The Scraps Book: Notes from a Colorful Life

The Scraps Book:  Notes from a Colorful Life

Lois Ehlert

ISBN:  9781442435711

I recently finished reading another Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee, this time a nonfiction title:  The Scraps Book:  Notes from a Colorful Life by Lois Ehlert.  I was actually looking forward to getting to this title on the list, mostly because I love Lois Ehlert’s books and often use them in story time.  Although it is an autobiography, the book is presented in picture book format, so it reads quickly.  However, the simple format doesn’t detract from the text; rather, it encourages a deeper understanding of Ehlert’s career as an artist.

Summary

Lois Ehlert has considered herself an artist since a very young age.  Encouraged by her parents and inspired by all manner of things around her, she has spent many years creating beautiful works of art.  Ehlert outlines not only her development as an artist, but also her process for creating the artwork for her books.  Using examples and illustrations from many of her popular titles, this text provides a beautiful explanation of Ehlert’s life and encourages the reader to develop their own artistic talents.

What I Liked

This book is truly a masterpiece, incorporating not only Ehlert’s personal memories, but also her beautiful artwork.  The combination of childhood photographs and book illustrations seamlessly shows the transition between her artistic beginnings and the growth of her dream.  In addition to the familiar pictures, the book also includes pictures of objects and the creative process in developing them, showing the reader how a single idea or moment can translate into a picture or even an entire story.  The inclusion of simple craft instructions also encourages the reader to attempt their own artistic creations.  I particularly enjoyed the notes accompanying the artwork and photos included.  While reading this information is not necessary for understanding the process, the added information provides extra depth to the narrative.  I also appreciated the photo credits for each of the illustrations, which helped remind me of some of my favorite works.

What I Didn’t Like

I don’t really have any complaints with this book.  It is informative, engaging, and useful in several contexts.  While at times I wished more information was included, the simplicity of the text added to the overall beauty of the work.  Readers of all ages are sure to enjoy this work.

Overall Feeling

This autobiography is simple and compelling.  Whether a fan of Ehlert’s work or not, at the very least, the reader can appreciate the development of the artistic process, the use of mixed media, and the inspiration from everywhere in creating art.  One of the most compelling parts of this book is the underlying message:  Anyone has the capability to succeed at their dreams.  Anyone has the capacity to create art and beauty.  At the same time, Ehlert remains realistic that sometimes developing one’s dream requires time and patience, an important reminder for many.  I would recommend this book for anyone interested in art, or anyone interested in the works of Lois Ehlert.  Teachers and students alike will appreciate this work, and the simplicity and engaging illustrations will be appealing to both older and younger readers.

Flannel Friday: Five Yellow Buses

This week in story time, we started our back to school themes.  For the first part of fall, I’m planning story times that have basic school concepts, like colors and shapes.  To get us in the spirit, we started with a school theme this week (one of my most popular themes to date, actually!), and in honor of back to school, this week’s Flannel Friday is my version of “Five Yellow Buses.”

What You Need

The pattern I found at Keeping Life Creative here.  It’s super easy to make, which is great.  We also paired school story time this week with a school bus craft, so the kids got to take home their very own buses to play with.

The Story

The rhyme that I used with this is from Anne Hicks at AnnesLibraryLife:

Five yellow buses,

Around the town they zoom.

One makes a stop

And the others go vroom.

How many yellow buses are there?

Continue counting down until there are no buses left.

Tips for Use

I also recently bought some cheap magnetic numbers at Walmart.  The set only contains numbers 0-9, but I purchased several sets and hot glued numbers together to make numbers up to 25 as needed.  I brought out the numbers this week to match up with the buses, so that we could see the numbers that we were talking about.  One of the things I love about this set is that although this rhyme is for counting down, you can also count up by adding buses, too!  Plus, it can be adapted for several other rhymes.  When paired with our singing of The Wheels on the Bus, this one was a hit!

Can’t Get Enough?

This week, Laura at Library Lalaland is hosting the Roundup.  For more information about Flannel Friday, visit the website here, or join the Flannel Friday Facebook group, or check out the Flannel Friday boards on Pinterest.  I can’t wait to see what other flannel creations are sent in this week!

