Food Fabulous Food - Picture books about food - newly published titles and some older favourites

It is with great excitement that I share with you some newly published picture books that feature food and good nutrition and would make excellent companion texts for titles like The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  For those of you who know me well, you know I have a little addiction to picture books and need to emphasise that picture books can be used across all year levels, not just in the early years.

You can read my previous blog posts about Monster Chef here and here.

This Hungry Dragon is a newly published picture book from Scholastic.  This new title would be an excellent companion text to the There was an old lady who swallowed a...and the There was an old man who swallowed a...series.  The hungry dragon eats and eats until he is as big as a house and explodes.  This is a wonderful rhyming text and is also fabulous as a mentor text for teaching adjectives.

You can preview the resource I made for this picture book here which includes rhyming words games based on the book and vocabulary activities.

Budburra's Garden is a lovely picture book written by the children at Cherbourg State School.   A summary of the storyline from the website states:  

Join Sammy on a journey through Budburra’s garden, eating yummy foods and learning the colours on the way!

Budburra’s Garden introduces children (3-5 years) to the healthy eating concept of “eating a rainbow everyday” using colours and foods.

The book is artwork driven and very interactive, utilising repetition, descriptive words, visual clues and a back section including discussion points, fun recipes and bush tucker information.

I love the fact that this picture book was published in Cherbourg as I have a bit of a penchant for supporting the work of our Australian Indigenous picture book authors and illustrators, regardless of their age.

What's terrific about this picture book is that it introduces children to different nutritious foods (fruit and vegetables) according to their colours.  It is also terrific to use as a mentor text to reinforce learning about adjectives.  It also introduces students to traditional fruits and vegetables, but also traditional Australian Indigenous foods.  The picture book includes information about the bush tucker found in Budburra's Garden at the back of the book and recipes to "Colour Yourself Healthy".  I really think this is a powerful picture book with potential to be used on many levels.

I love Amy Krouse Rosenthal's previous titles Spoon and Chopsticks which are terrific companion texts to use with Spork by Kyo Maclear.  You can read my previous blog post about these titles here.  I love Amy Krouse Rosenthal's picture books as they take a real twist from different perspectives, so they are just terrific for critical literacy.  The blurb for Little Pea states:

If Little Pea doesn't eat all of his sweets, there will be no vegetables for dessert! What's a young pea to do? Children who have trouble swallowing their veggies will love the way this pea-size picture book serves up a playful story they can relate to.

Oliver's Vegetables and Oliver's Fruit Salad are lovely picture books that join this text set of companion texts of picture books that have similar themes and can be used together to consolidate learning.  Oliver's Vegetables is a terrific companion text for The Very Hungry Caterpillar as it also reinforces learning the order of the days of the week.  Read more on the author Vivian French's website here.  I must say I love growing my own veggies so this picture book really appealed to me and it is terrific for encouraging kids to try different nutritious foods.
Piranhas Don't Eat Bananas is another hilarious rhyming text by Aaron Babley.  You can preview my rhyming words games resource to support this picture book here or by clicking on the image of the resource. You can view other resources I have made to support Aaron Babley's picture books here.  

My resource for Thelma the Unicorn has been particularly popular, probably because the picture book has such an important storyline about self-acceptance and self-belief.  You can read about the awards this picture book has won here.

Piranhas Don't Eat Bananas has been shortlisted for the 2016 Australian Children's Book Week Awards!!

Together the picture books reviewed in this post would form the basis of a fabulous unit of work about food and to encourage healthy nutrition choices.

Watch this space as my next blog post will include a freebie for Budburra's Garden.

A big shout out and thank you for those of you who leave a comment on my blog posts, who follow my blog and who share my blog posts with their networks.  It is very much appreciated.

Food Fabulous Food - Picture books about food - newly published titles and some older favourites

It is with great excitement that I share with you some newly published picture books that feature food and good nutrition and would make excellent companion texts for titles like The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  For those of you who know me well, you know I have a little addiction to picture books and need to emphasise that picture books can be used across all year levels, not just in the early years.

You can read my previous blog posts about Monster Chef here and here.

This Hungry Dragon is a newly published picture book from Scholastic.  This new title would be an excellent companion text to the There was an old lady who swallowed a...and the There was an old man who swallowed a...series.  The hungry dragon eats and eats until he is as big as a house and explodes.  This is a wonderful rhyming text and is also fabulous as a mentor text for teaching adjectives.

You can preview the resource I made for this picture book here which includes rhyming words games based on the book and vocabulary activities.

