WHAT CRAYON IS YOUR HAPPY COLOR!?

 

If you can pick any color, what color means HAPPY to you?

 Once you decide which color is your "Happy Color", call it that from now on. And use it to do each of these fun, ways to be creative.

1. Make an entire picture of anything--your pet, your home, your family, ANYTHING--just using that color. But use it lightly, brightly, in dots, and stripes.

2. Write a 1 paragraph story that uses the word "HAPPY" a lot. Only instead of the word put a big splotch of that color. Just see how HAPPY that story makes you!

Here are a couple of my favorite color stories! Have you read these?

Red: A Crayon's Story by Michael Hall (Greenwillow Books)

Red has a bright red label, but he is, in fact, blue. His teacher tries to help him be red (let's draw strawberries!), his mother tries to help him be red by sending him out on a playdate with a yellow classmate (go draw a nice orange!), and the scissors try to help him be red by snipping his label so that he has room to breathe. But Red is miserable. He just can't be red, no matter how hard he tries! Finally, a brand-new friend offers a brand-new perspective, and Red discovers what readers have known all along. He's blue! This funny, heartwarming, colorful picture book about finding the courage to be true to your inner self can be read on multiple levels, and it offers something for everyone.

The Day The Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt (Philomela Books)

Poor Duncan just wants to color. But when he opens his box of crayons, he finds only letters, all saying the same thing: His crayons have had enough! They quit! Beige Crayon is tired of playing second fiddle to Brown Crayon. Black wants to be used for more than just outlining. Blue needs a break from coloring all those bodies of water. And Orange and Yellow are no longer speaking—each believes he is the true color of the sun.

What can Duncan possibly do to appease all of the crayons and get them back to doing what they do best?

Now make up a fun short story about crayons having an adventure!

Who will be the star? Your HAPPY color, of course!

I'M READING FOLLOW THOSE ZEBRAS!

 

READY FOR A MYSTERY STORY!?

Then don't miss joining me as I read FOLLOW THOSE ZEBRAS! It's a mystery that science detectives tackle. 

And there is more...For the rest of the story check out the book. 

VALENTINES PERFECT FOR KIDS TO MAKE

 

Valentine's Day is a time to let someone special (or your BEAST friend) know you care. And it's the perfect time for kids to have fun making cards. Here's three.

                     PEEK-A-BOO Card 

To make this card, first cut a heart out of folded paper so it's hinged. 

Next, the child giving the card should glue their photo inside. Then mark the spot where the eyes will be when the heart card is closed. 

On the side that will be the outside of the card when it's closed, poke holes with a hole punch or a sharp pencil.  

Finally have the child add a "Guess Who Loves You?" message on the face of the card. And a "It's me, love note" inside.

           I LOVE YOU THIS MUCH Card 

Making this card offers kids a chance to share measuring how far they can stretch. 

Have the child lay on the paper and draw around their hands. 

Have them print H-U-G in between. Print a Happy Valentine's Wish on the back. Then fold up or roll up to send or deliver. This is sure to be a Valentine Card grandparents would love to receive and keep-forever!

Send A Little Bit of Blooming Love

Though I'm sure this isn't an original idea, it's one I've always loved for Valentine's Day. Make a card--any kind will do--and inside tuck a little packet of seeds to plant. It could be seeds for flowers or herbs  that can be easily grown in a flowerpot. Then the love shared can grow FOR REAL! 

EYE SPY FUN! Do You?

 

EYE SPY fun! Here we go.

How Do Dogs See Colors?

Researchers now believe dogs do see color--blues and yellows but not reds. 

Try coloring a picture of something the way a  dog would probably see it.

What animal has the weirdest eyes? 

Take a look at these and PICK YOUR #1!

Next, search to find out more about that animal's eyes and vision. Then imagine yourself with that animal's eyes. 

What totally cool thing could you do with 

those animal eyes?!

Here are 2 possibilities:

Tarsier Eyes

Four-Eyed Fish Eyes

WHAT IF YOU HAD either of those kind of animal eyes!? 

What would you be able to do you can't with people eyes?

To spy more fun read...

I'm Reading HUSH UP ad HIBERNATE!

