Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

Christelow, E. (1989). Five little monkeys jumping on the bed. New York: Clarion Books.

ISBN-13: 978-0-395-90023-9
ISBN-10: 0-395-90023-9

        It is bed time for the five little monkeys. All the monkeys put on their pajamas and brush their teeth. As their mother turns off the light and closes the door, all the monkeys start jumping on the bed. One falls off from the bed and bumps his head, thus mother calls the doctor and the doctor says, “No more monkeys jumping on the bed!” One after the other, five little monkeys fall off from the bed and injure their heads. So mother has to call the doctor every time the silly monkeys bump their heads. Finally, the little monkeys decide to settle down and go to bed for the rest of night. However, the mother ends the story by deciding to jump on the bed and have some fun by herself.
  
        I think this book is suitable for children from age three to five because this book contains colourful pictures that can easily grab the children’s attention. This book has an advantage of early exposure to poetry because this book repeats enough times for children to have a sense of nursery rhyme. Finally, this book allows young children to learn simple mathematic skill from counting down the number five to zero in a descending order as the monkeys fall and bump their heads.

How are the illustrations made?
        I love the illustrations in this book because its colourful pictures bring out the excitement when I read the book. Next, I really like how each monkey has their unique facial expressions when they are in different situations.

What medium was used?
       This book is printed on thick paperboard which is more durable for young children. Young children around age three to five are mostly likely to break the books, thus I would choose the books that are more enduring.

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What mood do they evoke?
        Reading the book Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed allows me to feel happy and excited.  Right from the beginning, I can acknowledge a happy feeling because the smile on each of the monkey’s face shows that they are all having a fun time. I think the author did a great job on presenting the mood of this book because the colourful pictures and the unique facial expressions on each monkey’s face make the story much more enjoyable.

Why would the Children enjoy them?
        This book is fun to read and to learn from. The colourful pictures and the fun nursery rhyme bring the excitement out when the children read them. Therefore, these features from the book bring a lot of joy when children read it.

Why were you drawn to them?
       When I first read the book, I was immediately drawn to the colourful pictures, nursery rhyme that allows young children to engage in other parts of the brain and the simple math that allows children to count the descending order from number five to zero. I love how the story brings out a message that advises children not to jump on the bed without parent’s guardian because they can easily get hurt.

 
   (Represents the bed)                                                        (Doctor Monkey)
       In order for me to provoke the children’s interest or to make them wonder about today’s exercise, I will place a blanket in the middle of the classroom where I will sit or lie on it before the children come in to the day care. Next, I will have a stuffed monkey that represents the doctor from the story and place it on the chair next to the blanket. As soon as the children gather around me and the monkey, I will introduce Dr. Monkey to the children and allow the children to ask questions that they are wondering about. Also, Dr. Monkey will talk to the children about the kinds of dangers that can happen during play time. This exercise allows the children to understand that they can get hurt even when they are having fun just like the little monkeys in the story so therefore they need to be very careful while playing.

The Four Ways
A) Felt Board Story

       Before I present the story on the felt board, I will at least read it four times alone with the same group of children because this enables the children to be familiar with the story and the characters in it. A felt board story provides hand on learning opportunities for children. For example, the children can participate by removing the monkey when one of the monkeys falls off from the bed. Felt board story can stretch on the children’s imagination and enrich their vocabulary. Also, it helps with their memorization, enhances the children’s listening, reading and speaking skills and allows them to learn the difference in colours, shapes, and textures.
Materials
1) I need two beds for this felt story because, one for the five little monkeys where they can jump and sleep on after they get tired. The second one is for mama monkey where she can also jump on while the other little monkeys are sleeping. The bed for the five little monkeys should be a big one because it needs to fit all five little monkeys.
2) I need one blanket for the five little monkeys after they fall asleep.
3) I need seven monkeys. The first one is mama monkey; the second one is the doctor monkey and the rest is for the five little monkeys. All the monkeys should be unique with different facial expression and clothes.
4) I need two telephones. One is for mama monkey and the other one is for doctor monkey.
5) I need five bandages for each monkey after they bumped their head.
6) I need five pillows for the five little monkeys when they go to bed.
7) I need a bathtub for the five little monkeys to take a bath.
8) I need five different colors of tooth brushes.
9) I need a big sofa for the monkeys that hurt their head to sit on while the other jumps on the bed.

I am drawing all these pieces out and make them into the felt. However, if you don’t want to draw all these pictures, you can go online to search for the picture and print it out, then you can glue it on a piece of felt.  Another option is the dollar store; however, not all dollar stores carry all the pieces you want.

Wonders
My first “wonder” will be on page one. “I wonder do we still eat after we brush our teeth.” I want to share this wonder with the children because I want the children to know the reason why we brush our teeth at night and I also want the children to know the advantages for brushing our teeth. 

The second “wonder” is on page twenty six where Mama is missing. “I wonder where mama is going.” The reason why I want the children to think where mama is going is because I want the children to extend on their imagination.

The third “wonder” is on page twenty seventh where Mama is jumping on the bed. “I wonder whether mama will fall off from the bed.” I want the children to wonder whether Mama will fall off the bed because mama witnessed all her little monkeys fell down and got injured, but she still jumps on the bed.


