Crazy Kitten - Skippyjon Jones

Skippyjon Jones
by Judy Schachner
Laptime: toddler - upper elementery
Story Circle: preschool - upper elementery

My daughter, who shares my love for children's literature and great read-a-louds, gave me this book for Christmas. I know that there are lots of Skippyjon Jones fans out there but I had never read it. I decided to read it in bed before I went to sleep - Shhh.......quietly to myself, so as not to wake up my husband. Impossible! The great rhythms and fun phrases not to mention the Spanish lines that must be read with the appropriate accent just cry out to be read aloud. So I read aloud and laughed aloud and my dear husband slept right through it. He must be used to me.

This delightful book is about a Siamese kitten whose vivid imagination refuses to allow him to remain a kitten. A step into his closet turns him into El Skippito a sword wielding chihuahua. El Skippito hilariously defends his chihuahua friends against the Bandito who has been stealing their beans, even their jelly beans!
Award winning author, Judy Schachner, gives us an imaginative text accompanied by colorful illustrations that draw you in and invite the reader to linger on every page.

Laptime:
Have a Bean Feast
Make and eat up some yummy bean dishes: Burritos with refried beans, fresh green beans and ranch dip, 3 bean salad. Don't forget cocoa (I have a yummy recipe for cocoa on my Dec. 3 post) and jelly beans for dessert. Gustos Grandes! (tastes great!)

Story Circle:
Make a pinata
There are lots of fun ways to make pinatas. When I googled How to Make a Pinata I found pages of fun sites to look at, many with video instructions. The easiest pinata method that I've tried with preschoolers is to make a pinata out of a paper lunch bag. The children can decorate their pinatas with bright tissue and construction paper, making the pinata into anything that they want. Throw in some pipe cleaners and googley eyes and they will come up with some amazing creatures. Fill the bags with wrapped candy or other fun treats, boxes of raisins and nuts are good too, and tie at the top. I've found that some children will not want to break their pinata right away so it's best to let the children take theirs home and have a teacher made pinata ready and filled for the class to break.

Be sure and be very clear with your guidelines about breaking the pinata.

• Mark a line that the children waiting for their turn may not cross
• Give each child two hits with a long dowel stick
• Explain to the children that not everyone will get a chance to hit the pinata. Once it's broken that part of the game is finished.
• Be sure that the children understand that once the pinata is broken they must wait until you say go to run for the goodies.
• Give the children a limit as to how many goodies they may pick up. Once they get their limit they must go and sit down.
• If you are organized and clear with your limits, this can be a muy actividad de diversión (a very fun activity).