The Dot

ISBN#: 978-0-7636-1961-9

Citation:

Reynolds, P.H. (2003). The Dot. Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.  

The dot by Peter H. Reynolds is a story about a young girl named Vashti who insisted she cannot draw. The art teacher goes on to encourage her just to make a mark. So Vashti does, she makes a dot. The teacher asks Vashti to sign it, which she does.  The next week Vashti sees her dot on the wall in the class and realizes she can do better. She goes on to create tons of different dots. At the school art show where Vashti’s work is being presented a young boy says to Vashti that he wished he could draw like her. Vashti tells him he can he just needs to make a mark. The little boy does and signs it.

The reason why I would use this book for 3-5 year olds is because I think many of them can relate to it, and have felt that frustration of not being able to draw something.

Illustration: The illustrations are very plain almost all black and white. The only things that are in colour are the dots. They are in the backgrounds of some photos to illustrate how Vashti is feeling (such as red when angry). The dots are all painted in water colours, which make the dots very bright and beautiful colours. To me these images are very thought provoking.  They have very little detail so it’s easy for children to put themselves in the place of Vashti, it’s easy for them to relate. This is why I was drawn to them. Children may also enjoy the cartoon drawings as oppose to realism. 

Provocations: One provocation I would use to entice children would be to put different dots all over the classroom. On the floor, the walls and the ceiling. Another provocation would be if the children were having difficulty drawing because they were doubting themselves, then I would read them this book to show them everyone is an artist.

Presentation of the book:

I wouldn’t chunk this book, because it has a nice flow to it and isn’t very long.

1.     Clothes line presentation.

Materials: Rope, clothes pins, printed off pages of the book. In this case I laminated them with different colours in the background.

 I’m going to tell the story as expressed in the book by placing each picture on the clothes line and talk in order of the book. I just printed off each page in the story as they are very small photos.  

2.     Painting the story

Materials: Paints, brushes, an easel, different props to be each character.

For this I will use large sheets of paper and prop them on top of an easel or just a chair so that all the kids can see properly. I’m going to act out the story as well as paint it. So I’m going to paint what the characters paint in the story and act out the characters. To make it easy for the children to follow along when I play the different characters, I’ll have props such as glasses for the teacher. 

3.     Rock story

Materials: each page from the book printed off, blocks or frames to display the pictures on.

I’ll present this the same way I’ll present the clothes line story just different visuals. I won’t put the pictures on rocks so it isn’t really a rock story. For this I placed them on small canvas’s and painted the background different colours.  

4.     Video

Materials: In the class room I’ll show this on my laptop as I can get the video on a disc. This is the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5mGeR4AQdM&list=FLe0pQxC3PXJj0UFpOlcsNMw&index=3&feature=plpp_video

So I can show it in a television or on a projector. I found a video on YouTube that shows the exact illustrations in the book but makes them move. I would play this video on the projector and tell the story on my own as the video plays.

Extensions:

1.     The most obvious extension for this book would be to get the children to draw their own dots. For this I would have many supplies so they can make as many as they want. I would also have large sheets of paper so they could draw very large ones as well. Then I would have them all sign their work and put it on the wall. I wouldn’t just take one class to do this, I’m sure this activity would take several classes.

2.     There are many famous drawing in history where they are made completely out of dots.

 These pictures are examples of pointillism. I thought it would be neat to try this with the kids. To make it easier for them I would let them draw their picture first then fill it in with dots. For supplies I would have many things they could make dots with not just paint brushes.

3.     My last extension would be to have the children draw their own mark. Just like the little boy did at the end of the story. Anything the children want. Then they have to make that same mark they just made as many ways as they can. So it’s more individual than just making dots, this time it is their own.  

My nest is best

Eastman, P. D. (1968). My Nest Is Best. New York: Random House Inc.

