Winter Is Here! well...almost!

We are two weeks away from our winter break and we're going to get in the wintry swing of things!

Our classes will enjoy a viewing of the animated production of The Snowman by Raymond Briggs. In the video version of the story, a young boy builds a snowman and later that night dreams that he and the snowman fly over the countryside to a winter wonderland. Upon awakening he finds a scarf that hints that the dream was perhaps real. The cartoon production provides a cheerier ending than Raymond Brigg's book, where the snowman's death is more final. Both versions are undeniably appealing and a beautiful example of the wordless approach to storytelling. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Reading is Fundamental!!

Hello Lucy Readers,
We'll enjoy our first Reading Is Fundamental distribution of the year starting Nov. 10th!
BookSpring's RIF program is working to ensure that all children have access to books. It motivates young children to read by working with them, their parents, and community members to make reading a fun and beneficial part of everyday life.
Every child will get to take home a book...for keeps!! Hooray!!

I will be reading one of the following fairy tales. The children will get to choose one of them to take home!

Tapping into the Magic!

 I have yet to meet a preschooler who doesn't completely fall for the magic of Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson. This read aloud is so interactive, so engaging, and so much fun! The simple illustrations are a perfect background to the action of the text! I don't think anyone could resist the allure of transforming a tree through the seasons. Come join the fun!

It's Pumpkin Time!

Autumn was made for harvesting pumpkins and making jack o' lanterns. It's Pumpkin Time by Zoe Hall is a fun and purposeful way to talk about seed germination and autumn holidays. The collage illustrations by Shari Halpern are bright and simple, energetic, and irresistible. 

We'll also sing along to that seasonal favorite, "5 Little Pumpkins!"

Getting Friendly!

Our little penguins are sure to enjoy the friendships that develop in our story time's next two tales.

In Oliver Jeffer's Lost and Found, a boy finds a penguin on his front porch and assumes it must be lost. Because the penguin looks so sad, the boy goes to some lengths to help the penguin return to the South Pole. After spending many days and nights sharing stories and adventure on the high seas, the boy succeeds in reaching the penguin's home. The penguin looks sad once more. Preschoolers have an amazing grasp of the sort of emotions being explored in this story and enjoy discussing what was really lost and what was really found.

We will round out our story time with Eric Carle's, Do You Want to be my Friend? Virtually textless, the story is supplied by Carle's amazing pictures and prompts. This story has suspense, comedy, countless opportunities for predictions, and friendship, of course!

Be sure to check out these amazing picture books!

New Beginnings

Welcome Lucy Read Penguins!
We are going to have a wonderful school year!
For our first round of library visits we are going to focus on book care. To help our discussion we will read The Wonderful Book by Leonid Gore.
This is a story of what different animals do with a book they have found in the forest. A rabbit uses it for shelter, a bear thinks it is a hat, a family of hungry mice use it for a table, and so the story continues. A little boy finally arrives and shows them what is really to be done with a book. Preschoolers are super smart because they knew what books were for all along!
This is a wonderful way for outlining what you can do with books, and what you shouldn't do with books.

Reading is Fundamental!

It's that wonderful time of year when all children should...
GET A FREE BOOK!!
We participate in the BookSpring Reading is Fundamental program and it's time for our second distribution. We are so happy to send our students home with a brand new book to keep and enjoy.

Fairy Tales Can be Grimm!

Hello Lucy Readers!
We just finished reading Hansel and Gretel by the Brothers Grimm. Our version was adapted by Elisabet Abeyá. It included some of the stuff that can be found in traditional tales; a wicked witch, unfair and unreasonable characters, and a happy ending. Most of all, it included protagonists that refuse to give up when things get really tough. That's what I point out to my students first and foremost.

Imagine that!

Books inspire our imagination! Books about imagination really inspire our imagination!!
We'll be sharing several books that are sure to take us to new heights!

Cloud Boy * Niño Nube by Rhode Montijo is a story about a lonely cloud that uses his artistry to not be so lonely.

Si Yo Fuese Muy Delgado by Antonio Mota describes all of the things the main character would do if he was very thin!

A Mouse Told His Mother by Bethany Roberts delights us with sweet exchange at bedtime between a creative little mouse and his practical mother.

And finally, we will read Stuck by Oliver Jeffers. It's a hilarious story about a boy trying to knock his stuck kite out of a tree...at all costs!