A Story, a Story

This book was in Audrey's Raising a Reader bag, which she brings home every Friday from pre-K. Wow! A Caldecott book that we didn't have to hunt for at the library!

Rachel and Audrey both said they enjoyed the scene with the jungle cat, who the book called Osebo the leopard of-the-terrible-teeth.
Main character: Ananse and Sky God
Setting: The villge (village)
Here's what happened: Ananse wanted the gold box with stories.
My favorite part: When Ananse got the tiger.







Audrey didn't seem to mind the protagonist was called a spider man. He even spun webs too, like a superhero.
Main character: The spider man
Setting: Outside in Africa
What happened: That spider man caught an animal and tied him by his feet. Then he caught the bugs too. Then he caught the fairy. Then he gave them to the sky god. Then the sky god gave the spider man the books.
My favorite part: The spider man caught the animal -- the leopard.

The Hello, Goodbye Window

My mother-in-law invited the girls to her house for the night, so they took this book with them. It is, after all, about going to grandma's house. Special thanks to Grandmother for helping Rachel and Audrey with their reports for this book.

Rachel got some help on her spelling from Grandmother. She learned how to spell "favorite," "character" and "happened."
Main character: The little girl and Nanna and Poppy
Setting: Nanna and Poppy's house
Here's what happened: The girl went to her Nanna and Poppy's house.
My favorite part: When Poppy shooted (shot) her with the water house (hose).






Audrey's art here looks a lot like the book!
Main character: Nanna, Poppy, child
Setting: Inside the house
What happened: The girl goes in the kitchen and colors. She listens to Poppy's harmonica and counts the stars.
My favorite part: The girl is coloring.

The Polar Express

We read this as another audio book, this time with Liam Neeson narrating for us. This movie also fell flat when we tried to watch it a year or two ago. Not enough happening for a full-length movie? Maybe we just like Chris Van Allsburg's books more than his films.

Rachel was our designated page-turner for this audio book. There were no page-turn cues, but she did a great job following along.
Main character: The boy
Setting: The train
Here's what happened: The children whent (went) to the North pole.
My favorite part: When Santa gave him the bell










Audrey loves to play with our wooden train set, which we keep on a play table in our living room. She likes to take the tracks apart and assemble them over and over again like a giant puzzle.
Main character: The little boy
Setting: North Pole
What happened: Little boy went on the train; he was going to find Santa. He found Santa. Santa gave him a present.
My favorite part: When the train brought the boy home.

Jumanji

I found an original art page from this Chris Van Allburg book for sale online. The asking price: $160,000. Wow. If you can't afford the original, my kids will sell you their art, below.

Rachel excelled on her art for this report. I love her monkeys. She rarely refers to the book when creating her pictures.
Main character: Judy and Peter
Setting: Their house
Here's what happened: Judy and Peter found a game. They played it, and it was real!
My favorite part: When the monkeys came!






Audrey refused to watch the movie when it came on TV several months ago. Too scary, she said.
Main character: The kids, Peter and Judy.
Setting: The house
What happened: The animals were in the house because the kids were playing a game.
My favorite part: When the lion got his head stuck under the bed.

Madeline's Rescue

We found some Caldecott books in the audio section of the library! The girls loved following along and turning the pages in the book as we listened to the story. However, I was troubled that the narrarator kept pronouncing the girl's name like Mad-e-lynn. Surely the opening rhyme tells us that it's a long i: Mad-e-line.

"In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines
Lived twelve little girls in two straight lines
In two straight lines they broke their bread
And brushed their teeth and went to bed.
They left the house at half past nine
In two straight lines in rain or shine-
The smallest one was Madeline."

Rachel doesn't remember, but I used to read the Madeline books to her when she was a baby. I loved the rhythm of the lines.
Main character: Madeline
Setting: The house in Paris
Here's what happened: Madeline fond (found) a dog that saved her live (life)
My favorite part: When the dog came back.











Audrey tried desperately to draw the dog's puppies. There are lots more scratched-out scribbles that I cropped out of her drawing here.
Main character: The little girl
Setting: In an old house in Paris
What happened: The girl slipped and fell. The dog saved her. She got to keep the dog, but the old woman said "Skat!" She got the dog back.
My favorite part: When the dog got puppies