I will chunk the book, because this is not a long story and it has rhyming pattern throughout the book; thus I think if I stop in the middle and continue the next day will confuse the children, causing them to mix up with their counting order.

B) Puppets
  
    I will use puppets as another way to present the story after using the felt board with the same group of children, because the children are already familiar with the story and they can participate by being one of the characters inside. I think using different puppets is a great way to make story more interesting for children to learn. I will encourage children to sing songs along with the puppets because this provides an opportunity for them to improve their verbal skills. There are many advantages from using puppets as a way of storytelling. It helps the children with their listening skills, enhances their imaginations, develops their dramatic expressions, gives them confidence, and provides an opportunity for team works.  I believe using puppets in a conversation with children can help them overcome their shyness. Also, it can stimulate their thinking process. I will choose not to follow the exact story line because this will help children improve with their imagination, thinking process, and their vocabulary. 

Materials
1) I need two hand puppets for mama and doctor monkey. I suggest both monkeys dress like their character in the story. For example, doctor monkey should dress like a doctor.
2) I need five stick puppets for the five little monkeys. Each monkey should dress differently and they also should have different facial expression, because in this way children can learn the dramatic expressions.
3) I need two shoe boxes that will be decorated like a bed. One is for the five little monkeys and the other one is for mama. The first bed that is for the little monkeys should look different compared to mama’s bed. The shoe box for the five little monkeys should have a hole that is big enough to fit one of my hands because the hole is for my hand to control the monkeys to jump or to move.
4) I need two telephones for the conversation between mama and the doctor. I will use the telephones that are broken or that I don’t use anymore, because children might damage the telephones.
5) I need bandages for the monkeys after they bump their heads.
6) I need tooth brushes for the monkeys to brush their teeth.  These tooth brushes are the ones that I don’t use anymore.
7) I need a plastic bowl to replace the bathtub. I choose plastic bowl is because they don’t break easily.

I can purchase all the monkeys from the dollar store. I need to put the stick into the five little monkeys and take the stuffing out from the bigger monkeys (mama & doctor) in order for me to make them into puppets. I can purchase the shoe boxes from the dollar store. I am using the ones from my house because I got these boxes when I purchased my shoes. I can get the fabric for the decoration of the beds and the monkeys from Fabricana and the dollar stores, but dollar stores do not have a lot to choose from. For the telephones, I can just take the ones that my family does not use anymore or the cell phones that are broken. I can get the bandages and the plastic bowl from the dollar stores. For the sticks, I can just pick it up from outside of my house or I can get it from a dollar store. I will use five different tooth brushes, because I want the children to know they shouldn’t share tooth brushes with each other even with family members.


I will chunk the book with the puppets because in this case, I will be able to let all the children to participate in the activity. If I spread the book in half and do the other half in the next day, it is very easy for educators to lose track on who else needs a turn.
C) Story Act Out

       Making children act out the story is another way to make the story more interesting. I will use this method after using the puppets with the same group of children because in this way, the children are familiar with the passage or the flow of the story. I will have some background music throughout the play and an educator as a narrator, because the narrator can match with the children’s pace. I think the CD that reads along with the book is too fast, so children will be in a rush and might hurt themselves. Children can perform the story out to the parents during parents and teachers’ night. This will help build their interest in performing and build their confidence. Allowing children to act out the story can also help them improve their speech skills, listening skills, and verbal skills and provide an opportunity for team works, help develop appropriate voice modulation, and help the development of fine motor skills.

Materials
1) I need seven masks. Five for the five little monkeys, one for mama and the last one is for the doctor. The mask for mama and doctor should be different; however the mask for the five little monkeys can be the same.
2) I need two blankets to represent the beds for the little monkeys and mama.
3) I need five tooth brushes.
4) I need two telephones for the communication between mama and doctor.
5) I need an apron for the child who acts the mama monkey. The apron is a symbol of mama monkey.

I got the masks, the tooth brushes and the apron from dollar stores. I got my blanket from home, but you can purchase the blanket or piece of cloth from Fabricana or Fabric Land.  I suggest using a small apron because the child can fit perfectly.

D) Unique Story Tale
 
        The unique story tale will be my last method to present the story with the same group of children. This allows children to create in their own mind how scenes appear. Children can use different animals that they want to replace the characters inside the story, and educators should write down the story that children create. Educators should encourage the children to draw pictures to go along with their own story. This helps the children with their imagination, build their confidence, and learn the difference of colors and the names of the animals. I suggest that educators should always take pictures with the children’s work, because children can show their finished creation to their parents and other people. Once the children are finished with their own unique story, educators should encourage them to tell their story to other children. This can help the children with their vocabulary and speech skills. On the other hand, children who are listening can improve their listening skills, and they can also learn how to respect other’s creation. The unique story tale is a great way for children to express the story in their own creative way.

Materials
1) I need a camera for educators to take pictures throughout the process.
2) I need white and color papers for children to draw or to do anything they want.
3) I need different kinds of animals in different colors.
4) I need paint or crayon that children can draw with.
5) I need a large table that allows children to create their work freely.
6) I need glue that help glue children’s work together.
7) I need scissors for educators to cut whatever children wants. For example, educators need to cut the animals that are not in the material box.
8) I need an art and craft box that contains yarn, glitter glue, etc.

I think it is better if we provide as much materials as possible for children to use, because in this case we won’t limit the children’s creativity or imagination.

