International Kite Day originated in India in the state of Gujarat to commemorate the last day of winter and the first day of summer as well as the coming harvest season. The kites represent the spirits of the gods who are awakened from their winter sleep. The people of Gujarat begin making kites months in advance to accommodate the numerous festivals and the millions of people from around the world who attend them.
Kite Day: a Bear and Mole Story
By Will Hillenbrand
Bear sensed a familiar aroma in the air. He pointed his nose toward the sky and took a big whiff. “He smiled and then shouted, ‘Kite day!’” He dashed home and announced the news to Mole, who was digging in his garden. While Mole researched in a stack of books, Bear gathered supplies. While “Bear measured and cut, Mole drew.” Then “they both constructed.”
Image copyright Will Hillenbrand, courtesy of Holiday House
With their beautiful yellow creation in hand, “they raced outside into the meadow.” Mole ran with the string while Bear threw the kite high above him. The breeze picked up the kite and sent it’s rainbow bowtie tail fluttering “Zoom. Zoom. Zoom.” The kite soared higher and higher—into a graying sky. “Then dark, heavy clouds rolled in. Rumble. Rumble. Rumble.”
Image copyright Will Hillenbrand, courtesy of Holiday House
Suddenly, a gust of wind snapped the kite string, and it spun “Away, away, away.” “‘Oh no!” screamed Mole and Bear” as the kite dove downward. The two ran as fast as they could to catch up with it. They came to a stop under a huge tree. Caught in the branches was their kite. “Splat. Splat, Splat. Rain pelted the broken kite.” Then Mole and Bear saw something amazing. “‘Look!’ cried Bear. ‘Oh,’ sighed Mole.” The kite was sheltering a nest of chicks! “‘Chirrup, chirrup, chirrup’” they cheaped. “‘Thank you!’ sang the mother bird.”
Image copyright Will Hillenbrand, courtesy of Holiday House
Will Hillenbrand’s sweet friends Bear and Mole never fail to bring a smile to young reader’s faces as they share both joyful and scary experiences together. Little ones will love the repeated words that invite them to read along, and active verbs—such as snatched, plunged, and pelted—provide lyrical and advanced vocabulary. Kite Day offers gentle suspense and a cheerful resolution that will enchant young readers. Hillenbrand’s adorable, expressive characters, vibrant colors, and lovely pastel backgrounds will fully engage kids during any story time.
Children would love to add Kite Day, along with the Hillenbrand’s three other Bear and Mole Stories, to their home bookshelf.
Ages 3 – 6
Holiday House, 2013 | ISBN 978-0823427581
Discover more about Will Hillenbrand and his books as well as book-related activities and a gallery of illustations on his website!
Fly with this Kite Day book trailer!
International Kite Day Activity
Cool Kite Decorating Page
Part of the fun of making your own kite is decorating it! Use this printable Cool Kite Page to create the perfect flier! Try colored pencils, markers, glitter, tissue paper, stickers, or other decorations to make it uniquely yours!
As the cooler days of December turn into the colder days of January, Cuddle Up Day reminds us that snuggling up with someone you love warms us and warms our hearts. Children especially love the comfort and security that close hugs bring. Today, get your comfy clothes on, pour a mug of hot chocolate or tea, and cuddle up together with a good book!
You Belong to Me
By Mamoru Suzuki
The emotions of parents and other caregivers of children escape from the heart on the very first page of this gentle, spoken lullaby: “I love you so much.” On the second page, listeners discover why: “You are my favorite person in the whole world.” As the pages flow, the reader continues to reassure the child of the constancy of their love. Devotion is shown when the adult spends time with their child, watches out for them, and takes them to activities, play dates, and even, perhaps on flights of fancy.
Image and text copyright Mamoru Suzuki, courtesy of Museyon Press
Through the words on the pages, the reader encourages the child to “come to me whenever you are lonely” or “whenever you can’t sleep” and promises that “I’ll hug you when you are sad.” Comfort comes in many forms—from drying tears to stroking hair—and from the many people who love the child.
In fact, all of the people in the child’s life agree that “we all love you” and that they will be there “whenever,” “wherever,” and “however” the child needs them. But the deepest love of all is found in the heart of the reader who confirms “I love you most of all, because…you belong to me.”
Mamoru Suzuki’s sweet hug of a book gives parents and caregivers the tender words that overflow in their hearts coupled with endearing illustrations of various animals nuzzling, snuggling, protecting, and comforting a small child. The mellow colors and chiffon texture of the images are at once soothing and stirring, wonderfully mirroring the mixture of emotions that make love for a child so profound.
