Happy New Year!

Returning to school after Winter Break, I always liked to read some books to children about New Year's Day.  Here are some interesting books for young children!
The first book I ever owned that had anything to do with a New Year theme was a gift from a child.  It was also my introduction to Angelina Ballerina.  After I got the book Angelina Ice Skates by Katharine Holabird, I read it every year!  Angelina is planning an ice show for New Year's Eve. After a difficult beginning, she finds a way to get all the other young mice in her town involved.  The whole town comes to enjoy the show, which is a tremendous success!
I really enjoy Natasha Wing's books.  I think it is fascinating how she can write books about the night before anything and make each book interesting and unique.  The Night Before New Year's is definitely one to read.
P. Bear's New Year's Party: A Counting Book by Paul Owen Lewis is not only a counting book, but it also introduces the calendar as well.  I always liked to find books that incorporated math concepts with a story.
New Year's Day by David F. Marx has wonderful photographs of cultural icons associated with New Year's Day.  It is a great book to share with young children who are just learning about holidays.

Recent Caldecott Books

After I learned to read as a preschooler, I never spent much time with picture books again until I became a teacher!  Especially in the 23 years I was a kindergarten teacher I became totally enthralled with them! It was always a pleasure to introduce my students to my favorite authors, illustrators, and series of picture books.  When I was in my undergraduate Children's Literature class, we read all the Newbery and Caldecott books.  Many of the Newbery books were old friends--they were among my favorite books from childhood.  But the Caldecott books were mostly unfamiliar.  So that was a treasure trove of wonderful stories and pictures!  The last two books have been very special to me.  Even though I am retired now, I still buy the books and savor every page!  

A Ball For Daisy was written and illustrated by Chris Raschka.  I am so glad that he finally got his own gold Caldecott medal! My students enjoyed Yo!Yes? which received the silver Caldecott medal, and The Hello, Goodbye Window which he illustrated, but was written by Norton Juster, which received the gold medal.   A Ball For Daisy has no words.  The pictures tell the story of a dog who lost her ball, but in the end made a new friend.

Jon Klassen was a new name for me!  He has written and illustrated several other books, but I was not familiar with them.  This Is Not My Hat is the sequel to I Want My Hat Back.  A little fish takes a little hat from a big fish who is sleeping.  In the end, he does the right thing and returns the hat.  

Fruits and Vegetables

Now that summer is here, there are so many seasonal fruits and vegetables available!  In addition to food you may grow, there are so many incredible choices at local farmers markets and grocery stores.  As a teacher, I always liked to incorporate healthy eating with good literature.  Here are some of my favorites!
Sometimes food is not the main theme of the book, but when the characters eat something, you may want to try it, too.  Stellaluna by Janelle Cannon is this type of book.  After Stellaluna's mom defends her from the owl they get separated.  Stellaluna lives with birds in their nest until she learns to fly well.  After existing on a diet of worms and bugs, her mom introduces her to mangos.  I had never eaten them before I read this book.  What a treat!
Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey is a Caldecott book from the 1940's.  I love the kitchen, because it reminds me of my very early childhood.  Blueberries are so delicious!  I can understand why Little Sal ate all the blueberries she picked.
Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert is so much fun!  The book shares the joy of planting and harvesting vegetables, along with the delight of eating the vegetable soup.  One of my many great memories from my days as a kindergarten teacher is helping the children make vegetable soup in the classroom!  It's never the same, and it's always so tasty!
Another great book by Lois Ehlert is Eating the Alphabet:  Fruits and Vegetables from A-Z.  This is a wonderful alphabet book as well as a fun way to introduce your child to a wide variety of great food.  Maybe you and your child can eat your way through the alphabet this summer!

