Deirdre, Author at JDaniel4s Mom

Deirdre Smith writes/owns JDaniel4’s Mom. After twenty years as a elementary school and technology resource teacher in Northern Virginia, she became a stay at home mom in upstate South Carolina. Her blog features ways she and her 5 year old are exploring learning, crafting, creating healthy meals and living life to its fullest. Deirdre can also be found on twitter as @jdaniel4smom and on her blog's FB page. You can also check her out on Google+.

Top 10 Children’s Books About George

July 24, 2013 By Deirdre

The new prince in England was just named George. I am sure people will be trying to pick out the perfect gift to give him. My favorite baby gift to give is a book. I love to look over the children’s books online and at bookstores to find the perfect one for the family. Prince George’s family just might enjoy a collection of children’s books with characters named George. I thought I would make it easy for them and share a collection of 10 wonderful books that feature main characters named George.

Children’s Books About George

Oh No, George!is about a dog that loves cake! One day is is left alone at home with a cake on the table and he just can’t take. He tries to leave it alone, but he just can’t. This is a wonderfully illustrated book. It is such fun to watch him try to keep away.

George and Martha Back in Town is an early chapter book. George and Martha very good hippo friends. They have ups, downs and disagreements, but they learn to love what make the other unique. This is one of series of books about George and Martha.

George and Martha Back in Town and if you know George you know things are not going to go smoothly. In Curious George Goes Camping George upsets a fellow camper and heads off into the woods. There he finds a friend and they get along really well. You get bet there may be two animals getting into mischief now.

Bark, George is such a fun book! George’s mom tries to teach him to bark and he keeps making the wrong sounds. He moos, oinks, meows and makes several other noises. When his mom takes him to the doctor, they find that George like many dogs has eaten some very unique things.

George Shrinks (The World of William Joyce) features a boy who dreams he is three inches tall. When he wakes up George finds he is three inches tall. It is so hard to do all your chores and help with your little brother when you are only three inches tall. You can swim with your goldfish though!

George Washington’s Breakfastshares how a little boy named George Washington Allen researches what George Washington had for his breakfast. He looks for information at the library, a museum and several other places. I love how George never gives up until he find the answer to his question.

George Washington’s Breakfast won the Caldecott Medal in 1987 so you know that its pictures are amazing. This tale follows George as he attempts to rid the kingdom of a terrible dragon. He has many challenges to get past to accomplish his task and maybe when the hand of a fair maiden.

The Little Plant Doctor shares how after looking at a plant drooping a wonderfully brilliant man started to wonder about what would make it grow. George Washington Carver was an amazing scientist who discovered many uses for peanuts. I loved reading about this amazing man.

Mr. George Baker (Reading Rainbow Books)is about two people learning to read a young boy and his 100 year old neighbor. One has lived his life as a musician and the other is just starting school. The text flows like music and the pictures draw you into the story. How wonderful it would be to learn to read with a friend!

By M.P. Robertson The Egg found by George looks very different then the other eggs in the hen house. When the egg hatches, George finds that it contained a dragon. The dragon has to be taught all the things dragon needs to know like how to fight a knight, how to fly, and how to breathe fire. George takes good care of the dragon, but the dragon misses being around other dragons. This story is wonderfully illustrated and such fun.

You will find more children’s books organized by themes on my Book Collections By Theme Pinterest board.

Do you have favorite children’s book that features a boy named George?

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Despicable Me Minion for Lunch for Kids

July 23, 2013 By Deirdre

Yes, I made a Despicable Me minion lunch! The minions from Despicable Me were introduced into my house a few weeks ago when I offered to watch my neighbors boys so she and her husband could go to a family graduation. The older boy placed the movie into a Mickey Mouse DVD case and brought (smuggled) it over for them to watch before bedtime. I am not big on PG movies. JDaniel hasn’t seen many, but I didn’t protest when I found out it wasn’t Micky inside the case.

