Welcome!

You have accessed the blog site for Choosing and Using Books for Children. Throughout the term we'll use our blog to record the books we read and the ideas we have for using them when we're teachers. By the end of March, our class will have read at least 280 books. Happy reading!

Two important protocol actions for EVERY post:
1. Underline or italicize all book titles (choose one formatting style and stick with it--underline OR italicize for all book titles)
2. Add your name in the "label" box before you post each documentation.

One important recommendation:
Create your documentations in a separate Word document, then cut and paste in a blog post.

Basic Documentation

Book Title:

Author(s):

Illustrator/Photographer/Artist:

Publisher:

Copyright Date:

Genre:

Brief Annotation:

Your Rating (1-5) and why:

Readers who will like this book:

Teaching Strategy from Tompkins or Yopp & Yopp (you'll link a strategy to at least 10 of your 40 books) :

Question to ask about this book before a read aloud:

Optional, but noted as extra effort:

1. Interest Level (age):

2. Grade Level Equivalent (grade):
Use book wizard to help with the previous 2 areas


3. List awards

4. Does this book have a book trailer? If so, cut and paste the web address here.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Taking a Bath with the Dog and Other Things that Make Me Happy

Book Title: Taking a Bath with the Dog and Other Things that Make Me Happy


Author & Illustrator: Scott Menchin


Publisher: Candlewick Press


Copyright Date: 2007


Genre: Picturebook – Contemporary Realistic Fiction


Brief Annotation: When Sweet Pea’s mom notices that her smile is missing, her mom asks her “what makes you happy?” Unable to answer, Sweet Pea sets out asking others what makes them happy. Along the way, Sweet Pea discovers the bat is happy when sleeping upside down and the man in the moon is happy when he is smiling. Some people like stripes while others like counting. Hmm… it seems that what makes us happy is different for everyone. Wait until you see what makes Sweet Pea happy!


Your Rating (1-5) and why: 4 – I love this book’s message. It truly is never too early to understand the joy that comes from noticing and appreciating both the little and big things that make you happy. For Sweet Pea, it’s things like holding her breath underwater, swimming at night, making a wish, and licking sprinkles off ice cream. For myself, reading this book made me think about how much I love things like clean sheets, lots of ice in my diet coke, heated car seats in the winter, hearing my niece say “auntie”, the lights going down in the movie theater, getting a booth at a restaurant, watching my cat growl at her own tail. How about you? Maybe you can share some in the comments. :)


Readers who will like this book: This book uses repetition (“what makes you happy?”) and follows a pattern that little ones (pre-readers) will quickly recognize and it will assist them in having fun reading the story with you. Early readers will also enjoy this book’s cheerful message and illustrations.


Question to ask about this book before a read aloud: What makes you happy? What does happy feel like?
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1 comment:

  1. Suzy Kaback & FamilyMarch 31, 2012 at 6:41 AM

    I'm glad to know about this book. Lately, I've been interested in texts for kids that promote mindfulness and gratitude. This sounds like a great title to add to my growing list.

    DId you read The Three Wishes this term? You might like that. Jessy blogged about it if you want a sneak peek.

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