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Picture Book Preschool Book of the Week (2)

Jan9


Last year, miraculously, it snowed in Houston on Christmas Eve. Most of my children had never seen real snow before this event. This year on Christmas morning we woke up four year old Z-baby.

“Z-baby, it’s Christmas! Wake Up!”
She ran to the window. It was a beautiful morning, sunny, seventy degrees outside.
“Where’s the snow?” asked Z. “It can’t be Christmas; there’s no snow.”
She hadn’t told us that she remembered the snow from last year and was expecting another Christmas miracle.

So this is the week that we experience snow vicariously through the picture books of those authors and illustrators who know what living through winter is like. Susan Jeffers is the illustrator of this book of Robert Frost’s Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening. I wish I could show you some of the pictures in this book here on the blog. It’s just beautiful. You’ll feel as if you’re riding in a sleigh through the snowy woods along with the poet and his farm horse. And when the narrator stops to play in the snow, you’ll want to join him.

I know this poem can be read on different levels, but it can just be a story of a man who stops in the woods to play for a while and “watch his woods fill up with snow” and who then realizes that he has many things to do and “miles to go” before evening. Children will enjoy the rhythm of the poem, the story and Jeffers’s illustrations. Adults will enjoy reading the picture book out loud and thinking about the poem and its meaning. Win/win . . . for winter.

This year on Mondays I’m planning to review some of the books listed in my book, Picture Book Preschool. Picture Book Preschool is a preschool/kindergarten curriculum which consists of a list of picture books to read aloud for each week of the year and a character trait, a memory verse, and activities, all tied to the theme for the week. You can purchase a downloadable version (pdf file) of Picture Book Preschool by Sherry Early at Biblioguides.

Picture Book Preschool Book of the Week (1)

Jan2

Charlotte Zolotow is one of the best authors of children’s books ever. She really understands the world of preschoolers and writes about them and for them with a calm, steady voice, perfect for bedtime reading , but also for daytime snuggles.

Over and Over is the story of a little girl who “didn’t understand about time.” She remembered several holidays and holiday symbols, but “they were all mixed up in her mind.” The story tells how the little girl moves through the year. Each holiday came as a special surprise of something half-remembered from the previous year. And as the story ends on the little girl’s birthday, she makes a wish that’s bound to come true over and over.

Garth WiIliams’ watercolor illustrations are warm and inviting, and this story is the same. Z-baby (age 4) is in exactly the same place as the little girl in the story, and as we read this story yesterday, Z-baby asked me if Christmas would come again like it does for the little girl. Of course, I assured her that it would–over and over.

Over and Over, first published in 1957, is a beautiful and comforting beginning-of-the-year picture book.

This year on Mondays I’m planning to review some of the books listed in my book, Picture Book Preschool. Picture Book Preschool is a preschool/kindergarten curriculum which consists of a list of picture books to read aloud for each week of the year and a character trait, a memory verse, and activities, all tied to the theme for the week.

Click on the link if you are interested in purchasing a copy of the preschool curriculum, Picture Book Preschool by Sherry Early, or a set of some of the picture books listed in Picture Book Preschool,

Picture Book Preschool: Week 51

Dec19

Picture Book Preschool is a preschool/kindergarten curriculum which consists of a list of picture books to read aloud for each week of the year and a character trait, a memory verse, and activities, all tied to the theme for the week.

Character Trait: Purity
Bible Verse: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Matthew 5:8

1. DePaola, Tomie. The Christmas Pageant. Winston Press, 1981. OP
2. Keats, Ezra Jack. The Little Drummer Boy. Macmillan, 1968.
3. Jeffers, Susan, illustrator. Silent Night. Dutton, 1984.
4. Brown, Margaret Wise. On Christmas Eve. Harper, 1985.
5. DePaola, Tomie. The Story of the Three Wise Kings. Putnam, 1963.
6. Spier, Peter. Peter Spier’s Christmas. Doubleday, 1983.
7. Thomas. Jean Gale. If I’d Been Born in Bethlehem. 1954. OP
BONUS: Miller, Edna. Mousekin’s Christmas Eve. Prentice-Hall, 1965
DePaola, Tomie. The Friendly Beasts. Putnam, 1981.

Activities: Involve your child in all the preparations for Christmas. Let them make ornaments for the tree. Bake a birthday cake for baby Jesus. Have a party where Jesus is the welcome guest.
Sing “Happy Birthday” and collect an offering to take to church in honor of the Christ child.

This season would be an excellent time to purchase a copy of Picture Book Preschool either for yourself or for someone you know who has a preschooler or a kindergartner. Although you can begin the curriculum at any time of the year, the booklet actually starts with the first week of January. So get yours now in preparation for a new year of reading together.

Picture Book Preschool is a preschool/kindergarten curriculum which consists of a list of picture books to read aloud for each week of the year and a character trait, a memory verse, and activities, all tied to the theme for the week. You can purchase a downloadable version (pdf file) of Picture Book Preschool by Sherry Early at Biblioguides.