It turns out the older son has memorized the movie due to watching it so often. He repeated every line word by word until I promised to turn it off if we couldn’t hear the characters say the words. JDaniel didn’t care about that he loved that he was getting to watch a PG and he loved the minions.

jdaniel4smom_space_activities_rocket_man_snack

Last week I made JDaniel a really cute rocket lunch with an astronaut and everything for our study on Space Boy He thought is was cute, but wanted to know if the next meal could have a minion in it. I wasn’t sure I could make one. I had seen a really cute Twinkie minion on Pinterest, but I wasn’t sure how to make one that would be for lunch.

Making The

Despicable Me Minion

Lunch

I thought and I thought! Finally I decided to make a cheese body with tortilla overalls for the Despicable Me Minion. The overalls needed to have blueberries all over them to make them blue. We had blue frosting that JDaniel loves to sneak, but I couldn’t bring myself to put it on bread and count it as a sandwich. A layer of grape jam was placed on the bread to help the blueberries stay in place. Small pieces of olives were used to make the minions monocle and a small tortilla piece became his mouth.

JDaniel loves Banana Bob. (One of the Despicable Me minions) He got him in a Happy Meal last week so, I put bananas into the bento box with a pick with eyeballs. I put an outline around the eyes to try to make it look like goggles, but it really didn’t work.

The last section has cheese crackers in it. I don’t know if there is anyone in the Despicable Me movies that likes cheese crackers. I do know that my son does so, into the lunch they went.

JDaniel was over the moon with joy! He loved his special lunch and it disappeared in seconds. I was thrilled that it came out okay and that he recognized it.

Do you think the minions from Despicable Me would like them?

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Read.Explore.Learn – Space Boy Learning Activities

July 19, 2013 By Deirdre

Space Boy by Leo Landry Leo Landry inspired the space learning activities we did this week. Space Boy is the story of Nicholas who needs a little time away for the noise and commotion of family life for just a little while before he goes to bed. His home is filled with his sister’s crying, a barking dog, and the radio blaring. (I believe his parents turned it up to drowned out the sound to the baby crying and the dog barking.) Oh! His neighborhood is noisy too.

He decides that he need to get faraway from it all so, he packs a healthy snack and puts on his spacesuit. Then he gets into his rocket and heads to the moon. (Apparently he has made space trips before.)

The moon is quiet and the perfect place to have a bedtime snack. It is also a wonderful place for a quiet moonwalk. There is something meaning on the moon. Nicholas quickly realizes that he miss his family and wishes his family could shared trip to the moon with him.

Nicholas rockets back to Earth and checks on each member of his family just before going to bed.

I think parents and children may both feel as Nicholas does at the end of the day. Taking a off for a walk on the moon is something everyone may enjoy from time to time. If only we all had a getaway rocket waiting for those days in our backyard.

What did we do to explore this book?

Sight Word Rockets on the Moon

Read.Explore.Learn - Space Boy Learning Activities

We used rockets on sticks and an old beverage holder to work on sight words. JDaniel was asked to read me the the word on each rocket. When he had read a word, he was able to land it into one of the slots on I had cut into the beverage holder.

One of the fun things about working with rockets on sticks is that you can have them zoom through the air and you can make rocket noises as it travels to it landing slot on one of the moon hills.

Space Science Experiment

I found a science experiment in a library book that I thought we could easily put together. The materials were ones we already had and it took just a little while to put it together. There were just a few challenges. Putting the holes in the top of the bottle cap with washer on top and the base of the soda bottle were a little tough.

Joining the two rubber bands together to feed through the holes as easy. After a few slips of the bands out of holes, we quickly secured each of the rubber bands with straws. Each of us took responsibility for one of the rubber band loop.

Adding the beans was super easy for us. We tried adding them by handfuls, but later moved to adding a bean or two at a time.
Once we secured the rocket and astronaut to the straw, we thought that the experiment would go smoothly. We turned the rubber bands as tightly as we could and then let the large straw with the pictures on it go and nothing happened. Literally nothing.

JDaniel suggested we turn the bottle upside down and try the experiment. It worked! The astronaunt and rocket flew around and around. I am sure why it worked better, but I am glad it did.

Rocket Snack

JDaniel has been asking for snack food creations lately. I decided to make him a rocket sandwich with a trail of blueberry flames.

When I finished it, it looked liked it was missing something. I cut out little pieces of a flour tortilla and a small grape slice to make an astronaut for the rocket. Some tiny sprinkles were used to give him eyes and a mouth. My husband thought it was clever. My son just like the way it tasted. I think we would enjoy another Space Boy snack.

