Seven Little Mice Go to School, ” ‘Twas the Night Before School . . .”

Posted on August 22, 2014 by hendersonintraining
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“Mother was worried. How was she going to get her seven little mice through the forest to school? Then she had an idea.”

Part of our “First Day of School” tradition is to give our kids a special book. Last year as Christian, our oldest, began second grade, we gave him this adorable book. I wrote the following on the inside cover page:

“Dear Christian,
Enjoy your first day of second grade~ 7 years old! Your trip to school may not be quite as exciting as the mice’s journey, but your school year will be full of adventures. We love you always and delight in seeing you grow.
Love, Daddy and Mommy” 8/2013

I’m still trying to decide which book to give him this year! Suggestions?

Introducing our Featured Friend: Seven Little Mice Go to School
By Haruo Yamashita

‘Twas the night before school
when all through the house,
the creatures were stirring,
especially Mother Mouse!

We mothers can relate to Mother Mouse in this story; we worry about our children, and we deeply feel what they are feeling. As Mother Mouse tucks her little mice into bed, their “first-day-school-fears” come flowing from their mouths. Mother begins to worry . . . especially about how she’s going to get all seven little mice through the forest to the school house safely.

Creativity paves the way! “That night she rolled two balls of blue yarn through the forest, all the way to school.” Perfect little train tracks.

Then, the next morning when her seven little mice are paying no attention to her commands to get ready for school, she simply steps out the door and calls, “All aboard! The train for school is leaving now!”

Curiosity gets them moving and in no time, they are ready for school, in line holding one another’s tail, and chugging down the track to school. Everything comes to a halt when they meet a snake in the tunnel. BUT, when the snake think he sees a “loooooooooooong snake”, he slithers off. As the seven mice and their mother make it safely to the other side of the tunnel, they realize that curiosity  got all the other mice in the town to line up in their train too, making the longest mouse train one has ever seen.

“Now the seven little mice happily go to school every morning on the Mouse Train. And who knows, maybe the train is chugging along through the forest right now.” 

Inviting You To Become FRIENDS With Seven Little Mice:
Feel, Relate, Imagine, Explore, Navigate, Develop, Share

Select some questions and activities to do with your kids in preparation for their first day of school:

F- How do you feel about the first day of school?

R- Can you relate to any of the fears that the seven little mice share with their mother?

I- Imagine you have to walk through a forest to get to school. What would you fear?

E- Explore creative ways to overcome the main thing that makes you nervous about starting school. Mother Mouse comes up with a simple, creative way to help her mice not be so afraid. Can you create something fun to help you not be so afraid?

N- Navigate the path for the mice to take to their school house by drawing your own picture. Add forest animals, trees, other mice joining their “train”, and anything else creative! Make it looooong so the snake will slither away!

D- Develop some creative crafts to get excited about going back-to-school:
34 Back-to-School Craft Ideas for Kids – Care.com

S- Share a special book with your children or class to get them ready for starting another school year. Also, share what you (parents and teachers) liked about your school year when you were in your children’s grade. Share your school picture so they know you were once a kid too!

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Pave the path for your kids’ first day back to school with some creativity!

 *Follow Kidsbook Friends on Facebook and at http://www.kidsbookfriends.com for more creative reading ideas!

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Pinkalicious and the New Teacher, “First Day of School Can Be Fantastic (and PINKATASTIC)!”

Posted on August 19, 2014 by hendersonintraining
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“Welcome back, students!”

Already mid-August! I bet you’ve said at least five times, “I can’t believe it’s time to go back to school!”  In the midst of back-to-school shopping each year, I enjoy selecting a special book for my children to give them on their first day of school. Pinkalicious is the one I’m giving our six-year-old daughter and here’s why:

Introducing Our Featured Friend: Pinkalicious and the New Teacher
by Victoria Kann

Excited to see her friends on the first day of school, Pinkalicious runs into her classroom to show them her new “pinakatastic lunch box” and sparkly pink boots. Her excitement quickly turns to dread when she realizes that those aren’t the only things that are brand new.

She has a new classroom with a new seat (far away from her best friend), and new teacher who does things in a new way. Pinkalicious finally begins to enjoy herself during indoor recess when she gets to draw a “pinknificent palace” on the chalk board with her friend Allison, but when Ms. Penny erases their masterpiece and replaces it with math work, all Pinkalicious wants is her old teacher back.

