American History through Picture Books Over the Years

Like many homeschooling families, we love picture books. So while the requirements for history at the kindergarten level are limited (as in, you really don't need to do anything at all), we have always read picture books either on their own, or in combination with other readings.

For First Son, I put together all of American History in picture books over the course of a single year. For First Daughter, we focused more selectively on the same decades her big brother was studying. Each year, the list changes slightly, adapting to the kids and my goals for the year.

This post is going to pull together the American History through Picture Books posts I've made in the past. If I ever have time to write posts for the others years, I'll come back and add to this list. My guess is that your local library is going to have plenty of these books on hand as well as many wonderful news ones you might find as you search for these.

As a reminder, I am an affiliate with both Bookshop and Amazon. Links to those sites may generate income for me at no additional cost to you.

2009-2010 (First Son in Kindergarten)

Overall Plan

North America before 1600

Colonial America through the Revolutionary War

Exploration, Expansion, and the Civil War

Reconstruction, Urbanization, and Industrialization (1865-1889)

The Progressive Era (1890-1913)

World War I and the Jazz Age (1914-1928) 

The Great Depression

Everything after the Great Depression

2012-2013 (First Daughter in Kindergarten)

Slavery and the Civil War

Progressive Era and Immigration

World War I, Women's Suffrage, and the 1920s

The Great Depression and World War II

Civil Rights, Hawai'i, Alaska, and Space Exploration

Additional Books

The Mayflower (1620)

Follow Me Down to Nicodemus Town (1870s)

The Hundred-Year Barn (1919-2019)

Home in the Woods (1930s / Great Depression)

2015-2016 Family Read Aloud List

It's make-up work time on the blog, I guess. I never posted our family read alouds for 2015-2016. That school year I had a sixth grader, third grader, first grader, and a preschooler.

Many of these can be found in the literature recommendation on the Mater Amabilis™ site.

Easter, 2016

The Complete Tales of Peter Rabbit and Other Tales by Beatrix Potter - Our edition is out of print, but this is a complete one. My sentimental favorite is a set of miniature original tales Kansas Dad bought at Oxford when he was there for a conference and I was home with lots of little ones.

The Father Brown Reader II: More Stories from Chesterton adapted by Nancy Carpentier Brown - The second volume is more serious than the first in that in contains stories of murders rather than just thefts. Additionally, there is a suicide. A few times, too, I had to walk my eight year old through the conclusion as often it is not explicitly written out.

The Animal Family by Randall Jarrell, decorations by Maurice Sendak

Francie on the Run and Pegeen by Hilda van Stockum - These are the second and third books in the Bantry Bay series and are fantastic. The publisher has frequent sales and many other wonderful books.

The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi

The Big Alfie and Annie Rose Storybook by Shirley Hughes - My two youngest (seven and five when we read it) loved these sweet stories of Alfie and Annie Rose just living life. I loved the wedding story that showed a black couple getting married with Alfie as the ring bearer. There's no mention of race in the text, just the illustrations depicting different races celebrating family life together.

The Story of the Treasure Seekers by E. Nesbit

Brighty of the Grand Canyon by Marguerite Henry - We finished this book just in time to leave on a cross-country camping trip that included the Grand Canyon. The children loved the book and were thrilled to talk about it all over again when we were visiting the park.

Audiobooks

As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes - We listened to this audiobook from the library (read by Cary Elwes!) and loved it so much, I bought it on Audible during a recent sale. If you love The Princess Bride, you will love this book, though you may want to pre-listen to it.

D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths - This is a wonderful book, of course, but it's also a very enjoyable audiobook. Even Kansas Dad appreciated it.

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming - This is a really fun story!

We also listened to the Series of Unfortunate Events books, but I didn't think they were that great.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. All links to Bookshop and Amazon are affiliate links. Most of these were probably library copies, but it was so long ago I can't remember!

Learning Letter Sounds: Second Son's Alphabet Books in 2015-2016

We're nearing the end of the school year, the time when I start to think about updating the blog with all the things we've done this year and always discover half-started posts of homeschool plans from long ago. Like this one: the alphabet books I read with Second Son in 2015-2016 when he was in pre-kindergarten. (Now he's finishing up first grade). He had turned five the summer before, but we wait on kindergarten until age six for our July birthday kids.

Doodling Dragons: An ABC Book of Sounds by Denise Eide, illustrated by Ingrid Hess (purchased new)

We read Doodling Dragons the first week. Then, once a week, we read through another alphabet book with Doodling Dragons open near us so we could make all the sounds for each of the letters as we went through the books. I could easily have found enough alphabet books to last the whole year, but I figured we'd get tired of them before that and I also found that Second Son mastered all the letter sounds in Doodling Dragons before we were done. So if you're trying something like this, you might want to plan your favorite books early in the year so you won't feel sad when you drop it because your child is ready to start putting the letters together in proper reading lessons. We followed these books with The Ordinary Parents' Guide to Teaching Reading. (Read my post on that here.)

Here are the alphabet books I read with Second Son back when he was oh so little. Our favorites are marked with asterisks (**). Unless I've said otherwise, we checked all these books out of the library.

A is for Angry (library) and A to Z (own) by Sandra Boynton - We've had A to Z since First Son was an infant and Boynton will always have a special place in our home library memories.

A is for Artist by the Getty Museum - I loved this book which uses details from works of great art to highlight the letters. Each page only has one letter and one word so it can be a simple one to start, except that the illustrations are rich and full. The end of the book shows the whole paintings, though in small size. My son was not as excited about this book as I was, except for the dog. He loved the dog.

The ABC Bunny by Wanda Gag - In this story, bunny encounters each of the letters (or, rather, things starting with the letters) in black and white illustrations. It's sweet and set to a song. The music is included at the beginning and the end.

** LMNO Peas by Keith Baker - This book shows peas performing jobs and activities for each letter of the alphabet. They are adorable and hilarious. It rhymes, too.

** Richard Scarry's Find your ABCs by Richard Scarry - My husband and children bond over their mutual love of Richard Scarry, so of course this book was included in our study. There are lots of details in each page and chances to identify the letter. The matching words are shown with the letter of the page in different colors.

** Alligators All Around by Maurice Sendak - Classic Sendak illustrations of alligators in ridiculous activities. Fun and with few words so a great one to use when just introducing letter sounds.

Anno's Alphabet by Anno Mitsumasa - In general, my children didn't like the Anno books as much as I did. I guess his style didn't appeal as much to them. Sometimes that happens.

