Pictures from Wednesday's Tot Spot

We had a blast!

It's Raining Cats!

This week I had the opportunity to visit the Chelsea Public Library and read during the Tot Spot. We had a blast, and I enjoyed being able to read about my favorite pet, CATS! So, this week we have three feline-centered books for you to read to your child.

Come Here Tiger

by Alex Moran

Summary: Where, oh where, is Tiger?

Tiger's young mistress can't find him, but she uncovers every other pet in the household before he magically appears. Young readers will love the visual clues of Tiger's whereabouts, and will no doubt be shouting, "The window! The window!" long before the end of the book. Moran's carefully chosen vocabulary and repetition of words and phrases make this an excellent book for sharpening reading skills in the beginning reader, and Lisa Campbell Ernst's humorous illustrations are the icing on the cake.

Mr. Putter and Tabby Feed the Fish

by: Cynthia Rylant

Summary: Oh my! A Twitch and Bat Cat!

Mr. Potter's desire to have a fishbowl like he had as a child becomes a disaster when Tabby develops a problem with fish (they make her twitch and bat). Mrs. Teaberry and her good dog Zeke come to the rescue in an ending that is happy for all. Young readers will want to read more in the Mr. Putter & Tabby series, as these winsome pals have a way of winning the reader's heart.

 

 

 

 

A Bed Full of Cats

by: Holly Keller

Summary: "Flora, come home!"

Lee loves his kitty, Flora, who sleeps with him every night, and he is devastated when Flora suddenly disappears one night. The surprise ending will be met with relief and joy by the young readers. "A Bed Full of Cats" is a nice way of introducing cats and kittens to children who have not had any direct contact with them, and might form the basis for a life-long love affair with cats.
 
 
 

Some great Activities to do with these books:

1. Visit a local shelter and volunteer.

2. Draw wiskers on your face, with face paint.

3. Be a cat for the day!

4. Check out this website with coloring pages, fun toilet roll cat crafts, and many more fun feline things! http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/pets-cats.html

 

 

 

You and your child will have a purrrrrrrfectly wonderful time!

Book of the Week! July 20

Amelia Bedelia

by: Peggy Parish

Amelia Bedelia was one of my favorite characters as a child. Parish's writing is easy to follow and fun to read along with, so this book is perfect for reading together.

Summary:From dressing the chicken to dusting the furniture, Amelia Bedelia does exactly what her employers tell her...But somehow, things don't turn out quite right!Recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Some Activities for you and your child:
1. Amelia also has stories of her childhood, check out HarperCollins Children's Meet Amelia Bedelia website with many great activities to do with your children. Find it here: http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/kids/gamesandcontests/features/amelia/fun.aspx

2. Talk about what can be taken literally with your child. Making a sponge cake with actual sponges? Dusting the furniture? What is being "literal?"

A Great Learning Site!

I have been visiting this website today and have found its vocabulary lessons to be very beneficial! I would suggest it for ages 8-up. Have a great Wednesday! :)

http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/

"Despicable" Book of the Week! July 13

I went with my Mom last night to see the movie Despicable Me, and have fallen in love! In the movie Gru shares his home with 3 orphans, and through a bedtime story, shares his heart. This movie is a wonderful example of how reading with our children can be both a learning experience and a bonding time. Most small children's books only take about five minutes to read, and what better time to bond than right before bedtime?

So in honor of the movie's book, Three Little Kittens, I found a children's book that is also called Three Little Kittens! Check it out!

Summary: Preschool-Grade 1. Galdone lends new life and sense to the verse in this exuberant retelling of the Mother Goose rhyme with four delightful feline characters. The large type is readable and inviting, with only one or two lines of text per page. Double-page spreads are filled with vibrant watercolor washes over ink sketches. While the expressions of the cats will be the focus of children's attention, there are countless details for them to discover for themselves, such as the animal-influenced decor of the cats' home, the spice cabinet filled with different varieties of catnip, and cat ancestor portraits. Children will relate to the kittens' deserved punishment for carelessness, their theatrical displays of sorrow, and their earnest efforts to get into both their mother's good graces and that delicious looking pie. This refreshingly hearty version of the nonsense verse will be as much a favorite of adult storytellers as it will be of toddler listeners.

Activities for this book: Have a special night before bed, reading the book and bonding.

Here's a HOT Book of the Week!

Sizzle!

by:Rick Thomas

   These past two weeks the heat index has been extremely high, and children may want to know why it gets this hot in the summer months. Rick Thomas has written a great book describing what happens in the heat.

About the book: Wow, it's hot! No rain in sight, and the temperatures are soaring. Find out what happens in the city and in the country when a heat wave hits.

So, how about some sun safety activities to go along with our book? Here are some great printouts that include coloring sheets, crossword puzzles, and more for a day inside, out of that HEAT!

http://www.nsc.org/safety_home/BringSafetyHome/Documents/Sun%20Safety%20Activity%20Book.pdf

More things to think about in conjuction with this book:
1. Have a conversation about things you can do to cool your body down, ask your child to think about reasons why those tactics work. (This works with inference abilities.)
2. Make a chart of the temperature throughout the day, or week. Have your child guess what the next day's temperature could be.
3. Explore the other weather changes that happen in the summer, check out more books on these changes!