Happy Birthday, Bill Martin, Jr.!
Bill Martin, Jr. would have turned 101-years-old today! He has written many fabulous children’s books with three of them making my family’s list of favorite books. Not sure if you have heard of him?
Well, here are our favorites:
- Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
- Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do you See?
- Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?
I bet you recognize him now! The Chicka Chicka Boom Boom book version that features Ray Charles as narrator is fabulous. Bill Martin, Jr.’s first book ever was written in 1945 during his time in the Air Force during WWII. He was a newspaper editor. His first book, Little Squeegy Bug, is about a firefly finding his identity. How ridiculously cute is that?
Go here to learn more about the life of Bill Martin, Jr.
My kids and I often like to go the extra mile with our stories. Sometimes we include a food activity, a craft, or even a play! This time, we did ALL THREE.
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
If you haven’t read this book yet, it is all about the ABCs and a palm tree. The twins are learning their words in Kindergarten right now, so they love anything and everything about letters.
The fun began with a healthy morning snack. We used kiwis and bananas to make the palm tree and then Craisins and Alpha-bits cereal to decorate the tree. The twins were super excited they could spell with their snacks!
Next, we did a craft with the Chicka Chicka Boom Boom theme. The twins colored the tree parts, cut them out, and glued them together. I had previously colored and cut the letters to save time.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Our last activity was a fun one, even though it took a few attempts to get it right. We have the book and the CD, so we decided transform Brown Bear into a play! The twins colored the animals themselves. We laminated the animals and then glued jumbo sticks on them to help “hide them from the audience.” We had fun with the many “takes” of the play, and it became sillier as progressed. However, the final one came out pretty cute.
These are just some of the fun ways I try to really nurture the love of reading in my children. What are yours?
*All of my printouts came from this fabulous website: http://www.dltk-teach.com
