Huge congratulations to our winners from last week's episode!! Thanks so much to both of you for tuning in and stopping by to share your thoughts!

Laura Roettiger, You are the winner of the jump drive from Annie Lynn!  I know your third grade students will enjoy the music -- and I hope you'll share Annie's expertise and wonderful music with the teachers you're connected with as well!

Jany Campana, You are the winner of your choice from Jolene Gutierrez -- a zoom call, a copy of MAC AND CHEESE AND THE PERSONAL SPACE INVADER, or a PB Critique of a mss (less than 800 words). 

I'll pass. your emails along to Jolene and Annie for prize distribution :-). Congratulations!

Join Annette and me as we talk music, inspiration, layers, writing nonfiction picture books, instrument classification systems, the importance of Arts in the schools, and much, much more.

This is a longer NF picture book, with a running lyrical text throughout the book to provide some structure, and that younger kids will absolutely enjoy as a read aloud.  But there are amazing sections throughout the book that highlight various ways of classifying instruments (organology), craft pages that show you how to create your own hand-made instrument, pages that introduce innovators in music, and 

There are lots of other great jams on the YouTube playlist here This one is a fun one involving movement and several different types of instruments.   Not only can you dance and move, you could classify these instruments in some different ways, sing along, practice spelling these instruments, practice syllabication, make up their own moves, add in more instruments , etc.  Have fun boogying with this one and check out the playlist for more jamz!

Since this book runs to the upper end of picture book range: 2nd - 5th grades, you can use it in multitudinous ways to support instruction for those grade levels:

• Timelines (Integrating math and social studies)
• History of music (integrating social studies)
• Geography (integrating social studies)
• Features of text (ELA)
• For math integration, you can use the timeline to solve story problems, etc.
• Science integration -- science of sound/classification of instruments in various ways

It is also useful for the younger set.  I would recommend a read-aloud of the lyrical text, and using the other resources in the book as the situation allows.

• Read aloud
  
• Instrument crafts
• Found music
• Recycling (use "trash" to create a musical instrument) (STEAM activity!!)
• Onomatopoeia (poems, sound hunt, phonemic awareness)
• You could also begin to introduce some of the heavier topics above -- features of text, geography,  historical highlights, and timelines (just not in  as much detail and as high a level as with the older set.)

Both younger and older sets might enjoy

• sound or music scavenger hunts
• lots of vocabulary enrichment (instrument names, classification, etc.)
• Verb study (both in the lyrical text and the classification -- struck, plucked, rubbed); older students could get into tense changes -- regular and irregular verbs, etc.

Oh, my goodness, this book is your oyster.  There is so much, so many different directions you could go with this book!  I'm throwing out some options, but there are more. Many more.

• Music history (instruments)
• Found instruments
• Tie-in with found music ensembles like STOMP (see YouTube playlist for lots of examples
• Onomatopoeia 
• Various musical classifications -- choose one or compare a couple (Material, vibration, how played, etc)
• Music Around the World
• Make-Your-Own instruments (Tie in with recycling for Earth Day, etc.)
• Choose accompanying sounds for the read aloud 
• How instruments are made
• Science of sound
• Musical innovators

YouTube playlist -- clips from STOMP, songs about music and musical instruments, demonstrations of various ancient and modern instruments, etc.

​Pinterest board  -- Lots of music crafts, ancient instruments and more!

A little retro dessert treat seems a perfect accompaniment to a book entitled BEFORE MUSIC!  This one brings together some of our favorite things: moist, delicious cake with peanut butter filling, jelly filling, and a scrumptious peanut frosting for the top.  It's even topped with crunchy crushed peanuts for extra texture and flavor.  You can't go wrong with this PBJ dessert any time!  Find the recipe here! 

Annette's info:
​Twitter

Website

​Annette is giving away a 30 minute Zoom call!  Teachers, homeschool parents, etc. may choose to use the zoom call for an author visit, or authors may choose to use the 30 minutes to chat about books, publishing, etc.

To be eligible, simply leave a comment below on this blog post, and thanks so much for stopping by!

I hope you'll join us for a conversation that encompasses so much -- music, guinea pigs, SEL, teaching, writing songs, singing, integration, the power of the arts, and other stuff, too ;-).  These two ladies have become more than writing colleagues, and Kidlit pals.  They have become friends. Come hang with us for a while.  You might learn something new, or you might not, but you're bound to have fun!  We sure did!

