Fun Turkey Day Activities For Teachers And Librarians by Alayne Kay Christian

When award-winning author and teacher Alayne Kay Christian agreed to write a guest post for Frog on a Blog, I was so excited! Her latest picture book Turkey On the Run! will be officially released on September 29th, but you can preorder it now. This action-packed book is perfect for Thanksgiving, and should appeal especially to vegetarians, to people who’d prefer to dine on something a little different from the usual main dish of the holiday, and, of course, to kids who love animals.

Alayne specifically wanted to write about fun activities that teachers and librarians can use with their kids while sharing her book. But parents can take advantage of the activities as well, perhaps on Thanksgiving or in a party setting. Here she offers a cornucopia of ideas, including a simple “theatre” play and several bonus activities. Plus, she has even more to explore in the teacher’s guides on her website. Let’s hear from Alayne!

Thank you for having me as a guest on your blog. Today, I am offering some fun activity ideas for teachers and parents to go along with my latest picture book Turkey On the Run! Following is the Penguin Random House description to give you a sense of what the book is about and why these activities would work well.

“A feather-filled fiasco about a turkey determined to see the dawn of another Thanksgiving Day. As the whole town gives chase, this plucky bird dashes, dodges, and schemes his way towards freedom, only to discover that what waits at the end of the dining tale might not be as disastrous as he originally suspected. Told in bouncy, rhyming verse that fans of The Gingerbread Man will gobble right up, this spirited twist on the traditional holiday tale is stuffed with humor, heart, and holiday cheer.”

Here’s a little slideshow sneak peek of Turkey On the Run!:

Turkey On the Run! is a perfect book to encourage fun and creative acting and playing for children. I hope some or all of the variations I offer below will encourage creativity, expression, listening, observing, and more from the children who participate. Also, I hope that this is just the beginning, and the ideas here spark additional ideas from your creative and teaching spirit.

The basic idea for most of the variations below is that children will either say, “Run, run, run as fast as you can. You won’t catch me for your roasting pan.” or shout “Wait!” If the situation allows, they can also act via motion and facial expressions, and so on.

1)Print out Turkey On the Run! character sheets (below).

TURKEY ON THE RUN! PUPPET CHARACTER SHEETS Download

2)Decide how students will display their character. On a paddle sign. On a headband. Clipped or pinned to clothing. As a hand puppet. Or simply hold it.

3)To make a simple hand puppet, roll the printout of the character into a tube and tape it together. Pinch the top of the tube and tape it closed. Slip the tube over child’s hand. (See the photo below.)

4)Assign children (or teams) a character role OR let children draw from a hat.

5)Reader will be the narrator that tells the story until it becomes the character’s chance to speak and act.

6)Determine how you want the children to present the play. Do you want them to actually chase Turkey around a defined area? Do you want the puppet holders to sit or stand in a circle and do a minimal chase with their arms, while maybe running in place with their feet? The actions will be up to you. Actions could include characters dropping an item and the next character picking the item up. The items dropped in the book are gloves, bandana, apron, and hat.

7)At the turning point of the story (the bakery scene), it will likely be easier if the narrator speaks for Turkey while the child acts. The child who plays the Turkey character might act out Turkey’s fear at the bakery, and his excitement at the race, and his concern on the final page.

8)You can take advantage of the “Run, run, run” sign and the “Wait!” sign that I have created by printing it out (perhaps making an easy grasp paddle to glue it to) and then hold each one up to prompt your different actors to speak. (See the signs below.)

Signs

BONUS ONE: DISCUSS THE STORY

After the play, you may want to consider this list of questions (below) for comprehension, observation, inference to help discuss the story on a deeper level. Some of the questions will require a closer look at the illustrations to help the children discover through observation. This list is from my Turkey On the Run! Teacher’s Guide/Classroom Companion One, which you can find on my website.

Quesions for students Turkey On the Run!Download

PLAY VARIATIONS

TEAMS: Instead of individuals, you could have character teams, so each team would say their assigned character’s part together and do any actions decided upon ahead of time.

MUSICAL CHAIRS/TURKEY TROT CHAIR RACE: If it is a small group, and you don’t have space for a fun chase, you could do a musical chairs type thing. So, as the story advances, every time Turkey says, “Run, run, run as fast as you can. You won’t catch me for your roasting pan.” the characters start going around the chairs. You will always have one chair less than the number of characters. The last character seated is the winner of the Turkey Trot Chair Race.

You will most likely want to start the chase first with a warning such as “1, 2, 3!” Before you start the “Run, run, run as fast as you can. You won’t catch me for your roasting pan.” refrain. And you may want to end the chase by saying, “Wait!” or “Stop.”

FULL PARTICIPATION

You may want to use the Turkey “Run, run, run” sign along with the “Wait!” sign after you divide the children into two groups. As you read the book, one group will recite the “Run, run, run” lines when you hold up the Turkey sign. The other group will shout, “Wait!” when you hold up the wait sign.

