Another month begins and hopefully spring weather has found you where you live. April is traditionally a month of rainy weather, which then leads into May, a month of flowers hence the saying “April showers bring May flowers.” It is a time when the earth seems to come back to life or become re-born and is the month of Easter (this year at least) as well as Earth Day and Arbor Day. It is also another month where reading is brought to the forefront. Not only is it a month-long celebration of D.E.A.R (Drop Everything And Read), but it is also Poetry and School Library Month. Research shows that there is a direct positive correlation between schools that have a library and certified librarians and student achievement. School libraries are the central point in a school for reading, cultural activities, access to information, knowledge building, open discussions with collaboration and deeper thinking. It is a shame to realize that not all states require schools to fund libraries so celebrate if your school has a funded library with a certified librarian. This month we also recognize the importance of nature and the need to be good stewards with Earth Day and Arbor Day. Combat “Nature Deficit Disorder” by taking a walk in the woods and experiencing the wonders of nature.
*Note: this post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Any purchases made via the links provided go to support our literacy efforts.
Experience and share the positive impact of nature and books this month!
2nd: International Children’s Book Day - Celebrated to inspire a love of reading and to call attention to children's books from all around the world. For some wonderful international books, check out Kane Miller's titles. Kane Miller is a division of Usborne Books & More.
Hans Christian Andersen’s Birthday - Once again we can celebrate the lessons presented in fairy tales. Consider reading one of his popular tales such as The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Little Mermaid, The Princess and the Pea, The Snow Queen and The Ugly Duckling.
3rd: Author Sandra Boynton’s Birthday - Boynton’s books are a must for the infant and toddler set. They are humorous, simple rhyming books with whimsical illustrations that children and adults alike find amusing. Many are board books along with several CD illustrated songbooks. A few of our favorites are Hippos Go Berserk!, But Not the Hippopotamus, Frog Trouble…and Eleven Other Pretty Serious Songs and Happy Hippo, Angry Duck.
12th: Author Beverly Cleary’s Birthday & D.E.A.R. Day (Drop Everything and Read) - A month long celebration of reading honoring Beverly Cleary’s birthday since Cleary first wrote about D.E.A.R. in Ramona Quimby. It is to remind people that reading is important and to take time to just drop everything and read! Have some D.E.A.R. moments with your family not only this month, but every month, all year long.
22nd: Earth Day - Celebrated in more than 192 countries, help your child to learn their role as a steward of the earth. Titles to consider are Earth Day: An Alphabet Book by Gary Kowalski and Mercer Mayer’s Little Critter Series book It’s Earth Day! Search your local library and bookstore for additional titles that celebrate the wonders of our planet and take a look at our previous blog Let's Celebrate Earth Day & Arbor Day!.
23rd: Playwright William Shakespeare’s Birthday – Don’t wait until your child is in high school to introduce the beautiful turns of phrase and poetic descriptions of the world famous works of William Shakespeare. Look for biographies of the famous bard as well as the wide range of books containing his plays available for many different age groups, including illustrated stories and graphic novels. Ask your librarian or local book seller to help you choose the right one for your child.
“April, dressed in all its trim, hath put a spirit of youth in everything”
24th: Library of Congress Established in 1800 - Celebrate the largest library in the world by getting to know your local library. Great books to read before visiting the library include The Library by Sarah Stewart, Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen, But Excuse Me That is My Book by Lauren Child, The Library Dragon by Carmen Agra Deedy, That Book Woman by Heather Henson and "No Pirates Allowed!" said Library Lou by Rhonda Gowler Greene.
For additional library related and bookish titles take a look at our Stories about Books & Reading list.
Also remember that the:
Fourth Thursday is Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day - Share your life with your child and give them real world experiences along with ideas and dreams for their future. Wonderful books to read include Iggy Peck, Architect, Rosie Revere, Engineer and Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty as well as When I Grow Up by Al Yankovic.
Last Friday is Arbor Day - Celebrate by reading under or even to a tree! Titles to consider
include: As An Oak Tree Grows by Brian Karas, Mr. Tamarin’s Trees by Kathryn F. Ernst and The Tree Lady: The True Story of How One Tree-Loving Woman Changed a City Forever by H. Joseph Hopkins. Don’t forget to plant a tree as well!
For more information about Arbor Day and ways to celebrate, visit the Arbor Day Foundation’s website.
Take the time each month to enjoy the simple moments of life that will become your child’s memories. Be sure to include snuggle time with books for not only do they become warm memories as well but will build the background knowledge that is essential to reading and life!
