Perfect Picture Book Friday -- Cricket in the Thicket

Tomorrow is my birthday. I wanted to find just the right book that I would want to read on my birthday. One might think I would choose a book about birthdays, or a book about Memorial Day, but if you have gotten to know me through my posts, you already realize that the book I would choose would be about nature or art or both. I have three books waiting in these categories and it was hard to to pick which one to share this week. All three were discovered during the Marvelous Midwest SCBWI Conference. When I walked through the conference book store, this book caught my eye and I was smitten with the cover.

Title: Cricket in the Thicket: Poems about Bugs
Author: Carol Murray
Illustrated by: Melissa Sweet
Publisher: Christy Octavia Books, Henry Holt and Company, 2017

First Line:  Cricket in the thicket, cricket.

A poem from the book: 
Grasshopper Green
Grasshopper green is a munching machine,
he is built with precision and flair.

His hind legs are long and exceedingly strong,
like two springs as he zings through the air.

Four wings let him fly, let him zip through the sky,
he has jaws that are perfect for crunching.

With ears near his knees and five eyes, sure to please,
he spends most of his time simply munching.

A Very Short Description: This is a book of rhyming poems about a variety of insects.

Why I love this book: 
💚Poems about insects.
💚 Each poem is fun and observational.
💚I fell in love with the cover and then again with every illustration.
💚 I don't like all insects and there are a few in this book that I still don't like, but I enjoy knowing just a little more about each. Just because I don't like them, doesn't mean I should ignore them and not understand them. So kudos to Carol for writing about tics and mites.
💚Each page includes a poem and a fact about the insect. At the back of the book, each insect is listed with additional facts shared.
💚 This book is a Kansas State Library Notable book for 2018.
💚I had the opportunity to test a few poems out with some second graders yesterday during time in the garden. Each poem elicited discussion and sharing of previous knowledge. These second graders had monarch caterpillars in their classrooms last fall (9 months ago) to learn about the monarch caterpillar life cycle. They were sharing things they remember about the experience. Two of my favorites:  Some said, "J". It took a moment to connect the dots, but they were remembering when the caterpillar had finished eating and was getting ready to shed its skin and reveal its chrysalis. They also remembered that the newly hatched caterpillar turns around and eats its egg and may even eat its instar each time it sheds its skin. Being able to introduce insects to children through real life experience, poetry and art, helps to develop a deep understanding and appreciation of these living creatures.

Activities:
Wander around your yard, park, or neighborhood and see what bugs you can find. Then do some first hand research by asking questions and seeing if you can discover the answers. You may want to carry a nature journal to make drawing and take notes about your discoveries. I notice, I wonder, and it reminds me of.

Here are a few more questions to keep you going:
What is the big doing?
How many wings does it have?
Does it make a sound?
Did you hear it before you saw it?
What does it look like?
Where are its ears?
How close can you get?

Did you research leave you with more questions than answers? Learn more about each of the insects by checking out books from your local library.

Play Insect Bingo

Use the observations from your insect discoveries to write poems.
Information on writing rhyming couplets

Learn about the illustrator Melissa Sweet

Make your own Mixed Media Collage: A few links:
Beginner's Guide
From Meri Cherry
Mixed Media Flower Craft

Be sure to check out Susanna Hill's Blog where you can look for reviews by book, title, and by themes.

And now for something completely different. Since it's my birthday blog post, I share with you a recipe for fudge that my mother passed down to me. I made it a couple of weeks ago as frosting for my sister's birthday cupcakes. Yum! and easy to make. Think of it as nectar for humans.

Baked Fudge
1 LB. Confectioner Sugar
1/2 Cup (1 stick) Butter
1/3 Cup Cocoa
1/4 Cup Milk (I used Cashew Milk)
1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts or Pecans (optional)
1 TBS. Vanilla

Combine sugar, butter, cocoa & milk in an ovenproof bowl
Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees
Add nuts and vanilla
Beat until it stats to thicken. Pour into an 11" x 7" x 2" pan or frost cooled cake or cupcakes. Let cool and enjoy.