BONUS TWO: TURKEY DAY

Have children wear something to represent a turkey. It could be a turkey hat or shirt. Fall colors like the colors in the book. A pin. A necklace. A sticker. A temporary tattoo. Anything that says “turkey.” Then make it a turkey day by reading the book and doing a turkey craft or doing some of the many activities in my teacher’s guides. You can find a list of links to Turkey and Fall crafts in my Turkey On the Run! Teacher’s Guide/Classroom Companion Two, which you can find on my website.

BONUS THREE: MODIFIED DUCK, DUCK, GOOSE

If you have the space, a great game for Turkey Day is a modified version of Duck, Duck, Goose. The child goes around the circle tapping heads and repeating “turkey” until they tap and say “Run!” And the chase begins.

BONUS FOUR: THANKSGIVING THANKFUL STORIES OR CARDS

The perfect way to end Turkey Day could be to talk about the times in the story that Turkey might be thankful. Then have children either write and illustrate a short story about something they are thankful for. Or you could have the children make a Thanksgiving card for someone to let them know why they are thankful for them. It doesn’t necessarily have to be someone close to them. It could be someone that impacts their lives like trash collectors, wait staff, mailperson, doctor, and so on.

TURKEY ON THE RUN TEACHER’S GUIDES/CLASSROOM COMPANIONS

Visit my website to find worksheets and activities for compare and contrast, character sequencing, cause and effect, vocabulary, crossword puzzles, word scramble, word search, creating, writing, drawing, alphabetizing, foods, thankful story, maze, crafts, bingo and more!

Alayne Kay Christian is an award-winning author, a former acquisitions editor, and a writing teacher. Her picture books include An Old Man and His Penguin: How Dindim Made João Pereira de Souza an Honorary Penguin; The Weed That Woke Christmas: The Mostly True Story of the Toledo Christmas Weed; and Turkey On the Run!

Born in the Rockies, raised in Chicago, and now a true-blue Texan, Alayne’s writing conveys her creative spirit, a bit of her funny bone, and the kinship to nature and humanity that lives within her heart. She is available for school visits both via Zoom or in-person and will work with teachers and or school to customize the visit to their needs.

To learn more about Alayne, visit her website and blog at . . .

Website: https://alaynekaychristianauthor.com

Blog: https://alaynekaychristian.wordpress.com/

You can find and follow Alayne on social media at . . .

X: @alayne_kay

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alaynekay.christian

Bluesky: @alaynekaychristian.bsky.social

Facebook Author’s Page: https://www.facebook.com/AlayneKayChristianAuthor/

Amazon Author’s Page: https://amazon.com/author/alayne_kay_christian

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY6yndWtpXwX6CIRoFi7X4g

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alaynekay/

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/alayne-kay-christian/12/168/525/

Book Review MAXIMILLIAN VILLAINOUS: A Teacher And Writer’s Perspective by Laura Roettiger

37487231

Everything about the book Maximillian Villainous (Running Press Kids, 2018) made me know it was going to be a hit at school. To be honest, I was excited to find this book at the library and I knew my enthusiasm would add to their interest. The title alone captured the imagination of the children who wanted to know more about this villainous monster. But wait, Max isn’t a villain! And right away, the author had us engaging with the main character.

The class of second and third graders may not know about the rule of three, expertly employed by author Margaret Chiu Greanias, but they sure appreciated the way it was woven into the story. The three tasks for Max: “1. Steal something 2. Make someone cry 3. Gain fame by being devious” are cleverly highlighted in the illustrations so that children focused on the list. We even compared it to the classroom rules, which was fun and another way to interact with the story. Of course, the students explained the tasks were the opposite of what they should be, demonstrating that the author and illustrator did a great job engaging the readers early in the story.

As a picture book writer, I’ve been studying different aspects of craft and I know how important page turns are. This book is a model of page turns done well. I’d like to mention two excellent examples. The first that attracted attention (read children needed to chime in with their predictions) involved the bunnies digging in the Sandman’s stash of magic sleeping dust. Many of the children knew what would come next. The other is when Max has an idea, complete with the villainous “Mua-ha-Ha!” This was definitely the class’s favorite part of the book (read everyone was making the sound and believed Max was turning into a villain like the rest of his family.) Well played, Margaret!

The illustrations (by Lesley Breen Withrow) in Maximillian Villainous are fantastic. They are colorful, full of wonderful detail, but not too busy, and whimsical, matching the tone of the story. Even the way the Illustrations were laid out on the pages and the use of signs and notes created a high level of interest for the children and for me.

This book definitely earns 5 stars from me because it’s got humor and heart on every page. Additionally, it allowed for a fun reading lesson learning about problem and solution in a story where they weren’t as obvious as in many books. This helped me know what the children understood and which ones needed more help. It is more proof that picture books are excellent vehicles for learning.

Laura R

Laura Roettiger is the author of the picture book Aliana Reaches for the Moon (Eifrig Publishing, 2019) She has enjoyed working with children ever since she was no longer considered a child herself. She was a reading specialist and elementary teacher in Chicago, IL before moving to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado where she worked in Environmental Education and is now a mentor for reading and writing at a STEM school. Her superpower is encouraging curiosity in children and letting them know she believes in them. Laura has three children of her own, all of whom were led by curiosity and creativity into STEM-related professions. Laura is also a part of #PictureBookBuzz, a group of authors with books being released in 2019.

