"The Cow Tripped Over the Moon" and a giveaway

I am loving this new picture book “The Cow Tripped Over the Moon” by Tony Wilson and illustrated by Laura Wood which has been awarded an Honours winner of the  Children’s BookCouncil of Australia 2016 Book of the Year (Early Childhood) Award.

This picture book is so entertaining and is an innovation on the traditional nursery rhyme, "The Cow Jumped Over the Moon."

I have created a new resource to support this picture story book.  You can preview it by clicking on this link or the image below.

This is an overview of just some of the 48 pages included in my reading comprehension resource.  You can click on the image below to learn more or by clicking here:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Cow-Tripped-Over-the-Moon-reading-comprehension-activities-2755867

This picture book is hilarious and shares the various attempts the cow makes to jump over the moon.  I have included my favourite 4H reading strategy and graphic organisers.  The resource also includes 4 rhyming words games.  The picture book also has amazing potential for teaching about time and the sequence of digital times (with the matching analogue times).

If you have been following my blog for some time you know I love giveaways, so I will be giving away a free copy of my new resource to one of my blog followers.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Smart About Sharks and a Giveaway

A newly published non-fiction children's book arrived today, "Smart About Sharks" written and illustrated by Owen Davey and published by Flying Eye Books.

You can view a preview of this new title at the author's website here.

I must admit, when it first arrived from the publisher, I didn't think this would be a title I would be interested in, but it is fascinating and I could not put it down.  I have learnt so much!!!

This is an excellent text for modelling informational text features including: Contents Page, Index, diagrams, captions, flowcharts and labels.

I really love the play on words with some of the titles of the various sections, for example: "All Fins Considered", "Eat, Prey, Hunt", "A Bite to Eat", "Making a Meal of Things" and so forth.  As an adult reader, this kept me amused and lightened the "mood" of an informational text.

Did you know?

• Sharks are fish that don't have any bones.
• Sharks are found in nearly every ocean on the planet.
• Sharks are more than 200 million years older than dinosaurs.
• Shark's nostrils are known as nares.
• Some shark species are as tiny as a pencil.
• The shortfin mako shark is the fastest shark in the ocean.
• The epaulette shark can walk out of water and hold its breath 60 times longer than a human.
• Some shark species can have over 100 pups in a litter.
• Some sharks give birth to live young, some lay eggs and some carry eggs within the mother's body.

The author also includes suggestions for protecting the environment and our marine life at the end of the book.  

"Smart About Sharks" would make an excellent companion text for other shark titles.  You can see my previous blog post about two recently published picture story books about sharks and resources to support them here.  You can also preview the resources here.

All of these titles would be super if you participate in Shark Week activities.

To celebrate the release of this newly published informational text, I will be giving away the complimentary copy that was sent to me by Walker Books.  Please complete the Rafflecopter entries below for your chance to win.  

(Open to Australian residents only due to postage costs).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I have just received notification of a blog post from The Picture Book Review which features another shark title that you may be interested in.  Click on the link here to read the blog post.

Have a terrific week :)

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.

"Mad Magpie" by Gregg Dreise

I absolutely love this newly published picture book by Gregg Dreise (published by Magabala Books.  The illustrations alone are stunning, but the story itself has very important messages for our youth around anti-bullying and teasing.

You can read previous blog posts with an anti-bullying theme here and here.

You can also preview my resource to support teaching with this picture book here.  It includes:

Curriculum Integration:
- Australian animals research (birds)
- Social and emotional well-being – teasing, bullying, ignoring taunts
- Visual art – Indigenous Australian art forms
- Music – analysing song lyrics
- Reading comprehension strategies; vocabulary, character traits, making connections

This reading comprehension resource includes:
- Text connections
- Character traits
- Word work
- Synonyms
- Shades of meaning: synonyms for “anger”
- Magpie bullying strategies
- Idioms for anger
- Magpie bullying thermometer
- Proverbs, sayings and idioms about birds
- Research graphic organisers
- Bookmarks

I had so much fun during our giveaway of a picture book last week, so this week, I am going to give away a copy of my resource to support "Mad Magpie" to three readers of my blog.





Good luck and I hope you enjoy it :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

"Steve Goes to Carnival" by Joshua Button & Robyn Wells - Rafflecopter Giveway of a copy of the picture book

Hi there everyone

My last blog post was about this newly published picture book "Steve Goes to Carnival". You can read that blog post and more about the picture book here.

I have decided to giveaway my copy of the picture book to one lucky reader.  There are three ways to enter the Rafflecopter (see below).  This picture book hasn't even been launched or released yet, so be one of the first in Australia to enjoy it :)

The Rafflecopter starts tomorrow 26 June and finishes on 3 July.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Enjoy and good luck!

Kylie

"Steve Goes to Carnival" by Joshua Button & Robyn Wells - Rafflecopter Giveway of a copy of the picture book

Hi there everyone

My last blog post was about this newly published picture book "Steve Goes to Carnival". You can read that blog post and more about the picture book here.

I have decided to giveaway my copy of the picture book to one lucky reader.  There are three ways to enter the Rafflecopter (see below).  This picture book hasn't even been launched or released yet, so be one of the first in Australia to enjoy it :)

The Rafflecopter starts tomorrow 26 June and finishes on 3 July.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Enjoy and good luck!

Kylie