I can purchase the glue, crayon, paint, yarns, small animals, etc. from the dollar store, Michaels or Superstore. However, if you want to get extra art and craft materials in a cheap price, you can go to the thrift store.

        The first thing that we can do after reading the book is to learn songs about monkey, such as “Monkey see monkey do”. This song allows children to imitate different movement of animals and it also allows children to learn the uniqueness of different animals. The most important thing is that music allows children to exercise their body and improve their motor skills.

       The second thing that we can do after reading the book is to watch some clips about real monkeys. This way, children can extend their understandings about monkeys. For example, there are different kinds of monkeys and they live in different areas due to the weather. Also, this can give extra information about the way monkey lives.

       The third thing that we can do after reading the book is to go on field trip to the zoo. Field trips are a great way for children to learn while having fun. It also provides a hand-on learning opportunity while also being introduce to a new environment. For example, children can actually be in contact with the monkeys in the zoo and they can also learn the real monkeys’ movement. 

Goodnight Moon

Brown, M. W. (1947). Goodnight Moon. In M. W. Brown, Goodnight Moon (p. 30). USA: Harper & Row, Publishers, Incorporated.

ISBN 0-06-443017-0

Children’s Book Write-Up:

The content of the children’s book Goodnight Moon is a small ritual a little bunny does before he falls asleep. The little bunny says goodnight to all the different objects in his room including the stars, moon, and noises outside. The objects are chosen carefully as the last word in each line rhymes with the one above it. There are few words on each page allowing the reader to pause and the child to take in the pictures or imagine his or her own room and saying goodnight to the objects. As a child I remember Goodnight Moon clearly as the words would flow off of my mom or dads tongue. Bedtime is such a special time, a very personal time especially for children between the ages 3-5yrs old. This book to eases the worry of the darkness following and invites the favorite things around the room to join in the process of falling asleep, the soothing of a simple good night.

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The Illustrations are a combination of green, blue, yellow and orange on one page and black and white on the next really inviting the reader into the darkness that is to come. The illustrations start off bright and as the darkness is invited in shadows start to loom and the only thing left to shine is the stars outside and the windows from the dollhouse in the left hand corner of the bunny’s room. The illustrations are simple, but are full of information as the story unfolds. For example, the clocks in the room at the beginning say 7pm and by the time the bunny has said his good nights to everything the clocks hands indicate 8:10pm. The clocks are showing a realistic time frame of how along a child may take to fall asleep. The moon goes from the left bottom corner to the top of the window, showing the realistic placements and movement the moon may take in that time frame. A small mouse is shown throughout the illustrations where the entire room is shown. The mood of resting, relaxing, and calming the mind and body for a peaceful night sleep is portrayed throughout, allowing ones own mind to go with the rhythm of the bunny. The details on each page allow children to get lost in the pictures over and over again, but the colors and simplicity at first glance invite the children into the story without being overwhelmed. The illustrations allow the children to wonder about each object as the bunny says goodnight to it, and wonder about the objects that were not touched on. For example, the red balloon, “I wonder why there is a red balloon.”  As a child, having this book read to be me many times I remember the illustrations more then the words. The illustrations are the words and there for the story is told, with simple words and captivating illustrations.

A couple provocations an educator could do for Goodnight moon are: have a couple of the objects from the book spread out within ones classroom. For example, the red balloon, a bunny, and three little bears sitting in chairs. Leave the objects out for a couple days and then on the third or fourth day start adding a moon to the classroom and stars. As the week goes on add more stars maybe set up a small bed by the book corner. One could even go to the extent of dimming the lights around reading time. On the seventh day I would read the story and see if the children would notice the classroom is set up the same as the room in the book to invoke a lot of ‘I wonders and dendrites.’ Using props and setting the mood within the classroom will encourage discussion around the topic of the book without the book even being present yet.

A Story Presented 4 different ways:

1)Felt Board: With the felt board the story becomes more realistic as the characters are delicately placed on the board. 3H crafts provide an excellent felt story already made for this particular book, Goodnight Moon for a reasonable price. The props used for the felt board story are, ones own felt board and the felt characters. The neat idea around a felt board is one does not have to follow the story exactly, but can cut out parts or extend parts if he or she pleases to do so. The story is no longer presented in a small book, but on a board that every child can see, especially when the class is big. The children can gather around in a bunch instead of a circle, including everyone in the story. For the felt board story, the red balloon is an excellent spot to stop and wonder, “I wonder why there is a red balloon in the room? Does anyone else have any wonders about this room?” For the felt board way of presenting the story, the story may lose its magic if one were to chunk it. Another part I would stop and wonder about would be about the old lady saying hush, “I wonder who the old lady is? And I wonder what kind of noises one would hear at night around that time?”

2) Tell and Draw Stories: This method of story telling allows the children to be on the seat of their chairs in anticipation of what the educator is drawing while listening to the stories. I would do the drawing up in eight chunks (same sitting time though). Start with one ear, then the second, eye, mouth, head and back together, tail, big paw and knee, then last the front paw to create a bunny. About half way through the drawing I may ask, “I wonder what character is being created here, from the story” pointing at the drawing, “lets keep reading and find out”. After I am done drawing the bunny while discussing with the children about their goodnight rituals I would go back and draw the bunny in a different way to fit their story. The children could create their own, but that would lead us into an extension for the book . Imaginations soar with this way of showing the book as lines are being drawing, but the full picture is yet to be discovered.

