreen Cronin
Illustrated by Renata Liwska
(Viking, 2014)

Don't you just love the title of this book? Boom Snot Twitty. The title is what first caught my attention.

Boom Snot Twitty (a catchy phrase of funny words) is the story of three friends. Boom (the bear), Snot (the snail), and Twitty (the bird) had a lovely day stretched out in front of them. What to do, what to do?

Twitty got tangled, Bear was bored, and Snot was blown away. The wind, rain, and stormy weather arrived to make the situation even more exciting. Each friend had a different way to deal with the weather challenges. Who was the calmest? You might be surprised when you read Boom Snot Twitty.

Readers will enjoy the interplay between the characters and the companionship of the friends.

KID KANDY:

Float Some Stuff

In Boom Snot Twitty, Snot peacefully floats on a leaf. Can you find some things that will float like a leaf?

1. Fill a tub or a sink with water. Ask permission!

2. Hunt in your home for waterproof items. Probably anything made from paper is not a good idea.

3. Test your guesses. What floats? What does not float?

4. Repeat your experiment outside. Make sure to find some leaves. Can you get a small stick to float on top of a leaf? You could pretend the stick is Snot.

Playing in the water sure makes hot summer days fun, doesn't it?

The Eraserheads ~ Wacky Wednesday Picture Book & KID KANDY

The Eraserheads
By Kate Banks
Pictures by Boris Kulikov
(Frances Foster Books, 2010)

Ha-ha, you laugh. The Eraserheads. What in the world are eraserheads?

Exactly what they sound like - erasers that are shaped like animals (including their heads).

In The Eraserheads, three friendly erasers shaped like an owl, a pig, and a crocodile lived with a boy and his collection of pencils, papers, and assorted art supplies. Each animal had a specific expertise of erasing. Owl helped correct letters and words. Crocodile was good with numbers. Pig liked to eat and would erase anything.

One day, as the boy drew, the eraserheads watched with delight. The beach scene changed into different settings as the road traveled around the paper. Suddenly, the paper was full and the boy had to stop. But wait! Crocodile decided to give the boy extra room by erasing part of the road. That was a great idea, until the eraserheads became stuck in the middle of nowhere.

How did the eraserheads get back home? The ending will delight imaginative readers and artists alike.

KID KANDY:

Gather Your Own Eraserheads and Use Your Imagination

Hint: Back-to-school sales are the perfect time to stock up on erasers.

1. Collect erasers, pencils, paper, and other art supplies.

2. Name your erasers! How much fun is that? Perhaps each eraserhead could have a specific job just like the erasers in The Eraserheads.

3. Put your erasers and pencils to work. Start drawing and writing. You don't have to worry about mistakes. You have eraser friends!

What did you draw? What will happen next? What did you name your erasers?

I'd love to hear about your adventures.

Matilda and Hans ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

Matilda and Hans
By Yokococo
(Templar Books, Candlewick Press, 2012)

Matilda and Hans is a book about two cats.

Two completely opposite cats. Matilda was all things positive and calm. Hans was loud and got into trouble. After one particularly wild night (the zoo animals somehow escaped from their cages), a wanted poster was put up for Hans. Matilda knew exactly where Hans would be the following night and she informed the police.

When the policeman arrived, there was Hans, up to no good. Slowly Hans removed his hat, his mask, and his whiskers. And who was left standing?

You will need to read Matilda and Hans for yourself (and your child, of course). No spoilers!

KID KANDY:

Chalk Art

Chalk art is featured on one of the pages in Matilda and Hans. Chalk art is fun - but only when permission is given for the artists to draw on sidewalks and cement walls. Always ask permission first!

~ Purchase some fat chalk sticks from the store

~ Ask permission to draw on cement (driveways, roads, sidewalks, playground).

~ Draw pictures with the fat chalk.

~ For fun, get a bucket of water. Soak the chalk in the water and then draw with the chalk.

~ Experiment with the chalk and water.

Have fun. And always try to be like Matilda. Or is that not like Matilda?


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Last Stop on Market Street ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

Last Stop on Market Street
Words by Matt de La Pena
Pictures by Christian Robinson
(G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2015)

CJ wondered why his Nana and he had to go on the bus every Sunday after church. He was full of questions. CJ asked why they didn't have a car, why did it have to rain, and why that man couldn't see.

Nana was wise. Throughout the story, Nana lets CJ experience real life people. She guides him to see with his ears, appreciate people who look different, and enjoy the magic in a song.

The most wonderful thing that nana gives to CJ is the habit of helping others. At the last stop on Market Street, where buildings and people are run down and dirty, CJ helps serve lunch at a soup kitchen. CJ is learning to see beauty through the dirt.

Last Stop on Market Street is a beautiful book about diversity and reaching out to help others. Nana sets a wonderful example of how to be a giving member of a community.

Read Last Stop on Market Street if you want your readers to grow up willing and able to make contributions to society.

KID KANDY:

Help at a Soup Kitchen

CJ helped serve food with his Nana. Maybe you don't have a soup kitchen in your area. But you and your child can still help.

You could:

~ Make arrangements to serve a meal at a local homeless shelter (or other place that serves free meals).

~ Collect food and donate it to a program that feeds hungry families - food banks, homeless shelters, or community outreach centers.

~ Gather non-perishable food items (juice boxes, nuts, dried fruit, bottled water, crackers). Divide items among lunch sacks and store in your car. Give out snack bags whenever you see someone on the street corner asking for donations.

~ Give money to organizations that help the hungry - churches, shelters, community service centers.

Be creative. What is available in your town? How can you help?

Ask your child for ideas. You might be surprised.