Critical Issues Books (2)

Amazing Grace

Hoffman, M. (1991). Amazing grace. Torriano Ave, London: Frances Lincoln.

ISBN # 0-7112-0699-6

“Amazing Grace” is a book that brings up gender and racial issues. It’s about a girl named Grace who is African-American. She truly enjoys listening to stories and acting them out. One day at school, the teacher tells the children they will perform the play Peter Pan. When Grace puts her hand up to volunteer to be Peter, her classmates remind her that she cannot have the part because she is a girl and she is black. With support from her mother and grandmother, Grace doesn’t lose faith. When she returns to school for the audition for Peter’s part, she did so well that she was given the part. Now, she is reassured that she can do anything she wants if she puts her mind to it.

I would use this book with children 3-5 years old because this is a common age where children sometimes face situations when they are looked down upon/ discouraged by their peers. The images in this book are beautifully illustrated and are big enough to present to a larger group of children at one time. They are made with brilliant watercolours and there is plenty of emphasis on clothing details. I was drawn to the pictures in this book because they look very realistic.

Provocation:
In the week that I would be presenting the story, I would place the different costumes used in the story in the dramatic play area. The children can act out their own characters, explore different costume combinations and be imaginative just like Grace.

Ways to present this book:
1) You can use felt – either make the characters in the story (Grace, mother, grandmother, Natalie, and Raj. These are the characters she is imitating in the story: Joan of Arc, Anansi the spiderman, wooden horse at the gates of Troy, Hannibal crossing the Alps, sailor and parrot, Hiawatha, Mowgli, pantomimes, Dick Whittington, Aladdin, a doctor, a ballerina, and Peter Pan) or check if they are ready-made at 3H Craftworks.
2) You can make puppets – have the main characters and make sure to have all the different costumes of the characters Grace is playing.
3) Tell the story with the children- have each child dress up and play a role of a character Grace is imitating. You can make the costumes yourself by improvising.
4) Read the book before and underline words you think children might not know- for instance: pantomime or persuade. Place sticky notes in pages you want children to stop and wonder. For example, when Grace is being the doctor, ask children “I wonder how Ma and Nana can sit so still.” After Natalie and Raj tell Grace she can’t be Peter Pan, ask “I wonder what Grace feel like.” When Nana takes Grace to a grand theatre, stop and say “I wonder what Nana wants to show Grace.” When the auditions on Monday arrive, I would ask “I wonder if Grace is going to get the Peter Pan part.”

Extensions:
1) Class Discussion- Have a circle time talk with the children on what they like about Grace (ex. She is brave, imaginative, adventurous...etc). After, get into a discussion on the difficulty of standing up to classmates and talk about some ways to deal with these situations/ handle them. (ex. When a classmate is telling you that you can’t go on a slide because you are too short, tell him/her that you can do anything if you put your mind to it.) Ask them how they would have felt/ what they would have done if they were in Grace’s situation.
2) Art- Have children draw/paint themselves as their favourite character. (ex. If a child likes Spiderman, have him/her draw himself/herself with perhaps a Spiderman costume on.)
3) Do a play with the children- decide with them on a book they all like and do a skit/play by having them chose which parts they want to play. Have them pick costumes from the dramatic play area or they can chose to bring a costume they like from home.

Multicultural Books

Somewhere in Africa

Mennen, I., & Daly, N. (1992). Somewhere in Africa. USA: Dutton Children’s Books.

ISBN: 0-525-44848-9

Ashraf is an African boy who does not live in an area filled with lions, crocodiles, and zebras, but instead lives in a sunny city bustling with activity. Readers follow him through the city, where there are traffic lights, noisy cars, supermarkets, dancers dancing to marimbas and African drums, and finally into the big city library to renew his book. Throughout the book, the text and illustrations suggest that Ashraf is very connected with the city he lives in. He is very familiar with his surroundings, and this trip to the library is a daily experience for him. The illustrations also capture the essence of the of the city life in Africa. The illustrator uses great visual appeal for children using broad paintbrush strokes and primary colors. Interesting colors were also used to illustrate the effect of heat on the city, such as painting the sea as yellow and the mountains as red, thus capturing the children’s attention due to its uniqueness.