3) Story Yoga: Goodnight Moon would be most effective with seven poses. One could read the story first to the children then act the poses out one by one. Having a puppet bunny to lead the children through the poses could create a fun a fun dynamic. If the story has been read prior to the story yoga session the children could say the ritual along with you, “Goodnight_______” , then do the following pose. Sit in the pose for a few moments. The educator could spark some “I wonders” by asking, “I wonder how a kitten sleeps? Or how the Moon sleeps? Etc. The whole session should take around twenty minutes. At the end in the very last scene when the bunny says, “ Goodnight noises everywhere” the educator should simple tell the children just to release all the noises in ones body and relax. The sleeping pose should last for about two minutes give or take a few minutes.

4) Puppet Show/Story Box: Puppet Show is a magical time where the educator disappears and characters from a book come alive engaging the children on a very intimate story time. With the puppet show the educator must have ready and set aside: a magical apron (to place over clothing, usually made of silk), a basket (to carry the puppets in), scarves or silks (to cover the basket and to lay out on the ground to create the setting for the show), props and puppets (in this puppet show: a bed, a red balloon, cow, bears, a comb, bowl of mush, chairs, kitten, mouse, and mama rabbit). One can do a song to draw the children and to settle them down on there cushions/floor matt’s.  The key about the puppet show is to insure the puppets look out towards the children; an educator is there simple to move them and to speak for them. Animated voices helps distinguish and develop personality for each of the puppets. The story can be shortened for the puppet show. The importance is to keep the magic alive throughout the whole puppet show. At the end a tune is usually hummed to single it is naptime and all the children head to their sleeping mats; however the puppet show can be done at any point during the day. How the duration of the puppet show goes is the first couple days the book is read; then for three weeks, everyday, the puppet show takes place; then the fourth week the children act it out by holding the puppets and saying the phrases. The educator can help the children out if a child has forgotten, but doing it throughout that last week allows the children to act out different characters five different times.

Extensions:

1)   Pajama Day

a.     Bring pajamas.

b.      Favorite sleeping toy (blanket or stuff animal.

c.      Favorite goodnight story.

d.     Pillow case races (same as potato sake).

e.     Make bunny masks.

f.      Balloon activities (paper mashie and dancing balloon-turn on music and you can’t let the balloon touch the ground).

2)   Making Mush

a.     Baking day of all different kinds of mush!

3)   Star Gazing

a.     Field Trip to the Planetarium/Observatory.

b.     Star crafts- to hang around classroom.

c.      Telescope crafts.

d.     Song-Twinkle Twinkle Little star.

4)   Exploring Goodnight Rituals

a.     Children share their own rituals.

b.     Other stories around goodnight rituals.

c.      Discussion around why people do goodnight rituals.

d.     Role playing.

e.     Song- Goodnight Rabbit

5)   Noises

a.     Making noisemakers.

b.     Listening to diverse noises.

c.      Form a marching band.

d.     Nighttime noises vs. day time noises.

e.     Read the story: Mortimer by Robert Munsch

Five little monkeys treasury

Christelow, E. (2009). Five little monkeys storybook treasury. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

ISBN#: 978-0-547-23873-9

In this book I got, it includes 5 full-length picture books from the Five Little Monkeys Series. I will only be working on the “Five Little Monkeys jumping on the bed” story this time. When I have prepared all the necessary materials, those 5 little monkeys can actually be used on all 5 stories!

It’s really suitable for three to five-year old as it’s a colourful picture book with a line on each page. It’s easy to read and it’s very interesting. As the author said in the book, “Booklist described the book as ‘pure silliness-just the kind kids like.’ ” The drawing of the monkeys is cute. They all have different expressions all the time i.e. happy, sad and silly. and their arms and legs are drawn so lively that they seems to be moving in front of you, in front of the children.

Before reading the story to the children, there are several ways to provoke their interest on the story. We could ask them about what they know about monkeys. ‘How do monkeys look like? How do they act? Are they really naughty?’ Then we can put out the monkeys I made or bought and introduce the worldwide known Five Little Monkey rhymes to them before telling the story. When this rhyme is in their mind, they will have a sense of familiarity when the story is read to them afterwards. They might even be able to tell the story themselves.

The 4 ways I am going to use is a felt board story, finger puppet with singing, props story telling or singing and to act out with kids. For the felt board story, a felt board must be used. I will make all the characters (the 5 little monkeys, mama monkey and the doctor) and some other things like bed and phone using the felt; for the finger puppet, I’m planning to make 5 monkeys simply by gluing or sewing felt pieces together and sing the rhyme with them moving the monkeys on my finger. That will be really interesting as children loves to sing along moving finger puppets; for the props, I have already bought 5 monkey stuff toys. I then might decorate them and attach them with strings on a stick. When reading or singing the story, one after another can be removed like what I will be doing with the felt story as well. Other than monkeys, I might make a bed out of cardboard paper and try finding some other props like phone; Last but not least, the most intriguing way to interact with children after getting them familiarize with the story is to act out with them. I will make some monkey hats for them to wear. Ask them to come out and jump around; pretend to fall and have all the children around singing along. That would really be fun.

