“If you give a mouse a cookie, he will want a glass of milk.” Thus begins the popular children’s story written by Laura Numeroff. It is the first in a growing collection of books by this author who continues to come up with clever ways to loop stories in a circle.
Although your child will certainly enjoy If You Give a Pig a Pancake, If You Give a Moose a Muffin, and If You Take a Mouse to the Movies, my personal favorite is still the original story. However, there are newer stories that I have not yet read, but I look forward to enjoying.
One of the draws to these stories, besides the lovable characters, is the adventure the reader goes on while trying to figure out “what comes next”? These are wonderful stories that are both entertaining and educational. They get young children making predictions about what will happen in the story.
While reading these stories with your child, ask her to make predictions out loud. Continually ask, “What do you think will happen next?” Try to have her answer without looking ahead, but if she gets stuck, go ahead and let her look at the picture on the follow page. It is not cheating. Making predictions and looking ahead are actually two reading strategies your child will be able to utilize once she is reading on her own.
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Written by BRWI Staff on January 24, 2011
At the age of two, my eldest son began playing with trains. The habit was wonderfully encouraged by grandparents on both sides of the family. We now own three different sets of play trains along with the train that runs under our Christmas tree. It was no surprise when he fell in love with the movie “The Polar Express”.
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Written by Laura on December 13, 2010
A few months ago, my two boys and I read the story, “How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight.” My children immediately loved the story, and began asking for it to be read each night at bedtime, as well as several times throughout the day. Although I have to agree that the story is very enjoyable, after about the hundredth reading, it becomes a bit mundane. I was thankful to discover that the
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Written by Laura on November 24, 2010
Bear is a lazy old beast with plenty of land just lying there dormant. Rabbit is a proactive negotiator ready to reap the benefits of Bear’s sedintary lifestyle. And, although a few of these complex intricaces woven within the story may go over the head of your preschool child, she will still be entertained while learning several educational skills from this coniving rabbit.
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Written by BRWI Staff on November 3, 2010
I can remember singing the little tune about the “Little Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly”. It was a very catchy tune and, as she swallowed more and more items, it became increasingly difficult, as well as a fun challenge, to try and say all of the items before running out of breath. It became a bit of a game in my elementary school classroom to have everyone sing the song together and
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Written by Laura on October 4, 2010
One of my favorite stories to read to my classes as a teacher is also one of my favorites to read with my own young children. As October draws near, and Halloween is just around the corner, the woods seem darker and simple things can seem scary. That is pretty much what happens in this wonderful story written my Linda Williams.
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Written by Laura on September 24, 2010
Fall is the time when a lot of people think of apples. I live in the Northeast where apples are everywhere this time of year. Many preschool and kindergarten teachers open the new school year with a unit on apples. You can graph them, cook them, and even go pick them. However, if you aren’t able to enjoy all of these activities with your own child, use Marjorie Priceman’s book R
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Written by Laura on September 8, 2010
If you want to read a story where your child will sit quietly and listen from the beginning to the end, this is NOT the right book for you. Eric Carle’s From Head to Toe will have children moving and shaking from start to finish. Animals move in so many strange and wonderful ways. The author takes advantage of these forms of movement found in nature to get children active during the story
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Written by Laura on August 23, 2010
Does this title sound familiar to you? As my son and I were reading the book in which this quote was found, I immediately thought of the very popular “Dick and Jane” books that were introduced several decades ago. Although I have never been impressed with the “Dick and Jane” series, I am now understanding why they were so popular.
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Written by Laura on August 9, 2010
I have attended informal baby showers where everyone bring their favorite book to give to the new mother. I have also seen books be used instead of cards at baby showers, and I even attended a book shower for a mentor mom who was becoming a grandmother for the first time. In each case, I immediately thought of my favorite book, The Velveteen Rabbit. The story, of course, is a classic and can be
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Written by Laura on July 21, 2010
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