October 19 – Evaluate Your Life Day

About the Holiday

Today’s holiday was established to encourage people to take stock of their lives and decide if they are on their chosen path. With so much going on, days, weeks, months—even years—can fly by, and before you know it, you’re somewhere you don’t want to be. Stopping along the way once in a while to reevaluate all the parts of your life—education, job, home, finances, and social connections—can help you see where improvements can be made so you can accomplish your goals. Sometimes, though, making changes reveals that you were on the right track all along—as today’s book shows.

Disney-Hyperion sent me a copy of Bruce’s Big Move to check out, and is partnering with me for a giveaway! All opinions are my own.

Bruce’s Big Move

By Ryan T. Higgins

Oh no! Is that a For Sale sign outside Bruce’s home? You know, the hillside abode with the yard littered with toys, games, and an old hat? What’s going on? Well, let’s turn the page and find out!

If you don’t know already, “Bruce was a bear who lived with four geese because he was their mother (just go with it and check out Mother Bruce). He also shared space with three mice “because they would not leave” (maybe, but weren’t they kind of invited? For the answer to that you’ll want to check into Hotel Bruce). Mice, it seems make themselves very much at home—in every square inch of every room. You wouldn’t believe the mess! (Or what a generous Mom Bruce is!).

: Copyright Ryan T. Higgins, 2017, courtesy of Disney-Hyperion.

As you might imagine “Bruce’s house was crowded, chaotic, and loud,” and it all made Bruce very grumpy. Bruce thought and pondered over how he could get rid of those mice. He tried plan after plan, but none of them were successful. Those crafty mice just turned everything on it’s head. For instance, when Bruce told them to get “Out,” they appreciated his concern that they “get some fresh air.”

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There was only one thing to do. Bruce packed up his belongings, settled his four kids in the sidecar, and moved away. “Finding a new house for a mother bear and his four geese can be difficult.” The tree-top nest was too shaky, the submerged shipwreck was too wet, and the new construction by turtle builders was too behind schedule. Eventually, Bruce found the perfect home on the edge of a lake and surrounded by meadows. It even came with plenty of friendly neighbors (well, no house is perfect-perfect).

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The greatest thing about this house, though? No mice! Bruce felt so happy, he smiled. Yeah, really…didn’t you see it? The geese, though, were not so happy. They stood around with sad eyes and dejected postures. “Bruce tried cheering them up . . . .” He flew a kite, took them to the beach, and took them to art class. Even Bruce’s biggest smile . . . um . . . grimace?. . . no, smile—definitely a smile . . . could distract his kids from missing the mice.

But then “the moving van arrived” with some very familiar-looking movers. In fact, these little guys were ready to move in! So, the geese were happy, and the mice were happy. But Bruce? Not so much. The housewarming party was a fantastic success. All the woodland animals came, and “Bruce’s house was once again crowded, chaotic, and loud.” And even though “Bruce didn’t like it one bit,” he had to admit “it felt like home.”

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Ryan T. Higgins’ is the perfect dad/mom/writer/drawer for the curmudgeonly charming Bruce, nudging his creation into a new and hilarious situation in this third installment of his beloved Bruce books. As Bruce tries to gain one moment of peace, kids will giggle and laugh out loud at the antics of the pesky mice who cannonball into Bruce’s bubble bath, soak in his cup of tea, and turn his house into a shambles of stuff. When Bruce finally packs up and moves out, readers can’t really begrudge Bruce his quiet time, but they’ll cheer to see those wily mice back on the scene.

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With his flair for gleeful chaos and flawlessly expressive faces. Higgin’s creates a family atmosphere any reader can relate to. Bruce may look grumpy, but as he gazes into the sweet, innocent eyes of his geese and takes full measure of those high-spirited mice, astute readers know that behind that frown lies a soft heart. Kids will love watching Bruce and the geese ride his old-fashioned motorcycle, meeting a new cast of characters, and basking in Bruce’s pearly-white smile. When the story and art come full circle in the tender ending, readers will be happy to have Bruce in their neighborhood.