ISBN#: 978-0-375-83267-3

Summary

The book is about two birds who are trying to find the best nest for themselves. At the beginning, Mr. Bird thinks that his old nest was the best, but Mrs. Bird disagrees. Therefore they go looking for a place to build their new nest. They look and look and finally, Mrs. Bird decides to build the nest in a bell tower. Unfortunately, once the nest was built, the bell rings and it frightens Mrs. Bird to take off. Mr. Bird comes back and does not see Mrs. Bird. He searches for her and comes upon his old nest with Mrs. Bird in it. Mrs. Bird tells him that that the old nest was the best.

Why for 3 to 5 Year Olds

I would use this book for 3 to 5 year olds because the book itself is interactive. The children would love how some parts of the book could move in certain ways. This creates a hand-on experience for children and keeps the children intrigued about what would happen next. I would also read this book to children because the book has a simple storyline and children can learn about birds and their way of life through colourful illustrations. I like how the illustrations are simple, yet descriptive. It shows movement and emotions in the pictures. The illustrations are easy to look at and are very appealing, especially when the illustrations are interactive sometimes.  The mood that the illustrations and the book itself would offer to the children would be hope. The sense of being hopeful would possibly encourage children to go explore and achieve their own goals.

Provocation

For one of my provocations, I would bring in a nest and leave it out where circle time would take place, perhaps where the educator normally would sit. The children may wonder why there would be a nest in the classroom. Another provocation I might do would be posting picture of bird on the door that children most often use and tape feathers all around the classroom.  This would get the children to think about what animal would have feathers and they would connect it to the pictures on the door. Later as I read the book, they would also be able to make a relationship between the pictures, the feather and the book.  Just before reading the book, I might get the children to draw a picture of what they thought a bird would look like. While they are drawing birds, I would go around asking questions about what they knew about birds.

Ways to Present

1.     TV Box

This TV box will have pictures that are on a scroll and as I am telling the story, I would be scrolling down to each picture. The pictures on the scroll would be ones I think would best represent different parts of the story. For example, I would draw a picture of a nest with two brown birds as the first picture on the scroll. Next would be a picture of a tree with a raccoon and so forth. When drawing on the scroll, I could be creative with the pictures, as long as it is still telling the story of the book.

2.      Story Bag

I would need to either buy individual characters from a story or make them myself. The characters I need for this story would be:  two brown birds, one mama bird and one papa bird,  a baby bird in an egg,  a tree, a raccoon, a mailbox, a nest, a bell tower, some fake hair, some straw, some stuffing and a bird house. When I am telling the story, slowly remove each character from the bag, place and move each character around and imitate what is happening in the story.  By having the characters in a bag, it would create curiosity amongst the children. Using the props, I would stop and ask children what would happen at certain points of the story and have them wonder whether the two birds can find the best nest.

3.     Transparency Story

Materials needed for a transparency story would be transparent paper, coloured sharpies and scissors. I would need to draw each character and objects from the story and cut them out. The characters or items I would draw out would be:  two brown birds, one mama bird and one papa bird, a baby bird in an egg, a tree, a raccoon, a mailbox, a nest, a bell tower, some fake hair, some straw, some stuffing and a bird house.  I would also need to draw a background for the whole story. The transparency story allows me to remove or add on characters or items while telling the story. If you like, you can have it on a light table or have it placed onto a white poster board.

4.     A chant

This chant I wrote tells the story of the book. So instead of reading the actual book, I can sing this song to children for them to listen to. This chant can be sung to the metronome, tempo of 60 or to any simple beat-boxing tone. The chant can be changed to a slower beat or to a faster beat.  I can also get the children to clap for me while we are chanting the lyrics.

My Nest is Best

Once upon a time in a nursery rhyme,

There were 2 birds,

Mr. Bird and Mrs. Bird

They had a tiny problem.

They needed a new nest,

Where they could live and possibly rest.

But Mr. Bird would sing:

“I love my house.

I love my nest.

In all the world,

My nest is best.”

“No, I say. No, I say” said Mrs. Bird

“It’s not the best.

I’m tired of this nest.”

Off they flew, off they flew

To search for a nest,

They would come to think in being the best.

“This looks nice.