Picture Book Preschool: Week 49

Dec5

Picture Book Preschool is a preschool/kindergarten curriculum which consists of a list of picture books to read aloud for each week of the year and a character trait, a memory verse, and activities, all tied to the theme for the week.

WEEK 49 (Dec) READING
Character Trait: Humility
Bible Verse: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3

1. Andersen, Hans Christian. The Emperor’s New Clothes. Word, 1987. (many other editions)
2. Duvoisin, Roger Antoine. Petunia. Knopf, 1950. OP
3. Hoban, Lillian. Arthur’s Prize Reader. Harper, 1978.
4. Hoban, Tana. I Read Signs. Greenwillow, 1983.
5. Hoban, Tana. I Read Symbols. Greenwillow, 1983.
6. Gag, Wanda. The ABC Bunny. Putnam, 1933.
7. Rey, H.A. Curious George Learns the Alphabet. HoughtonMifflin, 1963.

Activities: Make an alphabet book together. Write one large upper case letter on each page of you homemade book, and then cut out things that begin with that letter to glue on the page with the letter. Help your child decide which pictures belong with which letter. You may want to extend this activity over several weeks; do a letter a day or a letter a week.

This season would be an excellent time to purchase a copy of Picture Book Preschool either for yourself or for someone you know who has a preschooler or a kindergartner. Although you can begin the curriculum at any time of the year, the booklet actually starts with the first week of January. So get yours now in preparation for a new year of reading together.

Picture Book Preschool is a preschool/kindergarten curriculum which consists of a list of picture books to read aloud for each week of the year and a character trait, a memory verse, and activities, all tied to the theme for the week. You can purchase a downloadable version (pdf file) of Picture Book Preschool by Sherry Early at Biblioguides.

Picture Book Preschool: Week 48

Nov28

Picture Book Preschool is a preschool/kindergarten curriculum which consists of a list of picture books to read aloud for each week of the year and a character trait, a memory verse, and activities, all tied to the theme for the week. You can purchase a downloadable version (pdf file) of Picture Book Preschool by Sherry Early at Biblioguides.

WEEK 48 (Nov) HEROES
Character Trait: Faithfulness
Bible Verse: This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. I John 4:10

1. Neal, J.M. Good King Wenceslas. Illustrated by Jamichael Henterly. Dutton, 1988.
2. Roop, Peter and Connie. Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie. Carolrhoda, 1985.
3. Green, Norma B. The Hole in the Dike. Harper, 1975. OP
4. Seuss, Dr. Horton Hatches the Egg. Random, 1975.
5. Houston, Gloria. My Great-Aunt Arizona. Harper-Collins, 1992.
6. Provenson, Alice and Martin. The Glorious Flight. Viking, 1983.
7. Adler, David. A Picture Book of Hanukkah. Holiday House, 1982. OP

Activities: Make a list of your preschooler’s heroes. What makes each person a hero? Can heroes fail? Who will never fail us? Introduce your child to the hymn Great Is Thy Faithfulness, and explain any words he does not understand.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of the preschool curriculum, Picture Book Preschool by Sherry Early, or a set of some of the picture books listed in Picture Book Preschool, click on the PBP link at the top of this page for more information.

This season would be an excellent time to purchase a copy of Picture Book Preschool either for yourself or for someone you know who has a preschooler or a kindergartner. Although you can begin the curriculum at any time of the year, the booklet actually starts with the first week of January. So get yours now in preparation for a new year of reading together.

Picture Book Preschool: Week 47

Nov14

Picture Book Preschool is a preschool/kindergarten curriculum which consists of a list of picture books to read aloud for each week of the year and a character trait, a memory verse, and activities, all tied to the theme for the week. You can purchase a downloadable version (pdf file) of Picture Book Preschool by Sherry Early at Biblioguides.

WEEK 47 (Nov) THANKSGIVING
Character Trait: Righteousness (Choosing Right)
Bible Verse: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6

1. Wilder, Laura Ingalls. The Deer in the Wood. Scholastic, 1995.
2. Child, Lydia Maria. Over the River and Through the Woods. Illustrated by Brinton Turkle. Coward, 1974. OP
3. Devlin, Wende and Harry. Cranberry Thanksgiving. Four Winds, 1971.
4. Kessel, Joyce K. Squanto and the First Thanksgiving. Carolrhoda, 1983.
5. Gibbons, Gail. Thanksgiving Day. Holiday House, 1983.
6. Miller, Edna. Mousekin’s Close Call. Prentice-Hall, 1980. OP
7. Miller, Edna. Mousekin’s Golden House. Prentice-Hall, 1964.OP

Activities: Make sure this unit falls on the week of or just before Thanksgiving. Enjoy celebrating with your preschooler. Talk about the Pilgrims and why they came to America and how they gave thanks to God for their blessings in spite of many hardships.

Amazon Affiliate. If you click on a book cover here to go to Amazon and buy something, I receive a very small percentage of the purchase price.

