read-alouds – Peaceful Reader

Snowmen, Snowwomen=Snowpeople

(photo courtesy of Snowman Pics)

This first week back at school is always tough-teachers and students are tired. In the Midwest its been cold and will be cold, cold, cold through March. It is a long season for kids to tolerate. To bring a little fun into the first week back and share their holiday break stories, we’ve been talking snowmen and reading books featuring the funny snow creations. Here’s my list of books I’m using with students through January, hopefully giving kids a light-hearted look at winter.

Read this week:

It’s Winter (2002) by Linda Glaser-great alliteration which keeps even the youngest students awake with the fun sounds. Even though this is fiction it has interesting facts and just as the reluctant listener might be giving up their head snaps back at the mention of bats and bees hibernating!

All You Need for a Snowman (2002) by Alice Schertle-I’ve fallen in love with this book and don’t know why I haven’t used it for a read-aloud before. Poetic passages and whimsical illustration keep liitle ones(and me) mesmerized. “Three hand-packed, triple-stacked balls of snow. Hat on top, where a hat should go-that’s all you need for a snowman. Except for…” and the next page gives you another item to add to the big, billowy snowman

To Read:

Snowballs (1999)by Lois Ehlert-This one has always been my go-to book for winter. This year a teacher borrowed it before I had a chance to which may be a good thing as it led me to search anew.

A Snowman named Just Bob (1999)and its mate A Snowgirl named Just Sue (2005)by Mark Kimball Moulton- good, paired set to read together. A bit over the top in cheesy though and long.

Oh! (1999)by Kevin Henkes-in simple form shows the pure joy of winter snow.

Tracks in the Snow (2003)by Wong Herbert Yee-good, mini-mystery showing us a lovely outdoor winter world.

Snowmen at Night(2002) by Caralyn and Mark Buehner-with a little imagination a young boy thinks of fun things snowmen must go off and do while everyone else is sleeping. Classic fun and probably what we will read next week.

Stranger in the Woods; A photographic fantasy(2000) by Carl R. Sams II and Jean Stoick-Love this story, the kids love the “mystery” and the photos are beautiful!

There was an old Lady who swallowed some Snow! (2003)by Lucille Colandro and Jared Lee-rhyming, rollicking fun and kids cannot resist getting involved in this readaloud.

A Really Good Snowman (2005) by Daniel J. Mahoney-I discovered this charming tale last year and enjoyed reading it aloud because it has such a sweet message about helping smaller siblings out. Cute animal characters compete in a snowman competition. Perfect for 2nd and 3rd grade.

What am I missing? What snowman and winter books are your favorites?

Share your ideas in a comment so I can expand my collection.

The Little Piano Girl; The Story of Mary Lou Williams, Jazz Legend

Written by Ann Ingalls and Maryann Macdonald

Illustrated by Giselle Potter

2010

From the very first page you can tell this is going to be a fun book to read. Mary is riding on a train and is clapping and singing along to the sounds she hears. The author’s don’t just tell us that, they show us, “She sang the sound of its whistle, ‘Chug-ga, chug-ga, chug-ga…Toot! Toot!’ The train went faster, leaving home behind. ‘Clackety-clack! Clackety-clack! Clackety-clack! Mary clapped and sang softly so that Mama and her sister, Mamie, could sleep.” (1)

There seems to be a whole new genre of biographies in fiction format, making them perfect read-alouds. Authors Ingalls and Macdonald wrote this with such a good rhythm that the words practically POP off the page. Everything snaps together while we learn about Mary Lou Williams and how she learned to play sitting on her mother’s lap at the age of three. The illustrations by Giselle Potter (The Boy Who Loved Words) are bold and evoke an early era.

5/5 picnic basket rating

Buy The Little Piano Girl from an Indie Store

or The Boy Who Loved Words

Library Finds

Been to the library.

Have a whole stack to share.

1. Creamed Tuna Fish & Peas on Toast (2009) by Philip Christian Stead

This one is cute with a great refrain-kids will love to help you repeat it. Wild Man Jack does not like creamed tuna fish & peas on toast so all week long his sweet children ask him “What will you do if Mama Jane cooks creamed tuna fish and peas on toast?” and each time he responds with a new reply. What makes this book really dynamic is the cool layered illustration created by Stead. Click on the author for his funky website.

2. Food For Thought; The stories behind the things we eat (2009) by Ken Robbins.
This is a good resource book with detailed information about apples, oranges, corn, bananas, tomatoes, potatoes pomegranates, grapes and mushrooms. Each food covers at least 3-4 pages with everything from how to eat it, how it grows and its history. The information is interesting but seems scattered to me. About the banana he moves from where bananas grow (Southeast Asia, Africa, India, Central America) to what a Banana republic is (large plantation owner from developed country in charge of poorest pickers), to a discussion about bananas vs. plantains to the healthy benefits of bananas and then jumps to Carmen Miranda becoming Chiquita Banana advertising to slapstick comedy (slipping on a banana peel). While it was jumpy to me I think kids will enjoy the variety of topics and how fast moving it reads.

3. Our Corner Grocery Store (2009) by Joanne Schartz; illustrated by Laura Beingessner.

This sweet book tells the story of Anna Maria, who helps her grandparents at their store. Nonno Domenico and Nonna Rosa open the store promptly at eight and Anna Maria helps Nonno arrange the fruit and vegetables in the front wooden racks. It talks about pricing the produce, the layout of the store and the variety of items they stock. The lunchtime crowd shows the deli side, with everyone picking their favorite meats and cheeses. Both peaceful girl and I noticed how important to the grocery store is to the neighborhood and how they all help each other. This brought back memories of grocery stores of the past but also of city markets I shopped at in Chicago. I can see this book as a great tool for teachers in my school. Click here for an interview with author and illustrator froom Open Book Toronto.

Reading and writing about these three books has made me hungry. Time for lunch.
I hope you check out any of these books at your own library and explore with a child or your own child-like eyes!

Emberley/Emberley/Emberley

Can you imagine coming from such talented folk…three Emberley’s-father, daughter and granddaughter are the authors/illustrators/songwriters of There was an old monster (2009). The song is linked with the title-click and listen!!

My peaceful girl picked this out of our library stack for reading last night and she loved the rhythm of it and wanted to read it again and again. I think it is a perfect lead in for Halloween books and kids will totally love the accompanying song! There are so many different versions of There was an old lady who swallowed a fly, (Simms Taback is number one, for me, though! There was an old monster adds its own unique quirkiness!

Enjoy-it will make you smile and snap your fingers!

I attempted several times to access Ed Emberley’s website and couldn’t. I was asked to download flashplayer, did it and still couldn’t get to his site-?
I’m sure it is cool and I feel a little left out!
Peaceful Girl likes to match things up (are you surprised?) and she paired this book up with my copy of The Flim-Flam Fairies by the very funny song man Alan Katz!! This book tries to get kids to put other substances under their pillows instead of teeth!! Kids will love this book but I probably won’t be reading it for storytime!! Click here for Alan Katz’s website.
The illustrations are very, very funny-especially the last one-Click here for Michael Slack’s site.
Click here to see the cookbook I have to order for my library!!