This book is ideal for 3 to 5 year-olds because it counters the myth that Africa are filled with lions and zebras with no cities. This allows the children to learn about the culture in Africa, and that there is much diversity in Africa. The illustrations are also displayed in an attractive manner that depicts the African city life with a short amount of text on each page. The story is not long, which allows the children to sit through the book without losing patience.

Provocations:

I can ask the children which country they are from and which countries they have been to, and see if they can describe anything about that country. This allows the children to communicate with each other and appreciate everyone’s culture and background. They will also have the opportunity to learn more about their friends’ background.

Another possible provocation would be to bring in pictures of cities from different countries. The children can admire the diversity of the different cities from different countries. They can look for similarities and differences between the different pictures. When I bring out the book afterwards, the children will be curious to learn about the cities in Africa.

Presenting the Story:

1) The children can go out on a walk around the city. I will bring the children to walk on the pavement, to take notice of the cars and traffic lights, walking along the alleys, jumping over its cracks, passing by shops, the supermarket, and finally passing by the library. I will narrate the story as we walk around the city, such as “Ashraf then noticed the traffic lights and noisy cars”, and point to the traffic lights and the cars to direct the children’s attention. With this method, the children can be a part of the story, which will be very exciting for them.

2) A felt story can be used. I will need a felt board, and the pieces will be made by me. The pieces will consist of a lion, a crocodile, a zebra, Ashraf with a blue book on his hand, a sun, a section of the road with cracks on it, traffic lights, a car, the frontal view of a shop, a fruit stand, a dancer, a flower, and finally, the library.

3) A cookie sheet can be painted, with one of the sides painted with the city with the roads, the sun, the fruit stand, the shop, the traffic lights and cars, and the library. The other side of the sheet will have the wild life painted on it, with the sun, the plains, and the trees. The magnet pieces will be Ashraf, a zebra, a lion, and a crocodile. The children will be interested to watch a story unfold with the city in the background and the magnetic Ashraf skipping along the city on the cookie sheet.

There is a spot in the story where I would stop and wonder with the children. I will stop right after the descriptions of the wildlife, and ask the children “If Ashraf does not live where the lions, crocodiles, and the zebras are living in, then where do you think Ashraf lives in?” This is an opportunity for children to think of many different possible places where a boy may live in. They can even be creative and imaginative. For example, a child may say “in space!” 

Extensions:

1) The children can listen to African music containing the musical instruments of the marimba and horn. They can also dance to the music, which is excellent time for them to move around and be active. Listening to the African music can also help children appreciate the diversity of different cultures and listen to the differences between African music and other styles of music that they are accustomed to listening to. If available, we can also bring in the marimba, horn, and other African instruments so the children play with them.

2) We can have all the children draw and paint out their version of a city on a very big piece of paper with African music playing in the background. The children collaborate together to create that city. After they have created, we can hang it up on the wall so the children can admire their work. This is optimal in practicing communication and cooperative skills. The children will develop important social skills through the activity. Furthermore, this activity can allow children to expand their creativity and explore the city life.

3) Because Africa is very diverse, I can bring in a book with lots of pictures and show the children the diversity of Africa. After that, I can ask the children that if they can live in Africa, which parts of Africa would they want to live in. Since Africa is diverse, the children may have lots of different selections to choose from. This discussion will allow children to express and share what they like and what they dislike. This is another activity that can help children develop their social skills.

Multicultural Books

Looks-Alikes Around the World

Steiner, J. (2007). Look-alikes around the world. New York: Little, Brown and Company.

ISBN-10: 0-316-81172-6

ISBN-13: 978-0-316-81172-9

This book takes us on a trip around the world with postcards of many exotic places. The postcards do not contain photos of the real places. Instead, Joan Steiner has built the places using common everyday objects, such as building the Sydney Opera House out of pistachios, garlic clove, clothespin, hair clips, and tiny dice. The author first starts in Europe, which was then followed by a trip to Paris. Next, we traveled through water, past the famous castles on the Rhine in Germany and into Italy. We then flew to Greece and then into Africa. We then went to the white, grand castle of India. After that, we journeyed to the Far East into Thailand, and into Japan and China. We then sailed to the South Pacific and into Peru in South America. Finally, we arrived in North America, where went traveled to San Francisco, Florida, and the Great Plains in Manitoba. We then took a trip to California and Texas. After going to Cape Cod, we finally arrived back at home in New York.

