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.

Aaaarrgghh! Spider!

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

 Aaaarrgghh! Spider! is appropriate for all children.

Summary:
Why doesn't this family seem to want a spider as a pet? Aaaarrgghh! Spider! from author and illustrator Lydia Monks is told from the perspective of a friendly spider who just wants to be a family pet and makes a pretty decent argument for her case. Follow her as she captures the hearts (and flies) of one reluctant family. 

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Compare and Contrast:
While you read Aaaarrgghh! Spider!, find the similarities and differences between the types of pets in the story. This can also be reflected in your child's own life. Does your child have a pet, how is their pet the same or different from a pet spider? If your child does not have a pet, Aaaarrgghh! Spider! can be a window for your child to talk about what kind of qualities in pet they might want.  

Do this with your child:
The timing is perfect for Aaaarrgghh! Spider! since tomorrow is Halloween! Take the opportunity to find and count how many spiders are in the story, and compare that to how many they can find outside (real or decorations.) Just don't get too close!

If you're interested in sharing Aaaarrgghh! Spider! with your child you can find it from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt here.

Follow Lydia Monks on Twitter.