You Belong to Me is a cuddle to keep on your child’s bookshelf for those times when you want to tell them how much you love them.
Ages birth – 5
Museyon, 2016 | ISBN 978-1940842127
Cuddle Up Day Activity
Snuggle Buddy Craft
It’s easy to make your own snuggle buddy with a few pieces of fleece, some fiber fill, and a needle and thread or fabric glue. The great thing about creating your own friend is you can personalize your pal anyway you want!
Supplies
1 8-inch by 11-inch piece of fleece in the color or your choice for the body (or scraps if you have some from an earlier project). A larger piece of fleece can be used to make a larger buddy
1 5-inch by 8-inch piece of fleece in the color or your choice for the hair (or scraps if you have some from an earlier project)
1 small piece of fleece or other material for a pocket, clothes, or blanket
Small scraps of fleece or other material for the face
Fiber Fill
Thread and sewing needle OR fabric glue
Scissors
Directions
To Make the Body
Fold the large piece of fleece in half lengthwise and sew along the open side and along the bottom. Alternatively, if using a larger size piece of fleece, fold upward and sew or glue the two sides closed.
Turn the form inside out
To Make the Hair
Cut a piece of fleece as wide as your buddy and about 7 – 8 inches long
Fold the fleece lengthwise
Insert both ends of the fleece into the opening at the top of the body
Sew or glue the opening shut, securing the hair
Cut strips about ¼-inch wide from the top of the hair to close to where the hair is sown into the body
To Make a Pocket or Clothes
Cut a piece of fleece in the shape of a pocket, shirt, pants, diaper, or blanket
Sew or glue the pocket or clothes to the buddy
To Make the Face
Cut eyes, a nose, and a mouth in whatever way you would like your buddy to look. (My buddy is sleeping.)
Pancakes and waffles are great, but they’re even more delicious with maple syrup! That sweet, golden slooow-pouring topping that makes for a perfect breakfast (and breakfast-for-dinner meal) deserves its own holiday! Before you get out into the hustle and bustle of the weekend, why not celebrate a little with a tall stack and lots of maple syrup?!
Pancakes! An Interactive Recipe Book
Illustrated by Lotta Nieminen
Sometimes a novelty book comes along that transcends the “kid” category and provides fun and “Ooooh!’ moments for readers of all ages. Pancakes! An Interactive Recipe Book offers just this kind of delicious excitement. Opening the cover is like walking into a cozy kitchen, finding your favorite recipe and gathering all the necessary ingredients. The first two-page spread presents in visuals and words the recipe and the utensils and other cooking items needed to make pancakes.
Image copyright Lotta Neiminen, courtesy of phaidon.com
With the second two-page spread, cooking begins! A scoop of baking powder, two tablespoons of sugar, and half a teaspoon of salt are added to the bowl. But what about the cup of flour? Readers get to add that themselves with a pull tab that simulates the flour joining the other ingredients in the green mixing bowl. The clever cut of the opening and the mottled and powdery appearance of the illustrated flour gives the sensation of actual pouring.
Image copyright Lotta Neiminen, courtesy of phaidon.com
Next readers get to measure out the cup of milk with the help of a pull tab that gives kids control over the amount being served. Four marks on the side of the measuring cup provide an opportunity to talk about fractions and the ¼, ½, and ¾ lines that are also incorporated into real glass measuring cups or the separate cups that come as part of a set. Once the milk is ready, it goes into the mixing bowl with the melted butter and the egg.
Grab your whisk and get stirring! A wheel on the side of the page lets kids “combine” these wet ingredients from their individual parts into a cohesive yellow batter. Now that the batter is ready, it’s time for “STEP 4: Ladle the batter into separate circles in the hot, buttered frying pan.” Readers will love pulling the tab that releases the batter into the pan—leaving just a drop of batter to sizzle on its own (and you know how good those crispy drops can be!)
Image copyright Lotta Neiminen, courtesy of phaidon.com
The batter is bubbling—which means it’s time to flip the flap jacks! As the spatula appears from the top of the page, kids can lift one of the little round yellow pancakes from the fry pan and turn it over. Ingeniously, the reverse side is delectably browned. A turn of the page invites by-now-hungry readers to follow “STEP 6: When both sides are browned, stack the finished pancakes on a plate.”
Image copyright Lotta Neiminen, courtesy of phaidon.com
A pancake-sized round indentation on the plate just begs to be filled with the browned pancake from the previous page. Adding the pancake to the sunny plate, kids will feel as if they are holding the spatula and carefully slipping it atop a stack ready to be eaten. The last page encourages readers to “add butter, syrup, fruit, jam, lemon juice, honey, or whipped cream and taste what you’ve made! Delicious!”
