Explore Poetry with SINCE THE BABY CAME by Kathleen Long Bostrom

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  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
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Review and Activity: Pairing Books with Stuffed Critters

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by Trine Grillo

Do you ever wonder what books animals would check out of the library?

Would a giraffe choose tall books?

Would hyenas search for jokes?

What if otter needs one that is waterproof and geckos could only read stick-to-the-wall books?


In the delightful Wild About Books by Judy Sierra and Marc Brown, a librarian accidentally drives the bookmobile into the zoo.  To make the best of the situation, she decides to open the door and begin reading.


“In a flash, every beast in the zoo was stampeding, 

to learn all about this new something called reading.”


The more the animals read, the more they loved books. They read to each other and laughed and solved mysteries. Soon they began writing their own stories!


What about you? Do you have a zoo of stuffed animals in your room or a real live pet?


READ: Wild About Books


DISCUSS: 

  • Can you think of stories your animal friends would like to hear?
  • What stories might be good for a stuffed bear? A stuffed frog?
  • What would your bunnies learn from Peter Rabbit?
  • Could Rocket teach your puppy to read?
  • Would your piglet fall in love with Charlotte?
  • Perhaps your tabby could write a book with Mr. Putter?

DO: 

Gather up your animal friends. Try to match each one with a book they might enjoy. Find books from your shelf or take a trip to the library. Your stuffed friends are welcome there. Let them choose! Here are some matches I came up with:


Once you've paired your books and pets, find a cozy spot and read together. Laugh out loud. Solve mysteries. Discover secrets!


EXTRA FUN: 


Read:  Mr. Putty and Tabby Write the Book by Cynthia Rylant. 

Discuss: How do you write a book? Could you do it?

DO: Think of a story you would like to tell. Write it down! Draw colorful pictures to go with it.


MORE BOOK IDEAS FOR YOUR STUFFED FRIENDS:

  • How Rocket Learned to Read by Tad Hills
  • The Midnight Library by Kazuno Kohara
  • Peter Rabbit (and all of his friends) by Beatrix Potter
  • The Bear Who Shared by Catherine Rayner
  • Charlotte's Web by E.B. White


Comments

Mindy Baker said…
So fun! I love this idea!
June 29, 2022 at 9:54 AM
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