Search Results for: blog aesops fables

The Tale of Pip and Squeak – Kate Duke

In this charming children’s picture book, we meet Pip and Squeak, two mouse brothers who share a fabulous house. Pip is a painter and has a tower where he creates the most wonderful pictures, but the fumes from his paint make Squeak feel ill. Squeak, on the other hand, is a singer, and can croon the most lovely arias, but Pip says the noise gives him a headache. So Squeak sings in his tower and Pip paints in his, and they never share the big room downstairs except for once a year, when they hold a party and invite all … Continue reading →

Don’t Take Your Snake for a Stroll – Karin Ireland

“Don’t Take Your Snake for a Stroll” is a cautionary tale about the proper care and keeping of pets, and the activities that are the most appropriate for them. For instance, it’s highly recommended that you not take your pig to the mall. He’ll just play in the planters. Elephants, when taken to the beach, require so much suntan lotion, it’s hardly worth your time. Don’t take your snake out walking where others can see it. You’ll have little old ladies climbing light posts to get out of your way, which is embarrassing and more than a little bit uncomfortable … Continue reading →

Homeschool Curriculum Glossary (Imitation-Jump Start)

Imitation in Writing is a writing curriculum that teaches students to not plagiarize, while also teaching them to pay attention to details, learn vocabulary through reading, and to outline the plot of the story. Institute for Excellence in Writing is a video seminar that teaches parents to teach their children how to write. It is reportedly patterned after the principles Benjamin Franklin used to teach himself how to write. In this approach, writing is not separated from other subjects. Grammar is not incorporated into this approach. Jacobs Elementary Algebra is a light hearted approach to algebra that teaches the student … Continue reading →

“Humphrey” Books by Sally Hunter

We all know that I’m a pushover for cute illustrations. These books by Sally Hunter grabbed me as soon as I grabbed them. Humprey is an absolutely adorable little elephant, drawn in a style that reminds me quite a bit of Precious Memories. The colors in these books are soft pastels, all the edges and lines of the pictures are softened and not sharp, and when you open the book you feel as though you’ve stepped into a nursery. In the first book I’m featuring today, entitled “Humphrey’s Corner,” Humphrey is looking for a place to play. First he finds … Continue reading →

Jemima Remembers – Crescent Dragonwagon

In “Jemima Remembers,” by Crescent Dragonwagon, we read about Jemima, who has just spent a wonderful summer on the old farm by the pond with her aunt, and now it’s time to leave. She knows she’s going to miss the old farmhouse and all the surrounding areas, and she decides to take one last walk, to say goodbye to everything. As she walks down the path past the garden, she remembers the little seedlings she and her aunt put into the ground, and all the other seeds they planted, lined up in neat rows. They stayed long enough to see … Continue reading →