W is for What a Wonderful World: Library Notes

 What a Wonderful World is a board book that I found that follows the lyrics to the song that Louis Armstrong sang so beautifully. 

With this book, you can talk about nature; trees, roses, skies, and the world as a whole. You can talk about colours; green, red, blue, white and the colours of the rainbow and of people too! You can talk about day and night and you can talk about people...how they greet each other, how they grow and interact and how we show love for one another.

There are numerous birds and butterflies in the book that you can use as a launching point to a more detailed study of them in nature. Near the end there is a picture of the sea or ocean for those who love the water and want to talk about sea life. There is also one of horses for those who love horses and a final picture of the mountains. So whatever landscape or animal is of interest to your child, you can talk with them about how they, too, are a part of this wonderful world we live in and look into them further.

Perhaps you want to read more about these animals or places in the world and/or write about them too. However, I think it would also be lovely to try to copy some of the book's illustrations. Crayons may be the way to go but I think it would also be nice to try to paint pictures of what you see, perhaps using potato stamps or stenciling to create the images.  Alternatively, go outside and look at the wonderful world and paint what you see outside or take photos of it instead if that is more in line with your child's interests. Perhaps you can organize the photos in an album and give it a title such as "Lucinda's Lovely World" but perhaps more in keeping with your child's own name!

The tree image filled with hearts encourages messages of "I Love You". It is quite pretty to try to replicate actually but perhaps it is also just meant to remind us to tell our loved ones that they are in fact, loved! It would be lovely to take this idea and make notes with hearts to send to others in this wonderful world of ours. It is always nice to know someone is thinking of us and cares.

Read the book together and talk or get creative as you consider the text. Get the music and sing along. You can leave blanks to fill in key words or just dance and sing the whole thing together as you take time to celebrate with the child(ren) in your life what a wonderful world it is. Use these special moments and heartfelt songs to recognize all the good in the world around us and celebrate its beauty.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

W is for Water: Themed Activities

  Water: As a fundamental necessity for life, water is highly esteemed. Without it, we cannot survive. But more than a basic requirement, it is also the source of many fun activities that you may enjoy with the child(ren) in your life.  Here are a few suggestions but the list is extensive! Be creative! Add rice or beads or coloured water to a water bottle and seal it to make a sensory bottle or shaker. Bob for apples in a bucket of water. Saturate a sponge and wring it out in another bucket 20 feet away. Which relay team will reach a set limit first? (ie. fill a glass to the brim) Learn to swim. Add food colouring to glasses of water and add in white carnations and wait. Watch how they change colour. Practice a thorough hand-washing routine. You can use a GloGerm kit to find out if you managed to get rid of all the germs! Learn about the water cycle. Do a science experiment to test different paper towel brands. Which one is the most absorbent when placed on a spill of 1/4 cup ...
Read more

S is for The Snowy Day: Library Notes

Image
We have had a snowy winter so perhaps this book has already been well-read and loved by the child(ren) in your life!  I wanted to be sure you know it exists because it is a classic. It covers the winter season, clothing for cold weather, and it suggests things to do on a snowy day...all in one book! Not only that, but it also helps children know that snow melts too and as the boy goes through that disappointment they think through what to do when they face that scenario too. Ezra Jack Keats wrote and illustrated this picture book in 1962 about a boy named Peter. His illustrations won him the Caldecott Medal. He layered fabrics and decorative paper and then added to that to create his illustrations.  A great follow up activity for children would be to attempt a picture using various materials such as those used in this book. The scenario is simple and familiar.  What do you do on a snowy day? Crunch in the snow. Make patterns as you walk and leave footprints behind. Make s...
Read more

Library Notes: Clap Your Hands

Image
One book that has proven the test of time is called "Clap Your Hands" by Lorinda Cauley.  The sheer number of lessons that can be covered by reading this book are incredible.  You can find the book online to purchase and/or to listen to in a recorded storytelling  Here are some accompanying thoughts. Expression: With body and words this book helps you express ideas in a fun manner alone or in a group Engagement: It is an interactive book to entice reluctant readers and engage children in the class. Understanding Emotions:  Build on the phrase, "Show me a smile. Show me a frown." Connection to the world:  Connect to people ("Tell me your name.  How old are you?") and to the animal world by making animal sounds and copying their actions ("roar like a lion, growl like a bear") Language Skills:  Study verbs (action words) such as clap, stomp, shake, wiggle, wave. How many are in the book? Vocabulary: Label body parts ("clap your hands, stomp you...
Read more