This book is great for 3 to 5 year-olds because they can compare the differences between the countries. Furthermore, there are few words in each page and it does not take long to finish the book. This fits young children well, because they can sit through the whole book without feeling bored. In addition, the illustrations in this book are very unique in that the scenes are created by using everyday objects. Although the photos that are taken are not directly from the actual places, the sceneries in the postcards look realistic. This is a great opportunity for children to explore and search for objects in the postcards. Because the illustrations were done very creatively, I believe the children will really enjoy the book. ECEs can help the children identify objects in the postcards, which makes this book very interactive.

Provocations:

As a provocation, I will ask the children which places they have traveled to, and what they remembered about their trip. I can have the children interact and share their experiences. This will interest the children because they most likely not have been to many different countries, and they will be curious to read a story about all the different countries they can go to.

Another provocation is to present postcards of different countries around the world. The children will be amazed at the beautiful scenery and the differences they see in the postcards as opposed to what they normally see in the lower mainland. After seeing the postcards, the children may be eager to see more postcards of the beautiful sceneries and provoke their interest in different countries.

Presenting the Book:

1) I would use a prop box. It would consist of a mailbox made out of a shoebox. I would also scan the photos of the postcards from the book and put the postcards into the mailbox in the chronological order as shown in the book. I would take out the postcards out of the mailbox one by one and briefly describe what is in the postcard based on the book.

2) While reading the story, I can have the children look at the postcards and see if they can identify any everyday objects that they can see. They can discuss and interact with each other on what they see in the postcards. When it is time to “travel” from one country to the next, the children and I can make swooshing sounds as we “fly on an airplane”, and make water splashing sounds from a water bucket beside me as we “sail through the oceans” to another country.

3) I can bring in the same scanned postcards and have the children construct in order which countries they want to visit first, which country they want to visit after, etc. After that, I can clip the postcards to a string and hang it up so that it creates a timeline and a story vine. I will then tell the story in order of the postcards. The children will be excited to follow the story in which they have constructed the order themselves. This is also an excellent opportunity for them to practice cooperation skills. They can discuss together on which country to visit first and which country to visit last, etc.

Extensions:

1) The children can create their own postcards. Fold a piece of white paper into four, cut them out, and have the children create their own postcards. The postcard can be from anywhere in the world. They can draw a place where they really wish to travel to, or a place where they have been to, or a place out of their imagination. With this freedom, the children can expand their creativity and imagination. After they have created the postcards, they can give it to their parents and tell the parents that it is a postcard from them.

2) The children can help create scenery made out of everyday objects, similar to how the author created the sceneries. I will let the children pick what scenery they want to make. For example, if they wish to create scenery of Antarctica, we can make a penguin. I will bring in salted sunflower seed, egg, wishbone, mouse cat toy, lentils, lace, and Styrofoam packing material. The children can create the scenery together, which can promote cooperative play and the use of their fine motor skills in building objects.

3) I can bring in pictures of how the sceneries look in real life, as well as bringing in the scanned postcards from the book. Here, the children can compare and contrast the different pictures, and see if they can match the scanned postcards with the photos of the real sceneries. This can help the children explore and sort the different photos. They can also practice their matching skills, and learn about similarities and differences.

Multicultural Books

 

Fortune Cookie Fortunes

Lin, G. (2004). Fortune cookie fortunes. USA: Alfred A. Knoff

ISBN 0-375-81521-X

This story is about a Chinese American girl who goes to a Chinese restaurant with her family. At the restaurant, each of the girl’s family members got a fortune cookie and read their fortune inside their cookies. The girl’s fortune was “You see the world in a different way”. The next day, the girl discovered that the fortunes her family members all received came true.  The girl then wondered if her fortune will come true too. Does she see the world in a different way? Her answer is, yes, she does see the world in different ways. She then became curious as to whether or not she will always see the world this way. She decided to crack another fortune cookie open to read another fortune, in which it said, “Look forward to a life of great fortune!” In the end, the girl believes that fortune cookies are always true.