Her day only seems to get worse with the new reading circle beanbag chairs instead of the comfy, shaggy rug from last year and the new star stickers on her paper instead of smiley faces. The small stuff seems quite big today. . .  until Ms. Penny  notices that Pinkalicious is perplexed.

“Pinkalicious, is everything okay?’ Ms. Penny asked.
“I miss sitting next to Alison, and I miss the reading rug and getting smiley faces on my work.”
“The day hasn’t been all bad. I saw you laugh during Pinkalina. I’m sorry I erased your pictures, but I needed the board for class.”
I sighed. “I just miss last year.”
“Is there something that your old teacher used to do that we might be able to do this year?”
I thought. Then I got an idea, a Pinkerrific idea.”

Pinkalicious leads the class in decorating the classroom. The class loves her idea of doing life-size portraits of themselves on paper covering the walls . . . drawings that do not need to be erased.

By the end of the day, Pinkalicious is excited about her new adventures and feels Ms. Penny is “pretty pinkamazing”. The first day of school turns out to be PINKATASTIC!

As my daughter is transitioning from Kindergarten to First Grade next week, this book will help prepare her for changes. She often connects reading to real life, and the lessons and goals  here of changing one’s expectations and perspective are great for kids (and parents) to realize, remember, and reach for as we enter a new school year.

Also, as a former teacher, I admire how Ms. Penny so graciously and creatively helps Pinkalicious develop a new perspective and in doing so, brings a new class together.

Inviting You To Become FRIENDS With Pinkalicious:
Feel, Relate, Imagine, Explore, Navigate, Develop, Share

Select some questions and activities to do with your kids in preparation for back to school:

F- How do you feel about starting a new school year? What makes you feel excited? What makes you feel nervous? (Don’t give them things to be nervous about though!)

R- How can you relate to Pinkalicious? What do you think about having a new teacher, classroom and classmates?

I- Imagine that you could keep one thing the same as last year. What would it be? Maybe a particular friend or activity.

E- Explore what may be good changes this year. What can you be excited about learning, doing, or experiencing this new school year? Make a list and look for all of the positives!

N- Navigate your way through the school and classroom before the first day of school to get more familiar with the setting. While inviting questions or concerns from your kids while walking through the halls, have them look for things they like so far.

D- Develop a “first day of school” plan with your children so they know what to expect as much as possible. Give them something to look forward to when returning home to you (maybe a special snack, activity, or trip to the ice cream shop).

S- Parents & Teachers: Share one of your “first day of school” experiences (and picture if you have one) so your kids and class know you can understand how they feel.

Check out some fun back to school crafts: http://www.dltk-kids.com/school/

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*Follow Kidsbook Friends on Facebook and at http://www.kidsbookfriends.com for more “pinkatastic” reading ideas!

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Miss Muffet & Bitsy, “Time for Nursery Rhymes”

Posted on August 14, 2014 by hendersonintraining
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” ‘A spider lives next door!’ Miss Muffet cries. ‘I’ll never go outside again!’ “

Kidsbook Friends Theme: Time for Nursery Rhymes

In her book, Reading Magic, acclaimed Australian author, Mem Fox states that “Experts in literacy and child development have discovered that if children know eight nursery rhymes by heart by the time they’re four years old, they’re usually among the best readers by the time they’re eight.”

“Studies show that children learn more in their first eight years than at any other stage in their lives. Songs and nursery rhymes give kids the chance to develop the language and learning foundations needed for good reading, writing and literacy skills later on.” . . . See Full Article on Mouths of Mums,
“Ready Set Rhyme! The importance of nursery rhymes for kids’ learning”


Introducing Our Featured Friend: Miss Muffet & Bitsy
Written by Muffet Frische, Illustrated by Cindy Rodella Purdy

Keeping the value of Nursery Rhymes in mind, I love how Muffet Frische takes two characters, Little Miss Muffet and the Itsy Bitsy Spider, and puts them together in one story.

Like you would expect, Miss Muffet is afraid of spiders. Her sister Anna isn’t afraid of anything. They live a colorful Victorian house. For Miss Muffet’s birthday, she gets to do one of her favorite things, decorate . . . everything: her birthday cake, her tree house that her dad built, and even herself as she’s having a costume party. Her Mom invites four of her friends and one is a new neighbor they haven’t met. While Dixie Bell the dog, Prissy the cat, Patches the parrot, Anna the scientist, and Miss Muffet the artist are playing, their new neighbor arrives. Bitsy the spider!

