Celebrate Poetry All Month Long with Read, Discuss, Do

  Happy National Poetry Month! We are celebrating National Poetry Month with a weekly poetry challenge all month long. To follow along, subscribe to our newsletter or check back here every Monday and Friday throughout the month of April for updates.  Kickoff: Books and resources for National Poetry Month   Week one: Read and write haiku  Article: A Brief History of Poetry by Marci Whitehurst Week two: Read and write odes Article: Eight Creative Ways to Explore Poetry All Year Long by Rebecca J. Gomez Week three: Read and write riddle poems   Week four: Poet's choice! If you and/or your children/students participate in any of our challenges this month, we'd love to hear from you.  You can  email  us or  tag us  on Instagram (use the hashtag #RDDPoetryChallenge or #RDDPoetryMonth). We will be sharing some readers’ poems in a round-up post at the end of the month, so if you’d like your poems to be considered, please let us know when you s...

Book-inspired Art: Buried Bear

 

It's the middle of March, and for many that means spring is nearly hear. But that doesn't necessarily mean that winter is going to let go so easily, as we see in the lovely picture book SO MUCH SNOW by Kristen Schroeder, illustrated by Sarah Jacoby. SO MUCH SNOW is about a snow storm that brings a lot of snow, blowing it around, piling it everywhere, until everything and everyone seems to be buried in it. This book, with its simple, yet lyrical, text and repeating "OH" sounds, will delight readers as they follow along, watching the snow piles grow and grow. This book captures well a sense of wonder about snowy weather that will delight readers, especially those who enjoy a good snow day. 

Read: SO MUCH SNOW by Kristen Schroeder, illustrated by Sarah Jacoby

Discuss: 
  • What kind of winter weather do you experience where you live?
  • If you've been around snow, do you like it? Why or why not?
  • If you've never experienced snow first hand, would you like to?
  • What do you think you would do with "so much snow"?
  • How do the animals seem to feel about the snow in the beginning of the story? How about the end?
Do: Make a "buried bear" painting inspired by the book's cover.

You will need:
  • Blue card stock or construction paper
  • A round sponge brush (or cotton balls)
  • Brown and white tempera paint
  • A marker
Directions: 
    1. Use the round brush or cotton ball to make the bear's head. It should be a rounded triangle shape, pointed upward. Add an ear to the left side.

      2. Again using the round brush, dab on the snow so that it looks like the bear's head is poking out of a large drift.

      3. Dab on a few fat snowflakes in the blue sky!


      4. Use a marker to draw an ear, the nose and mouth, and eye. Then, use the edge of the round brush to add snow to the bear's ears and snout.


      And now you have your own "buried bear" painting! 

      Looking for more snow-themed book fun? Check out this story time idea for SNOW MUCH FUN! by Nancy Siscoe, illustrated by Sabina Gibson. 

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