Book Chook Resolutions for 2010

Inspired by a video I saw about Fun Theory, I wrote a post recently about remembering to use fun as a motivator for learning. Today I decided to put my own words into action. I would see if by applying that principle, I could take another step forward in learning how to use Photoshop.

How did it go? I thought you'd never ask! Read on...

Here's what I wanted to do: a wonderful group of Australian children's writers I belong to has a tradition of posting about their New Year resolutions. I decided I would publish mine in the form of a Wordle. This is such a great web 2.0 tool, and a lot of fun for kids and adults alike. Serendipitously, I saw a post on Angela Maier's blog about adding images to Wordle. Mmmm, a way to satisfy my love of words AND images, as well as provide motivation for me in 2010. The snag, which I'm sure you saw immediately, was that I didn't actually know how to do that. I tried fiddling around with a couple of programs I thought might do it, but alas, it seemed Photoshop was the answer. And Photoshop is HARD when your brain is mostly feathers!

That's when I remembered fun. It would be much more fun if I wasn't trying to learn how to do it by myself, right? And THAT was when I remembered my son is home on holidays. Such fun to spend quality time together with him teaching me how to put pictures into a Wordle! It took hours, but I am delighted to say I now understand much more about "layers" and "flattening" and other arcane rites. Great to have still more proof that having fun and an authentic purpose is an excellent motivation to learning.

Did my son have fun too? I'm sure he must have. He did grind his teeth several times, and okay, he spent quite some time with his head sunk onto the desk. And yes, he joked around with cute sayings like, "Mum, will you PLEASE shush and LISTEN to me!" But I'm pretty sure he's looking forward to our next lesson.

I hope you like my presentation of The Book Chook resolutions for the coming year. If anyone would like to make one for themselves, I am now able to help. If you'd like me to post directions, let me know in comments, or email me via the contact tab above. And here's to a wonderful 2010 for us all!

Fun with Spot

Do you know the lift-the-flap books about a puppy called Spot, by Eric Hill? My son loved them. Because he looked after his books, we were able to hand them on with all the flaps intact to two little girls we know. The books are simple, with large clear illustrations perfect for toddlers. They quickly move from read-alouds, to becoming books that children choose to "read" on their own. And later, when kids are learning the skills of decoding and word recognition, they are beloved friends to practise with.

I found a neat website that celebrates all things Spot. And guess what? It has a story creator where kids can create and watch Spot stories. The on screen editor is very simple, a matter of dragging characters and props over. You can also add speech bubbles and limited text - limited because it's a matter of finding a word you want and dragging it to your workspace, rather than typing it in. There's a little video that kids can watch to learn the steps involved. They can watch Spot dvds, and there's a buying link.

There are also some simple games like dressing up, where Spot has to choose the items he needs for the beach, gardening etc, and activities that encourage kids to count, solve problems and explore interactively. This is a nice one for youngsters who already enjoy the Spot books and want to play with him, or a cute way to introduce your children to picture books that may very well become their new favourites.

Are We Having Fun Yet?

One of the reasons I love web 2.0 tools like PhotoPeach, Blabberize and Masher, is that they are FUN! Lots of technology is inherently motivating for kids - witness their preoccupation with mobile phones, re-mixing music and videos, and involvement in digital worlds like Second Life.

When we're teaching kids, I think it's really important to remember that if something is fun, kids are more likely to want to do it again. Not all learning is going to be fun for everyone - but if we want to motivate a student of any age, finding a way for them to enjoy their lessons works. When we show kids how to express themselves via web 2.0 tools, suddenly they have a valid reason for practising all sorts of literacy skills.

Here's a video that I believe illustrates my point. This is a part of a Volkswagen initiative, Thefuntheory.com, "dedicated to the thought that something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better."



I can tell you right now those stairs would have me ignoring the escalator!

The other factor I've found that motivates my own learning is purpose. If I have a valid reason to learn something, I am much more likely to stick with it. I might take little bites at it, wander off for a break, but soon return and keep plugging away until I have mastered enough of a skill for my purpose. This is the case for me with so much software I want to get my head around. If I can incorporate fun into it, so much the better. Fun might be watching a video tutorial, getting together with a friend who can help, finding a lesson with a cool end product I will really enjoy.