Lots of things could be wondered while reading the story. On page 14, when the monkeys are putting on their pajamas, I could say “I wonder what your pajamas look like. Is it this colourful?” Then when we are on page 16, 17 of my book, I would say to the children, “I wonder what will happen next to the 5 little monkeys. Will they fall asleep quickly? Or...” Then when it’s on page 18, 19, I would say “I wonder what will happen when the monkeys are jumping on the bed like that.” After reading the last page of the story, I would ask the child, “I wonder what will happen if they get hurt seriously? What will mommy and the doctor feel?” and try to tell them that mommy will be worried if that really happens and the little monkey (the children) should be more considerate about themselves and mommy’s feelings.

There are lots to be extended by this story too. Apart from having 5 stories in one book, the thing I like about this treasury edition is that there’s a page teaching us how to draw those cute little monkeys. I could teach the kid how to draw them. Or photocopy the page for them to colour.  Also, there’s even a piano score of the five little monkey rhyme at the back. I could play the piano for them to sing along. We could even make up some rhymes together using different instruments.

Besides, we could explore facial expressions together by looking at the monkeys drawn in the book. Happy face, sad face, etc. Make paper or stick monkey puppets with them would be fun, with them drawing out their own characterized monkey. Last but not least, monkeys would be a nice topic for them to explore more deeply in, as in how they look like in real life and how they behave etc.

Overall, I really enjoy reading this book myself and I do believe the children will enjoy it with the provocation, the 4 ways I present and the extensions afterwards. I am looking forward to get all my materials done and present it to children I teach in the future.

Rhyming

Spring Things

Raczka, B.(2007).Spring Things.Illinois: Albert Whitman & Company

ISBN #: 978-0-8075-7596-3

This book is about spring. It includes the changes in nature, from snow melting to trees growing leaves, as well as animal activity changes: insects coming out, bird eggs hatching. It also touches on activities such as preparing the ground for sowing, and cutting the grass. Changes in weather: sun, warmth, and storms are also included. Children's activities such as hopping, skipping, kite flying, selling lemonade, and biking are not forgotten. This book is filled with the energy that spring brings not only in nature, but also in our lives.

I would use this book for the three to five age group because the book illustrates each verb. It is a great way for children to increase their vocabulary with verbs, ending in ING, just like the word sprING. In this way, when we go for walks, we can use new verbs to describe what we see, or want, for example: " The snow is melting. Can we go outside for throwing and catching the ball?"

The illustrations are very explicit and suggestive paintings, in the sense that they describe the verb below them. They are very colorful and cheerful to suggest that spring brings back colour, and life. Each page is filled with something new that happens during spring. Children would enjoy the paintings because they will remind them of activities they themselves do, or things that they observe when they go for walks. I was drawn to how alive each illustration is and how wonderfully the verb is made into a picture.

Provocations:

Place pictures describing spring activities around the classroom and allow room and time for discussions and questions around the pictures. In the spring time, I would place plants that are sprouting in the classroom so that children can observe them. In addition, if I present this book in the spring, the first thing that I would do is take the children for a walk, and talk about the changes that we see in the nature.

Presentations:

1) Coming back from our walk, I would tell the story, and pause after each page, and include our observations and questions. I would pause at verbs that children to do not understand. I would chunk the book after talking about 3-4 verbs so that children do not feel bombarded with new words. I would stop and wonder at each verb and picture: "I wonder how the snow is melting?"

2) Cardboard Slides: For each page of the book, I would find a different picture that represents the same verb, and tape it to a cardboard piece. I would then, proceed in using verbs to describe the picture, hoping that some children will remember the verbs and join me.

3) Magnet Board: Have pictures of the verbs and put them on a board. Then, have the verbs on a paper that has a magnet, and ask the children to help me match the verb with the correct picture.

Extensions:

1) Collage: Draw the shape of a tree and ask children to cut pictures of spring and glue them in.

2) Learn songs about spring and sing them on our walk.

3) Build a lemonade stand and use it as a fundraiser. Then, with the money, go and buy plants and seeds that children can place in the ground.

Rhyming

All in day

Rylant, C.(2009). All in a day. New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers.










ISBN #: 978-0-8109-8321-2

This book shows the significance and value of a day. Oftentimes, people either take a day for granted, or they spend that day thinking about their past or wondering about their future. However, Rylant conveys the message that today is important because today is day that brings new opportunities, and today is a day that we will never get back. She emphasizes that the past is moving away from us like a ship on the sea, while the future is asleep. The author presents a day as a unique time and a fresh opportunity for one to live a life filled with different activities such as: planting a seed, watching the sun, bringing hope, being kind, making a wish, working hard, relaxing, but also welcoming changes that can disturb such activities. Cynthia also mentions that nature, too, is excited about a new day and the promises that it can offer. Whether it’s morning, noon, or evening, a day is filled with faith and belief. The spinning earth will soon bring the day to an end, so the author is provoking the reader to make the day count.

I find this book appropriate for the three to five age group because it explores the concept of time: what is a day and what can we do in a day? It also provokes the children to think about what activities are important in their day and why? The book does not have a lot of writing, but it rather has pictures that represent

different activities that someone can do during a day. 

