Read, Discuss, Bake: Books about bread!

  One of my favorite memories from my childhood was my dad’s baking. He’d often bake a simple white bread, which we would use for sandwiches or snacking. He’d sometimes turn some of it into cinnamon rolls, which came in second only to my mom’s chocolate chip cookies. On special occasions he’d whip up a batch of Orange Cinnamon Swirl, a loaf of mildly orange flavored bread with a swirl of cinnamon and sugar in the center, glazed with an orangey icing. In my mind, there was no better treat. And it wasn’t just the eating of the bread that was enjoyable, but the anticipation. And the smells. Is there any better smell than bread baking in the oven? My dad taught me how to bake bread, and I still have the copy of  Bernard Clayton’s New Complete Book of Breads  that he gave me nearly 30 years ago. I bake from it often. Bread is a staple all around the world. And bread, like books, can do wonders to foster human connection. So our hope with this list today is that it will inspire...

Picture Book Pair for Sharing Love and Friendship

 Picture book pair posts are about showing how books with similar themes can open up a world of discussion possibilities, and those discussions are great ways to connect with your children or students. It can be fascinating to see how different authors and illustrators approach different topics and themes. Pairing books with similar themes during story time will help children learn that everyone sees and experiences the world a little differently, and it's good to see other people's perspectives.


Today is Valentine’s Day, and that has everyone talking about love! But not just romantic love. The love of friends and family is a big topic too! Yes, this time of year love is a hot topic, but it’s a good topic to read and talk about all year long. So today we’d like to share two lovely books with a theme of love between friends. But love isn’t the only thing these two books have in common. They also both feature bears!

In Love is in the Little Things by Stella J. Jones, illustrated by Jane Massey, love is in all the little things two friends do and share together. This is a charming “slice of life” story featuring a little girl and her best friend, who happens to be a big, lovable bear.

In Love is in the Bear by Judith Henderson, illustrated by Nahid Kazemi, Bear and Bird plan to sing a duet in the opera together. Bear doesn’t get the part, but Bird assures him that they are still a duet with or without a stage. It’s a sweet story about an unlikely friendship that stays true through thick and thin.

Read: Love is in the Little Things and Love is in the Bear

Discuss:

  • How are these two stories similar? How are they different?

  • In each of these books, what are some ways the friends show their love for each other?

  • Each of these books features a bear character. In what ways are the two bears alike?

  • Think of a special friend in your life. How do you show your friend that you care about him or her?

  • List some “little things” that show how someone loves you.

Do:

  • Make a card or write a note to a special friend in your life. Send it through the mail as a special surprise.

  • Imagine that your best friend is a bear, and draw the two of you together doing a favorite activity. Here’s a tutorial for how to draw a simple bear if you need some help.

  • Are you musical? Take a cue from Love is in the Bear and sing a duet with a friend!

  • Be a friend to someone you don’t know well by showing love to them in some small way. Maybe you’ll make a new friend!

For more ideas on sharing love this season and throughout the year, check out these past posts:

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