Two Literacy Events in Two Weeks: IRA and Mo Willems

I’ve been a bit out of touch for the last week or two, and for that, I apologize!  I have had a crazy couple of weeks and while I normally pre-schedule my posts, time slipped away from me and other responsibilities took over.  I hope to get back on track this week with regular postings on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  This month, I hope to provide you with resources to help engage the reluctant reader, but first, I would love to share two major literacy related events I attended in the last two weeks!

International Reading Association Annual Conference in Chicago, Illinois (April 25-April 28) –

I had the pleasure and honor of presenting at the 55th annual IRA conference.  Not only is this a fantastic professional development opportunity for literacy educators, but it is so much more!  Fantastic keynotes (this year:  Queen Rania of Jordan, Former Vice-President Al Gore, and Dr. Belle Whelan), the chance to meet and mingle with your favorite authors (of both professional books as well as children’s literature) and special luncheons and evening events.  My favorite activity was to wander the exhibit hall where goodies abound!  Exhibitors provided brief demonstrations of their products and often gave away freebies.  So.  Much.  Fun.

My presentation was entitled, “Motivating Reluctant Readers to Engage with Texts Through Strategy Based Nonfiction Read-Alouds” and it was a preview of my forthcoming book, Teaching Comprehension With Nonfiction Read Alouds: 12 Lessons for Using Newspapers, Magazines, and Other Nonfiction Texts to Build Key Comprehension Skills.  If you are interested in more information about nonfiction read-alouds, please don’t hesitate to contact me at dlittle [at] linkstoliteracy [dot] com!

Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical at the Kennedy Center (May 8, 2010)

If you read one of my previous posts, you know I love Mo Willems.  Months ago, I learned  Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical was coming to the Kennedy Center.  So of course, I bought tickets for opening day.  When we arrived, we were ecstatic to find out that Mo Willems would be there after the show to sign books and other items.  Woo Hoo!  My kids were so excited to meet him (as was their mother – again!) and he was so sweet to them.  He asked their names and joked around with them.  He even suggested that I record my daughter’s voice because he said it was going to change and she sounded so cute right now.  

If you aren’t familiar with Mo, I suggest checking out his website and get to know him a little better.  My kids have enjoyed every one of his books that we have read and we have read just about all of them.  If you have a reluctant reader, I suggest introducing Mo. . . I have a feeling your reader won’t be so reluctant after that.

©2010 by Dawn Little for Literacy Toolbox. All Rights Reserved.  All Amazon links are affiliate links and may result in my receiving a small commission. This is at no additional cost to you.

Hooray for Mo Willems!! Reading with Your Preschooler

My preschooler loves Mo Willems books.  So does my seven year old.  Heck, who am I kidding?  I do, too!  If you aren’t familiar with Mo Willems, he is a six time Emmy winning former writer for Sesame Street.  If that isn’t enough, he is also an awesome writer and illustrator of children’s books.  His books are so fun to read aloud!  His most famous characters are The Pigeon, Knuffle Bunny, and Elephant and Piggie.  His newest character is Cat.  We are looking forward to reading Cat the Cat, Who Is That? and Let’s Say Hi to Friends Who Fly! (Cat the Cat) Both came out on Tuesday.  In the meantime, today, I’ll share three of our favorites:

Watch Me Throw the Ball! (An Elephant and Piggie Book)
Elephant (Gerald) and Piggie are best friends.  Elephant wants to throw Piggie’s ball because he thinks he’s a great thrower.  Piggie wants Elephant to have fun.  A great lesson in whether it’s more important to be good at something or to have fun with it!

Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale (Bccb Blue Ribbon Picture Book Awards (Awards))
A tale of a little girl, her daddy, and her stuffed bunny.  A day at the Laundromat culminates in her first words with a little adventure along the way.  A day in the life of a preschooler!

Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!
The Pigeon is just like your typical preschooler.  In this book, it is the reader’s job to get the Pigeon to go to bed.  But, like any preschooler, the Pigeon tries everything to stay up.  Until suddenly, there is a yawn.  Will the Pigeon stay up late?

More Mo:

If you are looking for a little theater for your children check out Big Wooden Horse’s Pigeon Party show.  It features highlights from three of Mo’s Pigeon books.

If you are in the DC area in May, check out Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical at the Kennedy Center!

What is your child’s favorite Mo Willems’ book?

©2010 by Dawn Little for Literacy Toolbox. All Rights Reserved.  All Amazon links are affiliate links and may result in my receiving a small commission. This is at no additional cost to you.