Like you would expect, Miss Muffet slams the gate and cries, “EEK!”. Then Anna reminds her that this IS a costume party. Convinced that her new neighbor is simply dressed up like a spider, Miss Muffet apologizes, welcomes her, and they have a blast. . . UNTIL it’s time to swim and Bitsy’s costume does NOT come off!

Running to hide in the bathroom,  Miss Muffet cries, “A spider lives next door! I’ll never go outside again!”. But then Bitsy does the unexpected: she flies past the bathroom window dressed up differently each time (my favorite illustration). How entertaining! Miss Muffet and her friends realize Bitsy is really “funny and spunky”.

“You’re not creepy, spooky or scary,” Miss Muffet says.
“Neither are you,” Bitsy says. “Friends?”
“Best Friends,” Miss Muffet says.
And they have the best birthday party ever!

What a fun meeting up of two nursery rhymes from an author that shares a name with one of the main characters! Super cool.

Inviting You To Become FRIENDS With Miss Muffet & Bitsy:
Feel, Relate, Imagine, Explore, Navigate, Develop, Share

Select a question or activity to do with your children, clients, or class:

F- What makes you feel afraid?

R- How can you relate to Miss Muffet when she finds out that what makes her afraid really is not so scary after all? Do you think that something you fear may not really be that scary?

I- Imagine you are invited to Miss Muffet’s costume birthday party.  Look back at what costumes Miss Muffet and her 5 party guests wore to their party and write a list of the guests and outfits. What costume would you pick out to wear? Why?

E- Explore a Nursery Rhyme book with your kids and have them memorize one a week and earn something fun that fits the rhyme. For example, learn Pat-a-Cake and then bake a cake with a B on it; learn Working on the Railroad and buy a new little train, learn Humpty Dumpty and make eggs together. Be creative and reward them in fun  ways!

N- Navigate through the story of how Miss Muffet went from being scared of spiders to being best friends with one! What made her change her mind about spiders? Make a timeline of what happened and include her thoughts and feelings along with the events. THEN, make a timeline for yourself of what makes you afraid and track your progress of overcoming that fear.

D- Develop either your own nursery rhyme or your own illustration of your favorite nursery rhyme.

S- Share Miss Muffet & Bitsy with the kids in your life! Available now at: http://amzn.to/1ley4nn

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Guess who’s moving next door to Miss Muffet’s family?

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Oh no! The new neighbors are spiders!

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Bitsy proves that she’s funny and spunky, not scary. (My favorite illustration)

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This time Bitsy did NOT scare Miss Muffet away!

 Please visit author, Muffet Frische online at:

http://www.tenstorybooks.com,  http://www.tenstorybooks.com/blog/
Facebook (Ten Story Books)

Please visit illustrator, Cindy Rodella Purdy online at:

cr@creativecatmedia.net,  http://www.bunnydaze.com
Facebook (Bunny Daze)
Follow Kidsbook Friends on Facebook and at http://www.kidsbookfriends.com for creative activities, questions, and crafts that correlate with great kids’ books (for ages ranging from infant to eleven)!

*Check out Tuesday’s blog post (8/12/14) to read an up-close-and-personal blog from Muffet Frische.

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Insights from Author Muffet Frische; “Time for Nursery Rhymes”

Posted on August 12, 2014 by hendersonintraining
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Angela Henderson (Kidsbook Friends Writer) with Author, Muffet Frische (right) and Illustrator, Cindy Rodella Purdy (left) of “Miss Muffet & Bitsy”.

Fitting our Kidbook Friends theme this week, “Time for Nursery Rhymes”, we are excited to introduce our Guest Blogger today, Ms. Muffet Frische. Enjoy her insightful, fun experiences with Nursery Rhymes that led her to author her book, Miss Muffet & Bitsy.  She also shares the benefits of reading rhymes to  kids early in life that will inspire you.

 

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Merci, Gracias, and Grazie Angela!

 Many thanks to Angela for inviting me to talk about my new picture book, Miss Muffet & Bitsy. I am so excited to be guest-blogging on her amazing site, especially during “Time for Nursery Rhymes” week!

