Blog Feed: The Book Chook

Make a Video with Kids at Pixorial

Published on 2013-05-23 14:00:01

Making movies with kids is a wonderful learning activity. Children get to develop communication skills, think creatively and critically, and express themselves via digital media. I value any opportunities for kids to develop digital literacy skills i

Children's Book Review, Night Watch

Published on 2013-05-21 14:00:00

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Night Watch is a children's picture book written by Phil Cummings, illustrated by Janine Dawson and published by Working Title Press (2013.) Giraffe, Elephant, Hippo and Baboon all

Have Fun with Fungooms

Published on 2013-05-19 14:00:04

Have Fun with Fungooms by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Lots of parents I know try to balance the amount of screen time their kids get. I think that's an excellent idea. Sometimes kids lives are so switched on, or so full of extra-cur

Children's Book Review, Once Upon a Slime

Published on 2013-05-14 14:00:04

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Once Upon a Slime was written by Andy Griffiths, illustrated by Terry Denton and published by Pan Macmillan (2013). - Have you ever wondered where ideas come from and how stories a

Create Stories at Storyboard That

Published on 2013-05-12 14:00:00

Create Stories at Storyboard That by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Storyboard That offers an online place for kids to create digital stories. Its main purpose is as a visual aid for communicators e.g. in the business area, but i

Why Reading Really is Magic

Published on 2013-05-09 14:00:00

Why Reading Really is Magic by Mem Fox Reading is magical because it brings parents and children together for fun, bonding and giggles. It also helps promote a children’s brain, social and language development. Reading aloud to young children,

Children's Book Review, Arkie Sparkle, Treasure Hunter: Tick Tock

Published on 2013-05-07 14:00:04

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Arkie Sparkle, Treasure Hunter: Tick Tock was written by Petra James and published by Pan Macmillan Australia (2013.) 7 treasures 
7 continents
 7 days
 7 books 
6 ch

Switch Kids On to Reading and Writing

Published on 2013-05-05 14:00:00

Switch Kids On to Reading and Writing by Brian Rock As a former teacher and current parent, I’ve had experience in introducing kids to reading and writing. And while there’s no magic potion that works for all kids, I’ve learned that oftenti

Learning Activities for The Wrong Book

Published on 2013-05-02 23:17:40

Learning Activities for The Wrong Book by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com As I mentioned last week, 11.00 am on May 22 is National Simultaneous Story Time in Australia, when hordes of eager kids and adults share a picture book in libraries,

Children's Book Review and Giveaway, Nanny Piggins and the Race to Power

Published on 2013-04-30 14:00:05

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com I love books that lure kids onto the magical pathway to reading by offering humour and entertainment, don't you?

Let's Celebrate Star Wars Day!

Published on 2013-04-28 14:00:02

Let's Celebrate Star Wars Day!

National Simultaneous Story Time 2013

Published on 2013-04-25 15:53:03

National Simultaneous Story Time 2013 by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com What is National Simultaneous Story Time? National Simultaneous Storytime ... is organised by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). It is

Children's Book Review, Interrupting Chicken

Published on 2013-04-23 14:00:05

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Interrupting Chicken is a children's picture book by David Ezra Stein, published by Walker Books (2013). It's time for the little red chicken's bedtime story and a reminder from Pa

Fun with Avatars

Published on 2013-04-21 14:00:01

Fun with Avatars

Activities for Children's Book Week, 2013

Published on 2013-04-18 14:00:03

We're getting close to that time of year in Australia when all who love reading and children's books have a huge celebration known as Children's Book Week. School and public libraries will be offering all sorts of activities and fun according to thi

Children's Book Review, Lighthouse Girl

Published on 2013-04-16 14:00:02

Children's Book Review by Rebecca Newman Lighthouse Girl by Dianne Wolfer, illustrated by Brian Simmonds, published by Fremantle Press (2009). Review edition is a hardback ISBN

Three iPad Apps that Encourage Creativity

Published on 2013-04-14 14:00:06

Three iPad Apps that Encourage Creativity

Producing Visual Content Online with Kids

Published on 2013-04-11 14:00:01

Producing Visual Content Online with Kids by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com In Visual Literacy - Investigate and Play with Images, I re-stated my belief that picture books are a great format for developing early visual literacy skills,

Children's Book Review, An Anzac Tale

Published on 2013-04-09 14:00:05

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com An Anzac Tale is a graphic picture book, written by Ruth Starke, illustrated by Greg Holfield, and published by Working Title Press (Penguin) 2013. When Australia pledges its suppo

LEGO DC Universe Superheroes Comic Builder

Published on 2013-04-07 14:00:02

LEGO DC Universe Superheroes Comic Builder by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Here's an engaging comic editor that will delight young LEGO fans. They'll have fun, express themselves and have opportunities for creative thinking, writing, de

How Do Kids Not Write a Book Review

Published on 2013-04-04 13:00:03

How Do Kids Not Write a Book Review by Susan Stephenson The most successful article on The Book Chook in terms of traffic is How Do Kids Write a Book Review, which according to Blogger, has had 120 000 page views. Because I'm aware that with

Children's Book Review, The Treasure Box

Published on 2013-04-02 13:00:03

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com With Anzac Day approaching on April 25 (a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand), the thoughts of many parents, teachers and librarians will turn to books we can

Visual Literacy - Investigate and Play with Images

Published on 2013-03-31 13:05:10

Visual Literacy - Investigate and Play with Images by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Our world is becoming more complex visually. We must help kids think critically about what they see. (We also need to help them develop the skills

Looking Back to January, February, March 2012

Published on 2013-03-28 13:00:06

Looking Back to January, February, March 2012 by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Towards the end of each month in 2012, I revisited popular posts from 2011. Not only did that mean new readers of the blog might find something useful other

Children's Book Review, China: Land of Dragons and Emperors

Published on 2013-03-26 13:00:05

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com China: Land of Dragons and Emperors was written by Adeline Yen Mah and published by Allen and Unwin (2008). Do you know why the opening time for the Beijing Olympics was set at 8.0

Tell Stories with Bubblr

Published on 2013-03-24 13:00:05

Tell Stories with Bubblr by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com I wrote about Bookr, one of Pimpampum's editors, in Have Fun and Develop Literacy Skills with Bookr. I mentioned Bubblr,

Early Learning HQ - Great Learning Resources

Published on 2013-03-21 13:00:04

Early Learning HQ - Great Learning Resources

Children's Book Review, Meet Ned Kelly

Published on 2013-03-19 13:00:05

Children's Book Review by guest reviewer, Barbara Braxton Meet... Ned Kelly is a children's picture book written by Janeen Brian, illustrated by Matt Adams and published by Random House (2013). Review edition is a hardback, RRP $19.95, ISBN: 9781

Set Your Stories Free with Haiku Deck

Published on 2013-03-17 13:00:06

Set Your Stories Free with Haiku Deck by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com What I look for in iPad apps I'm looking for iPad apps that kids can use in an educational way. Some will be free; some will be reasonably-priced. I'm particularly

Letter to the Book Chook - Pre-school at Home

Published on 2013-03-14 13:00:02

Letter to the Book Chook - Pre-school at Home

Children's Books Review, The Adventures of Nanny Piggins

Published on 2013-03-12 16:53:10

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com The Adventures of Nanny Piggins is a children's novel by R.A. Spratt, published by Random House Books Australia. The publisher recommends the book for primary-aged children. (Excitin

Questions to Promote Visual Literacy

Published on 2013-03-10 13:00:03

Questions to Promote Visual Literacy by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Visual literacy fascinates me. Articles I've written about it include: Visual Literacy Activities with Children's Picture Books Visual Literacy Activities with Onl

Reading: It's Not Just Books

Published on 2013-03-07 12:00:03

Children's Book Review, The Smallest Bilby and the Easter Tale

Published on 2013-03-05 12:00:04

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Just in time for Easter, and for World Read Aloud Aloud Day March 6, 2013, here's a suggestion for a delightful children's picture book. The Smallest Bilby and the Easter Tale was wr

Play Guessing Games with Kids

Published on 2013-03-03 12:00:02

Play Guessing Games with Kids by Susan Stephenson A few weeks ago, I reviewed The Carnival of the Animals, a wonderful children's picture book that's also a guessing game. It made me think about guessing games and how they're a great way to

Children's Book Review, Lost and Found

Published on 2013-02-26 12:00:04

Here's a book review from children's literature lover and teacher, Sue Stirling. Lost and Found was written and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers, and published by HarperCollins (2005.) I'm always amazed by the talent of authors who illustrate thei

Fractured Fairy Tales

Published on 2013-02-24 12:00:03

Fractured Fairy Tales by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Yay! Tomorrow is Fairy Tale Day! Further to my post last week, Let's Celebrate Fairy Tale Day - with its free PDF booklet and worksheet for kids! - today I want to fracture some fai

Let's Celebrate Fairy Tale Day!

Published on 2013-02-21 12:00:04

Let's Celebrate Fairy Tale Day!

Children's Book Review, This is Not My Hat

Published on 2013-02-19 12:00:01

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com This is Not My Hat was written and illustrated by Jon Klassen, and published by Candlewick Press (2012). My gorgeous hardback copy came from Walker Books Australia. When a tiny fis

Tell Stories with Animation at make it share it

Published on 2013-02-17 12:00:02

Tell Stories with Animation at make it share it by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com You can create both drawings and animations at make it share it. It has a great colour palette. Sadly, there is no fill tool, but there's a good range of

Create Interactive Images with ThingLink

Published on 2013-02-14 12:00:08

Create Interactive Images with ThingLink by Susan Stephenson

Children's Book Review, Monsieur Albert rides to glory

Published on 2013-02-12 12:00:07

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Here's an unusual children's picture book. Monsieur Albert rides to glory was written by Peter Smith, illustrated by Bob Graham and published by Allen and Unwin (2012.) Why is it u

Let's Celebrate Library Lovers Day!

Published on 2013-02-10 12:00:02

Let's Celebrate Library Lovers Day! by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com February 14 is coming soon, commonly celebrated as Valentine's Day. But did you know it's also Library Lovers Day and International Book Giving Day? (It was Library Lover

Encourage Children's Speaking with Voki

Published on 2013-02-07 12:00:02

Encourage Children's Speaking with Voki

Children's Book Review, The Carnival of the Animals

Published on 2013-02-05 12:00:05

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com The Carnival of the Animals was written and illustrated by Marianne Dubuc and re-published by Little Hare, an imprint of Hardie Grant Egmont (2012.) It was originally published in

Let's Celebrate Digital Learning Day!

Published on 2013-02-03 12:00:04

Let's Celebrate Digital Learning Day! by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Digital Learning Day is February 6 in the USA. (Thank you @CHRasco for letting me know!) I'm adopting it as a special day here at The Book Chook too, because digital l

Using Comic Editors with Kids

Published on 2013-01-31 12:00:08

Using Comic Editors with Kids by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com If you're a regular reader here at The Book Chook blog, you know I love what comics and comic editors offer kids. To celebrate the launch of my newly renovated website, ww

Children's Book Review, Good Night, Sleep Tight

Published on 2013-01-29 12:00:09

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com As President of my local chapter of the Mem Fox Fan Club, I'm so excited to share this charming children's picture book with you. Good Night, Sleep Tight was written by Mem Fox,

Children's iPad App, Strip Designer

Published on 2013-01-27 12:00:03

Children's iPad App Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Strip Designer $2.99 via iTunes Website Screen shot from website I'm genuinely excited about the potential for self-expression and creativity in the iPad app, Strip Desig

Book Chook Favourites - Ice Breakers

Published on 2013-01-24 12:18:15

An "ice breaker" is what we call an activity or game that can serve to help group members feel more at ease with each other. Ice breakers can work well with any new group, whether kids or adults. Here are two of my favourites. Two Truths and a Lie

Children's Book Review, 101 Things to do with Baby

Published on 2013-01-22 12:00:08

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com 101 Things to do with Baby is a children's picture book by Jan Ormerod, recently re-published by Little Hare, an imprint of Hardie Grant Egmont (2012.) I have previously reviewed Orm

Get More Bang for your Buck with Kidlit

Published on 2013-01-20 12:00:04

Children's literature ("kidlit" for short) can be expensive, so it makes sense to get as much out of books with our kids as we can. By using a book as the focus for other activities, kids' learning and literacy skills are extended, we get more value

Children's Writing - Make a Book at Batalugu

Published on 2013-01-17 12:00:03

Batalugu is a new website offering kids the opportunity to create their own books. You can try it without joining, but joining is free. You only pay if you want to order actual print copies of books. Once you log in, you'll see a simple unclutt

Children's Book Review, Tree

Published on 2013-01-15 12:00:04

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Tree is a children's picture book written by Danny Parker, illustrated by Matt Ottley and published by Little Hare, an imprint of Hardie Grant Egmont (2012.) A sapling grows in th

Coming Soon: International Book Giving Day

Published on 2013-01-13 12:00:04

Have you ever noticed how often the best ideas are also the simplest? International Book Giving Day on February 14 is simple AND effective. I want to tell you about it now to give you several weeks to prepare and discuss it with your kids. Internat

