I'm really excited about my latest project. I worked on it all day Sunday, even though I had loads of laundry and lesson planning to do! But it was worth it. I made a book to teach kids the right and wrong ways to handle books.
This is not my idea. There is a famous book out there called Mr. Wiggle. Several teachers at my school have copies made from laminated construction paper with a cute little bear. I even think there is an actual published book out there, but it seems that it's out of print, and used copies are running $80 and up (yikes!). Anyway, making this book has been on my to-do list for years. So when I finally got around to doing it, I decided to update it a bit.
So here it is:
Just like in Mr. Wiggle, someone has been very naughty with this book and the forest friends are very sad! (Cheesy, huh?!)
Here someone scribbled with markers and crayons...
Here somebody drew a picture with a pencil...
Here somebody got mud on the page...
Here someone got juice and chocolate on the page...
Here someone glued on paper and stuck on stickers. And yes, that says snail when it's actually a caterpillar. I fixed it. (Thanks, Anh!)
And here somebody ripped a page...
But now all of the forest friends are happy again, because they know the kids are going to take good care of the books in their class (awww....)
When I'm done reading this book, we will make a T-chart of good/bad choices when it comes to handling books. Here it is, all ready for tomorrow.
I'm also going to make a bookmark that the kids can take home to remind them of how to properly care for books (I'll post it when I'm done).
You can download Forest Friends here:
I printed mine on cardstock and had it bound at Office Max for just a few dollars. You will have to do the scribbling and ripping yourself (it's kind of cathartic, although my friends inform me that I am not a very realistic scribbler). I used red watercolor for the juice and let it drip. I used brown tempera paint for the mud and chocolate.
I'm sure we will still have a few torn pages here and there, but I think the kids will be more invested in taking care of our library.
Have fun scribbling!
Love this! I just downloaded and am "destroying" it as we speak. Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Amy | 08/30/2011 at 09:36 PM
I also am very happy I came across your website. This is my first year teaching K (8th year teaching) but I am scared to death. You are an inspiration. And I LOVE this book. :)
Posted by: ehretsj@yahoo.com | 09/02/2011 at 08:39 PM
I used it at school already. The kids take it to their desks all the time to look at again. I am making another one for the librarian. It's on my do list for the weekend.
You haven't been here in a while. Please don't drop out on me again.
Posted by: Tharon | 09/02/2011 at 08:47 PM
Thanks for sharing!! I will be making this for my daycare kids. We have been having lots of books lately looking like this book. However the children doing this are 2 so I wonder if they will get it.
Posted by: Jamie | 09/04/2011 at 01:37 PM
What a wonderful book! I teach 3 year olds and this is going to be one of the first books we read. Thank you!
Posted by: Lois Tschaepe | 09/04/2011 at 03:23 PM
Thank you so much for this! I think that your scribbling is fine :) I had a hard time doing the mud. I used mud. But it didn't look like mud, lol!
Posted by: martha brown | 09/04/2011 at 04:07 PM
This is so cute!! Thanks for sharing. My preschoolers are quite concerned if we have a book with writing on it (if I get one at a garage sale, etc) so I make sure I check them over carefully so we don't get any like that. : ) Very creative book.
Posted by: Stacy @ {share&remember.blogspot.com} | 09/04/2011 at 05:09 PM
You rock!!! I made sure to share this book with my fellow kindergarten teachers.
Have you had a chance to upload the bookmarks yet? We start school Tuesday and I would love to be able to give my kids a bookmark after reading this book and introducing our Read to Self Daily 5.
Thanks for such a great blog!
Posted by: Lindsay | 09/04/2011 at 07:47 PM
Love the Forest Friends book. I just printed it and made it messy. Looking forward to using it!
Posted by: Rachel Dean | 09/04/2011 at 08:42 PM
I love the illustrations!!! Thank you!
Posted by: Jade =) | 09/05/2011 at 08:05 AM
Thank you so much for this! I have printed, but first i have changed it in greek version :)
Posted by: mary | 09/05/2011 at 06:10 PM
Thank you so much! I m going to get started on this today!
Posted by: Heather | 09/06/2011 at 08:47 AM
This such a great idea. I would love to display more books, but they are ruined before I can use them. Children need a visual, and this is an awesome idea I plan to use! Two Thumbs Up!
Posted by: Latonya Drayton | 09/11/2011 at 01:52 PM
I just came across your blog for the first time today and can't WAIT to explore it more!! Thank you so much for offering this book!!! What a blessing you are to so many!!
Posted by: Jennifer @ The Toy Box Years | 09/14/2011 at 09:56 PM
This is brilliant! I will definitely have to get this made up (and I'm looking forward to doing some scribbling!!) My class has been introduced to "Library Books" and they definitely need a lesson on how to treat them when they go home!
Posted by: Katie Westacott | 09/25/2011 at 10:57 AM
I made your book today!! I'm so excited to read it to my class tomorrow when they choose new library books.
Kate
Mrs. West Knows Best
Posted by: Kate | 09/27/2011 at 01:12 PM
Believe it or not, Mr. Wiggle's Book is now up to $10,000 some places!! Your book is a Godsend! Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful work.
Posted by: Maria | 10/04/2011 at 10:42 PM
THANK YOU FOR THIS 'LESSON'
Posted by: pitsina | 10/09/2011 at 12:22 AM
absoloutly love this will definitely be sharing this
Posted by: Bea | 11/10/2011 at 02:57 PM
Perfect. I'm an outreach librarian and I bring storytimes and deposit book collections each month to preschools. At the beginning of the year we go over book care, but it doesn't always sink in. This will DEFINITELY help! Thank you!
Posted by: Mary K | 11/23/2011 at 07:46 AM
Thanks for sharing. It's an adorable book!
Posted by: Holly | 01/26/2012 at 06:34 AM
Thank you so much for so generously sharing your mis-treated book. : ) It's adorable!!
Posted by: Amy B. | 03/03/2012 at 09:40 AM
I love the message this book sends. I work for a public library and we are celebrating Preservation Week in April 2012, I have been looking for something the younger kids could relate to and found your booklet. Can I have permission to print it out, make several copies, and pass out to the kids for Book Preservation Week? It will of course have your URL and name on it for credit. Please let me know as soon as possible. thank you
Posted by: Kathy Vaughan-Lloyd | 04/04/2012 at 01:16 PM
Wow, today is the first time I've visited your blog and I'm so impressed! I (like so many before me) love the Forest Friends book and it will be great to use in my library to teach about book care. Thanks for your generousity! Did you make a bookmark (as your blog mentions) to help students remember the lesson? I didn't find it, but maybe it's in your TPT store...I'll try there. Thanks a bunch :)
Posted by: Elizabeth Sherwood | 06/06/2012 at 04:05 PM
Thank you so much for generously sharing this with your readers. I will gladly share it with my class. Terri
Posted by: Terri | 06/17/2012 at 12:13 PM