The Vanishing Coin

The Vanishing Coin

Kate Egan with Magician Mike Lane; illustrated by Eric Wight

ISBN:  9781250029140

In the latest round of Texas Bluebonnet Award nominees, it’s time for another chapter book.  Due up:  The Vanishing Coin by Kate Egan (with assistance from Magician Mike Lane).  Once again, this book is the first in a series.  The book reads quickly (I was able to finish it in a day), but overall, I did not find it to be on the same level as the other nominees.  While billed as a chapter book, I found the text to simple, the story line too simplistic, and the character development too flat to be on par with the other chapter books that I’ve read so far.

Summary

Mike Weiss has just started fourth grade, and despite his best efforts, the school year is turning out to be as terrible as every year before it.  He’s terrible at staying focused and on task, and, much to his dismay, is in the principal’s office within the first week of school.  Added to his problems, his classmate Jackson is a grade-A bully, and, due to his parents’ new friendship with the neighbors, he has to spend his afternoons with the somewhat nerdy, definitely female Nora.  Just when it seems that all hope for the year is lost, Nora and Mike stumble upon The White Rabbit, a hidden magic shop in a local shopping center.  Has Mike finally discovered something that he can be good at?

What I Liked

Initially, Mike presented as a very likable character, a fourth-grade boy struggling with attention problems and poor academics.  However, given the brevity of the story, Mike as a character is never fully developed.  The author touches briefly on his struggles in school, and his frustration at always letting those around him down, but these feelings are not fully explored.  Also, I enjoyed the inclusion of the magic tricks that Mike was learning, since it gave the reader a chance to practice magic as well and learn something while reading.  However, I didn’t like that they appeared in the middle of the chapters as Mike was practicing them.  I found them distracting, and think they would have been better served somewhere else in the text.

What I Didn’t Like

Even though this book was easy to read, I just couldn’t get into the story.  I felt like character development fell short, the plot line was lacking, and the book ended abruptly.  Even though I read this book knowing it was the first book in a series, I expected some conclusions by the end of the book.  However, it ends as if there are more chapters to read, and there is no plot resolution for any of the issues presented.  Readers will have to read the second book if they want to know what happens with Mike and Nora.  While the language is simple and straightforward, I found it too easy to read as a chapter book.  There was nothing to challenge me while reading.  Although the ideas of struggling with what you are good at and disappointing others are good, they lack development to fully explore the issues.  While Mike is a fourth-grade student, the book in no way appeals to a fourth grade audience.

Overall Feeling

While this story may appeal to some readers, as a nominee for the Texas Bluebonnet Award, it falls short.  The story and its writing and too simplistic to put it on par with the other nominees.  The book, while enjoyable, will not hold the attention or interest of an older audience, and lacks the appeal of some of the picture book titles on the list.  Reading the sequel will be a requirement to anyone who hopes for plot resolution, so I don’t recommend this title for anyone who is looking for a one-and-done read.  I would recommend this book for younger readers and reluctant readers who need something simple and to the point.  An interest in magic is also a must to make this novel more appealing to readers.

Sky Jumpers

Sky Jumpers

Peggy Eddleman

ISBN:  9780307981271

The latest round in my quest to read the Texas Bluebonnet Award nominees was another chapter book, Sky Jumpers.  From the cover, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the book, which happens to be the author’s debut novel and apparently the first in a series.  While the book was a good read, and enjoyable, I have to say that I didn’t really find anything particularly original or amazing about the book that made it stand out from the other nominees.  However, if you don’t read it, you are missing out on a good book.

Summary

Hope lives White Rock, a little town in a crater formed by the noxious green bombs of World War III.  The war, and its bombs, changed many things about the world, from the way that elements interact to the creation of the Bomb’s Breath, a dense cloud with air that is impossible to breath.  Because the war decimated everything, the town must now invent what it needs to survive.  Each year, an inventions contest determines who has created the best invention to improve their way of life.  The only problem is that Hope is, well, hopeless at inventing.  She’s good at adventure and taking risks, neither of which her town supports.  Just when Hope feels like there is nothing more she can do for her town, disaster strikes.  Hope may be the only person who is able to save the town from certain destruction, but is she brave enough to take on this risk?

What I Liked

I liked the overall moral of this story.  Overall, it teaches you that you don’t have to be good at the same things as everyone else to be a useful member of a team.  The story is engaging and fast-paced – just when Hope and her friends overcome one obstacle, something else arises.  Hope is someone identifiable and yet heroic.  It is easy for the reader to sympathize with her struggles, as we’ve all had things that we aren’t good at, and moments when we feel like we’ve let down the team.  The plot is adventurous and yet believable, and forces the reader to think about actions and their consequences.  The alternate setting also raises subtle questions about how our decisions today will impact our future.