Ten Creative and Fun Ideas with LEGO

Published on 2013-01-10 12:00:02

It's around that time in Australia when kids roam about looking for something enthralling to occupy them. Yes, it's the middle of the school holidays here in the southern hemisphere. If the charm of holidays is beginning to pall, or like me you bel

Children's iPad App, Night Zookeeper Drawing Torch

Published on 2013-01-08 12:00:03

Children's iPad App Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Night Zookeeper Drawing Torch Free via iTunes Website I've been researching iPad apps for kids that encourage creative thinking and learning, and will review them here ove

Looking Back to December 2011

Published on 2012-12-20 12:00:08

Towards the end of each month in 2011, I revisited some articles I'd written in 2009 and 2010. Not only did that mean new readers of the blog might find something useful otherwise buried in the archives, but it also reminded me of content I could ref

Children's Book Review, Topsy-Turvy World

Published on 2012-12-18 12:00:09

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Can you imagine being one of the first Europeans to arrive in Australia? Your eyes would surely have goggled to see a kangaroo bounding along, and the laughter of a kookaburra might

Children's Book Review, Diary of a Wombat

Published on 2012-12-16 12:00:04

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com I don't usually bring you book reviews on a Monday. But with the lead-up to Christmas and the holidays almost upon us, I wanted to make sure you knew about this little beauty. It's D

Biff! Zap! Pow! Using Comic Editors for Education

Published on 2012-12-13 12:00:08

If you've been a reader of The Book Chook for a while, you'll no doubt have noticed that I love opportunities some websites and software give our kids to create and express themselves. For me, Comic Editors are right up there with Image Editors and o

Children's Book Review, Wreck the Halls

Published on 2012-12-11 12:00:06

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Here's a perfectly timed book choice for the festive season. Wreck the Halls was written by Meg McKinlay and published by Walker Books (2012.) It's one of the Lightning Strikes serie

Christmas Gift Ideas for Kids

Published on 2012-12-09 21:52:50

With Christmas just around the corner, I've been on the lookout for gift ideas that will sneak a little extra creativity or learning into kids' lives. When you're thinking about Christmas gift ideas for kids, of course you can't go past books. To add

The All-singing All-dancing Christmaspalooza Resource Hamper (3)

Published on 2012-12-06 12:00:06

This week at The Book Chook is dedicated to bringing you some ideas for Christmas-themed activities you can try with your kids and students. On Monday, I brought you The All-singing All-dancing Christmaspalooza Resource Hamper(1). On Wednesday, I bro

The All-singing All-dancing Christmaspalooza Resource Hamper (2)

Published on 2012-12-04 12:00:00

This week at The Book Chook is dedicated to bringing you some ideas for Christmas-themed activities to try with your kids and students. On Monday, I brought you The All-singing All-dancing Christmaspalooza Resource Hamper(1).

The All-singing All-dancing Christmaspalooza Resource Hamper (1)

Published on 2012-12-02 12:00:01

Kids and Christmas go together like plum pudding and custard, don't they? But the holiday season doesn't mean we forget about trying to sneak some learning and creativity into kids' lives. In fact, holidays are often a time when we have the leisure t

Looking Back to November 2011

Published on 2012-11-29 12:00:05

Towards the end of each month in 2011, I revisited some articles I'd written in 2009 and 2010. Not only did that mean new readers of the blog might find something useful otherwise buried in the archives, but it also reminded me of content I could ref

Children's Book Review, Eddie Pipper

Published on 2012-11-27 12:00:01

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Eddie Pipper was written by Janeen Brian, illustrated by Emma Stuart and published by New Frontier as part of the Little Rockets series. The series is "fast-paced junior fiction for

Writing Letters with Kids

Published on 2012-11-25 12:00:03

Post letters; not chooks! Letter writing with your kids is an excellent way to promote some valuable one-on-one learning. It gives you an opportunity to share reasons for communicating via letters, as well as areas of discussion about a range of let

Prepare for Christmas with Disney Prep and Landing Photo Mashup!

Published on 2012-11-22 12:00:02

When it gets to late November, many teachers and parents look for something creative their kids can do, something that also builds a little Christmas spirit. If you're okay with holly, not holy, check out the Disney Prep and Landing Photo Mashup. P

Children's Book Review, Figaro and Rumba and the Crocodile Cafe

Published on 2012-11-20 12:00:01

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Sometimes, when kids take off with reading, when all that decoding and picking up contextual cues clicks into place (Yay!), we can mistakenly believe they shouldn't be reading books

Let's Use Chants and Rhymes with Kids

Published on 2012-11-18 12:00:05

Chants and rhymes are a wonderful thing to share with

Why Kids Don’t Like to Read and What to Do About It - Guest Post

Published on 2012-11-15 12:00:08

Why Kids Don’t Like to Read and What to Do About It by Melissa Taylor Oh, the lessons I have learned as a parent. Like your kids won’t be just like you. And that means, they may not arrive on this earth loving to read. (Just one of the many

Children's Book Review, Chook Chook: Mei's Secret Pets

Published on 2012-11-13 12:00:04

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Can you guess what sold me on this chapter book for younger readers? With a name like Chook Chook, how could a Book Chook resist? Chook Chook: Mei’s Secret Pets by Wai Chim was pub

Helping Kids Find Books

Published on 2012-11-11 12:00:01

If your child is a good reader, most people would think that cause for celebration. But sometimes, finding books for those readers is difficult. Books aren't cheap, especially if you want quality. And many parents want to filter book choice through a

Children's Writing - More Tips for Young Writers

Published on 2012-11-08 12:00:04

Writers need to be story detectives, always on the alert for story ideas. People often ask adult writers how they get started, and many explain that their ideas come from all over. The important thing is to listen and observe, staying on the lookout

Children's Book Review, Millie's Special Something

Published on 2012-11-06 12:00:07

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com We all have something special about us, something that makes us uniquely who we are. But we're not always aware of what that Special Something is. Here's a children's picture book th

Cambridge English Online's Cartoon Makers

Published on 2012-11-04 12:00:03

At Cambridge English Online, you can make strip cartoons in their Cartoon Maker Zone or Superhero Cartoon Maker. If you choose Cartoon Maker Zone, you can get started on your new cartoon by deciding on 1, 2 or 4 frames. Then it's time to add elemen

Get Creative at Muzy

Published on 2012-11-01 13:00:03

Muzy says it's a new kind of blog for our creative side. It's chock full of apps that enable us to edit images. Kids will have fun here, and learn lots too. Muzy (pronounced "Mew-zee") is a new kind of blog for creative and visual people, where

Children's Book Review, Edge of the World

Published on 2012-10-30 13:00:00

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Sometimes when you have a vital interest in children's education, you need a picture book that is more than a story. If you're looking for one with lyrical language that can teach and inspire kids, check out Edge of the World. It was written by Ian Trevaskis, illustrated by Wayne Harris and published by Walker Books (2012). Nobody smiled in the village near the edge of the world. The wind blew cold, snow lay thick on the grou [..]

Looking Back to October 2012

Published on 2012-10-28 13:00:01

Towards the end of each month in 2011, I revisited some articles I'd written in 2009 and 2010. Not only did that mean new readers of the blog might find something useful otherwise buried in the archives, but it also reminded me of content I could refer to when I wrote new articles. And here it is October 2012! Let's browse through some popular posts from last October. They seem to be dominated by articles about children's writing! Don't forget you can use the right sidebar here at The Book Choo [..]

Start Kids Writing with Fun Image Editors

Published on 2012-10-25 13:00:00

By playing with words and images, our kids have opportunities to be creative, solve problems, make decisions, make inferences, and develop literacy and computer skills. They will practise creating characters, plot and settings, and getting those elements into the right sequence to tell stories. The most wonderful part is that they'll have fun, and learn to associate fun with the act of creating and communicating. (Has to be better than staring blank-eyed at the TV!) I've riffed on this theme be [..]

Children's Book Review, Heather Fell in the Water

Published on 2012-10-23 13:00:05

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Doug MacLeod and Craig Smith are a brilliant writer/illustrator partnership. Smith illustrated MacLeod's Sister Madge's Book of Nuns

Let's Make Bookmarks with Kids!

Published on 2012-10-21 13:00:03

I really like the way making bookmarks is something that links kids who enjoy crafts to reading and children's literature. I talked about this before in Link Reading and Craft with Bookmarks, where I gave several examples of bookmark projects. Making bookmarks is a fun activity to use in the library, perhaps as a practical break during a read-a-thon, at home, or in the classroom. Today I'd like to share some more resources and ideas for making bookmarks. One great way to have kids focus on lit [..]

Disney's Phineas and Ferb Comic Creator

Published on 2012-10-18 13:00:02

Do you know Disney's cartoon, Phineas and Ferb? I don't, but that didn't stop me enjoying making a comic with Disney's Phineas and Ferb Comic Creator! Apparently it's a cartoon on the Disney Channel. The three main characters seem to be Phineas, Ferb and Perry. The Comic Creator is a lovely bright and clear interface, with a short guide to the process of creating a digital story there. Kids need to choose a template of panels, backgrounds, characters and speech bubbles by dragging and dropping [..]

Children's Book Review, Sister Madge's Book of Nuns

Published on 2012-10-16 13:00:08

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com When I taught Year 6, I was lucky to have kids who shared my enthusiasm for poetry. Or did my enthusiasm rub off on them? Perhaps a bit o' both. They knew they could delay lessons they disliked by begging me to read "just one more". And one of our class favourites was definitely Sister Madge's Book of Nuns. Now this sturdy hardback is back by popular demand, and I am delighted to be able to share it with you. Sister Madge's Book [..]

Let's Vary Kids' Reading and Writing Diet

Published on 2012-10-14 13:00:02

Just the way a varied food diet aids optimal physical health, I believe a varied educational diet is best for kids. With literacy, that means I advocate children having a range of formats and genres to read, and that they try writing in different formats and styles too. Reading Do your kids have access to a wide range of reading material? Fiction and non-fiction books can be found at your local and school library, as well as in book stores and charity shops. Letting kids choose their own book [..]

From Librarian to Author - Guest Post

Published on 2012-10-11 13:00:02

From Librarian to Author by Sharon McGuinness For the last 30 years as both a public librarian and teacher librarian, I have read countless books aloud to children. It’s still one of my most important and enjoyable roles. To be able to see children connect with a book, be immersed in its story until the end and reflect upon it afterwards gives me great satisfaction. As a teacher librarian, I aim to increase their knowledge, confidence and skills in reading themselves, but being able to fos [..]

Children's Book Review, In the Lion

Published on 2012-10-09 13:00:06

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com If you're looking for a fun new children's picture book to buy and put aside for Christmas, look no further! In the Lion was written and illustrated by James Foley, and published by Walker Books (2012.) In the city there's a zoo. And in the zoo there's a lion. And in the lion there's ... In the Lion has elements of the cumulative story, as the lion gets greedier and fatter, swallowing a parade of characters. My favourite is r [..]

Online Places We Can Draw

Published on 2012-10-07 13:00:02

I love the number of websites that provide a place for kids (and adults!) to draw. If you have a portable device such as an iPad, there are lots of apps that do this too. But today, I'd like to tell you about a couple of online spaces for drawing. DoSketch DoSketch has a nice uncluttered interface that consists of a white canvas, with colour palette, sizer, and toolbar to the side. The toolbar has a text feature, filled circles and rectangles that can change colour, empty circles and rect [..]

Let's Celebrate Mad Hatter Day

Published on 2012-10-04 14:00:03

Are you a Lewis Carroll fan? Are your kids? My reactions are mixed. I have always cared for his poetry, and I especially love the way Jabberwocky encourages us to play with words and sounds. However the charm of the Alice in Wonderland story has always eluded me. Still, Mad Hatter Day just begs to be celebrated. The day apparently began when some computer programmers noticed that the original Mad Hatter image sported a sign in his hat, "In the style 10/6". October 6 subsequently became a day fo [..]

Children's Book Review, Chill

Published on 2012-10-02 14:00:02

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com I know I say this A LOT, but I have just discovered the most gorgeous children's picture book! It's Chill, written and illustrated by Carol Thompson, and published by Egmont (2010, re-issued in 2012.) Life can sometimes seem a heavy burden...but there are ways of lightening the load. Dolly and Jack fall out over portraits they have painted of each other. They are so offended they can hardly breathe. But as they calm down, they [..]

Oral Storytelling – Guest Post

Published on 2012-09-30 14:00:03

Oral Storytelling by JB Rowley How Parrots Got Their Colours One day I was telling stories to a group of kindergarten children. During the thirty minute program I told them three stories using hand puppets and my storytelling apron to display story images. The children were enthusiastic in their participation and we all had fun together. However, at the end of the session three-year-old Johnny said, “When are you going to tell us a story?” I reminded him of the stories I had just told [..]

