Books For Boys

Smallman, S. (2008). Smelly Peter the great pea eater. Wilton, CT: Tiger Tales.
           ISBN: 10:1-58925-076-1


A young boy, Peter, will only eat peas. Fresh, or canned. He loves peas so much it’s all he wants to eat every meal. Peas for breakfast, peas for lunch, peas for dinner. The affect of enjoying a diet consisting only of peas is twofold. Peter turns green and also farts (a lot). Green Aliens abduct Peter and make him their king. Green skin, aliens, and farts. Is there anything a boy age 3-5 might love more in a read out loud story?
This book might be used to open up an exploration about nutrition; and that what children eat can affect their health. The illustrations in this book are large, extremely vibrant and colorful (Green)

Possible extensions:
• Nutrition and eating well with the Canadian food guide. What are other green foods children enjoy? Have a “green” tasting party. Provide fresh green vegetables (sweet peas etc.) and fruit (grapes etc.) I wonder if any children in your class will turn green…
• Explore astronauts (aliens) what do children know? What do astronauts eat in outer space? Purchase a freeze-dried meal (mountain co-op) Discover firsthand what astronaut food may be like.
• Provide children with different size cans of peas. Have children construct different structures and creations by stacking can upon can.
• Dress up as royalty or aliens. Provide children with costumes (crowns, velvet for robes; Shiny foil, metal colanders for helmets etc…

Tekavec, H. (2004). What’s that awful smell? New York, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers.
           ISBN:0-8037-2660-0
        
Farm animals must try to figure out where in the barn an awful smell is coming from. They all decide it must be a little piglet making the big stink. After trying numerous ways to mask the awful smell, including covering the piglet with sweet strawberries, NOTHING will make the stink subside. Maybe it isn’t the piglet after all. I wonder…
This is a funny mystery that boys will enjoy listening to while they investigate and solve the problem of what exactly that awful smell is. The illustrations in this book are full page, bright and playful and were created by using pastels.

Possible extensions:
• Bring in items with distinct smells for the children to explore. (Example cinnamon sticks, garlic, onions, strawberries, even stinky sulfur) Have children explore these items using their sense of smell.
• Make sandwiches with the children from “non stinky” items such as jam, cheese etc. Together enjoy a picnic in the “barn”.
• Explore barn animals. What are children’s experiences with farms?
 Gather photos of adult and baby barn animals. (Example cow and calf) Provide children with animal images and encourage the children to match the appropriate adult to baby.
• Re-enact this story a puppet show or prop box story.
Items needed:
Dog, bone, duck, sheep, cow, piglet, chicken, hay, soap, facecloth, flowers, corn on the cob, strawberries, cat, sandwich.

LaRochelle, D. (2004). The best pet of all. New York, NY: Dutton Children’s books.
           ISBN:0-525-47129-4

A little boy asks his mom if he can have a dog, he really thinks a dog will make a good pet. His mom tells him no, because dogs are too messy. She dose tell him that IF he can find a dragon he can keep it for a pet. Dragons are hard to find but, finally, he finds one in a drug store wearing sunglasses and a hat and takes it home to live. It turns out that dragons do not make good pets and this particular dragon is extremely messy. The trouble he cause, like roasting hotdogs with his fire breathe in the living room is hilarious, but it becomes serious when the dragon will not clean up after himself or leave. Will the little boy ever get the best pet of all?
This book will be a great read out loud story to adventure seekers and unusual pet lover’s age 3-5.The illustrations are unique and have a 1950’s retro look.

Possible extensions:
• Explore what pets children have had previous experiences with. What are children’s favorite pets? Have children and teachers bring in their pets or photos of their pets for show and tell.
• Provide “plush” pets for children to groom and be responsible for.
• Help children design signs for widows advertising favorite pets welcome to visit class. Hang these signs in widows or high traffic areas of class.
• Find out what children think dragons are exactly. Are there modern day dragons? Discover the similarities of dragons and reptiles. Explore.
• Hide different magical dragon artifacts (wings. dragon’s scales etc.)around the room. Have a treasure hunt.

