More than Reading Blog

Last week in Australia, we celebrated Book Week. We read short-listed books and winning books from the Younger Readers and Early Childhood Books Categories. I know how we early years teachers (and parents) are always looking for good books for our children, so in this blog you’ll find photos and my descriptions of 3 books that my Year Ones particularly enjoyed. And for those of you who enjoy quizzes, there’s a skill testing question for you in the caption under a child’s drawing in the Book Parade section. Enjoy!

Book Week Books displayed in the Library

My class especially loved Look see, look at me, The Tall Man and Twelve Babies and Noni the pony.

Perfect for toddlers – and early readers!

Look see, look at me! is perfect as a read aloud for toddlers  – and ideal for early readers. I like to have any number of  ‘easy to read’ books in my Yr 1 classroom at the start of the year because they provide reading materials for beginning readers – without being ‘levelled books’.

'The Tall Man and the Twelve Babies'

The Tall Man and the Twelve Babies was appealing and funny. The children loved how the babies were all called Aliastair or Charlene. They laughed at the thought of the all the babies laughing together – and all crying together! They loved how the babies had mashed bananas for breakfast and mashed potatoes for tea. One girl commented that the cat was eating the mashed potato – so where was the 12th baby?

'noni the pony': an appealing book in rhyme

Noni the pony is rollicking and rhythmical with a simple storyline that was fun for the group. One boy liked the way the dog was similar in colour to the pony and blended in when Noni protected the dog and the cat. Others laughed at the cows watching Noni dance. “What is spooked?’ asked another – so a discussion of ‘scary’ words ensued.

On Wednesday morning we had our P-3 Book Parade:

Children dressed up as their favourite book characters. I was Little Red Riding Hood.

The witch from ‘Room on the Broom’ appeared

Who are the book characters in this girl's drawing? Place your answers in 'comments'.

A Book Worm cake was part of the celebrations too.

A 'Book Worm' cake was part of the celebrations too!

How did you celebrate Book Week?