Voices of the Wild

Yesterday, I shared a book with the Grade 4/5 class called "Voices of the Wild" by Jonathan London and illustrated by Wayne McLoughlin. When I read this book aloud I never tell the students what the animal is. I incorporate reading the descriptive words with the important mystery question: what am I? Students need to listen intently to the words of the book to answer the question. It is fun to hear all the different answers and to hear the excitement in the room when it is time to answer the question.

"This marvellously imagined look at man - through the eyes and vices of wild creatures - combines bold narrative with breathtaking wildlife art to create extraordinary portrayal of the North American wilderness" (inside cover of the book)

It is a fun game to play and the person reading will have as much fun as the students guessing the animal.

Knitting Club begins in March

 The Knitting Club begins the first week of March. All Grade 3-8 are welcome to attend if they bring knitting needles and some wool to make a scarf. I'll be showing the students how to cast on their stitches and how to knit. Last year, I offered this club and many students came and were proud of their creations. Students that already know how to knit are also welcome to attend. Some students will make scarfs while others might make dish clothes. Monday & Tuesday morning recess is the only time I have available. It is my hope to continue this club until the first or second week of April.

  The Knitting Club will meet in the Library.



 

Pinduli

Janell Cannon is one of my favorite children's book authors. I shared her book called "Pinduli with the Grade 5/6.

Pinduli is a young hyena who is always complimented by her mother. When Pinduli goes out into the African land she is met by many animals on the savannah who make hurtful comments about her ears, her hair, and her stripes. She transforms her appearance with mud and she keeps her ears down so no one would recognize her. On her way home she meets the animals that insulted her appearance. Luckily, they did not know who she was and thought she was a ghost spirit. This gave her an opportunity to ask them to meet with one another to talk about how bad their name calling is. So, when she went home and bathed, her ears stood up and she was once again her mother's pride and joy.

I chose this book to share with the middle grades so they would have empathy for the situation that Pinduli was in. A few words can be very painful when someone's appearance is insulted. This chain of events had a happy ending on the African savannah lands.

When wishes have wings

This week I shared a book with the Grade 1 class called "The Sheep fairy : when wishes have wings" by Ruth Louise Symes and illustrated by David Sim. This is a wonderfully imaginative book about a sheep named Wendy Woolcoat. Her favorite pastime is to eat grass, eat grass, eat grass, eat grass, eat grass, eat grass, sleep, eat grass, eat grass, eat grass. Now you know what she likes to do!

Wendy helps a fairy in distress and she is granted a wish, and her wish is to fly. Her sheep wings helps her to fly in the sky among the stars, and also to save her friends from a wolf. The illustrations are colorful and the children laughed when I read what Wendy Woolcoat liked to do most of all. Heroes come in all shapes and sizes and Wendy Woolcoat is one of them.

The Very Cranky Bear

On Monday, I shared the picture book called, "The Very Cranky Bear" by Nick Bland with the Kindergarten class. I asked the children if anyone could read the title of the book. With pride and amazement one student read the entire title out loud and many knew some of the words.

This book is about a bear who wants quiet while he sleeps in his cave. The other animals want to play inside his cave to stay warm and dry, though. It has funny illustrations to show the children in words as well as pictures of the different solutions the animals came up with to share Bear's cave. I'm always pleased to share a book where the "smallest animal" finds the solution and changed Bear's mood from Cranky to Content by the end of the story.

Cozy up with a good book!