Diva Delores Feathered Fan Story Time Craft

DIVA DELORES AND THE OPERA HOUSE MOUSE by Laura Sassi, illustrated by Rebecca Gerlings, is an adorable rhyming story about a diva who learns to accept help graciously. The rhyme flows nicely, making it perfect for a read-aloud. And the fancy diva main character is sure to inspire some dress up play! 

READ: DIVA DELORES AND THE OPERA HOUSE MOUSE by Laura Sassi, illustrated by Rebecca Gerlings

DISCUSS: 

• What does it mean to be a diva? 
• Does being a diva affect Delores's behavior in a negative or positive way? 
• Have you ever acted like a "diva" before?
• Have you ever watched an opera or listened to opera music?
• Talk about a time when you didn't want to accept help from someone, or someone didn't want to accept help from you.

DO: Make a fan like the one Diva Delores uses in the book.

You will need:

• paper plate
• feathers
• scissors
• marker or crayon
• glue 
• ruler (optional)

Directions: 

1. Cut the paper plate in half, then cut the curved part of the plate off. You should have a nearly perfect half-circle that lays flat. 
2. Mark the center of the straight edge (use a ruler if you want to be precise). Cut at a slight angle from the center to the outer edge of the plate to create the fan shape. With a marker or crayon, draw a semi-circle at the edge where the point is. Color that in. 

3. Draw lines from the center to the outer edge of the fan, using a ruler if necessary to keep the lines straight. 
4. Flip the fan over and run a generous line of glue near the curved edge. 
5. Glue the feathers on, being sure that the tops of the feathers stick far out past the edge of the plate. Let it dry and--voila!--you have feathered fan, perfect for any diva! 

Use this fan to act out parts of the story, then save it in the dress-up box for a rainy day. Have fun!

Note: An earlier version of this post previously appeared on rebeccajgomez.com.