Explore Poetry with SINCE THE BABY CAME by Kathleen Long Bostrom

  We are excited to have guest post by Kathleen Long Bostrom, author of Since the Baby Came: A Sibling’s Learning-to-Love Story in 16 Poems , talking about the process of writing the book and sharing some ideas for discussing and poetry writing! Read : Since the Baby Came: A Sibling’s Learning-to-Love Story in 16 Poems by Kathleen Long Bostrom, illustrated by Janet Samuel I love poetry and rhyme, and always have. I grew up with a mother who often recited poetry and I learned to read with Dr. Seuss books. It’s no wonder I turned to poetry when I began writing picture books for children.  At a children’s book conference one day about 12 years ago, I asked my friend, an editor for an educational publishing house, “What are the areas in early education where more good books are needed?”  Without hesitation, she replied, “Poetry.”  Many of my published books were written in poetry, but what could I write that was unique? Aha! I thought. What if I wrote a story using a variety of styles of

THE TWELVE SLEIGHS OF CHRISTMAS Review and Craft

 

By Mindy Baker

The Twelve Sleighs of Christmas by Sherri Duskey Rinker and illustrated by Jake Parker is a playful story that will spark your child’s creativity. With only two weeks before Christmas, Santa’s sleigh needs some repairs. The elves decide to have a build-off competition to see who can create the best new design. They teams work feverishly with pulleys, levers, gizmos, and gadgets, and Santa has trouble choosing between the dragster, the big rig, the floating ship, and many other fabulous designs. In the end, nothing is quite as right as his own restored classic sleigh. This book is a perfect choice for all those future engineers, and is the perfect spark for a day of inventive play. 


READ: The 12 Sleighs of Christmas by Sherri Duskey Rinker 

 

DISCUSS:  

  • What was your favorite sleigh that the elves built?  

  • What did you like about it? 

  • Do you like to build and create things?  

  • What is something that you have created? 

  • How do you feel when you make something unique? 

 

DO: Make a Sleigh 

 

You will need:  

  • A small cardboard box 

  • Two candy cane shaped tubes  

  • Wrapping paper 

  • Tape 

  • Scissors 

 

Optional: Stickers or other decorations to give your sleigh a unique style. You can also add stuffed animals to either ride in or pretend to pull the sleigh. 

  1. Cut the box into a sleigh shape and wrap with wrapping paper.  

  2. Tape the candy cane tubes onto the bottom of the box to form the “runners.” 

  3. Decorate your sleigh into your own unique “style.” 

 

 


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