Mac and Cheese are delightful secondary characters that are sure to steal your heart, as they did Oliver's!  He wants to learn to be a good friend, and who better to serve as models than Mac and Cheese!  They're BFFs for sure!  Unfortunately, when Oliver applies his scientific observations on the friendship of guinea pigs to his own budding friendships, things don't go quite so well.  A book of friendship, being an action scientist, SEL strategies, honoring personal space, and more!  There's a bit of Spanish, a lot of guinea pig love, and a lesson to learn with a hula hoop!   Check out the teaching tips below and the links section for so many amazing ways to use this book in the classroom, the music classroom, your family read-aloud time, or your homeschool.
​
MAC AND CHEESE AND THE PERSONAL SPACE INVADER 
written by Jolene Gutierrez
illustrated by Heather Bell
published by Spork publishing

Using bubbles to create space, being a friend, what it means to have, honor, and maintain personal space!  This song is full of great tips, fun motions, call and response which makes it easy for kids to join in right away so they can learn and internalize what it means to be a "Space Creator"!

Writing Prompts from Tonnye:

1. How to Be a Friend
2. Why is personal space important?
3. (non-fiction) Guinea Pigs
4. If you could rename Mac and Cheese, what would you call them and why?
5. Would you be friends with Oliver?  Why or why not?
6. How to Hula Hoop
7. Write about a special friend.
8. Write about a time you had difficulty with friendship
9. Write about a time you didn't honor personal space or someone didn't honor yours.
10. Write about why you think the hula hoop helps with personal space.
11. Title:  THE GREAT HULA HOOP MISADVENTURE
12. Title:  THE CLASS PETS

Writing Prompts from Jolene:

1. ·      Write about a friendship mistake you’ve made.
2. ·      “How to” be a good friend.
3. ·      “How to” practice respect for others’ personal space.
4. ·      If you have access to animals, observe them. How is their personal space bubble different or the same to yours?
5. ·      Write about a time when a teacher gave you advice.
6. ·      Write about your favorite animal.
7. ·      Create your own Spanish dictionary with words from the book or other words you know.
8. ·      Write a letter to Oliver or to Mac and Cheese.
9. ·      Create a recipe for a snack that Mac and Cheese would like.
10. ·      Write your own personal space song.

Writing Advice from Jolene for those of us trying to get published:
Immerse yourself in books! Visit your favorite independent bookstore or go to your library and find recent books in the genres you write. I read these books to myself, I read them aloud to kids, and I type up the text of my favorite mentor books to get a feel for rhythm, language, and page turns.
 
Immerse yourself in the KidLit community! The KidLit community is active in a variety of places across social media, around the Internet, and locally, if you’re lucky. Look for critique groups, join SCBWI, find KidLit contests, etc. These are all amazing ways to connect, learn, and grow!
 
Give yourself grace. The world is tough enough, so don’t be tough on yourself. You may not be able to write every day. That’s OK. You’re a rockstar for following your dreams!
 
Reject the idea of writer’s block. If you feel stuck in your writing, consider trying to write a different genre, level, or topic. Or do other work, like creating your author website, researching a new idea, or critiquing someone else’s writing.

Songwriting Advice from AnnieLynn:
Annie asked me to repost Tara's excellent songwriting tips, and states that she totally concurs with Tara's suggestions.  Annie shares a couple of addendums at the bottom of Tara's tips:

A Simple 6 Step Songwriting Method from Tara Trudel:

1. Find the Hook - I like to start with a title. Song titles can create a strong feeling, express an opinion, establish a time/place/memory, or just be fun to say. A great title immediately gives your song a topic and a short, punchy lyrical phrase to build your chorus around. 

2. Brainstorm - Once I choose a title, I create a word bank where I write a list of words or short phrases related to my title. When I have a lot of options, I go back through this list and look for possible rhymes to play with in the lyrics. 

3. Write the Chorus - A simple chorus can be really effective. Repetition is a powerful songwriting tool, especially in the chorus. (Just think about how many times you've had "We Don't Talk About Bruno, no no no/We Don't Talk About Bruno" stuck in your head!) 