Autumn: An Alphabet Acrostic by Steven Schnur - Each page of this book describes a fall scene with an acrostic poem beginning with each of the letters in alphabetic order. The beginning letters of each line are red, standing out well. The illustrations are linoleum-cut and brightly colored as well. I picked this book because we read it early in the school year, when it was fall, but there are versions for Spring, Summer, and Winter as well.

A is for Altar, B is for Bible by Judith Lang Main is an alphabet book filled with pictures of a Catechesis of the Good Shepherd atrium (own)

** The Z was Zapped by Chris Van Allsburg - This book shows each letter of the alphabet being destroyed, mangled, or outright murdered by methods that begin with their letter. The text is on the back of each page, so children have a chance to identify the method before seeing the word. It's grim but my children loved it. They laughed and laughed...Let's not dwell on what that means about their personalities.

** B is for Bethlehem by Isabel Wilner - I just love the illustrations in this book. We read it during Advent (of course) and, though we read a library copy, I've since gotten one of our own. (own)

Alphabet Tree by Leo Lionni is a good book to read later in the study because it's not an alphabet book proper. Instead, it introduces the idea of words, phrases, and sentences. Second Daughter (7) enjoyed this book even more than Second Son (5) because she'd learned the secret of reading. The idea of connecting the letters together delighted her.

An Alphabet of Catholic Saints by Brenda and George Nippert is an adequately illustrated book of saints, a saint for each letter of the alphabet with four lines of simple verse and a short description for each one. Kateri Tekakwitha's name is misspelled on the K page, which my nine year old noticed immediately. (She was making cornstarch quicksand a few steps away while I read the book to Second Son.) It also mentions the "legend of Santa Claus," just in case your children are believers who will be confused or dismayed. The main dissatisfaction I have with the book lies in the stories of St. Odilia and St. Ursula. For example, for St. Urusla, it says "When bad men tried to make them sin, / they said "We'd rather die!" These women lived long ago and their stories are clouded. It's possible they were killed because one of them wouldn't marry a pagan, but it's too easy in my mind to read this as the insistence on purity that can make a young girl feel she has sinned when she is a victim. So I've read this book to my kids but I don't really recommend it. (owned, purchased used on Cathswap)

** Into The A, B, Sea: An Ocean Alphabet Book by Deborah Lee Rose, pictures by Steve Jenkins - I wrote about this book a few years ago and I still love it.

I Spy: An Alphabet in Art devised and selected by Lucy Micklethwait is an alphabet book with a painting for each letter. The little reader is drawn into the painting by searching for something that begins with the featured letter. Second Son loved this book. Some items are obvious and easy (apple and dog, for example), but some were more difficult (even for me, luckily the "answers" are listed in the back of the book). A wide variety of interesting and lovely paintings are included.

** If Rocks Could Sing: A Discovered Alphabet by Leslie McGuirk is an alphabet book created around rocks found along the coast of Florida, collected over many years by the author and designer. Rocks form the alphabet and items beginning with each letter sound.

There are, of course, probably millions of alphabet books. I knew of a few of these before I decided we'd read through alphabet books once a week for the first couple of terms or so, but it was easy to find more just by using a few search terms on our library catalog: alphabet and abc.

Here are a few we didn't read, but you might not want to miss.

Eating the Alphabet: Fruits and Vegetables from A to Z by Lois Ehlert - We own this book and had read it a hundred times already, so I didn't include it, but it's lots of fun. Bright colors and unusual fruits and vegetables as well as more familiar ones. (own)

A B See by Elizabeth Doyle - This was a new book when we started our study and I think I'd already chosen them all before it was published. Since then, I've gifted it many times. Each letter is shown as an embossed collage of things that start with the letter and a sentence using some of the items shown, so you can search through the letter to find them. At the end is a list of all the things you can find for each letter. The textured pages are inviting even for young pre-readers, but the illustrations and sentences are worthy of any child old enough to be learning to read.

The Little Red Cat Who Ran Away and Learned His ABC's (the Hard Way) by Patrick McDonnell - This is a new book (fall 2017) and contains few words. Instead, you have to figure out the alphabetic connection of each sketch. It's entertaining and enjoyable for a range of ages, including those who are learning to read and identify letter sounds. If I were doing this study again, I would definitely include it.

D is for Dress-Up: The ABC's of What We Wear by Maria Carluccio - This is another book that came out after we were done with our alphabet book study. There are boys on almost every page, but it's mostly illustrated with girls. I love how the boys and girls are all different colors and shapes. And the girls are not all wearing pink. There is a boy wearing a pink shirt, too. The illustrations are full of colors, designs, and textures. It's a wonderful book and I'm pretty sure I'm going to end up gifting it a time or two.

Because there are so many alphabet books being published and stored in libraries, it's easy to find the ones that will appeal to your child. It's important to take into account age and maturity; lots of alphabet books are designed for babies or toddlers. There are plenty with more integrated plots and quirky jokes to entertain pre-kindergarteners and even kindergarteners.

Reading Around the World in Picture Books 2014-2015: Africa

These are the picture books we read when Reading Around the World with a focus on the continent of Africa. Oh so long ago, my children were in fifth grade, second grade, kindergarten, and diapers. My fifth grader usually did not sit with us while we read these books, but he was around and they hung out with our library books for the full month we had them.

** I've used these two asterisks to mark the books we enjoyed most of all.

The Storytellers by Ted Lewin (Morocco) tells of Abdul and his grandfather in the market in Fez, Morocco, lavishly illustrated by Lewin. (His illustrations always make me want to travel.) (library copy)

The Butter Man by Elizabeth Alalou and Ali Alalou, illustrated by Julie Klear Essakalli (Morocco), is a story of hunger told within a loving family. It's authentic and touching. Though young children may be distressed to hear of a hungry child, it's good to introduce these themes to children over time so they understand our obligations to care for all people. (library copy)

** Mirror by Jeannie Baker (Australia and Morocco) - Baker shows a family in Australia on the left and, turning pages the other way, a family in Morocco on the right. The illustrations are beautiful and I love how she attempts to show the similarities and differences between the families in an understanding way. (library copy)

Ali, Child of the Desert by Jonathan London, illustrated by Ted Lewin (Morocco), is the story of a young boy who is separated from this father in a sandstorm while traveling in a caravan. He is offered hospitality and invaluable aid by a Berber and his grandson. (library copy)