This tree looks nice.

Let’s move in, let’s move in.”

Raccoon comes out and is upset,

“Shoo, shoo, shoo,

I won’t welcome you.

Off you go, off you go.”

Off they flew, off they flew

To search for a nest,

They would come to think in being the best.

“This looks nice.

This box looks nice.

Let’s move in, let’s move in.”

But the mailman says,

“Shoo, shoo, shoo,

I won’t let you.

Off you go, off you go.”

Off they flew, off they flew

To search for a nest,

They would come to think in being the best.

Mrs. Bird says:

“I like this one, I like this one.

Our home is here.

Let’s work hard to get the nest done.”

We need some stuffing,

We need some hair,

We really need some straws.

Work, work as a pair.

“I like this place,

There’s room and space.

I sure have taste.

If I don’t say so myself.”

Dong, dong, dong,

Dong, dong, dong,

The bell is ringing, loud and clear

Mrs. Bird stunned and confused.

 Fly, fly, fly.

In flies Mr. Bird,

Mrs. Bird is gone.

Gone, gone, gone.

Gone, gone, gone.

Off he flew, off he flew,

To search for Mrs. Bird,

Asking “where are you?”

Rain and wind, there’s no way to see.

Bump and crash,

“Ouch! oh my, my house I see.”

“I hear Mrs. Bird say”

“I love my house.

I love my nest.

In all the world,

This nest is best.”

“Crack” goes the egg, and the baby bird agreed,

That he loved his nest, yes indeed, indeed, indeed.

Extensions

One of the extensions I could do after reading the book would be taking the children on a field trip to a nearby bird sanctuary or to a park where there are a lot of birds to see. An example would be the George C. Bird Sanctuary in Delta. There the children can see birds in their natural environment. Another extension I would provide the children would be having them to build simple bird houses (providing the materials) as an art project and hang them outside of the classroom. They can decorate them and see whether a bird would make a nest in their bird houses.   I would also read another book about bird as another extension. A possible book I think would connect with the story would be “Backyard Birds” by J. Latimer, K. S. Nolting and R. T. Peterson.  Lastly, another extension would be spending time just outdoors, have the children look for birds in the sky and wonder what the bird are possibly doing or thinking. All these extensions might lead to a big class project where I would get all the children to name and draw each type of bird on a very large long roll of white paper and hang it up in the classroom.

Pete the cat: I love my white shoes

Litwin, E. (2008). Pete the cat: I love my white shoes. New York: HarperCollins.

ISBN: 978-0-06-190622-0

This book is about a cat named Pete. Pete is walking down the street in his new, white shoes. As he is walking, he is singing about how much he loves his shoes. Throughout the book, Pete walks through several obstacles that change the colour of his shoes. He walks through strawberries and that turns his shoes red, blueberries that turn his shoes blue, mud that turns his shoes brown and water that turns his shoes white again. Pete teaches the readers that whatever you “walk into” in life, it is always all good.

Pete the Cat is suitable for three to five year olds for several reasons. The book offers a song and this can be appealing and fun for children. There is also a pattern in this book and the story becomes predictable for the children. These reasons provide opportunities for audience participation and this can be exciting. Along with these reasons and a simple vocabulary in the book, it is likely that children will be able to read Pete the Cat themselves and this will add confidence to their literacy skills. The only word in the book that I can predict I might have to explain to the children is “moral”. I would explain that this is another word for “meaning”.

The illustrations in this book are simple and “imperfect”. These qualities make the illustrations look real and drawn by children, which could appeal to children. The pictures are rough with great emphasis on lines and white space with the colouring and use of watercolours. Even though Pete the cat is not drawn with a smile, the illustrations evoke a happy mood.

Provocations:

To provoke interest for the children, provocations will start five days before reading the story. On the first day, I will place a pair of white shoes in an area that I know all the children will pass through and hopefully notice. On the second day, I will replace the white shoes with a bowl of strawberries. On the third day, the strawberries will be replaced with a bowl of blueberries. On the fourth day, the blueberries will be replaced with a bucket of mud. On the fifth day, the bucket of mud will be replaced with a bucket of water.