What I Didn’t Like

Overall, while the book was enjoyable, I didn’t find the plot to be particularly original.  Having tasks assigned to characters to better the community seemed reminiscent of The Giver.  While the plot was clearly its own story, in many parts it seemed very intuitive as to what would happen next based on the type of story.  I also didn’t like that while Hope started out as her own character, strong and independent, it seemed for much of the story that she was hopeless without the help of her male counterparts.  She couldn’t save the town on her own – she had to have two men travel with her to assist her.  Ultimately, though, Hope is the real reason for the story’s conclusion, and in the final chapters is able to stand alone as the powerful character I hoped she would be.  Also, while I enjoyed the alternate setting, I didn’t feel like the effects of World War III, or the reasons leading up to the war, were clearly explained enough to provide context for the story.  While the effects of the green bombs are critical to the town and its survival, I would have like more history interwoven in the story to explain the current situation.

Overall Feeling

This is an enjoyable, adventurous story.  It raises compelling questions, although sometimes reading as an overdone stereotype of the adventure novel.  It is easy to follow and moves quickly, and readers will enjoy the constant action and obstacles.  For a book in a series, the title stands alone as a story, and allows you to feel some resolution to the plot, while still wondering about the future.  Most importantly, the book encourages you to be yourself to be the best help to your community, which is a powerful message.  I recommend this book for anyone who wants a fast-paced, adventurous, sometimes futuristic, and overall fun story.

Flannel Friday: Going on a Picnic

In honor of Labor Day and the end of summer, this week in story time we took on picnics.  After looking through our existing felt boards, I found that we didn’t have anything that had food or picnics in it, so…creation time!

What You Need

The set contains a picnic basket, a blanket, a plate, a napkin, a fork, a spoon, a slice of bread, a piece of meat, a piece of lettuce, a tomato, a piece of cheese, a slice of watermelon, a bag of chips, a glass of lemonade, and a batch of cookies.  I got the idea and the rhyme from Neverlandarling, but I modified the song to fit the pieces that I created.  All of the pieces are created from various Clipart images that matched what I thought we would need on a picnic.

The Story

Here’s an idea of how it would go:

Going on picnic, leaving right away.  If it doesn’t rain, we’ll stay all day.

Did you bring the picnic basket?  (Yes, I brought the picnic basket!)

Did you bring the picnic blanket?  (Yes, I brought the picnic blanket!)

Ready for a picnic, here we go!

Going on picnic, leaving right away.  If it doesn’t rain, we’ll stay all day.

Did you bring the plate?  (Yes, I brought the plate!)

Did you bring the napkin?  (Yes, I brought the napkin!)

Ready for a picnic, here we go!

Going on picnic, leaving right away.  If it doesn’t rain, we’ll stay all day.

Did you bring the fork?  (Yes, I brought the fork!)

Did you bring the spoon?  (Yes, I brought the spoon!)

Ready for a picnic, here we go!

Going on picnic, leaving right away.  If it doesn’t rain, we’ll stay all day.

Did you bring the bread?  (Yes, I brought the bread!)

Did you bring the meat?  (Yes, I brought the meat!)

Ready for a picnic, here we go!

Going on picnic, leaving right away.  If it doesn’t rain, we’ll stay all day.

Did you bring the lettuce?  (Yes, I brought the lettuce!)

Did you bring the tomato?  (Yes, I brought the tomato!)

Ready for a picnic, here we go!

Going on picnic, leaving right away. If it doesn’t rain, we’ll stay all day.

Did you bring the cheese?  (Yes, I brought the cheese!)

Did you bring the watermelon?  (Yes, I brought the watermelon!)

Ready for a picnic, here we go!

Going on picnic, leaving right away.  If it doesn’t rain, we’ll stay all day.

Did you bring the chips?  (Yes, I brought the chips!)

Did you bring the lemonade?  (Yes, I brought the lemonade!)

Did you bring the cookies?  (Yes, I brought the cookies!)

Ready for a picnic, here we go!