Kids are no different - incorporating fun and real purpose into what we want them to learn really does help.

Book Review, The Australian Twelve Days of Christmas

The Australian Twelve Days of Christmas is a board book. Don't you love the way board books are made so robustly? They're perfect for toddler hands that haven't yet learnt respect for books. But don't dismiss it as "just for toddlers"

This charming picture book is illustrated by Heath McKenzie, and published by Black Dog Books. McKenzie presents his own quirky take on the Australian parody of The Twelve Days of Christmas. Instead of being gifted with a ridiculous amount of poultry, we find his true love being sent aussie icons like :

four cuddling koalas
three little penguins
two pink galahs
and a kookaburra up a gum tree.

McKenzie is such a talented artist. There is wonderful humour and detail in each page. The sharks have fierce expressions, but are presented in buckets and blow up pools, and wearing floaties. You can sneak a peek at this page about six sharks swimming on Black Dog Books own site - just click under the heading "multimedia". My favourite page is the final one. It presents the whole ensemble of animals gathered around a building reminiscent of the Ettamogah pub, and the true love is tearing her hair out at the sight of all her gifts!

As well as the hardback picture book version, there's a CD available, with the song, games and activities. There's also a separate activity book. Kids will enjoy the online demo where they can decorate their own Christmas tree with baubles, lights and tinsel.

Black Dog Books really add value to your whole reading experience with teacher notes that are also suitable for homeschooling parents who are looking for ways to integrate literature into their curriculum. I love the suggestions for The Australian Twelve Days of Christmas - prepared by Joy Lawn, a Children's Literature Consultant. Joy has so many creative ideas as followup activities.

What a great book to celebrate Christmas!

Merry Christmas from The Book Chook's Kooky Uncle Fred

Don't forget Blabberize is a wonderful, quick and unique way for your kids to create a last minute Christmas greeting, a thank you, or a message to send to a friend. Find out more via my post, or at the Blabberize site.

Photo Credit Flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/frield/ / CC BY 2.0

PicPocketBooks Giveaway Announced

Here are the five winners in my recent giveaway of PicPocketBooks for iPhone or iPod Touch. They were chosen by a random chicken, wearing a Santa hat.

Congratulations to:

Susan G, who chose Tire Mountain

Jeremy B, who chose Monster Trucks

Mindie W, who chose Big Stuff:Dinosaurs

Karen C, who chose Then It Rained

Nicole, who chose I Can Do It Too

You will receive an email from me today, notifying you about how to collect your book. If you don't, then please check your spam folder, or contact me again.

Many thanks to Lynette Mattke, founder of PicPocketBooks, for so generously donating those books to Book Chook readers!

Book Review, Delilah's Dream

I don't know author Ian Trevaskis, but I'm sure he used me as a model for the picture book, Delilah's Dream. It's about a "fine young hen who dreams of reaching unimaginable heights. She is full of passion and dedicated to the pursuit of wild adventure." The Book Chook to a T, don't you think?

You see, Delilah is not like other hens. She looks just like them, but she isn't satisfied with wallowing in the daily dust. She dreams of flying, real flying that takes her to the stars. Her farmyard friends just laugh at her. Why is it, I wonder, that nay-sayers must try to pull dreamers down to earth?

Great picture book writers are my heroes. Trevaskis uses both humour and tension expertly in this story, and makes us care about Delilah. We feel for her when the others scoff at her dreams, and share her eventual triumph. I love the message Trevaskis sends us - dare to dream, dare to be different.

The illustrations are by Janine Dawson, and they pop with character and humour. The three hens, Delilah, Esmeralda, and Priscilla, and the rooster, Hannibal, are an irresistible combination of cartoon and realism. I suspect Dawson has spent some time on a farm, because she captures a very chooky likeness!

New Frontier have a great website with lots of teacher resources to support their books. I don't see any for Delilah's Dream yet, but hope they will be forthcoming. This beautiful hardback picture book was published in 2009, and is another triumph for New Frontier.

Delilah's Dream will resonate with anyone who has ever dreamed, and dared to be different.