4. Keep the Verses Consistent - If you're new to songwriting, it's best to write verses in groups of four lines. Verses typically have the same rhyme scheme and a similar line length in each repetition. 

5. Break It Up With The Bridge - The bridge is a section where you can switch up your rhyme scheme and melody and experiment with something new. This shift in the lyrics and melody helps drive the song home to its final chorus. 

6. Collaborate - Songwriting is often a collaborative art form. If you don't have a music background, you can always work with a musician to set your lyrics to music. I've also had a lot of success following the above formula to write group songs with students in the classroom. ​


Addendums by Annie Lynn:


3. Write the Chorus - A simple chorus can be really effective. Repetition is a powerful songwriting tool, especially in the chorus. (Just think about how many times you've had "We Don't Talk About Bruno, no no no/We Don't Talk About Bruno" stuck in your head!) Annie adds: The chorus is also a great place to put the takeaway message since it is repeated often. 4. Keep the Verses Consistent - If you're new to songwriting, it's best to write verses in groups of four lines. Verses typically have the same rhyme scheme and a similar line length in each repetition. Annie adds: I recently found that writing verses for non-fiction requires a minimum of 8 lines (probably for 2nd grade & up). I ran into the same problem that NF writers have…too much “important” info is “needed” to tell the story! Is there such a thing as Musical Back Matter? Actually yes….and Front Matter too. I like to encourage Students to write a spoken dialogue in the beginning of the song, to set up the scene & use any info still needed that didn’t make it into the musical part of the song. This can also be done at the end of the song. This is where humor works great. A funny parting line will all but ensure that they remember the song and its contents. Sometimes this process leads to writing a mini musical. There are kids who would love to take that concept and work on it with other Student collaborators (I was one of them as a kid) including writers & artists that enjoy set design and costume making. You’ve got magic to make! You can do it!

 I enjoyed chatting with Tara very much! She is not only a wonderful songwriter who's done work on a variety of music projects, but she's also an author in her own right. And, she taught music as well, so she has a wealth of information to offer!  If you're not following her on social media, check out all of her links at the bottom of this post!

Walter is a lovely home and enjoys his family.  When they move out, Walter's heart is broken and he shuts his doors on family and love and living.  When a new family moves in, Walter has to decide if he will allow them to move into his heart or if he will encourage them to move on elsewhere.   My husband and I live in an old Victorian farmhouse, built in 1882, and I'm sure our home felt a little forlorn as she was relegated to office space and then slated to be torn down if no one bought her to move.  Thankfully, we fell in love with her, moved her out to my dad's farm and have been fixing her quirks for 30 years this November. I'm thankful Walter found someone to love him too! Don't miss this beautiful book by Chelsea Lin Wallace, illustrated by Ginnie Hsu, and published by McMillan Publishers.

And then there was a song. . . named Walter. . .written by Tara Trudel.  Such a sweet anthem to go along with a very sweet book.  The two together are a perfect pair whether you teach in a regular classroom, a music classroom, a daycare setting, or a homeschool.  This book and song are also perfect to share at home to talk about all the things that make your home and family special.  Keep reading below for so many tips and ways to use WALTER (the book and the song) to get kids excited and learning about their homes and others.

WALTER is full of great topics and tie-ins for teachers.  Check these out, and if you have other ways you're using it, please comment below.  Share the knowledge and share the love!

• What makes a house a home? (great tie-in for BOY as students and teachers are getting to know each other.  Writing/discussion about each others' homes and families)
• Different kinds of houses/homes (wonderful social studies tie-in to talk about different types of houses/homes around the world.)
• Feelings/Emotions (excellent SEL tie-in) Talk about how to deal with feelings 
  • role-playing
  • collaborate with school counselor
  • integrate meditation
  • Emojis!
  • Emotional check-in in the mornings 
• Mapping/reading maps -- have students create a map of their home after looking at lots of examples.  (social studies tie-in with map reading, compass rose, etc.)
• STEM/STEAM activities -- building a house using various materials: popsicle sticks, cards, etc.

There are a couple of options for music teachers wanting to use this book in the music classroom.  