Another way to provoke interest for the children will also start five days prior to reading the story. On the first day, I will place a pair of white shoes in an area that I know the children will pass through and hopefully notice. On the second day, a pair of red shoes will be placed beside the whites shoes. On the third day, a pair of blue shoes will be added. On the fourth day, a pair of brown shoes will be added. On the fifth day, a pair of white shoes in a clear bucket of water will be added.

Presentations of the story:

1) Felt board story

To present Pete the Cat as a felt board story, I will need to make several felt pieces. I will make:

-       Pete the Cat

-       2 pairs of white shoes

-       2 pairs of red shoes

-       2 pairs of blue shoes

-       2 pairs of brown shoes

-       2 pairs of white/blue shoes to appear wet

-       A pile of strawberries

-       A pile of blueberries

-       A mud puddle

-       A bucket of water

-       Music notes to signal the song

As I am telling the story, I will place the felt pieces onto the felt board. I will be careful to hide the pieces not being used behind the felt board to not reveal any surprises and keep the felt pieces in order for a smooth story. When the music notes go up on the felt board, it is time to sing the song.

2) Audience participation

In order to incorporate audience participation in this story, I will give each child either a white, red, blue, brown or a white shoe with cut-out water droplets glued to it. I will explain to the children that when it is time for the song, the children with the red shoes will sing “I love my red shoes,” the children with the blue shoes will sing “I love my blue shoes” and so on. I would also encourage the children to join in and yell “Goodness no!” when it comes to that part in the book. I would bring in a guitar or a ukulele to play some chords when it is time for the song.

3) Prop story

To present Pete the Cat as a prop story, I will need to obtain several items. I will need:

-       A cat doll

-       Red shoes

-       Blue shoes

-       White shoes

-       Brown shoes

-       Toy strawberries

-       Toy blueberries

-       Mud puddle

-       Bucket of water

-       A sidewalk for Pete to walk on

I will use the props as I am telling the story. I would be careful to hide the props not being used in a box to not reveal any surprises.

4) Clothesline story

To present Pete the Cat as a clothesline story, I will need to print out several images from the book and laminate them. In addition to the images I will list below, I will also need string and clothespins. I will need:

-       Pete the cat with white shoes

-       Pete the cat with red shoes

-       Pete the cat with blue shoes

-       Pete the cat with brown shoes

-       Pete the cat with “wet” shoes

-       A pile of strawberries

-       A pile of blueberries

-       A mud puddle

-       A bucket of water

-       Speech bubbles with “Goodness no!”

-       Music notes

I will tie the string to two objects or get two teachers to hold the string to support the story. I will pin the images to the clothesline as I am telling the story. I would make sure I have a pocket or carry a bag that I can easily take out the images to pin them on the string. I would keep the different Petes with different coloured shoes on the clothesline and just continue to add new Petes with new colours to create a nice flow to the clothesline story. When I place the music notes on the clothesline, it is time to sing the song.

Extensions:

1)   I will create an art project by giving each child a white shoe to decorate. The children can paint the shoe, colour them, glue materials on and ultimately create their own “white” shoe that they can love, like Pete.

2)   The children and I could come up with a full-length song of “I love my white shoes”. We could keep “I love my white shoes” and the corresponding phrases with the different colours as the chorus and create several verses by brainstorming to create the song. The class can use instruments from the music prop box and I can also bring in a guitar and we could incorporate the instruments into the song. We could record the song with the class singing and playing the instruments.

3)   The class can create their own “I love my white shoes” book. Take pictures of all the children and get them to create their own page for the book. Each child will have a page with their picture, their name, their favourite colour of shoes and they can decorate their page. Bind all the pages to create a book and title it, for example, “Vanessa’s Preschool class: I Love My White Shoes”

How to catch a star

Jeffers, O. (2004). How to catch a star. Great Britain, HarperCollins Children’s Books.