Odanaka, B. (2006). Smash! Mash! Crash! There goes the trash! New York, NY: Margaret K.McElderry Books.
           ISBN: 13:978-0-689-85160-5

Two young boy pigs wake up and hop out of bed and run to the window of their apartment to watch the garbage truck roar through their neighbourhood. Excitement builds as they experience the sights and sounds of the trucks workers picking up the remains of everything consumed by their neighbourhood ,including last night’s leftovers and stinky diapers. The story is told in descriptive rhyme.
“Gobblin’, garbage
Gulpity-gulp
Squooshing, squashing
Squeezing trash bags
To a pulp”

The illustrations for this book are full page and “rendered in ink and egg tempera on canvas” An amazing affect!
Boisterous bold and big. When read out loud this book will remind all 3-5 year old boys why they want to grow up to be garbage men. (2nd only to fire men)

Possible extensions:
• Read other garbage collection stories to the children such as: “I stink” by Kate McMullan 2002 Harper Collins. “Trashy Town” by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha 1999 Harper Collins.
• Explore what it means to recycle. Visit a recycle center for a tour.
• Have children bring in (clean) milk containers etc. from home. Start an imaginary “recycle center” in class.
• Have a pajama day and re read Smash! Mash! Crash!
• Decorate room with different colored and sized plastic and metal garbage cans. Children can explore different uses for cans and lids. (Example use garbage cans as drums, cymbals)

Palatini, M. (2008). Gorgonzola, A Very Stinkyasaurus. New York, NY: Katherine Tegen Books.
           ISBN: 978-0-06-073897-6

Meet the newest member of Jurassic park it’s the “Stinkysaurs” Gorgonzola. It’s not his might or his fierce roar that is frightening friends away from this BIG BOY it’s his ODOR!!! Luckily he meets a feisty, feathered friend. Birdie is tired of picking up and moving her nest to avoid being anywhere near stinky. So, fed up, she tells Gorgonzola  that he’s a “Primo Stinko!”Birdie then teaches “stinkysauars” some well-needed personal hygiene habits. Little T-Rexes and future paleontologist age 3-5 will discover the adventures of teeth brushing and sponge soaking. This is definitely a read out loud “ex-stink” journey to be shared. The illustrations in this book are brilliant, full-page, pictures.

Possible extensions:

• Explore personal hygiene. What are children’s daily hygiene routines?
• Have a dentist visit the class or have a field trip to a dentist office. What ideas can the dentist share with children to help them to keep their teeth healthy?
• Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs, discover more about dinosaurs. Where did they live? How big were they? What did they leave behind for us?
• Read, “How do dinosaurs get well soon?” By Jane Yolen 2003 Blue Sky Press.
• Have a luau with the children complete with Hawaiian ukulele music and leis. Play limbo. Color- reproduce the last page from this book and make a poster showing “stinky” all clean, at the luau.

Thomas, J. (2009). Can you make a scary face? New York,NY: Simon & Schuster Children’s publishing Division.

ISBN: 978-1-4169-8581-5

I really enjoyed this book because the bug who is speaking, speaks to every child individually. He asks the children to stand up, sit down, and pretend they have a bug on their nose. They must wiggle their nose, and it falls into their mouth. You then have to blow the bug out and it falls down your shirt, then you do the chicken dance. And you have to scare away a big scary monster. This book is very interactive. As well, the font on each page goes from small to large, and punctuation is used quite a bit. This gives the reader a chance to really get into it. Let all inhibitions go and really make it a performance! The illustration is very colourful, quite solid colours. As well, everything has very thick lines, so it really stands out. The bug character to me came across quite strong like he was actually talking to me directly.

• Before reading this book I would go through all the actions he mentions. Stand up, sit down, wiggle you nose, laugh, blow really hard, ect. I would most likely do it in “Simon Says” form, speed it up and slow it down, just for fun. And when I actually read the book the children would be prepared to do the actions with the story.

• I would blow up and copy and laminate the bug. I would put it on the board, or somewhere a little less obvious. Provoke the children by asking them open ended “I wonder...” questions. Maybe we could give him a name, as he doesn’t mention his name in the book. I could also ask the children what they think his voice would sound like if he could talk, so that when I read the book I could use a voice the children would really enjoy.

• Scary faces! I would want to talk about emotions, and the different faces you make when you feel \different emotions. What might you feel when your wanting to scare a big green from away? Then I would do a drawing activity with the children.

• I would most definitely bring in the “chicken dance”. That song was very much a part of my childhood and it would be a blast to teach the children all the moves if they did not know already.

Mammano, J. (1996). Rhinos Who Surf. San Fransisco,CA: Chronicle Books.

ISBN: 0-8118-1000-3

A few rhino friends get up early, grab their boards, hop in the car, and head for the waves. They wax their boards and paddle out. The talk about how big the waves are and that they do not fear them. Then the author goes into some experiences that happen when you’re surfing. When they finish surfing they are all worn out so they head to bed and dream about surfing. I chose this book because I lived in Hawaii, and surfed in Hawaii, and surfing is a huge part of the culture there. There are many children that start surfing at the pre-school age with their parents! Because surf culture has been around for so long they actually have their own lingo. There is a glossary at the back of the book to give you definitions of the words you may not know. The illustrations are very inspired by pattern. Throughout the book the ocean holds the same pattern, as do the sky, the sun, and the boards. The illustration tells me that the woman who wrote the book is a part of the surf culture.