Looking Back to September 2011

Published on 2012-09-27 14:00:01

Towards the end of each month in 2011, I revisited some articles I'd written in 2009 and 2010. Not only did that mean new readers of the blog might find something useful otherwise buried in the archives, but it also reminded me of content I could refer to when I wrote new articles. And here it is September 2012! Let's look back to some popular posts from last September. Don't forget you can use the right sidebar to find earlier posts, too. Click Creating, Learning, Reviews, Reading, Writing and [..]

Children's Book Review, In the Beech Forest

Published on 2012-09-25 14:00:01

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com In the Beech Forest was written by Gary Crew, iIllustrated by Den Scheer, and published by Ford St (2012). It's a beautifully presented picture book for older kids, with Ford St suggesting 10+. In the Beech Forest is a story from long ago, from now and from the future. An ordinary boy takes a path leading him from the safety of his home into a dark forest. His head is full of the fearful images of his computer games that so e [..]

Alternatives to Book Reports

Published on 2012-09-23 14:00:02

Being able to consume, critique, and create media is so important for our 21st century students. While I love to write about books in my book reviews, lots of children don't share my enthusiasm. If your kids or students groan at the mere mention of writing a book report, consider some alternative ideas. Instead of a book report, have your kids make a book trailer! If you're not sure where to start, check out this article by Kim Chatel, Making a Digital Story with Kids. Book trailers are a gre [..]

Lucky You! You Want To Be A Writer! - Guest Post

Published on 2012-09-20 14:00:01

Australian author, Deborah Abela, is visiting The Book Chook today as part of a blog tour for her hugely popular Ghost Club books. Deborah shares some great tips for young writers in: Lucky You! You Want To Be A Writer! by Deborah Abela, children’s author www.deborahabela.com When I was a kid, I had what I thought was the world’s most boring life, but when I picked up a book, each page instantly drew me into a world that was infinitely more exciting than mine and made me feel big [..]

Children's Book Review, Florentine and Pig Have a Very Lovely Picnic 19/9

Published on 2012-09-18 14:00:05

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Here's a newly published children's picture book for you to look out for! Florentine and Pig Have a Very Lovely Picnic was written by Eva Katzler, illustrated by Jess Mikhail, recipes and crafts by Laura and Jess Tilli, and published by Bloomsbury, 2012. Welcome to the magical world of Florentine and Pig! Join them on their adventures as they discover the glorious world of friendship, frolics & food. Florentine and Pig are go [..]

Let's Celebrate Elephant Appreciation Day!

Published on 2012-09-16 14:00:04

What is it about elephants that fascinates us so? Right from our early picture book encounters we've loved them. Do you remember David McKee's Elmer, or Vipont and Briggs's The Elephant and the Bad Baby? Did you love

How Important is Reading Fiction? Guest Post

Published on 2012-09-13 14:00:01

How Important is Reading Fiction? by Sarah E Anderson When I was in college I worked in the children’s department of a large chain bookstore. Every summer, during the weeks just before and after the much-anticipated first day of school, parents would pile into the store, looking for books and supplies for their young students. Most of the time moms and dads would bring in the school’s list of required reading. The list featured classics like To Kill a Mockingbird and The Great Gatsby for ol [..]

Children's Book Review, Hunting for Dragons

Published on 2012-09-11 14:00:04

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! Have I got a wonderful children's picture book to tell you about! Hunting for Dragons was written and illustrated by the incomprable Bruce Whatley, and published by Scholastic (2010). I have no idea why it's taken me so long to discover it, but now that I have, I'm ecstatic. A little girl sees dragons everywhere, and she is sure there is one living in her house. She puts on her dragon-hunting amour and [..]

Futurama Comic Maker

Published on 2012-09-09 14:00:03

If your teens and older primary kids like Futurama, they might enjoy creating a Futurama-based comic. I didn't have much time to play at the Futurama Comic Maker, just made a one-panel picture of Bender burning the dinner. The interface is more complicated than most comic editors but I predict your kids will have fun exploring the characters, guns, space vehicles etc. Be sure to remind them to scroll through each option, and investigate the modifications and poses available for refining images [..]

Let's Celebrate Father's Day with Books!

Published on 2012-09-06 14:00:02

Fathers are wonderful people. Books are wonderful too. To me, celebrating Father's Day with books and reading makes the day even more special. In Australia, Father's Day is the first Sunday in September, so here are some Book Chook ideas for celebrating with Dad. Schedule a reading picnic into your day. Share some of the kids' favourite books with a read-aloud session. Later, as a special treat, Dad gets to lie down under a shady tree and read whatever he wants. Sublime! Choosing gifts for Fa [..]

Children's Book Review, Ophelia Wild, Secret Spy

Published on 2012-09-04 14:00:03

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com If you know a youngster who's ready to read short chapter books, and looking for something different, take a look at Ophelia Wild, Secret Spy. Written by Elena de Roo and illustrated by Tracy Duncan, it was published by Walker Books (2012). Feisty Ophelia Wild decides to set up her own detective agency, with its headquarters in her tree house. Along with her assistant, Albert, she foils bullies, solves a meat-pie mystery, and [..]

LET'S DOODLE!

Published on 2012-09-02 14:00:00

Do you doodle? I doodle. I doodle when I can And even when I shouldn't Why, I doodle once again. I doodle in the phone book I doodle in the dust, And when they ask me why, I cry, "I doodle 'cos I must!" Do you doodle? As you may have guessed from my silly ditty above, I'm an inveterate doodler. If I'm listening to a lecture, or waiting someplace I can't read my book, I grab a pen or pencil and draw patterns. Sometimes, if the lecturer is a poor communicator, the patterns morph into a stick f [..]

Looking Back to August 2011

Published on 2012-08-30 14:00:01

A Book Chook Blast from the Past Towards the end of each month in 2011, I revisited some articles I'd written in 2009 and 2010. Not only did that mean new readers of the blog might find something useful otherwise buried in the archives, but it also reminded me of content I could refer to when I wrote new articles. And here it is August 2012! Let's look back to some popular posts from last August. This month, they're dominated by the creative literacy series of Book Chook Favourites. Don't forg [..]

Children's App Review, How the dodo learned to fly

Published on 2012-08-28 14:00:01

I have a soft spot in my heart for dodos, mostly because one of my own children's novels features one. So I decided to take a look at a free book app: How the dodo earned to fly, by Olivier Mamet. When kids click on the icon in their iPads, it opens to a screen inviting them to choose Info, Read myself, Read to me. The graphic design is really appealing -

Tips and Prompts for Young Writers

Published on 2012-08-26 14:00:03

All writers have days when they need something to kickstart their writing. Here are some prompts and tips for when that happens to you. *Try those two magic words, "what" and "if". Do this by asking yourself "what if" questions: • what if your greatest wish came true? • what if you found a baby monster? • what if you were invisible? • what if friends were banned? • what if you found a secret portal to another world? Does one of those questions spark an idea? Start writing! *Start [..]

Let's Celebrate The Reading Hour

Published on 2012-08-23 14:00:05

Have you noticed The Reading Hour Countdown widget in my right sidebar? Tomorrow, August 25 2012, is The Reading Hour in Australia! What a great culmination to Children's Book Week! At the website, The Reading Hour, you'll find details of lots of great events, as well as the results of contests held to celebrate the National Year of Reading. The Love2Read wiki has all sorts of posters and ideas you can use too. As an extra way of celebrating The Reading Hour, here are ten Book Chook challenges [..]

Children's Book Review, A Year with Marmalade

Published on 2012-08-21 14:00:01

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Here's a newly published children's picture book to add to your must-have pile! A Year with Marmalade was written by Alison Reynolds, illustrated by Heath McKenzie and published by The Five Mile Press, Australia (2012). Ella and Maddy are best friends who love spending time together. But one day everything changes when Maddy has to go away. She entrusts her cat Marmalade to Ella's care, but Marmalade and Ella are not best frie [..]

Children's Book Week, 2012 - Quiz

Published on 2012-08-19 14:00:01

This week is Children's Book Week here in Australia. It's a fine time to visit a library, go on a book picnic, or plan what you will do for The Reading Hour on August 25. Why not try your hand at creating a quiz with your kids to celebrate Children's Book Week? You'll find more ideas and activities in these earlier posts: Activities for Children's Book Week, 2012 How to Celebrate Book Week Book Week Ideas - Guest Post Here's a quick quiz to get kids thinking about books and Children's Boo [..]

Let's Celebrate Tell a Joke Day

Published on 2012-08-16 14:00:04

Tell a Joke Day is officially August 16 in the USA. But here at The Book Chook, almost any day can be Tell a Joke Day! Jokes are a great way to entice kids, who think they don't like books, to reading. They might enjoy borrowing joke or riddle collections from your local or school library. Another enticing idea might be to record the jokes they like, or even create new jokes of their own. Writing down jokes means they can be read aloud to the next hapless visitor who comes to your door. But do [..]

Children's Book Review, The Little Dinosaur

Published on 2012-08-14 14:00:03

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Finding great picture books for kids is important. That's why I was pleased to receive a copy of The Little Dinosaur recently. Written by Catriona Hoy, and illustrated by Andrew Plant, it was published by Working Title Press (Penguin) 2012. While strictly speaking this children's picture book is fiction, I love that it's thoroughly researched and fact-based. Young non-fiction aficionados will feel right at home, yet there is e [..]

Visual Story Telling

Published on 2012-08-12 14:00:04

One of the subjects I find interesting is visual literacy. I think kids need us to help them become visually literate, and that we, as teachers and parents, need to become visually aware too. So I was delighted to stumble across a Flickr group recently: Tell a story in 5 frames (Visual story telling). Here's a way to have kids tell a story in a restricted way. They must use only five frames to tell a story, one with a beginning, middle and end. This forces them to think very carefully about econ [..]

Let's Celebrate National Book Shop Day!

Published on 2012-08-09 14:00:02

National Bookshop Day will be held in Australia on Saturday 11 August, 2012. It's a day to celebrate the role of book shops in our community. While I love libraries, I love bookshops too, both second-hand and new. Tomorrow I plan to celebrate National Bookshop Day by browsing in my local bricks and mortar book store, and buying myself a bookish treat. Here on the blog, my celebration takes the form of sharing some favourite quotes about books and reading: “Where is human nature so weak as in [..]

Children's Book Review, The Children Who Loved Books

Published on 2012-08-07 14:00:03

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Who can resist a beautiful children's picture book with both books AND chooks on the cover? If you love books, or know a child who does, take a look at The Children Who Loved Books. Written and illustrated by Peter Carnavas, and published by New Frontier, this is the latest children's picture book created by Carnavas. The Children Who Loved Books really is a paean of praise to reading, and to libraries everywhere. The st [..]

Collaborative Storytelling

Published on 2012-08-05 14:00:02

People have been telling each other stories since we sat around a fire in the cave. The need to share stories is a strong one, and drives much of our entertainment - books, movies, facebook, talking on the phone, texting, and gossiping about the boss behind his back. I believe in storytelling as a great tool for parents to share with kids. It can start from when they're babies, and continue whenever the opportunity arises. Folk tales and fairy tales you know by heart are good ones to start wi [..]

The Funny Times Cartoon Playground

Published on 2012-08-02 14:00:04

The Funny Times Cartoon Playground is another webspace where you and your kids can make cartoons. Making cartoons with your kids is a great way to sneak a little writing into their lives, and cartoon editors help them develop digital literacy skills. The default setting at The Funny Times Playground presents you with a three-frame template, but you can add and remove frames via the far right icons in the toolbar under the frames. Choose characters, or bodies and heads, objects, scenery, and sp [..]

Children's Book Review, Australian Backyard Naturalist

Published on 2012-07-31 14:00:04

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Every so often, a book comes along that the kids have to fight you for - this is it! Australian Backyard Naturalist by Peter Macinnis, published by National Library of Australia (2012), will take pride of place as a reference book in any home. But most importantly, it will delight young readers with its accessibility, readability, enthusiasm for every tiny detail of the natural world, and sheer visual appeal. That Macinnis un [..]

Creative Thinking for Kids

Published on 2012-07-29 14:00:05

Teaching children to think creatively is one of the most important gifts we can give them. Surrounding them with other people's creativity in the form of literature, art, media, theatre, and music helps to nurture the creative seed that lives within us all. By encouraging kids to be flexible, imaginative and original, to take risks, ask questions, and improvise, we are giving them a great preparation for whatever they choose to do with their lives. One way to do this is use creative language wh [..]

Looking Back to May, June, July 2011

Published on 2012-07-26 14:00:07

Towards the end of each month in 2011, I revisited some articles I'd written in 2009 and 2010. Not only did that mean new readers of the blog might find something useful otherwise buried in the archives, but it also reminded me of content I could refer to when I wrote new articles. And here it is July 2012! In each month of this year, I planned to look back to posts I wrote in 2011. However, my jaunt in Europe put a halt to that. So today I revisit three months in 2011: May, June and July. Don' [..]

Children's Book Review, Sam the Cat

Published on 2012-07-24 15:02:00

Here's a lovely children's picture book! Sam the Cat was written by Sam Bowring, illustrated by Andrew Mclean and published by Working Title Press (distributed by Penguin) 2012. Sam lives very happily in a tumbledown house with Jane and Ian. But when Jane and Ian bring home a baby boy, not only does the baby get all the attention – he even steals Sam's name! Bowring really knows cats. So does illustrator, Andrew McLean. Adult readers and child listeners alike will recognise and enjoy Sam th [..]

