Library League themes - Around the World / holidays

Far East (China and Japan)

• Tasty baby belly buttons : a Japanese folktale by Judy Sierra
• Moon Festival by Ching Yeung Russell

Craft – Kamon (Japanese paper cutting)

Middle East

• The librarian of Basra: a true story from Iraq written & illustrated by Jeanette Winter.
• Forty fortunes: a tale of Iran by Aaron Shepard

Craft – Cuneiform using Playdoh

India

• The brave little parrot by Rafe Martin
• The gifts of Wali Dad : a tale of India and Pakistan retold by Aaron Shepard

Craft: decorated elephant head, using sequins, gems, etc.

Extras: “Henna” on hands using a brown face paint marker. Bindis using sticker earrings.

The Arctic Circle

• Kumak's house: a tale of the far north by Michael Bania.
• Pipaluk and the whales by John Himmelman

Craft – Inuit Finger/Spirit Masks. Craft was found here: http://www2.grand-forks.k12.nd.us/iditarod/inuitact.html

This one was my sample.

One made by a child attending the program:

Latin America

• The boy who wouldn't obey : a Mayan legend by Anne Rockwell
• The dancing turtle : a folktale from Brazil by Leasant DeSpain ; illustrated by David Boston.

Craft – Balero. This is a game with versions in many cultures throughout the world. This is a popular Latin American toy.

Materials: cardstock (for the cone), yarn or string, markers (etc. for decorating), stapler, scissor, bead.

1. Cut the cardstock to be 11 inches on the side and 14 inches on top. Punch a hole in the middle.
2. Decorate the flat cone in a bright, festive way.
3. Staple the sides and bottom tip of the cone. Cut the string about 24-36 inches long and attach a bead with a secure knot.
   

The object of the game is to catch the bead in the cone.

Mexico / Cinco de Mayo

• The legend of Mexicatl by Jo Harper
• Borreguita and the coyote : a tale from Ayutla, Mexico by Verna Aardema

Craft - Sombreros made using a craft kit from Oriental Trading.

Native Americans (United States)

• The legend of the lady slipper: an Ojibwe tale by Lise Lunge-Larsen & Margi Preus
• The woman who fell from the sky: the Iroquois story of creation by John Bierhorst

Craft – Paper beads using glue, scrapbook papers, wrapping paper and other decorative papers.

Germany

• Bremen town musicians
• Pied Piper of Hamlin

Craft:
Schultüte (large paper cones designed to fill with school supplies/treats)

http://sps.k12.mo.us/khs/german/germany/teacher/dt1stday.htm

France

• When Chickens grow teeth by Guy de Maupassant; Illustrated and retold by Halperin, Wendy Anderson.
• Three sacks of truth by Eric A. Kimmel

Craft: Cave paintings (due to the many cave paintings throughout france). We used crumpled paper lunch bade as our cave walls, and painted on the paper with tempera paints.

Hawaii

• The Shark God by Rafe Martin
• Aloha Dolores by Barbara Samuels

Craft: Magnets using small sea shells and glitter clue on cardstock.

England

• “Silly and Sillier: a tale from England” from Read-Aloud Tales from Around the World: Silly and Sillier. Told by Judy Sierra
• Duffy and the Devil by Harve and Margot Zemach

Thanksgiving

• Arthur’s Thanksgiving by Marc Brown
• A Plump and Perky Turkey by Teresa Bateman

Craft: Handprint turkeys http://www.first-school.ws/activities/crafts/animals/birds/turkeyhands.htm

Wild West

• Lasso Lou and Cowboy McCoy by Barbara Larmon Failing
• Hannah Mae O'Hannigan's Wild West Show by Lisa Campbell Ernst.
• Sixteen cows by Lisa Wheeler
• Widdermaker by Pattie Schnetzler

Craft: Wanted Posters

Hanukkah

• A confused Hanukkah : an original story of Chelm by Jon Koons
• One candle by Eve Bunting

Craft – Simple Dreidels, using a square of cardstock and a golf pencil. We then played the dreidel game using paper clips.

Christmas

• The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore
• The Miracle of the First Poinsettia: A Mexican Christmas Story by Joanne Oppenheim

We had a Christmas party, complete with snacks and little presents. Each child received a Christmas Cracker (a holiday party favor from England).