Yes, I’ve combined my two themes into one this week. Don’t be so surprised. Haven’t I done that before?
I was delighted to sub at Soundview school last week, and my duties consisted mostly of playing with small children and helping out in my old library. Of course I’m grateful for that opportunity!
I work at home now, so it’s a given that playing with small children is good for my brain. I got tape and paper Band-Aids applied to imaginary owies, and I helped to build some cool structures. I also got to play with my favorite dinosaur: a stegosaurus!
As for helping in the library, that and the kindergarten art class I also covered gave me the chance to read a bunch of picture books, both aloud and to myself (finally! you say).
What a joy.
The Iridescence of Birds: A Book About Henri Matisse, by Patricia MacLachlan, illustrated by Hadley Hooper
Beautiful biography. It makes me want to observe the world around me more closely.
Little Red Henry, by Linda Urban, illustrated by Madeline Valentine
Really, it is great when we find out that loving someone needn’t always mean protecting them from the world.
Stick and Stone, by Beth Ferry, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
It’s all about being friends, and how sometimes, we’re better individuals when we’re teamed up together.
Tiny Creatures: The World of Microbes, by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Emily Sutton
What a wonderful science title. I love this book for its accessibility – so many ages can get so much from it! I want my own copy to ponder over and over.
The End, by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Richard Egielski
This book is so satisfying to puzzle over with kids. We read it from the beingning (the end) to the end (the beginning). Then we tried to read it backwards to make it all turn right side to, and – well, we really couldn’t!
Gator Gumbo, by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Sally Anne Lambert
How delighted was I to be invited to read aloud to 4th graders in their library class? Very! They had finished their novel time with the teacher and had extra time to share some other books. They chose two, and this is one of my favorites to read aloud. Fantastic opportunities for playing with voices.
The Magic Bojabi Tree, by Dianne Hofmeyr, illustrated by Piet Grobler
It was very fun to re-read this book as part of a Kindergarten art class! I had fun helping little folks to explore shapes and patterns and move beyond worrying about the outlines of the animals they created after we shared the story.
Wolfie the Bunny, by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Zachariah Ohora
Aw, this book is all about what family really means…
Good Night, Goon: A Petrifying Parody, by Michael Rex
Goofy little book I read during naptime in Junior Kindergarten.
Did you have any opportunities to read picture books this week?
The Best of It 