May 2 – Brothers and Sisters Day

About the Holiday

Ah, brothers and sisters! Those built-in friends (and sometime frenemies) that live in your very own house. Sure, siblings like different things, play different games, and see the world differently, but that just broadens our horizons. And as siblings grow up, it’s nice to know there’s always someone out there who shares your history and has your back. Today, cherish your brothers and sisters. Get in touch or do something together—and tell them how much you love them.

Pigs and a Blanket

By James Burks

A cute piglet sister and brother love their blankets sooo much and sooooo much more! Henrietta loves the way her blanket smells. Henry loves the way his blanket feels. Henrietta reads with her blanket, while Henry draws under his.

Henry also creates hills in his blanket to zoom his monster trucks over while his sister uses it as a backdrop for the fierce dino movie she’s filming. The movie-making gives way to dancing because Henrietta loves to pirouette with her blanket. But wait a minute! The trucks have just gone off-blanket!! What’s happening?

And—“Hey!”—mid-twirl, that familiar green cloth suddenly becomes a cape catching the wind behind Henry’s superhero personae. One blanket between two kids? Henrietta tugs on one end: “Stop pulling on my blanket!” Henry yanks on the other end: “Stop pulling on MY blanket!!” The tug-of-war rages until “RRRIIIPPPPP!”

Henry retreats to one corner and half-heartedly pushes around his monster trucks on his part of the blanket while glancing over to the other corner where Henrietta has unenthusiastically resumed her movie making on her half. Maybe drawing and reading will be better. But no, not really. That separated blanket isn’t nearly as cozy.

The siblings move a little closer and shyly smile at each other. Maybe they can make up. “I missed you,” Henrietta confesses. “I missed you more,” Henry answers, placing a red checker on the board she’s brought over. The day is brightening in their playroom scattered with toys and art supplies. And as night falls, the two have cleverly reunited just in time for sleeping.

James Burks’ charming Pigs and a Blanket captures perfectly the vacillating relationship of siblings. Kids will recognize and appreciate the sentiments in this simple, honest story. While this sister and brother have separate interests and quarrel over a shared blanket, the truth is they love being together, and when the blanket no longer binds them, they soon realize life is much less rich.

Burks’ illustrations of the piglet siblings are adorable and expressive, registering the fortunes and misfortunes of an afternoon of play with joy, consternation, regret, sadness, and reconciliation. The book’s design makes excellent use of the two-page spreads. The sister plays with her blanket on the left-hand page, while her brother plays with his on the right. The blanket ingeniously disappears into the center of the pages, creating a smart, Ah-ha moment when Henrietta twirls it away from Henry. Likewise, after the blanket is torn apart, the once full-page illustrations are replaced with mostly white space as the two kids play alone and disconnected. As they move to restore their friendship, the white space lessens until it is again filled with love.

Pigs and a Blanket would be a wonderful addition to any child’s bookshelf to be reread at those times when getting along with siblings—or friends—seems hard.

Ages 2 – 6

Disney-Hyperion, 2016 | ISBN 978-1484725238

Brothers and Sisters Day Activity

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-my-book-heart

Create a Soft Book, Page 2: Peek-a-Boo Blanket

A blanket is so much fun! It can be a tent, a reading buddy, a cape, and a perfect hiding place! Add this Peek-a-Boo Blanket with its brother and sister heart to page 2 of your book!

Supplies

Printable Peek-a-Boo Blanket Template
Adhesive letters or fabric paint
Blue, pink, and purple felt – or colors of your choice
Fabric glue

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-heart-2

Directions

Cut out one half of the heart from the blue felt
Cut out one half of the heart from the pink felt
Cut out the blanket from the purple felt
Apply the adhesive letters to the top of the page. Make sure the letters are firmly attached if you are using this book with very young children. If needed use fabric glue.
Glue the heart to the page
Glue the top of the blanket to the page so it hides the heart

See you tomorrow! For Page 1 see yesterday’s post!

May 1 – Mother Goose Day / Children’s Book Week

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Incredibly, the term “Mother Goose” goes back to the 1650s to describe rhymes such as Baa Baa Black Sheep, Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush, Jack and Jill Went up a Hill, and The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe. Fairy tales such as Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood also came under Mother Goose’s wing. While all of the rhymes are not as familiar to today’s children, many are still popular and their influence can be seen in current books, movies, and TV shows. Mother Goose Day was established in 1987 to highlight these stories and keep them alive for today’s kids. To celebrate, read some Mother Goose tales—either as originally written or in fractured form.