Encourage Children's Literacy by Word Collecting

Published on 2012-07-22 14:22:00

One of the biggest favours we can do our kids is to develop an appreciation for words in them. Activities that do this can be as simple as sharing a song, joke, chant or nursery rhyme. Or why not include more focussed language activities where kids become Word Collectors? Here are some ideas you might like to implement with your students/children: *Buy or make a special word collection book. Decide if you want to organise it alphabetically, or according to themes etc. *When kids are little, [..]

Children's Book Review, Shhh! Little Mouse

Published on 2012-07-19 13:16:00

Here is a Children's Book Review, by JB Rowley Shhh! Little Mouse, written and illustrated by Pamela Allen and published by Puffin Books (2007), is captivating in many ways, enjoyable at several levels and a wondrous read beyond the recommended 0-5 age group. It is the middle of the night when the little grey mouse peeps out of his hole in the wall in search of food. The house is quiet. The household is asleep. Little mouse has to sneak past a sleeping cat; an extremely large ginger ca [..]

Children's Book Review, Bog Frog Hop

Published on 2012-07-17 14:30:02

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Here's a delightful children's picture book that's a hoot to read and share. Bog Frog Hop was written by Kyle Mewburn, illustrated by Rebecca Cool, and published by Little Hare, an imprint of Hardie Grant Egmont. The soggy bog is home to ten polliwogs. They splosh and splash together in the rain and mud, until one polliwog turns into a frog. Now there are nine polliwogs in the soggy bog and one frog on the mossy log. As the r [..]

Making a Digital Story with Kids - Guest Post

Published on 2012-07-15 14:49:01

Kim Chatel is an author, fiber artist and photographer. She regularly visits schools and libraries, bringing her art and books to students and inspiring them to create their own. Visit Kim at Chatel Village, where you’ll find recipes, movies, book reviews, contests, crafts, and her latest children's book, “Horse Camp” It's the fuzziest website on the Net! Making a Digital Story with Kidsby Kim Chatel Genna's Digital Story, Cat Love Children’s ability to absorb knowledge is always asto [..]

The Book Chook Abroad

Published on 2012-07-12 13:30:00

For the most part, I keep my personal life out of The Book Chook blog. But since several readers have asked for an account of my recent blog break, here is a BRIEF rundown. (Huh? You didn't think I'd know brief if it bit me?) Countries visited: England, France, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Japan. Highlights: *Staying in a house in Painswick that dates back to the 15th century. Byfield House has an intriguing attic, is full of interesting, eclectic and quirk [..]

Children's Book Review, These are My Hands/These are My Feet

Published on 2012-07-10 14:32:00

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Here's a really cute back-to-back edition of These are My Hands/These are My Feet, written and illustrated by Judy Horacek, and published by National Library of Australia. The text is very simple in both - the charm lies in the illustrations which are bold, simple and colourful. Kids are fascinated from babyhood with what their bodies can do, and the books capitalise on that. These are My Hands/These are My Feet would make a per [..]

Great Book Apps for Kids – Guest Post

Published on 2012-07-08 14:30:00

BIO: Emma Perry is a Melbourne dwelling book lover. An English teacher in a former life, she can now be found nestled in My Book Corner enthusiastically sharing her passion for literature:

Resources for Telling the Time

Published on 2012-07-05 14:43:01

Children need to learn to tell the time, both for school and for life in general. Like lots of learning activities, I think it makes good sense to point out to kids when time matters in your daily life. For example: "Oh, it's 3.00 pm. See how the little hand it pointing to 3 and the big hand is pointing to 12? Time to pick up Joey from pre-school." Or "Let's check the clock. 7:30. Grandma will be here soon." Make a game of noticing different types of clocks at home, or when you're out and about [..]

Children's Book Review, Billie B. Brown: The Copycat Kid

Published on 2012-07-03 14:20:01

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Here's a great short chapter book or junior novel for young readers! Billie B. Brown: The Copycat Kid was written by Sally Rippin, illustrated by Aki Fukuoka and published by Hardie Grant Egmont, 2012. Newly independent readers need chapter books with: *just a few short chapters *simple sentence structure *reasonably restricted vocabulary *large font *some illustrations *and lots of white space. The Billie B. Brown books not o [..]

The Way We Play- Guest Post

Published on 2012-06-26 14:15:00

Zoe has been writing for almost 3 years about the books she and her young family read together, and the crazy, fun stuff they all get up to inspired by these shared stories. You can find out more, read book reviews, learn about authors/illustrators with indepth interviews and discover ideas for creative play born from books at Playing by the book.

My Top Five Children’s Picture Books – Guest Post

Published on 2012-06-19 14:45:01

My Top Five Children’s Picture Books - Guest Post by Kelly Burstow Kelly loves life at both ends of the spectrum: wearing high heel shoes one day and hiking boots the next, sipping tea out of a pretty cup and slurping hot coffee from a camping mug. She also loves stopping for a quiet moment to feel the wind on her face and adventuring with her husband and four children. Her blog, Be A Fun Mum, is all about loving the little moments in life and celebrating these. I’m recalling a quote from [..]

Children's Book Review, Home in the Cave

Published on 2012-06-12 14:16:00

Here is a Children's Book Review, by Sue Stirling. Since finishing her teaching degree, Sue Stirling has worked in many schools in the Perth metropolitan area. She recently started a blog on her teaching activity ideas. Sue loves children's literature, play-based learning, and writing children's book reviews for The Book Chook. Home in the Cave, written by Janet Halfmann, illustrated by Shennen Bersani and published by Sylvan Dell Publishing (2011), immediately drew me into a secret place, a [..]

Get Kids Writing with Lists

Published on 2012-06-05 14:43:01

How can lists encourage kids to write? Not all writing is stories or narratives. While I've suggested ways to encourage children's story beginnings, I've also given my ideas on children writing a book review, and suggested a way for kids to write a procedure. Today I want to concentrate on something simpler, and perhaps overlooked where children's writing is concerned: lists. Lists are one way to sneak a little writing into a child's day. I've mentioned before that I think it's just as importan [..]

Letter to The Book Chook - Super Hero Help

Published on 2012-05-29 14:40:00

Dear BookChook, A

Tips for Kids Who Write – Guest Post

Published on 2012-05-22 14:56:00

Here are valuable tips and a fun writing activity from Australian author, Dee White.

A Book Chook Announcement

Published on 2012-05-13 14:21:01

Over the next couple of months, I'll be travelling. I expect to have intermittent access to the internet, so if you leave a comment, I may be late replying.

Let's Celebrate Mothers!

Published on 2012-05-10 14:58:00

Sunday May 13 is Mother's Day in Australia. I thought it might be timely to ponder what mums have taught us down through the ages. If your kids are old enough, you might like to share this with them, and ask them what they've learnt from you! WHAT I OWE MY MOTHER: 1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE. 'If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning.' 2. My mother taught me RELIGION . 'You better pray that this will come out of the carpet.' 3. My [..]

Children's Book Review, How Machines Work

Published on 2012-05-08 14:47:01

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com If your youngster has evolved from "Truck! Truck!" to "But how does it work? I want to know!" then I have a great non-fiction book suggestion for you. How Machines Work is a brilliant children's hardback book by Nick Arnold and Allan Sanders, produced by Quarto Children's Books and published by Walker Books (2011). It's more than a children's nonfiction book. It's also an interactive guide to simple machines and mechanisms, and [..]

Review, Orijinz

Published on 2012-05-06 14:48:01

One of my Christmas presents two years ago was the word game Orijinz. (Why do so many manufacturers and websites feel impelled to misspell words? Should I change the blog name to Da BuKChuK?) I'm sorry it's taken me so long to tell you about Orijinz, which I really like. Orijinz is aimed more at adults and teens than under-12s. If you have teens who like word play, I think they'll enjoy it. I know my family and friends do. Basically, Orijinz involves one person reading aloud the origin of a w [..]

Make Comics with UK Disney Comic Creator

Published on 2012-05-03 14:49:01

Here's another wonderful place where kids can have fun while creating and practising literacy skills. The UK Disney Comic Creator, once loaded, offers a range of templates with varying layouts of between one and six panels. Choose a background, choose characters, props, speech bubbles. Add text and special effects and you're on the way to telling a story with images and words. I think the UK Disney Comic Creator will appeal to kids who know the characters (I'm sure I recognised Mickey as the Sor [..]

Children's Book Review, Unicorn Riders: Quinn's Riddles

Published on 2012-05-02 00:41:40

Guest Children's Book Review by Vicki Stanton Unicorn Riders: Quinn’s Riddles by Aleesah Darlison, illustrated by Jill Brailsford (Walker Books) PB RRP $12.95 ISBN 9781921529979 Reviewed by Vicki Stanton Aleesah Darlison’s Unicorn Riders series is bound to be a hit with readers eight and up, particularly girls. Darlison includes all the ingredients of a successful story: firm friends, beautiful and magical animals, a mystery to solve and a quick-moving plot. Living in the magical kingdo [..]

Looking Back to April 2011

Published on 2012-04-30 00:23:29

Towards the end of each month in 2011, I revisited some articles I'd written in 2009 and 2010. Not only did that mean new readers of the blog might find something useful otherwise buried in the archives, but it also reminded me of content I could refer to when I wrote new articles. And here it is April 2012! In each month of this year, I plan to look back to posts I've written in 2011. Don't forget you can always use the right sidebar to find earlier posts. Click Creating, Learning, Reviews, Re [..]

Let's Celebrate Save the Frogs Day!

Published on 2012-04-26 14:40:00

April 28 2012 is the 4th Annual Save the Frogs Day. Why do we need to save frogs? Are they in danger? According to the Save the Frogs website, "Frogs are the most threatened group of animals on the planet, and are rapidly going extinct. Nearly one-third of the world's 6,644 amphibian species are in danger of extinction and up to 200 species have completely disappeared in the last 30 years." And by saving frogs, we may in fact be saving ourselves. As Dr Kerry Kriger, Founder & Executive Di [..]

Children's Book Review, It's a Miroocool

Published on 2012-04-24 14:38:01

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com It's a Miroocool was written by Christine Harris, illustrated by Ann James and published by Little Hare (an imprint of Hardie Grant) 2012. I've read and reviewed some of Harris's Audrey novels and was delighted to discover that she'd written a children's picture book about the same character. Now little brothers and sisters can join in the Audrey fun! Audrey lives in the outback, so when she loses her first tooth, she’s worri [..]

Activities for Children's Book Week 2012

Published on 2012-04-22 13:26:01

This year, I want to give you plenty of time to prepare for what might be one of the most important celebrations ever: Children's Book Week 2012! It's set to take place in Australia from Saturday 18 to Friday 24 August. The theme for 2012 is Champions Read. Here are some Book Chook ideas for learning activities you and your children/students might participate in to celebrate Children's Book Week 2012. Read some of the short-listed books at the Children's Book Council of Australia website [..]

Tell a Bayeux-style Digital Story

Published on 2012-04-19 14:17:00

In a few weeks, I hope to see the Victorian replica of the Bayeux Tapestry in the Museum at Reading. Excitement! For some people it's racing cars, or the Eiffel Tower perhaps. But for me, the Bayeux Tapestry holds huge fascination. Is it because it's not really a tapestry at all? Is it because it was created by a group of women with the most amazing skill, artistry and perseverance? Or is it because, for me, it's one big ancient comic strip - a kind of Where's William from the 11th Century? I [..]

Children's Book Review, Thomas' Really Useful Word Book

Published on 2012-04-17 14:39:01

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com There was a time in my life when I lived and breathed Thomas the Tank Engine. I knew all about Gordon, Henry and the Fat Controller, and could recite whole chunks of the Rev W. Awdry's tales. My memory these days is a little shaky on details, but I have to admit, I was pleased to renew my acquaintance with Thomas and Friends through Thomas' Really Useful Word Book. It's a children's board book, published by Egmont, 2008. Thomas' [..]

Use Questions to Help Kids Start Writing

Published on 2012-04-15 14:31:00

Staring at a pristine word document or gazing at a blank piece of paper may not be the best way to begin writing. Ask any writer! If your kids have trouble getting started, help them out by asking questions. This technique works really well with picture prompts, so I found some pictures on Wikimedia Commons that might suggest a story idea, and accompanied each picture with questions I brainstormed. I'm sure you and your kids will come up with more. Ignore the questions that don't spark anythin [..]

Make an Easter Card with Your Kids

Published on 2012-04-03 14:24:01

Easter is a perfect time to do a card making project with children. Creating a card with your kids to send to a friend or relative is a great way to sneak some literacy and creativity into their days. Quite young children might like to try writing their own message (it will look a lot like scribble, but is an important stage in pre-writing), or dictating to a parent. Older kids could think about who the card is for, and help create an appropriate message for that audience. Real craft is not my [..]

