The Woods by Paul Hoppe

Book Review: The Woods by Paul Hoppe

My kids love to be scared. They beg their dad to hide and pop out screaming.

And it just so happens, that for kids who love to be a bit frightened, The Woods by Paul Hoppe is a big hit.

Especially for little 2 year old Y. I guess it makes him feel brave.

In the story, a boy can't find his bunny anywhere. There's only one place left to look. The Woods.

He's not afraid until he meets a big, brown bear...but then he discovers that the bear is just afraid of the dark, so he shares his night-light.

They come to two giants, then a fire-breathing triple-headed dragon, and finally the big, hairy, monster who stole the boy's bunny.

He is very brave.

The words are sparse and simple, and the illustrations are fabulous.

Hogwash by Karma Wilson, Illustrated by Jim McMullan

Book Review: Hogwash by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jim McMullan

This is such a fun book! I mean, I went into it with a biased opinion, since I'm a die-hard Karma Wilson fan...but truly...this one is so fun!

Farmer decides to clean his animals until they're all spic-n-span. Everything goes swimmingly until Farmer reaches the hogs.

They are very opinionated about staying dirty.

What will Farmer do? He tries showering them with a hose (that just makes more mud), bribing them with pizza ("Just leave it by the sty."), and flying over in a crop-duster. 

You'll have to read the book to see who comes out the winner. You may be surprised. 

Everyone (including Dad and Me) are really enjoying this entertaining, rhyming new release. Love it!!!

Making Art out of Basic Shapes

A lot of the work we do is based on things I think Bubs should be learning or wants to learn. Welly is next. Wy-Wy enjoys tagging along for lessons and storytimes, but once in a while a lesson is more geared toward the littlest ones. That doesn't mean we can't all have fun, though. Who doesn't love acting like a toddler now and then?

You've probably already figured out what we did for this simple mini lesson. We just drew basic shapes and identified them. Then we used our shapes to make pictures.

I also had Bubs draw lines on the shapes, making them symmetrical (as seen in the top picture).

Fun, simple, easy...and like usual, the kids kept working on their projects while I read aloud to them for a while.

PS. We love our morning Read-Aloud time. It's something we never miss. Right now, we're working our way through Blue by Joyce Moyer Hostetter (Review here).

For the Little Truck Lovers

There are two books that I am currently reading to Wy-Wy about 500 times per day. Surprisingly, I'm not too terribly sick of them either, because they are super fun, with great rhythm and rhyme. Both of these are highly recommended for little truck lovers.

And once you've read them a few million times, start leaving words out at the ends of the lines. Let your little one try to fill in the rhymes.

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site by new author, Sherri Duskey Rinker, and experienced illustrator, Tom Lichtenheld


Crane, Cement Mixer, and Dump Truck have worked and played all day at the construction site. Now they're tired, and getting ready to sleep in the soft dirt.

As they go to sleep, your little one will want to follow suit because of the contrast between the fun play and the soft sounds of night.

Wy is obsessed with dump trucks, so I'll share with you his favorite pages.

Dump Truck loves to work and haul.
He carries loads both big... and small,
He moves the dirt from place to place,
Then dumps it with a happy face.

One final load spills on the heap (crrrunch!);
Now Dump Truck's tired
And wants to sleep.

He lowers his bed, locks his gate,
Rests his wheels; it's getting late.
He dims his lights, then shuts his doors,
And soon his engine slows to snores.

Shh...goodnight, Dump Truck, goodnight.

Cute, huh? I knew it would be love at first sight for Wy...What I didn't know, is that I would love it, too.

 Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle, illustrated by Jill McElmurry

We've had this book for a few months, and I think any member of the family could quote parts of it.

Little Blue Truck is happy-go-lucky and kind to everyone. The farm animals all say hello when he passes.

But when a big, dump truck comes along, speeding through town, feeling very self-important, the animals don't pay much attention.

Zooming around a corner, the Dump gets stuck in the mud. He calls for help, but the animals ignore him.

