“The Story of Kakapo:Parrot of the Night ” by Phillip Temple and Chris Gaskin (2000 )
The kakapo is an endangered flightless bird, found in New Zealand’s forests 700 years ago. The population of these ‘night parrots’ have been drastically reduced by the presence of predator mammals such as cats, that were brought in by […]
Filed under: Exploring children's picture books on June 28th, 2007 | No Comments »
The other book that I have found helpful in helping our children understand our love for them is “I Love You the Purplest” by Barbara Joosse and Mary Whyte.
A young mother and her two young sons, Max and Julian,have a day out fishing in the lake. Throughout the day, her sons try their best at digging for worms, paddling the […]
Filed under: Exploring children's picture books on June 26th, 2007 | No Comments »
Soil and sand hold an amazing fascination for children. They love to dig in it , throw it about , examine it as one would for precious gems, and occasionally, eat it, as a child so exhuberantly demonstrated at playgroup the other day.
Soil can be really handy for kids to practise scientific investigation. In fact, […]
Filed under: Exploring Science on June 24th, 2007 | No Comments »
When I knew we were going to have another baby, we wondered how we would prepare Joy for the new arrival. Joy had been the centre of attention wherever we went for the past three years. How would she respond to the tiny, adorable newcomer who would naturally wrest all that attention from her ? We wanted […]
Filed under: Exploring children's picture books on June 24th, 2007 | No Comments »
I did this for a science project when I was in elementary school. I remember this very clearly because I was hooked the instant I knew that I could grow plants from leaves!
Cut off three leaves from an African violet plant. (Make sure the leaves are in good condition.)
Then place the leaves in a cup of water in a sunny place. A window sill will do very nicely.
Watch and wait ! You could write down or sketch the changes that you observe .
In time, you will see that small leaves and new roots have grown from the leaves.
Prepare the pots : Firstly, push a string or thin strip of cloth through the hole that is at the bottom of each pot. Next, […]
Filed under: Exploring Science on June 20th, 2007 | No Comments »
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney ( Puffin, Paperback ).
This is an excellent picture book for children to begin thinking about making a difference in
others’ lives.
When Alice Rumphius is a child, she longs to travel to faraway places and live by
the sea, just like her grandfather. When she has grown into a young woman, she fulfils her
childhood dreams of exploration in distant lands, finally settling down in a little house by
the sea. But there is one more thing, the most important thing,that her grandfather had
said she must do: she must make the world more beautiful. Old and ill, Miss Rumphius looks
out her window and comes up with an idea that are both poetic and whimsical.
The storytelling is simple and engaging, capturing the nuances of Alice’s independent spirit and passion for life. While the theme of making a difference reverberates throughout the book, the tone is never condescending nor preachy.
Cooney succesfully weaves the delicate acrylic paintings and words together to tell this wondrous tale.
There is also the theme of passing on a legacy to the next generation. It is through the long,
wonder-filled days in her grandfather’s workshop that Alice catches onto his love for travel
and his desire to create beauty out of what there is. She watches him carve the prows of
ships and she puts in the skies for his paintings. When Alice is very old, she passes this
legacy to the village children who come into her house to listen to her tell stories.
Cooney portrays storytelling- an art in itself- as something that is powerful and life-changing.
We return to this book again and again for several reasons. We love the paintings and I find
that Joy’s answers to the question in this book change as […]
Filed under: Exploring children's picture books on June 20th, 2007 | No Comments »