Children's Book Review, Wanted:The Perfect Pet

Published on 2012-04-01 14:49:00

Guest review by Sue Stirling, who also reviewed Handa's Surprise on The Book Chook. Sue has a new blog where you'll discover great literature activities. Find more children's book reviews by clicking Reviews in the right sidebar. Sometimes a book comes along that you just love - from cover to cover, and for so many reasons! Wanted: The Perfect Pet by Fiona Roberton, published by Penguin 2009, is one such children's picture book. The illustrations are created in a clever, child-like manner, with [..]

Looking Back to March 2011

Published on 2012-03-29 13:01:01

Towards the end of each month in 2011, I revisited some articles I'd written in 2009 and 2010. Not only did that mean new readers of the blog might find something useful otherwise buried in the archives, but it also reminded me of content I could refer to when I wrote new articles. And here it is March 2012! In each month of this year, I plan to look back to a few posts I wrote in 2011. Don't forget you can always use the right sidebar to find earlier posts. Click Creating, Learning, Reviews, R [..]

Children's Book Review, Violet Mackerel's Brilliant Plot

Published on 2012-03-27 13:31:01

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Thanks to a recommendation from Walker Books Australia's wonderful Leonie Jordan, I recently discovered Violet Mackerel's Brilliant Plot. It was written by Anna Branford, illustrated by Sarah Davis and published by Walker Books in 2010. Violet Mackerel thinks she would QUITE LIKE to own the blue china bird at the Saturday markets. This is not just a SILLY WISH. It is instead the start of a VERY IMPORTANT idea. But what she needs [..]

Encourage Reading with The Berenstain Bears

Published on 2012-03-25 13:07:00

Should kids always read great literature? I don't believe so. There are many roads to becoming a lifelong lover of reading. Allowing kids to choose their own route and their own books makes good sense. But I hope all kids get the chance to read good literature, because it truly does feed their hearts, minds and souls. The Berenstain Bear books might not be classed as great children's literature. But their colourful illustrations, zany antics, humour and readability have made them hugely popular [..]

Interview with Chris Haughton and Limited Edition Print Giveaway

Published on 2012-03-22 13:38:00

My post today is an interview with author/illustrator, Chris Haughton. I've reviewed Chris's books, A Bit Lost and Oh No, George! In conjunction with Chris's blog tour for Oh No, George!

Children's Book Review, Oh No, George!

Published on 2012-03-20 13:29:00

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Recently I reviewed Chris Haughton's A Bit Lost, so I was thrilled to see this talented creator had another children's picture book out. Oh No, George! by Chris Haughton was published by Walker Books.(2012) It's hard work being good all the time. And it's especially hard for a dog like George! Harris is off to do some shopping. "Will you be good, George?" he asks. George hopes he can. He really wants to ... but chocolate cake i [..]

Literacy Educators

Published on 2012-03-18 13:34:00

I'm a member of Literacy Educators Coalition. Take a look. You'll find me under S. Perhaps it may seem silly to you that I'm so proud of being a literacy educator when I'm not currently teaching in a classroom? Yet I believe that I teach and reach out to parents and teachers through this blog. Children's literacy, literature and learning are my passions; my dream is to ignite that passion in others. One of the things I love about the Coalition of Concerned Literacy Educators is what they bel [..]

Use Images to Start Kids Thinking

Published on 2012-03-15 12:59:00

A great way to get kids thinking is to offer them the chance to play with words and images. I've riffed on this theme several times here at The Book Chook. Today I want to suggest a simple project that nevertheless involves kids in research, reading, decision making, going beyond superficiality and delving into meaning (perhaps), and communicating a message to an audience. It touches on many aspects of visual literacy, particularly if we stay alert to opportunities to get kids thinking about wha [..]

Children's Book Review, The Truth About Penguins

Published on 2012-03-13 13:43:00

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com The Truth About Penguins is a children's picture book written by Meg McKinlay, illustrated by Mark Jackson, and published by Walker Books (2010, paperback edition 2011). I think it will produce giggles and guffaws from both children and adults. The penguins are coming and there is great excitement at the zoo. But what’s a penguin? The animals don’t quite know what to expect - but they all have an opinion, each more outlandish [..]

Sharing My Beautiful Curves

Published on 2012-03-11 13:42:01

Sorry to disappoint, but this post is not about a Book Chook squashing her feathery plumptitude into a tiny bikini! At the end of 2011, in Fun and Easy Ways to Make Digital Art with Kids, I wrote about websites where kids can play with digital art, and ideas for using the results. Today I want to share a new toy: Beautiful Curves. It's simple enough that anyone who can wield a mouse can use it. Choose a colour by clicking it, adjust two sliders - longer/shorter and thicker/thinner - then put [..]

Help Your Kids Love to Read

Published on 2012-03-08 12:17:01

This week we have World Read Aloud Day - a perfect time to celebrate the love of reading! Most of us know it's important for kids to read. But how can we ensure they WANT to read, and learn to love reading? Here are some tips that might help. *Read aloud to your children every day. Repeat. Do it from birth so that reading for pleasure becomes a daily habit. *When you read aloud, bring the book alive with all your theatrical skills. I have some Read Aloud Hints at my website. *Let your child [..]

Children’s Book Review, and Teaching Notes, Australian Story

Published on 2012-03-06 12:13:00

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com I’m always on the lookout for exciting and entertaining non-fiction for kids. Today I want to share a recent find with you. It’s a children's picture book, Australian Story: an illustrated timeline, and the latest book from Australian author, Tania McCartney. Published by the National Library of Australia, it’s due to be released in April 2012. I defy anyone, young or old, not to be fascinated by Australian Story! It’s th [..]

Make Comics with LEGO Hero Factory

Published on 2012-03-04 11:59:00

You've probably picked up by now that I love LEGO. I truly do. I told you about the ComicBuilder from the LEGO City website in LEGO Literacy. I wrote about ways to link LEGO building and literacy in LEGO and Literacy (1), and LEGO and Literacy (2). And more recently, I wrote about Pharaoh's Quest, another LEGO online place for creating with LEGO. Building with blocks is great for creative and critical thinking. Any catalogues with LEGO sets in them make great reading and discussion material at [..]

Children's Book Review, Parrot Carrot

Published on 2012-03-01 12:54:00

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Do you love word play? Have you taught your kids to enjoy word play too? If you're looking for a children's picture book that will start a lucky pre-schooler off on the road to becoming a logophile, look for Parrot Carrot. Written by Jol and Kate Temple, and illustrated by Jon Foye, it was published by Allen and Unwin (2011). This book will make you giggle every time you read it! It takes a very simple concept - what would happen [..]

Looking Back to February 2011

Published on 2012-02-28 12:22:00

Towards the end of each month in 2011, I revisited some articles I'd written in 2009 and 2010. Not only did that mean new readers of the blog might find something useful otherwise buried in the archives, but it also reminded me of content I could refer to when I wrote new articles. And here it is February 2012! In each month of this year, I plan to look back to articles I've written in 2011. Don't forget you can always use the right sidebar to find earlier posts. Click Creating, Learning, Revie [..]

ABCya - Educational Games for Kids

Published on 2012-02-26 11:50:00

ABCya is a website with lots of educational computer games for kids. Children can play them online, but you can also download some as apps for iPad, iPhone etc via the iTunes App Store. ABCya.com is the leader in free educational kids computer games and activities for elementary students to learn on the web. All children's educational computer activities were created or approved by certified school teachers. All educational games are free and are modeled from primary grade lessons and enhance [..]

Ten Writing Challenges for Kids

Published on 2012-02-23 12:03:00

Writing challenges can be one way to switch kids onto writing. Adult writing classes do this too. They ask you to "write a story with no letter 'f' in it" or "tell a story in six words". I believe this kind of prompt can work for some people, some of the time. They're definitely worth a try. Sometimes, by concentrating on the parameters of the challenge, we can unleash our inner creativity. I saw this work over and over with my drama students. If I asked them to choose any topic they wanted to c [..]

Children's Book Review, Diary of a Cricket God

Published on 2012-02-21 12:26:00

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Last week, I reviewed Diary of a Soccer Star. Here's a book in the same series. Diary of a Cricket God was written by Shamini Flint, illustrated by Sally Heinrich, and published by Allen and Unwin, 2012. It's RRP in Australia is $9.99. Marcus is a Maths whiz who is not good at sport. His dad is a self-help author who thinks Marcus can achieve anything he sets his mind to...with hilarious results. In illustrated diary format, Mar [..]

Discover Matisse

Published on 2012-02-19 12:51:00

Here's a great online resource: Matisse for Kids. It teaches about the artist, Henri Matisse, in a fun way. Kids can "earn" colours, patterns and props used by Matisse in his art work by, for example, correctly identifying elements in his paintings. They slowly add to their portfolios, and at the end of the tour of his works, get to create a Matisse-style work of their own. You can see mine at left. I really like the balance in this "game" between learning and creating. I learnt a lot about [..]

Let's Celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Day!

Published on 2012-02-16 12:18:01

Being kind is perhaps something we take for granted. I quite like the idea of a special day like Random Acts of Kindness Day, because it reminds me to take time out and think about being kind. There are so many things to ponder on such a day. Maybe we find it easier to be kind to a stranger than to someone in our family - what can we do about that? What acts of kindness can we perform for friends, family, co-workers, neighbours, acquaintances and strangers? What IS kindness anyway? How does anot [..]

Children's Book Review, Diary of a Soccer Star

Published on 2012-02-14 12:16:00

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Sometimes, the best way to hook kids on reading is to build on their interests. For kids who love their soccer, can I suggest Diary of a Soccer Star? Written by Shamini Flint, illustrated by Sally Heinrich and published by Allen and Unwin, 2012, it's RRP in Australia is $9.99. Marcus is a Maths whiz who is not good at sport. His dad is a self-help author who thinks Marcus can achieve anything he sets his mind to...with hilarious [..]

Make Slideshows with Slideful

Published on 2012-02-12 12:39:01

Slideful is an online slideshow maker I've been playing with. I like it because it's something kids can play with, adding text to their creations. You can add blank slides and type text onto them too, making it ideal for a short narrative or report. Font size and colour is customisable, you can choose colour of blank slides, and size of slides in your slideshow. I made an example one, hoping to embed it below. It took a minute or so to upload the pics from my computer, but that's because they [..]

Make Story Prompts with Crayola's Create and Color

Published on 2012-02-09 12:36:00

Crayola offers a facility to create your own colouring pages. You can choose from different backgrounds and characters, then add speech bubbles. Once you're happy with the arrangement of a page, print it out, then colour and add text to your speech bubbles. Starting with a picture they can arrange themselves, and speech bubbles just begging for dialogue is a wonderful prompt for children's own writing. There are several fantasy and futuristic themes that will engage kids too. Crayola has mor [..]

Children's Book Review, You Can Draw Anything

Published on 2012-02-07 12:21:00

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Kim Gamble is a well-known Australian illustrator, best known (to me anyway) as illustrator of the Tashi books. But being an excellent illustrator isn't all he brings to You Can Draw Anything - his chatty, humorous explanations will make kids grin, nod and begin to look at the world with new eyes. There are jokes, cartoons, quirky sketches and lots of practical coaching in You Can Draw Anything, paperback edition published by Alle [..]

Resources about Animals

Published on 2012-02-05 12:47:00

Comic Life Kids love animals. They love to watch them, play with them, and read about them. Capitalising on this interest is a no-brainer for parents and teachers. Is there an animal sanctuary nearby? How long since you've taken a walk outside to look for critters? Is there a farm you could take your city kids to, somewhere they can get close to animals and their babies? A quick trip to the library, or an online search can provide fuel for lots of learning fun about animals. Help your kids disc [..]

My (Almost) Interactive Prompt for Children's Writing

Published on 2012-02-02 12:30:03

Here is a low-tech game to encourage children's writing that I devised using digital dice. You and your kids could use real dice, or invent your own game with dice as a chance element. Interacting with game pieces like dice adds fun to literacy experiences. Here's how it works: Go to these dice. Choose the number of dice you want - in this case, three. Roll them by clicking "roll dice". Read the dice numbers from left to right eg 2, 3, 6. Now match those numbers to the prompts below. Find the [..]

Children's Book Review, Clara Button and the Magical Hat Day

Published on 2012-01-31 11:50:00

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com When I was a child, I inherited my nana's button tin. I loved to play with those multicoloured circlets. I'd make patterns and pictures with them, and dream buttony dreams. So when a children's picture book called Clara Button and the Magical Hat Day peeked over my horizon, I was definitely ready to go back in time. Clara Button and the Magical Hat Day was written by Amy de la Haye and illustrated by Emily Sutton. It was published [..]

Looking Back to January 2011

Published on 2012-01-29 12:14:00

Towards the end of each month in 2011, I revisited some articles I'd written in 2009 and 2010. Not only did that mean new readers of the blog might find something useful otherwise buried in the archives, but it also reminded me of content I could refer to when I wrote new articles. And here it is 2012! In each month of this year, I plan to look back to posts I've written in 2011. Don't forget, you can always use the right sidebar to find earlier posts. Click Creating, Learning, Reviews, Reading [..]