Lotta Nieminen’s Pancakes! is so wonderfully conceived in its bold vibrant images and simple recitation of a pancake recipe. The crisp lines and absence of labels on the ingredients packages, puts the focus on the shapes, providing a chance for discussion of concepts such as rectangle, circle, half-circle, cylinder, oval, and triangle; flat and round; and bigger and smaller. Ideas such as hot and cold, measuring, pouring, mixing, stacking and others can also be introduced. The brilliant interactive elements invite kids and adults alike to play with this book over and over.
The sturdy board pages and convenient size make this a perfect take-along for trips to the market, picnics, appointments, sibilings’ activities, or other outings where waiting is required. For kids and adults who like to help out in the kitchen, love to cook, or are attracted by all things culinary, Pancakes! An Interactive Recipe Book makes a terrific gift and must have for home bookshelves.
Ages 2 and up
Phaidon Press, 2016 | ISBN 978-0714872834
To view a gallery of graphic design and illustration work by Lotta Nieminen, visit her website!
Maple Syrup Day Activity
Pancake Flip-Out
Pancakes are served in a stack because they’re so delicious each one doesn’t last long! This game gives you the chance to see how many pancakes you can flip onto a plate! You can play this game several ways:
To Play Pancake Toss
Give each player the same number of pancakes and see how many they can toss onto the plate during their turn
Make a target with the plate in the middle and draw 3 concentric circles around it. Hitting the target can earn you 20 points. Getting your pancake in the first circle around the plate earns you 15 point, the second circle is worth 10 points, and the third is worth 5 points. Rotate through the players as many times as you like and add up the points at the end. The player with the most points wins!
Instead of tossing the pancakes with your hands, try throwing them with a spatula!
Make up your own rules—and have fun!
To Play With Dice
Choose a number of pancakes that each player must add to their plate—say, maybe, a baker’s dozen.
Take turns rolling the dice and adding the number of pancakes rolled to the plate. The first player to reach the agreed-upon number is the winner.
Print enough copies of the Pancakes and Breakfast Plates for the game you choose and cut them out. Playing pieces can be printed on card stock or on paper.
If printing on paper, you can glue the pancakes and plate to poster board, cardboard, or foam to give the pancakes more weight for throwing and the plate more support
During the month of November we’ve celebrated picture books—those wonderful stories and works of art that open the world to children and adults in surprising and amazing ways. Creating home libraries for children as well as reading together every day is an important part of improving language development and literacy. The close bond formed between parents and other caregivers and children during quiet or boisterous reading times last a lifetime. If you have young children or even older kids who love the beauty of picture books, make every month Picture Book Month!
Owl Sees Owl
Written by Laura Godwin | Illustrated by Rob Dunlavey
An adorable baby owl, wide awake in the full moonlight while its family sleeps, gazes out from its nest in a tree at the surrounding forest. The night is filled with “Home / Mama / Brother / Sister.” The little owl ventures out onto a sturdy limb. It knows “Tree / Nest / Hop / Look.” From its perch with a “Jump / Flutter / Flap / Fly” the owlet soars through the deep blue sky, its white face shining like the stars. It floats over autumn leaves while in the “Moon / Beam / Eyes / Gleam.”
Down below other nocturnal animals have come out to play. On the farm the barn is quiet and dark while someone is stirring in the house. The baby owl passes them by with a “Soar / Glide / Swoop / Swoosh.” Something glistens in the midst of the forest, and the owl descends to investigate. “Owl… / Sees / Owl” in the rippled rings of the small pond.
Image copyright Laura Godwin, courtesy of Rob Dunlavey, robd.com
After a moment the owlet takes off with a quick “Swoosh / Swoop / Glide / Soar,” reversing its nighttime flight. Once more the curious baby passes over the star- and moonlit field, feeling bolder: “Scamper / Mice / Twinkle / Stars.” Deer perk up their ears and stare alert to the nearly silent woosh of the owl’s wings above. “Yellow / Red / Leaves / Fall as the owl zooms with a “Fly / Flap / Flutter / Jump toward “Sister / Brother / Mama / Home,” where Mama waits wide awake.
