Monday, September 27, 2010

THE CATERPILLAR ATE OUR PICNIC

'THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR' by Eric Carle (Picture Puffin)
{Bringing stories to life with props and scene creation}

I’m not sure about you, but for me it is always such a wonderful feeling to wake up to a beautiful Spring day. With the sun finally shining in Melbourne yesterday, I couldn’t resist setting up a special story to read with my daughter (Cam) under the gorgeous blossom tree in our front yard. Being a Sunday, my husband was also home to enjoy the story with us.

I’d like to share with you a creative way you could share a story with your child, by using props and creating a scene to assist in the story-telling. Bringing books to life in this way is so much fun. It is also a cost effective activity for the school holidays. 


‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ by Eric Carle seemed like a perfect ‘Spring’ book for us to read together.

As we needed to make a trip to the supermarket anyway, I simply added some extra special items to our shopping list. (You might even feel that your children are capable of helping you write the list and could also assist you with the shopping.)


While Cam was having her afternoon nap, I set up a picnic rug under the blossom tree and packed a mini picnic basket full of foods that ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ ate during his very hungry week.  My daughter was given a toy caterpillar last Christmas, so this also made a lovely prop to add to the scene I was creating. If you don’t have toy caterpillar you could make one. (See the end of the article for some ideas)



When Cam woke up, I took her outside to see ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ scene that was awaiting her. She was so happy to see her little friend (the caterpillar), but she was even more thrilled when I sat her down in front of the picnic basket where she excitedly explored the contents of the basket.


Although the picnic basket was full of healthy foods:  an apple, pear, orange, strawberries and cheese, it was the cake that caught her eye! She was so excited about finding the treat that she even said ‘cake’ for the first time.

We had read this book numerous times before, but this time we took lots of breaks in the story. At each page, we stopped to search through the picnic basket, giving Cam time to find the next food on the list. She thought it was hilarious that the caterpillar was munching on our picnic as she pulled each item out of the basket. 



When we finished the story, we relaxed and enjoyed our picnic feast under the gorgeous blossom tree. Needless to say the cake was a special treat! It truly was a special way to spend a sunny day with my family. It is a day that I will treasure, and one I think Cam will surely remember.

Creating a scene for our children can help them connect to a story. Their understanding of the world around them can make more sense when they can relate stories to their own experiences. 

Are you interested in giving it a try yourself?

YOU WILL NEED:
  • A copy of 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar', available from The Book Depository UK
  • A picnic rug or blanket 
  • A picnic basket or lunch box 
  • Some of the food eaten by ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ such as apple, pears, plums, oranges, strawberries, cheese, pickle, watermelon. 
  • A caterpillar. If you don’t have one you could:
1. Fill a stocking with tissue paper and use string to tie off the segments of his body. Use pipe-cleaners as antennae and add some googly eyes. 
or
2. Cut out discs of coloured card. Glue them together (slowly overlapped) to create the body of a caterpillar. Draw some facial features.

Maybe you’d do it differently. You could even adapt or extend the activity 
to suit the age of your child. Feel free to share your experiences. 
What props did you use? What book did you read? How did your child react to the experience?

Monday, September 20, 2010

A SEASON FOR COMPETITIONS

Thanks to the wonderful donations from some very generous businesses, My Little Bookcase has some great prizes to give-away. 

We currently have two competitions running.

WOMBAT STEW GIVE-AWAY
We have a gorgeous Wombat Stew Pack to give away courtesy of Scholastic Australia and Fuzzy Creations. For your chance to win the Wombat Stew Pack, you simply need to email My Little Bookcase with the name and author of a children's picture book that features native Australian animals as characters in the story. See our Competitions section for more details.


MY LITTLE BOOKCASE LAUNCH COMPETITION FOR KIDS
We are two weeks away from officially launching My Little Bookcase. We would love your child to be involved in our launch by  entering our colouring competition. For more details, see our Especially for Kids section.


Both of these competitions close on Friday 1 October, 2010







Monday, September 13, 2010

A LOVE FOR CHILDREN'S COOKBOOKS

I was feeling so inspired by the adorable children on Junior Masterchef last night that I haven’t been able to take my mind off kids cooking in the kitchen. I don't know about you, but those kids had me in tears throughout the whole show. Most kids get excited about the thought of cooking in the kitchen: making a mess, creating concoctions, mixing, blending, rolling but most of all I think they love cooking for their families. 