Find Laura on Twitter @ljrwritenow and at her website LauraRoettigerBooks.com.

Laura’s Book Reviews: Catalina and the King’s Wall AND Mela and the Elephant

Please welcome author and teacher (and Frog on a Blog follower) Laura Roettiger! Laura is the author of the forthcoming picture book Aliana Reaches for the Moon. She’s also a mentor for reading and writing at a STEM school in Colorado. She likes to use books in pairs or threes to encourage her students to make connections by comparing and contrasting them.

Today, Laura shares two books that celebrate kindness in very different ways.

I love the idea of reviewing two or more books on the same theme together. And books on kindness are some of my favorites. But what makes Laura’s reviews really special is that she’s shared the books with her students and has based her reviews, partially, on their responses to the books. As she says, “It’s an authentic way to talk about the books.” I’m thrilled to have Laura as a reviewer on Frog on a Blog!

As a teacher and curriculum developer, I don’t think of books in isolation. We always ask our students to “make connections.” In the younger grades, we ask students to make text to text, text to self, and text to world connections.

As a picture book writer, I’ve been studying picture books this year. Many, I’ve discovered on this blog (Frog on a Blog)! I like to think of how books relate to each other or something happening in the classroom or larger world.

Two books I really enjoyed this year are Catalina and the King’s Wall (Eifrig Publishing, 2018) by Patty Costello (ill. by Diane Cojocaru), and Mela and the Elephant (Sleeping Bear Press, 2018) by Dow Phumiruk Ng (ill. by Ziyue Chen). On the surface, they are very different books; one is like a many layered cake, while the other is beautifully simple. I like sharing two seemingly different books and asking my students to find similarities.

Catalina, a baker, needs to outsmart the king who wants to build a wall to keep out foreigners. (Yes, there is a political undertone, and according to the author, this was the inspiration for her book.) Lucky for Catalina, the King has a sweet tooth and she is able to use this weakness to her advantage. The illustrations are vibrant and children will be charmed by the abundance of colors, baked goods, and a tiny mouse who can be found on each page. The lessons of inclusion and acceptance are woven throughout, but the overarching theme of kindness is what my second and third graders took note of.

Mela is a little girl who wants to go on an adventure down the river without her little brother. A simple, negative exchange between them at the beginning allows the reader to anticipate what will happen when Mela gets lost and needs help. This Thai folktale is a more obvious story of kindness, but is in no way preachy, and the students were easily able to relate to Mela. The illustrations are also charming, but simpler, to match the story.

Personally, I give each of these books 5 stars because they both work as a good combination of text and illustration, telling compelling stories that work for a variety of ages.

Laura R Laura Roettiger is the author of the picture book Aliana Reaches for the Moon (Eifrig Publishing, 2019) She has enjoyed working with children ever since she was no longer considered a child herself. She was a reading specialist and elementary teacher in Chicago, IL before moving to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado where she worked in Environmental Education and is now a mentor for reading and writing at a STEM school. Her superpower is encouraging curiosity in children and letting them know she believes in them. Laura has three children of her own, all of whom were led by curiosity and creativity into STEM-related professions. Laura is also a part of #PictureBookBuzz, a group of authors with books being released in 2019.

Find Laura on Twitter @ljrwritenow and at her website LauraRoettigerBooks.com.

Keep an eye out for Aliana Reaches for the Moon, available February 19, 2019!

One Teacher’s Mission To Inspire Her Students Using “The Peddler’s Bed”

With so many books to choose from, I’m so excited and so moved that she chose mine!

Ms. Macadangdang is an English teacher at LA Academy Arts & Enterprise Charter School in Los Angeles, CA. Her school is located in the inner city of Los Angeles, an area crippled by poverty. Her students are reading below grade level and struggling with the new demands of the Common Core standards. She is working hard to provide as much opportunity for learning and academic achievement as she can for her students. But her school lacks the funding she needs to do all that she’d like to do for them.

So Ms. Macadangdang turned to DonorsChoose.org. DonorsChoose.org is a fantastic organization/site where public school teachers post classroom project requests, and donors choose the ones they want to support.

Ms. Macadangdang is seeking funding to purchase 30 copies of The Peddler’s Bed to inspire imagination and integrate arts into her curriculum. Here’s her project in her own words: “My 6th graders need to be inspired! The common core curriculum is so advanced, and they are so far behind, I need some tools to bridge the gap. With this donation, we will step away from the prescribed textbook and use this rich and imaginative text to perform grade level literary analysis and learn how to analyze images as a form of text.”

I am thrilled to know that my book, The Peddler’s Bed, will be used to inspire these incredible young students and help bring them just a little bit closer to a bright and happy future.

To learn more about Ms. Macadangdang’s classroom project and what you can do to help, please click HERE.