Bintou's Braids by Sylviane A. Diouf, illustrated by Shane W. Evans (West Africa), is told in the voice of young Bintou who desperately wants braids for her short fuzzy hair. At the baptism of her baby brother, she sees all the other women and their beautiful braids, and wanders off sadly only to discover boys in need of help. Her quick thinking earns her some beautifully decorated hair of her own. This is a sweet book for young girls with all kinds of hair. (library copy)

** Tug of War by John Burningham (Nigeria) is a retelling of a Nigerian folktale of wisdom and strength, and inspiring lots of laughter. (library copy)

** The Hatseller and the Monkeys retold and illustrated by Baba Wague Diakite (West Africa) - Many may be more familiar with this tale as it is shown in Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business, but I love this West African version. The illustrations are delightful. (library copy)

** I Lost My Tooth in Africa by Pende Diakite, illustrated by Baba Wague Diakite (Mali) is a book written by the illustrator's daughter, hoping desperately to lose her tooth while she's visiting extended family in Africa so the African tooth fairy will bring her a chicken. It's a nearly perfect book for showing children in America what family life and love looks like in Mali. (library copy)

My Baby by Jeanette Winter (Mali) tells of a woman making a bogolan, a cloth painted with mud, for her baby, depicting the natural world in the painting. (library copy)

** Rain School by James Rumford (Chad), written by a man who taught school in Chad when a member of the Peace Corps, tells of a school built by the community at the beginning of the year that is broken down by the seasonal rains after nine months. It's a celebration of education, beautifully illustrated. (library copy)

** My Name Is Sangoel by Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammed, illustrated by Catherine Stock (Sudan and the United States), is the story of a young boy who immigrates to the United States to escape the war in Sudan that killed his father. Bewildered by his new surroundings, he finds it impossible to explain to his new classmates how to properly pronounce his name...until he discovers a creative solution. Catherine Stock's illustrations are wonderful, as always. The themes of the book are a big deeper and harsher than most picture books, but I think the value is worth the risk. Read ahead and decide for your own family. (library copy)

** The Best Beekeeper of Lalibela: A Tale from Africa by Christina Kessler, illustrated by Leonard Jenkins (Ethiopia), is the story of Almaz, a girl who wants to keep bees and collect the best honey. Turned away by the male beekeepers of her village, she is encouraged by the young Orthodox priest. It's a brilliant book of problem-solving and perseverance. (library copy)

The Perfect Orange: A Tale from Ethiopia by Frank P. Araujo, illustrations by Xiao Jun Li (Ethiopia), is a tale of a young girl who travels to her ruler to share with him a perfect orange. Her generosity is rewarded while the greed of another is thwarted. (library copy)

Muktar and the Camels by Janet Graber, illustrated by Scott Mack (Kenya and Somalia), is the story of an orphan who shows himself to be adept at caring for camels and in so doing finds a place for himself in the world. (library copy)

** Head, Body, Legs: A Story from Liberia by Won-Ldy Paye and Margaret H. Lippert, illustrated by Julie Paschkis (Liberia), is a fun tale describing how arms, legs, a head, and a boy joined together. (library copy)

** Mrs. Chicken and the Hungry Crocodile by Won-Ldy Paye and Margaret H. Lippert, illustrated by Julie Paschkis (Liberia), is the hilarious story of a chicken who outwits a crocodile. (library copy)

** Koi and the Kola Nuts: A Tale from Liberia by Verna Aardema, illustrated by Joe Cepeda (Liberia), is a tale of wisdom and goodness, wonderfully illustrated. (library copy)

One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference by Katie Smith Milway, illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes (West Africa), is based on a true story of a young boy who takes out a loan to buy a hen, the beginning of a flourishing egg business. It's text-heavy for younger children, but a fascinating introduction to micro-loans for older elementary students. I also ask my children to read this book in third grade when they do a little financial literacy study. (library copy)

The Spider Weaver: A Legend of Kente Cloth by Margaret Musgrove, illustrated by Julia Cairns (Ghana), is a brilliantly illustrated origin tale of kente cloth, common in many African nations. (library copy)

** The Village that Vanished by Ann Grifalconi, illustrated by Kadir Nelson (unspecified country or area), features a young girl who courageously leads all the people of her village across a hidden bridge to escape marauders searching for people to sell as slaves. The text is a bit long but it's worthwhile for those ready for it as it portrays some of the fear and tragedy of slavery in a successful escape from it altogether. Nelson's realistic illustrations are presented uninterrupted by the text, which appears on white space next to them. (library copy)

** Once Upon a Time written and illustrated by Niki Daly (South Africa), is the sweet story of a young girl who struggles to read but flourishes in the imaginary escapades with her Auntie Anna. With perseverance and practice under the supporting gaze of her Auntie, she succeeds in achieving fluency. The setting of this book gives glimpses into life in Africa while connecting us with the familiar school setting. (Even though we homeschool!) (library copy)

Mama Wangari (Kenya) is an inspiring woman who deserves a place in any picture book study of Africa. She attended college in Kansas which gives us an even more personal connection here on the Range. There are quite a few books featuring her life and work. In addition to reading a few picture books, we watched this video (more than once).

** Seeds of Change: Wangari's Gift to the World by Jen Cullerton Johnson, illustrated by Sonia Lynn Sadler, is probably my favorite, if you can only read one, though young children may tire of the amount of text. The colorful illustrations will delight children of all ages. Mama Miti: Wangari Maathai and the Trees of Kenya by Donna Jo Napoli, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, is a more lyrical book with less details. The illustrations fill the pages with vibrant color. Even I enjoy looking through this book again and again. Wangari's Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa by Jeanette Winter, is less detailed story with more gaps. The illustrations are not as lavish as those of Nelson, simpler but suited to the setting. (all library copies)

** The Mangrove Tree: Planting Trees to Feed Families by Susan L. Roth and Cindy Trumbore with collages by Susan L. Roth (Eritrea), tells the true story of a scientist who guided the people of a village to improve their lives by planting mangrove trees. Ecology, botany, creativity, generosity, and perseverance...all presented in poetic repetitive text for younger listeners and more detailed text for older readers. The collages contrast the bright clothes of the villagers against the browns of the land before it's transformation. (library copy)

** The Most Important Gift of All by David Conway, illustrated by Karin Littlewood (unspecified, but I think Kenya),  is a beautifully illustrated book about a little girl who goes in search of love to give to her new baby brother. It's African, but her family is as lovely a family as you'd want to meet anywhere. (library copy)

