Are you busy in the garden?

It's springtime and in our family that means gardening time.  We are definitely busy in the garden tilling, weeding, watering and picking all so we can enjoy yummy, fresh veggies!

Picking strawberries

Our garden- just planted

If you don't have space for your own garden, check out some local community gardens.  in community gardens you can purchase a plot to garden yourself.  Many community gardens have garden managers who are able to answer any questions you might have about gardening.  Louisville has both Metro Government managed gardens as well as non-profit community gardens.  A few of the non-profit community gardens are Billy Goat Hill Garden, The Parklands and the St. Francis Center.  

Even if you don't have your own garden take advantage of those that do and visit your local Farmer's Market!  Here is a list of Farmer's Markets in the Louisville area.

If you aren't getting outside to garden and work in the yard- at least get outside for some read aloud time! Busy in the Garden by George Shannon is a super cute poem book all about springtime, flowers and gardening.  Each poem is rhyming and illustrated making this the perfect book for reading aloud.  He even has riddles about different plants/crops that might be found in the garden.  These poems are so fun they will bring out the green thumb in anyone!

Happy Reading (and gardening!)

Laura

Throwback Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays and with it being just one short week away I thought I would share a couple of great Thanksgiving poems for you to read aloud.  

The first poem I want to share with you is "I Ate Too Much Turkey" by Jack Prelutsky.

I ate too much turkey,

I ate too much corn,

I ate too much pudding and pie,

I'm stuffed up with muffins 

and much too much stuffin'

I'm probably going to die.

I piled up my plate

and I ate and I ate,

but I wish I had known when to stop, 

for I'm so crammed with yams,

sauces, gravies and jams

that my buttons are starting to pop.

I'm full of tomatoes

and french fried potatoes,

my stomach is swollen and sore,

but there's still some dessert,

so I guess it won't hurt,

If I eat just a little bit more!

This poem is a little bit on the sillier side, but who does this poem not describe on Thanksgiving day? I know that I always enjoy eating all the yummy food everyone has brought to the table!  My favorite is the corn pudding and butter fluff rolls.  What's your favorite Thanksgiving food?

Now for a poem, that is much simpler but hits right to the meaning of Thanksgiving.  This is a short verse from Ralph Waldo Emmerson. 

For each new morning with its light, 

For rest and shelter of the night, 

For health and food, 

For love and friends, 

For everything Thy goodness sends. 

Sisters- hanging on the porch swing.
Thanksgiving 2006, the first of many at the farm!

What are you most thankful for this Thanksgiving?  I hope you find the time to read aloud some fun or thoughtful Thanksgiving poems this year!

Happy Reading!

Laura

Poems

One of the most fun genres to read aloud is poetry.  Poetry is so fun because anything goes!  There are no rules!  Poems have silly words, rhyming words, made up words and sometimes they even tell a story.  One must have for every children's book collection is a great poetry anthology and I have found one!

Read Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young is a collection of over 100 poems by a variety of authors.  The poems were complied by Jack Prelutsky, who is an amazing children's poet himself. The book is nicely organized with a two page spreads featuring poems on the same theme or topic. You can find a poem about almost anything in this book.  Some poems you might have heard before but there are several that are unfamiliar.

We like to read a couple of poems from the book every night before bed.  My son already has his favorites!  He really enjoys the poem "Holding Hands" which is about elephants that hold hands by holding tails and "Higglety, Pigglety, Pop!" a silly poem that is similary to "Hickory, Dickory, Dock."

I forgot to mention that each poem has an illustration paired with it that toddlers love to examine while reading!  You will spend hours snuggling with your little one reading the poems in the book!  Check it out now!

Happy Reading!
Laura

Throwback Thursday #3

As always on Thursdays I share with you an oldie but goodie.  These books have withstood the test of time and MUST be shared with all.

Today I want to remind you of what a GREAT poet Shel Silverstein is and discuss A Light in the Attic.

This is a picture of my original book.  Notice the tears in the covers.  What you cannot see is that pages of the book are falling out, I have my name written in crooked cursive from when I was in the second grade and all the children that this book has been shared with. 

Poetry is meant to be read aloud, that is why I wanted to include this book.  I have used this book in all the grades that I have taught (first, third, fourth and fifth).  I have read this book to my own child as an infant and now a toddler.  I also enjoyed this book as a child. 

What makes A Light in the Attic so great.  This book has everything from humor, to rhyme and rhythm as well as nonsense words.  Everything that is on the checklist for a great read aloud.  It is perfect for home or school because you can read one poem if time is tight or you can read pages of poems if time allows.  This is a must for ALL bookshelves!

My favorite poem in this Shel Silverstein collection is (and it is very hard to pick, right now as I am flipping through I am reminded of how many I do love!) Wavy Hair.  It goes like this...

Wavy Hair

I thought that I had wavy hair

Until I shaved.  Instead, 

I find that I have straight hair

And a very wavy head. 

Of course this is in honor of my very wavy hair!

What if your favorite Shel Silverstein poem? 

Happy Reading!

Laura