Today's Book Look is Will Hillabrand's Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush.
Yesterday's Musical Monday featured the Mulberry Bush song. Today's book takes that same song and expands it into a fun, musically book about a pig's first day in school.
This rhyming story is set to the tune of "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush". It's the first day of school and little pig is scared. He can't quite get the hang of things at school and ends up making messes. When the other pigs go outside to play, he hides inside a mulberry bush. There he finds another little pig hiding also. Read the book to find out what happens next! (Hint - the two become friends)
This is a great first day or week of school book to read to kids. After reading the book and learning the tune, the children can have fun playing the game (check the Musical Monday blog).
Other book related activities:
Nature: What is a Mulberry?
Art - I love this Mulberry Bush Rebus. Have your kids can make/draw their own rebus for the song.
Art - Mulberry Bush Coloring Page
Creative Writing - The author of this book took a simple song and made it into a story while staying true to the song, more or less. Have your kids pick their favorite song or nursery rhyme and either add new lyrics or make up a story around the rhyme.
Showing posts with label Tuesday Book Look. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tuesday Book Look. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! .....Tuesday Book Look
I chose this Tuesday's book because July is National Hot Dog Month and July 19th is National Hot Dog Day.
The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! was written and illustrated by Mo Willems.
Pigeon, the star of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and four other books, finds a yummy looking hot dog which he plans to eat all by himself. But a very cute, curious, annoying and tenacious duckling has other ideas.
While you may not know, author Mo Willems name, you very likely have seen his work. He was a writer and animator for Sesame Street, created two animated series for the Cartoon Network and was the head writer for their Codename: Kids Next Door series. Three of his books have received Caldecott Honors and Mo Willems is the creator of the Knuffle Bunny Books.

Okay, I worked really hard trying to find interesting craft ideas for this book that were about more than just cooking hot dogs....I kinda succeeded , sorta, cooking is involved in these activities but they involve a lot of creativity, also.
Hot Dog People
To make Hot Dog people you'll need - hot dogs, plastic knives and a microwave
Here's an easy recipe for a Hot Dog and Fries cake using a loaf cake, Twinkies and icing.
Make a Hot Dog Squid
The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! was written and illustrated by Mo Willems.
Pigeon, the star of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and four other books, finds a yummy looking hot dog which he plans to eat all by himself. But a very cute, curious, annoying and tenacious duckling has other ideas.
While you may not know, author Mo Willems name, you very likely have seen his work. He was a writer and animator for Sesame Street, created two animated series for the Cartoon Network and was the head writer for their Codename: Kids Next Door series. Three of his books have received Caldecott Honors and Mo Willems is the creator of the Knuffle Bunny Books.

Okay, I worked really hard trying to find interesting craft ideas for this book that were about more than just cooking hot dogs....I kinda succeeded , sorta, cooking is involved in these activities but they involve a lot of creativity, also.
Hot Dog People
To make Hot Dog people you'll need - hot dogs, plastic knives and a microwave
- give each child an uncooked hot dog and a knife
- the kids then use the knife to make slices in the hotdog to resemble body parts (slices at the top for hair, a face, a slice on each side for arms and a slice in the middle of the bottom, to make two legs).
- Then cook the hot dog in the microwave for about 25 - 30 seconds.
- As the hot dog cooks, it should begin to look more like a person.
Here's an easy recipe for a Hot Dog and Fries cake using a loaf cake, Twinkies and icing.
Make a Hot Dog Squid
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Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Tuesday Book Look....Blueberries for Sal ( for Blueberry Month)
July is Blueberry Month. So, this Tuesday's Book Look is a classic "blueberry" book. Blueberries for Sal was written by Robert McCloskey in 1948. It was awarded the Caldecott Honor in 1949 for it's illustrations.
"One day, Little Sal went with her mother to Blueberry Hill to pick blueberries." So starts the timeless story of Sal, her mother, a momma bear and a cub as they all pick or in the case of Sal and the bears, eat blueberries on Blueberry Hill. I won't ruin the book for you but it's really cute and lots of fun. (A little hint: at some point Sal and the bear cub get mixed up and follow after the wrong mother but it all turns out well.)
