Plod. Lumber. Trudge, trudge, trudge. This week’s ABC Craft animal may be slo-o-o-o-o-w and shy, but we’re sure your little ones can coax him out of his shell pretty quickly! All he needs is some TLC (and a little glue).

Here’s What You’ll Need

• 2 sheets of printer paper
• Card stock (we used brown, light green, dark green, and purple)
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Do your children enjoy books about enterprising young boys who try hard to do big things, but don’t always succeed? If so, you won’t want to miss the absolutely delightful Henry Reed series by Keith Robertson. (And if you loved Henry Huggins, you’ll love this Henry, too!)

Hey, no one said to expect rain today! Our ABC letter craft will be a soggy mess! Luckily, our friend the umbrellabird has stopped by to keep us dry and help us have some fun with the letter U. How unique!

Here’s What You’ll Need

• 2 sheets of printer paper
• Card stock (we used black, yellow, red, and blue)
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Sure, vultures get a bum rap–but without these guys, our world would be a lot stinkier! Our latest ABC Craft gives an overdue thumbs-up to these dirty-job doers. Thank you, Vultures!

Here’s What You’ll Need

• 2 sheets of printer paper
• Card stock (we used black, white, light pink, dark pink, and sky blue)
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If you have wiggly little ones, this week’s ABC Craft is perfect for you. Your squigglers will love learning all about the letter W with our wriggly worm letter craft—that is, if they can catch him!

Here’s What You’ll Need

• 2 sheets of printer paper
• Card stock (we used tan, red, and green)
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The X-ray fish may think he’s pretty clever, but we can see right through him. Make no bones about it—there’s no need to don your Super-Duper X-Ray Goggles for this ABC Letter Craft!

Here’s What You’ll Need

• 2 sheets of printer paper
• Card stock (we used dark blue, medium blue, white, and sky blue)
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How would you like to spend a picturesque summer exploring old houses, enjoying the marvels of nature, and making new friends? Take the whole family on a vicarious summer adventure in the Gone-Away Lake series by Elizabeth Enright—it’s a complete and utter delight, perfect for read-aloud.

If you were thinking about trekking to the Himalayas to hang out with a yak, you can change your travel plans because our ABC Letter Craft brings this friendly beast right to your backyard! We’re sure you’ll give this letter Y craft two hooves up!

Here’s What You’ll Need

• 2 sheets of printer paper
• Card stock (we used dark brown, white, green, tan, and blue)
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Zippedy-doo-dah–the letter Z rounds out our ABC Letter Craft series! And nothing will put a zip in your preschooler’s step like our zany little zebra, ready to zigzag his way into your child’s heart. But there’s about a zillion stripes to put on, so you may need to catch some Zs when you’re done!

Here’s What You’ll Need

• 2 sheets of printer paper
• Card stock (we used black, white, and purple)
Continue reading…

Thanks to her masterful ability to capture the essence of childhood, Beverly Cleary’s books have sold over 90 million copies and have delighted readers for over 65 years. If you haven’t yet made the acquaintance of Cleary’s charming Henry Huggins, you’re in for a special treat!

Eleanor Estes once said that, as a writer, she hoped to reflect “the true image of childhood.” And she did just that in the nearly twenty books she authored over a period of forty-six years, including the much-loved series about the charming Moffat family.

We’re all different, but encouraging children to embrace their differences and the differences of others isn’t always easy. Picture books can help! Here are some of my favorite picture books that celebrate differences.