Tips for Use

The great thing about this set is that you can use as many or as few ingredients in your rhyme as you want, depending on the number of kids who want to participate.  You don’t have to have a fork and spoon on your picnic, but if you have extra kids – done!  No one has has to be left out and the rhyme can easily be repeated as many times as possible.  When I used it in story time, I asked the kids what they thought we needed for a picnic, and we did the pieces in the order they thought rather than sticking to a particular order from the song.

Can’t Get Enough?

This week, Kathryn at Fun with Friends at Storytime is hosting the roundup.  For more information about Flannel Friday,  visit the website here, or join the Flannel Friday Facebook group, or check out the Flannel Friday boards on Pinterest.

Flannel Friday: Five Little Squirrels

Just in time for fall, this week’s Flannel Friday is another flashback.  This week, we’re taking it back to the first flannel story I ever created for my version of “Five Little Squirrels.”

What You Need

The pattern I found from Earthbound Trading Company here.  There are some other really cute woodland creatures with it, but I haven’t found a use for them yet.  The squirrel is a pretty simple outline, with accents for his neck and belly, and, of course, his acorn.  If I was doing this one over again, I probably would have looked for different colors to do the squirrels, but I think these guys are pretty cute, too.

The Story

The song goes like this (to the tune of “Five Little Ducks”):

One little squirrel went out to play,

Up in the branches one autumn day.

He had such enormous fun

He called for another little squirrel to come.

Two little squirrels went out to play,

Up in the branches one autumn day.

They had such enormous fun

They called for another little squirrel to come.

Three little squirrels went out to play,

Up in the branches one autumn day.

They had such enormous fun

They called for another little squirrel to come.

Four little squirrels went out to play,

Up in the branches one autumn day.

They had such enormous fun

They called for another little squirrel to come.

Five little squirrels went out to play,

Up in the branches one autumn day.

They had such enormous fun

Then all scurried home ‘cause winter had come.

Credit:  Storytime Stuff

Tips for Use

I generally sing this one when I do it, but it can also be done without singing for those who prefer.  As with most “five little” rhymes, it can be fairly easily adapted to what works well with your audience.

Can’t Get Enough?

This week, Melissa at Mel’s Desk is hosting the Flannel Friday Roundup.  If you haven’t checked out her blog, do – her amazing resources have saved my story times more than once!  For more information about Flannel Friday,  visit the website here, or join the Flannel Friday Facebook group, or check out the Flannel Friday boards on Pinterest.

Flannel Friday: Fall Is Not Easy

This week’s Flannel Friday is also a flashback to when I was doing my practicum with the Carrollton Public Library, way back in 2009. (I promise, more recent flannel boards will be coming!)  I got the idea to make this set during a Youth Services Resource Sharing meeting.  One of the librarians from another public library had an adorable felt board set for Marty Kelley’s book Fall Is Not Easy.  The story, if you’re not familiar with it, talks about the different seasons and how the tree hates fall because his colors never turn out right.  Instead, he ends up with leaves in different pictures, like a hamburger our cow spots.

What You Need

I created the tree trunk from a template that I found online, which I printed and free-handed over to make less complex.  The tree top was a little more complex.  I modified a shape that I found online by tracing a leaf pattern (also found online) around the edges to give it a tree-like shape.  This gave me the outline that you can see, with the leaf edges all the way around.  The same leaf was used to make accent leaves for dimension.

In all, there are 12 trees in the story:  a spring tree, a summer tree, a rainbow tree, a happy face tree, a purple tree with yellow polka dots, a red and white striped tree, a hamburger tree, a world tree, a cow tree, an “Eat at Joe’s” tree, a jack-o-lantern tree, and a fall tree.  I made a separate tree top for each, as well as accent leaves for spring and fall and snowflakes for winter.  Each tree has a solid color background, and the accents were then added to make the pictures and give texture.  Each picture is made from the original leaf shapes.  I also cut slits in each top and glue pairs of leaves together to add texture.

I

This picture shows the rainbow tree, which was the most detailed of all the trees. It had several layers of leaves. The underlying piece is red, with each additional color added on top. From this angle, you can see some of the texture from the layering and added leaves.

The Story

Basically, put up the trees as you say the phrases that appear in Marty Kelley’s book.  I’ve read it enough times at this point that I can mostly recite it without even having to look at the words.