Little Miss Muffet Sat on Her Tuffet…

 Nursery rhymes—I can’t imagine having grown up without them, can you?! My room overflowed with all the classics as a child—Little Bo Peep, Mary had a Little Lamb, the Itsy Bitsy Spider, and so many more. I’m sure I could recite each of them by the time I began talking. They followed me into adulthood where I realized growing up doesn’t mean you have to leave your inner-kid behind. My office is filled with stuffed animals and a hammock—my favorite “thinking place.” I knew I had it made when my nephew came in one day and said, “This is what I want my office to look like!”

A love of reading is one of the most important things I think a parent can pass on to their children. I can thank my parents for this among many things, but giving me my name has to rank at the top of the “thanks” list! My favorite nursery rhyme of all time, as you can probably imagine, is Little Miss Muffet. Even after hearing it hundreds of times, I never tire of it. Growing up with the name “Muffet” always—without a doubt—leads to the inevitable question, “Are you afraid of spiders?” Well, today I still have to answer that with a hearty YES!

AGH! A Spider!

The idea for Miss Muffet & Bitsy began a few years ago. Many of my writer-friends kept telling me that given my name, I should write a book about Little Miss Muffet. I had many manuscripts in my files but had never written one about Miss Muffet. I finally said, “Why not?!” I propped my feet up on the nearest tuffet and began writing out several story lines, but they just didn’t resonate with my inner-kid. Then one day I saw a humongous spider (okay—I admit, it was probably about the size of a pencil eraser!) crawling on the windowsill, and the Itsy Bitsy Spider started playing in my mind. I thought of how afraid I was of the tiny creature. And it hit me—why can’t those two meet up?! I wrote the first book, then ideas for the characters blossomed, and a series was born.

Whimsy and Talent and Color, Oh My!

I knew I wanted the series to be bright and colorful, so when I met Cindy Rodella-Purdy at a Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators event, we became fast friends and I fell in love with her whimsical, colorful style. I knew she was the illustrator for me! We worked closely together to create the characters and the setting. You will see several elements in Miss Muffet’s house and yard that are special to each of us. The swirly slide from Miss Muffet’s room to the backyard is something I always dreamed of having, and Cindy designed Miss Muffet’s Victorian home around the one she grew up in. And if you peek into Miss Muffet’s room, you’ll see that my hammock snuck its way into the story as well!
What Every Author Loves to Hear: We want to publish your book!

We started off with the lofty idea that we wanted to create an app for Miss Muffet & Bitsy. After many lessons learned and months of trial and error, we refocused our efforts and decided that given the time and expense related to app creation, we preferred to focus our time and effort on publishing paperback and eBook versions. I created a publishing company, Ten Story Books, and the first book submitted was Miss Muffet & Bitsy. When we called ourselves to say we were being picked up by TSB, we let out a Texas-sized “Yee-haa!”


We Want More!

That’s the second most exciting thing an author can hear! And we’ve been hearing that about this book! So Cindy and I are currently working on the second in the series, Miss Muffet & Bitsy: A Snow Day. We plan to release in time for the holidays (fingers crossed!) We are also working on a fun, lighthearted story called “There’s a Bug in my Rug.” (Seems we have a theme going on here!)


And In Case You Were Wondering…

I have two tuffets, love curds and whey (a.k.a. cottage cheese – yummm!), and although I still harbor a fear of spiders to this day, I do safely rescue any critters I find inside and relocate them to the nice, green, leafy bushes outside my front door!


Au Revoir, Hasta la Vista, and Arrivederci!

Thanks for joining us today! I hope you enjoyed a few tidbits from the world of Miss Muffet & Bitsy! If you’re looking for a new, fun, refreshing picture book, please check out Miss Muffet & Bitsy on Amazon at http://amzn.to/1ley4nn. Happy reading!

 

Bio:

Muffet Frische is a writer, award-winning photographer, and travel buff, having been to all fifty states and around the world. After getting an MBA and working many years in corporate America, she found her true joy lies in bringing smiles to the faces of children, both from her books and her photos. She writes picture books under her name, Muffet Frische, and published her debut teen/young adult novel, Moon Tears, as M. M. Frische. She loves escaping to the ocean, sneaking as much chocolate as she can, curling up with a good book, and getting lost in the Smithsonian.