Summer Reading and Writing

As a teacher, I always admonished parents to encourage their children read and write regularly during the summer.  Young children who have just learned how to read and write can forget how to read and write if they do not practice their skills over the summer!
When I taught first grade, I would often see children who had scored very well on their end of kindergarten tests, and who had great comments from their kindergarten teacher about their accomplishments.  However, when I evaluated them at the beginning of the school year, I could see that they had definitely taken a vacation from academics!  It was always difficult to explain to their parents that even though the children had made great progress in kindergarten, they had forgotten many things over the summer, and we would have to go back and relearn before we could move ahead.
I still love actual books!  There is something about holding a book, and turning pages, and just the feel of a book that entices me to read!  However,  I am in favor of the electronic form of books as well!   Download many books for your children to read, and carry your Kindle or Nook with you everywhere you go.  Anytime there is some down time, take it out and let the children read!
Staple some pieces of paper together and have your child make a diary about a family vacation, a trip to Grandma's, or things they want to do this summer.  For young children, I always encouraged them to make a picture first, then write about it.  Most children who have completed kindergarten should be able to write sentences using temporary spelling.  Temporary spelling is writing a word the way it sounds to the child.  Most children should be able to write words with the beginning and ending sounds, as well as some medial consonants and vowels.  Please refrain from the temptation to expect perfect standard spelling!  When children are learning to talk, we celebrate each new word and phrase, even though they are missing many sounds and using bad grammar.  Look at beginning writing as the first step in a long journey!

Summer Vacation

After Memorial Day weekend, there are just a few days of school before summer vacation.  This is a bittersweet time for children and teachers alike.  Everyone is excited about summer and all the fun and activities that they are planning!  But a silent sense of sadness pervades the atmosphere as well.  When the kindergarten children return, they will be in new classrooms, with new teachers and a reconfiguration of students.  So my job as a teacher was to help the children celebrate their first year of school and to look forward to a wonderful summer and a great year in first grade!  Here are some books that my classes have enjoyed in the final days of kindergarten.
The Night Before Summer Vacation by Natasha Wing and Julie Durrell tells about a family getting ready to go on a trip.  I love books about the night before any special day!
When It's the Last Day of School by Maribeth Boelts and Hanako Wakiyama expresses the exuberance of a child who can't wait for summer to begin.
Last Day, Hooray! by Nancy Poydar conveys the excitement of the end of a school year and the anticipation of summer vacation.
Miss Bindergarten Celebrates the Last Day of Kindergarten by Joseph Slate and Ashley Wolff--the teacher dog and her class of alphabetical animals finish a great year together!

Maurice Sendak

My first encounter with Maurice Sendak books was Where the Wild Things Are.  In my undergraduate children's literature class we read all the Caldecott and Newbery books.  Since this book had received the 1964 Caldecott Medal, it was on the list of books to read.  I was captivated by the bold and imaginative illustrations!  I had no way of knowing at that time that I would read this book to my kindergarten classes every year, and it would always be a favorite!  I was happy when the film version came out in 2009.  We had great classroom discussions about why the movie was so much longer than the book.  My advice is always to read the book first, then see the movie.
Chicken Soup with Rice is another enjoyable book!  The book is set to music by Carol King.  This book helps children learn the months of the year.
An alphabet book featuring alligators is Alligators All Around.  One Was Johnny is a counting book.  The book Pierre is charming!  Any child who has a hard time making choices should hear this cautionary tale!  The Little Bear books were illustrated by Maurice Sendak.  The pictures are so warm and loving.
Mr. Sendak, we will miss you very much, but your books will live on!

Winter Break Ideas

Here are some things you can do with your child during winter break!

Clean out backpack
Read all the books in the backpack
Do all the worksheets in the backpack
Play a board or card game every day
Go to the public library and get a bag full of books
Go to a zoo or museum
Listen to some music
Take a walk, shovel snow, build a snowman, go sledding or skating
Bake or cook something delicious
Write thank you notes
Write and illustrate a story about Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa
Do something kind for someone else
Clean the house
Put away holiday decorations
Go through closets and drawers and take out clothing that no longer fits
Tell your child some stories from your childhood
Practice putting on snowpants, boots, coat, hat, and mittens