Eric Carle -- Author Study - Celebration Day

Today all kindergarten classes celebrated the end of our author study of Eric Carle by having a big celebration this morning. Students visited stations which included: making ladybug hats (The Grouchy Ladybug), caterpillar necklaces (The Very Hungry Caterpillar), and eating pancakes (Pancakes, Pancakes). They played games such as Eric Carle Bingo; we had a book scavenger hunt (using copies of the front cover of the books); and E.C. jeopardy (with questions about characters, etc. from his books). In the afternoon, the children were delighted when I read two books that they haven't heard yet from the author study: "Papa Please Get Me the Moon" and "The Honeybee and the Robber." The level at which we now discuss books is at a new height from a few weeks ago when we just started our author study. Now text-to-self connections and text-to-text connections abound!! The children were relating how some characters were the same, how pictures were similar, and how the patterns in some books imitated other books. Students discussed the author and what he must have experienced in order for him to write these books. For instance, they wondered if he had a cat because cats are in so many of his books and if he lived near a zoo because of all the animals in his books. They also asked if he was coming to our celebration! One child answered, "He's too busy writing - don't you know?" This author study was the springboard for many author studies to come in the next five years. In First Grade, there will be a Kevin Henkes and Mem Fox author study. However, students always remember this first one, Eric Carle, with great fondness and affection. Eric Carle will be their favorite author for a very long time!