The first activity I thought of for this book was, naturally, cooking with blueberries. But I decided to find at least one none eating activity. My crafts for Blueberries for Sal are making Dye from blueberries, making Blueberry Yogurt Popsicles and a really simple 4 ingredient recipe for Blueberry Cobbler.
How to Make Natural Dye from Blueberries
Materials:
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 quart water
large enamel or stainless steel (not aluminum) pot
wooden or plastic stirring utensil
sieve
container to collect dye
material/items to dye
Directions:
- Combine blueberries and water in the pot.
- Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Crush berries and simmer for another 15 minutes.
- Strain mixture and discard the berries.
- Add the material to be colored to the dye.
- Let the material soak in the dye until the desired color intensity is reached.
- Wash dyed item separately in cold water.
Blueberry Yogurt Popsicles
You'll need:
12 paper or foil baking cups, 2 1/2 inch size
Zest and juices of one small lemon
2 cups plain nonfat yogurt
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar
1 pint blueberries
12 popsicle sticks
- Line twelve muffin pan cups with the paper or foil baking cups.
- In a bowl, blend the lemon zest, lemon juice, yogurt, and sugar until smooth.
- Stir in the blueberries.
- Divide the mixture amount the paper-lined muffin pan cups.
- Freeze for 1 1/2 hours, or until almost firm. Remove from the freezer, cover with plastic wrap and insert a popsiscle stick in the middle of each popsicle.
- Return to the freeze and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.
- To serve, peel off the paper liners and let the popsicles stand at room temperature for a few minutes to soften slightly.
Easy Blueberry Cobbler
1 (21 oz.) can blueberry pie filling
1 (8 oz.) can unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained
1 (9 oz.) pkg. yellow cake mix
1/3 c. butter, melted
- Spoon pie filling into a lightly greased 8-inch square baking dish.
- Spoon pineapple over pie filling.
- Sprinkle cake mix evenly over pineapple.
- Drizzle butter over cake mix.
- Bake at 425 degrees for 20 to 22 minutes.
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Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Tuesday Book Look ......The Moon Might Be Milk
This Tuesday's Book Look book is The Moon Might Be Milk written by Lisa Shulman.
The book is full of colorful pictures and the children will be able to relate to the books heroine, Rosie, as she and her friends wonder what the moon is made of.
From Booklist:
Awakening before dawn, Rosie looks past the cat on her windowsill to the moon and says, "I wonder what it's made of." Cat replies that the moon is a saucer of milk. Rosie concedes that it might be, but she gets dressed, goes outside, and asks several other animals the same question. Hen thinks that the moon is an egg. Butterfly believes it's made of sugar, Dog says "butter," and Mouse is sure that it's made of flour. Each animal joins Rosie on her quest. Finally, they arrive at Rosie's grandmother's house, where Gran combines milk, egg, sugar, butter, and flour to make moon-shaped sugar cookies, satisfying everyone. The final page offers a recipe for Gran's Sugar Cookie Moons, for those who want to extend the story into the kitchen.
Activities for The Moon Might Be Milk
- Make Moon Cookies Using the recipe in the back of the book, have the children make their own moon cookies. The children can help measure and mix ingredients, and flatten the cookies with sugar.
- Learn about the phases of the moon. The kids can even make crescent shaped cookies.
- Write a Story about the Sun At the end of the book, Rosie wonders what the sun is made of.Why not have the kids make their own story about the sun.
- Find and Read Folktales about the Moon, Sun and Stars.
- Make a Mobile of the Sun, Moon and Stars
- Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky, an African folktale
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Arnie the Doughnut.....Tuesday Book Look and National Donut Day
June 4th is National Donut Day.
According to wikipedia:
The perfect activity to accompany this book is, of course, making doughnuts. The simplest way to make "donuts" with kids is to make Biscuit Donuts. I've made these with kids numerous times and they are always a big hit.
This is a good video about making Biscuit Doughnuts. A recipe follows the video.
