Friends Shape Who We Are

For kids, learning to be friends is so hard.  Little kids struggle so much with right and wrong, playing together and what friendship really is.  Luckily, there is a book out there to define friendship for children (and adults too!)

Friendshape by Amy Krouse Rosenthal uses the 4 basic shapes (circle, rectangle, square and triangle) to tell us about friendship. Rosenthal uses short simple sentences to tell us what friends are, and in a couple sentences what they are not.  Every sentence starts with friend, so there is no mistaking what we are talking about.

The book is illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld (Good Night, Good Night Construction Site Steam Train, Dream Train and I Wish You More just to name a few) and he uses simple pictures of the shapes, but the shapes are talking, giving us examples of what Rosenthal just defined a friend was.

I love the page that says, "Friends play fair..." and shows a picture of all the shapes flying a kite.  The Circle says to Rectangle, "Your turn next ok?" What a great image that so many of our really young kids need today to understand that friends share and take turns.

Get this book for your child or your best friend because the inside flap says it best, "Friends shape who we are."

Happy Reading!
Laura

The Dandelion's Tale

Death and grief are such hard topics for children. Children struggle to find words that convey the emotions they are feeling and often they are confused and wonder where their loved one is and what they are doing.  Books are always a great way to help children cope and begin to understand, especially books that tell stories.

In The Dandelion's Tale, Kevin Sheehan and Rob Dunlevey tell a beautiful story that will help children to understand that comfort can be found in memories.  

In The Dandelion's Tale Sparrow notices a dandelion crying, alone in the grass.  When asked why she is so sad she explains to Sparrow that she was once strong but now, even the slightest breeze will cause her to lose the rest of her seedpods and no one will know she was there.  Sparrow wanted to help the poor dandelion.  When the dandelion suggests that Sparrow fly her to the other dandelions so she can share her story he was willing to help but saw no other dandelions in sight.  The dandelion was disappointed because her one wish was to be remembered.  Sparrow was determined to help so he offered to write the dandelions story in a patch of dirt.  The dandelion happily told Sparrow everything she wanted to say.  Sparrow wrote how the dandelion loved looking at the white clouds against the blue sky and how she enjoyed hearing children laugh.  She went on and one about all she loved.  When she was finished the dandelion felt very happy and the Sparrow went home.  That night there was a terrible storm and when Sparrow went to check on the dandelion she was gone.  Sparrow was sad but then remembered the dandelion's story.  Sparrow flew over to the patch of dirt only to realize that the storm had washed the dandelion's story away.  Sparrow cried and promised to not forget the dandelion.  A few weeks later, as Sparrow was flying, he noticed a cluster of bright, yellow, baby dandelions.  He settled down in the grass and told them the dandelion's story, and he knew then that the dandelion would never be forgotten.  

I think that Sparrow and the dandelion can teach children that even though someone might be gone, we can remember them through their passions, their loves and especially through their stories.  Children can see hat when we talk about what hurts us or makes us sad, we might just feel better like Sparrow felt better when he sang a song about the dandelion.  From this one simple, yet beautiful story, we can all learn that it is our stories that impact others and keep us living on even after we have gone.  

Happy Reading, 

In Memory of Cheyenne.  Peace and Love Baby!

Laura

Enemies

I can't say that I have enemies, but I know that kids always have someone who they just can't seem to get a long with.  As caretakers (whether we are parents, aunts, teacher or babysitters) are always looking for ways to encourage our children to be kind and respectful to anyone.  Well my friends- look no more!  I have the perfect book for teaching (or perhaps tricking) kids into liking even their most hated enemy.  The book is Enemy Pie by Derek Munson.

It was the perfect summer until Jeremy Ross moved into the neighborhood.  Jeremy was on the enemy list for all the reasons that kids have enemies (strike you out at baseball, don't invite you to jump on the trampoline).  

Then dad suggests to his son a way to get rid of his enemy, by making enemy pie.  While dad makes enemy pie the speaker goes outside to collect works, rocks and leaves to put into the pie but dad just shakes his head and sends him away.  When the pie is finished dad tells his son that to make sure enemy pie works you have to spend an entire day with your enemy.  

The two boys spend the entire day together playing and having a great time.  They jump on the trampoline, eat lunch together, throw boomerangs and have so much fun!  He even lets Jeremy Ross into his tree house.  

Then it is time for dinner. The boys eat together and then dad brings out enemy pie.  The boy doesn't want Jeremy Ross to eat the pie anymore because he isn't an enemy anymore and he didn't want anything to happen to him.  What a great lesson to teach to kids.  Sometimes we just have to get to know someone to see how much fun they can be!  

This book does not just offer a great story line but awesome pictures and the speaker has great voice.  This is a book that was often read several times in my classroom. 

If you don't have a copy of the book check out Storyline Online here they have a celebrity reading aloud the book.  

What book do your kids always want you to read over and over?

Happy Reading!

Laura