Room on the Broom

Room on the Broom

Written by Julia Donaldson

Illustrated by Axel Scheffler

I love Halloween.  I love the clever costumes, fun foods, parties, and decorations.  We meet and talk to more neighbors on Halloween night than on any other night of the year.  Most of all, I love seeing my little ones dressed up and excited for their night full of goodies.

Whatever your thoughts on the holiday may be, I do hope that you'll include Room on the Broom as one of your October read-alouds.  A witch and her cat are flying on a broom when various items fall to the ground, such as the witch's hat, her hair bow, and her wand.  Each time they go to retrieve the fallen item, a new animal comes out with the lost item, along with a request to join the witch and the cat on the broom.  Excitement continues when the broom breaks and a dragon enters the story!  

Retelling:  Shadow Puppets

The characters in the story are all perfect candidates for shadow puppets.  My kiddos had the time of their lives putting on a puppet show while I read aloud the story.  They played with the shadow puppets the entire afternoon.  

To make the shadow puppets, I found free coloring pages of the main characters.  I printed them off on cardstock and cut around the edges.  I then taped a skewer on to the back (I would recommend using Popsicle sticks if you have little ones!).

To make the shadow puppet theater, I cut off the top and bottom flaps of a cardboard box.  I then covered the top opening of the box with a white piece of tissue paper and taped the tissue paper to the sides.  We used a small lamp, and it worked out great.  

You might also check out the book's website!  It has some fabulous resources and activities!

Happy reading!

Emily

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

We finished reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory a few months ago, and it is still being talked about in our home.  Over the past couple of months, I've come across some fun ways to include the book in our activities sessions, and had to revisit the book. 

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

by Roald Dahl

 

Imaginative Play
Anna over at The Imagination Tree shares a fun Willy Wonka activity found here.  She has some REALLY fun uses for play dough on her blog, and really goes all out.  We used her chocolate play dough recipe, along with some of the names of treats from the book to jump start our own little creativity session.

We started by making some of the classic treats from the book (everlasting gobstoppers, magic chewing gum,eatable marshmallow pillows, snozberries, etc.), and then they took off with their own creations.  I wish I would have written down the names that my crew came up with because they were fantastic! 

I had to add a square candy that looks round.  :)

I do wish that I would have had some sprinkles on hand, along with some candy cups.  We kept ours incredibly {simple}, and it kept us happily engaged for a couple of hours.  It is always fun for me to watch their creativity in action!  We'll definitely be revisiting this activity.

Kitchen Fun:

THEN I ran across these cookbooks.  Score!  They are written by Roald and Felicity Dahl, and are illustrated by Quentin Blake.  All of the recipes are inspired by foods mentioned in his books, and are hilarious to read.  I wish I could share one of the recipes without breaking copyright laws!  They are full of creativity and fun.

 

In Roald Dahl's Even More Revolting Recipes, there is a recipe for "Wonka's Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delight", a toffee and marshmallow ice cream topping.

Math/Science:

In the book, there is a nut room full of squirrels testing walnuts to see if they are bad or good.  It is here that the squirrels test Veruca Salt to see if she is a good nut or not.  We used peanuts instead of walnuts for a little math and science lab.  

First, we estimated how many peanuts we had.

 Then we counted, and counted by tens.

 Last, but not least, we sorted.  And analyzed.  And ate. 

Interesting Fact:

As a young school boy, Roald and his friends were busted for putting a mouse in the local candy shop's jar of gobstoppers (information found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roald_dahl).

Happy reading!

Emily

Perfect Picture Book Friday: Bartholomew and the Oobleck

All week long, my little ones and I have been delving into books written by Dr. Seuss.  Today, I got to introduce them to Bartholomew and the OOBLECK.  It is one that is familiar to most, but it was fun for me to revisit this classic!

Bartholomew and the OOBLECK

by Dr. Seuss

(Random House, 1949, Fiction)

Perfect for 5-9 years old

Opening:  "They still talk about it in the Kingdom of Didd as The-Year-the-King-Got-Angry-with-the-Sky."

 Brief Summary:  King Derwin of Didd is incredibly bored with everything that falls from the sky (rain, snow, sunshine, and fog).  He summons his royal magicians to make something new fall from the sky, and they succeed in their task with the creation of oobleck.  The only problem is that oobleck is a horribly sticky substance that traps anyone and everyone it comes in contact with.  The whole kingdom is being ruined by its effects.   Bartholomew, the king's wise pageboy, is the only one who can help the king stop the disastrous effects of oobleck.

Why I Like It:  Dr. Seuss knows exactly how to create an interesting story while teaching a lesson at the same time.  In Bartholomew and the Oobleck, Seuss teaches the importance of saying "I'm sorry", and admitting when one is wrong. All of the illustrations are in black and white except for the green oobleck, which appears in greater and greater quantities as the story progresses.  Bartholomew is such a wise character and seems to be the only one with sense, even though he is not only a boy, but also a servant.  What child doesn't love a story about green goo?