Biscuit Doughnuts
ingredients:
2 cans of large buttermilk biscuits
oil for frying doughnuts
cinnamon sugar, sprinkles or icing to decorate
Directions:
According to wikipedia:
National Donut Day is on the first Friday of June each year and follows on the Donut Day event created by the Salvation Army in 1938 to honor the women who served donuts to soldiers during World War. The holiday celebrates the doughnut (a.k.a "donut") — an edible, ring-shaped piece of dough which is deep-fried and sweetened.In honor of National Donut day, I've naturally chosen a book about a donut. Arnie the Doughnut was written by Laurie Keller. It's a really fun and silly book that the kids will love. Here's the official book description:
Arnie is proud to be chocolate-covered, with bright-colored candy sprinkles. His first day on the planet is a big one. He is 1) cut into a ring 2) deep-fried 3) cooled 4) iced 5) sprinkled and 6) named Arnie. What he doesn't realize is that step 7 is being eaten by a human. So, when a customer, Mr. Bing, starts to put him in his mouth, he screams, "What are you doing?" Arnie is further crushed when he calls the bakery to warn the others only to discover that all the other pastries are "aware of this arrangement."As you can see, Arnie is just the book to read on doughnut day. The kids will love the idea of a doughnut that doesn't want to be eaten.
The perfect activity to accompany this book is, of course, making doughnuts. The simplest way to make "donuts" with kids is to make Biscuit Donuts. I've made these with kids numerous times and they are always a big hit.
This is a good video about making Biscuit Doughnuts. A recipe follows the video.
Biscuit Doughnuts
ingredients:
2 cans of large buttermilk biscuits
oil for frying doughnuts
cinnamon sugar, sprinkles or icing to decorate
Directions:
- Heat 2 inches peanut oil in a large pot or Dutch oven to 350 degrees F.
- Lay out the biscuits on a cutting board
- With a cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out a hole from the middle of each biscuit.
- Fry the biscuit/donuts in the oil until golden. Use tongs to flip the donuts over.
- Don't forget to fry the donut holes.
- Drain the donuts and the holes on paper towels
- Now you can sprinkle the donuts and holes with cinnamon sugar or put icing on them and decorate with sprinkles.
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Tuesday, May 25, 2010
I Don't Like Salad! ......Tuesday Book Look for National Salad Month
May is National Salad Month! (yep, we're almost finish with May holidays). This Tuesday's book is "I don't Like Salad!" a book written by Tony Ross. It is also linked with a tv show called Little Princess. No, I have never heard of the show either but the book is cute. It's official synopsis says:
I've given a recipe below for a salad, linked to another of my blogs that has a cute salad story and recipe and given a vid on making a salad with a fun name.
The Salad...a tale from the Brothers Grimm and a recipe for Spinach and Strawberry Salad
1 cup granny smith apples, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup celery, chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup walnuts
Directions:
1. Sprinkle chopped apples with lemon juice and mix together..
2. Add celery, raisins and walnuts.Stir together.
3. Add mayonnaise and stir, coating all of the ingredients.
4. Serve chilled.
Simple Tomato Basil Salad Recipe
How to Make a Healthy "Worm" Salad for Kids
The little Princess's attitude is one that a lot of kids and some adults will sympathize with. But in the end we all know (sorta) that veggies are good for you. I agree with the premise of the book that planting seeds and watching them grow is a good way to get kids to try a variety of veggies. Cooking is also a good way to get kids involved in what they eat.The Little Princess has decided she doesn't like salad - especially tomatoes. But when she is given some seeds of her own and sees the first shoots of her tomato plant appear, she changes her mind!
I've given a recipe below for a salad, linked to another of my blogs that has a cute salad story and recipe and given a vid on making a salad with a fun name.