Bruce’s Big Move is an enchanting and funny story on its own and a very worthy addition to the series. Whether you’re already a Bruce fan or just becoming one, the book is a fantastic addition to home, classroom, and public libraries.

Ages 3 – 8

Disney-Hyperion, 2017 | ISBN 978-1368003544

Get movin’ and watch this Bruce’s Big Move book trailer!

Connect with Disney-Hyperion:

Visit Books.Disney.com

Follow Disney-Hyperion on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram

#BrucesBigMove #FollowBruce

About the Author

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Ryan T. Higgins (ryanthiggins.com) is an author and illustrator who likes the outdoors and cheese sandwiches. He is NOT a grumpy old black bear, but he DOES like making books about one—starting with the best-selling Mother Bruce, which received the E. B. White Read-Aloud Award and the Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Honor. He lives in Maine with his wife and kids… and too many pets.

Evaluate Your Life Day Activity

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Put Your Life Together Pack

Sometimes life feels a little like a jigsaw puzzle—there are so many pieces that have to fit together! With this handy travel bag, you can keep track of all the things you’d like to do and see how they work together to help you achieve your goals.

Supplies

12-inch x 18-inch foam sheet in brown or your favorite color (or use a manila folder)
Stiff decorative scrapbook or single-color paper
Stickers (optional)
Cardboard jigsaw puzzle, available at craft stores
Foam or craft glue
Markers or pen

Directions

To Make the Travel Bag

Fold the foam sheet in half
Glue along each edge, leave the top open

To Make the Handles

Cut two 1-inch x 10-inch strips from the scrapbook or other paper
Three inches from the right end of the each strip, make a triangular fold
Three inches from the left end of each strip, make a triangular fold
Glue one handle on each side at the top of the bag
Decorate the bag with the stickers (optional)

To Make the Puzzle

On each puzzle piece write

Things that are important to you
Things you’d like to do better
Things you’d like to try for the first time
Things that may be hard to do
Things you need to do every day
Your hopes and dreams

2. Take the puzzle apart

3. As you accomplish the goal on the pieces fit them together

4. Soon you’ll see your life coming together just the way you want it to

Keep your puzzle pieces in your travel bag

Picture Book Review

September 29 – It’s National Courtesy Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

A bit of common courtesy goes a long way. Just think of how two little words, like “I’m sorry,” “Excuse me,” and “Thank you,” can make a frown turn into a smile and make a bad day suddenly feel okay. Today’s holiday encourages people to use good manners, watch out for others, and treat everyone the way you would like to be treated. When these niceties are forgotten…. Well, today’s book shows us what can happen….

Hotel Bruce

Written by Ryan T. Higgins

“Bruce was a bear who lived with four geese,” but he was not happy about it. Since he was their mom, however, it meant going south with them every winter even though he would rather have taken a loooong nap. Leaving home, taking public transport, and hanging out on crowded beaches took a toll on Bruce. So one spring when Bruce returned home to discover mice had turned his home into the Woodland Hotel, he went on a grouch-fueled rampage and swept the mice out into the night.

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Satisfied, he climbed the stairs to bed only to find it overrun with a moose, a porcupine, a raccoon, and a rabbit; three turtles were snoozing underneath. Let’s just say quarters were a bit snug. “The next morning Bruce woke to the sounds of birds chirping, and squirrels chattering, and possums having a pillow fight.” He found a frog in his toilet, got porcupine prickles in his posterior, was sprayed with skunk perfume right after showering…and a beaver gnawed the corner off his kitchen table. There was even a fox at the stove trying to convince the turtles to jump into a hot, veggie-filled “bath.” But when the mice tried to politely usher Bruce out of the Woodland Hotel, he’d had enough and asked to see the manager.

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While the mice argued over who was the manager, things in the kitchen were getting steamy. The fox’s turtle soup had “turned bad.” The kitchen looked as if a turtlenado had blown through—even Bruce’s best silverware was missing! “Bruce started to lose his cool.” Just then a vanload of elephants arrived for a vacation. “Finally, Bruce lost his temper. ‘THIS IS NOT A HOTEL! THIS IS MY HOUSE! EVERYBODY OUT RIGHT NOW!’”