Picture Book Preschool

Nov7

WEEK 46 (Nov) PETS
Character Trait: Dependability
Bible Verse: The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Genesis 2:15

1. Day, Alexandra. Good Dog, Carl. Green Tiger, 1985.
2. 2. Anderson, C.W. Billy and Blaze. Macmillan, 1969.
3. Selsam, Millicent. Let’s Get Turtles. Harper Row, 1965. OP
4. Gag, Wanda. Millions of Cats. Coward, 1928.
5. Yashima, Mitsu and Taro. Momo’s Kitten. Viking, 1961.
6. Brown, Margaret Wise. Baby Animals. Illustrated by Susan Jeffers. Random House, 1989.
7. Newberry, Clare T. Marshmallow. Smithmark, 1999.
BONUS: Bridwell, Norman. Clifford, the Big Red Dog. Scholastic, 1963.

Activities: Involve your child in caring for the family pet, if you have one and if he is not already doing so. Talk about how God gave people the job of caring for the animals.
Visit a pet store.

Picture Book Preschool is a preschool/kindergarten curriculum which consists of a list of picture books to read aloud for each week of the year and a character trait, a memory verse, and activities, all tied to the theme for the week. You can purchase a downloadable version (pdf file) of Picture Book Preschool by Sherry Early at Biblioguides.

Picture Book Preschool: Week 45

Oct31

Picture Book Preschool is a preschool/kindergarten curriculum which consists of a list of picture books to read aloud for each week of the year and a character trait, a memory verse, and activities, all tied to the theme for the week.

WEEK 45 (Nov) FOOD
Character Trait: Thanksgiving
Bible Verse: (God) gives food to every creature. His love endures forever. Psalm 136:25

1. Morris, Ann. Bread, Bread, Bread. Lothrop Lee, 1989.
2. Gibbons, Gail. Marge’s Diner. Crowell, 1989. OP
3. DePaola, Tomie. The Popcorn Book. Holiday House, 1978.
4. Carle, Eric. Pancakes, Pancakes. Knopf, 1970.
5. Aliki. Corn Is Maize: The Gift of the Indians. Crowell, 1976.
6. Aliki. A Medieval Feast. HarperCollins, 1987.
7. Brown, Marcia. Stone Soup. Scribner’s, 1947.
BONUS: Ehlert, Lois. Eating the Alphabet: Fruits and Vegetables from A to Z. Harcourt Brace, 1989.

Activities: Cook together. Make cookies, pancakes, or popcorn. Make soup, and let your child put in the ingredients.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of the preschool curriculum, Picture Book Preschool by Sherry Early, click on the PBP link in the sidebar for more information.

Picture Book Preschool: Week 44

Oct24

Uh-oh! I forgot to put up the Picture Book Preschool excerpt for this week.

Picture Book Preschool is a preschool/kindergarten curriculum which consists of a list of picture books to read aloud for each week of the year and a character trait, a memory verse, and activities, all tied to the theme for the week.

WEEK 44 (Oct) MORE POETRY
Character Trait: Joy
Bible Verse: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him. Romans 15:13a

1. O’Neill, Mary. Hailstones and Halibut Bones. Doubleday, 1961.
2. Rossetti, Christina. Color. Illustrated by Mary Teichman. Harper Collins, 1992. OP
3. Chorao, Kay. The Baby’s Good Morning Book. Dutton, 1986.
4. Brown, Margaret Wise. The Important Book. Harper, 1949.
5. Tresselt, Alvin. I Saw the Sea Come In. Lothrop Lee, 1954.
6. Seuss, Dr. The Cat in the Hat. Random, 1957.
7. Viorst, Judith. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Atheneum, 1972.

Activities: Practice making up your own color poems after reading Hailstones and Halibut Bones or your own “important” poems after reading The Important Book. Use the form in the book, but don’t worry about rhyming if your child isn’t ready for that yet.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of the preschool curriculum, Picture Book Preschool by Sherry Early, or a set of some of the picture books listed in Picture Book Preschool, click on the PBP link at the top of this page for more information.

Picture Book Preschool: Week 43

Oct17

Picture Book Preschool is a preschool/kindergarten curriculum which consists of a list of picture books to read aloud for each week of the year and a character trait, a memory verse, and activities, all tied to the theme for the week. You can purchase a downloadable version (pdf file) of Picture Book Preschool by Sherry Early at Biblioguides.

WEEK 43 (Oct) NIGHTTIME
Character Trait: Security and Trust
Bible Verse: (God made) the moon and the stars to govern the night. His love endures forever. Psalm 136:9

1. Brown, Margaret Wise. Goodnight, Moon. Harper, 1947, 1977.
2. Freeman, Don. The Night the Lights Went Out. Viking, 1958.
3. Rylant, Cynthia. Night in the Country. Bradbury, 1986.
4. McCauley, Jane. Ways Animals Sleep. National Geographic, 1983.
5. Chorao, Kay. The Baby’s Bedtime Book. Dutton, 1984.
6. Lobel, Arnold. Owl at Home. Harper Row, 1975
7. Zolotow, Charlotte. Sleepy Book. Harper Row, 1986. OP

Activities: Go for a walk after dark. Come home and make a nighttime picture with black construction paper and chalk (or white crayon). Talk about how God made the night and the day. Say thank you to God for the night. Let your child take a flashlight to bed (just once!).