The Salad...a tale from the Brothers Grimm and a recipe for Spinach and Strawberry Salad
Easy Waldorf Salad
Ingredients:1 cup granny smith apples, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup celery, chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup walnuts
Directions:
1. Sprinkle chopped apples with lemon juice and mix together..
2. Add celery, raisins and walnuts.Stir together.
3. Add mayonnaise and stir, coating all of the ingredients.
4. Serve chilled.
Simple Tomato Basil Salad Recipe
How to Make a Healthy "Worm" Salad for Kids
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Friday, May 21, 2010
Click! ...a Friday Book Look for National Photography Month
May is National Photography or Photo Month. (yes, another holiday) Since the month is fast getting away from me, I'm putting up a ....Tada!...Friday Book Look! Click: A Book About Cameras and Taking Pictures was written by Gail Gibbons.
According to School Library Journal:
Kids love to take pictures. There are many types of throwaway cameras available for children to experiment with. There are even cameras made especially for children. But a fun and educational way to learn about cameras and picture taking is to make a Pinhole Camera. A pinhole camera is a very simple camera with no lens that lets light in through a small pinhole which is what makes the picture. For the history and some of the science of Pinhole Cameras check with wikipedia.
A pinhole camera can be made with recycled materials that you have at home. If you really want to make a pinhole camera that will take a picture then you will need a few special materials:Resin-coated 5x7 inch black and white photographic paper, developing liquid and fixer. Because of the chemicals this is not a project that small children can do for themselves. For the special photography supplies check your local photography or hobby shop.
While a pinhole camera is basically a box with a tiny hole, there are many ways to make the camera. Here are a number of links showing different ways to assemble the camera.
Highlight Magazine's Pinhole Camera is very simple and best for young children.
Very interesting directions for making a Lego Pinhole Camera.
This site has very good directions and pictures for Making an Oatmeal Box Pinhole Camera and good directions for developing the film.
Science for kids explains how the human eye works like a pinhole camera.
This is a really well done video on How to Make a Pinhole Camera out of a Juice box.
According to School Library Journal:
Gibbons takes a complex subject and breaks it down into simple, easy to understand terms. She describes different types of cameras and their film, and explains what happens to film inside the camera and at a photo-processing center. At this point, the author states, "First the film is removed from the cartridge in a darkroom, lit only by a red light. Then the latent images on the film are developed by soaking the film in chemicals." In fact, film must be removed in total darkness or it will be ruined; a red light will erase latent images. Explanations of printing, negatives and enlargements, tips on the care of a camera and on taking photos both indoors and outdoors are provided. A very basic chronology on the history of photography completes the presentation.This book is a perfect lead up to making a Pinhole Camera.
Kids love to take pictures. There are many types of throwaway cameras available for children to experiment with. There are even cameras made especially for children. But a fun and educational way to learn about cameras and picture taking is to make a Pinhole Camera. A pinhole camera is a very simple camera with no lens that lets light in through a small pinhole which is what makes the picture. For the history and some of the science of Pinhole Cameras check with wikipedia.
A pinhole camera can be made with recycled materials that you have at home. If you really want to make a pinhole camera that will take a picture then you will need a few special materials:Resin-coated 5x7 inch black and white photographic paper, developing liquid and fixer. Because of the chemicals this is not a project that small children can do for themselves. For the special photography supplies check your local photography or hobby shop.
While a pinhole camera is basically a box with a tiny hole, there are many ways to make the camera. Here are a number of links showing different ways to assemble the camera.
Highlight Magazine's Pinhole Camera is very simple and best for young children.
Very interesting directions for making a Lego Pinhole Camera.
This site has very good directions and pictures for Making an Oatmeal Box Pinhole Camera and good directions for developing the film.
Science for kids explains how the human eye works like a pinhole camera.
This is a really well done video on How to Make a Pinhole Camera out of a Juice box.
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Tuesday, May 18, 2010
The Bicycle Man...Tuesday Book Look
May is National Bike Month. So this Tuesday Book Look is about a classic bike book.
The Bicycle Man was written in 1989 by Allen Say.
The books official description says:
The amazing tricks two American soldiers perform on a borrowed bicycle are a fitting finale for the school sports day festivities in a small village in occupied Japan.
The fact that the story takes place during World War II is important to the story. The book's author, Allen Say, was born in Yokohama, Japan, in 1937.
