A Good CUDDLE

"Everybody likes a good cuddle...
Monkeys cuddle gently
and turtles cuddle slowly.
Ducks cuddle with their beaks
and elephants cuddle with their trunks."
- THE CUDDLE BOOK by Guido Van Genechten

Join us this month as celebrate the joy of cuddling!

We'll read:

THE CUDDLE BOOK by Guido Van Genechten
CAN YOU CUDDLE LIKE A KOALA? by John Butler
A NAP IN A LAP by Sarah Wilson
KISS KISS! by Margaret Wild
I LOVE YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE YOU by Liza Baker
THE MOST PRECIOUS THING by Gill Lewis
MY BEAUTIFUL CHILD by Lisa Desimini & Matt Mahurin
ONLY YOU by Robin Cruise
HOLD MY HAND: FIVE STORIES OF LOVE & FAMILY by Charlotte Zolotow

Nothing says "come cuddle" like a warm, wonderful book. Hope you can join us in February...

The YEAR OF THE TIGER

Who is the beast?
Who can it be?
I see no beast,
I just see me.
- WHO IS THE BEAST? by Kevin Baker

The lush illustrations, the tiger's ever-changing facial expressions, and the beautiful message of finding similarities in those who seem different...I adore every inch of this book!

What fun we had this month reading it as a way of bringing in the Chinese New Year of the Tiger! We anticipated the rhyming words, we counted paws, and we learned the sign for tiger!

And a great big thank you to my book holders who helped me manage the big book version (available for check-out at the Tosa Library!).

A YEAR Goes Round

"The days go dancing, one by one. When seven pass, a week is done...

The moon comes up, the sun goes down, and month by month a year goes round."

- from Month By Month a Year Goes Round by Carol Diggory Shields

It's hard to believe that we're at the top of another new year together. Looking back at photos such as this one from last January, it is exciting to see how much the little ones have grown!

This month we'll celebrate the passage of time by reading, rhyming, and singing about the days of the week and the months of the year.

BOOKS WE'LL READ:

Month By Month A Year Goes Round by Carol Diggory Shields
In the Town All Year 'Round by Rotraut Susanne Berner
A Year in the Country by Douglas Florian
A Kitten's Year by Nancy Rainies Day
Calendarbears: A Book of Months by Kathleen Hague
Today is Monday by Eric Carle
Turnover Tuesday by Phyllis Root
One Windy Wednesday by Phyllis Root
Every Friday by Dan Yaccarino
Friday My Radio Flyer Flew by Zachary Pullen
Molly's Seasons by Ellen Kandoian

And in honor of the Chinese "Year of the Tiger"...

Who Is the Beast? by Keith Baker (big book version!)

Looking forward to another year of reading, rhyming, and singing with you!

Daddy & Maddie: On a WINTRY NIGHT

"Daddy swirl your arms around, up and down and all around. Make an angel on the ground..."

This was her first time playing in the snow, and just the experience of walking and listening to the crunching sound was excitement in and of itself!

Making the snow angels was her favorite part, but they also constructed a family of 3 snowmen AND accomplished some shovelling! Busy, busy. Thanks for sharing, Mom.

All this daddy/daughter snow fun means one thing for me...time to read ON A WINTRY MORNING; Dori Chaconas makes midwestern winters so much warmer!

SURPRISE Snowman!

Her very first snowman!

On the morning of Megan's 20-month birthday, Daddy surprised her with this fine fellow that they decorated together with Mommy later that day; Dad is Canadian and must be used to creating gifts out of snow. They used prunes, tomatoes, pretzels, licorice...and a party hat, of course. How creative!

If you have any fun snow photos you'd like to share, please email them to me at tuesdaysatten@gmail.com, and I will post them for everyone's enjoyment and inspiration!

THE BEST GIFT of All

He liked his new hat and wore it even while he ate dinner.

During dessert, he thought of something. "What about our friends?" he asked. "Shouldn't we make hats for them, too? We could give them as Christmas presents!"

This holiday season, get lost in the illustrations of this warm, wonderful story of a mother and son rabbit who secretly measure and make hats for their animals friends. Each hat is cleverly crafted for the individual traits of each creature...

The goose's hat will have a long scarf that wraps around her neck. The horse's hat should be part blanket so he can sleep in the snow. And the dog's hat must have an extra-long tail that looks pretty when it blows in the wind.

After a very special presentation of the gifts in the town market, the first snowflake falls. Mother and son know they must return home before the blizzard. On the sled ride home, rabbit has a sudden realization...

"Oh, no!" he said. "Tomorrow is Christmas, and I forgot to make a present for you, Mother."

His mother squeezed him tight.

"Little Rabbit," she said, "being with you is the best gift of all."

What beautiful messages to share with your little one this holiday season... that giving IS better than receiving, that handmade presents really ARE extra special, and that time together truly IS the greatest gift.

Wishing everyone lots of snuggly reading and crafting time together this holiday season!

Animals in the Snow

"Do you think birds know when it's going to snow? I do."

So begins another colorful, nature-filled story by Milwaukee's own Lois Ehlert. Peanuts in the purse and raisins for eyes. With edible features and accessories, it's fun to watch how winter animals interact with this family of snowmen!

Join us this month for stories about ANIMALS IN THE SNOW...

WE'LL READ:

Snowballs by Lois Ehlert
In the Snow: Who's Been Here? by Lindsay Barrett George
The First Day of Winter by Denise Fleming
Sailing Off to Sleep by Linda Ashman
Names for Snow by Judi K. Beach
Love Songs of the Little Bear by Margaret Wise Brown
OH! by Kevin Henkes
Snow by Manya Stojic
Every Autumn Comes the Bear by Jim Arnosky
On a Wintry Morning by Dori Chaconas

FINGERPLAY:

A chubby little snowman had a carrot for a NOSE.
Along came a bunny and what do you SUPPOSE?
That hungry little bunny
was looking for his LUNCH.
So he grabbed that snowman's carrot nose,
Nibble...nibble....CRUNCH!

SING:

Start way up high on your tip toes and end gracefully on the floor...

Snow is falling, snow is falling,
All around, all around.
Oh so very gently, oh so very gently,
To the ground, to the ground.

And by all means, if you make a snowman this winter, please include some treats for the creatures in your design!