The illustrations in this book are very expressive. The only colours used are black, light blue, yellow, and white. The illustrations are cut paper: using a X-Acto knife, Nikki McClure cuts the images that are drawn on a black paper. The lace lace-like images are then scanned and added colour by computer. I find that the illustrations make me pause and think about what I see. The yellow colour makes me feel hopeful, while the light blue relaxes me. The children would enjoy the art because it is full of little details that they can discover: the little bird hiding in the branches, the mushrooms, the seeds, the squirrel in the tree, the bee collecting polen, or the hidden animals in the forest. Personally, I was drawn to these illustrations because they are very expressive and symbolic. For example, a paper boat on which the rain falls symbolizes the past, while a hen sleeping symbolizes the unknown future. The plant stands for life and hope. I like that these illustrations provoke open-ended questions: "I wonder why the hen is most of the time with the boy? What could the black birds represent?" Children can explore these questions by thinking of their own life experiences. Lastly, the illustrations can bring back different memories that they children might have regarding the pictures they see: "I remember when I fed the hens at the farm." This can create open ended discussions where children can talk about their experiences.

Provocations:

In order to introduce the meaning of a day and the activities that children do during a day, I would place a long, wide strip of white paper on the floor in a corner of the classroom. I would divide the paper into three sections of different colors: morning-light pink, noon-yellow, night-dark blue. Then, I would bring different pictures that represent different activities and place them in a basket near the paper. The pictures would show activities such as: eating breakfast, brushing hair, brushing teeth, putting clothes on, taking a bath, helping a friend, reading a story, washing hands, getting up, or coming to the daycare. Each child would then place these pictures on the different sections. This will make them think of what they do during the day.

Presentations:

1) Telling the story: I would pause after each page and wonder with the children about the illustrations and what they see and what the images make them think of. This is not a book that can be read fast. Each page can be discussed and questioned, and different experiences can be brought into discussion. In other words, I personally find that each page is a place of wonder. As a result, I would chunk the book because I do not want to rush. I would personally talk about one to two pages maximum per day, because I want to really involve the children in this story. This is not a story about someone. It can be each child's story. As a result, I would make sure that each page is carefully explored and discussed. I would definetely spend more time with words such as hope, faith, belief, wish, past, future, and earth spinning. These are words that need the extra time to be discussed and explained. For example, if we stop at the word hope, I would ask them what hope means to them, how can we draw hope, what does hope feel like? Therefore, each word is a lesson on its own.

2) Felt story: I would make the main felt characters: the boy, the hen, the squirrel, birds, and the tree. I would buy the felt from discount stores because I also want different backgrounds for each page.

3) Since each day I want to limit myself to one or two pages, I would then, bring something from those pages. For example, on one page, the boy carries a shovel and then for another page a basket. I would, therefore, bring a shovel and a basket. I observed that the hen is most of the time near the boy. I would then bring a stuffed hen to always have with me when I tell the story.

Extensions:

1) Each child can draw their hand on a piece of paper. Each finger would then represent a day of the week. Then, I would have them draw on each finger something important or a favorite activity they do on that day. For example: monday-ballet class in the evening, tuesday-play date, wednesday-gradma reads me bedtime story, thursday-pizza night, friday-have a friend come over for dinner.

2) Learn different songs on themes such as: days of the week; morning time, afternoon, night time

3) Personalize and become familiar with words such as HOPE, FAITH, BELIEF, WISH. For each word, children can either bring a picture, an object, make a drawing, act it out-whatever means I can come up with in order for children to understand, at their level, what these words mean. This is an interesting activity because children can also involve their parents in talking about what these words mean. In this way, conversations are encouraged between children and parents.

Rhyming

All afloat on Noah's Boat!

Mitton, T., & Parker-Rees, G.(2006). All afloat on Noah's Boat!New York: Orchard Books    

ISBN-13: 978-0-439-87397-0

It’s flood time, but not to worry: Noah has built a great big boat called an Ark in which all the animals can find a safe and dry refuge. So, all creatures, no matter of their size and appearance, ALL came in pairs and occupied Noah’s “Ark Hotel”. However, there was a problem. The animals were stuck on the boat for such a long time and that made them very emotional. There was dissatisfaction aboard. Fortunately, Noah had a plan that could entertain the animals till the rain would dry off. He put on a  Talent Show for the animals to come on the stage in pair and perform something special. All animals had extraordinary things to offer to the audience, except two worms that felt that their cocoons weren’t so special. However, Noah and the animals waited till the cocoons opened up and two beautiful butterflies came out to the surprise of everyone. The show ends with the butterflies flying away over the now dried land and the rest of the animals coming out to live in a beautiful world.

I would use this book for three to five year-olds because the story line is not too complicated, but it is full of interesting concepts that children may be curious about at this age, for example: "How big was the Ark so that all animals could fit in? How could the boat not sink since it was so heavy? What is a flood? What makes a pair? How many animals can I recognize? What did the animals eat on the boat  and where did they go to the washroom? How do worms turn into butterflies?"

 The illustrations consist of painted drawings. An interesting observation about the illustrations is that the colors used are bright and cheerful, representing the rainbow at the end. The drawings of the animals are very expressive, capturing the different emotions. The animals are drawn to express emotions in a human way. This can help children observe body language and also identify and make them wonder how they themselves express different emotions. This is also the reason why I was drawn to the illustrations. I found that by just looking at the animals, I could tell right away what they were feeling. I found that because the colours were so bright and cheerful, I had a positive mood throughout the book, even though the animals were going through a flood.

