Category: Book Corner

 Welcome to Mr. Bill’s Book Corner. Each month I will be focusing on a book that will also be distributed to Lending Library members and people who request literacy visits.

February’s Book is:

Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney

In this simple rhyming book Llama gets tucked into bed by Mama. Soon after being tucked in and Mama going downstairs drama begins to happen. Llama begins to worry and his soft whispers soon become loud yells when Mama does not come back. Will Mama come back to comfort him? Children will like the simple rhyme  structure of this book .

When reading books it is always a good idea to discuss what the children think before reading the book, what they think will happen next, and then what happened in the book afterwards.

Some good questions to ask before reading are:

• By looking at the cover, what do you think this book is going to be about?
• Tell me what a llama is.
• Tell me about a time when you felt alone and scared.

Some good questions to ask while reading:

• How do you think baby llama feels when mama is walking out of his room?
• Do you think it was a good idea for baby llama to “holler” for his mama? Why or why not?

Some good questions to ask after reading:

• What do you think would have happened if mama llama had not run up to baby llama’s room?
• Tell me about what you do before you go to bed?
• Baby llama had a stuffed animal that he slept with, what do you sleep with?

Here are a few, fun activity ideas that could go along with this book:

• Dramatic Play: Have a Pajama Party! Have the children wear pajamas and bring their stuffed animals.

• Literacy/ Music: Make up silly rhymes with the children. Sing songs or wordplays with words that rhyme or songs about bed or bedtime. Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed is a good one.

• Games/ Gross Motor: Play Wake Up Llamas. Have the children pretend they are asleep and cover them up with blankets. Mama yells “Wake up Llamas in pajamas!” and the children “wake up”. You can also play a listening game telling them, they can only wake up when you say “Wake up Llamas in pajamas!” but then replace Llama with another animal. Also, you can use blankets and do parachute games with a blanket instead. This promotes cooperative play.

• Art: Gather materials that you may see on pajamas such as flannel, fleece, silk, etc. A good (and cheap) place to find them is thrift stores or in the odds and ends section, and craft stores. Have the children use toothbrushes to paint glue on. Instead of using paper use recycled materials such as boxes or containers.

Some of these ideas may not be appropriate for all ages. Use your best judgment on what the children in your care are capable of and modify if you need to. Please feel free to give Bill a call at 1(800) 676- 2805 or email at bbuss@cccconnect.org if you have any questions or comments.

 Welcome to Mr. Bill’s Book Corner. Each month I will be focusing on a book that will also be distributed to Lending Library members and people who request literacy visits.

January’s book is:

Alfie Runs Away by Kenneth Cadow

Alfie is fed up with having to take a bath, set the table and make his bed. His breaking point however is when his mother attempts to throw away his favorite red shoes, even if they are a bit too small.  He decides he is going to run away. With the help of his mom, Alfie packs his bag full of supplies such as snacks, water, a flashlight and a blanket. Feeling the weight of the bag, Alfie makes it as far as the backyard before settling down to figure out the one thing he was missing in his bag.

Here are a few, fun activity ideas that could go along with this book:

• Art: Give the children a wide variety of materials such as paper, crayons, markers, glue and collage materials. Collage materials can be magazines, different types of paper, stickers, yarn, etc.  Ask the children to make their favorite thing to wear or their favorite thing to take on a trip. The key as is to all art activities is to leave it open ended. If a child makes a pizza monster, that is okay. 

• Math: Count the items Alfie puts in his bag. Match shoes and/or socks. Use water bottles with measurements on the side in your water table. 

• Dramatic Play: Try to include items in Alfie’s bag (flashlight, water bottle, teddy bear,etc.) in your dramatic play area. 

• Social Emotional: Discuss while reading the book how Alfie feels. Talk with the children about how they might feel if they were in Alfie’s shoes. 

Some of these ideas may not be appropriate for all ages. Use your best judgment on what the children in your care are capable of and modify if you need to. Please feel free to give Bill a call at 1(800) 676- 2805 or email at bbuss@cccconnect.org if you have any questions or comments.