Book Chook in Love

I am in love. No, it's not what you're thinking. This is a delightful free educational game I discovered. It's called Questionaut, and it's part of the BBC's vast website. Its genre I guess is a quest - you set off to find your friend's hat. It sounds lame but the art work is delightful, and the problems you need to solve are quirky, so it isn't lame at all.

Questionaut is great for encouraging literacy skills because there is so much reading in it. The questions are all in English, and correct answers give you fuel to power your journey. I think it would be ideal for Senior Primary students with some parental help, but best for high school age. Questions I did covered English, Maths, Science. The Maths ones took me longest because I kept giving wrong answers, which decreased my fuel, and I had to keep earning it back. The game gives explanations of why your answers are right or wrong, but that didn't seem to help this poor old Book Chook much. Kids will be fine with it.

Each level brings up a new world. Once you arrive, you need to work out what to do by clicking and hoping. Once you've happened upon the right sequence of clicks, someone asks you the questions. Well, that was my method. If you take a look and work out a better way, I'd love you to enlighten me.

The game was designed by Amanita Design, a Czech company which also created Machinarium. You can play a demo version of it. The art work is so stunning, take a look for that reason alone.

Words Move Me

Sony have made what seems to be a literary clone of Twitter. Naturally, it's a way to sell Sony, but the ads aren't too intrusive, and it's a slim, elegant interface. They call it: Words Move Me and say it's about "connecting readers around the literary moments they love."

I think it could be useful as a way to find books that resonated with another reader. At the very least, it makes fascinating reading to discover what literary moments moved somebody. And yes, my inner geek enjoyed it very much!

How does it work? Basically, after registering, you enter a literary moment in 255 characters or less, tag with the title, author, and up to three emotions. The emotions are then searchable. I've seen some moments that describe the book itself, relating why its meaningful in somebody's life. I've seen many which include only a quote from the book, like this one I put in from Sandy Fussell's Polar Boy. If you're interested in seeing the moments I've had time to enter, visit my profile, or check out the home page that has a scrolling entry of people's moments constantly updating.

I've also seen it as a widget and have written to Sony asking for one for my blog. So far they haven't answered.

(Thanks to Wordle for the Wordle! )

Literacy in the Playground 4b

Here's an update to my fourth Literacy in the Playground post. In it, I mentioned a song sent to me by Farida Dowler from the fascinating Saints and Spinners blog. Farida has just posted that song, We Are Three Wandering Travelers, on her Storytelling of Crows blog, so do go and listen to it. I think it will make a lovely addition to your family's repertoire of singing games.

You might also notice that Farida's storytelling dolls feature on her blogs. They are delightful, and I notice she will be selling them from her Etsy store again in January 2010.

Photo credit Morguefile.

On the Go, or on the Chair?

Recently, I read a headline about an Australian study that bothered me: STUDY FINDS YOUNG KIDS SPEND ALMOST ALL THEIR TIME SITTING AROUND.

The article went on to say:

Preschoolers are spending 85 per cent of their waking hours inactive, a Deakin University study has revealed.

“Despite popular belief that young children are always on the go, the results of the Healthy Active Preschool Years (HAPPY) study indicate that they are spending the majority of their time inactive,” said Deakin health researcher Trina Hinkley.

“The results of our study are concerning as they show that only 2.5 per cent of children aged three to five years are meeting the new national guideline of three hours of activity each day released by the Federal Government last week. Additionally, 63 per cent of the children in the study exceeded the guideline of one hour or less of TV/screen-based entertainment each day."

Apart from the fact that I believe statistics don't always present the whole story, I think that we parents do need to check how our toddlers spend the majority of their time. I don't think anyone would say being inactive for most of the day helps them at all.

So what are the implications for us as parents? Literacy is important too. Is it possible for our kids to be active AND engaged in literacy activities?

Definitely. Read aloud time is CRUCIAL, let's not make any changes to that. But it sounds like we could cut down on some screen time if our kids are mostly sedentary. Making small changes might be the best way to start.

We could swap half an hour of TV watching with half an hour of family walking or bike riding in the park. Once the whole family is involved, it becomes not only a healthy habit, but a way for everyone to wind down after work and school, and a great opportunity for casual conversation.

