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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Summer Challenge Week Ten: Dog Days!

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It's the final week of the Read, Discuss, Do! Summer Challenge, and we are wrapping things up by celebrating dogs! What better way to enjoy the "dog days of summer"? Besides spending lots of time at the pool, of course. We hope this week's theme inspires you to read a few books about some of our favorite furry friends. Whether you have a dog in your family or not, there are plenty of ways to celebrate dogs!

Ideas for books to read:

  • Hello, Goodbye Dog by Maria Gianferarri, illustrated by Patrice Barton. A heartwarming story about a dog who insists on following his girl to school.
  • Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings. A fun book in which a dog writers letters hoping to convince someone to adopt him.
  • Bark Park! by Trudy Krisher, illustrated by Brooke Boynton-Hughes. Especially good for the younger readers, this book is full of fun doggy antics.
  • A Stone for Sascha by Aaron Becker. A poignant, wordless picture book about dealing with the loss of a pet.

Ideas for things to discuss:

  • What was your favorite part of the book?
  • Was this story happy or sad? 
  • Do you like dogs? Why or why not?
  • What do you think is the best thing about dogs?
  • If you have a pet dog, talk about what makes your dog special.
  • If you don't have a pet dog, talk about what it might be like to have one. What would you name your dog? Where would your dog sleep?

Ideas for things to do:

  • If you have a dog in your family, go on a special walk or visit a dog park. 
  • Read to a dog! Check out our post, Ten Tips for Reading with Pets for some helpful tips.
  • Make treats for your dog or a friend's dog. You can find a recipe at this post.
  • Visit a dog shelter. Consider making a donation to help out.
  • Make some dog-themed art, such as a drawing, painting, or a collage.
  • Would you like to adopt a dog or puppy? Make a list of they types of dogs that would fit well in your family. Be sure to do some research! Here is a good place to start: 9 Great Dog Breeds for First-Time Owners. 

Comments

Brown Amy said…
The Read, Discuss, Do! Summer Challenge is coming to a close this week, and we're honouring dogs to do it! What better way to take advantage of the summer's "dog days"? Of course, there's also tonnes of time at the pool. Our goal is to encourage you to read a few books at PetCareRx about some of our favourite furry friends as a result of this week's subject. There are many ways to honour dogs, whether or not you have a dog at home.
September 29, 2022 at 12:00 AM
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