Posts Tagged With: children’s books

meet Dot

Posted on December 20, 2014 by robynbird

My co-teacher is an artist. I am a writer. We’ve decided to combine our talents and create a children’s book. The idea came to us rather suddenly one morning and surprised us because we couldn’t believe it took us so long to get there.
We’ve worked out the general story line…where and why it begins and where it will go. It is a story about a little girl who learns a great deal about herself in a very peculiar way. It is a story of the power of love. It is a story of hope.
We were sending snapchats back and forth today with ideas while I was out shopping for YBW with Thing C and Thing G and she was at the dealership trading in her car.

Her quick sketch of our titular character, Dot.

I’m delighted to experience this process with my darling co-teacher. I’ve been out of high school longer than she’s been alive, but the stars aligned when we came to this classroom together. We make each other better teachers. And now we’re beginning this project so close to our hearts with all the excitement of the three year olds we spend our days with!
I wish us bon courage, but mostly I wish us much fun with great love.

Categories: me | Tags: artist, bon courage, children's books, children’s book, creating, Dot, excitement, fun, illustrating, love, writer, writing | 4 Comments

pajama day of deliciousness

Posted on December 17, 2014 by robynbird

My little friends celebrated a month of hard work studying families and food with “pajama day of deliciousness”.
We all came to school in our jammies, even the two teachers.
We read Cupcake before we iced and decorated (then ate) cupcakes. We read The Mice of Bistrot des Sept Freres before we made soupe au fromage. (That we will eat when it’s time for our snack this afternoon.) We popped corn and watched Ratatouille (a movie about both food and families) while lying around on the floor on pillows from our Tree House Library.

I’m sick…a cold that has taken up residence in my chest…and left the movie at home this morning when I came to school. (Many thanks to YBW who brought it to school on his way to work!)
Even though I’m feeling puny I’ve had such a wonderfully fun day and couldn’t wait to share!

Categories: education | Tags: books, children's books, classroom, cooking, Cupcake, early childhood education, emergent curriculum, families, food, pajama day, Ratatouille, teaching and learning together, The Mice of Bistrot des Sept Freres | Leave a comment

a bibliophile’s bookgasm

Posted on December 5, 2014 by robynbird

The bibliophile in me is having a total bookgasm!
I discovered the coolest website called litographs.com.
This site has over 100 books printed on tees, posters, and tote bags. The actual text!
And for each tee, poster, or tote you buy, they donate a book through the International Book Bank!
I’m DYING to have this one.
Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden.

“Promoting literacy never looked so good.”

Categories: me | Tags: bibliophile, book donation, bookgasm, books, children's books, Frances Hodgson Burnett, International Book Bank, literacy, litographs, tee shirt, The Secret Garden | 2 Comments

(love can be both) right-way-round and upside down

Posted on September 26, 2013 by robynbird

I taught a lesson plan earlier this week from a book called ‘Henry and Amy (right-way-round and upside down)’.

This is a book about friendship, specifically a friendship of opposites attracting and helping each other see the beauty of right-way-round as well as upside down.
I used this book in my month-long lesson plan revolving around manners, friendship, and being helpful. We’ve been discussing “good manners”, you know, please and thank you and as one of my precious friends points out, I’m sorry. I’m not as big a fan of I’m sorry…but I’m working with what I’ve got.
We’ve also been discussing helpful hands and feet…did you know helpful hands hold doors for friends or helpful feet don’t kick books?
My little friends do! It’s been a fun and interesting process and I think they’re finally starting to really understand because our director held the door for us this afternoon as we went outside to the playground and one friend said, “Look! Miss Brynn has helpful hands!” And then I heard a chorus of “thank you(s)” even from one little dude who was so busy thanking her he walked into the doorjamb.

‘Henry and Amy’ was one of Thing 2’s favorite books when she was a little girl, she and I would read it over and over with hugs and giggles.
Oh how I wanted to call her when I got home to tell her all about it…but I didn’t.
I’m being respectful of her feelings. I’m acting upon her request.
Golly it was hard. I wanted to share that day with her in ways I don’t even yet understand and I honestly believe she would have loved it.

But here’s the thing: it didn’t hurt.
Yes I was sad, but the memories of Thing 2 and ‘Henry and Amy’ were happy. They moved me into my higher brain…where I was safe and happily swimming around in memories of my sweet little girl.

It was a great day!
It was a great lesson plan.
The activity that followed reading the book and our discussion was spectacular, and when we met again to read the book after the project was finished, my little friends were invested in ‘Henry and Amy’ and they’re beginning to understand the value of helpful friends.

And one day…one day…when she’s ready, I will be happy to share the experience of this day with Thing 2.