Drooping with dejection, the “guests” tromped away. “Sheesh! I thought they’d never leave,” one mouse snarked. At that, Bruce tossed the interlopers out into the rain, where they sat sad and bedraggled. “Bruce’s house was a quiet, peaceful place once again.” At least until the geese honked sympathetic honks. Bruce sighed and opened the door….

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Ryan T. Higgins’ curmudgeonly bear is back with a fine, funny sequel that will have kids giggling at poor Bruce’s plight. Adults will appreciate the sly wink to the penchant of woodland animals to take up roost in any warm, unoccupied space and will perhaps feel more than a little sympathy with Bruce as he finally rousts his “guests” from his home. The wise-cracking mice add levity and a few well-placed honks from Bruce’s “kids” tug at his heart.

Higgin’s madcap illustrations put readers in Bruce’s big, burly paws as he endures one predicament after another. While the woodland animals run wild, their slightly guilty faces reveal that even they know all is not on the up-and-up as they watch Bruce’s unibrow rise with surprise and furrow in anger. The geese, so eager to follow and fit in, look ridiculously cute in their bellhop uniforms, and Higgin’s detailed depictions of Bruce’s home will have kids lingering over each page.

Ages 5 – 8

Disney – Hyperion, 2016 | ISBN 978-1484743621

Connect with Ryan T. Higgins on his website and learn more about his books, school visits, and summer camp for kids.

National Courtesy Month Activity

Courtesy is Contagious Word Scramble

When you use good manners and courtesy, people notice and are inspired to do the same! Can you unscramble the twelve words or phrases in this printable Courtesy is Contagious Word Scramble. Here’s the Solution.

Picture Book Review

September 19 – It’s Self-Care Awareness Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

We hear a lot about caring for and taking care of others, but caring for yourself is important too. Making sure you are happy and healthy physically and emotionally goes a long way in determining your quality of life and how you can relate to others. Taking care of yourself comes in many forms. Eating well, getting enough exercise, finding time to relax and have fun, and even saying “no” instead of always “yes” are just a few of the ways that you can ensure you’re looking out for yourself. Today, take a pledge to be good to yourself—not just one day a year, but every day.

The Curious Cares of Bears

Written by Douglas Florian | Illustrated by Sonia Sánchez

If you’re out in the woods and you come upon bears, you might find that they have some “curious cares.” During spring, bears are careful when “climbing up trees and stealing the honey from beehives of bees.” After being well fed, bears like to run and play and stop along the way to smell the flowers. For cub brothers and sisters some teasing and wrestling fill out the day.

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Image copyright Sonia Sánchez, 2017, text copyright, 2017. Courtesy of simonandschuster.com.

Summer brings new cares, such as “swimming inside of a creek, playing jump rope or perhaps hide-and-seek.” Vacation time means visits from family far and near, including bear hugs, delicious feasts, and dancing till dawn. Bears are also fond of exploring the mountains by hiking and biking, and on hot, hazy days they relax in the lake, drying off later with “great big bear shakes.”

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Image copyright Sonia Sánchez, 2017, text copyright, 2017. Courtesy of simonandschuster.com.

In autumn, bear cares become cozy and warm as they play in leaf piles and sing campfire songs. When the winter chill comes, they hibernate in their dens, “where deeply they sleep till the springtime and then…they slowly emerge as the frozen grounds thaw and start to explore the wide world with awe.”

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Image copyright Sonia Sánchez, 2017, text copyright, 2017. Courtesy of simonandschuster.com.

Douglas Florian guides little ones through a year of shenanigans and contentment with a group of bears that are more carefree than careful. These adorable bears know how to take care of themselves and enjoy being together—just like children do. Florian’s gentle rhymes will charm readers and remind them of the good times they have throughout the year.

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Image copyright Sonia Sánchez, 2017, text copyright, 2017. Courtesy of simonandschuster.com.