This first week of May also celebrates Children’s Book Week, which was established in 1919 to promote literacy awareness and the joy of reading. As the longest-running national literacy movement in the country, Children’s Book Week holds, sponsors, and encourages events in schools, libraries, bookstores, homes, and wherever young readers and books connect!

Mother Bruce

By Ryan T. Higgins

It’s a good thing Bruce lives by himself. He’s a grumpy grizzly who likes nothing. If it’s sunny he’s grumpy. If it’s raining he’s grumpy. And don’t even get started on how he feels about cute fuzzy animals. There is one thing he likes, though, and that’s eggs! Yummy eggs prepared many ways from recipes Bruce finds on the Internet.

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One day a most mouth-watering recipe pops up on the screen—hard-boiled goose eggs drizzled with honey-salmon sauce. Bruce heads out with his own personal shopping cart to collect the ingredients. He ingeniously catches some salmon and raids a local beehive (this carnivore’s a locavore, you see). Next he pays a visit to Mrs. Goose. He takes her eggs after determining that they are free-range organic.

At home Bruce puts the eggs in his special pot and starts a fire in the stove. But the fire fizzles, forcing Bruce to make a visit to the wood shed. When he comes back, his lovely breakfast has hatched! And what’s worse, the little goslings think Bruce is their mother! Bruce stares into those sweet eyes gazing back at him and decides…to have buttered goslings on toast. But those little peepers just won’t cooperate, and for some reason Bruce has lost his appetite.

He gathers up the goslings in his shopping cart and wheels them back to their nest only to find that their mother has already flown south for the winter. Bruce leaves them in the nest anyway and heads for home. But it’s too late—the baby geese have already imprinted on Bruce, and they tag along happily after him. Bruce is stern with them. He roars. He tries to hide out in a tree. But it’s no use; he’s stuck with them.

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Bruce rises to the challenge, though. He gives up his space in the pool, teaches them how to paint, feeds them, and transports them in a specially-made baby carrier. As spring turns to summer and then fall, Bruce watches his geese grow from “annoying baby geese” to “stubborn teenage geese” to “boring adult geese.”

Finally, one day Bruce spies other goose families flying south and knows his time has come! He can get rid of those geese and take a long, well-deserved nap. Bruce explains migration to his geese, but they don’t quite get it, coming to him dressed in winter coats and hats. Hmmm…some creativity is needed. Bruce tries slinging them northward and sending them flying in remote-controlled planes, but the geese just hug him tighter.

Resigned to his fate, Bruce packs his bag and four smaller ones for his charges and boards a bus for Miami. “Now every winter Bruce and his geese head south together.” They wear floral shirts, and as his “kids” play in the sand, Bruce “dreams of new recipes—recipes that don’t hatch.”

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Ryan T. Higgins’ Mother Bruce is an endearing story of dislike at first sight. Of course no one—not even a grumpy, loner bear like Bruce—can resist the sweet, loving faces of youngsters forever. Fortunately for readers, Bruce holds out longer than most, his transition providing giggle-inducing scenarios on every page.

Higgins’ illustrations are loaded with visual jokes, cultural references kids will love, and four of the cutest clueless geese around. Depictions of Bruce masterfully mix his gruff, bothered exterior with the big softie that lies underneath. Bruce’s solutions to his plight are clever and funny. There may be no better Mother Goose than Bruce!

Ages 4 – 8

Disney-Hyperion, 2015 | ISBN 978-1484730881

Mother Goose Day Activity

Mother Goose Coloring Page

Mother Goose Rhymes are fun to learn and share! Here’s a picture of Mother Goose and her goose for you to color!

Mother Goose Coloring Page

Picture Book Review

April 30 – Save the Frogs Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Frogs and other amphibians are some of the most threatened species on our planet. Pollution, loss of habitat, climate change, and invasive species are just some of the causes of amphibian extinctions. Save the Frogs Day aims to educated the public and raise awareness of the declining frog and amphibian populations and to promote conservation of their environments to ensure their survival.

I Don’t Want to be a Frog

Written by Dev Petty | Illustrated by Mike Boldt

“I want to be a cat,” a little frog announces to his father. “You can’t be a cat,” his dad answers, which elicits the inevitable “Why not?” from his son. His dad isn’t quite ready for this conversation and gives him the standard “because you’re a frog” response.