Budburra's Garden is a lovely picture book written by the children at Cherbourg State School.   A summary of the storyline from the website states:  

Join Sammy on a journey through Budburra’s garden, eating yummy foods and learning the colours on the way!

Budburra’s Garden introduces children (3-5 years) to the healthy eating concept of “eating a rainbow everyday” using colours and foods.

The book is artwork driven and very interactive, utilising repetition, descriptive words, visual clues and a back section including discussion points, fun recipes and bush tucker information.

I love the fact that this picture book was published in Cherbourg as I have a bit of a penchant for supporting the work of our Australian Indigenous picture book authors and illustrators, regardless of their age.

What's terrific about this picture book is that it introduces children to different nutritious foods (fruit and vegetables) according to their colours.  It is also terrific to use as a mentor text to reinforce learning about adjectives.  It also introduces students to traditional fruits and vegetables, but also traditional Australian Indigenous foods.  The picture book includes information about the bush tucker found in Budburra's Garden at the back of the book and recipes to "Colour Yourself Healthy".  I really think this is a powerful picture book with potential to be used on many levels.

I love Amy Krouse Rosenthal's previous titles Spoon and Chopsticks which are terrific companion texts to use with Spork by Kyo Maclear.  You can read my previous blog post about these titles here.  I love Amy Krouse Rosenthal's picture books as they take a real twist from different perspectives, so they are just terrific for critical literacy.  The blurb for Little Pea states:

If Little Pea doesn't eat all of his sweets, there will be no vegetables for dessert! What's a young pea to do? Children who have trouble swallowing their veggies will love the way this pea-size picture book serves up a playful story they can relate to.

Oliver's Vegetables and Oliver's Fruit Salad are lovely picture books that join this text set of companion texts of picture books that have similar themes and can be used together to consolidate learning.  Oliver's Vegetables is a terrific companion text for The Very Hungry Caterpillar as it also reinforces learning the order of the days of the week.  Read more on the author Vivian French's website here.  I must say I love growing my own veggies so this picture book really appealed to me and it is terrific for encouraging kids to try different nutritious foods.
Piranhas Don't Eat Bananas is another hilarious rhyming text by Aaron Babley.  You can preview my rhyming words games resource to support this picture book here or by clicking on the image of the resource. You can view other resources I have made to support Aaron Babley's picture books here.  

My resource for Thelma the Unicorn has been particularly popular, probably because the picture book has such an important storyline about self-acceptance and self-belief.  You can read about the awards this picture book has won here.

Piranhas Don't Eat Bananas has been shortlisted for the 2016 Australian Children's Book Week Awards!!

Together the picture books reviewed in this post would form the basis of a fabulous unit of work about food and to encourage healthy nutrition choices.

Watch this space as my next blog post will include a freebie for Budburra's Garden.

A big shout out and thank you for those of you who leave a comment on my blog posts, who follow my blog and who share my blog posts with their networks.  It is very much appreciated.

Not-so scary Halloween ideas and resources with freebies

Looking for some fresh ideas for Halloween?  

"Scary Night" by Lesley Gibbes received an Honours Award through the Children's Book Council Awards in Australia.  It is not scary at all and would be a terrific companion text for other picture books like "Rosie's Walk" (directional language) and "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" (repetition of location language).  You can read a review of it by clicking on the image below.

Or, you can read a guest post from the author Lesley Gibbs here.  Two Year 6 girls from Covenant Christian School in Sydney, Australia, have posted a book trailer for this new picture book on YouTube.

Free teaching notes for "Scary Night" are available here and here.  There are some terrific ideas for free story props here.  You can also find free interactive activities for this picture book here.  In fact, that site has free interactive activities for all of the shortlisted books in this year's Australian Children's Book Council Awards.

These other sites have free resources and ideas for each of the shortlisted books as well:

Mrs Mac's Library

Mrs B's Interactive Literacy

Dr Jennie Bales

This website has ideas for early years children exploring emotions:
The Little Big Book Club

I put together a mini reading comprehension resource for a friend who was using this title during Book Week.  You can pick up your own freebie copy by clicking on the image below.  If you do download it, I would really appreciate it if you would take a moment to leave feedback in my TPT store.

You can check out my previous blog posts related to picture books for a not-so-scary Halloween, with other freebies, here:
Halloween Treat

Two newly published picture books with a freebie and resource links

"Monster Chef" with freebies

"Monster Chef" by Nick Bland - terrific for a not-so-scary Halloween

Creepy Comparisons with a freebie

"Creepy Carrots" new resource

I have pinned lots of other ideas for Halloween here.