 

Click to WATCH me read HUSH UP AND HIBERNATE! plus some special extras.

Don't Miss IT!

IT'S SHARK WEEK--DIVE IN!

 

Scholastic, 2020

Sharks are so cool I've written 6 books about them. 
Dive in with me to share some sharky-FUN!

BIGGEST! LITTLEST! True Or False?

Boyds Mills Press, 2008

You decide. Then peek at the tiny print to see the correct answer.

A Cookie-Cutter Shark is one of the biggest kinds of sharks. True Or False?

F It's just 18 inches long. It's so small other bigger fish don't see it until too late. It bites and spins around. Its sharp teeth slice out a cookie-shaped bite from its prey. 

A Whale Shark is the biggest kind of shark which lets it catch and eat big whales. True Or False?

F This biggest kind of shark only eats tiny fish and plankton, tiny animals drifting near the ocean's surface. It has a 4 foot wide mouth and about 3,000 teeth but its throat is as small around as a softball. 

No matter its size, a shark's body is covvered with little tooth-like scales. True Or False?

T Called denticles, these grow out of the shark's skin. Like teeth, each has a hard enamel coat and soft center pulp. They are a protective covering and help the shark slip easily through the water. 

What Do You Think Happened!?

Lerner, 2020

Read this opening story from The Great Shark Rescue. Then write your own ending....

TRAPPED!!!!

With its huge mouth open, a whale shark swims slowly near the surface close to Mafia Island off the coast of Tanzania. The 16-foot long giant is feeding on lots of tiny, shrimplike krill and a few little fish. 

All at once, a big net blocks its way. The whale shark dives and turns, trying to swim under or around the net. But the giant fishing net is everywhere. 

The young whale shark is caught! TRAPPED! 

• Will your story have a happy ending with the whale shark escaping on its own?
• 
  
• Will your story have someone arrive to free the whale shark giving it a happy ending?
• 
  
• Or will something else happen?

START SNIFFING!

The Great White Shark is featured in WHAT IF YOU COULD SNIFF LIKE A SHARK? 

Here's an example of how it would help you to have a great smell-sniffer, like a Great White Shark.

But can you think of at least 3 examples of when you would happier not to have a good sense of smell!?

And here are my other 3 books about sharks. Have fun exploring these too!

 Lerner, 2004

Atheneum, 1996

 Walker, 2007

WHO KNOWS what cool book 

I'll think of to write next about sharks!?

Meanwhile, click to check out 6 amazing sharks you may not know exist.

SUMMER BIRD FUN!

 

Hooray!  It's summer reading time!

It's the perfect time for reading to launch investigating, exploring, and having FUN!!!!

Here's a beginning for enjoying all of that with animals that can be found wherever you live...

BIRDS

Go Bird Watching

Go for a walk. Or sit quietly outdoors, look and listen.  If you have binoculars, take those along too. A book showing pictures of local birds is great to have handy. So is a notebook and pencil for taking notes and sketching.

• What are your local birds doing?
• How are the birds you see different?  
• Do you see a lot of one kind?  Only a few of another? List the names of any you know or can identify.
• What activity do you see birds doing most often.
• Pick a favorite. Sketch it. 
• Pretend you can understand birds. Write what you think two birds are saying to each other.
• Think of someone you want to tell about your birdwatching adventure. Send them an email or a letter and share the fun.

Some birds, such as cardinals, are colored so males and females easily spy each other. 

Male red. Female brown. Why might the female being this color help her stay safe when on the nest, incubating eggs?

Listen To The Birds

Outdoors, listen to all the different bird voices. Try mimicking them and listen for them to call back to you.  Once you're back indoors, play the BIRD SONG game. It's a great way to discover the sounds some familiar North American birds make.

Turn a mask into "birdy" Fun.

Eating Like A Bird

Then visit this PBS website to have fun, "Eating Like A Bird." You'll explore what it's like to have different kinds of bird beaks when it's time to eat.

Next, take this fun challenge.

Now for some fun books for summer reading about birds. Enjoy!

Of course, I had to include one of mine. 😃 Did you see it? It's in such good company here!