** My Rows and Piles of Coins by Tolowa M. Mollel, illustrated by E. B. Lewis (Tanzania), is one of my favorite picture books and also appears in our third grade literacy study. It's about family and perseverance, prudence and joy. Read it! (library copy)

First Come the Zebra by Lynne Barasch (Kenya) is an encounter between a Maasai boy and a Kikyua boy, from two cultures who employ land differently and yet find common ground. It is an decent story for the presentation of overcoming differences, but the illustrations are merely adequate. (library copy)

** Ah, then we read the Elizabeti books, just wonderful books! Elizabeti's Doll, Mama Elizabeti, and Elizabeti's School by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen, illustrated by Christy Hale (Tanzania), all feature Elizabeti and are definitely among our favorite pictures books! (We own Elizabeti's Doll and checked the other two out from the library)

** The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer, pictures by Elizabeth Zunon (Malawi), is based on the true inspiring story of a young boy in Africa who builds a windmill from scraps to power a light bulb using only his ingenuity and a book from the library after he's been forced to leave school. I love the illustrations for this book, a combination of collage and paintings. For those who want to learn more, the middle grade book of the same name is also excellent. (library copy)

** How the Guinea Foul Got Her Spots retold and illustrated by Barbara Knutson (a Swahili tale) - another favorite picture book. (library copy)

Jamela's Dress, Happy Birthday, Jamela, and Where's Jamela?, all by Niki Daly (South Africa) share the life of Jamela in a sweet fun way, especially for little girls. She gets into exactly the kind of trouble an American girl might find, but always manages to come out on top. There are other Jamela books as well, but these are the ones our library had. (library copies)


** Where Are You Going, Manyomi? by Catherine Stock (Zimbabwe) is one of my absolute favorite books! You can find the book online here. (owned, from a member at PaperBackSwap.com)

** Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe (Zimbabwe, mostly) is like a fairy tale in which the more generous daughter receives her just reward. My daughter loved this book so much, she insisted we buy our copy, albeit a much loved and repaired one from a library book sale. (owned)

Gugu's House by Catherine Stock (Zimbabwe) is another Catherine Stock book, this one sharing the beautiful painting and sculpture of Gugu, Kukamba's grandmother, as well as a story of recovery. It's based on an inspiring woman in Zimbabwe. (library copy)

The Herd Boy by Niki Daly (South Africa) tells the story of a day in the life of a young goat herder. We see his world and his bravery, and his dream of being president. (library copy)

Under the Baobab Tree by Julie Stiegemeyer, illustrated by E. B. Lewis (unspecified, but maybe southern Africa) is mostly the musings of a brother and sister as they walk through the African countryside for a gathering "under the baobab tree." We see a bit of what sometimes happens under the tree and therefore glimpses into the lives of the Africans who live near-by. In the end, they are gathering to worship God. (library copy)

We also read a book of poetry called Off to the Sweet Shores of Africa and Other Talking Drum Rhymes by Uzo Unobagha, illustrated by Julia Cairns. The poet was born and raised in Africa and the illustrator lived in Botswana for nine years. It's a lovely book we've enjoyed many times.

I'm sure there are many new picture books set in African countries. When I was first putting this list together, I copied a list of all the countries in Africa and then searched our library catalog for each country's name. That's how I found most of these books. Do that yourself and you'll find not only potentially lovely new picture books, but a wealth of picture books set in Africa you can check out of your library for only the cost of your taxes, which you've already paid!

The links above are all affiliate links to Amazon, which means if you click on one, put something in your cart, and order it within a specified length of time (whatever Amazon decides), I receive a small commission. You can also find these books by searching by title on Amazon or at your library.

Games of Math: Counting and Number Bonds and Addition and Subtraction

Math You Can Play Combo: Number Games for Young Learners

by Denise Gaskins 

I reviewed Let's Play Math by Denise Gaskins in February 2016. At the time, I think I'd already been using these two books for half a school year, but I haven't take the time to review them. On Facebook and in person, I highly recommend Let's Play Math to just about any homeschooling family struggling with math. I also think it's just about the best thing a new homeschooling mother or father could read. No matter what curriculum you choose for math, Let's Play Math can help you understand it and implement it for your children and help you create an environment of mathematical curiosity that can benefit any student. I know my family would have been much better off if I'd read it earlier!

So now that you know I want you to read that first, let's talk about Math You Can Play Combo. This book includes two books: Counting and Number Bonds and Addition and Subtraction.

This book (or rather, these two together) constitute the spine of our math curriculum for prekindergarten, kindergarten, and first grade. I begin with Counting and Number Bonds and we just work through the books playing one game a week (sometimes multiple times) through the whole book. If I had started really young, I may have repeated Counting and Number Bonds, but with the two who started this way, I moved right on to Addition and Subtraction.

In addition, sometimes I read math stories out loud to the whole family as a read-aloud. Let's Play Math has a large list of such books as does the author's website. We also play games from our well-stocked game shelves during math time. I specifically schedule those games through first grade, so Second Son is currently the only one who gets to pick a game once a week. We don't start "formal" math until second grade with the Life of Fred books and Khan Academy. I do let Second Son use Khan Academy, because he felt left out, but only for a short time a few times a week.

I almost can't say enough fantastic things about the Let's Play Math game books. My youngest two children, Second Daughter and Second Son, are the ones who benefited from them. Of course, we changed up a lot between the older two and these two because that's when we switched away from Saxon over to Life of Fred, so it's hard to say if any particular change made all the difference, but our whole attitude toward math is dramatically improved with the younger two.

They love playing these games. In fact, it's not uncommon for Second Daughter to insist she's done with her independent work so she can play with Second Son during his game time. Or she'll ask to play some of the games outside of school time. (Snugglenumber is a particular favorite; she's even taught a friend to play it with her.) The great benefit here is that interest in the game encourages repetition of the math facts and skills. More practice with the basic counting, grouping, addition, and subtraction in these games leads to consistent success and, eventually, the ability to focus instead on more complex math.

The games almost all use cards you already own. (There are a few boards you can make and lots of printables included with purchase of the book if you don't want to make your own.) For the most part, I open the book and we play the game without any preparation. Along with the games are brief explanations of the math behind the games and strategies for guiding children through the math involved.

Some of the games seem like they'll be too challenging for the child, but we always give them a try. Over and over again, I see them succeed when I might have neglected to even give them the opportunity.

