Celebrate National Children's Picture Book Day April 2nd

Fun facts and a list of books to get you started

Did you know that if you read to your preschooler five times a day, they’ll hear close to 1.5 million words by the time they’re five years old?

Ohio State University says so.

Here’s what they’ll gain from all those reading sessions:

·    To value books and stories
·    A stronger imagination
·    Greater curiosity
·    More ability to focus and concentrate
·    Social and communication skills

Source: https://raisingchildren.net.au

Who would have thought stories could make children stronger in so many ways?

How National Children’s Picture Book Day Got Started

Jenna Lepman, a German journalist and author, founded Switzerland’s International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) in 1953. They came together to encourage children to fall in love with the written word.

In 1967, the rest of the world got involved in the celebration.

Each year IBBY chooses one country to host. That country chooses a theme and hires an illustrator to create a poster. They also have reading, writing, and drawing competitions – with some pretty cool prizes!

Why did they choose April 2^nd? It’s Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday. Chances are you’ve read one or more of his stories or seen one adapted into a movie! Here are a few:

·         The Little Mermaid
·         The Ugly Duckling
·         Thumbelina
·         The Emperor’s New Clothes
·         The Princess and the Pea
·         The Snow Queen (Disney’s Frozen)

A Brief History of Children’s Picture Books

Jan Komensky published the first picture book for children under 6, Visible World in Pictures, in 1658.

John Newberry published the first Children’s Picture Storybook in 1744, titled A Little Pretty Pocket-Book.

By the 1830s, children’s picture books were selling like crazy. One of the classics from this era is Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

In 1922 the American Library Association awarded the first Newberry Medal to The Story of Mankind by Hendrik Willem van Loon.

Is Writing a Children’s Picture Book Easy?

The best children’s picture books come with more than engaging stories and captivating artwork. They have timeless life lessons embedded in them as well.

If you’ve ever wondered whether writing a children’s book is easy, here are a few things the author must do:

·        Choose the book’s genre
·         Research to make the story work
·         Develop and choose the characters
·         Build the setting for the story
·         Decide how the artwork will look, and choose an artist
·         Edit the book down to the absolute essentials

Margaret Wise Brown, author of Goodnight Moon, said, “I finish the rough draft in 20 minutes and then I spend two years polishing.” Some say she polished as many as 23 books at a time!

Now that you see the work that can go into a children’s picture book, let’s look at ten of the most popular picture books of all time. 

Where the Wild Things Are

Mischievous Max feels misunderstood at school and home. So, he goes to the land of Wild Things, where majestic—and sometimes fierce—creatures roam. Soon they allow Max to become their leader. He promises them a kingdom where everyone will be happy. But as fun as this new life is, he realizes something is missing.

Get your copy here. 

Goodnight Moon

In a great green room, a little bunny is tucked in bed. He also says good night to everything familiar: three bears sitting in chairs, the clocks and the socks, and the mittens and the kittens. Goodnight room, goodnight moon. This book has helped children everywhere fall asleep peacefully since 1947.

Get your copy here. 

Green Eggs and Ham

"Do you like green eggs and ham," asks the main character Sam-I-am. He's very convinced green eggs and ham are something you can enjoy in many places with a variety of friends. Follow the rhyme as the list gets longer and longer.

Get your copy here.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

How would you feel if food fell like rain? It might be marvelous! But then again, it might not. See what happens when people fill their plates and their stomachs with food from the heavens.

Get your copy here.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Follow a tiny green caterpillar as he eats his way through the book. Soon he transforms into something totally different.  Author and Artist Eric Carle wanted this book to be a literary cocoon for children getting ready for kindergarten. And it has - since 1969.

Get your copy here.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

Help your child learn to associate color to different animals in this easy-to-read book from Bill Martin, Jr., and Eric Carle. Encourage them to read along and soon they'll read it to you!

Get your copy here. 

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

Animated alphabet letters climb a coconut tree in this crazy story! The rollicking rhyme and bold, cheerful art will have your child wanting to read this book again and again.

Get your copy here. 

