Children Born in 2009

Summary of Book
Follow Dimity Duck, a fun-loving, adventurous duckling through her day, from the time she wakes up until she goes back to bed. Dive with her into the pond, come along as she plays with her new friend, and then say good night to Dimity Duck as she returns home to rest. 

Before Reading
Ask questions to use what your child already knows to help him/her understand and enjoy book:

• Ask: "What is a duck?" Then point to Dimity Duck on the cover if help is needed.
• If it is bedtime, ask: "Do you remember what you did today?" Then go through the child's day, naming the major events, from waking up until the present time.
• Turn to the back cover, point to the frog, and ask: "Who is on the back of the book?" (Answer: "a frog")
• Point to Dimity Duck and ask: "Does this look like a grown-up duck or a baby duck?" (Answer: "a baby duck"). Then ask: "What is a baby duck called?" (Answer: "a duckling") 

During Reading
Ask questions while you are reading to promote discussion:

• (page 1) "What time of day is it here?" (Answer: "morning")
• (pages 7 - 8) "What is Dimity Duck doing in these pictures?" (Answer: "swimming")
• (page 14) "What is wrong with Dimity Duck?" (Answer: "She is crying. She is sad because she cannot find her friend, the frog.") 

After Reading
Ask these questions and create these activities to extend the book experience

• "Who is Dimity Duck's friend?" (Answer: "Frog")
• "At the end of the book, Dimity goes to bed. Why does she go to bed?" (Answer: "It is night time, and she is tired.")

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Summary of Book
Panda Whispers is about a father reading his child a story. The book shows different animals with their babies. Each animal offers words of encouragement in whispers. 

Before Reading
Ask questions to use what your child already knows to help him/her understand and enjoy book:

• Tell me about some animals you know. Which are your favorites? Why?
• Name some different places where animals live.
• Are some animals scary? Cute? Nice? Why?
• Do animals sleep at night or in the day? Why? 

During Reading
Ask questions while you are reading to promote discussion:

• Point at the picture of the ocean.
• Point to where the otter and her pup sleep.
• Point to the whispering cheetah. 

After Reading
Ask these questions and create these activities to extend the book experience

• Ask your child to name the animals he/she remembers from the book.
• Have your child point to an animal in the book and ask him/her what sound the animal makes.
• Ask your child to identify colors of the animals.

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Book Title: ABC Look At Me
Author: Roberta Grobel Intrater

Summary of Book
This is a wonderful book for teaching a child the alphabet. The book starts with A and ends with Z, showing children an example of a mood that each letter stands for. It starts out with “A is for angry” and ends with “Z is for zany”.

Before Reading
Take a “picture walk” through the book, looking at the pictures and talking about the faces of the babies and what they are doing.

During Reading
Ask questions while you are reading to promote discussion: 

• Ask your child to point to a particular picture on the page. (Where is Bashful Baby with her hands over her eyes?)
• Ask your child to mimic the actions of the babies. (Can you send a Loving kiss?)
• Relate your child’s experience to the pictures. (Ouch – he has a boo-boo. Where is your boo-boo?)

After Reading
Sing the alphabet song at the end of the book and shout hooray with your child!

Point out letters in the environment – in your home (cereal boxes, on toys, magazines, etc.) and as you go out in the community.

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Summary of Book
A young girl is upset because she cannot skip. The other children she knows can skip really well. She shows her dog that she can leap, creep, twirl, skate, slurp, burp, blow bubbles, whistle, somersault, and hop. Since she can hop her mother tells her to hop on one foot and then the other, and that's skipping. Her mother shows her how to do it, and then she tries it for herself. She is a great skipper!

Before Reading
Ask questions to use what your child already knows to help him/her understand and enjoy book:

• Show me how you hop.
• What are some of the ways you can move your body?
• Is the girl in the book inside or outside?

During Reading
Ask questions while you are reading to promote discussion:

• Can you show me the trees?
• What sound does a dog make?
• Can you point to the school building?
• Do you have a dog or some other kind of pet? What is his/her name?

After Reading
Ask these questions and create these activities to extend the book experience:

• Did you see a cat or a dog in the book? Show me both.
• What color is the little girl's shirt? (yellow)
• Can you point to some of the bubbles? (pg.8)