Alphabet Fiesta: An English/Spanish Alphabet Story

 

 

Author/Illustrator: Anne Miranda/Young schoolchildren in Spain

About the Author:
http://www.amazon.com/Anne-Miranda/e/B000APVXIS
Miranda has written a number of books inlcuding Glad Monster, and Sad Monster with Caldecott Award winning illustrator Ed Emberley. She currently lives in Spain with her husband, Saturnino, and her two sons, Evan and Tyler, that play basketball.  She likes to paint, garden, blog, go on facebook and watch her sons play basketball.  She is continuing to write and hopes to have a new book out soon.

Genre: English, Foreign Language, Science

Grade Level: K-1
Theme: Animals, Letters of Alphabet

Synopsis:

This book is about different animals that start with different letters of the alphabet preparing for a surprise party for their friend Zelda the Zebra.  This story also is told in Spanish as well as English to show students different ways of saying the animals names.

Pre Reading Activity:

Activity:
Ask the students to say the alphabet together at their seats.  Have students brainstorm different animals that start with different letters of the alphabet.  Make sure you have already read the story to be able to tell the students what some of the animals are because students may not know what a burro, emus, ibis, nightingale, gnu, quetzal, salamander, viper, or yaks, is/are.  They also may need clarification with some of the things they bring to the party as well.

Post Reading Activity:

Activity:
After reading the story, teach students some of the names of the animals in Spanish to let them teach other students or even their parents!  You can also have them make up different things that start with the letters of the alphabet to incorporate into the story. For example Dot the Dog can bring drums to Zelda's party.  They will have fun making up their own ideas that would go along with the book.

Reflection:

I think this is a great book to use because it allows students to see the different kinds of animals that there are in the world as well as practice the alphabet and learn new words in a different language.  Children will have fun guessing what animals might be in the story as well as what they might be bringing to the party!

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

Author/Illustrator: Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault/Lois Ehlert

About the Author:

http://www.billmartinjr.com/bill_martin

Bill Martin wrote for almost 60 years and published his first book called The Little Squeegy Bug -- The Story of the Firefly in 1945.  He is the famous author of the classic Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?, and many others.  Martin passed away in 2004 but he will always be considered "America's favorite children's author!"
http://www.johnarchambault.com/
John Archambault wrote this book and dedicated it to his son Arie Alexander Archambault when he was considered to be the "new baby boom boom."  Archambault is a modern day alchemist and is developing a series of Big Books for Childcraft Education Corporation.  These books will incorporate musical CDs with read-aloud and sing-along styles to aid in developing fluency and associations with print for early readers.  This will also make it fun and effective to listen and sing along.  Some of these will include I Love the Mountains, Turtle Song, Grandmother's Garden, The Birth of a Whale, and many others.

Genre: Fiction, English

Grade Level: K-1
Theme: The alphabet

Synopsis:

This book is about all the letters of the alphabet trying to make it up a coconut tree.  All the letters unfortunately fall out because there are too many in the tree and some are injured but in the end letter A dares everyone to climb up again!

Pre Reading Activity:

Activity:

Ask the students to write down the alphabet in their journals to see if they know it.  Then say the alphabet together to get them familiar with the letters before reading the book.

Post Reading Activity:

Activity:
After reading the story, have the students make their own coconut tree using the letters in their name!  Remember to tell them that the letters can be jumbled around the tree but they have to make sure they can tell what their name is! You can use brown construction paper to create a trunk with black X's going down the trunk, brown construction paper to create the coconuts, and green construction paper to make 4 leaves by rounding them at the ends so they look like an elongated oval.  You will also need foam letters or sticker letters for the children to use. 

Reflection:

I think this is a great book to use because it rhymes and repeats and students will easily be able to say the famous phrase "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom will there be enough room?"  They will have fun learning the alphabet in a creative way and be able to create their own coconut trees using different letters or even their names!