This book is excellent for three to five-year olds because the story is short with one to two sentences per page. Because the story is short, the children will be able to sit through the entire story. In addition, this book is a great tool for children to learn about a different culture and the food the people in that culture eat. Furthermore, the vocabulary is simple enough for three to five-year olds to understand, and thus they will be able to enjoy the story. Also, the illustrations are enjoyable for preschool age children. The colourful picture of the origami and colourful birds can engage and attract children to the story. The characters’ clothes in the story are also unique, in different floral patterns and colors from each member of the family. All the different colors and patterns in the book create a cheerful atmosphere in which the children can enjoy.

Provocation:

To provoke the interest of the child, I would introduce fortune cookies for children to eat as a provocation. The children can also read what is written on their fortunes. This will really pique their curiosity because reading from a small piece of paper in a cookie may be completely new for them. As a result of this provocation, the children will be excited when they listen to the story about fortune cookies.

Another provocation could be to ask children if they have ever read from a piece of paper from a cookie before. If the children say no, then I will say, “How would you like to hear a story about people reading their fortunes on a piece of paper hidden inside a cookie?” The children will then be curious to learn about how to read fortunes from a cookie.

Presenting the Story:

1) I can have the children act out the story. I can make fortune cookies myself, stuffed with the described fortunes from the story. I will have children act as the characters in the story. They will be delighted to see the same fortune inside the fortune cookie as they saw from the story.

2) I can make a felt story with the pieces made by me. The pieces would include the girl and her four other family members, 1 fortune cookie that can open up to reveal the 5 white pieces of paper with small words on it that holds the fortune, a bench for the park, a tomato and leaf to represent the garden, two pieces of origami, 2 birds, 4 pieces of paper with words on how the girl sees the world, and one last piece of paper with the fortune for the end of the story.     

3) I can tell the story using fortune cookies. I can crack them and tell the children the story as if I am reading the whole story from the small pieces of paper from the fortune cookies.  

A spot where I think is perfect to stop for a minute and ask the children questions is near the end of the story where the author asks what the fortune cookie will say. The children can guess what the fortune will be. This is an opportunity to get the children to use their creativity and imagination to come up with a fortune. Another section to engage with the children is at the end of the book when the children are asked “I think fortune cookie fortunes are always true, don’t you?” This allows the children to consider the story and share their opinions and thoughts to the rest of the class on what they think of fortunes.

 Extending the Story:

1) I can have children write a fortune on a piece of paper, collect them, bake the fortune cookies with them, and then have the children randomly pick a fortune cookie. This will create curiosity and excitement because they are excited to pick a fortune that was written by another child. This activity will also help the children develop their creativity and imagination. They can think of something creative to write on the piece of paper.     

2) Because the story talked about the girl’s elder sister with lots of origami in her room, the children can fold origami. The next time when I present the story again, I can use the origami to aid me in telling the story. Folding origami can help the children develop their fine motor skills.

3) The children can go on a treasure hunt outside and look for the fortune cookies. The children will really enjoy this activity because they will want to find out what fortune they are going to find.

Multicultural Books

 
ISBN: 0882405756
Citation: Sloat, T. (2004). Berry Magic. Anchorage: Alaska Northwest Books.

Berry Magic tells an ancient Inuit origin story of how the variety of berries came to the tundra. Long ago, only little black crowberries existed on the tundra, and even though they did not taste very good, they still would be picked in order to make akutaq (Inuit ice cream) for the fall feast. A woman named Anana had an idea on how to fix this situation. She created four little dolls dressed in fur parkas, clothed in red, blue, orange and rose. She then brought these dolls up a nearby hill in the middle of the night and one by one called each doll out of her bag. Each doll that emerged from her bag had become a young girl, and with each joyous leap they took over the rolling hills of the tundra, blueberries, cranberries, salmonberries, and raspberries would magically emerge. Now there were enough berries for the fall feast and everyone could not get enough of the delicious berry-filled akutaq.