Tips for Use

The only challenge that I’ve ever had while using this flannel is to make sure that the trees don’t all fall off at once.  I’ve tried both layering new tops on the trees as the story progresses or taking one top down for another.  Personally, I prefer to remove the previous top rather than layer just because they stick to the board better.

This is the one flannel board that I wish I still had.  It stayed at the library after I left, and it would have been perfect for a fall theme that I did last year.  But, I still have the patterns somewhere, so if I can find a copy of the book, I may make my own version of this someday soon.

Can’t Get Enough?

This week, Mollie at What Happens in Storytime… is hosting the Flannel Friday Roundup.  For more information, visit the Flannel Friday website here, or join the Flannel Friday Facebook group, or check out the Flannel Friday boards on Pinterest.  As always, I can’t wait to see and share more ideas!

Saving Lucas Biggs

Saving Lucas Biggs

Marisa de los Santos and David Teague

ISBN:  9780062274625

After breezing through a picture book on my lunch break for my last Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee, the next on the list was a chapter book.  But, with summer reading now behind us, I have much more free time available for reading, and I had no trouble reading Saving Lucas Biggs in just a few days.  And, while the book was different from anything I’ve read in a while, I have to say that it was quite good, and one that I’m happy to recommend to others.

Summary

When Margaret’s father is convicted of a crime that she knows he didn’t commit, she doesn’t know how to process it.  Worse, Judge Biggs, the notoriously heartless and evil company judge, has sentenced her father to death.  As the verdict is handed down, Margaret’s father begs her to repeat the foreswearing, although she doesn’t know why.  But when her best friend Charlie and his grandpa Josh propose an idea so crazy that it just might work, Margaret realizes that sometimes, promises must be broken.  Margaret must now go back in time to when Judge Biggs was just a boy, in the hopes of preventing the past that formed his present.  But history resists, and this is no easy task.  Will Margaret be able to change the past and save her father, or will her efforts be in vain?

What I Liked

While this book is a classic story of good versus evil, the way it is presented offers so much more.  Not only does Margaret learn about right and wrong, she learns about treasuring the moment, never giving up on those you love, and finding strength in each other when you have no strength on your own.  The story is told from three perspectives:  Margaret, Grandpa Josh (as a boy), and, at the very end of the book, Margaret’s best friend Charlie.  The alternating perspectives are not only interesting, and useful in speeding the plot, but they also allow a depth of understanding unavailable otherwise, by presenting the story from many sides.  The plot is multi-layered and beautiful.  While it is the story of Margaret and her hope to save her father, it is simultaneously the story of a downtrodden, abused community that finds strength in doing what is right, even when it is hard.

What I Didn’t Like

Honestly, there wasn’t much that I didn’t like about this book.  But, one thing that I didn’t like was the inclusion of a chapter in Charlie’s voice at the end of the book.  The story is really that of Margaret and Grandpa Josh, and while Charlie is important, I didn’t feel like his role in the story merited his own chapter told from his perspective.  Other than that, my only complaint is that I would have liked a bit more background about Margaret’s dad and his role at the company.  Since the company’s history is so integral to the story, it would have been interesting to have more insight into how Margaret’s family fit into the company overall.

Overall Feeling

This book has a stunning, heartfelt message.  It manages to encourage deep thought, while simultaneously lulling the reader into thinking it is just a story.  The triumph of good over evil is not guaranteed, and thus the story doesn’t come across as trite or overdone.  The obstacles against Margaret are realistic and compelling.  While it’s true that history resists, it’s even more true that humans resist, too.  The truth of the struggle lies in the Margaret and Grandpa Josh working through people, and realizing that humanity is much more complex than just changing a single moment.  While time travel is admittedly not something realistic, the story is written in such a way that the reader is completely certain of the ability to move through time.  More importantly, the story gives the reader a strong sense that any individual has the power to exact change in the world.  I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys adventure, realism, and the power of friendship.

Emily’s Blue Period

Emily’s Blue Period

Cathleen Daly

ISBN:  9781596434691

With summer reading, I have to admit that I’ve fallen behind in reading the Texas Bluebonnet Award nominees.  Luckily for me, the next book up on my list was a picture book, which I was able to read the other day during lunch.  I’m not sure what I expected going into this book, but I was definitely surprised by the depth of the topics covered.

Summary

Emily loves art and painting, and she loves the way it allows her to express herself.  When her life gets turned upside down, she finds that the art that she has been painting just doesn’t match her feelings.  With the help of her knowledge of art, and the encouragement of her art teacher, Emily finds the perfect the perfect medium to express herself and her mixed-up feelings.

