Stories we shared
The theme of this week’s Pajama Storytime is “Self Acceptance.” Each story draws on themes of courage, friendship, and encouragement for self acceptance.
The Monster Who Lost His Mean and Freckleface Strawberry are humorous stories–the first is a tale about a monster who is ostracized because he has lost his “mean,” and the latter about a seven year old girl who learns to accept her freckles. Taking a less comical approach–though no less delightful–One by Kathyrn Otoshi also explores the topic of bullying; while young readers learn about colors and numbers, they also learn about standing up for themselves and accepting each other’s differences.
 
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 The fourth story is Square Cat. Based on the picture book by Elizabeth Schoonmaker, this story was adapted for the flannel board. Eula is a square cat and wishes she was round. Her round cat friends try to cheer her up by showing Eula just how great it is to be square. The craft below is also based on Square Cat.
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Film we watched
The film we watched is “Spoon,” a story about a spoon who wishes he was another utensil, but eventually learns to accept himself. The short film is based on Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s picture book of the same name.
Craft
Square Cat box
Supplies:
cardstock
crayons or markers
scissors
tape or glue
How to Make Them:
Print out square cat box template —square cat pdf
For preschool-kinder aged kids, adult assistance will be needed for folding; pre-cutting and pre-folding may work as well. For 1st-2nd grade kids, they should be able to cut and fold with little assistance.
Instructions are on the printout:
- Color the cat (face, sides)
- Draw eyes, nose, mouth, whiskers, and feet
- Cut along solid lines
- Fold on dotted lines
- Glue or tape together box
- Tuck in tabs as noted
- Curl and tape on tail
Hastings Branch Pajama Storytime 6/3/13. For ages 3-8.