As a follow-up activity, we made some "oobleck" of our own. It is just something that has to be done after reading a story about sticky green goo.  

Homemade Slime  ("Oobleck")

Recipe from Our Best Bites
For the complete tutorial, head here.

1 teaspoon borax powder

1 1/2 cup water, divided

1/2 cup white Elmer’s glue

green food coloring

Add borax powder to 1 cup of water and stir to dissolve.  Set aside.  Pour glue into a medium mixing bowl and add 1/2 cup water. Add a few drops of food coloring and then stir to mix glue solution until smooth.  Pour the borax mixture into the glue mixture.  Stir for a few moments and then use your hands to gather the mass.  The mixture will be very soft and wet.  Keep kneading until it firms up and feels dry.  Discard excess liquid in bowl. The more you knead and play with the slime the firmer it will become.  Store in a Ziploc bag or air tight container.

Happy reading!

Emily

Dr. Seuss Week: Ten Apples Up On Top!

Today we are celebrating Dr. Seuss week with one of my childhood favorites.  

Ten Apples Up On Top!

Written by Theo. LeSieg and Illustrated by Roy McKie
Originally published in 1961

Perfect for: 3-7 years old

 

Three animals are having a somewhat friendly competition with each other to see who can balance the most apples on their heads while trying to perform pretty outrageous balancing acts.  

The only problem is that the house they are practicing in is not their own and the apples they are using are not their own.  They belong to a very unhappy mother bear who is intent on knocking them down with a mop. To find out if she succeeds in her mission of knocking down the apples, you'll just have to pick up this classic. 

We had fun stacking our own "apples".  After we read the story, we each created a tiger head out of Play-Doh and poked half of a skewer into the Play-Doh.  I read the story aloud again as we all added beads on to the skewer to show the number of apples on the tiger's head in the story.

Their little tigers made me smile.

Please use good judgment and supervision when using sharp objects.

I think we may need a friendly little apple stacking contest of our own one of these nights.  

Interesting Fact:

Whenever Theodore Geisel (Dr. Seuss) wrote a book that was illustrated by someone other than himself, he wrote under the pen name Theo. LeSieg.  LeSieg is Geisel spelled backwards.  Thus, since Ten Apples Up On Top was illustrated by Roy McKie, many editions of the book have Theo. LeSieg as the author.

Happy reading!

Emily

Dr. Seuss Week: Horton Hatches the Egg

Yesterday was kind of a big day in the reading community.  As you may know, March 2nd is the birthday of Theodore Seuss Geisel, who is better known as Dr. Seuss.  In celebration, I'll be highlighting our favorite books throughout the week, along with some fun activities.  Check back throughout the week!

We kicked off the week by reading Horton Hatches the Egg.  My kids love the story as much as I do.

Horton Hatches the Egg

by Dr. Seuss

Perfect for 5-9 year olds

Originally published in 1940

 

Lazy bird Mayzie is tired of sitting on her egg and wants to go on vacation.  She persuades Horton to take over, despite his protests of the logistics of an elephant sitting on an egg in a tree.  Mayzie heads off to Palm Beach and decides to never return.  Poor Horton is left sitting on the egg, but stays true to his word.

Sweet Horton sits through lightning and rainstorms, teasing from his animal friends, and winter storms.  He is found by some hunters, packed up in a wagon, and hauled through the mountains, only to have to go on a sea voyage.  To make matters worse, he is sold to a traveling circus show and is mocked for sitting up in a tree.  And yet he remains as faithful and true as can be! 

The circus ends up in Palm Beach and Mayzie happens to come by just in time to see the egg hatch.  What flies out?  Well, you'll have to read it to find out!



After we read the story, we made our own nests and painted eggs to resemble Horton's.  To make the nests, melt 8 squares (16 0z) of almond bark over low heat.  Remove from heat and stir in 4 cups of chow mein noodles.

Pour mixture into three different mounds on a piece of aluminum foil or wax paper.  One batch will provide enough mixture to make three nests.  Let cool for a few minutes.  Shape into a nest.

We painted hard boiled eggs with red and white acrylic paint.  I then cut off a corner of a Ziploc bag and put the egg in the plastic corner to prevent paint from coming in contact with the nest that we would later be eating.

Interesting Fact:

Horton wasn't an original candidate for the name of the elephant in early drafts.  Early candidates were Osmer, Bosco, and Humphrey.  (Information found here.)

Hope you are having as much fun as we are! 

Happy reading!

Emily

20 Big Trucks in the Middle of the Street

20 Big Trucks in the Middle of the Street

Written by Mark Lee and Illustrated by Kurt Cyrus
(Candlewick, 2013, Fiction)
Suitable for ages: 3-7

Opening:  "One ice-cream truck selling everything sweet breaks down and blocks the middle of our street."