Provocations:

I would bring diverse pairs of animals in the classroom, and place them in a colourful basket on a table. Then, I would talk to the children about what makes a pair of animals. I would provoke the children to match up the animals according to their kind. I would also bring in books that talk about animals from all over the world so that children can get familiar to as many animals as possible. In this way, when the story is presented, the children will have already met the characters on the Ark. In addition, in the morning when the children come in, I would have a CD with rain playing on the background.

Presentation:

1) Read the story to the children. Use my voice and facial expressions to represent the different emotions of the animals. Since this is the first time the story is presented, I would stop and wonder at the first page: "Why do you think Noah is building a ship for the animals?". I would also stop and wonder at the pages where animals are unhappy and wonder " Why do they feel that way?", and also at the page where Noah and the animals are waiting to see what will come out of the cocoons. I would chunk the book before Noah proposes a Talent Show. In this way, I can leave the children thinking of this question: "What would you do to make the animals feel happier?" Then, the second day, we can go on with the story, only after the children have shared their suggestions. Lastly, I would stop and explain words such as: flood, ark, rose, float, aboard, hyped-up, rodents, trilling, tiffs, quarrels, hyper-hops, rhytmic, croon, rumpus, and mega-wails.

2) I would use a felt board to present the story. I would make a felt ark and felt animals. I would then, place the animals two by two behind the ark, and place the ark over them so that they look like they are inside. I would also create different levels of felt water so that the children can understand that flood means water level rising. I would also create a felt rainbow that I would place over the ark at the end. For the talent show, I would move the felt animals giving them life and character, because it is a bit hard to create the Talent Show unless I would have a separate felt board that is used mainly for the Talent Show part of the story. However, I would make the cocoons and then the butterflies so that the children can observe this miracle of worms turning into butterflies. I would buy the felt pieces from discount stores since I need a lot of felt, and I would make my own felt board.

3) Story basket: in a beautiful basket, place all the animals and props for this story: ark, a blue bowl representing the flood, the different furniture that could have been inside of the ark and that the animals used during the Talent Show (tables), and different food items necessary for the animals. I would take out only the materials used for each part of the story and place them on a beautiful rug( I would prefer to have a multi-colored rug to represent the rainbow). I would then allow the children to play and manipulate the materials, and create their own story and talent show during play time. I would plan in advance for the story basket presentation since I need all these props. For example, I would visit discount stores, thrift stores, yard sales, and garage sales in order to build this story up.

Extensions:

1) I would take the children on a field trip to the zoo! What a fantastic way to talk and ask about different animals, observe them alive, wonder how they are feeling, and get an idea of how big the ark must have been since the children can now see the real proportions of different animals. We would take pictures of the animals. The pictures can be used to create passports for the animals to board on the Ark. The children would then pretend that they are the animals and they need to show their passport to Noah before getting on the Ark. Each passport would include the photo of the animal, their favorite food or allergies, their personality type, like and dislikes, family size, etc.

2) Build an ark collage: on a large piece of white board, I would draw the outline of an ark. Then, I would bring in different magazines, such as National Geographic, from where the children can cut out the pictures of different animals. Then, the pictures can be glued inside of the ark, and the board hanged on the wall for children to continue their discussion about the animals.

3) Dramatic Play: bring in different costumes that could represent different animals. The children can then create their own Talent Show. I would also ask the parents' help for this activity since children could have at home different costume. Also, I would ask if the parents have any clothing items of different patterns (spots, zebra lines, furs, leather) that they no longer need and that they could donate for this activity. 

4) Together create animal masks that children can wear either during dramatic play or as the story is being told by them. Since the children will be familiar with the story by now, I would ask them if they would present the story in the way that was originally presented, or they could change the story line or end the story differently.

To The Beach!

   

      Cite
            Ashman, L. (2005). To the beach!. Boston: Harcourt Children's Books






     ISBN
           978-0152164904






   Abstract
            Father, mother and five little kids are heading to the beach! However, right after they set off, they realize that they have left the dog at home! Hit the brakes! Reverses the Car! Then forgets their umbrella, Ducky pail, and a giant boat! After they get all their belongs their ready to go, it begins to rain. They all head back to the house and finally the sun comes out. Overall the family has a wonderful time playing in their backyard with the sun shining down on them.






   Illustration
           This book has a predictable pattern that encourages children to be easily engaged with. In addition, the rhyming text can be easily followed by children, too.


        The use of water, colour, and paint powerfully demonstrates the hilarious story. It highlights the ongoing fun their family has and what other activities they encountered during their trip.








Provocation
        Ask children to bring some pictures from home that they took from holidays.






Presentation

1: Basket story telling:  have small toys hidden in the basket, small toys will include: dog, umbrella, ducky pail, a boat. Teachers can tell the story and take the toys out when they decide to read the story.

2: Reading the story: Read the story out loud, but at the same time make sure the illustrations are displayed. Chunk the book in certain areas that you wish to ask questions. For example, teachers can ask the children what is going to happen next? Be aware of the tone and sound as well.