Well, it turns out the little frog would rather be almost anything other than what he is. As he rattles off a list of alternatives that he considers much better, his dad warms to the game and counters each of his son’s suggestions with the realities of life (at least their life).

When little frog opines that he’d like to be a rabbit, his dad points out that he doesn’t have long ears. Being a pig seems like an attractive option, but little frog’s dad tells him he doesn’t have a curly tail or eat garbage. His son thinks garbage for dinner sounds okay, but his dad disagrees.

While both son and father believe being an owl would be “the greatest thing ever,” three things are standing in the way: Frogs don’t have wings, they don’t look wise, and they can’t spin their heads around.

So what’s so bad about being a frog? It’s “too wet,” “too slimy,” and there’s “too much bug eating,” little frog complains. Just then a wolf sneaks up on the father-son duo and wants to know why the little guy is so glum. Without turning around to see who he’s talking to, the frog reveals his plight.

Well, says the wolf, I’ll tell you a secret. With glee he explains that he revels in eating cats, rabbits, pigs, and owls. In fact, just talking about it makes him hungry. But “guess the one thing I never eat,” the wolf urges. “Badgers?” guesses the little frog. But no, the answer is “frogs.” And why? Because they are “too wet and slimy and full of bugs.”

Wiser for this fresh perspective, the young frog sends the wolf off with a hearty, “I guess you can’t fight nature. We are what we are. You are a fierce hunter.”

As the wolf walks away all’s well that ends well—except not so much for the creature who next happens upon the scene!

Dev Petty’s sassy-in-a-good-way young frog’s identity crisis is pure fun! The notion of self-acceptance and that each person is built, has talents, and embodies skills just right for who they are is playfully presented by Petty’s sweet father-and-son team. The humorous, escalating dialogue will keep kids laughing, and the surprise ending is a perfect twist.

Mike Boldt’s olive green frogs are a delight as they trade off assurance and skepticism in their life-lesson conversation. The dad, initially mystified by his son’s pronouncements, discusses the issue with patience and genuine curiosity, his eyes registering cunning and understanding behind oversized glasses. His son, wide-eyed and vocal, displays the honesty of children with questions. Boldt’s illustrations of the rabbit, pig, and owl that so captivate the young frog juxtaposed with the father’s objections are comical joy, as are the frogs’ looong legs and expressive faces. And the final scenes with the enlightening wolf, whose head spans two pages, offer more laughs as the father and son resolve their differences.

Adult readers should be prepared—and will be happy—to read I Don’t Want to be a Frog again and again!

Ages 3 – 7

Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 2015 | ISBN 978-0385378666

Save the Frogs Day Activity

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-frog-matching

Hop Along Matching Game

Hop along now and help these frogs! Each of these fantastic frogs has a twin, but they’ve gotten separated. Can you spot the identical pairs? Print out the Hop Along Matching Game and draw a line between the pairs.

picture book review

April 29 – It’s National Humor Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

The whole month can’t go by without celebrating one of the most fantastic things about life—humor! Whether you’re laughing at a funny joke, your favorite comedian or comic strip, a silly mistake, or even yourself, a chuckle is good for you! Today, take time to relax and enjoy the absurd—and give a few hearty “Ha! Ha! Ha’s!” along the way.

Meet the Dullards

Written by Sara Pennypacker | Illustrated by Daniel Salmieri

Gray—that’s what the Dullards are. Gray and happily extra boring. Their life is going on in its monotonous way until one day when Mr. and Mrs. Dullard happen upon a most disturbing sight. Their three children are reading—and not only that, they are reading books about befriending lions, juggling, and walking a tightrope. The elder Dullards do what any self-respecting dullard would do. They retrieve the books and hand their children blank pieces of paper to read instead.

The children are definitely becoming a problem. They want to go to school and have been playing outside. It’s not our fault bemoan the parents; it must be the town where last fall some leaves actually turned color and there’s that unruly snail in the driveway. In fact the whole atmosphere is like a circus! There’s only one thing to do. The Dullards pack up their house and Blanda, Borely, and Little Dud and move away.