Imagine. Create. Dream.

Published on 2012-01-26 12:27:01

I strongly believe in dreaming. Not the crazy-movie-inside-head dreams when we're asleep, so much as the dreams that spur us on to creating something. That "something" might be an interesting sandwich filling, a collage in shades of lemon and lavender, a cubby house behind the sofa, or a better life for ourselves. We all need dreams, kids especially. That's why I love children's literature so much - it truly helps kids to dream. What do your children dream about? Have you asked them? Do you di [..]

Children's Book Review, Tiny Little Fly

Published on 2011-07-05 14:57:21

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com By introducing kids to strong rhythmic language, rhyme and repetition, we're helping set the stepping stones in place for their journey to reading and enjoyment of literature. Tiny Lit

Children's Learning - Dinosaurs

Published on 2011-07-03 14:39:01

Last week I had a letter from Aden's mum, asking for suggested books for her young dinosaur fan. I had some great suggestions in comments that I really appreciate, and I'm sure Aden's mum did too. Today, I have some online resources and Book Chook ac

Changes at The Book Chook, July 2011

Published on 2011-06-30 14:32:00

Changes are ahead at The Book Chook! Cutting to the chase: What does this mean for you, The Book Chook reader? It means less content in your inbox if you receive posts by email. My self-imposed schedule of five posts a week will drop back to arou

Letter to the BookChook - Dinosaur Books

Published on 2011-06-29 14:21:00

Dear The Book Chook, My son loves dinosaurs. Can you recommend some good dinosaur books for me to buy him? Aden's mum, Victoria...... Dear Aden's mum, My short answer is no. Please read on for my explanation. I haven't read any dinosaur books re

Looking Back to June Past

Published on 2011-06-28 14:44:00

DRAMA helps kids communicate! Towards the end of each month, I like to revisit articles I've written in 2009 and 2010. Not only does this mean new readers of the blog may find something useful otherwise buried in the archives, but it also reminds me

Write a Novel in Thirty Days - Guest Post

Published on 2011-06-27 14:39:00

Write a Novel in Thirty Days by Gina Clifford Gina is the author of the eclectic home learning blog Spotty Banana, where she shares information on all sorts of subjects. Gina is a child-led, project-based learning advocate who enjoys exploring fun m

Children's Book Review, The Last Viking

Published on 2011-06-26 14:16:00

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Check out more by clicking on the right side bar, Reviews button. I have a new favourite picture book! The Last Viking, written by Norman Jorgensen, and illustrated by James Foley, was

Letter to the BookChook - Worried about Play

Published on 2011-06-23 14:15:00

Dear BookChook, I am really looking for some advice. My children are 7 and 5. My husband and I have only recently started looking at different parenting styles and education philosophies after we became concerned with the amount of TV o

Interview with Paul Collins, Author of Mole Hunt

Published on 2011-06-22 14:19:00

Paul Collins, author, publisher and fantastic promoter of Australian authors, has just had a new novel published called Mole Hunt. You might remember I reviewed Paul's children's picture book, The Glasshouse, recently. Below, Paul answers some questi

Writing Fun for Kids - Arthur Comic Creator

Published on 2011-06-21 14:20:01

I believe in making writing fun for kids. Here's another comic editor that provides your kids and students with all sorts of goodies for creating a story in comic format. It's part of the PBS Kids website, and just one of a range of activities devote

Reading Rewards - Guest Post

Published on 2011-06-20 14:36:01

Reading Rewardsby Michelle Skamene Reading Rewards is a reading incentive program with a little something for all kids. Designed to encourage reluctant readers by rewarding time spent reading in various ways, Reading Rewards also has tools for eager

Children's Learning: Break a World Record

Published on 2011-06-19 14:31:00

Discovering world records is a great learning activity for kids. I always had a world record book in my classroom, because I found that often boys who said they didn't like to read fiction, would devour this book and enjoy sharing it with friends. Bi

Children's Book Review, The Great Expedition

Published on 2011-06-16 14:33:00

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com How can any child or chook resist a book with "Expedition" in the title? Ever since Pooh and friends went on an expotition to the North Pole, I've loved to read books that lure with pr

Children's Literacy and Reading News Roundup

Published on 2011-06-15 14:30:00

I'm hosting the Children's Literacy and Reading News Roundup (usually brought to the cyberworld by Jen Robinson's Book Page, The Family Bookshelf and Rasco from RIF) at The Book Chook today. Below you'll find snippets of news about literacy and readi

Children's Reading - Interesting Facts at Did-You-Knows

Published on 2011-06-14 14:43:01

Some kids absorb facts like a sponge. They just love to find out things, and usually enjoy imparting that knowledge to others. If you have such a child, why not share some of the facts at Did-You-Knows with her/him? Did you know: no two corn flak

Word Games for Kids - KeyMaba

Published on 2011-06-13 14:29:00

I love word games. They're a fantastic way to develop children's literacy skills, while providing the fun of using clues to solve a mystery. I told you about lots of word games in Messing About with Words to Increase Literacy and I invented a real li

Create Art Online with the Saatchi Gallery

Published on 2011-06-12 14:37:01

Psst! Wanna know where I've been playing? At The Saatchi Gallery. Hidden inside what is essentially an online gallery for buying art work is an art editor where I created the masterpieces you can see here today. Caterpillar on wood with flowers Th

Visual Literacy - Play with Images at Iaza

Published on 2011-06-09 14:31:01

A regular The Book Chook reader commented a while back on all the image editors I write about. I do! I love these free online places where we can play with images and words. They're great for creating captions, and allow us to edit a photo and add al

Writing Fun for Kids - Boys' Life Comic Creator

Published on 2011-06-08 14:23:00

The Comic Creator is part of the Boys' Life website. It's another cute online place where your kids can express themselves in words and pictures, and create comics. In other words, it's yet another website that encourages children's literacy. The w

Interview with Ian Irvine, Australian Author

Published on 2011-06-07 14:39:00

Ian Irvine is my guest at The Book Chook today. He's visiting as part of a blog tour for his recent novel, The Calamitous Queen. Find out more about the tour via Ian's blog. BC: Ian, welcome to The Book Chook. Can you tell us a little about y

Children's Book Review, Into the Unknown

Published on 2011-06-06 14:36:00

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Here's a picture book to delight those of us who dream of adventure. Into the Unknown was written by Stewart Ross, illustrated by Stephen Biesty and published by Walker Books (2011). A

Sixteen Sensational Storytelling Ideas

Published on 2011-06-05 18:45:02

Oral storytelling is one of mankind's oldest traditions. It's probably the origin of teaching too. Storytelling skills are excellent ones for children to learn, and attending storytelling sessions given by an adult will pay dividends. Kids learn to i

Read Online at MeeGenius

Published on 2011-06-02 16:07:58

Read Books Online at MeeGenius Here's an interesting website where children can read books online. At MeeGenius, not only can kids have the story read aloud, but words are highlighted as it's read, making it easy to follow along. MeeGenius is your

Professor Garfield's Character Builder

Published on 2011-06-01 06:42:34

Earlier this week I told you about the Toon Books Comic Maker. It's a cute editor where kids can create their own stories in comic format. While I was exploring Professor Garfield's website and reminding myself of Comics Lab, and Comics Lab Ext

Literacy Lava 9, Out Now!

Published on 2011-05-31 14:35:01

Literacy Lava 9 is now available for download as a free pdf at my website. No need to signup - just visit my website and click on the cover there to download Literacy Lava 9. As usual, it's erupting with great ideas and tips for parents, teachers an

Children's Writing with Toon Books Comic Maker

Published on 2011-05-30 14:22:01

Toon Books are easy to read comics that are an imprint of Candlewick Press. They have a cute comic maker where kids can create stories by using available art work. First you choose one of nine different comics. I chose the one about Little Mouse. T

Literacy Lava 9, Coming Soon

Published on 2011-05-29 14:38:00

Here's some exciting literacy news! Literacy Lava 9 is due to be published on June 1. Earlier editions of this free ezine in pdf format - for parents, teachers and all who love children's literacy - are still available at my website. Literacy Lava

Looking Back to May Past

Published on 2011-05-26 14:32:01

Let's Eat Our Way to Literacy Towards the end of each month, I like to revisit articles I've written in 2009 and 2010. Not only does this mean new readers of the blog may find something useful otherwise buried in the archives, but it also reminds me

Playing with Images and Words at Fotoflexer

Published on 2011-05-25 14:08:00

Words + Images = Creativity I'm always looking for easy ways to generate words and images to express an idea. For a start, I like to create something simple of my own to illustrate a blog post as often as I can. If I can make someone laugh, that's a

Creating Comics with Professor Garfield

Published on 2011-05-24 14:37:00

If you're a regular reader of The Book Chook, you've probably noticed that I love to find ways to encourage kids to do some writing. I especially love free websites that allow us to use their editors to create comics and other stories. Websites like

Children's Learning Activities, Feathers for Phoebe

Published on 2011-05-23 14:33:01

Tomorrow is National Simultaneous Storytime in Australia. As part of Library and Information Week 2011, parents and kids and librarians and teachers get together all over Australia to share Feathers for Phoebe, by Rod Clement. (I wrote Children's Boo

Children's Book Review, Daisy plays Hide-and-Seek

Published on 2011-05-22 14:34:01

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com I fell in love with Ellie Sandall's artwork when I read and reviewed Birdsong last year. So when I saw that this talented writer/illustrator had created Daisy plays Hide-and-Seek (Egmo

Reluctant Readers Are Willing Players - Guest Post

Published on 2011-05-19 16:31:35

Reluctant Readers Are Willing Players by Dee White In most cases, children are reluctant to read because they can’t. For some, there's a diagnosable cause. Others may not have been taught the tools they need to decipher the sounds and blends

Review, Blog Boost

Published on 2011-05-18 14:27:00

I don't have a burning ambition to make money from my blog. I do have a burning ambition to have a successful blog, one that finds people interested in children's literacy, literature and learning. I particularly want to reach out to parents, librari

Visual Literacy Activities with Online Resources

Published on 2011-05-17 14:46:00

Visual Literacy is Everywhere! Last week I talked about visual literacy in Visual Literacy Activities with Children's Picture Books. I suggested children's picture books make a natural place to start teaching kids about visual literacy. Here ar

Children's Book Review, Dame Nellie Melba

Published on 2011-05-16 14:37:01

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com I'm very much enjoying the New Frontier children's book series, Aussie Heroes. Like lots of us I guess, I know the names of many Australian heroes, but not too much about them. Recentl

Add Captions to Images with Bubblesnaps

Published on 2011-05-15 14:05:01

Bubblesnaps adds speech bubbles to images. Two weeks ago I suggested some writing fun for kids: that they create captions for pictures and photographs as a fun children's literacy activity. Here's a web app I found that's a very simple way of adding

Let's Celebrate Dance Like a Chicken Day!

Published on 2011-05-12 14:25:00

How long is it since you and your kids did something kooky? Wore your undies on your head, or jumped in mud puddles or, well, danced like a chicken? Tomorrow is Dance Like a Chicken Day. I can't resist special days that celebrate my feathered friend

Children's Book Review, The Bravest Ever Bear

Published on 2011-05-11 14:30:01

Children's Book Review written by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Children's Book Review, The Bravest Ever Bear Here's a most unusual children's picture book. The Bravest Ever Bear was written by Allan Ahlberg, illustrated by Paul Howard, an

Visual Literacy Activities with Children's Picture Books

Published on 2011-05-10 14:43:00

Visual literacy is something we need to make sure our kids have the skills for. The world is changing rapidly, but already we can see the need for children to know how to react to, and produce materials other than text. Images, audio, video and amalg

Build a Face at FlashFace

Published on 2011-05-09 14:43:00

FlashFace is an online editor for building… yes, you guessed it, faces! You don't need to subscribe, you can start building straight away. But if you want to save your created face to the site, you need to give name and email. It reminds me of the

Boost Children's Literacy by Linking Reading and Writing

Published on 2011-05-08 14:17:00

Link reading and writing to boost kids' literacy If we can help our children make connections between what they read, and what we expect of them in writing, their writing will improve. An excellent way to do this is to use picture books as models w

Encourage Children's Imagination with Klowdz

Published on 2011-05-05 14:35:00

Recently I discovered Klowdz via MakeUseOf.com, one of my go-to websites for all things techie. Klowdz is an online drawing editor, but one with a unique twist. When you click on the 'get started' button, you're given a picture of some clouds. If t

Children's Book Review, Sir Edward 'Weary' Dunlop

Published on 2011-05-04 14:33:01

Sir Edward 'Weary' Dunlop Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Sir Edward 'Weary' Dunlop was written by Hazel Edwards, illustrated by Pat Reynolds and published by Australian publisher, New Frontier (2011). This non ficti

Writing Fun for Kids - Create a Caption

Published on 2011-05-03 14:50:01

Toothache at the Museum Are you looking for a writing activity for your kids or group that's creative, fun and fast? Caption writing could be just the thing! Captions in this context are usually a sentence or snippet of dialogue children match up w

Children's Learning at ExplOratorium

Published on 2011-05-02 14:21:00

BOOK CHOOK WARNING: do not visit the ExplOratorium website unless you have hours to spare! There is so much to investigate, so many interesting and quirky pathways to take, so much useful information and media to aid children's learning. The real l

Children's Book Review, The Sky Dreamer

Published on 2011-05-01 14:06:00

Children's Book Review by Renee Taprell The Sky Dreamer is a touching children’s picture book written by Anne Morgan and illustrated by Celine Eimann. It was published by IP Kidz in 2011. When Liam’s sister dies, his world turns grey. He spends

Children's Book Review, Follow the Line Books

Published on 2011-04-28 14:12:00

Children's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Interactive children's books don't need to be enhanced by technology. Interactivity can simply mean the book creator has cleverly thought about how to engage kids and have them physica

Looking Back to April Past

Published on 2011-04-27 14:35:00

Towards the end of the month, I like to revisit articles I've written in 2010 or 2009. Not only does this mean new readers of the blog may find something useful otherwise buried in the archives, but it also reminds me of content I can refer to when I

Children's Literacy - Performance Poetry

Published on 2011-04-26 14:36:00

Children's Literacy - Performance Poetry Because April is Poetry Month in the USA, I've been writing about ideas on children's literacy and poetry. I started my poetry celebration early, in March actually, on World Poetry Day with Online Inspiration

Children's Book Review, Last Tree in the City

Published on 2011-04-25 14:50:00

Children's Book Review written by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Last Tree in the City is a children's picture book written and illustrated by Peter Carnavas, and published by New Frontier Publishing, 2010. New Frontier have also added value

April 25 is World Penguin Day! Let's Celebrate!

