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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Read, Discuss, and Do with THE WORLD'S LONGEST SOCK

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Here at Read, Discuss, Do! we like socks. Colorful socks. Stripey socks. Socks with fun patterns or silly phrases. But no socks are better than a pair of warm, cozy socks on a cold winter day!

Except maybe the world’s longest socks!

The World’s Longest Sock by Juliann Law is a tall tale (long tale?) about two people competing to make the world’s longest sock. Told from the perspective of a world record judge, this story goes back and forth between Nina in Chile and Chuck in New Zealand, who are determined to win the world record. But as the socks get longer, time goes by, and lives change, Nina’s and Chuck’s perspectives change too. Who will win the world record? Read the book to find out! It’s an amusing story with charming, colorful illustrations that are sure to keep readers engaged.

Read: The World’s Longest Sock by Juliann Law

Discuss:

  • Early in the story, were you “team Nina” or “team Chuck”? Why?

  • Did the story end how you expected?

  • Have you ever been determined to win a competition, like Nina and Chuck? How did it work out?

  • Do you have a favorite pair of socks?

Do:

Design your own “world’s longest sock”! You can download and print this free sock template or draw your own. You can use crayon, colored pencil, paint, or even strips of yarn or fabric to design your sock. Tip: If you are going to use paint or glue, print (or draw) your sock on sturdy paper, such as card stock.

Here are some other activities you may want to try:

  • Try your hand at knitting, crocheting, or other kind of yarn craft.

  • Have your own “longest sock” contest. Dig through your sock drawer and see who in your family has the longest sock!

  • Make a sock puppet! Here’s a video for a simple DIY sock puppet. This is a great craft to try with a sock that has lost its mate.

Some of our favorite socks!

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