• One direction you could take is to focus on our personal homes and families.  There are lots of songs about houses/homes and families that you could use to integrate.  (Taras song above would work beautifully with this approach!)
• Another direction you could take is to take a global approach and talk about homes and families around the world and the different kinds of houses people live in.
• Thirdly, you could use videos like House of Sound and Melody Street and approach it from a musical house point-of-view.  Talk about families of instruments.
• Another musical approach is a song in the YouTube playlist that focuses on the elements of music.  So you could build a lesson using that.
• A different direction you might choose (and another direction where Tara's song is a perfect fit) is to go in an SEL direction and use Walter and the song as a jumping off point for discussing and singing about feelings and emotions.
• Still another way you could integrate this into a musical classroom is to use the book and Tara's song as a discussion of songwriting, in conjunction with her songwriting tips below (and maybe another book/song combo or two from her collection). Have students choose a favorite book and try to write a song based on their favorite book.
• Check out the YouTube playlist for songs/activities to get you started -- or the Pinterest board.

Writing Prompts:
1.  My Dream House
2. If I Built a House. . . 
3.  What Makes a House a Home
4.  A Time When I was ____________ (Choose an emotion)
5.  A Time when I moved/had to try something new
6. I think the song named Walter and the house named Walter match or don't match well because. . . .
7.My Favorite Thing to do in my house. . .
8.  If I had to leave the place I live now, I would really miss ________ because. . . . 

Songwriting Tips from Tara:
A Simple 6 Step Songwriting Method:

1. Find the Hook - I like to start with a title. Song titles can create a strong feeling, express an opinion, establish a time/place/memory, or just be fun to say. A great title immediately gives your song a topic and a short, punchy lyrical phrase to build your chorus around. 

2. Brainstorm - Once I choose a title, I create a word bank where I write a list of words or short phrases related to my title. When I have a lot of options, I go back through this list and look for possible rhymes to play with in the lyrics. 

3. Write the Chorus - A simple chorus can be really effective. Repetition is a powerful songwriting tool, especially in the chorus. (Just think about how many times you've had "We Don't Talk About Bruno, no no no/We Don't Talk About Bruno" stuck in your head!) 

4. Keep the Verses Consistent - If you're new to songwriting, it's best to write verses in groups of four lines. Verses typically have the same rhyme scheme and a similar line length in each repetition. 

5. Break It Up With The Bridge - The bridge is a section where you can switch up your rhyme scheme and melody and experiment with something new. This shift in the lyrics and melody helps drive the song home to its final chorus. 

6. Collaborate - Songwriting is often a collaborative art form. If you don't have a music background, you can always work with a musician to set your lyrics to music. I've also had a lot of success following the above formula to write group songs with students in the classroom. ​

Waffles are one of my specialties. Today, I'm sharing with you more of a technique than a recipe.  Get your favorite waffle mix -- whatever kind you like.  Mix up a batch of waffles per the directions.  Now, swirl in a generous amount of peanut butter.  Then dollop a few patches of your favorite jam/jelly.  With a butter knife or narrow spatula, swirl the peanut butter and jam/jelly  throughout your waffle batter.  Then cook in your waffle iron according to the directions.  Even if you like frozen waffles, you can smear them with peanut butter and spoon on a dollop of jam/jelly.  Spread or swirl and enjoy with or without syrup!  

If you want to make your PBJ waffles extra special, mix some of the same jam/jelly with pancake syrup in a small pot.  Simmer, stirring until the two are blended and serve over hot waffles.  For some beautiful plating, add a dollop of peanut butter and a few crushed peanuts on top before pouring the syrup mixture.  You could even add a fresh strawberry, blueberry or apple slice, etc. -- to match the flavor of your jam/jelly.

​Dig in and enjoy!  I did!  And they were delicious!

This is an adorable book, full of whimsy and fun, music, kindness, and more!  While it is probably MOST appropriate for the preschool and early elementary level, I believe children and adults of all ages can and should enjoy this precious book.  It's a perfect bedtime read, but full of so many additional layers.  For all ages you can use this book as a starting point for some music instruction, science study, or a rhyming mentor text. Younger children might enjoy sequencing activities,  counting, and playing some of the instruments mentioned.  Whatever the age or subject, this little book has something to offer everyone.  With Hundred Acre wood vibes to the story and Mary Poppins feel to the song, it is bound to find many fans. Take a read and a listen to find out if one of them will be you.