Along comes cheery Blue to save the day, but the job is too big for him alone. When Little Blue calls for help, all the animals come running.

There was one part of the rhyme that took me a couple tries to get, but the rest is flawless in its rhythm.

Little Blue Truck has definitely become a favorite around here (and not just with Wy-Wy.)

Hot off the Press!!!

I received some new picture books for review, and I'm excited to tell you about three that are super fun. There's a picture book, a board book, and a book that falls somewhere in between.  :)

Press Here by Herve Tullet

I love when a picture book interacts with young readers in a unique, creative way. This book definitely does that.

Young readers follow simple instructions on each page. Their actions result in changes in the dots. For example, it says to tap five times on the yellow dot, and then when you turn the page, five dots are there. When you shake the book to one side, all the dots fall that direction. When you blow the book, the dark background creeps away.

Press Here would be great for preschoolers and new readers who can manage words like 'finally' and 'straight'.

The pages of the book are sturdy, somewhere in between a board book and a normal picture book.

Along with a whole lot of fun, this book is great for young children learning to follow directions.

Me...Jane by Patrick McDonnell

Jane Goodall is well-known for her work with animals, particularly chimpanzees...but what was she like as a child? In Me...Jane, you'll find simple text, enchanting artwork, and a small girl who loves her stuffed chimp, Jubilee.

Jane always loved nature. As she explored and studied books about nature, she had Jubilee to keep her company. He even came along when Jane hid in Grandma Nutt's chicken coop to find out where eggs came from.

This book is full of the wonder of childhood. The story doesn't give much information about Jane herself, but it shows her ever-growing love for the world around her and shows how she lived her dreams.

The end of the book has a biography about Jane Goodall and a note from her to the readers.

This book was a pleasant surprise for me. I enjoyed it much more than I expected I would.

Rocket Town by Bob Logan

What Rocket Town may lack in story, it makes up in uniquely eye-catching artwork. After all, most board-book chewers...I mean readers...can't sit through a whole lot of words anyway.

Little lovers of rockets and things that go will enjoy this fun little book about rockets, big and small, especially the countdown to blast off at the end!

Happy Reading.

xoxo,
Emily

Field Trips, Part 2.

Scheduling

1. Call the venue where you want to go in advance. Some places require a lot of notice, and some aren't ready far in advance. Your best bet is to call a month or more before, and then if they don't plan that far out, you call again as the desired date approaches. Be open to their schedule if possible. Be prepared with an estimate of the number of participants. Ask about group rates/field trip rates.

2. Give everyone a calendar of scheduled events, and then remind them as the field trip approaches. On the schedule, be sure to include the name of the venue, the address, the date and time, the price, and any other important info. Also include your contact info in case they get lost or need to cancel.

3. When my kids were little, I led a playgroup. Every other week was a field trip, while the alternating weeks were park days/play dates in homes. It was a great experience, but the field trip costs added up. I tried to incorporate as many free activities as possible, such as nature walks.

Now I organize a monthly field trip for our homeschool co-op. Once a month feels like a better amount for my family at this time.

Collecting Money


Some venues require that everyone pay as a group. This can be the hardest part of planning an event. If you have to pay together, have everyone mail you or hand you their money in advance. Keep a list of everyone you are expecting, and check off their names as you receive their money. I also like to keep a tally of the total number of people for ease of paying. If the price is different for adults and children, keep separate tallies for them. You may want to require that everyone pay you in cash so you can include it when you pay for the group.

Discuss Respect


Sometimes it is necessary to briefly talk to the kids about how they should behave while on the field trip. On a recent visit to the police station, it was necessary to be very quiet, so we wouldn't disturb the dispatchers. Talk about showing respect for your guides and following their rules.

Have Fun


Stay together. Have plenty of adults. It helps if the adults are engaged in the field trip, as well. Their interest will rub off on the kids.

Does anyone else have tips for planning field trips for large groups?

Field Trips, Part 1.

Robby likes to joke that we can't buy a house that isn't near any museums. That's not actually far from the truth. We love our field trips. Here is a list of some we have enjoyed...