ISBN#:978-0-00-715034-2

When I opened the pages to this book they were as beautiful and imaginative as the cover. The story is about boy who has a fascination with stars. He wants a star of his very own and so he sets out to catch a star. He uses his imagination to come up with different ways that are suitable for catching a star but none of which seem to work. His determination and patience do not fail him because sure enough he catches a star even though it is not the star high in the sky. He catches a star much more reachable, a star of the sea. In the end determination and patience bring the boy the friendship he set out for. The reason I choose this book for three to five-year olds is because it is imaginative. I also like the idea that if you set out to do something it can be achieved with determination and patience. This book is not saturated with text and has captivating illustrations full of colour. The colours are warm and inviting and come in all sorts of shades.

The author both wrote and illustrated the book. The illustrations look as though they have been done in water colour. The illustrations are simplistic but saturated with colour, the illustrations complement the text. At the back of the book there is a little blurb on the author, it says there that he studied visual communication. This helps to explain why the text and illustrations go so well together. I feel as though I could open the pages and understand the story through the illustrations.

Provocations:

My initial presentation will include a big cardboard box. I will close up the cardboard box leaving a covered entrance. Inside the roof of the box I will hang or stick glow in the dark stars. Children will be able to get inside the box with all the glowing stars. They can take a flash light if it is too dark at first. I could also hang stars from the ceiling of the classroom.

Bringing in props like a tree, life belt, rocket ship, and a seagull. Either printed images that stick to a felt board or actual objects, both would work. I would than pose the title as question, “how would you catch a star?” Giving the children the chance to brainstorm and come up with ideas before delving into the book… (See extension 1)

At the end of the book the boy catches a star fish so as a fourth provocation I will bring in my collection of star fish, another kind of star. The children will be able to explore the different kinds of star fish which I could display on sand.

Dropping plastic stars into a bin of water and having the children fish out the stars, is one idea I stumbled upon. Stick magnets to plastic stars, then creating a rod using a rope and stick, attach a magnet to the end of the rope.  The children can also reach for the plastic stars with their hands similar to the boy in the book.

Presentations:

Clothesline Story: I will tie up a string hanging vertically from the ceiling. On the string I will have a star (either a plastic star or a paper star) which will remain at the top of the line throughout the telling of the story. I will than have laminated pictures of the boy, a tree, life belt, rocket ship and seagull. One by one, I will pop up the object in which the boy is using to try and catch a star. With the string hung vertically it will be as though the boy is trying to get higher and higher to reach the star.  On page 21 just as the boy is starting to lose hope I will unpin all the objects except for the boy, who by now is almost at the top of the string.  I will than put a new star at the bottom of the string just as the boy spots a star in the sea. As he tries to reach for the starfish I will slowly slide the boy back down the string.

Props: Bringing in props like a tree (represented by a branch or cut from construction paper), life belt (a small toy or life size object depending on what I find first), rocket ship (a plastic toy or made from paper like toilet rolls and colourful construction paper), and a seagull (represented by feathers or a stuffed toy). All of the objects would go in a box, depending on weather I find a life size life belt which would have to go in a big bag. Keep the props hidden so we can wonder…I wonder what he is going to use next to try and catch that star?

Magnetic Tin: A four sided tin. Each side of the tin would be decorated in paint or construction paper, in accordance to the pages in the book. I would need small laminated images of the boy, a tree, life belt, rocket ship, and a seagull with small magnets glued to the back. Side one would be painted green with trees, side two would be shades of blue to represent the sea, side three would be deep dark blue like the midnight sky and side four would be shades of blue with a dock.  As I turned the tin I would pull out an object For Example side three I would place the rocket ship and side four I would perch the seagull on the deck.

Story blocks: Four sided blocks that would be like rolling dice. In this version of telling the story we wouldn’t have to go in the order of the book we could pose the question: I wonder how you would catch a star and have the children roll the dice. On the dice would be the four objects from the book (tree, life belt, rocket ship, and a seagull) As the children took turns rolling the block we could also have them help tell the story by coming up with more objects to catch a star. Eventually we could have lots of blocks filled with objects.