Though First Son and First Daughter seemed to do well with the mental math exercises when we were using Saxon, both Second Daughter and Second Son seem to do mental gymnastics without even realizing it's a skill. Sometimes when Second Son tries to walk me through his mental process to come up with a math answer, I can hardly follow him, but it works!

I have the Kindle version of the game books and they work great. The pictures are clear. The text is well-formatted and easy to navigate from the contents. Still, if I could go back, I'd invest a little more money to get the paperback versions. It's a hassle to pull out my Kindle during school time and then switching around within the two ebooks to find where I am with different children as we work through them. I also think the kids might play some of the games on their own if they had access to the paperback. (I don't let them use my Kindle.) If you use a e-reader more regularly during school time, have only one child, or combine children for math games, that's not as much of an issue.

Because we had such a good experience with these books, I purchased the Kindle version of Multiplication and Fractions. First Daughter (age 11, in 5th grade) and Second Daughter (age 9, in 3rd grade) each play with me once a week.

I purchased this books separately for the Kindle (rather than the combo book) and received a discounted price. I can't remember if they were discounted for everyone or if I received a discount from the author. Either way, this post gives my honest opinion. Links above to the books are Amazon affiliate links.

A Simple and Easy Advent Activity Chain for 2017

Advent is about a week away! I love Advent and all the traditions we've slowly built up over the years. The Advent activity chain is a nice and easy way to start with little ones, as long as you have one with activities that fit well with your daily life.

For years now, our family has made our own Advent activity chain. As our children grew, the activities grew and changed a bit with them. This year, we may make a chain without activities at all (gasp!).

I've also continued to make one designed for families with lots of little children. We put them all together and then gave them to our godchildren or children in my Catechesis class or the neighbors - whoever we thought might like a bit of Advent planned and ready to go.

Early on, I would print them out and make them, but now, First Daughter does it! She cuts all the activity pages into rectangles, slices pink and purple construction paper, and tapes one activity one each slice. We then deliver them to local families with little ones. They're easier to deliver in stacks of flat rectangles; it's pretty simple for the families to link the chains themselves. We include a little paragraph to explain, just in case. I don't know if everyone loves them, but I've heard from a few mothers that it's nice to have something so simple and easy for little ones.

Find the strip for December 24th. Tape or staple it into a loop. Find the strip with the next date on it (December 23rd) and run it through the loop you just made. Tape or staple it. Continue with all of the strips until you reach November 30th. You’ll end up with a chain of loops – one for each day of Advent. Each day, tear off the strip on the end for the day’s date and do the activity together.

We always use pink for the third week of Advent and purple for the rest of the links, but you could also alternate pink and purple, or use all purple. Or just use whatever construction paper you have lying around.

An old picture of a chain long used up

I've uploaded this year's activities as a PDF on my Google drive. Feel free to print it out to make an Advent activity chain for your own family or as a gift for someone else.

Homeschool Record: Our 2015-2016 Poetry

We read from a book of poetry about once a week just for beauty and enjoyment as part of our cultural studies loop.

Just for the blog record, here are the books of poetry we read during the 2015-2016 school year (6th grade, 3rd grade, 1st grade, pre-kindergarten).

The Dragons are Singing Tonight by Jack Prelutsky, pictures by Peter Sis - This is a whole book of poems in the voice of different dragons. Some are silly or clever. The children enjoyed them all. The illustrations were adequate for the poems, though I prefer other illustrators to Sis. (library copy)

The Oxford Illustrated Book of American Children's Poems edited by Donald Hall - This is a wonderful anthology covering nearly all of America's historical periods. The illustrations vary, matched with contemporary poems. (library copy)

Is It Far to Zanzibar? Poems about Tanzania  by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Betsy Lewin - A delightful collection of poetry sharing life in the African country of Tanzania with wonderful illustrations.  This is a great book to include if you're Reading Around the World and want to cover Africa. (library copy)

Carnival of the Animals with new verses by Jack Prelutsky, illustrated by Mary GrandPre - We were revisiting poetry by Jack Prelutsky because my children enjoy his poems tremendously. This particular book is fun because it celebrates the Carnival of the Animals with new lyrics. It includes a CD of the music by Camille Saint-Saens. (library copy)

Earthshake: Poems from the Ground Up by Lisa Westberg Peters, pictures by Cathie Felstead - I loved this quirky book of geology poems, illustrated with bold colors and swirls. (library copy)

Goodnight Songs by Margaret Wise Brown is a book of twelve quiet poems illustrated by twelve different respected children's book illustrators like Jonathan Bean and Melissa Sweet. Tom Proutt and Emily Gary set each of the poems to music, available on the included CD. My children listened to the poems when I read them, enjoying the illustrations, but the younger ones loved the CD. They even asked me to add a couple of the songs to their playlist on Spotify. (library copy)

The Children's Own Longfellow, poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, which I wrote about here. (library copy, but now we have our own copy from  PaperBackSwap.com)

America the Beautiful in the Words of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow - an older book with photographs of different American scenes to illustrated some of Longfellow's poetry. The kids were not as interested in this book. (library copy, one which they no longer have)


The Cuckoo's Haiku: and Other Birding Poems by Micheal J. Rosen, illustrated by Stan Fellows, provides about seven poems about different birds for each of the seasons. I am not a good judge of haiku, but the illustrations are lovely examples of nature study journals. I loved this book of poems. (library copy)

My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States collected by Lee Bennett Hopkins - We finished the year with this book as a complement to First Daughter's third grade state study. We didn't quite finish it and picked it back up in the fall. I like this collection of poems that highlights a few characteristics of the areas of the United States. We've checked it out from the library numerous times, but now we have our own copy thanks to PaperBackSwap.com.

A Picture Book Basket on the Range

For the past few years, I've implemented what I call our Picture Book Basket. Each week, I load the basket with a handful of selected picture books. Each day, Second Daughter and Second Son (who are 7 and 5 this year), choose one book for me to read aloud to her or him. (Generally, other children crowd around as well.)

From the beginning, I was surprised at how books I expected to be immediate draws were left until the end of the week or not selected at all. I feel like I learn a bit more about the people Second Daughter and Second Son are by the books they choose, especially the ones they choose early in the week when there's a fresh batch of books.

A second advantage was a freedom to let picture books slide. In past years, I'd feel anxious about picture books I had scheduled that we did not have time to read together, but anxiety about reading picture books is not a productive homeschool anxiety, especially given the amount of other reading going on. With the Picture Book Basket, I'm able to read a picture book a day without worrying about reading every picture book.