The ideas below are simple and colorful ways to decorate a bicycle.
* Poster board in a variety of colors
* A Paper punch
* Glitter glue, markers, stickers etc
Instructions:
The Bicycle Man was written in 1989 by Allen Say.
The books official description says:
The amazing tricks two American soldiers perform on a borrowed bicycle are a fitting finale for the school sports day festivities in a small village in occupied Japan.
The fact that the story takes place during World War II is important to the story. The book's author, Allen Say, was born in Yokohama, Japan, in 1937.
The ideas below are simple and colorful ways to decorate a bicycle.
- Take colored straws and make a small slit down one side with a sharp scissor. Put the straws on the wheel spokes.
- Add streamers or colored string to the handlebars using colored duct tape or electrical tape or special handlebar grip tape.
- Use lanyard and beads to make Handle Bar Streamers
- Make a Bicycle License Plate
* Poster board in a variety of colors
* A Paper punch
* Glitter glue, markers, stickers etc
Instructions:
- Cut the poster board into 6- by 11-inch rectangles
- Use a paper punch to make a hole near each top corner.
- The kids can now use the glue, stickers, markers and anything else they can think of to personalize their bicke plates.
- a variation of the bike plate
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Thursday, May 13, 2010
Scrambled Eggs Super!....Tuesday Book Look (on Thursday) and National Egg Month
May is National Egg Month (I warned you that May was full of holiday) and I've found the perfect book for the Tuesday Book Look...yes, I know it's Thursday but like I said I have a lot of holidays to get in this month). Scrambled Eggs Super! written by Dr. Suess is classic Dr. Suess, full of nonsense, fun and animals with name we can't pronounce.
The hero of this book is our old friend Peter T. Hooper of the Cat in the Hat fame. Peter decides that his mom's scrambled eggs are too ordinary. He sets out to make the best scrambled eggs and to do that he needs eggs from all kinds of birds from all over the globe. The story is typical Dr. Suess...fun and silly. In the end, Peter makes the best eggs ever.
This book is the perfect set up for kids to learn to cook scrambled eggs. After a fabulous scrambled egg recipe, I've listed a few fun egg activities.
Super Scrambled Eggs
Scrambled eggs are great for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It just depends on what you add to the mix.
The video below is fabulous! The chef talks waaaay too fast (you may have to watch more than once) but I love what he has to say. Watch the vid then check out my list of add in suggestions.
Try some of these suggestions or let the kids make up their own Super Scrambled Eggs recipe.
Additional Egg Activities:
Art:
String Egg Art: Wrap colored yarn or thread around a balloon to make these giant eggs or eggs of a variety of sizes depending on the size of the balloon. You can use all one color of yarn or a different color for each layer. All this craft requires is yarn, balloons and liquid starch or watered down white glue.
Science:
A chicken's egg is enclosed by a shell that has a high calcium content. The classic Rubber Egg Experiment requires taking a raw egg (shell still intact) placing it in a glass jar full of vinegar for 1 to 2 weeks and waiting for a reaction to take place. The acetic acid in the vinegar will dissolve the eggshell and the egg will bounce. The reaction will begin immediately when the egg is placed in the vinegar but will not be complete until at least 3 days but it works best if you wait longer.If you add food color to the vinegar the effect is really pretty.
The hero of this book is our old friend Peter T. Hooper of the Cat in the Hat fame. Peter decides that his mom's scrambled eggs are too ordinary. He sets out to make the best scrambled eggs and to do that he needs eggs from all kinds of birds from all over the globe. The story is typical Dr. Suess...fun and silly. In the end, Peter makes the best eggs ever.
This book is the perfect set up for kids to learn to cook scrambled eggs. After a fabulous scrambled egg recipe, I've listed a few fun egg activities.
Super Scrambled Eggs
Scrambled eggs are great for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It just depends on what you add to the mix.
The video below is fabulous! The chef talks waaaay too fast (you may have to watch more than once) but I love what he has to say. Watch the vid then check out my list of add in suggestions.
