Sunday, February 8, 2009

Wemberly Worried, by Kevin Henkes


Synopsis: Wemberly the mouse worries about everything: big things, like whether her parents might disappear in the middle of the night; little things, like whether she'll spill grape juice on her toy rabbit, Petal; and things in between, like whether she might shrink in the bathtub. What she is more worried about than anything else, however, is her first day at the New Morning Nursery School.

Activity: We chatted about friendship. The kids drew a picture of a friend and wrote about what they liked to do together.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Sheila Rae The Brave, by Kevin Henkes

Synopsis: The mouse heroine of Henkes's pitch-perfect comedy doesn't frighten easily; she even growls at stray dogs. But when she gets lost, it's her "scaredy cat" sister who helps her find the way home. Ages 4-up.

Activity: We chatted with the kids about what brave things Sheila and her sister did, and what it means to be brave. The kids then made a medal for bravery for themselves. At the back of the medal, they wrote "I am brave when I... (fill in the blanks)". They then presented the medals to each other.