Sonia Sánchez’s sweet bear families know how to spend a year, taking care to appreciate every moment. From the precarious maneuvers to reach honey on a thin, bendy sapling to tumbling and splashing in a creek, to dancing in a conga line, these bears understand how to have a good time. Little readers will giggle at the shower of water droplets (and a few ants) that spray from a bear drying off and snuggle closer as the bears gather around a glowing campfire. As the bears emerge from their winter sleep, children will also be ready to look at their world with awe.

Ages 4 – 8

little bee books, 2017 | ISBN 978-1499804621

Self-Care Awareness Month Activity

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Relaxation Sand

Sometimes you just need to zone out and relax, but it’s hard to ignore all the sights and sounds around you and the thoughts that swirl through your mind. Playing with this kinetic sand can help you take it easy and let the world slip away like the sand slipping through your fingers.

Supplies

1 cup of play sand
½ tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon dish soap
About ¾ cup of water—or as much as needed
Bin or large bowl
Small bowl

Directions

The amount of water you use will depend on the consistency of the sand

In a bin or bowl, combine the sand and cornstarch and mix well
In the small bowl combine the dish soap and water and stir until the water is bubbly
Slowly pour some of the water/dish soap mixture into the sand/cornstarch mixture and mix well.
Continue mixing, adding a little water at a time until the desired consistency is reached

Picture Book Review

August 30 – Toasted Marshmallow Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Today is a day to celebrate the simple pleasures of toasting marshmallows. Whether you like your marshmallows just lightly browned or blackened to a crisp, these ooey-gooey delights are fun to make and fun to eat! Why not make a campfire, start up the fire pit or grill, or even set the oven to broil and toast up some marshmallows today?

A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee

By Chris Van Dusen

As the sun came up Mr. Magee and his little dog Dee packed up their car and headed out on an adventure. They left their seaside home for the mountains, where they plan to camp for two nights or “possibly three.” Mr. Magee tells Dee that he’ll love camping. It’s quiet and peaceful and “aside from the wildlife, there’s no one around.” In a few hours they found the perfect spot to pitch their tent. “It was high on a hill with a beautiful view / of Mount Adams, Mount Lincoln, and Jefferson too.” But the prettiest sight of all was the stream that ended in a whooshing waterfall.

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Mr. Magee gathered pinecones and sticks and made a fire where he cooked hotdogs for the dinner. Then “as the sun set behind far distant knolls, / they sat roasting marshmallows over the coals.” When darkness fell, Mr. Magee and his little dog fell asleep in their cozy camper. As they were dreaming of the next day, a bear bumbled by, led to the spot by the sweet smell of marshmallows.

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The bear wanted those marshmallows, but he couldn’t quite reach with the car and the camper blocking his way. “But that didn’t stop the sneaky old snitch, / he simply tried squeezing right under the hitch.” But as he wriggled and wiggled he undid the lock, and the car rolled forward while the camper rolled back. On separate paths down the hillside, the two vehicles flew. The car bounced down the road, while the camper headed straight for the stream.

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Mr. Magee and Dee woke in alarm when the camper splashed headlong into the roaring current. “They were caught in the rapids, but that wasn’t all. / They were headed smack dab through the big waterfall.” They were quaking with fear and the camper was swept away, but just as they were about to go over the falls, their camper was snagged by a rock on the edge.

They were worried and wondering what they could do, when the bear spied one more marshmallow to chew at the end of the camper. He jumped in the river, grabbed the hitch in his teeth, and dragged the camper back to the bank. When the bear tasted metal instead of sweetness, he moseyed away disappointed.

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When the bear let go, the camper bounded away and rolled down the rocks. It came to rest right next to the car. Mr. Magee and Dee hitched up once more and drove home. They weren’t ready to give up their camping quite yet, so “when they got home with the sky turning red, / they decided to camp in the backyard instead.”

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Chris Van Dusen’s classic camping adventure featuring the loveable Mr. Magee and his little dog Dee is full of humor, suspense, and cozy moments. The sweet relationship between Mr. Magee and his faithful companion, will charm young readers and make them happy to be taken along for the ride. Van Dusen’s rolling rhythm and clever rhymes are catchy and fun to read aloud.