Immediately upon moving into their new home, they are bombarded by the neighbor lady bringing exclamation marks and chunky applesauce cake into their perfectly dull new home. The kids are sent to watch the (unplugged) TV, but instead their eyes are drawn to the window. While unpacking Mr. and Mrs. Dullard discover a sight so shocking that Mrs. Dullard faints into the arms of her distressed husband. It’s yellow flowered wallpaper. (An exclamation mark would be appropriate here, but you know…)

On the way to the paint store the family stops to get ice-cream cones, and with 90,000 flavors to choose from they pick vanilla. Plain cone or sugar cone? No cone, of course. At the paint store Mr. Dullard suggests medium gray, but Mrs. Dullard deems it too risky. Its similarity to highways could make the kids think of travel. Beige? Mrs. Dullard counters. Too much like clay, says Mr. Dullard which can be used to create stuff. They come to a compromise and go home to—you’ve got it—watch the paint dry.

While their parents are mesmerized the kids sneak away and out the window that so enthralled them before. The sight of Blanda, Borely, and Little Dud juggling, teaching a dog tricks, and somersaulting on the clothesline, ushers in another move—back to where they came from just in time for the kids to join the circus.

With dry wit and laugh-out-loud dialogue Sara Pennypacker delivers a spot-on family story. While seen through the eyes of Mr. and Mrs. Dullard, this funny tale is all about the kids. What kids don’t think their parents are dull and conventional? And can parents really understand what’s going on in those little minds? Both children and adults will love the Dullards, and after reading you may be inspired to go out for vanilla chocolate ice-cream (ok, you can still hold the cone!)

Daniel Salmieri’s Dullards are comic genius! With their oval bodies and gray attire they blend with their oatmeal-hued walls to perfect effect. Identical square houses give way to identical triangular houses as the Dullards move to avoid catastrophic enthusiasm. The kids’ facial expressions as they adhere to boooring rules are priceless as are the parents’ reactions to the slightest excitement. Details such as a yellow snail in the driveway, the elder Dullards’ looks of horror when discovering the bright wallpaper, the signs on the ice-cream kiosk, and the name of the moving van make provide humorous jokes on each page.

Ages 4 – 8

Balzar + Bray, Harper Collins, 2015 | ISBN 978-0062198563

National Humor Month Activity

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-paint-strip-craft

Paint Strip Inspiration

Do you like to laugh? Do you like to watch paint dry? It is kind of cool how it changes color a bit as it dries….Oh, sorry! Where was I? Oh yeah—this craft. Paint sample strips make brilliant backdrops to your thoughts about love, life, laughter—anything! You can mix and match your favorite colors and arrange them any way you like to decorate your wall. Frame them for a more put-together look!

Supplies

4 -5 paint strips from a hardware store OR You could also make your own color stips with poster board and craft paint
Poster board
Craft paint
Paint brush
Markers or adhesive letters
Scissors
Mounting squares
Frame (optional)

Directions

If you are making your own paint strip, cut poster board into strips 9 inches long by 2 inches wide, or to desired size
Paint squares of color to fill the strip, leaving a 1/8-inch-wide stripe between colors
Think of a phrase that expresses your thoughts on life and laughter OR use a favorite quote
Print the words on the squares of color OR use adhesive letters. You can print one letter per square or multiple letters or even whole words. Mix styles of print to give it your own unique look.
Mount or frame your paint strip phrase

April 11 – National Pet Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Pets are often our best friends—they love us unconditionally, are always there for us, and make us laugh. Today we celebrate pets—whether they’re as small as a goldfish, as large as a horse, or as unique as…well, you’ll see as you read on. National Pet Day also raises awareness of the number of animals available for adoption and encourages people to donate to animal shelters or consider taking a dog, cat, bird, or other pet into their family. If you already have a pet, observe the day by giving them an extra pat, offering a special treat, or spending more time with them.

My Pet Book

By Bob Staake

In a town named Smartytown a little boy has a most unusual pet—a book! Not one for puppies and allergic to kittens, he wants a pet that’s “easy.” His mom and dad suggest a book, and the family heads to the bookstore to adopt one. The shelves are so full of appealing potential pets that it’s hard to choose. But then the little boy spies a small “frisky red hardcover,” and it’s love at first sight.

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The tiny book turns out to be the perfect pet—it doesn’t need food or water, its cover never sheds or hides fleas, it never needs a bath, and best of all there’s no housebreaking required. The boy takes his pet for walks in the evening, finding it superior to dogs that yap and run away and cats that constantly purr and lick their fur.

With his new pet, the boy’s days are full of adventure, fun, and excitement. He can’t wait to get home from school and spend time with the little book. But one day when he walks into his house, the boy discovers that his best friend is gone. “‘He ran away! He ran away!’ / The boy began to bleat. / ‘How could a pet book run away / Without a pair of feet?’”