Image copyright Laura Godwin, courtesy of Rob Dunlavey, robd.com
Inspired by reverso poetry, Laura Godwin’s lovely Owl Sees Owl is a language- and emotionally rich story to share with young children. With only four words per two-page spread, Godwin tells the detailed adventure of an inquisitive baby owl who leaves home for a nighttime caper through woods and over farmland to a pond where it sees itself reflected in the mirror-like surface. In a minute the owl is back in the air for the trip home, reversing its path and also the order of the words. Godwin’s dynamic, lyrical words are joyful to read and allow for readers to linger over each page and talk about what they see, what the little owl is doing, and even whether a sentence such as “Fall / Leaves / Red / Yellow” is active or descriptive. The reverse nature of the story brings the baby owl’s adventure to a sweet, satisfying conclusion that children will love.
Image copyright Laura Godwin, courtesy of Rob Dunlavey, robd.com
Rob Dunlavey’s illustrations transfer the most beautiful clear, moonlit night to the page, creating a perfect quiet time or bedtime book for young children. The lush, dark woods rendered in deep olives, rusts, browns, grays, and blacks as well as the indigo sky highlight the gleaming moon, twinkling stars, and white feathers of the owl. In one spread deer appear in silhouette in the background as mice scamper over pumpkins in the foreground; in another fiery red, yellow, and orange autumn leaves make a spectacular backdrop to the owl’s outstretched wings. The central spread in which the owl sees its own reflection offers readers much to talk about. Is the owl startled? Wondering? Happy? Is the owlet going home for comfort or to tell of its amazing discovery? Kids will love lingering over each page to think and talk about all that is there.
Owl Sees Owl makes a wonderful gift for young children or children who love poetry and art. The book would be a welcome and often read addition to home libraries.
Ages 2 – 7
Schwartz & Wade Books, 2016 | ISBN 978-0553497823
To see a gallery of illustration work for picture books, nature sketches, and other artwork by Rob Dunlavey, visit his website!
Picture Book Month Activity
Barn Owl Coloring Page
This little guy looks ready for an adventure! Grab your pencils or crayons, color this printable cute Barn Owl Coloring Page, and give him a background to start his journey!
Established in 1999 by UNESCO, Mother Language Day celebrates cultural diversity and promotes the protection of endangered languages. Events include multicultural festivals where all voices are heard and social cohesion, cultural awareness, and tolerance are honored.
The Little Rabbit Who Liked to Say Moo
By Jonathan Allen
Little Rabbit sits in the farmer’s field listening to the animals talk and learning their languages. “Moo,” Little Rabbit repeats, “Moo.” A calf responds and questions Little Rabbit. It turns out that Little Rabbit knows and likes many languages. Calf joins Rabbit in the fun. “Baa,” they say together, which summons Lamb. The three friends decide to try “Oink.” With each new noise, the group expands and enthusiastically continues their linguistic experiment.
Copyright Jonathan Allen, 2008, courtesy of Boxer Books Ltd.
Finally, after a rousing chorus of “Quack,” Duckling asks , “Why are you all saying quack? You’re not ducks.” Baby Donkey is the first to answer. “I like Quack.” “So do I…Me too,” the other young animals pipe up. “Is quack your favorite animal sound?” Duckling asks. Each animal then reveals with pride that, while they like other noises, they prefer their own. But what about Little Rabbit, who doesn’t “have a big noise?” Will Rabbit’s answer begin the game again?
The wide-eyed, smiling animals in this adorable picture book by author-illustrator Jonathan Allen perfectly captures the joyous camaraderie of good friends discovering the world together. The book is a wonderful introduction for young children to the ideas of inclusiveness and self-esteem. Kids will love the repetition as each new animal joins the group, and will have as much fun saying each sound as Little Rabbit and the other farmyard friends.
Ages 2 – 5
Boxer Books Limited, 2015 (Board Book) | ISBN 978-1910126257
International Rabbit Day Activity
Paper Bag Rabbit Puppet
With this easy and fun craft you can make your own little rabbit who likes to play with you and talk in other languages! Make up stories of your own – what does your little rabbit like to do?
Place the flat paper bag on a table with the bottom flap facing you. Glue or tape the eyes, and the nose and whiskers to the bottom flap. Attach the ears, placing the tabs behind the top of the bottom flap. Attach the paws to the body below the bottom flap. Attach the cotton ball tail to the opposite side of the bag.
When it’s dry, use your puppet to read The Little Rabbit Who Liked to Say Moo again and play along, making the other animals’ sounds.
Then let your Little Rabbit try saying “Hi” in the languages below.