The vintage open-top rambler and tiny, rounded camper are just as endearing as the main characters as they roll and bump along the dirt road to the campsite and then go their separate ways to create a dramatic story. The blue seaside, mountain scenery, and fiery sunset are beautiful backdrops to the action, and the aerial view down the 50-foot waterfall will make readers cringe at Mr. Magee’s predicament.

Ages 4 – 7

Chronicle Books, 2003 | ISBN 978-0811836036

Discover more about Chris Van Dusen, his books and art on his website!

Toasted Marshmallow Day Activity

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Toasted Marshmallow Cupcakes from allrecipes.com.

Toasted Marshmallow Cupcakes

Toasted marshmallows aren’t just for S’mores anymore! With this delicious cupcake recipe from All Recipes, toasted marshmallows top off chocolate cupcakes in style! Visit All Recipes and get the recipe for Toasted Marshmallow Cupcakes that makes any event as fun as a camping trip!

Picture Book Review

July 6 – It’s Vacation Rental Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

A great vacation starts with a great place to stay! Whether you like a cabin by the lake, a cottage by the shore, a tent or camper in the woods, or that good-ol’ staple the hotel, getting away from home can be an adventure in itself. This month is perfect for planning a vacation and finding just the right accommodations for maximum enjoyment!

Hotel Bruce

Written by Ryan T. Higgins

Satisfied, he climbed the stairs to bed only to find it overrun with a moose, a porcupine, a raccoon, and a rabbit with three turtles snoozing underneath. Let’s just say quarters were a bit snug. “The next morning Bruce woke to the sounds of birds chirping, and squirrels chattering, and possums having a pillow fight.” He found a frog in his toilet, got porcupine prickles in his posterior, was sprayed with skunk perfume right after showering…and a beaver gnawed the corner off his kitchen table. There was even a fox at the stove trying to convince the turtles to jump into a hot, veggie-filled “bath.” But when the mice tried to politely usher Bruce out of the Woodland Hotel, he’d had enough and asked to see the manager.

Ages 5 – 8

Disney – Hyperion, 2016 | ISBN 978-1484743621

Connect with Ryan T. Higgins on his website and learn more about his books, school visits, and summer camp for kids.

Vacation Rental Month Activity

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Take-along Starter Kit

A vacation place is always nicer with a few favorite comforts from home. Here are some ideas for a Take-along Kit that would make spending time away so much better:

Cozy blanket
Soft pillow
Comfy jammies
Fluffy friend
Favorite book
Coloring book
Colored pencils or markers
Playing cards
Good movie or TV show
Fun craft project
Hot chocolate
Tea
Popcorn

**You can find Hotel Bruce at these booksellers**

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

June 27 – It’s Effective Communications Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Sure, body language can say a lot, but effectively expressing yourself in words and writing helps decrease misunderstandings, misinterpretations, hurt feelings, and conflict. Learning to handle important relationships and work obligations with thoughtful care, consideration, and empathy can take patience and practice. This month people are invited to work on their communications skills to enhance their life with family, friends, co-workers, and others.

The Bear Who Stared

By Duncan Beedie

Bear loves to stare…and stare…and stare. One morning he emerges from his den to find a family of ladybugs having a picnic breakfast. He can’t help but gaze at them intently. “‘What are you staring at?’” the daddy ladybug demands before he and his family pack up to find a more private leaf. Bear continues on his way. In a bit he climbs a tree and stares at a bird feeding her chicks. “‘Can I help you?’” the mother bird asks, but Bear remains silent. The chicks don’t like Bear interfering with their meal, so the mother bird angrily tells him to “‘sshhhooooo!’”

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At the bottom of the tree Bear spies a badger hole and sticks his head inside. The badger, particularly irritated at Bear’s badgering stare while he is shaving, bites poor bear on the nose. Sore and dejected, Bear wanders through the forest to a large pond. He sits down on a log to ponder his situation. He doesn’t mean to be annoying, he’s “just curious but too shy to say anything.”