Published on 2011-04-24 14:26:00

Last week I celebrated Children's Literacy on World Book Day and invited you to do so too. The week before I celebrated Creativity and Innovation Week, hoped you would let your inner creator run free, and gave you some quick creative thinking activit

Let's Celebrate Children's Literacy on World Book Day

Published on 2011-04-21 14:46:00

Parents who care about children's literacy and want their kids to love reading read with them every day. But it's fun to have special days too when reading is the whole focus of your day. Tomorrow is World Book and Copyright Day in many countries (al

Children's Literacy and Crafts - Guest Post

Published on 2011-04-20 15:05:00

I'm delighted to welcome Maggy Woodley as a guest to The Book Chook today. Maggy Woodley is a Mum of Two living in the UK. When she had her children, she decided to stay at home with them. Maggy started her craft blog Red Ted Art in order to share

Children's Book Review, Totally Twins

Published on 2011-04-19 15:07:00

Children's Book Review written by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Are your girls ready for chapter books and intrigued by other children's lives and dramas? The Totally Twins series is written by Aleesah Darlison, illustrated by Serena Gedde

Children's Literacy - A Dog's Life

Published on 2011-04-18 14:46:00

A Dog's Life Here's another great webpage that promotes children's literacy and children's learning. It's from Scholastic, and is based on the book A Dog's Life by Ann M. Martin (author of the Babysitter Club books) about a dog called Squirrel. The i

A Book That Impacted My Life - Caz Makepeace

Published on 2011-04-17 14:58:00

Here is the fourth in this special series of Guest Posts here at The Book Chook. Read the first at A Book That Impacted My Life - Kelly Burstow, the second at A Book That Impacted My Life - Virginia Lowe, and the third in A Book That Impact

Best Australian Blogs 2011 Competition

Published on 2011-04-15 17:17:14

Have you noticed the big blue badge that's appeared in my right side bar? My blog has been nominated for Best Australian Blogs 2011 Competition. Voting has opened in the People's Choice Award. If you go to the People's Choice Award page and click t

Let's Celebrate Creativity and Innovation

Published on 2011-04-14 14:23:00

Have you ever noticed how creative and innovative your own or many of the kids you see are? A child will throw his leg over a stick and ride it off to rescue a friend, wield the stick as a sword or shore up a ramp for his toy cars with it. Children's

Children's Literacy Through Poetry

Published on 2011-04-13 14:31:01

It is the job of poetry to clean up our word-clogged reality by creating silences around things. ~ Stephen MallarmeApril is Poetry Month in the USA. This month or any month would be a great time to borrow some poetry books from the library, or r

Comparing Countries at IfItWereMyHome

Published on 2011-04-12 14:57:01

Most of us are born with a great curiosity about this world we live in. We love to visit new places, get to know other people, and learn something about their countries and way of life. Kids who are lucky enough to travel overseas have wonderful oppo

Drawing with Google Docs

Published on 2011-04-11 14:22:01

Madame Cluck's Facebook Page I've been exploring Google Docs. They're useful for a range of different children's learning activities. Google Docs is continually adding new features and I follow lots of people online who use them. However th

Children's Book Review, On The Night That We First Met

Published on 2011-04-10 14:21:00

On The Night That We First Met Children's Book Review written by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com On The Night That We First Met is an unusual picture book. Written by Nadine Bates, illustrated by Zlatica Hlavacova and to be published by Hoote

Children's Book Review, The Glasshouse

Published on 2011-04-07 15:01:00

Children's Picture Book, The Glasshouse Children's Book Review written by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com The Glasshouse is an intriguing children's picture book, written by Paul Collins, illustrated by Jo Thompson and published by Ford St (2

Enhance Children's Literacy with Popplet

Published on 2011-04-06 14:56:00

I've discovered a new place to play online place for kids to explore and play with words and images. Children's literacy is often enhanced by internet magic, and I think your children might find Popplet motivational and fun. Popplet can best be des

LEGO Literacy

Published on 2011-04-05 14:32:01

Children's Literacy through LEGO Comics! I love LEGO and its potential for encouraging learning, creative thinking and children's literacy. I wrote about it in LEGO and Literacy (1), LEGO and Literacy (2) and Construction Ideas. So I was thrilled to

Writing Contest for Australian Kids

Published on 2011-04-04 18:57:23

Writing Contest for Australian Kids Children's Literacy Through Writing Contests Writing contests can be a great way in to writing for some children. Talented writers may enjoy the opportunity to compete with others. Kids who've never shown much in

Children's Book Review, Yummy

Published on 2011-04-03 14:33:00

Children's Book, Yummy Children's Book Review written by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Recently, I wrote two articles here at The Book Chook - Introducing Kids to Fairy Tales Online and Fairy Tales Online and a Fairy Tale Party. I confessed

Bird Watching for Kids

Published on 2011-03-31 13:06:00

Magpie by John Gould I've forever been fascinated by birds. You guessed that from the Chook reference, right? We love to walk, and I'm always on the lookout for bird species I recognise, or more likely don't recognise. I listen out for bird calls to

Children's Book Review, Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Published on 2011-03-30 13:27:01

Children's Book, Row, Row, Row Your Boat Children's Book Review written by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Have your children discovered the joys of Lift-the-Flap books? Row, Row, Row your Boat is such a cute one, written by Angie Lionetto-Ci

Looking Back to March Past

Published on 2011-03-29 13:15:00

Are you wondering what today's blog title signifies? No, I'm not recalling those heady high school days when we had to practise marching past our teachers, left-right, left-right, to the tune of Colonel Bogey. Those march pasts were agony for a serge

Children’s Author’s Quest to Save Endangered Animals

Published on 2011-03-28 13:37:00

Jan Latta is the author of 11 books for children in her True to Life series about endangered animals. She is also a wildlife photographer who travels to dangerous places to take pictures for her books. In 2007 she was commissioned by the ABC to write

Children's Book Review, Astro the Steller Sea Lion

Published on 2011-03-27 15:57:11

Children's Book Review by Renee Taprell There are many books about animals rescued in the wild, but this beautiful story about Astro the Steller Sea Lion, is a real treasure. Written by Jeanne Walker Harvey and illustrated by Shennen Bersani, it was

Children's Book Review, Dog Gone

Published on 2011-03-24 13:21:00

I discovered Dog Gone recently, a children's chapter book by Carole Poustie, published by Avant Press, and I'm so pleased I did. From the start, Dog Gone speaks to us in the strong, vibrant voice of its main character, Ish. Ish’s dog is gone. Vani

Start a Story at TimTim

Published on 2011-03-23 13:32:00

I discovered TimTim recently via MakeUseOf.com. TimTim offers both drawings done by others for you to colour, and an editor for you to draw your own. There's a fill tool, line tools, shape tools, a colour palette and most excitingly, a text elemen

Children's Book Review, Feathers for Phoebe

Published on 2011-03-22 13:20:00

Have you guessed by now that I love birds? Perhaps you've noticed there's a bit of a chicken theme going at The Book Chook? So I was thrilled to discover that National Simultaneous Storytime (May 25 in Australia) had chosen Feathers for Phoebe as its

A Book That Impacted My Life - Hazel Edwards

Published on 2011-03-21 13:42:00

Here is the third in this special series of Guest Posts here at The Book Chook. Read the first at A Book That Impacted My Life - Kelly Burstow, the second at A Book That Impacted My Life - Virginia Lowe. If you're interested in submitting an article

Online Inspiration for Young Poets

Published on 2011-03-20 13:38:01

March 21 is World Poetry Day. I believe our young writers need all the encouragement we can give them. Young poets are a very special breed. I've been looking around for resources they might be able to use, and want to share some with you today.

Bullying? No Way!

Published on 2011-03-17 13:48:00

Everyone's different. Everyone does things in different ways. And guess what – everyone's similar in lots of ways too. "It makes you think ... why can't people just be people?" ...Year 5 Student (Bullying No Way) March 18 is the Australian Nation

Children's Book Review, Clip-Clop, Tippity-Tap: French Vocabulary on the Farm

Published on 2011-03-16 14:00:07

It's tricky being young or small. You often want to help, but people see you as not able to do the same jobs adults do. Here's a gorgeous new children's picture book from author Kim Chatel, called Clip-Clop, Tippity-Tap: French Vocabulary on the Farm

Children's Book Review, Leprechauns Never Lie

Published on 2011-03-15 13:49:01

Just in time for St Patrick's Day on March 17, we have a children's book review with a hint o' the Irish from Deirdre Smith, accompanied by an activity you can try with your kids. Leprechauns may never lie, but they can stretch the trut

Let Them Play in the Backyard - Guest Post

Published on 2011-03-14 13:08:00

It's my pleasure to welcome Australian author, Katrina Germein to The Book Chook today. Australian Children's author Katrina Germein wrote her first book 'Big Rain Coming' while working as a teacher in a remote Aboriginal Community. Katrina h

Top Two Book Chook Silly Games

Published on 2011-03-13 13:26:00

Laughter is the closest distance between two people. ~Victor BorgeI love games that slip a little something useful into family life. I've talked a lot about word games and you know I love board games that encourage creativity and/or are educational i

Learn Geography with Edwin Van Moon, Balloon Tycoon - Guest Post

Published on 2011-03-10 12:26:01

Here is Gina Clifford from Spotty Banana blog with a new guest post. Gina is the author of the eclectic home learning blog Spotty Banana, where she shares information on all sorts of subjects. Gina is a child-led, project-based learning advocate wh

Messing About with Words to Increase Literacy

Published on 2011-03-09 12:31:00

There is nothing--absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.~ Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows, Ch. 1 With Ratty, it was boats, but I have a strong belief in the power of messing about with words. Childre

Online Resources for Reading and Writing

Published on 2011-03-08 12:56:00

Let me say first of all that I love reading and I love real print books. I do. I love the way my first step into our local library transports me instantly to the joy of being a child again, one with her first library card. I love the feel of a book i

Let's Celebrate World Read Aloud Day!

Published on 2011-03-07 12:57:00

March 9 is World Read Aloud Day. You can read more about it on the LitWorld website where you can register to join the global literacy movement, donate, and find suggested activities to participate in. Their goal is to have us read 774 million minute

3 Fun and Creative Group Writing Games - Guest Post

Published on 2011-03-06 13:02:01

Kitty Holman, regularly writes on the topics of nursing colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: kitty.holman20@gmail.com. 3 Fun and Creative Group Writing Games by Kitty Holman At a children's party, can you encourage a fun playtime

Play with Words and Images at Pizap

Published on 2011-03-03 12:32:00

Pizap is an image editor. It has some interesting features that allow kids to add stamps and text to images. Anything that allows users to add text has The Book Chook Feather of Approval as it makes it easy for kids to integrate writing into everyday

Write Stories and More at Kerpoof

Published on 2011-03-02 12:27:00

What is Kerpoof? The answer to that is not so simple. Kerpoof is all about having fun, discovering things, and being creative. Here are just a few ways that you can use Kerpoof: Make artwork (even if you aren't good at drawing!) Make an animated m

Let's Celebrate Dr Seuss' Birthday

Published on 2011-03-01 12:16:00

March is a big month for education, especially literacy. We had World Maths Day yesterday, and the latest issue of Literacy Lava was published; World Book Day is March 3 in UK (April 23 other countries); on March 9 it's World Read Aloud Day; we have

Literacy Lava 8, Out Now!