Corduroy

Corduroy sits on the department store shelf, wondering when someone will buy him. Then one day a girl named Lisa comes into the store. Will she be able to take him home?

Get your copy here. 

Are You My Mother?

A young bird hatches while his mother is away, looking for food. He goes looking for her, asking everyone and everything he meets, "Are you my mother?" How many will he ask before he finds her?

The Little Engine That Could

A small train filled with toys breaks down before it reaches the children. She asks several bigger trains to help, but they all say offer reasons why they can’t. What will she do? Can she make it over the mountain alone?

Get your copy here.

Look at our other books right here.

Fun fact: April is National Decorating Month. Why not brighten up your room with a new bookshelf? See our selection here. 

Book Review: Goodnight Moon

The book that has lulled kids to sleep since 1947

How do you convince an energetic child to go to bed every night?

You read them a story. Or you sing them a lullaby. Whatever you choose, you want them to relax and go to sleep.

Goodnight Moon helps children go to sleep without feeling alone or vulnerable. It has no conflict, no battles to fight, and no princess to rescue. There is nothing in this story that will give a child bad dreams.

What makes this book unique? 

20 years before Goodnight Moon, children’s books were set in fantasy worlds. When Brown was a student at the Bank Street School, she began authoring stories for the “here and now.” Children naturally invest their worlds with meaning. Goodnight Moon guides children through a house like theirs and offers a ritual they can follow, no matter what their world looks like.

Brown was a successful writer long before Goodnight Moon. She was the children’s book editor at an important New York City publishing house. While there, she had a huge influence over children's literature, writing dozens of books—some under pen names so she did not overwhelm the market. This established here and now storytelling as a popular children's book genre.

Goodnight Moon’s rhythmic language came from Brown’s study of children’s semantics. She found children are more interested in how a message sounds than what it says. Over 70 years later, parents still lull their children to sleep with the gentle rhythms of Goodnight Moon.

Fun Goodnight Moon Activities for Preschoolers

A Few of My Favorite Toys

The bunny said goodnight to a roomful of things. What do your students have in their rooms? Make a list on the board. Then have them count how many items are on the list. For some sorting fun, have them say which items are alike and which are different.

Build Your Own Window 

Get some green poster board for the wall. Glue a piece of blue construction paper to it for the window. Take an empty tin can (like one that canned vegetables come in) and use it to draw a circle on white construction paper. Then you’ll have a moon to cut out and glue to the blue sky.

Now you can add whatever you want to the window scene:

· Pictures of household items or toys they can glue on

· A construction paper fireplace

· A piece of paper where students list the things they say goodnight to

Write your own Goodnight Moon Story

If your preschooler was the main character in Goodnight Moon, what would their book look like? Help them put together their own. You can create one from construction paper, glue, and cutouts of items they would have in their story. Use the text from Goodnight Moon as a guide. Make it as long or short as you want. Then staple the pages together and you have a book!

Grab a copy of Goodnight Moon if you don’t have one. We’d love to hear what your kids say goodnight to!

Fall crafts for kids

Fall Fox Craft for Child Care Students

Supplies:
* Large Paper Plate
* Orange tissue paper
* White School Glue
* Scissors
* Orange/White construction paper
* One Large Brown Pom Pom
* Stapler

Directions:

• Trim down your paper plate so it looks like a triangle/fox’s face.
• Cut the orange tissue paper into 2×2 squares.
• Slather glue over the paper plate
• Have your students place the orange tissue paper on their plate.

While your students are covering their paper plate with tissue paper :

• cut out two triangles out of the orange construction paper  and two circles out of the white. This will be the fox’s ears & eyes.

Finally:

• Have your students glue the eyes on and then you can staple the ears to the paper plate.
• Then add the brown pom pom where the nose would be and you have a fox!