3-5 year olds will greatly enjoy this magical tale as each page is filled with bold and colourful illustrations that make you feel as if you are in every scene with Anana. Young children also get to learn about Inuit culture by learning about their customs, climate, clothing, and language. Throughout the text, some Inuit terms are used (and explained in English). The portion of the story when Anana calls the dolls she created out of her bag one by one, she sings “Atsa-ii-yaa Atsa-ii-yaa Atsaukina!” and the students can definitely join in each time. This is a great and enchanting story that will evoke children’s’ curiosities and wonder.

Background and Provocations
1.) Bring in four dolls dressed in parkas (or you can draw them, make them out of felt, etc.) to display in the classroom before reading the story.

2.) You can show pictures of the tundra and have some discussion about the people that live there, the climate, types of animals and plants that live and grow there, etc.

3.) After checking the dietary restrictions of the students, you can bring in the different berries mentioned in the story for the children to taste.

Presenting the Story
1.) Felt Story – the pieces you need for this story include green hills, Anana, four dolls (clothed in red, blue, orange and rose), the four dolls as young girls after emerging from Anana’s bag, Anana’s bag, blueberries, cranberries, salmonberries, raspberries (the number of each type of berry should be enough to decorate the green hill) and a bowl of akutaq.

2.) Props – the story can be told through the use of props. The props can be kept in a bag that looks similar to Anana’s bag. With the children gathered around, you can begin telling the story orally and as the story continues take out the props at the appropriate times. What you can use as props include the four dolls, the four types of berries, and a bowl of akutaq. When you take out the berries, you can also offer each student a berry to taste.

3.) Acting it Out with Props – you can have one student be Anana and allow her to carry around Anana’s bag. Prompt the student to take out each doll when they are being made and place them in her bag. When the student climbs the hill with the “heavy” bag, you can replace the bag with a blanket and have four other students underneath the blanket. Have the entire class sing “Atsa-ii-yaa Atsa-ii-yaa Atsaukina!” to prompt the students underneath the blanket to come out one by one and they can dance, hop, skip, etc. spreading their berries all over the tundra. At the end of the story, the students can pretend that they are having a feast and enjoying bowls of akutaq.

Wonders
Some wonders that can be included while reading the story include:
·    I wonder what Anana is thinking (p 4)
·    I wonder how she learned to make these beautiful dolls (p 8)
·    I wonder why Anana’s bag is getting heavier as she climbs the hill (p 13)
·    I wonder how amazing the tundra must look from the top of the hill (p 23)

Extensions
1.) Recipe - There is a recipe on the last page of the book on how to make akutaq. After checking with the students’ dietary restrictions, you can make akutaq together as a class.

2.) Stories and Discussion - More Inuit origin stories can be read and discussions can take place about Inuit culture with the children.

3.) Art Activity – allow the children to make their own magical dolls. We can sew two felt pieces together and fill with stuffing to create a basic doll. We can also precut clothing pieces for the parkas and allow the children to decorate the parkas with other pieces of felt, felt markers, etc.

Multicultural Books

 
ISBN: 1553377524
Citation: Uegaki, C. (2005). Suki's Kimono. Toronto: Kids Can Press.

Suki’s Kimono is about a young girl who decides to wear a blue cotton kimono that her grandma had given her on the first day of school, despite her sisters trying to convince her not to. Suki’s kimono is very special, as it allows her to relive the enchanting memories of when her grandmother visited and took her to an astounding Japanese street festival. From the weightless strings of paper lanterns, the thundering beats of the taiko drummers, and flowing movements of the Japanese dancers, Suki holds on to these wonderful memories. However, everyone else that Suki encounters does not seem to understand and she is teased by her classmates. Nonetheless, when the time comes for each student to share what they had done over the summer, Suki performs a dance that she witnessed during the Japanese street festival and everyone is left speechless. Things quickly turn around for Suki, and her kimono-wearing-ways are accepted with ease. Throughout the entire story Suki remains strong, and realises the importance of staying true to who you are.   