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-my-pet-book-book-gone

Soon the answer comes: “The maid could hear the crying boy. / (That sound was such a rarity.) / ‘I think I know what happened…’ (gulp) / ‘I gave your book to…charity.’” The boy and the maid race downtown to the thrift store, hoping to find the beloved book. They search through clothes, and furniture, through toys and shelves of books, but the little pet is nowhere to be found. There is only one conclusion—the book has just been sold!

The boy and maid sit down to cry, but then the maid has an idea. Maybe their pet is only hiding, Suddenly the boy remembers something that caught his eye in the dog-and-cat-stuff aisle. They race over to where a lone dog house sits. The boy says, “‘If I were just a scared pet book, / I’d likely sneak in here. / Perhaps the dark would help me hide, / And make me disappear!’”

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He reaches in and discovers his pet book just waiting for him. The boy checks his pet over carefully and finds him well from cover to cover. The boy and the maid drive home relieved. Although they are tired, this crazy day has a happy ending, and now the boy and his pet have their own special story to share.

Perhaps Bob Staake is onto something in this humorous page-turner. Don’t we love our favorite books just like pets? And when they’re mysteriously missing, don’t we search and search for them? Through fast-paced and cleverly worded verses, Bob Staake leads his readers on a jaunt of book love that includes love, excitement, companionship, suspense, and a happy ending. What more can you ask for from a book—or a pet?

Staake’s vibrant and whimsical illustrations create a world all its own yet rooted in the here and now. A bit surreal, a bit silly, the action-packed scenes will have kids giggling and searching for every detail.

For book lovers, pet lovers, and those who love a good story, My Pet Book is perfect for snuggling up with.

Ages 3 – 7

Random House Books for Young Readers, 2014 | ISBN 978-0385373128

National Pet Day Activity

Adopt a Pet! Word Search

There are so many awesome pets to choose from! Can you find all the animals in this fun printable Adopt a Pet! word search?

Picture Book Review

April 8 – National Zoo Lovers Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Zoos are wonderful places to see and learn about exotic animals from around the world. In addition to creating educational exhibits, zoological experts are involved in the preservation of endangered species. To celebrate the day, you might visit your local zoo, donate your time or money to further a zoo’s mission, or consider “adopting” a zoo animal—many zoological institutions offer this fun and rewarding program.

The View at the Zoo

Written by Kathleen Long Bostrom | Illustrated by Guy Francis

“Rise and shine! Attention, please! Monkeys get down from those trees!” So calls the zookeeper as he begins his rounds, waking up the zoo animals to greet another day of visitors. Once the bear cubs are up, the lion’s mane is combed, the elephant has wiped his nose, and the giraffes are standing tall, the gates are flung open.

The day is full of excitement, observations, and education—“My, what silly things they do, all these creatures at the zoo.” Some creatures walk and waddle to an inner beat. Some carry babies in pouches or on their backs while others are noisy—howling and shrieking. And look at how some love to eat! There are those who primp to stay neat and clean, and those that will nip your fingers if you get too close!

Yes, the zoo is full of intriguing specimens! As the sun goes down the visitors head for the exit, and the animals watch them leave. It’s been another good day; those people put on quite a show! The owl exclaims, “What a hoot! Folks have no clue the view that we have at the zoo!”

The View at the Zoo is a perfect union of words and illustration. Kathleen Long Bostrom’s text tells the story while Guy Francis’s illustrations reveal the meaning of the story. Kids will have fun picking the animal and people pairs out of the crowd who are “dancing to their own inner beat,” carrying babies on their backs or in pouches, making noise, chowing down, getting clean, and flashing dangerous teeth. This zoo is colorful, wild, and populated with animals happy to study the exotic creatures on the other side of the fence.

Ages 3 – 6

Ideals Children’s Books, 2010 | ISBN 978-0824956295

National Zoo Lovers Day Activity

Round up the Animals! Word Search

Find all the animals in the zoo! Print this Round Up the Animals! word search and have fun! Here’s the Solution.

March 19 – National Poultry Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Perhaps someone’s too chicken to publish much information about this holiday, but even without the details, it’s certainly an eggsellent day to remember our feathered friends of the barnyard variety, who also happen to feature prominently in picture books of all kinds.