How did you explore books this week? If you have a post you would like to share, please link it up below. Once you have added your post, please visit at least three others.

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Whether you are working on a weather unit, exploring rain books in April or just looking for a fun book to read on a rainy day, you will find at least one you will love in this collection of 17 rainy day books for kids.

Rainy Day Books for Kids

Dinosaur Thunderis the story of a little boy who is afraid of thunder during a rainstorm. Each member of his family shares with him a story about what could be making that horrible noise. After several explanations from his older family members, his brother shares with him something he can relate too. He tells him the noise comes from dinosaurs. “I love dinosaurs!” the boy responds. He is still scared, but knowing they are dinosaurs helps him be less scared.

Rain! by Linda Ashman (2013-03-05)is a wonderful story about how a little girl and an old man feel about rain. One of the grumbles and gripes. The other rejoices and enjoys it. When one runs into the other, they both learn to love rain.

Come On, Rain! is so well written. The text flows throughout the book painting a beautiful picture of people sweltering in the heat waiting for rain. When the rain arrives, there is much dancing and frolicking that happens. Moms and their daughter rejoice in the rain. The pictures in this book are gorgeous..

Rain Schoolexplains that in the country of Chad there are heavy rains that wash away some of the mud and thatched roof schools. Each year the children join their teachers in building a new school. The children learn to work together while they build the school and learn together once the school is built.

Rain by Robert Kalan uses amazing pictures by Donald Crew and wonderful words to show you the effects of rain. It explores colors and words is such a wonderful way. This is a fun book to picture walk through.

Splish! Splash!: A Book About Rain (Amazing Science: Weather)uses simple text and wonderful illustrations to explain the science behind rain. Non-fiction lovers will enjoy learning about rain.

Down Comes the Rain follows the ups and down of rain as it travels through the water cycle. Where does rain go after it falls from the sky? How does it get into the sky?

Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain (Rise and Shine)some people and animals long for rain to fall. I love the rhythm of this book it just flows. This is a wonderful book about yearning for rain.

Are You Ready to Play Outside? (An Elephant and Piggie Book) (An Elephant and Piggie Book, 7)shares that there are some the love rain and others that don’t. Sometimes those that don’t just need someone fun to enjoy it with. You can’t just watch people enjoy rain. Seeing them love it makes you want to join in.

The Rain Came Down and changed everyone moods. Will their moods change when the sun comes out?

The Big Storm: A Very Soggy Counting Book features animals running to get out of a storm when they see clouds gathering. After a night of huddling in a shelter, they hear rumbling and grumbling. Is it another storm or is it something else?

The Aunts Go Marching is about a little girl who marches through the rain followed by a large group of aunts. I love the song about ants marching two by two. This book with aunt marching is just as fun. You will love the pictures in this book

Rain (Rise and Shine) is a beautifully illustrated book about how a group of African animals uses their senses to know the rain is coming. This would fit well in a unit about the senses or about the rain.

Red Rubber Boot Day is the tale of a young boy and what he does when it rains. He starts off the day finding inside things to do like building a fort and moves outside to splash and play in red rubber boots. My son had red rubber boots when he was 3 and 4 that he lived in. This book reminds me of him.

The Puddle explains that while children love rain puddles there are animals that love the rain too. What fun it is to see who comes by to enjoy the puddle.

Raindrop, Plop! counts the joyous things that children find in the rain. What fun it is to count in the rain! This books has wonderful illustrations. The cover just makes you want to jump into reading it.

Flash, Crash, Rumble, and Roll is a science focused book that shares what makes all of the elements of a storm from rain to thunder to lightning. I used to use this in my weather unit when I taught second grade.

You will find more collections of books for kids on a wide variety of themes on my Collections of Book by Theme page on Pinterest. You will find a number right here on JDaniel4’s Mom too. There are Awesome Books for Kids about Fables, Spotlight on Remarkable Mystery Books for Kids and Jokes for Kids Books That Will Make Them Laugh.

Do you have a rainy day book that you love that isn’t on this list? Tell me about it via a comment below.

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