Learn to Say “Hello” in Other Languages
Spanish: Hola (oh-la)
French: Bonjour (bon zhur)
German: Hallo (hă-lo)
Chinese: Nin Hao (nee hah)
Filipino: Kamusta (ka-muh-stah)
Italian: Ciao (chi-ow)
Japanese: Kon’nichiwa (ko-nee-chee-wah)
Turkish: Merhaba (mĕr-hah-bah)
You can find The Little Rabbit Who Liked to Say Moo at these booksellers
In the early 1970s Marion McQuade had the idea for a special day of the year when grandparents and grandchildren could show their love for one another. She further wanted it to be a day when grandparents could pass down the wisdom they had gained over their lifetime as well as share a bit of family history. Of course the same goes for grandparents learning the latest and greatest from the kids in their lives—from new technology to current fads. When all generations share their experiences, we’re all a lot smarter—and have closer relationships!
Rosa’s Very Big Job
Written by Ellen Mayer | Illustrated by Sarah Vonthron-Laver
Rosa may be little, but she has big ideas about how to help. While Mama is out shopping for groceries for that night’s dinner, Rosa decides to surprise her by folding and putting away the laundry. The basket is piled high with fluffy dry clothes, sheets, and towels. Rosa watches her grandpa reading the newspaper. “‘Please help me, Grandpa!’” she says. She tugs on her grandpa’s hands, trying to pull him out of his chair. “‘Come on, Grandpa! Get up.”
Image copyright Sarah Vonthron-Laver, text copyright Ellen Mayer, courtesy of Star Bright Books, starbrightbooks.com
Grandpa seems to have a little trouble managing: “‘It’s difficult to carry these enormous piles,’” he sighs. But Rosa knows that smaller armloads work better. Grandpa’s clothes come unfolded as he puts them in the drawer. “‘Be neat. Like me,” Rosa says, showing him her tidy stack. Poor Grandpa! He has to keep hanging up the same jacket over and over. “‘It’s difficult to keep this jacket from sliding off the hanger,” he says. Rosa has the answer: “‘Zip it up,’” she explains. “‘Then it stays on.’”
Grandpa sinks back into his chair. “‘You are terrific at doing laundry, Rosa. And I am exhausted,’” he says. But this is no time to quit—Rosa has big plans. As she steps into the now empty laundry basket, she exclaims, “‘Come on, Grandpa! Get in the boat. Help me sail back to there.’” Rosa points to the linen closet.
Image copyright Sarah Vonthron-Laver, text copyright Ellen Mayer, courtesy of Star Bright Books, starbrightbooks.com
Suddenly, the floor swells with ocean waves teeming with fish. Grandpa channels his inner sailor as he holds aloft a sheet as a sail. As the wind billows and they come perilously close to the kitchen table, he says, “‘It’s difficult to sail around this enormous rock!’” Contemplating the rising sea, he exclaims, “‘It’s difficult to sail over this enormous wave!’”
There’s a dangerous storm ahead, warns Grandpa, “‘I can’t hold the sail in this strong wind.’” Rosa is there to help and grabs one side of the sheet. “‘Hold tight,’” she orders. “‘Use both hands.’” At last the seas die down and Grandpa is ready to steer the laundry basket back to port, but Rosa has a more entertaining thought. Spying a sock on the floor, Rosa wants to catch the “enormous fish.” Grandpa obliges and picks up a hangar for a fishing pole. He holds Rosa as she stretches out over the edge of the laundry basket to land her fish.
Image copyright Sarah Vonthron-Laver, text copyright Ellen Mayer, courtesy of Star Bright Books, starbrightbooks.com
Just as Rosa nabs the fish, Mama comes home with her bags of groceries. She’s surprised to see that the laundry is not in the basket. Rosa runs to her and proudly explains, “‘We put all the laundry away. It was a very big job. We carried enormous piles. Grandpa dropped things. And I picked them up. It was very difficult for Grandpa. He got exhausted. But not me. I am terrific at laundry!’” Mama agrees that Rosa is a terrific helper. Then Rosa leads her mother to see the most surprising thing of all—the fish she has caught for dinner!
In her series of Small Talk Books® Ellen Mayer presents exciting stories for preschoolers full of imagination and rich language learning. Rosa’s Very Big Job introduces Rosa, a sweet girl bubbling with enthusiasm and the desire to help. The close relationships between Rosa, her mother, and her grandpa promote cooperation as well as effective modeling of speech patterns and a way to introduce larger words in an organic manner through play and common chores. Rosa’s inventive idea to turn the laundry basket into a boat is delightfully enhanced by her grandpa’s willingness to share in the story and expand on it. Humor, cheerful banter, and the easy camaraderie between Rosa and Grandpa invite young readers to join in the fun as they build confidence in their language learning.