I was also excited to have this method for ensuring the picture books I love on our shelves end up in front of my kids on occasion. Something about putting them in a smaller group facing outward just encourages more reading.

Finally, with three young readers in the house, I find myself reading fewer picture books. The kids read them independently, and even more often, the older ones read to the youngest. My picture book snuggle time is on a definite downward trajectory. The Picture Book Basket ensures I get a little time with each of the little ones every day. On the best days, he or she insists on sitting on my lap - it's the right of the one who chooses the book, of course.

Want a Picture Book Basket of your own? First, grab a sturdy box. I have an old one that's sturdy even if not the most aesthetically pleasing. (I tried to hide the worst of the peeling and discoloration in the photo.) Then, choose some picture books.

Picture Book Sources

• The Classics - These are the quintessential picture books you might find on the kinds of lists that tout the 100 picture books every child should read like this one, or this one, or this one. I'm not specifically suggesting these three; they were the first that came up in a Google search. These kinds of lists are ubiquitous. If you glance through a few, you're bound to come up with thirty you love and want to share with your kids, so make a list and put one per week in the basket. My choices tend to end up on the blog as favorite picture books.
• Library Finds - I'm constantly checking out new books at the library. When I find one I think the kids would like or that I'd like to share, it goes on this list. Because I'm a heavy-library-user, I ended up choosing two each week for this category. Sometimes we like them more after reading them and sometimes they never surface again. If you keep an eye on blogs like The Bleeding Pelican or Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, you'll have a steady stream of possibilities.
• Liturgical Year Books - Resources like Catholic Mosaic and modern Catholic publishing houses provide many wonderful picture books. When a feast day or a saint's day happens during a week, I put my favorite books in the Picture Book Basket. I happen to know the third grader often reads these and then puts them back in the basket.
• Reading Around the World in Picture Books - I've done this for years, selecting picture books set in a particular country or continent and reading them through the year. It's such a wonderful way to introduce children to other cultures and life all around the world. I often post our books on the blog and you can find them with the Reading Around the World tag.
• Bird Picture Books - Second Daughter loves birds. (I feel like I say that over and over on the blog, but it's true.) This year we started a bird study that will continue next year as The Burgess Bird Book for Children is long enough for an extended study. When I find a bird-featured picture book, I add it to the list and put one each week or so in the Picture Book Basket. These tend to be creative and fun rather than informative. I wouldn't expect another family to include specifically bird books, but you could consider featuring an animal or topic that particularly fascinates your children.
• History Picture Books - We use RC History's Connecting with History and there are often recommended picture books or ones I find at the library. If I find one that fits, I'll put it in the Picture Book Basket rather than scheduling a time to read it. American history in particular provides a plethora of choices.
• Math Picture Books - Inspired by Let's Play Math, I started adding math picture books to the basket as I find ones I think the little ones will enjoy. Second Son (age 5) seems to be particularly drawn to these.
• Science Picture Books - Over the years, I've found many picture books that align with the science my third and fourth grade students are studying. They're already in my lesson plans so I added them to the Picture Book Basket, too. 
• Random Other Books - In third grade, for example, my kids do a Kansas study, so this year we added a handful of Kansas books to our Picture Book Basket as they seemed appropriate. The picture books are listed at the end of this post. Sometimes, if I know a field trip is coming up and request a slew of related library books, I'll choose a few to put in the basket over the course of a few weeks. Basically, this category means: "It's my basket and I'll put what I want in it."

In theory, we could have a lot of books in our book basket, but in practice we don't have books from each category every week. At most, we'd read ten books a week (two books each day, one for each child), but we rarely go five days in a row when we get through every single lesson without a crisis or an appointment or a beautiful day that demands the five year old be outside rather than "doing lessons." On average, I'd say we read 6-8 books a week from the Picture Book Basket. Sometimes that's all of them but most weeks there are one or two left in the basket at the end of the week. Those get shelved with the other library books until they're due, so sometimes the kids end up reading them anyway.

February 2016 Book Reports

Herodotus and the Road to History by Jeanne Bendick is suggested as a family read-aloud for Connecting with History volume 1. I read it aloud to the children. They enjoyed it and it does give a glimpse into what Herodotus's life may have been like. (purchased copy, I think from the publisher which has fantastic sales if you follow them on facebook and wait patiently)

Pegeen - by Hilda van Stockum, read aloud to the children. Read my thoughts here. Sorry the sale has ended, but follow Bethlehem Books on facebook or get on the email list to be notified of the next tremendous sale. (ebook purchased for the Kindle, directly from the same publisher as above)

The Black Cauldron and The Castle of Llyr by LLoyd Alexander, are the second and third books in the Prydain chronicles. I enjoyed them and think First Son (12) and First Daughter (9) would as well. (library copies)

The Big Alfie and Annie Rose Storybook by Shirley Hughes. Alfie and Annie Rose books are mentioned on the Pre-K page at Mater Amabilis but we'd never read any of them. The last pages show Alfie turning five and Annie Rose is just a baby. Second Daughter (seven) and Second Son (five) loved these sweet stories of Alfie and Annie Rose just living life. I loved the wedding story that showed a black couple getting married with Alfie as the ring bearer. There's no mention of race in the text, just the illustrations depicting different races celebrating family life together. (library copy)

Don Camillo Takes The Devil by the Tail by Giovanni Guareschi, translated by Frances Frenaye, is the fourth book of Don Camillo available in English. This is a particularly wonderful book for discussions about discerning the ethics of actions in the world, rather than only theoretically (though of course it's fiction). There are plenty of examples of good people (maybe) doing the wrong thing and (maybe) bad people doing the right thing. (library copy)

The Children's Own Longfellow by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow - Read my thoughts here. (library copy)

Let's Play Math: How Families Can Learn Math Together and Enjoy It by Denise Gaskins - Read my thoughts here. Sorry, the giveaway has ended. (PDF version provided by the author)

It Happened In Yellowstone by Erin H. Turner is a young reader book of short stories about real things that happened in the area of Yellowstone National Park, beginning with the "Making of Wonderland" 600,000 years ago. I might read some of this book to my children before a planned trip to Yellowstone later this year, though I intend to skip three of the chapters I thought might make them more nervous than excited - about an Indian raid, a murder, and a deadly earthquake. There's nothing particularly gory or violent in those chapters; I just prefer to focus on the excitement of our trip rather than the dangers of it. The stories vary between animals, historical figures, and events in history. It's a good introduction to Yellowstone. (library copy)