I know I did. I have fond memories of my first cookbook, ‘The Little Monster Cookbook’ by Jan and Michael Salmon (Lamont Books). As a child, I loved the monster illustrations that accompanied the simple recipes. I still have the cookbook; I flip through it now and realise that I never really cooked many of the dishes, but I certainly pored over the pages for years. There were some recipes that I made on a regular basis: Cinnamon Toast (Mum can vouch for receiving this as her Mother’s Day breakfast year after year) and Monster Spider Drink. I can’t wait to pass this book onto Cam when she is old enough to join me in the kitchen. In the meantime, you're never to young to peruse a good cook book, so I might start her on the ‘Farmyard Tales Children’s Cookbook’. Do you remember your first cookbook?

Did you see Junior Masterchef? Were you inspired to get into the kitchen with your children? Or if you’re children are old enough to stay up and watch it themselves, maybe they are eager to don an apron. I’ve put together a list of gorgeous children’s cookbooks in three categories: Current Cookbooks, Inspired by Classics and Stories & Recipes Unite. I hope you find something that you can share with your children. Maybe they’ll love one of these as much as I loved ‘The Little Monster Cookbook’.

SEE OUR COMPETITIONS PAGE TO WIN A 'WOMBAT STEW' GIFT PACK

CURRENT COOKBOOKS


‘Little Kitchen’ by Sabrina Parrini (Hardie Grant) RRP $29.95


This book is available for purchase at an affordable price from the following online bookstores (active links are provided): 

Book Depository UK for $20.51 (free delivery)
Borders for $19.99 (free delivery)
Angus and Robertson for $18.95 + $6.00 (p+h)

This stunning cookbook is colourfully presented and will definitely appeal to kids. The 40 recipes have been designed to make cooking easy for kids, but they’ll also love eating their creations.

Instructions are detailed so kids know when they need Mum or Dad’s help. My favourite feature is the accompanying illustrations, so even beginner-readers can feel like a big help in the kitchen.

Some recipes include: Bite-sized BLTs, Tacos and Fun Shaped Pancakes

Check out the Little Kitchen website where you can buy other child-friendly cookware. If your child is inspired by Junior Masterchef then you might also consider looking at the Little Kitchen Companion Recipe Journal. Kids can keep a collection of their favourite recipes and they can also practise writing their own shopping list using the shopping list writing pad.



‘Silver spoon for children’ (Phaidon) RRP $29.95 10+


This book is available for purchase at an affordable price from the following online stores(active links are provided):
Book Depository UK for $20.46 (free delivery)
The Co-op for $29.95 + (free delivery)
Borders for $33.95 (free delivery)


Recipes from the much-loved Italian cookbook, Silver Spoon, have been adapted to make them child-friendly.

This is a very special cookbook for children, that will definitely help foster a love of good food and might even spark an obsession for cookbooks. It contains healthy recipes but also aims to build the culinary knowledge of any budding chef. Each recipe includes an introduction about the origins of the dish, fascinating facts about the ingredients and the Italian culinary culture. The book is full of information on ingredients, basic cooking techniques and gorgeous accompanying illustrations. 

Recipes include Italian favourites: pizzas, pastas and even roasts.

If you're interested in this book check out Lorraine Elliot's blog, Not Quite Nigella,where she shares her experience of making one of the 'Silver Spoon' recipes with children. 



‘I want to be a chef’ by Murdoch Books Test Kitchen RRP $29.99


This book is available for purchase at an affordable price from the following online stores(active links are provided):

Book Depository UK for $16.09 (free delivery)
Borders for $24.95 (free delivery)
Fishpond for $19.95+$5.99 (p+h)
There are 100 child-friendly recipes presented in this colourful cookbook full of gorgeous food styling. Step-by-step photographs are included for some recipes.

Recipes include: cheese pinwheels and spaghetti with chicken meatballs, summer fruity yoghurts, vegetable and noodle stir-fry

‘Mummy and Me Cookbook’ by Annabel Karmel (Dorling Kindersley)



This book is available for purchase at an affordable price from the following online stores (active links are provided):

Book Depository UK for $12.61 (free delivery)
Borders for $17.95 (free delivery)
Angus and Robertson for $15.95 + $6.00 (p+h)

A cookbook designed to help parents work with their children in the kitchen. Recipes are simple but healthy, and designed to be basic for children to follow. The cute step-by-step photos help kids understand the recipe and also teach them basic cooking skills such as how to weigh, sieve and mix.