Sarah Vonthron-Laver depicts Rosa’s afternoon with her Grandpa with joy and the spirited energy young children bring to everything they do. Grandpa is happy to spend time with his granddaughter, yet shows honest feelings of tiredness and frustration that spur on the plot. The transition from doing laundry to using the basket as a boat is as seamless as a child’s imagination, and the way Rosa and her grandpa use household items to create “sails,” “rocks,” “fish,” and “fishing poles” will give readers great ideas for post-reading play. Bright colors, an adorable kitten, and familiar surroundings welcome young children into the world of reading and expanded vocabulary.
Rosa’s Very Big Job would be a welcome addition to a young child’s bookshelf, not only for its fun story that kids will want to hear again and again, but for its leap into imagination that kids will want to replicate.
Dr. Betty Bardige, an expert on young children’s language and literacy development, provides tips for parents, grandparents, and caregivers following the text.
Ages 2 – 6
Star Bright Books, 2016 | ISBN 978-1595727497
Discover more about Ellen Mayer and her books as well as book-related activities and literacy initiatives she’s involved with on her website!
Rosa loves helping out at home. She’s terrific at doing laundry – folding and putting away the family’s clothes, socks, and linens. You are terrific at helping too! Can you help Rosa, Mama, and Grandpa get dressed and ready for the day with these printable paper dolls? You’ll even find a laundry basket, socks, and Rosa’s sweet kitty to play with!
Print dolls on regular paper or heavy stock paper. Dolls printed on heavy stock paper may stand on their own with the supplied stand cross piece. For dolls printed on regular paper, you can cut the supplied stand templates from poster board or card stock and glue the dolls to the backing.
Rosa’s kitty and the laundry basket can also be attached to the supplied template if needed
Print clothes for each figure
Color the blank clothes templates any way you’d like
Cut out clothes and extra items
Fit outfits onto dolls
Make up your own stories about Rosa, Mama, and Grandpa!
Interview with Author Ellen Mayer
Today, I’m happy to present a fascinating interview with Ellen Mayer, a writer and expert in early literacy, in which she discusses her involvement with various organizations and programs, her baby granddaughter, why Hug Your Cat Day is at the top of her list of holidays, and gives us a peek at a very special sugar egg.
I’m really interested in your work in the education and literacy fields. Could you talk a little bit about your job as an education researcher and an early literacy home visitor, and how you got into those fields?
I got into these fields after leaving a Sociology PhD program right near the end. I didn’t want to be an academic and teach, I wanted to do applied research – to solve practical problems out in the world and to make a difference in the lives of those who were struggling. At the Harvard Family Research Project at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, I studied the ways that families from underserved communities were engaged in supporting their children’s learning and education, and created research-based materials for families and schools to promote effective engagement. One of these was the Family Involvement Storybook Corner—curated picture book selections with family engagement themes. That got me interested in early literacy and picture books.
After researching family engagement in children’s learning for many years, I decided I wanted to go out into the field and be a practitioner and work directly with families on this topic. I worked as an early literacy home visitor with diverse families with the Parent-Child Home Program, modeling ways to share stories with little ones to build early language. I actually got paid to read picture books and play with families in their homes!
At the same time, I was pitching my Small Talk Books®, a collection of playful stories about everyday activities that provide fun for kids and ideas for adults – Rosa’s Very Big Job is one. The adults in the stories are engaged with children’s learning, modeling conversational ways to build young children’s language.
I read that your book Red Socks, another of the Small Talk Books®, is being used in a program to turn wash time at Laundromats into talk time for literacy development. Could you discuss this early literacy initiative?
Yes! Wash Time/Talk Time is a terrific campaign led by Too Small To Fail, a joint initiative of the Clinton Foundation and the Opportunity Institute teaming up with a host of partners to turn Laundromats in underserved areas into venues for early literacy. This campaign distributes free books and information to families in Laundromats about building early language to help close what’s called the “word gap” by promoting parent conversation with babies and young children. Almost 60% of children in our country start kindergarten behind in their language development and this then sets them on a downward path and they get even further behind in school.
Red Socks was a natural fit for this program. In it a Mama narrates what she is doing for her little pre-verbal child as she folds the laundry and dresses the child—and as they search for a missing sock!
I have to say that it’s a dream come true that Too Small To Fail is using my book.
Wash Time/Talk Time is really reaching the families on the other side of the word gap who most need the ideas and inspiration in Red Socks. When I began writing the Small Talk Books® I wanted to include stories about doing laundry, as it’s something we all do as parents and provides lots of things to talk about with children. (Like the color of socks!) In fact, I used to sit in Laundromats and observe families when I was thinking up ideas for stories. I guess that’s the sociologist in me.