String, Straight-Edge, and Shadow: The Story of Geometry by Julia E. Diggins, illustrated by Corydon Bell - Read my thoughts here. (purchased copy)

George Washington, Spymaster: How the Americans Outspied the British and Won the Revolutionary War by Thomas B. Allen - Read my thoughts here. (purchased copy)

Books in Progress (and date started)

• Norton Anthology of English Literature Vol 2 (sixth edition) (August 2014)
• For the Children's Sake: Foundations of Education for Home and School by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay (January 2015, with my Start Here book club)
• Humility of Heart by Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (February 2015)
• Towards A Philosophy of Education (Charlotte Mason's Original Homeschooling Series) by Charlotte Mason (May 2015, with my Start Here book club)
• Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child by Anthony Esolen (November 2015)
• Everything Must Change: When the World's Biggest Problems and Jesus' Good News Collide by Brian D. McLaren (December 2015) 
• Father Junipero Serra by Ivy Bolton (January 2016, aloud to the children) 
• City of Saints: A Pilgrimage to John Paul II's Kraków by George Weigel (February 2016)
• Mystery of the Roman Ransom by Henry Winterfield (February 2016, aloud to the children)
• The Story of the Treasure Seekers by E. Nesbit (February 2016, aloud to the children)

The italic print: Links to Amazon are affiliate links. As an affiliate with Amazon, I receive a small commission if you follow one of my links, add something to your cart, and complete the purchase (in that order).

Links to RC History are affiliate links.

Other links (like those to Bethlehem Books) are not affiliate links.

These reports are my honest opinions.

Reading Around the World in Picture Books 2013-2014: Central and South America

I'm behind on posting our selections for Reading Around the World in Picture Books. These are the books we read in 2013-2014 (two years ago!), when First Daughter was in first grade, Second Daughter was a five-year-old preschooler, and Second Son was three. First Son was in fourth grade, studying Central and South American in his People and Places studies. I selected picture books to coordinate with his studies. Even if he didn't snuggle up with us to hear the story (and sometimes he did), the books were floating around the house, perhaps offering additional inspiration for him.

** I've marked our favorites with two asterisks.

Unless otherwise noted, all of these books were library books.

** Erandi's Braids by Antonia Hernandez-Madrigal, illustrated by Tomie dePaola (Mexico), is the story of a young girl who sacrifices her beautiful hair so her mother can buy a new fishing net.

** Blue Frog: The Legend of Chocolate by Dianne De Las Casas, illustrated by Holly Stone-Barker (Mexico, Aztec), is a retelling of the myth of the blue frog that stole the secret of chocolate from the Sun God to impart it to the people on earth.

Abuela's Weave by Omar S. Castaneda, illustrated by Enrique O. Sanchez (Guatemala), shows a young girl who weaves beautiful fabrics with her grandmother then travels to the city to sell them for the benefit of the family.

Borreguita and the Coyote retold by Verna Aardema, illustrated by Petra Mathers (Mexico), tells of a lamb that escapes coyote's hunger through trickery and, in the end, surprising strength.

** Musicians of the Sun by Gerald McDermott (Aztec) is the tale of a gray world transformed by the release of the musicians of the sun. It's brilliant and stunning. A group of elementary students performed a version of the book using shadow puppets you can watch on YouTube.

The First Tortilla: A Bilingual Story by Rudolfo Anaya, illustrated by Amy Cordova (Mexico), relates the legend of a great famine. A young girl struggles on a quest to take a gift to the Mountain Spirit so it will send rain. This bilingual story has more text than some of the others. It also requires a bit of explanation about myths and gods of the people before they learned of Christianity, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

** Sopa de frijoles/Bean Soup and Arroz con leche/Rice Pudding: Un poema para cocinar/A Cooking Poem by Jorge Argueta, pictures by Rafael Yockteng (Bean Soup) and Fernando Vilela (Rice Pudding) (El Salvador), were wonderful additions to our study. I was excited to find anything from El Salvador because my sister-in-law was born and lived there until she was seven. These books are poems, written in English and Spanish, celebrating the food of El Salvador. Intermingled with the recipes are the kinds of comments and conversations that go on in homes where families cook together, talking of history and mythology and the world. There are a whole series of books by Jorge Argueta, Biligual Cooking Poems, all with different illustrators, presumably chosen to best reflect the style of the home country of the food.



Juan Bobo Goes to Work: A Puerto Rican Folk Tale retold by Marisa Montes, illustrated by Joe Cepeda (Puerto Rico), is one of many silly stories you can find of Juan Bobo whose foolishness benefits his family in the end.
 
** Tap-Tap by Karen Lynn Williams, illustrated by Catherine Stock
(Haiti), is a delightful tale of a young girl in Haiti who wants to ride the bus home. I always love the illustrations of Catherine Stock. Our library no longer has a copy of this book and I desperately want to buy one for our home library.

Josias, Hold the Book by Jennifer Riesmeyer Elvgren, illustrated by Nicole Tadgell (Haiti) - When a teacher has a book that can solve his agricultural problem, Josias convinces his father to let him attend school and "hold the book." The bean field resolution, while probably correct, is not convincingly told in the story, but it's interesting for American children to read about children in other countries who must struggle for the ability to go to school.

** A Gift of Gracias by Julia Alvarez, illustrated by Beatrix Vidal (Dominican Republic), is the Dominican legend of Our Lady of Altagracia. It's lovely and my girls always enjoy it. (owned)

** Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella by Robert D. San Souci, illustrated by Brian Pinkney (Creole / Martinique), is a Cinderella tale illustrated by the fantastic Pinkney. I love it, and so did my girls.

** Martina the Beautiful Cockroach retold by Carmen Agra Deedy, illustrated by Michael Austin (Cuba), is the story of a beautiful cockroach awaiting her suitors who receives unexpected advice from her abuela: to spill coffee on each one. Hilarity and wisdom!

Red Knot: A Shorebird's Incredible Journey by Nancy Carol Willis (spans North and South America), follows a single red knot on her round-trip journey from the southern tip of South America to the northern tip of North America and back again. (owned)

Miro in the Kingdom of the Sun by Jane Kurtz, woodcuts by David Frampton, (Inca) is the story of a young girl who saves her brother and the prince with courage and help from the birds, her friends. 