Recipes include: Mini Lemon Cheesecakes, Cut-out Cookies, Little Pitta Pizzas, Mini Banana muffins


COOKBOOKS INSPIRED BY CLASSICS


‘Wombat Stew Cookbook’ by Marcia K Vaughan & Pamela Lofts (Scholastic Australia)
RRP $15.99 3+


This book is available for purchase at an affordable price from the following online stores (active links provided):

Emporium Books for $13.95+ $5.45 (p+h)
Booktopia (link below) for$14.40 +$5.45 (p+h)

booktopia.com.au - Australia's #1 online bookstore


The Nile (link below) for $14.49 +$6.50 (p+h)



Who doesn't love 'Wombat Stew'? The original picture book lends itself perfectly to this adorable cookbook. There are 18 easy and yummy recipes for kids, with illustrations of Wombat Stew characters. It also includes helpful information about kitchen safety, measuring and cooking terms.
 
Recipes include: Bandicoot Ginger Biscuits, Wombat Watermelon Salad and Lizard Lemon Fizz


'Roald Dahl's Revolting Recipes' by Roald Dahl, Felicity Dahl and Josie Fison (Penguin Group)


This book is available for purchase at an affordable price from the following online stores (active links provided): 

Book Depository UK for $9.00 (free delivery)
Borders for $15.95 (free delivery)
Emporium Books for $12.90 + $5.45 (p+h)

This is a perfect cookbook for any Roald Dahl fan. The recipes have jumped straight out of the pages of George’s Marvelous Medicine, Matilda, The Twits and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Felicity Dahl and Josie Fison have interpreted the dishes described in Roald Dahl’s books. Starters, snacks, main courses, cakes & desserts, drinks and confectionery all appear in this cookbook. What a lot of fun kids will have creating these recipes.

Recipes include: George’s Marvelous Medicine chicken Soup, Bruce Bogtrotter’s Cake, Mr. Twit’s Beard Food and Lickable Wallpaper. 


‘Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook’ by Georgeanne Brennan and Dr. Seuss (Random House)


This book is available for purchase at an affordable price from the following online stores (active links provided):

Book Depository UK for $17.16 (free delivery)
Borders for $28.95 (free delivery)
Fishpond for $23.97 +$5.99 (p+h)

Georgeanne Brennan has created a list of recipes inspired by the words and illustrations of Dr. Seuss. Each recipe includes a quotation and illustration from a Dr. Seuss book.

Recipes include: Green Eggs and Ham (of course!), Cat’s Mac and Cheese, Circus McGurkus Pink Lemonade, Sneetch Treats

 
STORIES AND RECIPES UNITE

‘Farmyard Tales Children’s Cookbook’ by Fiona Watt (Usborne Books)


This book is available for purchase at an affordable price from the following online stores (active links are provided):

Borders for $15.95 (free delivery)
Book Depository UK for $19.65 (free delivery)
Booktopia (link below) for $18.35+

booktopia.com.au - Australia's #1 online bookstore



Well known children’s author Fiona Watt has created a gorgeous cookbook for young children which shares the recipes of the endearing characters of Apple Tree Farm: Poppy, Sam and Mrs. Boot. 

The recipes are simple to prepare and include step-by-step instructions and matching illustrations. Some extra features include cooking terminology and final product photos.

Making this book a great starter-cookbook for little readers is the little duck that can be found on every page (This is my daughter’s latest obsession for books-searching for hidden creatures).

Recipes include all good farmyard fare: Mrs. Boot’s Best Carrot Cake, Apple Crumble, Strawberry Trifle, Farmyard Cookies, Sam’s Favourite Soup and Poppy’s Pizza.

‘Eddie's Kitchen’ by Sarah Garland (Frances Lincoln) RRP $27.95 3+


This book is available for purchase at an affordable price from the following online stores (active links provided):

Book Depository UK for $18.93 (free delivery)
Amazon for $15.69 + $10.80 (p+h)
QBD (link below) for $22.95 +$6.00 (p+h)



This is a cookbook within a cute fictional story. The main character, Eddie, needs to help his Mum cook a birthday tea with ingredients straight from the garden. The recipes are nutritious and promote the use of fresh produce. A great cookbook for budding young chefs!

Recipes include: Spaghetti with Rich Tomato Sauce, Crusty White Bread, Baked and Buttery Apples, Orange Drizzle Cake

Other books in this series include ‘Eddie’s Garden’ and ‘Eddie’s Toolbox’





My Little Bookcase spends considerable time researching book prices from various online bookstores. The book stores mentioned in this post have been included because they offer affordable value. The prices and delivery costs are correct at the time of publishing the post. The information is provided for your convenience, however, you are not obliged to shop at these stores.  
My Little Bookcase is an affiliate member of some of these stores (See our Online Bookstores page for more details).







