If You Give a Moose a Muffin

For the start of February I decided to combine two of the things I do with Little Girl the most into one Book Club event: reading and baking! We are reading (and eating our way through):

If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Joffe Numeroff

This is a book I have loved for years. The whole series of them, in fact, are among those which I used to consider stand-bys when I used to lead storytime. These are great books to help children understand the idea of cause and effect, which is how I would use them in the classroom. But Little Girl is still a little young for that concept. So we have stuck to more concrete activities.

The first thing we did was, of course, baking muffins! (And, no, not from a mix.) We had been having some very snowy days, which meant Hubby was home and working hard to shovel. Me being pregnant, and someone having to play with Little Girl, meant that I needed something to do inside...! We made apple-cranberry muffins, which were a real treat right out of the oven. Unfortunately our camera battery died partway through the mixing process, so there aren't as many pictures as I would have wanted, but you'll get the idea of the fun and the yumminess from these!

Little Girl is turning into such a great kitchen helper! And she totally understands relating the projects to the books! When we started this next activity, she kept saying "Moose! Moose!" and indicating the book... After the muffins, we made sock puppets!

I honestly don't think I ever made sock puppets before, and I kind of think it showed in the final project. My glue didn't stick things to the socks, and we wound up relying on Sharpie markers to make out critters, but Little Girl had a blast, and kept wanting the puppets to kiss her, so it can't have been a complete failure!

There are so many possibilites of things to do with this wonderful book. I would love to see what you and your little ones come up with!

Firefighters A to Z

This past summer we attended our first block party in our new neighborhood. One of the fun activities was the arrival of a firetruck from one of our local companies. The kids got the chance to climb aboard and see what it was like. They were also given plastic firefighter helmets, which Little Girl loved. Then this past Novermber, when it was time to vote, Little Girl got to visit a firehouse, as that is our polling place. There, too, she acquired a firefighter's helmet, only this one was pink. (And we accidentally took two, as they were stuck together.)

Recently Little Girl rediscovered a book which we have had since before she was born. And she has been insistant that we must both be wearing our firefighter helmets while read:

Firefighters A to Z by Chris L. Demarest.

This is a great alphabet book, and it really explains the process firefighters go through as they answer their calls. As much fun as Little Girl was having simply reading the book and wearing her helmet, I thought she might want to take it to the next level with her own fire truck!

I used an empty diaper box, construction paper, glue, and a lot of help from a fabulous girl!

Here's how it went...

Little Girl loved the glue stick... And she insisted that the dalmation join in on the fun, as "D is for Dalmation, a firehouse must." While she was a little disappointed when the gluing was done, she was more than happy to climb aboard her new truck, ride around and read her book. It was great!

Corduroy

Welcome to 2011!! A new year of reading together!
To start the year off right, I have chosen another oldie-but-goodie. This book will hopefully set the tone for the new year, encouraging new friends, new adventures, and a continued enjoyment for the wonderful things in life.
For the start of the month (and year!) we are reading:

Corduroy by Don Freeman

I love this book. Little Girl loves it, too. I hope you do as well. We will be starting the year with new adventures and explorations, just like out little brown buddy. And we will be enjoying our opportunities to be with our "old" friends as well as to make new ones.

May this year bring love, laughter, joy and great books to you and your family!!

Peekaboo Kisses

Oops... We have been reading this book for a bit now, and I was all ready to post it yesterday... Then it just didn't happen... Sorry about that!

For the end of December, we are reading one of our favorite books! It is:Peekaboo Kisses by Barney Saltzberg

This is a touch and feel book, which Little Girl loves. That also means that she has been able to enjoy the book for a long time, since she could feel the different textures before she could identify the animals or turn the pages on her own. Now she likes to help her "babies" touch the animals! It is so much fun to watch her share books!!

She also has become a big fan of playing peekaboo herself! She will hide her face to play, or she will hide the face of one of her toys and play with them!! While you can't see it, there is a huge smile behind that fabric!

So get out there and play peekaboo with your little buddies! And don't forget the kisses! They are extra important, too!

Happy holiday season to you and your families. I hope everyone has a safe and happy season filled with love, laughter and lots of shared reading!!!

Hanukkah Lights

Yesterday was a travel day for us, but it was also the first day of Hanukkah! (Or Channukah, or Hannukka... however you spell it in English!) To celebrate, our book for the start of December is:

Hanukkah Lights by David Martin, illustrated by Melissa Sweet.

In celebration of the holiday, we are lighting candles, making and eating potato latkes, playing with our stuffed Juday Macabee and more! Pictures will follow as the holiday proceeds.

Let us know how you are celebrating. And if you don't celebrate Hanukkah, that's ok too! Tell us how you are getting ready to celebrate your holiday with your family and friends!!

Here is one way we like to celebrate: making Hanukkah cookies!!

My Nose, My Toes and Me!

Time for another book! This is a great one for identifying body parts, and for practicing with those preposition words - under, behind... The book we are reading is:

My Nose, My Toes and Me! by Frida Bing, illustrated by Rachael O'Neill.

Little Girl loves following along with the little ones in the book, pointing out their noses, toes, mouths, etc., then pointing out her own! She even got her baby (appropriately named "Baby") in on the action! We found Baby's nose, ears, toes and more!
Then Little Girl decided that she should also share the reading fun. This is a lift the flap book, and she loves pulling the flaps. (And ripping them, but we are trying to curb that...) As she was reading with Baby, she gave Baby a turn opening the flaps to see what was hidden!

I can't wait to hear how your little ones enjoy this book and share their enjoyment with those around them!!

Goodnight Moon

Better late than never, right?

This is a book we have been reading for a very long time, but it is one of Little Girl's favorites. We read it to her every night before she goes to bed. She reads along and knows what is coming next.

For the first part of November we are paying tribute to:

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

This is a classic good night book, and I know it isn't exactly unfamiliar, but it is one that sticks with Little Girl. How do I know? Because every day Little Girl asks me (or Daddy, or whoever else is with her) to take her outside to look for the moon! She will go to the windows and look out, pointing and getting excited, saying "Moon. moon!"

I have also made some coloring pages for her - one my own version of a picture from the book where she can color in the moon in the window, and one with (very crude...) phases of the moon. She will be coloring those for a while I think!!

What will you do to make this classic book new and exciting? Share your crafts, ideas and projects!!