Chaska and the Golden Doll by Ellen Alexander (Peru) is based on the true story of Chaska, a young girl who longs to go to school but whose village school is too small to hold all of the children. When she finds an old Incan idol, she is allowed to decide what to do with it.

** My Name is Gabriela/Me llamo Gabriela by Monica Brown, illustrated by John Parra (Chile), is a story of Gabriela Mistral written in both English and Spanish. It is one of my favorite picture books.

Mia's Story, a sketchbook of hopes and dreams by Micheal Foreman (Chile, Andes Mountains) - Mia, a young girl whose village is essentially in a garbage dump, befriends a dog who runs away. While searching for him, she discovers a beautiful place high in the mountains and gathers armfuls of flowers to remind herself of it. She and her father then sell the flowers in the marketplace. The illustrations are wonderful though I imagine her home is less idyllic than the book shows. I like how the people are just people and the story isn't about poverty; it's exactly what it says: a story about Mia. I wonder, though, if the publisher and author/illustrator shared any of the proceeds with Mia's family.

 
** Love and Roast Chicken: A Trickster Tale from the Andes Mountains by Barbara Knutson (Andes Mountains) is a delightfully hilarious book in the trickster tradition. Cuy the Guinea Pig tricks the Fox. To escape his wrath, he ingratiates himself with the farmer but ends up in trouble again when he is caught by the farmer's trick. Will he escape a second time? The illustrations are rich and colorful, just as enjoyable as the story.

Mariana and the Merchild: A Folk Tale from Chile by Caroline Pitcher, illustrated by Jackie Morris (Chile), is a tale of a lonely woman who cares for a merchild. The merchild becomes a bond between her and the children of her people that comforts her when the merchild must return to the sea.

** Peter Claver, Patron Saint of Slaves/Pedro Claver, Santo Patrono de los Esclavos by Julia Durango, illustrations by Rebecca Garcia-Franco (Colombia), one of my favorite picture books, is about St. Peter Claver, a courageous example of dedicating your life to the poor and weak. (owned)

** The Pied Piper of Peru by Ann Tompert, illustrated by Kestutis Kasparavicius (Peru), tells the legend of how St. Martin de Porres led all the mice from his monastery without hurting any of them but to the satisfaction of the monks who were disinclined to live with mice. St. Martin de Porres is one of my absolute favorite saints and any Catholic family traveling around South America should read about him. Martin de Porres: The Rose in the Desert by Gary D. Schmidt and illustrated by David Diaz is another delightful book about the saint, one I learned of after our study (and which we now own). He's also one of the two saints on my favorite Glory Story audio CD. (I purchased this CD; this is not an affiliate link.) It's funny, even for parents, and neither of the saints featured is martyred for the faith. (Those stories are good, too, but they always make me cry.)

My Mama's Little Ranch on the Pampas by Maria Cristina Brusca tells of a young girl's experiences on the small ranch her mother buys and runs in Argentina. It's a companion to On the Pampas by the same author. Both of these books give a wonderful light-hearted look at the hard work on a Pampas ranch. We read My Mama's Little Ranch on the Pampas together and they read On the Pampas on their own.

Animal Poems of the Iguazú: Animalario del Iguazú poems by Francisco X. Alarcon, illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez (Argentina), is a wonderful book of bilingual poems written by the poet (mostly) while visiting the Iguazu Waterfalls. It was a fantastic addition to our study.

The Farmyard Jamboree by Margaret Read MacDonald, illustrated by Sophie Fatus (Chile), is the simple tale of animals. It was fun for the little ones to hear the different animal sounds. It's definitely better for younger children.


** Waiting for the Biblioburro by Monica Brown, illustrations by John Parra (Colombia), is another of my favorite picture books. We've read this book many times together. When First Son (now 12) saw it over my shoulder while I was writing this post, he asked me to request it from the library again.

So Say the Little Monkeys by Nancy Van Laan, pictures by Yumi Heo (Brazil), is an origin tale of tiny monkeys who live along the Amazon but never make a permanent home. Second Daughter loved this book. The rhyming text is full of noises and silly sounds, perfect for young listeners.

Over in the Jungle: A Rainforest Rhyme
 by Marianne Berkes, illustrated by Jeanette Canyon (rainforest) - It's Over in the Meadow, but in a rainforest, and not so beautifully illustrated (though I'm partial to Keats in general). This was nice for the little ones.

The Umbrella by Jan Brett (rainforest setting) is just as you'd expect from Jan Brett. The children enjoyed it.

Looking for Jaguar: And Other Rain Forest Poems by Susan Katz, pictures by Lee Christiansen (rainforest), is a book of poetry on animals of the rain forest. I enjoyed the illustrations in this book; they reminded me of paintings. A few pages at the end give more information on the animals.

Dancing Turtle: A Folktale from Brazil by Pleasant DeSpain, illustrated by David Boston (Brazil), is the tale of a turtle destined for soup who tricks a boy and his sister into helping her escape.

Mira and the Stone Tortoise: A Kulina Tale retold by Melinda Lilly, illustrated by Charles Reasoner (Brazil), is also a tale of a dancing turtle. I like both the text and the illustrations better in this version than in Dancing Turtle (above), but it's a lot of text for little ones.

We're Roaming in the Rainforest by Laurie Krebs and Anne Wilson (Amazon rainforest) shows a group of three differently-shaded children observing wildlife in the Amazonian rainforest. The brightly colored illustrations and rhyming text are well-suited to young listeners.

The Pot That Juan Built by Nancy Andrews-Ceobel, pictures by David Diaz (Mexico), is written in the same style as "The House that Jack Built." Longer text (in a smaller font) on each page gives a more developed biography of Juan Quezada, a potter who revived an ancient process and style. An afterward includes more details on the process and photographs of a beautiful completed pot.

A Mango in the Hand: A Story Told Through Proverbs by Antonio Sacre, illustrated by Sabastia Serra (unspecified country but Spanish-speaking), tells the story of Francisco and his quest to procure mangoes for his name-day feast. Proverbs (like "Better one mango in the hand than a hundred in the tree") appear throughout the story.

First Daughter will be in fourth grade next year, so we'll read many of these books again with the younger two. It will be fun to revisit them!

The italic print: Links to Amazon are affiliate links. As an affiliate with Amazon, I receive a small commission if you follow one of my links, add something to your cart, and complete the purchase (in that order). I like to use the little I earn on the blog to purchase birthday and Christmas gifts (so they'll really be from me).