Young children will love Suki, as she is a bold and whimsical character that listens to her heart. The beautiful water colour illustrations take us on a journey through Suki’s memories and allow us to experience everything that took place from her perspective. The illustrations of the Japanese street festival are especially captivating and cause the readers to long to be there with Suki. As delightful as it is heartwarming, Suki’s Kimono will leave you wanting to book the next flight to Japan – or at least in our imaginations!


Background and Provocations
1.) Japanese music can be played in the classroom before reading the story (ie. festival music, taiko drumming, etc.)

2.) A Japanese paper lantern can be suspended from the ceiling of the classroom before presenting the picture book.

3.) Teachers can show pictures or videos of Japanese street festivals to the students and speak a little about the different performances and traditions that occur.

4.) If it is at all possible, coming to school wearing a kimono would be an awesome provocation!

Presenting the Story
1.) Clothesline Story – The story can be retold by having illustrations clipped on to the clothesline in sequential order. Key illustrations from the picture book can be photocopied to present the story. These can include: Suki coming down the stairs of her house in her kimono, the dancers under the paper lanterns, the taiko drummers, Suki and her sisters leaving to go to school, Suki’s classmates teasing her in class, Suki dancing in front of the class, and finally Suki walking back home happily in her kimono.

2.) Props and Puppets - The story can also be presented through props and puppets. Puppets can include but are not limited to Suki and her kimono, Suki’s sisters (can be made into one puppet as they only appear together in the story), Suki’s grandmother, a Japanese dancer, a Taiko drummer, and one of Suki’s classmates. Puppets can be made simply with felt, or dolls can also be used. Props can include but are not limited to a Japanese paper lantern (can be propped up on a stick/straw), and taiko drums (can be made by painting yogurt containers).

3.) Acting it Out – We can start by recreating Suki’s experience at the Japanese street festival with the children. Teachers can read the text from this part of the story and play Japanese music for the students to dance to, just as Suki and her grandmother did. Students can also wave paper lanterns to the music as well (paper lanterns can be made during an extension activity). Next we can play taiko drumming music and have the children either pretending to hit the taiko drums or having actually drums for them to use. For the next section we could orally tell the main points of the story (ie. Suki goes to school, everyone she meets teases her, her teacher then calls on her to share what she did during the summer). We can have the children pretend to be Suki and dance as she did in front of her class (and play music). Lastly we can then orally retell how everyone was amazed at her dance and began commenting positively about her kimono and have the children be Suki and skip happily back home.       

Wonders
Some wonders that can be included while reading the story include:
·    I wonder why Suki loves her kimono so much (p 2)
·    I wonder what kind of music these dancers are dancing to (p 6)
·    I wonder how it would feel to stand in front of these taiko drummers (p 8)
·    I wonder what will happen when she goes to school in her kimono (p 12)
·    I wonder what her classmates are thinking while seeing Suki dance (p 22)

Extensions
1.) Art Activity - Allowing the students to decorate their own kimono. We can prefold origami kimonos out of construction paper and allow the children to decorate it with felts, paint, etc. A website that has step-by-step instructions can be found here: http://mairuru.blogspot.com/2008/08/how-to-make-origami-kimono.html

2.) Art Activity – Create Japanese paper lanterns with the students. This website describes how to make a simple Japanese lantern, Japanese lantern ornaments, and floating Japanese lanterns: http://www.ehow.com/list_5895619_crafts-using-japanese-lanterns.html

3.) Additional Stories/Books – We could explore other storybooks or non-fiction books about Japanese culture. While doing this we can see what aspects of Japanese culture the students are most interested in and extend further from that (ie. If they enjoy learning about the food, we can have an activity to make sushi with them, etc.)

4.) Music and Dancing – Similar to the third way of presenting, we could bring in samples of Japanese music and allow the children to listen as well as dance to the music, describe how they feel while listening, what images come to mind, etc.

Multicultural Books

ISBN: 0688147364
Citation: Williams, V. B. (1996). More More More Said the Baby. New York: HarperTrophy.

More More More Said the Baby is separated into three sections and shares a snapshot into the lives of three children: Little Guy, Little Pumpkin, and Little Bird. Each child shares a fun and intimate interaction with a beloved family member, only to want “more, more, more” of their affection. With a rhythmic narrative, parts of the story also include a repetitive piece about a child’s belly button, toes, and eyes – allowing for an opportunity for the audience to participate as well.

