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”.
If permitted, my son would be merry to sit and watch this movie each and every day of the year. Fortunately, I have been able to limit him to once each week during the Christmas season and about once per month throughout the rest of the year. However, last year he also began to enjoy the book version of this heart-warming story.
I, along with my three-year-old son, love to sit and gaze at the beautiful pictures for which Chris Van Allsburg won a Caldecott Medal in 1986. They are realistic enough to draw you into the “dream” both told and illustrated for you in the story. If you or your children have seen the movie, it will be easy to see where connections were made between the written word, as well as the artwork of this book.
Our own copy of the book is already beginning to look old from the wear and tear my children have bestowed upon it. At first, I was disappointed to see such a beautiful book now with corners bent and even small tears in the pages. However, I quickly realized these were signs of love, and I am sure this story will be loved by generations to come.
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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
My older son, who just turned five, has recently made the profound connection between letters and words. He has been able to identify the sounds each letter makes for quite awhile, but he is just beginning to really sound out words that he sees. His confidence is growing as he is able to read some very easy beginning readers. These books have a lot of repetition, but there occasionally are word
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Written by Laura on August 2, 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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