Try some of these suggestions or let the kids make up their own Super Scrambled Eggs recipe.
- cooked, crumbled sausage, diced sweet peppers and sage
- Cooked, crumbled bacon, sliced mushrooms and sauteed chopped onions
- chopped tomatoes and fresh leaf spinach torn into bite size pieces
- sun dried tomatoes and feta cheese
- scallions, sharp cheddar, sea salt & ground pepper
- black forest ham and baby swiss cheese
- nova lox, capers, sauteed red onions & cream cheese
- chorizo sausage, green peppers, tomatoes and onions
- crab meat and green onions
- roast turkey, tomatoes, bacon and gruyere cheese
- chopped black olives, roasted red peppers and feta cheese
Additional Egg Activities:
Art:
String Egg Art: Wrap colored yarn or thread around a balloon to make these giant eggs or eggs of a variety of sizes depending on the size of the balloon. You can use all one color of yarn or a different color for each layer. All this craft requires is yarn, balloons and liquid starch or watered down white glue.
Science:
A chicken's egg is enclosed by a shell that has a high calcium content. The classic Rubber Egg Experiment requires taking a raw egg (shell still intact) placing it in a glass jar full of vinegar for 1 to 2 weeks and waiting for a reaction to take place. The acetic acid in the vinegar will dissolve the eggshell and the egg will bounce. The reaction will begin immediately when the egg is placed in the vinegar but will not be complete until at least 3 days but it works best if you wait longer.If you add food color to the vinegar the effect is really pretty.
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Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Burger Boy.....Tuesday Book Look and National Hamburger Month
The month of may is full of holidays.
May is National Hamburger Month (you'll notice that there are a lot of food holidays this month). So I decided to look for a good book about hamburgers...not an easy thing to do in picture books.
But then I found Burger Boy by Alan Durant. What a wonderful book!
The Booklist review say:
Great book! Interesting holiday....but not so easy to find activities for, well, other than cooking.
But I kept at it and found a Hamburger Craft where you make an artificial hamburger using styrofoam ball, craft foam and a few other simple materials...this site has good directions and a few pictures.
Craftster.org has a wonderful tutorial for making a cake that looks like a hamburger. The pictures and the directions are very detailed.
Of course, the most obvious activity for this books is to cook up a few hamburgers. The video below was made by the Junior Chefs of America. It's very well done and easy for the kids to follow and understand.
Junior Chefs of America make Hearty Hamburgers
Kids Can Cook! Hearty Hamburger - Click here for more amazing videos
May is National Hamburger Month (you'll notice that there are a lot of food holidays this month). So I decided to look for a good book about hamburgers...not an easy thing to do in picture books.
But then I found Burger Boy by Alan Durant. What a wonderful book!
The Booklist review say:
Burgers are the only thing Benny will eat. His mom warns him, "If you don't watch out, you'll turn into a burger!" One day he does. Dogs hound him, cows threaten him, and hungry kids chase him--despite his insistence that he is really a boy. When the owner of Bigga Burger picks him up in his van, Benny thinks he is safe--until he is put on display as a "giant, talking burger." Then it's Mom to the rescue; she takes him home and feeds him veggies, which, it turns out, Benny loves.The pictures in this book are fun and colorful. The story is silly enough for the kids but with a lesson that adults will appreciate.
Great book! Interesting holiday....but not so easy to find activities for, well, other than cooking.
But I kept at it and found a Hamburger Craft where you make an artificial hamburger using styrofoam ball, craft foam and a few other simple materials...this site has good directions and a few pictures.
Craftster.org has a wonderful tutorial for making a cake that looks like a hamburger. The pictures and the directions are very detailed.
Of course, the most obvious activity for this books is to cook up a few hamburgers. The video below was made by the Junior Chefs of America. It's very well done and easy for the kids to follow and understand.
Junior Chefs of America make Hearty Hamburgers
Kids Can Cook! Hearty Hamburger - Click here for more amazing videos
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Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Chicks and Salsa.....the Tuesday Book Look and National Salsa Month
May is National Salsa Month, really, so I thought a book about salsa would be appropriate this Tuesday.