1. Visit a fire station. Call ahead for a tour.
2. Police station. Watch out...they might lock you up.
3. California Pizza Kitchen. Ask about tours and making personal pizzas.
4. Museums. Obviously. We are near several Universities, all of which have museums.
5. Local Grocery store. We have one nearby that does tours through the store, into the storerooms, and through the refrigerators. Then, they give everyone soft serve! It's a big hit.
6. Sub Zero Ice Cream. This one is coming up. They freeze your ice cream in front of you with liquid nitrogen. Makes a great science lesson! And the fresh ice cream, Oh My. So Yummy.
7. Beautiful places in nature. Ours usually include Daddy and water with fish in it.
8. Plays.
9. Library events.
10. Pumpkin Patches/Corn Mazes in fall
11. Farms.
12. Factories.
13. Churches.
14. Historical Sites.
15. Pick-Your-Own produce places. This is an all-time favorite for us!
16. Tumbling gyms.
17. Model Train show.
18. The zoo.
19. The aquarium.
20. Train rides.
21. Skiiing
22. Roller Skating.
23. Ice Skating.
24. Nickel Arcade.
25. Space center.
26. Small airports.
27. Aviaries.
28. Mines.
29. Printing Presses.
30. Newspapers.
31. TV stations.
32. Planetariums.
33. State capital.
34. Bakeries.
35. Fish hatcheries.
36. Candy factory.
37. Gardens.
38. Hospitals.
39. Water parks.
40. Ice castles.
41. Christmas light displays.
42. Water treatment facility.
43. Caves.
44. Nature trails.
45. State parks.
46. Deseret Industries or other thrift stores/donation centers.
47. Soup kitchens.
48. Local fairs and carnivals.
49. Post Office.
50. IMAX movies.
51. Dollar movies.
52. The Symphony.
53. Choir shows.
54. Disneyland.
55. Farmers Market.
56. Nursing homes.
57. Colleges.
58. Animal festivals. We have a llama fest, sheep shearing festival, dairy festival...
59. Waterfalls.
60. Trails.
61. Banks.
62. Ethnic restaurants.
63. Nursery.
64. Dams.

All, right. There are a couple here we haven't done yet.

Here's a picture of our latest...

Disneyland. Looks exciting, huh?

Tomorrow, I'll share tips for planning field trips for large groups...which I've done a LOT. See you then.

Best Wordless Picture Books

Personally, I'm not that into wordless books. I find myself fumbling for what to say when I 'read' them to my kids...and I write for children for fun.

However, I see great value in them for children who are not intimidated by such things. They can create their own stories and read them to us.

Our favorite wordless picture books are:

1. Chalk by Bill Thomson: This is our hands-down favorite. Some multicultural children find a bag of chalk. Everything they draw becomes real...butterflies, the sun...and then, one of the kids draws a dinosaur. The tyrannosaurus comes after the kids. They run for shelter in the playground. The dinosaur can't beat the kids' creativity, though. They draw something to destroy the dinosaur.


2. Tuesday by David Wiesner: Evening comes, and the frogs come out. They fly through the quiet sky until morning, when they wait for their next excursion.






3. The Chicken Thief by Beatrice Rodriguez: A wolf steals a chicken, and the chicken's friends try to come to his rescue...but the wolf is just looking for a friend.






4. The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney: Aesop's fable is brought to life in gorgeous artwork. An unlikely friendship forms between the lion and the mouse when lion allows mouse to live. Mouse finds a way to return the favor.










5. Shadow by Suzy Lee: Shadow is an imaginative look at what shadows can look like to a little girl. It's really interesting, though less of a story than the previous recommendations.






6. A Long Piece of String by William Wondriska: This is a wordless alphabet book. Simple line drawings. It's really unique. We followed the string from one orange drawing to the next, not even realizing that we were making our way through the ABC's until the last page. What a fun surprise!

Just Some Random Art Projects

:: A little cafe that became part of a village

::An egg carton alligator

::Felt pencil toppers

::Art work made from nature finds.