Listen up for the tune for the book! Janna sings the book to demonstrate the melody for us. You can use the video with your children or students or simply use it to learn the melody and  then sing it with your class or your children.

Preschool/Kindergarten

• Listen to the story
• Bedtime routines -- what do you do before bed.
• -um rhyming pattern -- other words; write sentences. . .
• Play simple instruments named/pictured
  • Drum
  • Ukulele
  • Kazoo
  • Fiddle/violin
  • Recorder/ reed flute/ pennywhistle (wind instrument played vertically, not horizontally)
• Order/sequencing
• Simple rhymes
• Simple rhythms
• Call-and-response
• Discuss reality/fantasy
• Moon science on their level -- 
  • What is the moon
  • Why does it look different from time to time?
• Storms/rain science
  • Safety
  • Difference in rain and storm
  • Difference in thunder and lightning
• Relate to other cumulative stories
  • The House that Jack Built
  • The Old Lady who Swallowed. . . .books
  • The Napping House

K-2

• Read the story
• Participate in
  • sequencing
  • B/M/E,
  • Order words: first, next, then, last
  • Retelling in proper order
• Learn more about the science concepts:
  • Moon science
    • Phases of the moon
    • Difference in sun, earth, moon, stars
    • Interesting moon facts
    • Read other moon books
    • Moon myths
  • Weather science
    • Deeper dive into thunderstorms
      • What causes them
      • Difference in thunder/lightning
      • Safety in storms
      • Make a rainstick.
  • Birds
    • What do different birds eat?
    • Which ones are active at night?
    • What should we put in a feeder for them?
    • What else can we do to help birds?
    • Characteristics of birds. . .
• Rhyming and word families
  • Do the same for their rhyming lists.
  • Sort the /-um/ words into word families. Discuss spelling patterns.
  • Discuss how rhyming does not necessarily mean they belong to the same word family.
  • Make lists of rhyming words

So many fun musical mentions that could evolve into lots more:

• Marching
  • Practice steady beat
  • Introduce marching music
  • Discuss the importance of the drum in marching
  • Musical history of the drum and its role in marching and parades
• Parades
  • Marching bands -- compare and contrast with the instruments in the story
  • Difference in typical parades and this type parade
  • Use EVERYONE LOVES A PARADE by Andrea Denish to compare/contrast different types of parades
• Songs about the topics in the book
  • Rain/thunderstorms
  • Bubble gum
  • The moon
• Instruments
  • Listen to examples of the instruments in the book
    • recorder/reed flute/penny whistle
    • kazoo
    • fiddle/violin
    • drum
    • ukulele 
  • Categorize them according to :
    • wind instruments
    • String instruments
    • percussion instruments
  • Discuss fiddle vs. violin (same instrument; different names)
  • Discuss ukulele vs. guitar (how are they the same/different)
  • DIY instruments
    • kazoo
    • drum
• Sing along with Janna's tune (or make up your own)
  • Add motions (use the ones Janna demonstrates in the video or come up with your own or have the kids create motions to match)
• Have older students (2nd - 5th) create a play version of the book and perform it for the younger students or some other creative way of sharing it with younger kids
• Perfect book for finding/creating sound effects to match a story or drama. . .
• Difference in environmental sounds and musical sounds

Writing prompts for the author in us all -- students, kids, adults, professionals. . . 

• Make a list of rhyming words.  Write as many sentences as you can that END with this words.  See how many you can connect in a story.
• Write about an unusual parade.
• Write about your favorite thing to do at night (when you're supposed to be sleeping).
• Write about a time you tried to stay up all night to do something fun.
• Write about your bedtime routine.
• Write about your favorite instrument (from the book?).
• "How to" blow a bubble.
• Write your own cumulative story.
• What do you like to do in a thunderstorm?
• Write about when/how you learned to . . .play an instrument, blow a bubble, make an instrument, keep a steady beat. . . 
• Write about your favorite "midnight snack". If you wake up feeling hungry, what do you want?
• Write a story called THE MOONLIGHT PARADE.
• Write an invitation to a fun event.  Make sure you have all the W details: what, where, when, and why.  End your invitation with "Wanna come?"