We could look at the shows our toddler is watching and make some changes with them. Some children's shows, like the Australian ABC TV's Play School, actually encourage kids to dance, sing and act out roles. This is a much more active option than passively sitting to watch a cartoon. If you're able to watch a show with your youngster, you can find places to suggest movement, like being a train rolling along a track, or dance your heart out in the ad breaks.

Some literacy activities seem to need kids to sit still. But we can change that perception. Boys in particular find it difficult to sit and listen to a story read aloud. Allowing them to roll around on the floor nearby while they listen means they get to move AND enjoy the story. Look for stories and songs with movement opportunities for a daytime read aloud. Bed time read alouds are probably better to be quieter if you'd like some sleep yourself!

Turning the TV off might seem big, but sometimes we just need to bite the bullet. If you find yourself using the TV as a babysitter, look around for other options. Can his big brother take the toddler outside for ten minutes and throw or kick a ball around? Would Grandpa like to supervise him while he builds? Can you create a game that you can appear in minimally while you prepare dinner? My old favourite was me pretending to be a witch stirring broth, while Hansel escaped from his make-believe cage under the table, and ran off to hide.

After I'd had a difficult day at work, it was tempting to plug my son into a TV show. Let me tell you, that happened often too. But I became an expert at beginning a building activity together, then fading back to the food preparation. Our kitchen was small, but sometimes I would set my son up at one end of the table with scissors, paint, paper and glue, while I diced vegetables at the other end. We hardly ever got things mixed up! Yes, he was on a chair for that activity, but I consoled myself that the TV was off, and we were chatting about his day at pre-school.

Let's not forget that many literacy activities can take place outdoors - from simple games like I Spy, to scavenger hunts, letter walks and sign spotting. Just by our being alert to opportunities to develop literacy skills, our kids will truly benefit.

There is nothing inherently "wrong" with screens. It's all about balance. We need to encourage our kids to involve themselves in all sorts of play experiences - building with blocks, dancing, making music, painting, quiet reading, listening to stories, dressing up, playing make believe, using sport equipment, riding, playing with other kids, watching clouds. All those and more will contribute to a happier, healthier toddler.

(photo: © PhotoXpress.com)

Bless This Chick

Do you know any little girls who like to play dress-ups? Are you still in touch with your own inner child? Hie ye to Bless This Chick and make your own avatar. It's such fun. You get to choose all sorts of things for your little person. Click on something to try it, click it again to remove it. Use the arrows to scroll through your choices of clothes, hair, hats, accessories, and bling. Once you're done, click and you can save your avatar as a jpg or png file, and email it to yourself or a friend.

I made one, sent it to myself in an email, saved it, and added it to my signature for December emails. Cute, eh?

Kids might like to write a description of their avatar, describing her appearance, likes and dislikes, hobbies, and adventures. They could build a whole family of chicks and create a profile for each one. Or they could just have a bunch of fun playing dress-ups online! (Remember this one for rainy days in the holidays.)

A Letter to Santa

I'm an old-fashioned kinda chook. I can't get my head around calling Christmas "the holiday season" or similar. Some of the best moments of my life were at Christmas time. I love the fragrance of christmas cake, and yes, I still believe in Santa.

As an adult, I admit I love to fantasize about gifts I would like brought down my chimney. Mostly these are fun things that have caught my eye, and certainly not gifts a sensible Chook would hint about to her family.

So here's my letter to the jolly old gent:

Dear Santa,

Let's start with what I don't want for Christmas. Please don't bring me a hamster. I don't want a real one. Or even a fake one. Although when I looked, the Zhu Zhu Pets Hamster City Bundle with Bonus Storage Tote was going for $577.95, so I guess I could sell it and buy books.

And Santa, forget the sexy purple lingerie this year. Feathers are all the adornment a Book Chook needs.

What DO I want? Santa, I want some new software that is easy to learn and will allow me to create images like an artist, even though I don't have an artistic bone in my body.

I would also like a simple video camera so I can create more movies to share with my readers, cos Santa, I think I'm hooked.