• Blow up pictures of surf boards, all with matching patterns in pairs of two. I would them hide them around the room and make it into a matching game.

• I would talk about the history of surfing, bring out a world map. Wonder with the children where people surf? I would also bring in some non-fiction books and magazines with pictures of people surfing.

• I would cut out surf board shapes, and let them personalize their boards. Putting them on the ground I would turn on “Surfing Safari” by the Beach Boys and we would improvise a surf dance. It would be interesting to see if the children, after seeing real life pictures, (dendrites) connect the real with the improvisation.

• And then maybe a week or so later I would bring in one of my surf videos that is appropriate for children, and watch a portion of it just to let them see how big waves can get in other parts of the world!!

McMullan, K & J. (2006). I’m Dirty. China:  Harper Collins Publishers.

ISBN : 978-0-06-009294-8

This story is about a busy backhoe loader, which describes its daily routines. He takes you to work with him for the day. When he gets to the job site he does a clean-up counting exercise with the reader. Then he does another job at another location. After a hard day’s work he relaxes in a nice mud bath! Throughout the book it’s very descriptive and educational explaining different parts of the backhoe and their uses. In this book the font goes from very small to very large. There are lots of descriptive words such as bang, bang, clunk as well as punctuation. This again gives the opportunity to the reader to really be expressive with sounds and actions. The illustration is very visual and emotional. You can see when the backhoe is driving really fast, or moving things around. This book definitely would provoke children to want to go outside and get dirty!!

• For outside time (hopefully it’s raining) collect dirt and mix with water, or mud and made mud pies! Sandbox play, which is a very open activity, the children could role play, or use imaginary play.

• Read the book again, look at pictures more closely. Talk and wonder about what kind of jobs backhoes do? Plan a field trip to a construction site that has a backhoe working so that children can build a true understanding of a backhoe and its duties.

• Magnet board. Collect different construction magnets. The type of machinery that you would find on these types of job sites. And let the children have some open ended play with all of the different machinery. Maybe some of the children have a family member that works in that industry and they can share that with everyone, or if the children are really interested in this subject maybe one of the family members could come into the classroom and share with them. 

Mitton, T & Parker, A. (1998). Flashing Fire Engines. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Books.

ISBN: 0-7534-5104-2

This book shows you a day in the life of a fire fighter trio. They take you into the fire station, where the\ alarm goes off and they jump in the truck and head to the fire. They arrive at the fire and save someone from the flames. After some very hard work they go back to the station and shoot some hoops. At the back of the book there is a little glossary which gives a description of some of the equipment the fire fighters use. The characters in this book are a trio of animals so it gives children a good idea of what a fire fighter does, but it doesn’t cover all the bases. The colours chosen in the illustrations are very bright and the characters are lively and happy. This book rhymes so it has a really nice flow that the reader will enjoy.   

• This would be a great opportunity to talk about fire safety. Go through a fire drill with the children, reinforcing the safest way to get out of a burning building, meeting points, ect.

• Sing some songs. 10 Little Fire Fighters for example. Ten little fire fighters sleeping in their beds. “Ding” went the bell and down the pole they slid, they raced to the fire, and put out the flames, then the ten little fire fighters went back to bed again. Or, “Wheels on the Fire Engine” a piggy back song from “Wheels on the Bus”, substituting truck for bus. Using descriptive words such as ladder, siren, and seat belts.

• Organize a field- trip to the nearest fire station.

• Role play, imaginary play. Hopefully get your hands on some dress up clothes so the children can have open ended play. 

Munsch, R. (1985). Mortimer.  Altona, MB: Annick Press LTD.

ISBN: 0-920303-12-9

It was Mortimer’s bed time; his mother tucked him in and told him to “BE QUIET”. As soon as she got back downstairs he started singing again! Next his father came up and told him to “BE QUIET”, and as soon as he got back downstairs, he started singing again, this time a little bit louder. So this continues, next it’s his seventeen brothers and sisters, and then two police officers. After the police officers come back down the stairs there are many so many people disagreeing that it becomes a big fight, and all the while, while Mortimer was waiting for someone to come upstairs he fell fast asleep. 

• Most definitely with the children we will sing “Clang, clang, rattle- bing –bang, gonna make my noise all day”. I think it’s a very catchy tune we could even incorporate some actions into it.

• Fridge magnets, you could have Mortimer, his mother, his father, his seventeen brothers and sister, and the two police officers.

• Let the children listen to Robert Munsch tell the story! I listened to him last night and really enjoyed it.