Tag: Read-alouds

Read-Aloud Raves: Sylvester and Magic Pebble

Tracy

I was first introduced to the author William Steig with Dr. Desoto books (which I’ll probably rave about at some point I’m sure). I like his wit and humor and his sneaky way of teaching valuable lessons. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble is just such a book.

Read-alouds for children

Sylvester the donkey finds a magic pebble that grants his wishes. On the way to tell his parents about his find, he encounters a lion and, frightened and flustered by the encounter, quickly wishes that he were a rock. Only once he became a rock, he realized there was no way to pick up the pebble and wish to be himself again. His mom and dad miss him terribly, and no one can figure out what happened to him. When spring comes around once more, his parents decide to go on a picnic in an attempt to cheer up, but even on the picnic, all they can think about is poor Sylvester—how much he would have liked the picnic, how much he would have liked a particular pebble. His mom sets the pebble on top of the rock they are using for a picnic table. Sylvester, unaware that the pebble is his magic pebble, wishes (as he has many times before) to be himself. Only this time, his wish is granted! As the family joyfully hugs and listens to Sylvester’s tale of his magic pebble, they all realize there is absolutely nothing more they could wish for.

It’s a lesson I am continually working on with my children: to be happy with what they have, to not continually wish for what they do not have.

What books have you used to reinforce your character lessons?

Read-Aloud Raves: The Flea’s Sneeze

Tracy

Talk about a fun book to read aloud to your kids! The Flea’s Sneeze has everything I love in a read-aloud: rhythm and rhyme, humor, and a good storyline.

I could tell from the very first page that this book was a favorite. We read it three times in a row in the first sitting, and I woke up the next morning to the sound of my son reading it to his sister, complete with the nasally last line: “I dink I godda sdeeze!” I giggled even after reading it 20 jillion times. To see my kids so tickled with certain lines in the book, to hear them quoting it through the house—it made my book-loving heart flutter every time. This book was a treasure, so much so that we renewed it just so we could read and giggle a few trillion times more.

What book has had you giggling with your kids lately?

Read-Aloud Raves: Leo the Lightning Bug

Tracy

Remember the old audio books we grew up with? You plugged in your cassette tape and heard the chimes to turn the page in your storybook? I loved those books! And my kids have eagerly taken on the addiction.

To be honest, though, I didn’t realize this was an audio book until I got it home. I noticed it had an award sticker on it (always a heads-up that it’s probably a really good book), and I quickly read the jacket flap to get the gist of the story. Then, I threw it in my library bag and moved along.

Leo the Lightning Bug is perhaps the cutest audio story I’ve heard in awhile, performed by several voice talents. A particularly adorable lightning bug is discouraged that he is the only one among his friends whose light won’t light up. His mother gives him the age-old advice of “time and practice,” which little Leo takes to heart. He tries and tries and tries, even through a thunder storm. Then, after crack of thunder, a brilliant flash of light streaks across the sky and Leo thinks he’s done it! That boost of confidence is just what he needs to really do it the next time. Time and practice, and little Leo doesn’t feel so little anymore.

It’s a story I didn’t mind hearing over and over again. Because, as with any good library book, we did hear it over and over and over again.

What story did you hear repeated this week?

Read-Aloud Raves: The Turn-Around Upside-Down Alphabet Book

Tracy

The other day, I actually had the rare privilege of a library trip all by myself (well, sort of all by myself; the littlest tagged along, of course.) Naturally, I planned on picking up a few books for the kids. Once I got there, however, I had this overwhelming sense of—being overwhelmed! Where was I going to start? How on earth was I going to choose?

In the end, I stumbled upon some really cool finds, and I wanted to share my treasures with each of you, then let you comment with a few suggestions for me!

My first book to rave about is The Turn-Around Upside Down Alphabet Book that I picked up for Middle-est. It totally appealed to her artistic, kinesthetic learning style. Each letter of the alphabet is captioned on all four sides, describing a different picture that the letter makes. Hard to describe, which is why I took pictures.

 

 

This book is an absolute blast! It won’t be replacing her all time favorite (Chicka Chicka Boom Boom), but it was a fun alternative for our preschool learning.