Did you try this craft? We would love to see your students creativity! Share your picture with us on our facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/PureFUN-Daycare-Supplies-Superstore-142153462482252/

The Bery Brown Bear

Supplies:

paper plates

a stapler

brown paint

white school glue

shaving cream

a paint brush

a plastic fork

scraps of construction paper

scissors

a glue stick

Directions:

Start by mixing up your paint:

"Puffy Paint" recipe:  Mix equal parts white school glue and shaving cream.  For this craft you will add brown paint to make a brown bear.

Next, prepare your bear's face:

Cut two small circles out of one paper plate and staple them to the top of another paper plate to be the bear's ears.  The staples will be covered up by the paint.

Now, time to paint him up!   Make the paint nice and thick.  Glob it on. It may take some time to dry, so have your students begin to make the other parts of the bear.

Cut out 2 pink circles to go in his ears, 2 black circles for eyes, a brown snout shape, and a black oval for his nose. 

Use a glue stick to attach them. 

Finally draw a mouth for your Berry Brown Bear.

A perfect pairing for your craft is to read Brown Bear Brown Bear by Bill Martin Jr & Eric Carle during your story time!

Encourage Healthy Eating: With a Book!

 

Learn new things and try new foods! Incorporating snacks into your class lessons and activities is a great way to introduce new foods while teaching important early learning concepts. Why not combine snack time with story time? Students will enjoy eating the same foods as their favorite book characters, and introducing foods through these characters will lend familiarity to foods children may be reluctant to try. Check out these neat examples below!

Jamberry by Bruce Degen

In this 'berry' wonderful tale, a little boy and his bear friend discover all kinds of delicious berries when they go exploring. The melodious rhyming sounds in this book roll off the tongue like berries into a bucket, easily engaging young listeners. Read with an assortment of berries, have some toast and jam, or try these berry recipes below!

Berry Popsicles
Creamy Frozen Fruit Pops
Triple Berry Popsicles
Berries & Cream Popsicles
Fruit & Veggie Popsicles

Berry Smoothies
Three Fruit Yogurt Shake
Berry Blast Smoothie
Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Berry Muffins/Cookies
Baked Blueberry Oatmeal Cups
Banana Berry Buttons 
Lemon Blueberry Muffins 
Healthy Raspberry Muffins

 Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert

In this classic, a father and child grow vegetables and make their own soup together! Ehlert simplifies the gardening process for young minds with easy-to-understand, straightforward diction and brightly colored, labeled illustrations of vegetables and the tools used to grow them. For the soup-making process, she explains the utensils and other kitchenware used.

When you read this story aloud to your classroom, bring in examples of different vegetables for your students to examine texture and smell.

Make an assorted platter of vegetables for your students to try as you talk about these vegetables in the book.

Read this book on a day you will be serving vegetable soup to facilitate a discussion on how those vegetables are grown.

You may also want your kids to grow their own mini vegetable garden!

If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Joffe Numeroff 

If you give a moose a muffin, he might want a whole bunch of things to go with it! Filled with humorous illustrations and lovable characters, this classic children's book is sure to leave your kids craving more...muffins!

Try these healthy whole wheat muffin recipes at the links below:
Sweet Spinach Muffins
Healthy Cinnamon Peach Muffins
Healthy Apple Muffins
Healthy Lemon Blueberry Muffins

For more healthy and kid-friendly muffin recipes, check out these listings:
Super Healthy Kids--Muffins
Babble--23 Wholesome Muffin Recipes
KidSpot--19 Healthy Muffin Recipes

We Love Our Community Helpers!

 

DIY Arts and Craft Ideas:

 

Follow this link to get all of your arts and craft materials to create these DIY Crafts: https://www.purefunsupply.com/Arts-and-Crafts

Playtime Activities:

Toddler Dress Up Career Costumes, Set Of 5

These dress-ups have exclusive designs and open in front all the way down with Velcro on top.  They are machine washable! Our Price $52.55/ea*

 

 

 

 

 

Community Helper Puppets, Our Price: $10.77 / EA*

Multicultural Community Helper Puppets. These soft and cuddly hand puppets help kids learn about their community. A great way to introduce health, safety, nutrition and communication topics, and just plain fun for little and big hands. Approximately 12  tall

Melissa and Doug Community Helper Puppets, Our Price: $19.57 / EA*

Melissa and Doug’s Puppets are a great addition to any classroom’s pretend play collection. Use one hand to manipulate the puppet's mouth and facial expressions while your other hand gestures with the removable wooden stick. The detachable rod accommodates lefties and righties.

