Making connections

     I've had kind of a depressing day.  Sometimes the field of education can be so amazing and other days-total Debbie Downers!  Makes me want to open a bookstore where every day would be blissful.  I (helped:) clean my daughter's room tonight and she wanted to count our blessings while we cleaned.  I believe she was trying to cheer me up-love that empathy gene kicking in here and there. 
This minute I'm feeling blessed to have fresh daffodils on my table in a ruby red vase.  I'm also feeling blessed that tomorrow is Friday.  Woo-hoo! 

Story time this week for 1st graders involved two stories that I loved and that connected well together.  I love when I can find pairs of picture books that compliment each other.

     We read about pets in Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen's book, A Small Brown Dog with a Wet Pink Nose( 2010)-it's just fun to say and the kids loved saying it with me as it becomes a refrain in the book.  Not every read-aloud fits my style as I 'm not good with a million different voices.  I can do a few but have a hard time switching back and forth but this one worked for me and made the kids giggle and smile...and isn't that what we are really going for anyway!  Amelia really, really wants a dog but her parents keep saying no!  She asks every day then turns around and changes the questions on them.  She stops asking for a dog and starts asking them questions related to dog care.  Oh, it has some fun twists and I greatly enjoyed watching some quick students with their a-ha faces.  A-ha faces really light up, another thing we are looking for as teachers as well.  This book was a win/win!  I had to stop in the middle and explain Amelia's imaginary dog-but it made for an interesting conversation.  Linzie Hunter's illustrations gave the students much to stare at as they are filled with more than just the story.

 Give a blogger a book reviews it here.

A Year of Reading reviews it here.

     I matched it with one of my favorite author's Margie Palatini's The Perfect Pet(2003)!  Also about a young girl (Elizabeth) who wants a pet, any pet-doesn't even have to be a dog!  She has a variety of techniques to get her parents to say yes to a pet.  There's the element of surprise, catching them off guard, or the full stomach...her parents continue to say no to each and every pet she suggests until she discovers an animal already in the house, ready to be a pet!  Hilarious.  The illustrations are wonderfully drawn by Bruce Whatley-at first I didn't like how the parents were drawn-very square looking parents considering their very unique-looking Elizabeth but of course, makes sense-they are anti-pet!!  Elizabeth is the true star in this picture book!

What connections did you make this week?