Happy reading! -Kate @ BTBL Author
We are three generations that seek a way to get back to basics. It’s not that we eschew technology, but sometimes simpler is better, especially in raising our children. Mom was a reading teacher, Amanda is an early childhood educator and Kate a children’s literature specialist and former school librarian along with the latest editions, a daughter for Kate (now 3) and a son for Amanda (now 1.) We advocate reading aloud, the simple toys that use imagination and encourage creativity and learning in the kitchen, which can be a fun mess but also teaches life skills. Join us in raising healthy, happy, inquisitive and intelligent children.
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After a relatively mild winter thus far, the snow finally decided to grace us with its white, powdery, cold perfection and schools have been closed all week. What do you do with a restless child when you’ve got oodles of time and plenty of fresh snow? Make snow scream, of course! My daughter couldn’t have been more excited to finally see the world outside covered in a layer of fresh snow. Ever since watching the Little Bear episode “Snowbound” she has been asking to make Snow Cream just like Granny and Little Bear and now that we actually have clean snow on the ground, we were finally able to give it a try. In the episode, Little Bear and his family are snowed in at Emily’s Granny’s cottage for the night. Granny asks Little Bear to help her make a special dessert. Granny says, "We take a bowl, an ordinary, empty bowl, fill it full of snow, add a few magic ingredients… a little cream…and some honey and repeat after me: Whether the weather be cold, Or whether the weather be hot, We’ll weather the weather, Whatever the weather, Whether we like it or not.” Little Bear mixes the concoction together as they all repeat the poem and magically it becomes ice cream! Amazing! My daughter absolutely loves this episode. I cannot tell you the number of times we have watched it nor how often we have recited the poem. Of course, after watching it the first time we just had to know if Snow Cream is a real thing and if we could make it ourselves. Turns out there are several recipes out there and they are all pretty simple. *Note: this post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Any purchases made via the links provided go to support our literacy efforts! Before bundling up to go out and collect snow we got our supplies together:
Once we had everything gathered, we bundled up in our winter gear and headed outside to find some clean snow. My daughter used the large measuring cup to scoop up the snow and fill her bowl. We weren't quite sure how much snow it would take to make our snow cream, so we just filled our bowl and measuring cup and brought it all inside. After peeling out of our winter gear we got busy with measuring and mixing. Making snow cream is not an exact science. We ended up using approximately eight cups of snow, the whole can of sweetened condensed milk and a few drops of vanilla in ours and really enjoyed the flavor. It does not come out creamy like traditional ice cream, or at least ours didn't. It was more icy and extremely cold, but quite tasty. I believe we can thank the subzero, arctic temperatures for the icy consistency. We also gave Granny's recipe with honey and cream a try, but found that the honey didn't mix in well and the taste wasn't really to our liking. Don't be afraid to experiment a little like adding chocolate syrup, caramel, strawberry, lemon or other flavors to find your favorite combinations. The flavor possibilities when making ice cream out of snow are truly endless. Allow each member of the family to have their own bowl to mix up their own unique flavor. We followed up our adventures in making snow cream by enjoying some picture books all about snow and winter. Is there any better way to round out a cold afternoon than snuggling up with your little one and a good book?! Below is a list of the snowy related picture books we had on hand in our home library. For more winter related picture books take a look at our previous blog Picture Books for Wintry Weather. Happy creating and reading! -Kate @ BTBL AuthorWe are three generations that seek a way to get back to basics. It’s not that we eschew technology, but sometimes simpler is better especially in raising our children. Mom was a reading teacher, Amanda is an early childhood educator and Kate a children’s literature specialist and former school librarian along with the latest editions, a daughter for Kate (now 3) and a son for Amanda (now 1.) We advocate reading aloud, the simple toys that use imagination and encourage creativity and learning in the kitchen, which can be a fun mess but also teaches life skills. Join us in raising healthy, happy, inquisitive and intelligent children. Fall, our favorite time of year here in Michigan with harvest festivals, apples, pumpkins and the gorgeous fall colors that surround you every time you leave the house. With all the cider mills and apple orchards that abound in the area, it’s hard to choose just one to bring the kiddos to, but, as in our name, we love getting back to basics and visiting those orchards that shun the commercialism and stick to what they know best. One such orchard in our area is Kreps Apple Barn in La Salle, MI, which we had the joy of visiting this past weekend. Instead of bouncing in an inflatable castle and looking at fake plaster animals (yes we went to an orchard last year that had cows, pigs and chickens, none of which were real) my three year old daughter experienced the country at its best by engaging those large motor muscles as she ran through 10 acres of apple trees, swung on a rope swing suspended over bales of straw, participated