And if I haven't used up my quota, I wouldn't mind these:

A Lego hole punch that lets my young friends thread paper bits between their Lego stuff when they come to visit.

The Encyclopedia of Immaturity, because I'm worried I'm starting to become mature.

This celtic knot game, because it's pretty.

This fabulous Japanese steampunk watch, just because it IS!

A Picocricket Kit, or just about anything else MIT have lying around.

And finally, The Book Chook wants another book. I love the art work and the trailer for There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. Check out the fabulous illustrating and animating below, Santa! Isn't it ooky?

Oh, and if you're still reading, World Peace would be nice. Thanks, Santa!

Your friend,

The Book Chook (Thanks to jdurham @ Morguefile for the pic!)

How to Thank a Teacher

It's close to that time again in Australia - the end of the school year. And for many parents, their thoughts turn towards how to thank their child's teacher.

Of course, if you and the teacher have clashed, you might want to forget the whole idea. But I am hoping you are one of the many who sincerely appreciates the work a teacher has done to make your child's year a special one. I don't just mean school teachers either. Music teachers, Sunday School teachers, jazz and tap teachers, soccer coaches, the lady next door who is giving your daughter cooking lessons - saying thank you is a way to show our appreciation.

How to do that? A hand-written note is great, because the teacher can go over it at leisure, and allow the words to sink in. Why not involve your youngster and have them design and help create a card of thanks? I still have many of the letters and cards I received over 25 years in the classroom. All of them touched my heart.

Some parents like to give gifts as well. Your child may have some ideas, but I thought I would tell you of three standout gifts from my teaching days.

One delightful mum turned up at my classroom with a loaf of fresh-baked bread, wrapped in brown paper, and simple words of thanks. Another heard I was sick one day and came to my home with the makings for dinner. And another arrived on the last day of school with a beautiful pottery bowl, a jar of pesto, a small spreader, and an olive-oil stained note describing the wonderful year her daughter had had. Is there a bit of a food theme going on here? Sure I received (and ate) way too many chocolates, but those three gifts stand out.

How do you thank a teacher? From your heart.

PS If you'd like some ideas of crafts and gifts you can make with your kids in the next few days, try these from Kaboose. Or check out these card ideas from love2read

The Book Chook Makes a Movie

I have a preoccupation with story. Most of the things I love have their basis in story: books, blogs, writing fiction for kids, choral music, poetry, improvisation, graphic design, coffee with friends. In fact, we humans have been involved with story since we yarned around fires as cavemen. And as Jason Ohler says, "I know only one thing about the technology that awaits us in the future: We will find ways to tell stories with it."

Over the last year, I have become increasingly aware of how many options we have for sharing our stories with the world. We can tell tales orally, write and publish in print or on the internet, use video and audio - never before has it been so easy for us to express ourselves, and share our opinions with others. As you know, I love to find new ways technology provides for kids to communicate with an authentic audience. I've experimented with PhotoPeach, Animoto, Xtranormal, Storybird, Cartoonist at Creaza, Little Bird Tales, love2read, My Story Maker, Glogster, Myths and Legends, MakeBeliefsComix, all of them online story-makers. I've dabbled with using audio (Blabberize) and video (Dvolver), but never really had time to learn how to use movie-making software.

Pictures and sounds tell stories too. They are fascinating and accessible to kids. Not only that, but there are so many literacy skills involved in creating movies. Looking at the clips people had made about The Spookymen recently gave me a final push. I knew I needed to drag my head out of a book, and into the 21st century. I knew I needed to stop fiddling, and start learning how to make little movies.

Last weekend, I cleared the decks chez Chook, and sat at my desk, determined to grapple with iMovie. I began by sensibly reading the instructions. Ten minutes later, my impatience took over. I decided instructions were for other birds. I would just start.

Perhaps it would have been smarter, and possibly quicker, to stay with the instructions. Hmm, there's a lesson there somewhere, no doubt.

You can see my first movie below. Yeah, I know, don't give up my day job! Blogger also seems to have added pauses which makes it even more disjointed.