Chicks and Salsa written by Aaron Reynolds is a fun, colorful book that makes you laugh and makes you hungry.
According to the School Journal:
"Farmer Nuthatcher's chickens are tired of their regular feed, and it just so happens that the rooster has been watching cooking shows over the farmer's wife's shoulder. He has some ideas, beginning with chips and salsa. Soon the ducks are inspired and give up fish for guacamole, and the pigs go for beans and chiles. With all of this southwestern cuisine, it's time for a fiesta. It turns out, though, that Mrs. Nuthatcher is making tamales, and all of the ingredients the animals need are gone, so it's time for a new cuisine–from a French cookbook."
The book is even more fun than it sounds and the pictures are wonderful. There are also three recipes at the end of the book...Hog Wild Nachos, Quackamole and Rooster's Roasted Salsa. All three sound delicious.
Here's a Super Simple Salsa Recipe for you to start cooking right now:
you'll need...
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 green onions
- 28 oz can chopped tomatoes, drained (reserve 1 Tbsp of the juice)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice (or squeeze 1/2 a fresh lemon)
- chopped fresh cilantro leaves (the amount depends on you taste)
- salt and pepper to taste
- Mince together by hand or in a food processor , the garlic and the onions.
- Add the tomatoes, the Tbsp of tomato juice, the Tbsp of fresh lemon juice, the cilantro leaves and the salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix together or pulse lightly in the food processor. Do not over process.
- Serve cold
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Monday, April 19, 2010
Tuesday Book Look.......Frog on His Own (April is National Frog Month)


Since April is National Frog Month I decided that this Tuesday's Book Look book would be Frog On His Own by Mercer Mayer
Frog on His Own is a wordless picture book . It'ss the 4th in a series of 5 books.
A Boy, a Dog, and a Frog, the first book in this series, was the beginning of Mercer Mayer's long and illustrious career over twenty-five years ago. It is also one of the books that began the wordless picture book genre.
In this book, the boy and his animal friends go to the park. Some how frog gets separated from his friends and he manages to get into all kinds of situations.
This a great book for kids to "read" to themselves or for you to read/describe to the children.
The complete list of books in the series is:
# A Boy, a Dog and a Frog (1967)
# Frog, Where Are You? (1969)
# A Boy, a Dog, a Frog, and a Friend (1971)
# Frog on His Own (1973)
# Frog Goes to Dinner (1974)
# One Frog Too Many (1975)
Go to my Storytelling Crafts and Kids blog to read a wonderful Japanese folktale about frogs and learn to make Origami Hopping Frogs.
Click her for a Frog Coloring Page
Enchanted Learning has very simple directions for a Paper Frog Puppet
Here are a couple of fun Froggie Tunes:
Five Green and Speckled Frogs
Five Green and speckled frogs,
Sat on a speckled log,
Eating some most delicious bugs,
Yum, Yum.
One jumped in the pool,
Where it was nice and cool,
Now there are four green speckled frogs,
Glub, glub.
Four Green and speckled frogs,
Sat on a speckled log,
Eating some most delicious bugs,
Yum, Yum.
One jumped in the pool,
Where it was nice and cool,
Now there are three green speckled frogs,
Glub, glub.
Three Green and speckled frogs,
Sat on a speckled log,
Eating some most delicious bugs,
Yum, Yum.
One jumped in the pool,
Where it was nice and cool,
Now there are two green speckled frogs,
Glub, glub.
Two Green and speckled frogs,
Sat on a speckled log,
Eating some most delicious bugs,
Yum, Yum.
One jumped in the pool,
Where it was nice and cool,
Now there is one green speckled frog,
Glub, glub.
(sing the last verse very quickly)
One Green and speckled frog,
Sat on a speckled log,
Eating some most delicious bugs,
Yum, Yum.
One jumped in the pool,
Where it was nice and cool,
Now there are (slow down and sing sadly) no green speckled frogs,
Glub, glub.