Chicken Big

By Keith Graves

Something big is hatching at the teeny little farm. Not only big, but humongous! Chicks aren’t supposed to be that big, so what is it? The small chicken agrees that whatever it is, it’s big; the smaller chicken goes so far as to call it enormous; and the smallest chicken declares it’s an elephant, and warns that indoor elephants are dangerous! The chickens all concur on one thing, though—this creature is too big to stay in the itty-bitty coop. The newly hatched chick, listening to all this squabbling, doesn’t feel like an elephant and wishes he were a chicken.

The next day an acorn conks the smallest chicken on the head, causing the familiar “the sky is falling” panic to hit the teeny farm. While the chickens are running around like chickens with…well, you know, the big chick discovers that acorns are tasty. Seeing the chick eating acorns convinces the smallest chicken that their coopmate is indeed a…squirrel!

When the rains come, the big chick protects the others under his wing, so the smallest chicken decides this barnyard biggie is an….umbrella! It doesn’t take long for the smallest chicken to realize she is wrong, and that the yellow fellow with the chilly wind blocking skills is a…sweater!

When the chickens return to the coop for naptime and discover their eggs have been stolen, they boo hoo hoo into their feathers while the humongous chick scouts out the fox, who is carrying the precious cargo into his den. With a hop and a jump the big chick spans the mile and peeps into the fox’s home just as he is about to fry up some lunch. Frightened by the “hippopotamus,” the fox scampers away.

Big chick brings back the eggs and is proclaimed a hero. Finally the chick’s intelligence, kindness, and bravery convince the chickens that he is one of them (well, most of them believe so anyway), and they welcome him into the coop. There’s just one problem…. But the smallest chicken is the first to say they’ll make room.

Keith Graves has hatched up a crazy tale of mistaken identity that will keep kids giggling and groaning with delight as the possible aliases grow more and more ridiculous. The feather-brained chickens are drawn with comic masterstrokes as they frantically try to determine who or what has invaded their farmyard. The big chick is indeed big—dominating the page and towering over his coopmates. Incorporating comic-style conventions on some pages, such as speech bubbles and small panels, as well as mixed typefaces adds to the humor.

Ages 4 – 8

Chronicle Books, 2014 | ISBN 978-1452131467

National Poultry Day Activity

CPB - Chick single

Hatch a Chick of Your Own

Chicks are so cute and fluffy—you just wish you could have one of your very own! Now you can! Hatch your own chick with this craft.

Supplies

Cotton balls
Yellow chalk
Orange paper
Black paper
Egg shell
Paper grass
Cardboard or poster board
Cheese grater
Bowl
Green paint
Glue
Scissors

CPB - Chick triple

Directions

To make the shell

Crack an egg and save the two halves
Soak the eggshells in soapy water or wash gently with soap
Dry eggshell

To make the chick

Grate the chalk with the cheese grater into the bowl
Roll the cotton balls in the chalk dust until they are covered
Choose one cotton ball to be the head
Make the beak from the orange paper by folding the paper and cutting a small triangle. The triangle’s base should be along the fold.
Cut two small eyes from the black paper
Glue the beak and eyes to the head cotton ball
Glue the head cotton ball to the body cotton ball
Set the chick into one of the eggshell halves (you can glue it in if you wish)

To make the stand

Cut a 3-inch by 3-inch square from the cardboard or poster board
If you wish, paint the square green
Glue green paper grass to the square
Glue the eggshell halve to the stand.

About the Holiday

Pigs and a Blanket

By James Burks

Brothers and Sisters Day Activity

Create a Soft Book, Page 2: Peek-a-Boo Blanket

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About the Holiday

Mother Bruce

By Ryan T. Higgins

Mother Goose Day Activity

Mother Goose Coloring Page

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About the Holiday

I Don’t Want to be a Frog

Written by Dev Petty | Illustrated by Mike Boldt

Save the Frogs Day Activity

Hop Along Matching Game

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About the Holiday

Meet the Dullards

Written by Sara Pennypacker | Illustrated by Daniel Salmieri

National Humor Month Activity

Paint Strip Inspiration

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About the Holiday

My Pet Book

By Bob Staake

National Pet Day Activity

Adopt a Pet! Word Search

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About the Holiday

The View at the Zoo

Written by Kathleen Long Bostrom | Illustrated by Guy Francis

National Zoo Lovers Day Activity

Round up the Animals! Word Search

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About the Holiday

Chicken Big

By Keith Graves

National Poultry Day Activity

Hatch a Chick of Your Own

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