May Day: share a basket with a friend!

Tomorrow is May 1st, which is often celebrated as May Day.  One tradition is to make a small basket, fill it with flowers or candy, and then leave it at the door for a friend.  Ring the doorbell or give a loud knock, then run and hide.  If your friend catches you, you have to get a kiss!  Make this basket tonight so that it's ready for the morning.

Making a May basket is very easy to do.  What you'll need:
construction paper
scissors (optional)
tape
stickers, stamps, or other decoration (optional)
flowers or candy

1. Draw a big triangle onto a piece of construction paper, then cut out along the lines.  (Optional: instead of cutting out a triangle, just roll the piece of paper so it looks like a big waffle cone!)

2. Tape the edges of the triangle or cone together.

3. Using a long, thin piece of construction paper, tape it to the open end of the cone, making a handle for your basket.

4. Decorate!  Stickers, stamps, crayons, and glitter all make great decorations.

5. Fill the basket with flowers from the yard or with candy.

6. Pick a friend, a brother or sister, a grandparent or anyone else whom you like.  Very quietly leave the basket on the doorknob or in front of the door.  Then, ring the doorbell or knock loudly.  Run away!  If you get caught, your friend gets to kiss you!

When you're all finished, go enjoy the sunshine and warm weather tomorrow.  Happy May Day!

Earth Day Actions

Every year, people around the world celebrate Earth Day on April 22.  Even though it was yesterday, Earth Day is all about making choices all year long that are good for the world we live on, like recyling, using less water, or cleaning up our neighborhoods. 

In some ways, Earth Day is kind of like New Year's Day: it's a day to make a new resolution.  Maybe you'll take shorter showers this year, maybe you'll start a compost pile instead of throwing away old vegetable scraps, or maybe you'll carry library books home in a cloth bag that can be used again and again.  Even small choices can be important ones!

Sirett, Dawn (2009).  Love Your World: How To Take Care of the Plants, the Animals, and the Planet. (Gr. PreK-2)

Toddlers and young children can make a difference, too!  This fun introduction to going green includes ideas like recycling, reusing old household items, turning off lights, and planting flowers that butterflies will like.  Even the book is green: the paper was made from a sustainable forest, the cover was made from recyled paper, the ink is vegetable-based, and the printing shop generates 100% of its own electricity.  That's earth-friendly!

Herzog, Brad (2009). S Is for Save the Planet: A How-to-Be Green Alphabet. (Gr. 3-6)

There's a lot more information in here about fossil fuels, endangered animals, energy-efficient tools, and organizations that provide more facts and ideas for kids.  From National Parks to compact fluorescent light bulbs, this book will give older kids some inspiration for ways to protect the planet.

When a wave leaves, where does it go?

The play area looks a little different today. The wave has moved on for new adventures, and the children's librarians are excited about the puppet theater that is being built for the room as we speak.  A painter is putting the final touches on the library walls, and the play area should be open in another day or two.  Be sure to stop in to see the progress!

Today's book review honors the wave's depature:

Lee, Suzy (2008).  Wave (All Ages).

A girl meets the ocean in this remarkable wordless picture book.  She eyes the approaching water, then scares it away with a fearsome roar.  She stomps in puddles, digs in the sand, and watches the water with a flock of seagulls.  Each wave has a personality, bringing new thoughts and sometimes a surprise.  Whether we've been to the beach or not, we as readers take delight in the water, the horizon, and the girl's marvelous imagination.

______________________________

When a wave leaves, where does it go? 

Write a poem, tell a story, or draw a picture, then share it here on the children's room's blog!  You can leave a comment or click the link under "Reviews by Kids" to the right to send your work to a children's librarian.

Readers' Report: songbooks for young children

Today's book recommendations came from a small group of professors and staff members at Wellesley College who wanted share their favorite songbooks for young children.  Needham owns some of the books, and other Minuteman libraries own the rest.  You can request a copy from another library to have it sent to Needham.

Seeger, Ruth Crawford (1980). American Folk Songs for Children (Ages 4-8)

Mike and Peggy Seeger have recorded many of the songs in both of Ruth Crawford Seeger's books on a number of CDs.

Seeger, Ruth Crawford (1950). Animal Folk Songs for Children (Ages 4-8)

Raffi (1997). Baby Beluga (Ages 3-8)

Almost everyone knows some Raffi songs, but "Baby Beluga" has its very own picture book to go along with the music.

Blood, Peter (1988). Rise Up Singing (All Ages)

The reader reports that this book has "cradle songs, ballads, funny songs, songs of love, songs from many nations ... train songs, cowboy songs, travel, etc." for children, adults, and everyone in between.

Fox, Dan (1987). Go in and out the Window (All Ages)

Art and music, all in one book!  Each song is paired with artwork from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Hall, Nancy Abraham and Jill Syverson-Stork (1994). Los Pollitos Dicen: The Baby Chicks Sing (Ages 4-8)

This playful book is in both Spanish and English and looks at playtime and traditions in Spanish-speaking countries.

Wells, Rosemary (2002). Getting to Know You! (Ages 2-8)

Rogers and Hammerstein come to life with Rosemary Well's characters.  Broadway classics meet picture-book favorites!

-----------------------

Do you want some more songbooks?  Look in the non-fiction section, starting with 780.

Crafts for Keeps: Make your own book

You can make a book out of just about anything!  The best part of making is a book is that you get to choose what to put in it.  So make yourself a coloring book, a sketch book, or a journal--it's easier than you think, and it won't require any special tools.

The links below use materials that you can find around the house: paper, cardboard, cereal boxes, glue sticks, and maybe some ribbon or sticks.  If you want to get fancy, find some wrapping paper or a fun magazine cover to add decoration.  An adult should be involved in the whole process, especially if scissors and needles come into play!

Ages 3+
Make an alphabet book

• There's no cover on this book, but you could create one from a manila folder.  Just punch holes into both the folder and the pages, then tie with ribbon or string.  Use markers, crayons, or pictures from magazines to decorate the cover.
• Make different coloring books by printing out free designs online.  Crayola has lots of coloring pages!

Ages 5+
Make a book with a stick and a rubber band

• A small stick from the yard will work well, or you can experiment with Tinkertoys, chopsticks, or anything else stick-like around the house.
• Try a piece of ribbon or some yarn if you can't find a rubber band.

Ages 7+
Sew a small book with a needle and string

• Have an adult help with this one!  You'll need to poke holes with a big needle and sew with a smaller needle.  (Dull needles are best for this kind of book binding.)
• Even though this book won't have many pages, the paper will lay flat when you open it--great for writing or drawing!

Ages 9+
Make a book with a hard cover

• This one needs a knife and sharp scissors, so let an adult handle the cutting.
• Find some cool paper for the front and back covers.