Nevertheless, I proved to myself that writing a script based on images, adding voice and sound effects, then turning the images into a movie IS a way for a Book Chook to tell a story. I don't have a video camera, so I used still images. I wrote my captions onto the images, and told the story that way. I think most people would find iMovie accessible, because it allows you to drag and drop your ingredients (pics, sounds, captions etc) into the sequence you want.

What a cool way to involve kids in reading, writing and communicating! If you're like me, and you haven't tried telling a story via movie, I urge you to give it a try. Your kids will learn so much from being involved in the process. If you don't have iMovie, or Windows Movie Maker, you could try Masher, or one of the other online web spaces I mentioned above. When you share your story with the world, don't forget to add me to the list!

PS Here's a link to a great example of a movie, Pink Gloves, that not only gets a message across to an audience, but raises money for a deserving cause. Employees from a hospital got together to raise breast cancer awareness, and this was the result.

Books for your iPhone - PicPocketBooks

The Book Chook loves books. The Book Chook loves technology. Now we have books in a digital format AND books in print. What's a chook to choose?

Answer: Both! I think there are times when a digital story is the perfect answer. And there will never, ever be anything as special as holding and reading a good print book for me. Luckily, we don't have to choose one format or the other. We get to enjoy both.

Today on The Book Chook blog, I'm pleased to welcome Lynette Mattke. Lynette is the founder of PicPocketBooks. A former stay-at-home mom now turned mompreneur, Lynette studied English Literature at Haverford College where she met her future husband and business partner, Manuel Mattke. Lynette trained to be an elementary school teacher and brings years of experience as a homeschooling mom of three children, as well as a deep passion for children’s literature and early literacy, to the high publishing standards of PicPocket Books.

You can see sample PicPocket books on the web site, and catch a video of two children reading one on Keeps Me Smiling blog. If you'd like the chance to try a PicPocketBook on your own iPhone, scroll down to the Giveaway below.

I asked Lynette some questions about PicPocketBooks.

Lynette, you've created an app for iPhones called PicPocketBooks. Can you tell us about it?

PicPocket Books offers picture books for kids as downloadable iPhone/ iPod touch apps. Children from 2 - 8 can now enjoy their favorite stories on the go—at the doctor’s office, at the store, on the airplane; any situation where it's impractical to bring physical books along. PicPocket Books offer a new and unique experience, combining the beauty and distinctive quality of picture books with professionally produced audio narrations and interactive visual text.

I guess some people complain to you that their kids already get lots of screen time. What do you say to them?

Why do kids get a lot of screen time? Because they are really drawn to this kind of media. The technologies that are new to us are very intuitive to them and will be a significant part of their lives for years to come. I think it's important to introduce our children to quality and age-appropriate content on the screen, whether we're talking mobile digital technology, desktop computers or other media. I don’t see PicPocket Books as replacements for print books or the valuable time parents can spend reading to their children, but as educational and culturally valuable alternatives to video games or movies, especially for families on-the-go.

Reading a story book on a screen is also a very different experience from playing a repetitive video game on the same screen. It has the same educational, mind-opening benefits as reading a traditional print book: increases vocabulary, improves concentration and focus, and expands horizons.

How does PicPocketBooks help children toward literacy?

First of all, most kids are very curious about electronic gadgets. Why not capitalize on that fascination to grab their initial interest? Whether we're talking print or digital books, reading is an active mental process: something to encourage at every opportunity. Our apps offer a "learn-to-read" feature where the text is highlighted as the word is spoken, encouraging the connection between the written and spoken word for emergent readers.

Your smartphone is something you'll always have on you when stuck in a line or other unexpected wait. Use that time to share a picture book with your child, and let the story spark a conversation. Many families are short on time and e-books can be read any time, any place. I believe that if reading picture books on the iPhone means that more families are reading together and that more kids have more exposure to storybooks, then they are a great option for the tech-savvy families of today.

What exactly happens once I've downloaded my PicPocket book to iTunes? How does my child get to read it?

You can download a PicPocket Book app just like you'd download a song from iTunes on your iPod. Just download the app once and play it as many times as you like.

How can you fit a book page on a tiny little screen?

Even though the iPhone is small, it has great resolution and a back-lit screen. Even detailed pictures come through very sharp and clear.