Enjoy all the freebies for a not-so-scary Halloween :)

Halloween treat

A big shout out to Felicity who made my day today by sending me the most awesome email feedback about one of my new resources for Halloween based on Nick Bland's new picture book, Monster Chef.  You can read about the resource at my blog post here.

Felicity's feedback was so lovely.  She used the resource yesterday with her class and has written:

My kids LOVED reading Monster Chef and today we tried the comprehension cards with the QR codes. 

We used our tablets to scan the answers. 

They were totally engaged! Thankyou so much! 

She even included a photo :)  Thank you so much Felicity - you have made my day!

And, guess what I just found out? There is another picture book with a similar title, "Monster Chefs" also published in 2014...I can feel resource making coming on :)  

Click on the image below to find out more about this title and follow my blog (using the links on the right) for notification when the resource to accompany it is ready:

Have a terrific week everyone!

 

Looking for something fresh for Halloween? Two newly published picture books with freebie and resource links

Are you sick of the "We've read that before" line every year when there is a celebration?  

Two newly published picture books will help you to put a new spin on Halloween in the classroom this year - both published just recently in 2014.  One is "Monster Chef" by Nick Bland and the other is "Little Boo" by Stephen Wunderli.

They are both terrific for a not-so-scary Halloween theme, or for teachers who have students who do not celebrate Halloween, as they are along the same theme, but "Little Boo" especially is great for this as it is about a little pumpkin seed that is not scary, until he grows into a pumpkin and becomes a jack-o'-lantern.  The name Jack-o'-lantern comes from an Irish folktale about a man named Stingy Jack and Irish immigrants brought the tradition to America, with the carving of pumpkins being a regular part of Halloween festivities.

Both of these newly published picture books are fabulous and very cute, with two different characters who are anxious because they are not scary.

I have blogged about Monster Chef before and you can read those blog posts here and here and pick up resource links along the way.

Little Boo is my latest find and I just love it. You could integrate it with a study of the life cycle of pumpkin in science.  What's exciting is that McMillan has provided a free downloadable activity kit for Little Boo that includes a maze and pumpkin carving templates.  Download that freebie here or view a walk-through of the book and review here.  Another review is available here.  This book is so cute! Depending on what you intend to do with it, it could be used in grades 2 to 5.

I have made resources to support both Monster Chef and Little Boo that you will find in my TPT store, but my exciting news is that although I had already discounted them for Halloween (and only made both of them in the past week, so they will be a fresh approach for you), I have discounted them even further as I have put the two together as a bundle, for serious savings :)  You can find out more here.

Bundled, the two resources consist of 57 pages!  All resources involve higher order thinking and are not "busy work" - however they are just print and go, and include graphic organisers/organizers, QR code comprehension questions, a rhyming word matching game, vocabulary work, connections and character traits. 

They also support my very favourite 4H reading strategy that I have blogged about before many times (please check the archives if you are interested in learning more about this).  The 4H reading strategy is an innovation on Question-Answer-Relationships (QAR) but so much easier for the kids to understand.  

Read more about what is in each of the individual resources (i.e. Monster Chef and Little Boo) via my TPT store here or here.

Another resource that has been hugely popular this year for a not-so-scary Halloween focus is "Creepy Carrots". You can read my blog post about that here (with a freebie) or read about my resource to support this picture book here.  

So, to avoid the "same old, same old" or "we've done this before" dread of every teacher, check out these new picture books and check out my blog posts about them (links above) where I share heaps of links to save you time in your Halloween preparation for school this year :)

Thanks for your support everyone!

"Monster Chef" by Nick Bland - terrific for a not-so-scary Halloween

I am so excited to share my new resource with you.  

Last week I blogged about Nick Bland's new picture book "Monster Chef".  You can read that blog post here and pick up a few freebies.  If you are looking for not-so-scary titles you can use around Halloween, you might also be interested in my blog post about "Creepy Carrots" (and another freebie).

I had so much fun putting this new resource together.  You can see a list of the contents beside the image below.





4H reading strategy bookmarks & posters

4H strategy question sort

Making connections

Character traits

Vocabulary work

Story Mountain

Procedural text (recipes)

Rhyming words match game

Compare/contrast venn diagram

QR codes – comprehension multiple choice questions

Here's a quick preview of the resource:

Click on the image above to find out more...

If you would like a copy of this resource, please leave a comment below with your email address and I will choose a couple of winners to receive it for free :)

Please follow my blog (using the links in the right hand comment) to accept this giveaway.

Have a terrific week!