I Wish You More

FOR THE WEEKEND, share this title with your child. 

I Wish You More is appropriate for children of all ages.

Summary:
I Wish You More is a beautiful book brimming with love and hope from authour Amy Krouse Rosenthal and illustrator Tom Lichtenheld. Each page has a heartfelt statement that starts "I wish you more..." and whether it be ups than downs, umbrella than rain, or treasures than pockets, you can feel the love seeping through the pages. 

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Retelling:
After you read I Wish You More let your child take a turn retelling the story to you. Have them flip the pages and use the images as a guide to prompt their memory. If they ask questions, help them out, otherwise they are the leader this time!

Do this with your child:
Sadly Amy Krouse Rosenthal passed away this week. We would like to pay tribute to an amazing author, wonderful mother, and incredible human being. I Wish You More is filled with kind wishes and sweet sentiments to share with someone you love. Publisher Chronicle Books has called on their followers to keep sharing that love, saying of Amy 

She inspired us to want more for ourselves. More for our children, our families, our friends. More for the strangers at the bus stop and for the person who took our parking spot this morning.

So please be inspired by Amy; tell those around you what you wish for them. 

You can find Chronicle Book's tribute and pdf of the umbrella sheet here. Take a moment to fill one out with your child and share with #loveforamykrouserosenthal.

If you're interested in sharing I Wish You More with your child, along with a handful of other wonderful Amy Krouse Rosenthal titles, you can find it from Chronicle Books here. Please like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter & Instagram for more inspiration.

Click here to learn more about Raising A Reader and the work we do to promote early literacy and family engagement. 

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Te Amo I Love You

FOR THE WEEKEND, share this fun title with your child! 

Te Amo I Love You is appropriate for children age 2-8.

Summary:
Te Amo I Love You is a charming bilingual book celebrating the love between a parent and a child. The darling illustrations depict a variety of animals telling their young things that they love about each other. Calee M. Lee and Tricia Tharp capture the beautiful bond between parent and child that transcends all species.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Making Connections:
As you read Te Amo I Love You ask you child to try to make connections using the text and pictures. They will be using what they already know to become further involved with the reading. How does the text connect to them? How can they make connections between the text and other stories they've read? And can they make connections between the text and the world around them? Has your child ever made a pillow fort; have they read any other stories that have shooting stars; have they ever watched a dog enjoying a bone? All these things will get your child more invested in the story as they think of ways they can relate it to their own self and their experiences.

Do this with your child:
February is a month full of promoting love and friendship. Te Amo I Love You is full of different ways that a parent describes their love. Make a list with your child of ways that you love each other. Pick one item from your list and draw a picture to go along with that depiction.

If you're interested in sharing Te Amo I Love You with your child you can find it from Xist Publishing here. Please like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

The Giant Hug

FOR THE WEEKEND, share this fun title with your child! 

The Giant Hug is appropriate for children age 2-8.

Summary:
In The Giant Hug, written by Sandra Horning and illustrated by Valeri Gorbachev, Owen wants to send his Granny the perfect birthday gift in the mail, a GIANT hug. A drawing of a hug just won't do. You and your child will delight in the journey that this giant hug takes as each different postal worker opens their arms as wide as they possibly can to pass along Owen's hug for Granny.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Retelling/Chronological Order:
As you read The Giant Hug help your child pay attention to the order that the hug travels. Make a mental note of who or where the hug goes to after Owen passes it along at the post office. After reading, ask your child to retell you the story, trying their best to have the hug pass along the same order.

Do this with your child:
Owen is sending his Grandma a giant hug for her birthday. Since February is a month to promote friendship and love, make a list with your child of all the nice things we can do for our friends and loved ones. You can pick flowers for your teacher, or draw a picture for a sibling or classmate, you can bring a yummy snack to your grandparents, or give someone your own GIANT hug! Pick a few items on the list to complete together.

If you're interested in sharing The Giant Hug with your child you can find it from Dragonfly Books here. Please like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

For more on author Sandra Horning visit her website here. Like illustrator Valeri Gorbachev on Facebook.

The Giving Tree

FOR THE WEEKEND, share this fun title with your child! 

With our bellies stuffed from Thanksgiving and our hearts filled with love and gratitude from spending time with family and friends, December is a great month for us to help our little ones think about and engage in acts of giving. From giving physical things to giving their time to help others, December often represents a time for all of us to stop and help those in need. 

This month, RAR will suggest titles for families to share together that focus on the Gift of Giving. 

The Giving Tree is appropriate for all ages.

Summary:
"Once there was a tree... and she loved a little boy." So begins a story of unforgettable perception, beautifully written and illustrated by the gifted and versatile Shel Silverstein. Every day the boy would come to the tree to eat her apples, swing from her branches, or slide down her trunk... and the tree was happy. But as the boy grew older he began to want more from the tree, and the tree gave and gave.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Use Context Clues to Make Inferences:
Before you read The Giving Tree take a picture walk through the book with your child. The simple illustrations provide room for your child to make inferences and guesses as to what each page might hold. Have your child tell you what they think might be happening on the page. Start with the actual picture, there may be a tree and a boy. Take it further by asking what the boy is doing. Is he climbing, playing, picking apples. Then, as a more complex step for older children, ask your child if the boy looks happy, sad, tired, older. Ask if the tree looks happy, lonely, sad, proud. 

Do this with your child:
The tree is willing to give the boy everything that she has. She loves the boy and it makes her happy to share with him. Help your child make a list of the people who give to them. Then make another list of ways that your child can be more giving. We don't have to give everything we have to help other people but think of some ways that we can help.

For access to fun and silly activities relating to The Giving Tree and other Shel Silverstein titles, check out his website here.

If you're interested in sharing The Giving Tree with your child you can find it from Harper Collins Publishers here. Please like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Limited Edition Ruby the Reader Ornament 

During the Season of Giving, support Raising A Reader through the purchase of this one-of-a-kind Ruby the Reader ornament by Christopher Radko. While Supplies Last! All Proceeds benefit Raising A Reader. Click here to order.