A to Z challenge 2012: N is for Nursery Rhymes

My theme for this year is "sharing books with children". This involves lots of reflecting on my favourite children's books, how I have enjoyed sharing books in the past and how I will continue to share books in the future. I have been learning a lot along the way, remembering lots of my favourite books and exploring new ideas for sharing books. I hope these posts will be interactive ones. Feel free to share your comments and ideas!

N is for Nursery Rhymes 

When my eldest daughter was little one of her favourite books was Bananas in Pyjamas Nursery Rhymes. I think I would have read it to her over a hundred times. She would often recite nursery rhymes while I was pushing her in the pram. Using the pictures as a clue she could 'read' this book by herself when she was very young. 

Shadow Shot Sunday - April 15th, 2012

So many shadows to choose from today! Here are some I found: 

A to Z challenge 2012: M is for Max

My theme for this year is "sharing books with children". This involves lots of reflecting on my favourite children's books, how I have enjoyed sharing books in the past and how I will continue to share books in the future. I have been learning a lot along the way, remembering lots of my favourite books and exploring new ideas for sharing books. I hope these posts will be interactive ones. Feel free to share your comments and ideas!

 M is for Max. 

cover - Where the Wild Things Are. 

picture from Where the Wild Things Are.

One of my favourite children's book characters is Max from the classic by Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are. This is one book that I'm sure would appeal to the adult reader as much as the child being read to. The Wild Things may be a bit scary for the very young. 

While searching for ways to share this book with children I found a simple but gorgeous symmetry activity. You can find a printable version of this activity at http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/WhereWildThingsAre-CompleteDrawingMax.htm 

picture from Where the Wild Things Are.

A to Z challenge 2012: L is for Lester

My theme for this year is "sharing books with children". This involves lots of reflecting on my favourite children's books, how I have enjoyed sharing books in the past and how I will continue to share books in the future. I have been learning a lot along the way, remembering lots of my favourite books and exploring new ideas for sharing books. I hope these posts will be interactive ones. Feel free to share your comments and ideas! 

L is for Lester. 

...and L is for lemon, lamb, letter, leaf, lightning, ladder, lollipop, light, lion, lettuce, lid, lizard, leap and leotard. These are all the words on the L page in Alison Lester's abc.  

Alison Lester is the writer and illustrator of many popular children's books including Magic Beach, Imagine and Are we there yet?

Alison Lester, along with Boori Monti Pryor are Australia's first Children's Laureates. You can read more about these two great authors and the wonderful work they are currently doing at www.childrenslaureate.org.au. 

A to Z challenge 2012: K is for Koala

My theme for this year is "sharing books with children". This involves lots of reflecting on my favourite children's books, how I have enjoyed sharing books in the past and how I will continue to share books in the future. I have been learning a lot along the way, remembering lots of my favourite books and exploring new ideas for sharing books. I hope these posts will be interactive ones. Feel free to share your comments and ideas! 

K is for Koala.

"There was once a baby koala, so soft and round that all who saw her loved her. Her name was Koala Lou. Koala Lou is the first born in a large family. She feels sad because her mother seems too busy to pay her any attention. Perhaps if she wins the tree-climbing at the Bush Olympics her mother might notice her again...Koala Lou starts training right away!" 

Koala Lou is another gorgeous book by Mem Fox. It is illustrated by Pamela Lofts, the same artist who illustrated Hunwick's Egg. 

This is a great book to reinforce to a child that they are loved for who they are not because of what they can do. One of my favourite things about this book is the illustration of a numbat watching the Bush Olympics. I have always been quite fond of the numbat, one of the less well known Australian animals. 

A to Z challenge 2012: J is for Jez

My theme for this year is "sharing books with children". This involves lots of reflecting on my favourite children's books, how I have enjoyed sharing books in the past and how I will continue to share books in the future. I have been learning a lot along the way, remembering lots of my favourite books and exploring new ideas for sharing books. I hope these posts will be interactive ones. Feel free to share your comments and ideas! 

J is for Jez. 

Jez is the first name of the author (Jez Alborough) of the great read-aloud book Duck in the Truck. 

"This is the tale of a duck in a truck - 

a truck that was stuck in some yucky brown muck. 

A sheep in a jeep and a frog in a bush 

saw the truck stuck and gave it a push.

But the truck stayed stuck!

What now, can you guess? 

Could a goat in a boat 

get them out of this mess?" 

The rhyme and rhythm of this book make it a lot of fun to read aloud. The bright, colourful and amusing illustrations also make it a great contender for a picture walk. A picture walk is where you look at and discuss the illustrations with children first before reading the text. Recently I found a great post about picture walks here. 

A to Z challenge 2012: I is for Ish

My theme for this year is "sharing books with children". This involves lots of reflecting on my favourite children's books, how I have enjoyed sharing books in the past and how I will continue to share books in the future. I have been learning a lot along the way, remembering lots of my favourite books and exploring new ideas for sharing books. I hope these posts will be interactive ones. Feel free to share your comments and ideas!

 I is for Ish. 

Do you know a child (or adult) who is reluctant to do things because of a fear that they can't do them just right? The inspiring picture book Ish by Peter Reynolds may be just the book for them. 

"Ramon loves to draw especially when he learns that he doesn't have to worry about getting it "just right"."

The Stellar Cafe is the blog of Peter Reynolds, the author of Ish and other great picture books. He doesn't update this blog very regularly but having a look through past posts is something I highly recommend! There is a great post about one students response to the book, Ish. 

My own favourite line in the book is "He wasn't sure if he was writing poems, but he knew they were poem-ish." How many people feel that way about writing poetry? 

A to Z challenge 2012: H is for Hector

My theme for this year is "sharing books with children". This involves lots of reflecting on my favourite children's books, how I have enjoyed sharing books in the past and how I will continue to share books in the future. I have been learning a lot along the way, remembering lots of my favourite books and exploring new ideas for sharing books. I hope these posts will be interactive ones. Feel free to share your comments and ideas! 

H is for Hector. 

...and for Hermit. Hector the Hermit Crab by Katie Boyce is a cute picture book with an endearing message and charming illustrations. 

"Hector is a rather shy hermit crab. He keeps himself to himself and is very used to his own company. But one day something happens which changes the way Hector's neighbours on the seabed see him, and Hector has to decide how to deal with suddenly being very noticeable indeed." 

I bought my copy of this book at a clearance sale at my local library. Which is very good for me but a part of me is sad that it is no longer available in the library so more children (and adults) can enjoy it. 

Shadow Shot Sunday - April 8th, 2012

Shadows after the rain are my offerings this week for Shadow Shot Sunday. 

Meeting Selena - easily this week's highlight!

Meeting Selena - easily this week's highlight! 

What a week that was! The highs were higher and the lows were lower. There is no competition though for the highlight of the week. Easily, it was getting to meet my brand new niece, Selena. She was born on Tuesday and weighed 6lb 12. The girls and I got to meet her on Wednesday and we have just got back from another visit. She is so absolutely adorable. Here's a photo taken today - 4 days old. 

Congratulations to parents Kate and Roberto and to big sister Teya!