Published on 2011-02-28 12:11:01

Can you believe this is the eighth edition of Literacy Lava? Again it's erupting with tips for parents and teachers, suggesting ideas for incorporating literacy and learning into our every day. We also have some new contributors this time, and lots o

Looking Back to February Past

Published on 2011-02-27 11:56:00

The end of the month is when I look back to my blog posts from earlier years. I did that in this Backwards Day post for the month of January. Today, it's February's turn. 2009 Book Chook Read Aloud Roundup 1 and Book Chook Read Al

7 Billion from National Geographic

Published on 2011-02-24 12:34:00

I came across a video via The Education Technology blog and want to share it with you below. It's an ad for National Geographic, for a series they're doing on global population. I think this would make a great video to share with kids when they are g

Schoolyard Stories - Writing Fun for Kids - Guest Post

Published on 2011-02-23 12:26:00

What do you do if you want to help your local schools raise funds, but you're tired of the eternal junk food and raffle ticket fundraisers? Enter two Australian mums, Sophia Stefanos and Deborah Kourakis, with a brilliant idea where kids benefit not

The Zoo That Is You

Published on 2011-02-22 13:03:00

Each of us is the keeper of a huge zoo. And the zoo is ourselves. If your kids are fascinated by all things creepy, have a chat to your local librarian and borrow some books about the human body - in particular, the animals who live upon and inside u

Let's Celebrate World Maths Day Next Week

Published on 2011-02-21 12:56:00

I really didn't appreciate Maths until long after I'd left school, so for most of my life I've been mathsphobic. But I know how important Mathematics is, and I also know that for some kids, Maths is the shiny part of their lives. So here I am to say:

Book Review, Daddy Loves His Little Girl

Published on 2011-02-20 12:33:01

Robin Merrill is a mother of two, and a freelance writer who can usually be found writing about criminal justice colleges and universities. If there were a soundtrack to my childhood, it would be called Johnny Cash: The Complete Collection. As a bo

Teaching Children about Sustainability - Guest Post

Published on 2011-02-17 19:20:35

It's my pleasure to welcome Sabbithry Persad to The Book Chook today. Sabbithry Persad has been writing stories and poems since she was a child growing up on the island of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. She won her first award at the age of four

A Book That Impacted My Life - Virginia Lowe

Published on 2011-02-16 22:46:14

Here is the second in this special series of Guest Posts here at The Book Chook. Read the first at A Book That Impacted My Life - Kelly Burstow. If you're interested in submitting an article about a children's book that has had an impact on your life

Creative Prompt - Dreaming Online

Published on 2011-02-15 18:07:14

Dreamlines is a fascinating website. You simply type in a keyword or keywords and it generates dream-like images that change and progress before your eyes. Once you enter the keyword, a sphere swings back and forward along an arc, almost hypnotizing

Make Some Magic with a Picture

Published on 2011-02-14 12:32:00

This website page makes me happy. It reminds me of those drawing pads we had as kids, where you lifted a sheet of plastic and your drawing disappears. Only this is in reverse. What you do: You transform an image into a "magic" Farbzauber pictu

Building Background with Books - Guest Post

Published on 2011-02-13 12:30:01

I would like to welcome Deirdre Smith back to The Book Chook today. I first met Deirdre at we teach, a community of mothers who like to teach their kids. I know she loves reading to her son and creating great activities about literature. Deirdre has

What's the Use of Picture Books?

Published on 2011-02-10 14:01:25

Have you noticed there's a prejudice about kids reading picture books? We're fine with it when kids are in pre-school, or attending a read-aloud session at the library. But some parents actively deter their kids from reading picture books once they s

Create Art at Aminah's World

Published on 2011-02-09 12:50:00

Here's a lovely webspace where kids can create a digital collage. It was created by the Columbus Museum of Modern Art, and is called Aminah's World. Children simply have to click on elements to add them to their pictures. They can choose from mud cl

Introducing Literacy to Your Baby - Guest Post

Published on 2011-02-08 12:21:00

I would like to welcome Misty Weaver to The Book Chook blog. Mother to a 2 year old, and now pregnant with twins, Misty Weaver is the editor-in-chief for BabySignLanguage.com, a new site that has lots of helpful information on how parents can te

National Geographic Atlas Puzzles

Published on 2011-02-07 12:18:00

I love the National Geographic website. It has lots to offer parents, teachers and kids, including amazing images and stacks of fascinating facts. One cool feature I discovered recently via freetech4teachers is the Atlas Puzzles. These are online ji

Book Review, Alaska's Three Pigs

Published on 2011-02-06 12:38:00

Apparently the three little pigs have decided to leave behind their traditional home environment and head off to the Alaskan bush in Alaska’s Three Pigs. In this version of the classic tale written by Arlene Laverde, illustrated by Mindy Dwyer and

Book Chook's Greatest Post 2010

Published on 2011-02-03 23:20:05

No, you're not seeing double. This is my second post for today. I need your help. You see, recently I joined Kleenex Mums online. They were having a promotion where you had to nominate your favourite blog post from 2010. I nominated Say NO to Bullyi

Make Your Own Mandala

Published on 2011-02-03 12:49:00

I know colouring-in isn't looked upon as a very creative activity, but I find it and doodling quite soothing. I also find that if I have a creative problem to solve mentally, giving my hands something uncomplicated to do can release the answer to a p

Let's Celebrate Chinese New Year

Published on 2011-02-02 12:33:00

The Year of the Rabbit begins today, February 3, 2011. To celebrate Chinese New Year, I think we should go fly a kite! If kite-flying doesn't appeal: check out the list of resources I wrote about for Chinese New Year last year. There are m

Hand Picked Reading Lists - Guest Post

Published on 2011-02-01 12:45:00

I would like to welcome Gina Clifford from Spotty Banana blog to The Book Chook. Gina is the author of the eclectic home learning blog Spotty Banana, where she shares information on all sorts of subjects. Gina is a child-led, project-based learning

Book Review, Teaching the Teacher

Published on 2011-01-31 12:35:01

‘If you could swap places with your teacher for a day, what would you teach your teacher to do?’ Teaching the Teacher, written by Joan van Loon and illustrated by Chantal Stewart (published by UQP 2008), humorously turns the tables on the teache

Looking Back for Backwards Day

Published on 2011-01-30 12:51:00

Some blogs have a regular feature where bloggers revisit earlier posts. I think this is a great idea. Partly that's because I have lots of new followers who might not have made it so far back in the archives yet. Mostly I think it might help me remem

Just for Fun

Published on 2011-01-29 00:25:09

Here are some delightful resources I've found in my online wandering. Some fit the blog's theme of children's literacy, literature and learning; others don't. Have you seen the movie Big? I haven't but I loved this clip from it. To me, it demonst

Changes at The Book Chook Blog

Published on 2011-01-27 12:18:00

Did you realise we are already seeing some changes at The Book Chook? Thanks to Lady Java, I have a prettier and more spacious blog, a paler background and a tweaked banner. Those of you reading via RSS won't notice any difference, but I hope others

Games for Toddlers - Owlieboo

Published on 2011-01-26 12:33:00

If you'd like to find an online space where your toddler can play and learn some elementary computer skills, as well as interact with simple games, Owlieboo might be the answer. Games are grouped into Pressing Keys, Moving the Mouse, and Clicking and

Creative Prompt - Start with Illustrations

Published on 2011-01-26 00:04:52

Before I get to today's creative prompt, I saw a slideshow recently which emphasized for me the importance of creativity. It's by Betsy Streeter, and won the Creative category in a Slideshare Contest. The Best Question in the World View more prese

Holiday Learning Fun

Published on 2011-01-25 23:11:07

Here in Australia we had a decidedly Wet Christmas. There were lots of Christmas greetings orbiting around the web, but this one touched my heart - greetings to planet Earth from the crew on the International Space Station. One world - wouldn't it be

Let's Celebrate Australia Day with Boomerang Play!

Published on 2011-01-25 12:42:35

Recently I wrote, "If we can keep playfulness at the core of what we do, if we can look for ways to incorporate play and fun into lessons and activities, I believe we will encourage creative thinking. Another huge benefit is that if we enjoy what we

An Introspective and Call for Contributors

Published on 2011-01-24 20:36:23

2010 is almost over. For me as a blogger, this year has been hugely successful. Is there such a thing as too successful? It has certainly felt that way sometimes. You see, I've been trying to whistle a symphony with The Book Chook blog. No matter

Teaching Kids to Type

Published on 2011-01-24 12:33:00

Learning to type correctly is an invaluable skill for anyone nowadays. With so much of our work, learning and leisure time centered around computers and the internet, being able to type fast and accurately is important. I think the best way for kids

Literacy Via Air Mail - Guest Post

Published on 2011-01-23 12:05:01

It's my pleasure to welcome Joyce Grant as a guest on The Book Chook today with a game I know your kids will love! Literacy Via Air Mail My son’s friend likes to play “air mail” whenever he comes over on a playdate. It’s a great game

Book Review, Henry the Goat

Published on 2011-01-20 22:10:16

Here's a lovely new picture book! Henry the Goat was written and illustrated by Ella Watkins, and published by Hardie Grant Egmont (2011). Henry, as perhaps you've guessed, is a goat. He loves to play. He also has great confidence in his own abiliti

Fairy Tales Online and a Fairy Tale Party

Published on 2011-01-19 12:18:00

In Fairy Tales Online(1), I suggested some Youtube videos as a way to introduce your kids to the wonderful world of fairy tales. I bemoaned the fact that many fairy tale collections that are offered for sale in supermarkets are of poor quality writin

Myths Brainstorming Machine

Published on 2011-01-18 12:39:00

The Myths Brainstorming Machine is part of Scholastic's Myths, Folktales and Fairytales, which has many excellent resources for young writers. You'll find Myth Writing with Jane Yolen, Fairy Tale and Fable Writing with John Sciezka, Folktale Wri

Let's Celebrate A.A.Milne's Birthday

Published on 2011-01-17 12:35:01

I discovered via Adventures with Kids that today is A.A.Milne's birthday. Milne is an author I have loved since I was a child. I remember finding Winnie-the-Pooh at my cousin's house, and grabbing it because I thought it must be a rude book. Well, it

100 Free Printables from MakeBeliefsComix

Published on 2011-01-16 12:49:00

Bill Zimmerman is the creator of MakeBeliefsComix, and author of ‘’Your Life in Comics’’. I love the work Bill does in encouraging young people to express themselves in writing and artwork. You can read more about his work in my article, Book

PBSKids Cyberchase

Published on 2011-01-13 12:17:00

PBSKids Cyberchase has lots of games that get kids to think creatively to solve problems. There are games where you have to invent things, estimate, or find patterns. There's also a crazy game show with the twist that you need to find the example tha

Book Review, I Kissed the Baby!

Published on 2011-01-12 12:54:00

Some picture books do double duty as a story and a game. I Kissed the Baby! by Mary Murphy and published by Walker Books (first published 2003, my edition 2011) is delightful as both. This children's picture book is very simple in both illustratio

A Book That Impacted My Life - Kelly Burstow

Published on 2011-01-11 12:12:01

Here is the first in what will be a special series of Guest Posts here at The Book Chook. If you're interested in submitting an article about a children's book that has had an impact on your life, please use the Contact Me tab above. Today's article

Warning: this post may contain traces of violence

Published on 2011-01-10 12:51:00

I'm definitely in the pro-peace lobby. But I cannot close my eyes to the reality that war exists, and that battles, fighting, guns and explosions are a very attractive part of our culture to many people. My husband and son both enjoy movies and books

Picassopation

Published on 2011-01-09 13:02:01

I don't know much about art history, but even I know that Picasso was one of the 20th century's most famous artists. I spent some time recently trying to learn more about him, and want to share a couple of finds with you. Art galleries are wonderf

Make a Comic at Digger and the Gang

Published on 2011-01-06 12:39:01

Here's another great offering from the BBC. At Digger and The Gang, there are three comic templates, and kids can simply click on each speech bubble to write their own words. Text needs to be short - about 20/30 letters and it runs out. Some frames

Cartoonize Yourself

Published on 2011-01-05 12:21:00

Cartoonize.net is a useful website that takes a photo you upload or choose from the web, and cartoonizes it. Simple. You can download the result and save it to your computer. You can also link from the main site to other editors which put an image on

Word Fun at Only Connect

Published on 2011-01-04 12:38:00

I guess you've worked out by now that I love word games, and think they're great to teach kids. Today I want to share a game that is my new favourite as an adult. Kids might need some help with this one, but I think it would be fun, and a tremendous

Introducing Kids to Fairy Tales Online (1)

Published on 2011-01-03 12:26:00

Some traditional re-tellings of fairy tales are a little heavy for kids. Others are difficult to read aloud, because frankly, they just aren't very well written - check out supermarket books for less-than-stellar examples. Yet fairy tales are a huge

Free 2011 Owl Calendar

Published on 2011-01-02 21:25:02

This 2011 calendar from My Owl Barn is customizable - you get to choose from different artists' owl pictures, then download your calendar and print it. I was looking for chooks, but these owls are so hooty cute! Click to take a peek.