We just had the opportunity to visit one of the Laundromats in the campaign—at the Free Laundry Day in Tampa, FL hosted byThe Laundry Project—and share Red Socks with families. You can see some of the fun illustrator Ying-Hwa Hu and I had here:
What inspired you to begin writing picture books?
I came to picture book writing through a backdoor. When I was at Harvard Family Research Project, I was thinking about new ways to convey our ideas from research into practice for parents, and it occurred to me that a read-aloud picture book could address an audience of parents, as well as the primary one of children. My boss was enthusiastic about the idea, and so I enrolled in an adult ed class on writing for children. Then I turned one of our research case studies about challenges an immigrant Latino family had in communicating with their son’s teacher into a picture book,Tomasito’s Mother Comes to School/La mamá de Tomasito visita la escuela. Joe Cepeda did the art for it, and we made it downloadable for free.
Some new things! I have a fellowship with the Storytelling Math Project that’s funded by the Heising-Simons Foundation and coordinated by TERC, a not-for profit STEM research and development organization here in Cambridge, MA. I’ll be a member of a group that’s identifying, creating, and promoting math-infused storybooks for diverse young children and I hope to create a couple of Small Talk Books® along these lines—probably about supermarket shopping! I also was asked to help out the Highlights magazine editorial team that creates HELLO magazine for 0-2 years and be an outside reviewer for issues before they go to publication. And then I’ll be volunteering as a visiting children’s book author to the Somerville Family Learning Collaborative, the family engagement and early childhood hub of the Somerville, MA Public Schools, sharing my books with playgroups and new parent groups.
But mostly, I plan to write! I have a bunch of picture book manuscripts in various states, and ideas for new ones. These manuscripts are different from the Small Talk Books®; they don’t have a deliberate educational underpinning to them. They are fun, and just fun. One, for example, is called What To Do With Ruby-Lou and it’s about a baby who doesn’t laugh, no matter what her family does. Who is going to be able to get a laugh out of Lou? Well, it’s a surprise and it just might require some audience participation. I’ve had an agent in the past and hope to find a new one to rep me with these picture books.
You recently became a grandmother. Can you tell me a little about your granddaughter?
I thought our granddaughter was the most wonderful and expressive baby in the world when was she born – of course! She and my advance copy of the new Rosa book arrived into the world at just about the same time.
At three months now my granddaughter is a big reader and is riveted on the B&W hi-contrast board book genre, especially one board book about cars and trucks. She moves her head back and forth, from one end of the spread to the other, scanning the images on the page like a studious scholar of some ancient text.
What is the best part about being a grandmother?
For me the best part about being a grandmother is being able to simply enjoy my granddaughter and play with her and watch her develop, and not have to worry about taking care of her daily needs. I didn’t have to stress when she refused to take the bottle before starting full-day childcare. That wasn’t my job. (She did take it – of course!) They live nearby, and seeing her once or twice a week, I love noticing small changes on each visit. I also love seeing our daughter and son-in-law parent.
Have you given thought to what you’d like your granddaughter to call you?
Our daughter asked us ahead of time what we’d like to be called when we became grandparents. I thought it was a wise idea to be proactive and select a name immediately, to avoid being named by the grandchild something like “Grandma GA-GOO-GA.” My great aunt Jane is called “Nini” as a grandmother, and I’ve always loved that, but I didn’t want to steal it. So I chose “Mimi.”
It sounds as if Grandparents Day may be one of your top holidays! Do you have another favorite?
When I was little, I liked Easter a lot because it combined a lot of my favorite things: crafts, springtime, running around outside, candy. Also, we didn’t dress up much as kids, but I do remember Easter bonnets!
When our children were little, their birthdays became my favorite holiday celebrations. Now that they are grown, maybe I need to pick a new favorite holiday? I see that June 4th is Hug Your Cat Day. That might be just right: we have a rather large and ferocious cat and when she actually lets you hug her, well, it’s a cause for celebration.
Do you have an anecdote from any holiday that you’d like to share?
When I was six years old, I saw the Easter Bunny. I was staying at my Grandparents’ house, and I looked down the stairwell, and there he was, crossing the landing at the foot of the stairs. He was quite tall, wore a yellow slicker that was too small for him, and he was carrying a large Easter basket. I’m afraid I didn’t have my Brownie camera with me at the time to snap a photo.
But I do have an unwrapped sugar Easter egg that I’ve saved from that era.
