Book Bag: January

Erik's been loving Frankenstein stories (we found a Frankenstein toy in a cache recently...) and Madeline requested Suse MacDonald's Alphabatics again after seeing it at Gavino's house. We've also been pleased with the second series of the Signing Time DVDs featuring Rachel de Azevedo Coleman. ****Our faves are marked as usual...

1. Freckleface Strawberry and the dodgeball bully / Julianne Moore ****Love how she deals with a bully using her imagination
2. Papa is a pirate : the biggest, the strongest, and the bravest / Katharina Grossmann-Hensel ****LOVE this one! Now the kids aren't sure about Joel...
3. Freckleface Strawberry / Julianne Moore ****LOVE her freckles and how this one turns out. Good resolution.
4. The end / by David LaRochelle ****This "backwards" story was silly and fun
5. We are extremely very good recyclers / characters created by Lauren Child
6. Alphabatics / Suse Macdonald ****Letters morph into a picture beginning with each letter of the alphabet... acrobatically (and imaginatively) - we've had this one out a few times, it's a fave!
7. Dracula and Frankenstein are friends / by Katherine Tegen
8. Pinkalicious / written by Victoria Kann and Elizabeth Kann ****Love this one. We made the cupcakes again too. Fun!! And, we talked about how silly it is not to love green stuff.
9. Do not build a Frankenstein! / by Neil Numberman ****E loves this one.
10. Scooby-doo! and the Frankenstein monster / written by James Gelsey
11. Ish / Peter H. Reynolds ****My fave - see previous review.
12. Night shift / by Jessie Hartland ****Great intro to some night shift occupations.
13. The Kissing Hand Audrey Penn
14. Scarecrow by Cynthia Rylant ****LOVE Cynthia Rylant, and especially this peaceful view of a scarecrow's life. A nice look at birds too. And, beautiful illustrations.

DVDs:

1. Signing time. Series two, volume 11, Once upon a time
2. Signing time. Series two, volume 12. Box of crayons
3. Signing time!. Series 2, volume 10, Helping out around the house/Two Little hands Prod. by Emilie de Azevedo Brown, Rachel de Azevedo Coleman Suse MacDonald****LOVE these - clear, fun, and a great teaching method - makes it really easy to remember the signs!
4. The Flintstones. The complete second season ****A nice blast from the past, and view into how far animation has come!