3: Audience participation: While reading the story, ask children to play the characters in the story. The characters can be : The father, the mother, five children, and the dog Fido.

  extension

1: Journal imagination: Take the children on an imagination journey; teachers can bring materials that represent different places. For example, palm trees can represent Hawaii, Eiffel tower can represent Paris etc.

2: Scavenger hunt: Teacher can put all the materials that show up in the book all around the center, and then she/he can ask children to find them. Materials could be a toy dog, umbrella, boats, etc.

3: Sunshine day: Introduce songs about holidays/vacations; such as Hawaiian music. While listening to the music, children can dress up in their swimming suits and dance.

Rhyming books

1) Book title: My Father Knows the Names of Things

2) APA Citation:

Yolen, J. (2010). My Father Knows the Names of Things. New York: Simon & Schuster Children's

Publishing.

3) ISBN #: 978-1-4169-4895-7

4) This story is about a boy and his father who go on a variety of adventures together. A great emphasis is placed on the father’s knowledge of the names of different things. For instance, the book contains a variety of mixed illustrations that go hand in hand with the different themes that are presented. For instance, the book discusses themes such as the names of planets, birds, dogs, cheese, bugs, fish, flowers, human bones, cats, candies and even dinosaurs. The colourful pictures also make it engaging for children to use their imagination when naming different concepts that have been described in the book.

5) I definitely feel that this book is appropriate for children aged three to five years. I think the vocabulary is appropriate however, it really makes children think about how to sort and classify different categories and concepts. Each page has about one to three lines of print that is placed in different parts of each page to match the powerful illustrations. This book will definitely keep the children interested because they can question whether they themselves know about the names of different things. They can also ask questions which further promotes their curiosity.

6) The illustrations in this book are what drew my attention to it in the first place. They appear to be carefully sketched and painted with vibrant colours that are appropriate for each theme. Overall, they seem to evoke a mood of wonder and curiosity that can really get children excited about learning in general. I feel that the beauty of this book lies in the fact that it has so many extensions that can be pulled out of it based on each theme. Educators can read this book to their students for a really long time.

7) Provocations:

In order to build background knowledge and provoke interest in the children, I could blow up a picture of the illustration on the title page and have it laminated. I could then place it in a visible spot in the classroom. This gives children an opportunity to examine who is in the picture and ask questions about their relationship. For example, are they father and son? Children would also be encouraged to ask a variety of questions about anything that comes to mind and gather all their “wonders” together as a class.

Another way to provoke interest could be to take a concept from the book, such as pictures of different types of birds and hang from the ceiling all over the classroom. This also encourages children to ask questions and build background knowledge about a particular topic. For example, they may wonder why each bird looks so different. They can also discuss where they think different types of birds live, i.e. the rainforest, jungle etc.

8) Possible ways to present the story:

Felt story: I could use a huge black felt board and add different felt pieces to portray the different characters and themes in the story. For instance, each theme can have its own set of felt pieces that teach a child about the names of different birds, planets, dogs, insects, fish, flowers, human bones, dinosaurs etc. The beauty of a felt story is that it can truly expand on the powerful illustrations in the book so that children have a great visual to relate to. The materials can be purchased from Michaels, 3H Craftworks society, or even local dollar stores.

Magnet board: The idea of emphasizing the different themes in relation to each character’s thoughts and feelings is similar to the way it is presented in the felt board. I could stick magnets at the back of each object and focus on other adjectives such as big, small, large, tiny etc. This is a great way to expand the children’s vocabulary and still use their imagination at the same time.

Story basket: This basket could be called the “magic basket” which is full of wonders about the names and properties of different things. It also promotes curiosity because children will wonder what you are going to pull out next in relation to a particular theme. For instance, with the concept of fish, there could be fish in a variety of sizes and colours.

Reading the book: When reading the book out loud, I would definitely chunk it by using sticky notes after each theme has been discussed. It would be interesting to hear what the children are curious about and want to learn more of. For example, I would stop at a page which states, “He knows which flowers are the tallest, And which beetles are the smallest”. I would encourage the children to stop and wonder what height flowers can really grow until. We can also try to name the tiniest bugs that come to mind.

9) Possible extensions for learning: The great thing about this book is that it provides endless opportunities for extensions. For instance, a teacher can pick a certain theme and carry it out for an entire month.

Dramatic play: A way to emphasize a theme such as the different types of fish could be to let the children pick a fish they are fascinated by and try to act like their chosen fish. They can imagine what it would be like to swim in the ocean, what that particular fish likes to eat, how they interact with their friends etc.

Science experiment: Children can conduct a science experiment to learn about the different sizes of flowers. At the same time, they can also learn how plants grow by examining how it grows from a tiny seed and blossoms into a beautiful flower. Teachers can place small jars and let the children place a seed inside. They can look after it and see how this transformation occurs and notice how long it takes to happen. This also provides children with a sense of ownership over a particular activity.

Songs: Children can learn the names of different types of bugs through a naming song. Each child can pick a bug that interests them and add it to the song. This can be done as a group activity for the whole class.

Discussion: Group participation can be encouraged in terms of enabling each child to pick a theme that interested them the most. They can then decide as a class, what they would like to learn about next and gather all their wonders and curiosities about that topic. For example, they could learn about naming planets and have an entire unit on space. They can then pretend to be astronauts in space discovering a new planet. I definitely think children would be excited to share their ideas with other and learn new things at the same time.