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A little frog floating on a lily pad in the middle of the pond pipes up, “‘I’ve seen that look before.’” Bear stares at the frog and the frog stares back. “‘Not much fun being stared at, is it?’” he says. Bear confesses that he just doesn’t know what to say to anyone. Just then Bear catches a glimpse of another bear staring back at him from the mossy water of the pond. This bear looks exactly like Bear, except that he is green and wavy. Suddenly, the green bear smiles. “‘You see?’” says the frog. “‘Sometimes a smile is all you need.’” The frog dives off his lily pad into the pond, and the green bear disappears too.

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The next day Bear leaves his den and discovers the ladybug family breakfasting again. As soon as they spot Bear, they begin to gather their things. “‘Hello!’” Bear says with a big smile on his face. The ladybugs are surprised and happy. “‘Oh, hello!’” replies the dad, smiling back. With renewed confidence Bear wanders into the forest. He smiles at the birds and smiles at the badger, and they smile at him in return. Bear makes a lot of new friends that day. And there’s even that friend down at the pond who likes to stare as much as he does!

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Duncan Beedie highlights the awkward feeling many kids—and even adults—often feel in social situations. Nothing pops immediately to mind to say and yet there’s a desire for connection. As Bear discovers, staring is not the answer—so what is? In The Bear Who Stared, Beedie offers a simple, but universal solution through an engaging and humorous story. Bear, sporting a bemused expression that aptly depicts his predicament, is such an endearing character that readers will wish they could give him a hug as he suffers slights from the woodland creatures.

The full-bleed, oversized pages put readers at eye level with bear and his subjects, and the very up-close look into Bear’s staring eyes will make kids laugh. The green, rust, and blue palette on matte paper is bold, but muted, giving the pages an organic, environmental feel that is perfect to carry the story.

The Bear Who Stared is a funny story time read with a heart that kids will ask for again and again.

Ages 4 – 8

little bee books, 2016 | ISBN 978-1499802856

Check out more of Duncan Beedie’s illustration and animation work on his website!

Take a good looong look at this The Bear Who Stared book trailer!

Effective Communications Month Activity

Expressive Bear Craft

Sometimes it’s hard to know what to say or how to express your emotions and thoughts. With this easy-to-make felt (or paper) set, you can give the bear different emotions and talk about them, make up stories to go with each facial expression, or play a fun game. Below, you’ll find a couple of ideas!

Supplies

Printable Bear Head Template
Printable Eyes and Noses Template
Printable Eyebrows and Ears Template
Light brown felt or fleece, 8 ½ x 11 inch piece
Dark brown felt or fleece, 8 ½ x 11 inch piece
White felt or fleece, 8 ½ x 11 inch piece
Black felt or fleece, for pupils
Scissors
Glue
1 playing die (optional)

Directions

Print templates
Cut bear head from light felt or fleece
Cut eyes from white felt or fleece
Cut nose and inner ears from dark brown felt or fleece
Cut pupils from black felt or fleece
Glue pupils onto white eyes

Alternately: Color and play with the paper set

To Play a Game

Roll the die to collect parts of the bear’s face. The first player to create a full face is the winner.

Die dots correspond to:
1—one eyebrow
2—second eyebrow
3—one eye
4—second eye
5—nose
6—inner ears

For a Fun Story Time

Give the bear different faces and make up stories of why he looks that way!

Picture Book Review

April 29 – National Go Birding Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

With all the bird activity going on right now as these little creatures build nests, lay eggs, and take care of new families, it’s a perfect time to go bird watching. The weather promises to be warm, and with a little stealth, a good sense of observation, and perhaps some binoculars, you should be able to spot quite a few lovely species. As the subject of today’s book found, if your home—or your hat—is inviting, feathered friends will come! So head out to a park, forest, beach—or even your backyard—and enjoy the beauty of the birds in your area.