Writing Advice from Janna for those of us trying to get published:
1) READ, READ, READ books in the genre you want to write--picture book, middle grade, poetry, YA. Use the ones you love as "mentor texts," studying them to learn how they do it successfully. Then write, revise, receive critiques...REPEAT! 

2) Scour the most recent CHILDREN'S WRITER'S AND ILLUSTRATOR'S MARKET guide book, in print or digitally, to better understand the industry, your genre, the craft of writing, what editors and agents are looking for, how to find an agent, how to submit queries. It includes indexes by subject matter at the rear, full of publishing info. 

3) Join the SCBWI (pro organization for the children's publishing industry). Read the website thoroughly and find a local critique group via your region's chapter. SCBWI conferences offer great learning and networking, chances to meet agents and editors and to register in advance for a paid critique.

4) Regarding finding an agent, check out manuscript wish lists on twitter at #MSWL as well as www.manuscriptwishlist.com, where editors and agents show what they want in general. 

There are simply no shortcuts! 
​

If you're looking for a yummy gluten free cookie for your moonlight tea party, I'm thinking this is it.  After your moonlight parade, a couple of these with some hot tea or a glass of milk would be just the thing to wrap up a night of adventurous romps in your pajamas.  Here's the link for the recipe if you'd like to try them next time you're out for a moonlight stroll with thumbs and strums and such.

To purchase HERE WE COME



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​

​Janna has generously offered an autographed copy of the book as a giveaway for this week.  Comment below to be entered into a random drawing for the book.

Something a little different this week.  I decided to do a read aloud of the book for this week.  It's a simple little chapter picture book.  3 very short little chapters, but there are lots of great tie-ins and curricular connections.  Check out the sections below for teaching topics, and check out the YouTube playlists and Pinterest boards for tons of amazing ideas that would connect beautifully with this little book.

THE BUNNY HOP is a 1992 book written by Teddy Slater, illustrated by Larry DiFiori, and published by Scholastic.  It is an easy reader book with three short chapters.  It is a Hello Reader level 1 book, designated for preschool - grade 1.  It follows a group of bunnies who need one more participant to dance The Bunny Hop.  Then we're introduced to Buddy, who never learned to dance because of his large feet.  But when Buddy hears the music, he quickly becomes the leader of this bunny-hopping conga-line, gaining self-confidence, and having lots of fun.

I'm sharing two this week.  Same basic song.  If you want to use it for students to see people doing the Bunny Hop historically and see the instruments, use the Ray Anthony one.  The Disney one just has the song, but the steps are sung clearly.  There are a couple variations.  There's a great video on the YouTube list in the links section that gives wonderful directions if you want to do a conga line version.  If you don't want students getting so "up close and personal", you can have them do the steps in their own personal space.  There are lots of other songs and dances and music activities in the playlist that would go wonderfully with this little book.

Math

• Numbers to ten
  • Number words
  • Different representations
  • Number lines
  • Addition facts
  • Story problems
• Higher math
  • Story problems
  • Number line
  • Rabbit/bunny-related math activities

Literacy

• Vocabulary
  • Number words to ten
  • Dance words (waltz, fox-trot, cha-cha-cha, bunny hop, jitterbug)
• bunny - bunnies (change y to i and add -es)
• Interjections (ow, yow, zouch, etc.)
• Onomatopoeia (thumpity-thump, bumpity-bump)
• Rhyming
• Problem/solution
• Character
• Beginning/ middle/end
• Fiction/nonfiction (could compare with a text like BUNNIES by Gail Gibbons)
  • Do bunnies wear clothes? Organize dances? Talk with words? etc.
  • How are they like.unlike real bunnies?

Science

• Classification of bunnies/characteristics (mammals/rodents)
• Body parts
• Life cycle

Recipe for Peanut butter and jelly dip 

​If you're making this to go along with the theme, serve it up with Annie's Bunny Grahams and it's a perfect bunny hop snack! :-)

Buy THE BUNNY HOP (only used copies available)
Teddy Slater 



GIVEAWAY
I'm giving away a non-rhyming picture book critique (less than 1,000 words)  To be eligible, leave me a comment below by midnight Wednesday, April 13. I'll draw a winner.  I can't wait to read someone's story!