Thanks for sharing so much about your work and life, Ellen! I wish you all the best with Rosa’s Very Big Job, your other Small Talk Books®, and of all your other ventures!
Other Small Talk Books® available from Ellen Mayer and Star Bright Books include Cake Day, Red Socks, and A Fish to Feed and can also be found at the above booksellers.
Today celebrates the poet—that special person who looks at the world and transforms it into lines of rhyme, rhythm, metaphor, and meaning that make readers experience life and sometimes even the most common occurrence in a whole new way. Some poetry is poignant, some evocative, and some silly, but it all provides different perspectives and enriches our lives—even the youngest among us!
A Great Big Cuddle: Poems for the Very Young
Written by Michael Rosen | Illustrated by Chris Riddell
Before children learn to speak and in order for them to become literate and proficient readers, they discover the sounds of language. The poems in A Great Big Cuddle: Poems for the Very Young are all about those snappy, rhyming, musical syllables that make up speech and text. The collection’s 35 poems replicate the progression of language learning from the first offering—Tippy-Tappy, with its staccato repetition of “ippy, appy, eppy, oppy, uppy sounds—to Gruff and Dave and The Slow Train that provide longer, more detailed storytelling.
Image copyright Chris Riddell, courtesy of Candlewick Press
The subjects are familiar to even tiny children whose worlds include the buttons, parties, pets, music, and other topics treated with innovation in this collection. The juxtaposition of words, concepts, questions, and nonsense, will keep kids laughing even as they are (probably) unconsciously soaking in the rich learning.
I Went is an example in which multiple concepts combine to create a funny travelogue with double meaning twists:
“I went to Lapland / I saw a reindeer on the loose. / I went to Canada / I saw a chocolate mousse. I went to the river / I saw a big green frog. / I went to New York / I saw a hot dog.”
Bendy Man describes a rather unique fellow with special talents that kids would love to get to know. It starts like this:
“Bendy Man, Bendy Man / He’s a long leggy man. / Bendy Man, Bendy Man / In a baked-bean can. Bendy Man, Bendy Man / Wraps round trees / Bendy Man, Bendy Man / Can’t find his knees.”
Along the way there are also poems to validate kids’ emotions, which come in shades of happiness, bounciness, anger, satisfaction, and frustration among others, as well as to comfort them when they get hurt or scared as in the poem Mo: “Mo’s in a muddle / She slipped in a puddle / Mommy gives Mo / A great big cuddle.”
Image copyright Chris Riddell, courtesy of Candlewick Press
Let Me Do It is an exuberant tribute to a child’s eagerness to help: “Let me do it, let me do it / Let me blow up the balloon / Let me do it, let me do it / Let me go to the moon. Let me cook the beans / Let me lick the jar / Let me kick the ball / Let me drive the car.” But as often happens with inexperience, the tasks become a bit confused later in the poem: “Let me drive the beans / Let me kick the jar / Let me lick the ball / Let me cook the car.”
Michael Rosen’s love of language and quirky, kid-like personality are on full display in A Great Big Cuddle, much to the benefit of his young fans. Rosen is able to tap into and capture those fleeting ideas and “wouldn’t it be cool if…” moments that fuel kids’ imaginations and actions. Life is much too long and much too short not to spend some of it in absurd hilarity, and Rosen provides a book full of that respite here.
Chris Riddell infuses each of the poems with the personalities of enthusiastic children, adorable monsters, familiar animals, and high-spirited action. The large, full-bleed pages allow for full-size fun and a variety of typography. The bold colors will attract even the smallest reader and keep them riveted to the sounds and sights of this excellent poetry collection for young children.
Image copyright Chris Riddell, courtesy of Candlewick Press
Older kids will also find much to enjoy in the humorous spirals taken by the lines in A Great Big Cuddle. Some poems, such as I Am Hungry, in which a bear in a bib states everything he will eat, would make a great teaching tool about what can and cannot logically be consumed.
Because A Great Big Cuddle: Poems for the Very Young is perfect for dipping into again and again, you’ll be happy to have it close it hand on your shelves.
Ages Birth – 6
Candlewick, 2015 | ISBN 978-0763681166
Visit Michael Rosen’s website to see his amazing range of books, poems, events, TV and radio programs and more!
Follow the Cycling Fish through a tour of Chris Riddell’s artwork!
Poet’s Day Activity
A Pair of Bears (Pear of Bears? Pair of Bairs?) Coloring Pages and Poem Prompts
The two bears in these coloring pages are having different days—one is grumpy while the other is happy. Color the printable A Pair of Bears Coloring Pages and then write one or two poems about them!
celebratepicturebooks.com 