Extensions:

Have paper and materials available if they want to illustrate their ideas. This also where I would stop and wonder (page 12) just as a star starts to appear in the approaching night sky…I wonder how he is going to try and catch a star?  Let them illustrate for you after you have read the book.

Taking closer look at stars whether it be stars in the sky or star fish:

If we were to take a look at stars in the night sky I would bring in a map of the constellations for the children to explore. If we were to take a closer look at star fish a trip to aquarium is always fun! The children might even get a chance to touch or hold a star fish.  

Discuss the themes in the book: Determination, patience, and friendship. One quote I found suiting…“Good friends are like stars. You don’t always see them, but you know they’re always there.” Wonder with the children (page 21 just as the boy is starting to lose hope) I wonder what he is going to do next? I wonder what will happen if he waits a little more? 

Another extension could be getting the children to choose something that fascinates them for example an octopus…I wonder how you would catch an octopus? Getting the children to use their imagination! This could be either illustrated or shown through movement. 

Penguin and pinecone

Yoon, S. (2012). Penguin and pinecone. New York, NY, USA:

Walker Publishing Company, Inc

ISBN: 978-0-8027-2843-2

The story Penguin and Pinecone is about a Penguin who finds a pinecone and decides to be his friend. Penguin plays with Pinecone until he notices Pinecone isn’t feeling well and has to take him home to the forest. Time passes and Penguin decides to go visit his friend Pinecone. When Penguin finally gets to the forest he finds that Pinecone has grown into a tree!  Aside from Pinecones size, nothing has changed between the two friends and they play all day. Penguin has to return back to the ice where he belongs but does not notice that he brought along a pinecone from the forest. Another penguin finds the new pinecone and together with Penguin, goes and brings it back to the forest.

I believe this is a good book for 3-5 year olds because it is a very simplistic story. Those children that may have moved away from other friends or relatives can relate to the story. Even if someone lives far away from you, you can still be friends.

The illustrations look like they were drawn with chalk. It gives the book a unique look to it. Children would enjoy the illustrations because they are simplistic and easy for children to recognize. I was drawn to the illustrations because they were different from your standard picture book. The chalk-like illustrations give everything a sort of texture that is very intriguing.

I would use pinecones as a provocation. I would either have a giant bowl of them somewhere in the classroom or perhaps leaving a few out randomly throughout the classroom. I could also use a felt board or magnet board and have a picture of a penguin, pinecone or a tree dressed up to provoke interest with the children.

Four Ways to tell the story:

1.     I will create a Prop-box that will include:

-       3 Penguin stuffed animals (1 main penguin, 1 grandpa penguin and 1 female penguin)

-       2 Pinecones (1 main pinecone, 1 other pinecone)

-       Yarn and little sticks for knitting needles

-       A pre knitted mini scarf for Pinecone and a larger knitted scarf for pinecone grown up

-       Fake trees to create forest and have Pinecone all grown up

-       Pebbles and mini pine branches to create a heart nest for Pinecone and Penguin

-       A little toy sled for packing penguins things

-       1 White piece of paper for Ice scene

-       1 Brown piece of paper for Forest scene

-       Cut up pieces of paper for snow and mini fan to blow them around 

2.     I will create a feltboard story that will include:

-Felt characters of Penguin, Grandpa Penguin, Girl Penguin, Pinecone and Tree (pinecone grown up)

-Felt props of yarn, knitting needles, sled, trees, pine nest, scarves, hats, bows for trees/pinecone

3.     I will create a magnet board using:

-A metal cookie sheet that I will paint white and blue for the snow scenes and Blue, Green and Brown for the forest scenes

-I will find either little wooden penguin, tree figurines and regular pinecones that I can attach a magnet to or print out a picture of each character and prop I need on magnetic paper.

