Creating with Books: What are you hungry for?

What are you hungry for? Feed Your Tummy and your Heart by Emme

Eating is something we all do, but in this program we explored our intrinsic hungers as well as how we go about satisfying them. In this program we discussed emotional and creative"food". The story brought us the treat of an ice cream cone and comfort of a cozy hug; a hot dog and a silly smile at lunch; crunchy corn on the cob and a piggy back ride; the disappointment of striking out at bat and a reassuring pat from the coach not to mention the pizza party that cheers you up at the end. The story ties together these experiences and more in the daily life of a child.

I read the story Fat Cat ~ A Danish Folktale, retold by Margaret Reid MacDonald

The illustrations in this book are fantastic and I will be retelling it next month at

Storyvine, a story telling festival for students kindergarten through second grade. It is a

cumulative tale about a cat who "may be fat, but he's a hungry, hungry cat"

After he gobbles up everyone he encounters, including a wash woman, soldiers and a king riding an elephant, the cat "slip, slop, slurp" gobbles up his friend mouse too. The story has a humorous ending and reminds us that our hungers are not always rewarded by eating.

Plate Painting Craft

I ordered 24 white dinner plates from the Dollar Tree and picked them up at the store so

the shipping was free. The cost was $24.00 + tax. I highly recommend using their site. I know that I will use it again because it is such a time and money saver. I researched Sharpie plate painting and found that you could bake the plates for 20 minutes at 300 degrees and the marker in would set although the colors will become darker. If the plates are not baked the design will rub off in the wash. I did not bake the plates and let the children know that they were for decoration only. I did find that rubbing alcohol will remove the marker as well and we were able to erase mistakes during the craft. Here are the results.

I demonstrated drawing techniques. Outlining lighter shades help them pop, and working from light to dark allows you to layer colors. We looked plates and pictures of plates for design inspiration. There was a marker buffet with the display. I allowed the children to pick 3 colored Sharpies and one black or silver marker. I had several circular shapes for them to trace as well.