PicPocketBooks is not the only picture book app for iPhone. What makes it better?

PicPocket Books has the largest selection of picture books for the iPhone. We offer a wide range of classic content from established publishers, including previously published "board books", concept books, easy readers, fairy tales, and other culturally diverse picture books. We produce our titles through an artistic process and our apps remain faithful in content to the original books. The full color illustrations are detailed and clear. The text is easily readable and we offer a "learn-to-read" feature where the text is highlighted as the word is spoken, encouraging the connection between the written and spoken word for emergent readers.

Thanks Lynette!

Giveaway: Lynette has kindly offered to give each of 5 lucky Book Chook readers their choice of a PicPocket book. Send me an email (under my blog header) to register your interest, and don't forget to mention which title you'd like by checking out the range on PicPockets website. I will ask a random chicken to choose 5 winners. Note: you must have an iPhone or iPod touch to use PicPocket Books.

Bed Time Goes Better with Books

Most kids go through a stage when they don't want to go to bed. Why? Maybe it's that monster casting shadows on their wall; maybe it's separation anxiety; maybe it's just that they really, really need sixty glasses of water before sleep. Whatever the reason, books can help kids settle into a bed time routine.

Some picture books are just made for sleepy time:

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox and Helen Oxenbury is one of my Top Ten Picture Books. The rhyme, rhythm and repetition make it excellent for a bedtime read-aloud. Listen to Mem herself read it at her own website. Want an absolute treat? Watch Mem singing it as a lullaby, below. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd is perfect to read aloud before sleep. If you don't have it to hand, try before you buy with this video. Goodnight Moon is a wonderful classic.

Are You My Mother by P.D. Eastman works as a bedtime-story, wake-up story or any time of day. Again, you can listen to the story in this video if you don't have the book yet.

Owl Babies by Martin Waddell and Patrick Benson is a lovely reassuring kind of story about little owls who cope without Mum even though they are scared. I reviewed it at this post.

Sleepy Bears by Mem Fox is lovely repetitive text, with lots of yawns and rhymes. It's wonderfully read aloud by the Divine Ms Mem herself on her own website. Mem reads aloud so superbly, this is another treat for parent AND child.

Where does Thursday go? by Janeen Brian and Stephen Michael King is a delightful, gentle tale about Splodge and Humbug, and their quest to find Thursday. Here is the Book Chook review.

Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann. Here's a lovely video, true to the book, to give you an idea before you seek it out. Or use its background music of Brahms Lullaby to put your youngster in the sleepy-time frame of mind.

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney is a beautiful book, where Little Nutbrown Hare gradually falls alseep. If you don't know it, listen to it read aloud at Toronto Public Library.

Time for Bed, by Mem Fox and Jane Dyer, is another treasure from the Divine Ms Mem. Read lovely rhyming couplets about animal babies settling down for the night.

Hello Baby by Mem Fox and Steve Jenkins. Are you getting the impression you can't go wrong with Mem? Right! Hear or watch her read it aloud. Then buy it to add to your collection!

Books can teach us so much, even children's picture books. If your little one is troubled by bad dreams, why not follow Mother Bear's practice in Sleepy Bears? Choose a dream for your youngster by starting them off with a little description of themselves in a narrative. You don't need to rhyme, and if you're at a loss for an idea, try putting your child into an oft-read tale. Then let them close their eyes and imagine the story as they slowly drift off. You're not only training them to sleep, but also helping them develop a rich imagination, and a love for story.

Mmm, imagination, story and sleep - three of my very favourite things!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jbrownell/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Literacy Lava 3

Literacy Lava 3 is now available on my website. Clicking here will take you to the page, where you simply download the pdf by clicking on its cover.

It's another great issue, exploding with tips for parents about ways to encourage literacy in family life. Find out what your local library has to offer, read ideas on making books with kids, sneak some learning into shopping, discover games that build literacy skills, develop imagination while playing Grocery Store, make writing part of your family’s life, read why picture books are so good for kids, and find out how literacy helped one child fight night terrors. Don’t forget to check out the Online Extras page, and the Writing Prompt activity page for kids.

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