in a sensory experience by digging in tables filled with loose corn, enjoyed touring the orchard on a tractor hay ride (at no charge), making friends with the resident animals and of course partaking of the delicious cider and donuts (they are to die for)! The peacefulness of the country, the fresh air and the simple offerings that allow a child to engage their senses and imagination is what bringing it back to basics is all about. Visiting an orchard also allows a child to see how a farm operates, where we get some of our food from and how it grows and is harvested. We encourage you to take some time this fall to engage your senses and visit an apple orchard and cider mill near you. Don’t forget to bring home some apples to make homemade applesauce, dried apples (a great healthy snack), apple pancakes, pies, breads and other apple goodies with your children. Getting kids in the kitchen is a wonderful way to build life skills as well as increase reading and math skills and speaking of reading, check out the great selection of apple themed books below. Apple Themed Books to Share *Note: this post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Any purchases made via the links provided go to support our literacy efforts. Take a look back at our previous blogs for some fall themed book ideas to share as well: |
Engages all of the senses. Moist dirt has a distinct smell. Some plants have velvety soft leaves or petals. All of the birds singing in the trees will provide your day of gardening with a unique symphony of sound. Flowers, fruits and vegetables come in a variety of colors and provide the eyes with a visual feast. Garden is a multisensory experience. Develops fine and gross motor skills. Being able to hold a trowel, dig a hole, put in a seed, fill the hole in, hold a watering can to water their plants, and grasp and pull up weeds all require a certain level of dexterity, strength and skill. Young children may be clumsy at such tasks at first, but as time goes on their muscles and coordination will develop. Work alongside your child to model proper technique and to provide assistance when needed so your little one does not become overly frustrated and discouraged. |
It is a proven fact that gardening is a stress relieving activity. In fact, a recent study found that gardening is an even better stress reliever than reading (and that’s saying something)! Gardening can be a meditative, calming activity and can provide both children and adults with a sense of purpose and pride. Children will gain more self-confidence when they see that their hard work is paying off and benefiting themselves and others. Also, older children can use their own knowledge and skills to guide their younger siblings in the necessary tasks to take care of their garden.
In this world of instant gratification, gardening can help teach children about the need for patience and the rewards that will come given a bit of time and effort. Additionally, children will learn that they have to be responsible and take care of their garden, water it daily, pull out the weeds, etc. or else their plants will not thrive. This sense of responsibility for their own small patch of earth can easily grow into a larger discussion on being a steward of the planet and how important it is to have a healthy planet to sustain life.
Gardening takes a fair amount of planning and organization and working on such tasks with your children will help to establish a deep bond between you. Involve your child in the entire planning process, allowing them to add their voice to the decisions that need to made, such as where the garden will be located, how large it will be and what you will grow.
Poetic, lyrical text and beautiful, true-to-life illustrations make Aston’s series of science picture books a delight to share with children of any age. The large text that moves across the pages is sure to catch the eye and ear of younger listeners, while the smaller, informative pieces of text found throughout the book will appeal to older children. This book introduces a plethora of seeds to children, some familiar and others that may not be, and explains what a seed is, the different parts of a seed and how a seed grows to be a plant in a very accessible way.
While taking a walk on a drizzly day through his very gray and dreary city, Liam comes upon a tiny, struggling patch of plant life up on the old railway. He decides to tend to the little patch and become its gardener. Although Liam does not know anything about being a gardener, he does his best and slowly learns all that he can about taking care of plants. Inspired by New York City’s High Line, Liam’s story shows us that anyone can be a gardener with a little patience and dedication.
Following the same building pattern and cumulative structure as the British nursery rhyme This Is the House That Jack Built, Jack’s Garden shows readers “the garden that Jack planted” from the initial preparation of the soil and planting of the seeds, to the beautiful blooms that are visited by bees collecting nectar. Each two-page spread shows Jack’s garden at a different stage of growth and features different things to be seen in the garden, such as a variety of garden tools at the beginning and the various insects found in the garden later on. The illustrations in this book are chock full of things to look at and talk about with your little gardener!
A young girl and her mother plant a rainbow each year. First they get bulbs and plant them in the fall, then order seed packets and get seedlings to plant in the spring. Then they watch their rainbow grow. The bold, colorful illustrations show the bulbs and seeds in the soil, giving readers a glimpse into the actual sprouting and growth process of the plants as the story moves along.