The language of this picture book is quite simple, yet fun and full of expression that 3-5 year olds will surely enjoy. As each character in the story playfully interacts with a family member (a father, mother, and grandmother), children can think back on their own loving memories with their family. The vibrant illustrations have been created through gouache paintings and evoke an exciting and uplifting mood page after page.

Each character of this story comes from a different ethnic background, but by the end of the book, there is a sense of unity and connection with each character. Children will come away from this book with a delightful warmness and hopefully will want to share their own happy family memories with you.


Background and Provocations
1.) Teachers can ask the students to bring in a picture of themselves when they were a baby, and also bring one of ourselves as a baby and display them in the classroom. During circle time you can have a discussion about memories that the children have of what it was like when they were younger, including any nicknames that they may have been called (and the teacher can also share as well!)

2.) As the story includes memorable sections about the belly button, toes, and eyes of the characters, teachers can project or display a close up image of these parts of the body of a baby as a provocation in the classroom before the picture book is read. 


Presenting the Story
1.) Puppets - The story can be presented with 6 simple felt puppets cut out in a “gingerbread man” silhouette and fastened together with basic stitching. Be sure to make the “family member” larger and the “baby” puppet smaller. Each pair of puppets can be dressed and coloured to resemble the ethnic diversity among characters in the story. You can make the puppets enthusiastically carry out all of the actions in the story from blowing blueberries to gently kissing the eyes of a baby.

2.) Felt Story – This picture book can also be presented through a felt story. There are 6 characters that will be needed: Little Guy’s father, Little Guy (with his belly button showing), Little Pumpkin’s grandma, Little Pumpkin (with his toes showing), Little Bird’s mother, and Little Bird (with her eyes closed because she’s asleep). Again, each character can be dressed and coloured to resemble the ethnic diversity among characters in the story. Furniture that can also be created include a blue chair (for Little Guy), an orange chair (for Little Pumpkin), and a sofa & bed (for Little Bird).

3.) Acting the Story Out – The story can also be told aloud with specific emphasis on sections of the book that the students can act out. These sections include: Little Guy running from his father, Little Guy showing his belly button (and pretending that it is being kissed), Little Pumpkin scooting away from grandma, Little pumpkin wiggling his toes (and pretending that they get kissed), Little Bird fast asleep, Little Bird being rocked back and forth. The students can also be encouraged to repeat “’More, more, more!’ said the baby” a well.


Wonders
Some wonders that can be included while reading the story include:
·    I wonder how excited Little Guy feels to be tossed up in the air (p 5)
·    I wonder what Little Pumpkin is thinking when grandma says his toes are “good enough to eat” (p 18)
·    I wonder how loved Little Bird must feel while her mom is rocking her softly (p 24)


Extensions
1.) Creating a Book – Take a picture of each student and also ask them to bring a picture of themselves when they were a baby with their family. Create a class book with the images of each student side by side on each page (don’t forget to include yourself, too!). Keep the book on the shelf for the students to look through as they please.

2.) Songs and Fingerplays – Introduce new songs and fingerplays about babies.
Some songs you can sing include:

These are Baby’s Fingers
These are baby’s fingers,
These are baby’s toes,
This is baby’s belly button,
Round and round it goes!



I’ll Love You Forever
Another day’s passed
You’re growing so fast,
Soon you’ll be walking, I know.
I’ll hold your hand
And I’ll help you stand,
Till one day you’ll walk on your own.

And I’ll love you forever,
Forever and ever my baby you’ll be,
Yes, I’ll love you forever
Forever and ever my baby you’ll be,
Forever and always my baby you’ll be.

(example songs are from: Cobb, J. (2007). What'll I Do with the Baby-O?. New York: Black Sheep Press.)

3.) Discussion – There can be a discussion about babies with the students, including how they develop, how they learn crawl before walking, how to care for babies, what noises babies make, what to feed babies, etc. Keep the discussion interactive by having a baby doll with you and you can have the students demonstrate different actions (ie. how to rock a baby, feed a baby, kiss it good night, etc.)