Press Here

Title: Press Here
Author: Hervé Tullet
Illustrations: Hervé Tullet
Published: Tullet, H. (2011). Press here. San Fransisco: Chronicle Books.
Themes: Art, cause and effect, pattern, following instructions

While I was in my kindergarten placement the kids were just enchanted by this book. As soon as we read it through once they'd want to go through it again! Just as though they were playing with an iPad, children (myself included) are just enthralled with this interactive book. What happens when you press the yellow dot? What happens if you tilt the book the the left? And then to the right? What happens when you clap?


Classroom Ideas:
- Have your little ones make their own Press Here cards; a yellow dot on the outside and various dots on the inside. Allow some time for them to test each others cards. There's a free .pdf here.
- Give each of your children a large dot of their own and help follow along while you read. They can shake or tilt their dot whenever asked!
- Read this book alongside The Dot (Reynolds) -- have a Dot-filled day!!
- Do some dot art - can have the students look at colour and mixing colours
- Have your kindergarteners create their names in dots - most of them are probably working on letter formation so this is a new and exciting element

- Sidenote: there's a fun little iPad app that kids can play with 
- SideSideNote: another fun interactive book is Tap the Magic Tree


This book is enjoyable for all! Pick up a copy of Press Here today!!

Math Curse

Title:Math Curse
Author: Jon Scieszka
Illustrations: Lane Smith
Published: Scieszka, J. (2006). Math curse. New York: Scholastic.
Themes: math, days of the week, time, addition, subtraction, measurement, bar graphs, interpreting data, multiplication, fractions, conversion, skip counting, money, percentages 

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One of the worse thing a student can hear is "You know, you can think of almost everything as a math problem." That's where it all began. As soon as the nameless student heard this from his teacher everything in his life became a math problem. Find out how you too, can break the "math curse".

I think just saying "Jon Scieszka" should sum up how zany this book really is. One of my favourite things about this book is the variety of math problems -- each page presents a new "math curse".

Classroom Ideas:

- Have a class discussion about how stress affects our lives.

- Assign groups of students a different math problem from the book. After each group is completed, have them present their answer to the "curse" to the class.

- Have students create their own word problem. Maybe even put together your own "Math Curse" book.

- Talk about the one line in the book "...you can think of almost everything as a math problem." Have students look for math in the newspaper. Have them share their newspaper clippings to the class. 

- Each page of this book can really be a mini-lesson of its own. Consider using this book year-long to introduce new math strands.

Accidental Alphabet

Title: Accidental Alphabet
Author: Dianna Bodner
Illustrations: David J. Small
Published: Bodner, D. (2004) Accidental alphabet. North Vancouver, B.C.: Walrus Books.

Themes: alphabet, alliteration, rhyming, personification, tongue-twisters

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Follow 26 misadventures characters as they teach important abc alliteration, including coughing camels, Iggy the Iguana, lazy llamas and  rowdy roosters.

Can I just say how much I love these illustrations; they're so complex?! Within picture are hidden alphabet letters and dozens of other things beginning with that letter. The pictures are humorous and the writing compliments it perfectly. I can JKs/SKs finding these rhymes hilarious; they'd love it!

Classroom Ideas:
- Use this book as an introduction to alliteration. After reading the book, read it a second time, this time have your students stand up or jump on the spot when they hear alliteration. 
- At the back of the book is a list of questions; one for each page. Have you students investigate the picture and see if they can discover the answer 


Can you think of anymore fun alphabet activities?

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

Title: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

Author: Kate DiCamillo
Illustrator: Bargram Ibatoulline
Published: DiCamillo, K. (2006). The miraculous journey of Edward Tulane. MA: Candlewick.
Themes: adventure, love, childhood

WOW. This was the first book I've read by Kate DiCamillo.....and it definitely won't be my last! Edward Tulane is a china rabbit who resides with a little girl named Abilene. One day Edward experiences one of the worst things for a toy.....he gets lost. As Edward journeys through the deep ocean, garbage dumps, and traveling with a hobo, he learns the most important lesson of all....how to love.

To be completely honest with you, there's a point in this book where there's death and child abuse occurring. I sobbed like a baby. And as such, I would probably recommend this book for children Grade 3 and up.

Classroom Ideas:
- This is such a great book to explore more sophisticated vocabulary with (ex: jaunty, unsavory, exceptional)
- Explore the character development that Edward goes through.....as the pages progress, how is he changing? Students could compare how Edward was at the beginning of the book to how he was at the end.
- The author does not explicitly tell the reader what time period the story is taking place in. Have your students gather the clues and make an inference about the time period.
- Edward encounters many different owners during the journey of the book. Create characters profiles for each of the different owners and compare how Edward felt about each one of them.
- Have students pick one of the many owners that Edward has over the course of the book. Have them write about Edward from their point of view. (ex: How would Abilene describe Edward?)
- Reader's Theatre script for Chapter 22 found here.  
- There are SO many other books I thought of as I was reading this book. The Velveteen Rabbit, Pinocchio and Knuffle Bunny are just a few.


I hope you get a chance to pick up a copy of this book to read, it's truly a treasure.

- Brooke