The Pumpkin Book

The Pumpkin Book, by Gail Gibbons, is a great resource for a nonfiction look at pumpkins.  We like to start looking at books like this by taking a picture walk. We enjoyed seeing the labeled illustrations of different kinds of pumpkins. Even young children can begin to develop an understanding of the growth of a pumpkin from the interesting pictures in this book. 

Ways to plant pumpkins in a patch and on a farm are described by Gibbons.  Various aspects of what is needed in nature for successful pumpkin growth is also discussed.  The book also shows the use of pumpkins at Halloween and Thanksgiving times.  

Older children could use this book to develop charts about pumpkin development.  The illustrations delightfully explain the text so that listeners/viewers/readers can all enjoy learning. We found this to be a great book to add to our autumn reading. We love reading books by Gail Gibbons and hope you enjoy this one, too!

Question Collection:

*Which pumpkin varieties have you seen before?

*Can you explain how a pumpkin seed grows?

*What’s your favorite use of pumpkins?  Why?

Who Put the Cookies in the Cookie Jar?

We have found a new book that seems destined to become a classic!  Who Put the Cookies in the Cookie Jar?, written by George Shannon and illustrated by Julie Paschkis, is a wonderful book that really opens our eyes to how people work together.  The book begins with one hand taking a cookie out of a jar.  But on the next page, the reader is asked about how many hands put the cookie in the jar. The author and illustrator lead the reader through the journey of all of the people whose hands have helped make the cookie.  From the hands that milk the cow to the hands that make the pens for the chickens (so that hands can gather the eggs) to the hands that stock the shelves, one can see that there are many hands that have put the cookie in the cookie jar!  This book is a great springboard to discussion!  We think this would be a great book for teachers to start the school year or for any time when it’s important to look at cooperation.  We hope you enjoy this delightful book!

Question Collection:

*Were you surprised by how many hands put the cookie in the cookie jar?

*Can you think of any other hands that helped?

*What job do you think you’d enjoy?

*What lessons did you learn from this story?

*Can you think of another object and how many hands it took to get it to you?

Ballerina Swan

Ballerina Swan, by Allegra Kent and Emily Arnold McCully, begins with a swan, Sophie, who loves watching a ballet class from her pond.  She then wants to learn how to dance, but is discouraged by Madame Myrtle.  Sophie doesn’t give up on her dream and returns to the studio one day when Miss Willow is teaching.  With Miss Willow’s encouragement, Sophie learns to dance even though some moves are hard for her.  The authors use terms from ballet (a glossary is given at the beginning of the book) and explain how Sophie has to adapt to learn the moves.  The story has happy ending with Sophie performing in a performance.

Although this book is centered about ballet, we think it gives some important lessons about following your dreams.  It lends itself to discussing how some people discourage you while others encourage you.  It also demonstrates the importance of practicing and persevering.  We hope you and your family enjoy discovering Sophie, the ballet swan!

Question Collection:

*What is your favorite part of the book?

*Have you ever been discouraged by someone?  Have you ever 

            been encouraged by someone?

*What encourages you to do your best?

*Why do you think Sophie never gives up?

First The Egg

First the Egg, by Laura Vaccaro Seeger, is a fun book that takes a simple concept and stretches the imagination.  Cleverly placed cut-outs give hints about what comes next, such as first the egg, then the chicken. Each item follows this pattern with a surprise ending!  The simplicity of the book lends itself to the child memorizing the words but still marveling at how one thing leads to another.    We enjoy this book and re-read it periodically.  It’s a book that has become part of our conversations when we’re talking about other subjects.  We hope you enjoy it too!

Question Collection:

*Which illustration is your favorite?

*Are there other things you could think of to add to this story?

*Did the story turn out like you thought it would?