Mr. Brown’s Fantastic Hat

By Ayano Imaí

Mr. Brown lived alone and, if you asked him, he’d tell you he liked it that way. He “had no friends and he didn’t want any.” If you were privy to his secret thoughts, however, you’d learn that Mr. Brown was actually very lonely. Mr. Brown liked to take long walks, and when he went out, he always wore his “smart,” distinctive hat. “One day while Mr. Brown was sleeping, a woodpecker flew down and started tapping a hole in his hat, thinking, ‘What a wonderful nest this hat would make!’”

When Mr. Brown woke up he was shocked to discover that a bird had moved into his hat. Someone living this close to him was not what Mr. Brown had in mind at all. Then to Mr. Brown’s dismay the “woodpecker soon told all his friends about the wonderful new home and invited them all to join him.” Soon Mr. Brown’s hat was full of holes—and birds! You might think a regular hat would not have enough room for so many residents—but Mr. Brown’s hat was no ordinary one. As more and more birds moved in, his hat grew taller and taller!

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As the days went on Mr. Brown discovered that he was beginning to enjoy the birds’ singing and their company. Now Mr. Brown had renewed purpose in his daily walks: “He loved to show off his hat. Everywhere he went it was full of the music of singing birds.” People on the street took notice and wanted to emulate Mr. Brown. All over town people began wearing tall hats, “but the birds preferred to stay with Mr. Brown no matter how hard people tried to persuade them.”

One day as autumn settled in, Mr. Brown noticed that all the birds had flown away. He was sad and didn’t understand where they had gone or why they had left him. He wondered if he would see them again. The idea of a quiet life no longer held the appeal it once did, and Mr. Brown missed his friends. He tried to convince himself that he didn’t care that the birds had left, but he continued to fill the feeders and watch out for them every day.

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Even though it was time for Mr. Brown to take a long winter’s nap, he tried to stay awake, worried that there would be no one to care for the birds if they returned. But nature took its course, and Mr. Brown fell into a deep sleep. One morning after a particularly vivid dream in which Mr. Brown could hear the birds singing, he woke to a tapping sound. He went to the door and peered out.

Spring had come and with it Mr. Brown’s hat had grown roots and sprouted branches and leaves. The old holes were filled with their previous tenants. The sight filled Mr. Brown with joy, and he finally could admit to himself that sharing his life with friends “was better than being alone.”

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Ayano Imaí’s gloriously beautiful book plumbs the nature of solitude and loneliness as well as the value of friendship with an honesty that is at once heartrending and uplifting. For so many quiet, introspective people—children and adults alike—navigating the world of small talk, casual relationships, and making friends is similar to traveling uncharted territory, where the language and mores are foreign. It can become easier to tell oneself that it doesn’t matter, when in reality it matters a great deal. Many times happiness comes when one finds their niche or, in some surprising way, a niche finds them.

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Imaí tells the story of Mr. Brown and his fantastical hat in straightforward narration, but more profound meaning is revealed in her illustrations. Mr. Brown, it is discovered, is a brown bear who has taken on the aspects of humans. He walks upright, carries an umbrella and bag, owns a home, and wears a hat. His fur is even the same color as the townspeople’s clothing. But while he may be among people, he is not of them. His home has a grass floor which sprouts mushrooms and weeds; another weed pokes out from the bristles of his brush; a tree branch juts from a wall; and mushrooms share space with the laundry on the drying line.

Mr. Brown comes from nature and belongs with nature, so it is no surprise that the birds flock to him and prefer him to humans, who in an ironic twist long to be like Mr. Brown. Mr. Brown’s hat is also symbolic of one’s heart, in that as a person embraces friends, their ability to accept and love others continues to grow.

I especially like the ending of Mr. Brown’s Fantastic Hat, in which Mr. Brown stays true to himself. He does not suddenly discover his “wild” side and become someone that he is not. He is able to remain a quiet, introspective bear while also embracing his friends, his love for them, and his place in the world. He finds inner happiness and loved ones to share it with.

Ages 3 – 8 (and up)

minedition, 2014 | ISBN 978-9888240845

National Go Birding Day Activity

Let’s Go Birding! Word Search Puzzle

You don’t need a pair of binoculars to find the twenty kinds of birds in this printable Let’s Go Birding! Word Search Puzzle. Here’s the Solution!

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