The illustrations in this book are so captivating and, in our opinion, what really make this book such a gem. The little gardener loves his garden and works very, very hard to take care of it, but he is just too small to do it all on his own. One evening, he wishes on a star for some help and what happens next is so heartwarming. Through very simple text this story shows readers the value of hard work and that help can come from unexpected places.
There is no denying that this book is a work of art. Rather than traditional drawings or paintings for illustrations, this book features 3-D paper cut-outs, arranged on stunning backdrops, lighted for effect, and then photographed, giving each page depth and a life and character all its own. Much like The Curious Garden, this book tells the story of a little girl with a love of butterflies who moves from the country to the city. She is disappointed to discover that Butterfly Park does not actually have any butterflies in it and after several failed attempts to capture butterflies to populate the park, she realizes what the park really needs in order to entice the butterflies to stay: flowers! Eventually the whole community gets involved in turning Butterfly Park into a flower filled wonderland.
Anna and Benjamin have just moved to a new house in busy town. Although they are in the city, their new house has a large garden that the entire family cannot wait to work in. Each member of the family has a different plan for the garden and the book follows their progress and hard work over the course of a year. Sprinkled throughout the story readers will find information on gardening and plants, as well as activities and tips for spotting wildlife. The vintage style illustrations are gorgeous and begged to be pored over and viewed again and again. You and your child will be so excited to get out and work on your own garden after sharing this story!
Brimming with full color photographs, this nonfiction title is packed with information on plants from defining what a plant is to explaining what plants need, how they’re used, depicting the growing process and even offering trivia like facts about various plants. Young botanists will love this one. Follow it up with National Geographic Readers: Plants by Kathryn Williams (a Co-Reader designed for an adult and child to read together) and A Seed is the Start by Melissa Stewart.
Through a series of letters written home, Lydia Grace Finch tells about her life in the big city living with her cantankerous Uncle and helping out in his bakery during the Great Depression. After working in the bakery all day, Lydia Grace spends her evenings putting her gardening skills to work in her secret place. The surprise she eventually reveals (in the hopes of putting a smile on her Uncle’s face) is a glorious rooftop garden. This book shows readers the joy that can be found through gardening.
Peek through the hexagonal die-cut in the center of the book (that is reminiscent of a honeycomb) to see the busy little bee collecting nectar, spreading pollen, and doing her part to help plants grow. The gorgeous illustrations depict the little bee going about her day and the rhyming text explains in a simple, understandable way the vital role of the honeybee in our environment. This book is a great choice for introducing little ones to pollinators and helping children appreciate the need for them in order to have healthy gardens.
Following a similar theme as a couple of the other books on this list, this book tells the story of Mae, a little girl who moves from the country to the city with her family and desperately misses her garden and spending time out in nature. She attempts to bring nature back into her world, but the rain washes away her chalk drawings and her dad throws away the boxes she decorated with apple trees and daffodils. On a walk through the city with her mother, Mae sees Florette, a plant store that resembles a lush jungle and is thus inspired to create her own garden in the city.
“Take care, my little ones, for the world is big and you are small.”
There is great potential to be found within every seed. Each towering tree and beautiful flower was once a tiny seed and Miss Maple knows that some seeds just need a bit more time, care and encouragement in order to become the amazing plants they are destined to be. She collects seeds that have not found the perfect place to sprout yet and cares for them until they are ready to set down their roots. This is a thoughtful book with whimsical illustrations that will touch the heart of all those who read it.
Mary Lennox, a sickly, selfish, unloved child, born to wealthy British parents living in India finds herself orphaned after a cholera epidemic. She is then sent to live in England with an uncle she has never met. At first she is just as rude as ever, but slowly she learns to enjoy the people of her new home and exploring the grounds. Eventually she discovers the secret garden of Mrs. Craven, her uncle’s deceased wife, and spends her time restoring the garden to its former glory. This chapter book is about the power of love, patience and compassion and is a classic of children’s literature
Happy gardening and reading!
Author
We are mom Sandra and daughters Amanda and Kate, all with backgrounds in literacy and education, who want to share our philosophy of taking the basics of life; books, simple toys that encourage play, imagination and creativity, and using cooking and baking to teach math and real life skills to raise happy, inquisitive children. Join us in exploring the old and the new and sifting through the myriad of research to consider what is best for our children.
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