Monday, September 6, 2010

ACCESS ALL AREAS

Do your children have full access to the books in your home or are the books kept under lock and key?

 I have had many people comment on the Facebook profile photo for My Little Bookcase, so I thought I'd share the story behind the 'photo shoot'. 

This is my own daughter, Cam, sitting in front of the bookcase. She is 14 months old and seems to share my passion for books. Until this 'photo shoot', most of Cam's experiences with books involved sharing, looking and reading them with me. Although she has always had a few durable books amongst her toys to explore, reading time was generally determined by me.


Cam has not been mobile for very long. Once she started to move around the house independently, I decided to set up the 'little bookcase' for her. I was eager to give her a wider selection of books to explore. Access to a bookcase also means she can control when she feels like exploring books or reading with me instead of it being decided by me.

I set up the bookcase one afternoon while she was napping. When I first sat my daughter in front of the bookcase she sat motionless for at least five minutes. I really have no idea what she was thinking or feeling, but the following thoughts could have passed through her mind:
-Wow! What a wonderful sight I see before me!
-Are these books for me?
-Can I touch them?
-Where do I start? Which book should I reach for first?

What would your child have done in this situation?
I'm sure you're thinking that your bookcase wouldn't have looked this neat for long. Well, neither did ours. Within 5 minutes the bookcase looked like this:



For two whole days I could hardly pull Cam away from the bookcase, and she still makes frequent trips to the bookcase each day. As a mother I have been amazed by what I have observed as she sits by the bookcase and interacts independently with the books. I hope you don't mind me sharing some of them with you:

-A regular observation is of Cam mimicking the reading process by turning pages one by one and babbling away, as if reading the story herself

-Pointing to objects and attempting to name them (in a language only Mum would understand) or making their sounds (eg. baa)

-Spending some time looking at particular illustrations and laughing

-Turning the book to be positioned the right way up

-One day I noticed Cam was bringing an open book close to her face and then pulling it away and repeating the pattern. I was intrigued and had to investigate. As I got closer, I noticed that she had 'Where is the Green Sheep' (Mem Fox) opened to the page that says: 'Here is the near sheep and here is the far sheep.' She was bringing the book near to her face and then far from her face.

-It was my husband that noticed Cam place the Humpty Dumpty book on the middle shelf (Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall) and then knock the book off the shelf (Humpty Dumpty had a great fall). This is a song she knows well from her weekly swimming lesson.

Many of the behaviours I observed demonstrate the way a child will use their own experiences to make meaning from the book and vice versa. They will also repeat actions and behaviours they have witnessed. 

Why don't you set up a 'little bookcase' in your own home (If you haven't already!)? If you don't have a little bookcase, you could try filling a low cupboard with books. Books in a small box, basket or magazine rack could also work. If you have a small child who is not yet sitting, you might like to add some cloth books to their collection of toys. For older children you could add a variety of text types to the bookcase, such as magazines, newspapers and cookbooks.

Keep in mind that small children do lack fine motor skills and the notion of treating a book with care. There may be a casualty (i.e. a ripped page), so choose the books for your bookcase wisely. You might want to make sure they are durable (eg. cloth or board books). I suggest that you keep any special books in a safe place for shared reading experiences.

My Little Bookcase is a strong advocate for reading aloud and sharing books with children, however, there are also times for personal exploration of books. Providing children with the freedom to personally explore books is a rich book experience that will contribute to their pre-reading development:

-It can provide children with a different experience of books

-It gives them the opportunity to find objects in illustrations that they recognise from their daily experiences (e.g. bottle, dog) without the guidance of an adult

-Children can practise handling a book (e.g. holding it upright, turning pages)

-It can give children the chance to mimic your reading behaviours

-It gives children unlimited access to a range of books, which helps build their knowledge of the world

-It supports a relaxed and positive attitude towards books, which will facilitate a willingness to read in later years

-Older children are give the opportunity to practise the selection of appropriate books

-It allows you to observe your child's behaviour. During what times of the day does your child generally go to the bookcase? This might help you choose the best times to sit and share a book with your child successfully

-You can also observe the types of books that your child enjoys and finds attractive. This will help you to purchase or borrow suitable books from the library.

I WOULD LOVE YOU TO SHARE AND POST SOME OF THE OBSERVATIONS YOU MAKE OF YOUR OWN CHILD AT THEIR LITTLE BOOKCASE. Click on 'comment' below to share.