, , , , , , , , , ,

Christmas book 3 – The Jolly Christmas Postman (with lesson plans)

The Jolly Christmas Postman (The Jolly Postman) (Hardback)
By Janet and Allan Ahlberg, Illustrated by Janet Ahlberg

It's Christmas Eve and the Jolly Postman is delivering greetings to various fairy-tale characters - there's a card for Baby Bear, a game appropriately called 'Beware' for Red Riding Hood from Mr Wolf, a get-well jigsaw for hospitalized Humpty Dumpty and three more surprise envelopes containing letters, and cards.

A Genre Study of Letters With The Jolly Postman

Questions to ask before, during, and after reading

Activities

Language arts/Reading - Historical fiction

Library Letter Writing Unit Plan

, , , , , , , ,

Christmas Book 2 – The Night before Christmas (with lesson plans)

The Night Before Christmas
by Clement C. Moore, Illustrated by Mary Engelbreit

The full text of the familiar poem is illustrated in Engelbreit's crisply decorated style. A large trim size (11" x 11") allows each highly embellished spread to hold a plethora of detail. Engelbreit's visions of sugarplums translate to a busy-bright patchwork of checks, plaids, paisleys and chintzes in this oversize volume. From the opening stanza's view of the non-stirring mouse's hole (a cracked teacup is his bed, a potholder his doormat, and a paintbrush is his broom) and throughout the verses, the artist adds lots of elves and ornamentation. The cast of rambunctious elves accompany an exceptionally jolly St. Nick as he leaves assorted old-fashioned candies and toys inside a home decorated in a spectrum of Engelbreit's trademark patterns and prints. Santa is not pictured as "dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot"; he's wearing a checked coat with fur trim and what appear to be leather bowling shoes. He does twinkle a lot, though. Kids -and adult fans of the artist -will enjoy poring over the copious details.

Activities:

Make a mini-book of the poem

Christmas Compare and Contrast- "The Mouse Before Christmas" vs. "The Night Before Christmas."

"Night Before Christmas"- "Students will learn about story writing, authors purpose, and the history of some of our Christmas traditions."

Visions of Christmas

Thought Audio

This big, multidisciplinary lesson called "Night Before Christmas" is on Writing and Much More

Literacy Development Activities

Reading activity

"Twas the Night Before Christmas": Retelling through thinking maps

Christmas Stockings

Lesson suggestions

Word sheets and Fill the blank

Similes and Metaphors

, , , , , , , ,

Trailer for Australian illustrator’s new book: All Through the Night

www.deanjones.com.au Australian illustrator brings us his new children's book "All Through The Night" which takes us on a magical journey of awe and wonder through the dreamland of a young boy and his favourite toy train on their way to the morning.

THE BOOK:

All Through the Night
by Dean Jones

Darkness is falling, and weary children everywhere are snuggling under their sheets. A small boy lays his head against his pillow and wakes to find himself rocking and rolling along through the night, onwards towards the morning. Soar with him beneath the stars in a magical journey on the midnight express.

Read more here => http://bit.ly/ecTAVO

, , , , ,

The Lost Thing shortlisted for Oscars

Shaun Tan - yes he's incredible. The Lost Thing is his book. He co-directed this short film based on the book. To hear him talk about it, he thought it was a fun thing to do. And now ...

Passion Pictures’ animated short The Lost Thing has been shortlisted by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to advance in the voting process for the 83rd Academy Awards.
The short, directed by Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann, is one of 10 to be pre-selected from a total of 33 films that originally qualified for the animated short film category.

You can watch the film and read more about the book in an earlier post I did on it here => http://bit.ly/fHM5WD

, , , , , , ,

Chaos and colourful creativity in Neil Gaiman’s “Crazy hair” for kids

Crazy hair

by Neil Gaiman

Illustrated by Dave McKean

The duo responsible for The Wolves in the Walls (2003) return with another chaotic picture book popping with bright collage and multimedia imagery.

... more

---Listen to the author, Neil Gaiman reading his poem

, , , , ,

Today’s book is about babies, it’s funny and it’s great for older kids as well

lazy_littleLazy Little Loafers

by Susan Orleon

Ever experienced stroller envy? Ever wished you were applauded just for walking across a room? Ever wanted to loaf about the park on a blanket in the middle of a school day with nothing on your agenda but being relaxed and happy? Then you should be a baby. They’ve got it made.

In this charming, droll story, a world-weary older sister ponders the question, why don’t more babies work? Her answers, hilariously tinged with resentment, offer up a wickedly accurate picture of just how great babies have it.

,

Book – The House in the Night

 Winner: Caldecott Medal 

by Susan Marie Swanson, Illustrated by Beth Krommes

From the Reviews

A spare, patterned text and glowing pictures explore the origins of light that make a house a home in this bedtime book for young children. Naming nighttime things that are both comforting and intriguing to preschoolers—a key, a bed, the moon—this timeless book illuminates a reassuring order to the universe.

more (including an interview with the author)

,

2009 Charlotte Zolotow Award

The winner of the 2009 Charlotte Zolotow Award is How to Heal a Broken Wing by Bob Graham (Candlewick). Five Honor Books were named: How I Learned Geography by Uri Shulevitz (FSG); How Mama Brought the Spring by Fran Manushkin, illus. by Holly Berry (Dutton); In a Blue Room by Jim Averbeck, illus. by Tricia Tusa (Houghton Mifflin); A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams by Jen Bryant, illus. by Melissa Sweet (Eerdmans); and Silent Music: A Story of Baghdad by James Rumford (Roaring Brook/Porter). The award is given for outstanding writing in a picture book published in the U.S. and is named to honor the work of the distinguished children's book editor and author Charlotte Zolotow.