Bloop Bloop
Bloop bloop went the little green frog one day,
Bloop bloop went the little green frog,
Bloop bloop went the little green frog one day,
And they all went bloop bloop bloop!
Weeeee all know frogs go,
Lahdeedahdeedum!
Lahdeedahdeedum!
Lahdeedahdeedum!
We all know frogs go,
Lahdeedahdeedum!
They don't go bloop bloop bloop!
Five Little Tadpoles
Five little tadpoles swimming near the shore.
The first one said, “Let’s swim some more.”
The second one said, “Let’s rest awhile.”
The third one said, “Swimming makes me smile.”
The fourth one said, “My legs are growing long.”
The fifth one said, “I’m getting very strong.”
Five little tadpoles will soon be frogs.
They’ll jump from the water and sit on logs.
Labels:
Animal,
book,
National Frog Month,
Tuesday Book Look
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Tuesday Book Look.....Johnny Appleseed

Today is the Storytelling Sub's first Book Look.
I've decided to dedicated a couple of Tuesdays a month...note I haven't mentioned which ones or how many, yet...to a blog on the great books that are out there.
Each blog will pick a book, give a quick synopsis and an activity that is related to the story. I figure that there are sooooo many books out there that I could do this forever.

This Tuesday's Book Look is about the book Johnny Appleseed by Jane Yolen. There are many, many, many books for children about Johnny Appleseed and you can pick whichever you wish but I happen to like this one by Jane Yolen although Steven Kellog's version is also a fave.
It also happens that Thursday, March 11th is Johnny Appleseed Day.
Jane Yolen's Johnny Appleseed The Legend and The Truth does just as the title indicates. It tells the story of the legend of Johnny Appleseed, in verse, while giving the facts of his life on each page just under the verse.
The books reading level is rated for ages 4 to 8 years.
Just to tell you a little about the books subject without giving away the whole book:
Johnny Appleseed (September 26, 1774 – February 18, 1845)was born John Chapman. He was an American pioneer who introduced apple trees to large parts of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois.
Johnny was born on a small farm in Massachusetts. He headed west when he turned 18. Many believe that he planted apple seeds haphazardly but, in fact, Johnny planted with a plan.
To learn more about Johnny Appleseed, read one of the many books about him.
Now for the crafts!
Here's an apple coloring page
I was going to put a directions for Apple Printmaking but I found a site , Make and Takes, with wonderful directions and pictures.
Ooooo....another apple favorite is Apple Smiles.
you'll need:
an apple (read apples look more mouth like but any type of apple will do), cut into wedges
peanut butter or Nutella
miniature marshmallows
plastic knives
paper plates
how to:
1. Give each child 2 apple wedges, a plastic knife and a few marshmallows
2. Have the child smear peanut butter or nutella on one side of one of the apple wedges.
3. Place a few marshmallows on the peanut butter/nutella side of the apple wedge like teeth.
4. Smear peanut butter/nutella on one side of the other apple wedge.
5. Place this apple wedge on top of the marshmallows.
6. You now should have an apple smile.
Here's a marvelous recipe for Homemade Applesauce
This is the "Johnny Appleseed" song from the Disney movie.

Oh, the Lord's been good to me.
And so I thank the Lord
For giving me the things I need:
The sun, the rain and the appleseed;
Oh, the Lord's been good to me.
Oh, and every seed I sow
Will grow into a tree.
And someday there'll be apples there
For everyone in the world to share.
Oh, the Lord is good to me.
Oh, here I am 'neath the blue, blue sky
Doing as I please.
Singing with my feathered friends
Humming with the bees.
I wake up every day,
As happy as can be,
Because I know that with His care
My apple trees, they will still be there.
The Lord's been good to me.
I wake up every day
As happy as can be,
Beacuse I know the Lord is there
Watchin' over all my friends and me
The Lord is good to me.
-----SPANISH-----
Dios se acordó de mÃ,
Y a El le agradeezco
Porque me dio
Un Corazón
Y asî amar su creación,
Dios se acordó de
Labels:
Activities,
book,
Jane Yolen,
reading,
Tuesday Book Look
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