“Forest Has a Song” offers an opportunity to combine our love of natural places with poetry. Consider using this dear book as a springboard for writing a Mask Poem with your children. A mask poem is one that is written from the point of view of an animal, an object or even a person. Honor a… Read More
Hummingbirds are the tiniest of birds with super powers – flying backwards, upside-down and floating in mid-air Hummingbirds have a long history of folklore and symbolism in native cultures. … In Native American culture, hummingbirds are seen as healers and bringers of love, good luck and joy. They are a joy to behold. ****************** And now,… Read More
Mice Twice is a charming, funny and thoughtful fable about friendship, cleverness, irony, self-awareness and manners. Cat would like to eat Mouse, so to lure her out, he invites her to supper. “May I bring a friend?” she asks; and Cat, envisioning “mice twice,”agrees. Of course, this is a common theme in children’s literature, and I’m… Read More
I’d like to introduce you to a sweet book. SUMMER AN ALPHABET ACROSTIC It contains twenty-six poems, alphabetically arranged. Each reveals a playful acrostic when read vertically, and each is accompanied by a wonderful woodcut illustration. Written by Steven Schnur Illustrated by Leslie Evans Here are two pages from SUMMER \ And finally, “Z” – Z-O-D-I-A-C Zigzag… Read More
A child’s imagination is a wonderful world of creative innocence. Perhaps nothing is impossible in a child’s creative mind. **************** A box is just a box . . . unless it’s not a box. This little book is dedicated ‘to children everywhere sitting cardboard boxes. It perfectly captures the amazing capacity of a child’s imagination to… Read More
“When the owl sings, the night is silent. “― Charles de Leusse The owl’s haunting calls echoing through the dark can give us chills. Owls are also symbols of wisdom, making them popular characters in ancient myths and modern stories. ***************** A wonderful nonfiction book about Great Horned Owls WHOO- KU HAIKU: A GREAT HORNED OWL STORY … Read More
Eye on the Sky, Feet on the Ground Light and shadow play is an amazing way for children to explore the world around them, and it can easily be accomplished at home. See what happens on the next sunny day when your child plays by the window or steps outside on the sidewalk. A FAMILY SHADOW… Read More
SPIRALS IN NATURE The spiral pattern is found extensively in nature – encoded into plants, animals, humans, the earth and galaxies around us. Mathematics can explain the complex algorithms, sequences and equations that make up a spiral pattern, but it can’t explain the lure and fascination of the spiral to the human heart. Take a family… Read More
There are important developmental benefits of poetry for children. Poetry helps in language development, creative language skills, creativity, writing skills, self-expression, and in the development of natural rhythms. … Poetry is important for children, and poetry is good for adults as well. p.s. It’s also a lot of fun! ***************************** Let’s start with something silly. WAYNE THE STEGOSAURUS Meet the stegosaurus, Wayne…. Read More
Mary Blair was an American artist, animator and designer. She was prominent in producing art and animation for The Walt Disney Company, drawing concept art for such films as Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Song of the South and Cinderella. She is also remembered for her wonderful castle art. … Read More