Educational Tools:

Our Community Helper books

Children can learn what each helper does through these easy to read 24 page books. You can get each book separately or in a set of 10. Our Price $5.95/ea*, Set of all 10 Books $59.50*

Community Helpers Chart

This chart is 17 x 22 classroom size, An amazing tool to hang in the classroom for students to look at and learn the uniforms of their community Helpers.

Our Price: $2.25 / EA*

Community Helpers Flannelboard Set

Includes 3 men and 3 women representing 4 ethnic groups, 22 careers, plus a uniform and lesson guide. Figures stand 10 inch tall. 45 pieces. Our Price $22.95*

* Prices subject to change

2nd Look Book Box

 

This new product is worth a second look! Each box features a collection of previously loved children's books that are looking for a new set of little hands to pick them up for story time! Perfect for preschools, daycare centers and childcares, our book boxes include stories for children ages 5 and below. Each box, measuring 18x12x10'', comes packed full so you are guaranteed to receive a good variety and quantity of children’s books in each box. Due to the various sizes of each book, the quantity per book box will vary between 40 and 60.

Books come in a mixture of hard covers and soft covers and may include some seasonal or holiday related titles. All books come in fair to like-new condition and can easily be passed on to the next classroom or donated when students are ready for a set of new stories.

Click HERE to get yours today at our introductory price of $29.99!

We also have yearly subscriptions available in both quarterly and monthly arrivals. For more information, click here.

Fun Foods – Cafeteria Caterpillars

These little critters are the perfect healthy snack to make in your classroom or even to add to your student’s lunchbox. It only takes a few minutes to create each caterpillar and students can easily get in on the fun.

 

You will need: wooden skewers, grapes, vanilla frosting and mini chocolate chips.

Start by sliding the grapes onto the skewer one by one. When you have the skewer filled you can add a small dot of vanilla frosting on the end grape. This will act as “glue” for the eyes. Lastly, stick a mini chocolate chip on top of the glue.

Try adding the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar along with this idea. All you need is a purple grape or baby tomato for the head. That’s a lesson, a craft, and a snack all in one! 

Fill up your Classroom Library with these great books for kids!

 

The end of this school year is just around the corner. While taking stock of your classroom supplies you may have noticed your personal classroom library has taken a hit. Kids take books home and leave them or return them to the library leaving you with a dwindling selection for your upcoming year. Don’t let your upcoming students suffer and refresh your library with the popular Newbery Medal Winners.

 

These books span over grade levels from the beautifully illustrated book The Snowy day by Ezra Keats for lower grades to Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan for third to fourth grade and the popular novel Holes by Louis Sachar for fifth grade readers. Each novel has been awarded this honor by being one of the most distinguished contributions to American literature for children. Some books in the selection are better known, such as Jerry Spinelli’s Maniac Magee or the well known movie adaptations of Katherine Paterson’s Bridge to Terabithia and Kate DiCamillo’s The Tale of Desperaux. We also provide literature kits for books such as Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary and Kira-Kira by Cynthis Kadohata for grade levels fifth and sixth. Each kit provides you with one paperback version of the book for reading aloud in class as well as three overhead transparencies that correlate with the books theme for in class activities.

 

For the adventure readers in your classroom, we have coming of age and survival stories like Julie of the Wolves by Jean George, Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell, and Criss Cross by Lynne Perkins. These novels are great for reading along as a class or individually. Newbery Medal Winners offer books that also discuss historical topics like discrimination in Mildred Taylor’s Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry or William Armstrong’s Sounder. These books can help enforce and tie in social studies topics to your English lessons.

 

No matter the grade level we have books that will draw in even the most disinterested of readers. Let these outstanding novels inspire your students and spark their imagination throughout the school year.