Props needed are: Scarves, knitting needles, sled, hats, pine nest, rocks

4.     I will present the story as a puppet theatre using:

-Penguin puppet I have made or bought modified with magnetic hands

-A pinecone with a magnet so penguin can hold on to it easier and it can be involved in its own actions

-Make tree puppet using fleece and stuffing and either make hand puppet or attach to a stick

-Make other trees for forest props or paint a backdrop with forest

5. I can also just tell the story traditionally by having the children gather where they will be able to see the pictures and read them the story that way. While reading the story this way I would stop and wonder with the children on the page where penguin is playing with pinecone. On this page I would wonder “I wonder if Pinecone likes his new scarf.  If I didn’t stop and wonder on that page, I would wonder on the page where Penguin leaves pinecone, how penguin is feeling right now. I would cover up the page that reveals that pinecone has grown into a tree and reveal it after I have read the one word text on the opposite side. This might also be a good place to stop and wonder with children. The story is quite short and I don’t believe it needs to be chunked.

For extensions for this book I would do a pinecone arts and crafts day where the children can decorate their own pinecones however they want. I might also include an extension of going for a walk in the forest so the children can even find their own pinecones as well. We could also go and dress up the trees outside like they appear in the story. Either the children can help dress up the trees or have an adult go out beforehand and decorate the trees for when we go on our walk. We could also discuss how a pinecone turns into a tree obviously in terminology they can understand. Also explain that it takes quite a long time before a pinecone turns into a tree.  If children were more interested in the penguin aspect of the story we could also take a day trip to the aquarium to see the new penguin exhibit they have.

A house for hermit crab

A House for A Hermit Crab

Carle, E. (1987). A house for a hermit crab. New York: Simon & Schuster Books Inc.

ISBN-10: 0-689-87064-7

ISBN-13: 987-0-689-87064-4

It is a brand new year and Hermit Crab has outgrown his shell. Hermit Crab decides that he needs a new home, so he goes on a journey to find a new one. Once he finds a new shell, he decides that it is too plain for him. Throughout the year, Hermit Crab meets and asks other sea creatures to help him decorate his home. As the year is ending, his home is finally complete but he figures that it is getting to be a bit too small for him. Since he is too small for it he decides to pass on his shell to a smaller hermit crab. Hermit Crab then finds a new shell and is excited about the endless possibilities and creative discoveries that hold for him and his new home.

I chose this story for three to five-year olds because it teaches children about the challenges of change and how they can overcome it with the help of their peers. It also touches on the concept of friendship, sharing and growing up as well. It has a positive attitude towards change. Furthermore, it teaches children academic concepts including the months of the year. The artwork in this Eric Carle has in this book is remarkable. The colours presented in this book are bold and vivid. The language is simple and would be considered an easy read. It also teaches children the life of a hermit crab and how they survive.

Provocations

1. During circle time, singing a calendar song, while using a seashell as a pointer, starting at January and ending in December.

2. Read books about marine life, have colouring pages of sea creatures for the children to colour[bm2] .

Ways to Present The Book

1. Felt Story

Felt objects needed for the story: felt board, sea anemones, starfish, corals, snails, sea urchins, lantern fish, hermit crab, rocks, and shells.

One page summary of the story

This particular felt story was given to me to use on practicum; it was custom made for my aunt.

I will be using a typed up piece of paper to tell the story. The objects used in the story will be labeled by different colours and will be in bold on the piece of paper. I will start telling the story by placing the pieces in a pile in the order that the story is being told. Once the story is finished, they would have a chance to come up and design their own shell on the felt board.

2. Magnet Story

Magnetic objects needed for the story: magnetic board, sea anemones, starfish, corals, snails, sea urchins, lantern fish, hermit crab, rocks, and shells.

One page summary of the story

I would use a cookie sheet and use it as the board, and paint it as if it were underwater. The story will be told the same way as the felt story except in magnetic form.

3. Audio Recorded

I will have a couple of people or just myself use voices to read as a character from the story. I will then burn the audio file onto a CD and then play it for the children. I will be flipping the pages of the book as the audio is running.