What I Liked

While this book is a picture book, Daly doesn’t shy away from difficult topics.  Emily’s family life is mixed up, and her dad no longer lives at home.  The book explores not only the raw emotion of this change (Emily wants to paint only in blue to express her deep sadness), but also the complexity.  When faced with the task of painting her home, Emily must confront the fact that she has not one, but two homes.  Even Jack’s response to furniture shopping captures the tumultuous nature of this change.  Throughout, Daly sprinkles artistic facts and information, allowing the reader a glimpse not only into Emily’s mind and heart, but also into the wider subject of art.  Further, the simple illustrations subtly and expertly utilize color and dimension to further capture the emotions in the book, adding a secondary, powerful telling of the story.

What I Didn’t Like

I didn’t like the use of “chapters” in this book.  The book reads like a picture book, and while the chapters indicate the different phases and periods of Emily’s artistic life, I found that they made the text more choppy and segmented than it needed to be.  I think the story flowed enough on its own, without segments, and pausing throughout detracted from the overall message rather than adding to it.  Although I can appreciate the intent in this layout, I would have preferred the book without it.

Overall Feeling

This book is simultaneously simple and complex.  At the outset, it seems to be an exploration of artistic styles, but in truth, it is actually a complicated look into the heart and mind of a confused little girl in the midst of a life crisis.  The reader simultaneously learns about grief, emotions, and healing while also gaining further appreciate of art history.  The message of the book is powerful, yet written in such a way that you almost absorb it rather than consciously read it.  Overall, I recommend this book to anyone willing to explore difficult topics, and not afraid to look at their own emotions in the process.

Flannel Friday: Hardworking Puppies

Since introducing story times in the spring, the flannel stories that we do have quickly become one of the favorite parts of story time for both me and the kids.  I also recently took over toddler story times (in addition to the preschool and baby story times I was already doing), so I’ve been able to see firsthand what works and doesn’t with each group.  But, with both groups, having a flannel board story has been a great addition!

For summer reading, I wanted to theme each of my story times to a different type of hero.  While I had planned to use some of our existing flannel board stories that were purchased for the library, I found that we just didn’t have what I was looking for when planning many of my themes.  So, it was time to once again get to creating my own flannel stories.

One of my favorites that was created for this summer was this Hardworking Puppies flannel story.  It’s based on the book Hardworking Puppies by Lynn Reiser.  We have a copy in our professional resources, so I’m always guaranteed the book for reference if needed.  But, one of my favorite things about it is that it can told without the book with no problems.

What You Need

First up was creating our 10 puppies.  While the book has several different types of puppies, like Dalmatians and poodles, I decided to have one puppy template for ease of creation.  I found this adorable pattern from Opening the World of Learning on Pinterest.  Instead of having a collar, I put the puppies together into a single piece, then added googly eyes, noses, and tongues for each.

And here is a group shot with all of our puppies:

After creating the puppies, I need something to represent the different careers that the puppies have.  Using Clipart images, I created a visual for each puppy.  For example, a jester hat for the puppy who joins the circus, and a fire hat for the puppy who goes to the fire department.  The final pieces look like this:

The Story

To do this story, I put up the puppies on the board and gave one of the career pieces to each child.  I told about the type of person who needed a puppy to help, and the person with that piece got to select their puppy to help them by putting their piece on top of the puppy.  Periodically throughout the story, we stopped to count the number of puppies who were left who still needed jobs.  This actually worked really well with both the toddlers and the preschoolers, who were excited to pick out a puppy to do a job.  We also enjoyed counting the puppies to make sure that everyone got a job.  I also noticed that the parents encouraged the children to guess what type of job their puppy would get based on their symbol, and even guess what other types of jobs puppies might do.  I can’t wait to use this one again!

Tips for Use

One of the things that I really enjoyed about this flannel was that I didn’t feel like I had to tell the story from the book verbatim.  I used the story as a guideline, of course, but modified based on what was working for the audience.  This is a great flannel for encouraging conversation and introducing new vocabulary.

Can’t Get Enough?

Many thanks to our host is Lisa at Libraryland for collecting this week’s Flannel Friday posts.  For more information, visit the Flannel Friday website here.  I can’t wait to see and share more ideas!