Brief Synopsis:  An ice cream truck breaks down and causes a pile-up of twenty trucks, ranging from a crane truck to a delivery truck to a mail truck.  None of them are going to go anywhere until the ice cream truck is taken care of.  While onlookers try to think of a way to fix the problem, a little boy on a bike speaks up and offers the solution that works and breaks up the traffic jam.

Why I Like This Book:  This book is written in perfect rhyme that flows incredibly well.  It is a counting book that presents 20 trucks in detailed and bright illustrations.  At the end of the story, the crane picks up the broken-down ice cream truck and places it on the grass by the side of the road where serves ice cream to the neighborhood.  This book is fun to read, provides great counting practice, and is beautifully illustrated, making it one that is read over and over again.

It is necessary to eat some ice cream after reading a book about an ice cream truck, so we made homemade ice cream in a bag.

Homemade Ice Cream in a Bag

(Recipe Source: www.food.com)

Find the original recipe here.

1/2 cup half-and-half 

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 sandwich Ziploc bag

1 gallon freezer Ziploc bag

3 cups crushed ice

1/3 cup rock salt

Put half-and-half (or cream or milk in a pinch), sugar, and vanilla in the smaller Ziploc bag and mix well.   Seal tightly.  Put ice and rock salt in the larger bag, making sure the salt is evenly distributed.  Add the small bag of ingredients to the large bag and surround it with ice.  Seal the large bag and wrap with a dish towel (the bag will get very cold and hard to hold!).  Shake the bag for 10-15 minutes.  Pull out the small bag, and enjoy!

*Please note that this recipe is pretty basic and you can experiment with different flavors.  The best part about this recipe is the magic of making ice cream.  Kids love it!

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild

by Peter Brown

 

Mr. Tiger lives in a town of proper animals who never smile and always dress and act as proper can be.  Until Mr. Tiger decides to go wild.  Mr. Tiger is sick of living a proper life, and against the approval of his friends, takes drastic measures to live a much happier life.  He is asked to head into the wilderness after he takes off his stiff suit and is without clothes.  Mr. Tiger loves the freedom of the wilderness, but misses his friends.  When he comes back to town, he finds a little bit more color and life than he did when he left.

For an activity packet full of activities, head here.  You'll find a mask, stick puppets (along with scenery), and a matching game.  All activities are perfect for having children retell the story in their own words or act it out.

Homer Price

Homer Price

by Robert McCloskey

Homer Price is just your average boy living right outside of a small town, but excitement is always just around the corner.  From robbers to superheros and doughnuts, McCloskey tells tales that had my little ones asking for more.  McCloskey's storytelling abilities mixed with his hilarious pictures appearing every few pages create a novel that delights both young and old.

Homer Price is comprised of six different short stories.  In one of the short stories, Homer is keeping watch of his Uncle Ulysses' diner when the automated doughnut machine in the diner produces more doughnuts than anyone knows what to do with and won't stop.  It is impossible to read this section of the book without having a craving for doughnuts.  I promise.  For this reason, you might want to have this recipe from Pioneer Woman on hand.  These are not your ordinary doughnuts.  They are guaranteed to bring smiles and memories throughout the baking and eating process.

Homemade Glazed Doughnuts

From Pioneer Woman

(I have made slight adaptations---for the complete tutorial, go here.)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/8 cups whole milk, warmed

3 tsp. instant yeast

2 large eggs

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted

4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

4 cups vegetable shortening, for frying

Glaze:

3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup water

Add the granulated sugar to the warm milk in a medium bowl, and then add the yeast.  Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes (until it starts to bubble).

Beat the eggs and pour them into a bowl with the melted butter.  Pour in the milk, sugar, and yeast mixture.  Mix on low.  Mix the flour and the salt in a bowl, and add gradually to the liquid mixture.  Mix for 5 minutes.  Place the dough in a warm spot and let rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  

Turn out the dough on to a floured surface and roll it out to about 1/4-inch thick.  Use a doughnut cutter (or two different sizes of cutters) to cut out the doughnuts.  Transfer the doughnuts to a lightly floured baking sheet.  Cover the doughnuts and let rise for another 1 1/2 to 2 hours. 

Heat the shortening or oil until it reaches 350 degrees F on a candy thermometer, or until a doughnut hole sizzles and rises to the surface.  Place the doughnuts in the oil and use a metal spoon to carefully flip them over to cook the other side.  Remove them from the oil as soon as they are golden brown on both sides. Place the doughnuts on paper towels to drain.

To make the glaze, mix together the powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, and water in a bowl.  Drop the doughnuts in one at a time.  Turn over and then remove. Eat and enjoy.