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Please visit her online at:

http://www.tenstorybooks.com

http://www.tenstorybooks.com/blog/

http://pencamerapassport.wordpress.com/

http://muffetfrischephoto.com/

Facebook (Ten Story Books)

Twitter (@MuffetFrische, @TenStoryBooks)

Pinterest (muffetfrische)

Miss Muffet & Bitsy, available now at: http://amzn.to/1ley4nn
Follow Kidsbook Friends on Facebook and at http://www.kidsbookfriends.com for creative activities, questions, and crafts that correlate with great kids’ books (for ages ranging from infant to eleven)!

*Join us Thursday for Miss Muffet & Bitsy Blogged!

 

 

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The Sleepy Dragon, “A Good Knight’s Sleep”

Posted on August 5, 2014 by hendersonintraining
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“Now this is going to be the most important step to getting to sleep,” she said. “Start thinking about all the things you love doing and seeing.”

The Sleepy Dragon

Finding a book that teaches lessons for many ages and comprehension levels is a gem. The Sleepy Dragon is one of these treasures as it’s great for helping little kids fall asleep and big kids face fears. Knight Kimothin gives helpful hints on how to have the best night’s sleep and shows us that sometimes what we fear the most can actually turn out to be unexpectedly fantastic.

Introducing Our Featured Friend: The Sleepy Dragon
By Amanda Bannikov, Illustrated by Holly N. Wright

In the Kingdom of Smesselleo, strong and brave Knight Kimothin was not feeling so strong and brave. After being teased by her friends because she had not slain a dragon, she set off to prove her bravery. Determined to discover and conquer a dragon, her quest led her to one final place to search: a cave on top of a mountain.

The last cave contained the dragon. With her shiny new sword in hand, she was prepared . . . until the dragon began chasing her! The chase came to a halt when Knight Kimothin heard the dragon shouting “Stop, please stop running! I need your help.”
Wondering what she could possibly do to help a dragon, she yielded to his request.

“The dragon replied, ‘My name is Tippy, and I was hoping that you could help me get to sleep. I have been awake for days because I just can’t fall asleep.’ “

Knight Kimothin agreed to help and began by looking  over his cave  to see what he needed: a pillow and blanket. They found a good rock for a pillow (as that suites dragons) and made a big blanket out of grass. Once Tippy got all cozy, Knight Kimothin gave him the final ingredient for a good night’s sleep:

” ‘Now, this is going to be the most important step to getting to sleep,’ she said.
‘Start thinking about all the things you love doing and seeing.’
Tippy the dragon, with his eyes closed, started to imagine himself playing in the forest with his friends, swimming in the river, smelling the flowers in the meadows, and before he knew it, he was fast asleep.”

In return for her kindness, Tippy returned to Kimothin’s Kingdom to show her friends that dragons are NOT so scary and mean. He spent his days protecting the Kingdom so that they could all live happily ever after.

Inviting You To Become FRIENDS With Knight Kimothin & Tippy:
Feel, Relate, Imagine, Explore, Navigate, Develop, Share

Select a question or activity to do with your children, clients, or class:

F- When do you feel afraid? Like Knight Kimothin, you might find that what you fear is actually not so bad. For example, if you fear going to school, taking a test, or trying out for a team, you may find that what seems so big and scary is actually fantastic. Give it a try! *And remember, you don’t need to impress any one. Just do your best for you!

R- Can you relate to Tippy’s troubles with falling asleep at night? Talk about the top 5 things you love doing or seeing. Think about those when you go to bed and before long, you’ll be dosing and dreaming.

I- Imagine you get to have a dragon as a friend: What’s your dragon’s name? Where will you ride your dragon? Which of your friends will your dragon get to meet?

E- Explore 40 Children’s Books that Teach CourageCreative With Kids
http://carrotsareorange.com/childrens-books-teach-courage/
“Age ranges from infant to elementary! Perfect for character building lessons around Memorial Day and other holidays celebrating our country”. . . Reposted by Creative with Kids

N- Navigate places dragons could live the next time you are on a road trip or hike. When you see deep forests, caves, large mountains, rocks or maybe something unique, that may be where your dragon lives!

D- Develop ideas for another adventure for Knight Kimothin and Tippy to experience together and submit your ideas to the author, Amanda Bannikov. She’d love to hear from YOU! Facebook Message: Amanda Bannikov – Children’s Book Author

S- Share The Sleepy Dragon with your kids and class. Get your copy today: http://amandabannikov.wix.com/abbooks

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Follow Kidsbook Friends on Facebook and at http://www.kidsbookfriends.com for creative activities, questions, and crafts that correlate with great kids’ books (for ages ranging from infant to eleven)!

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