Wednesday Wow!

Wow! I. Love. This. Book. Well, I love the book below called Once Upon a Memory! One of the things I like about Amazon, but is very dangerous to my budget, is this section ...

I usually want to get every one of the books frequently bought together AND the books that also bought. I can't do that! I DID buy this book and WOW!

Click on the picture if you want to
check it out on Amazon!

This book is fill with beautiful touchable pictures and wonders. Renata Liwska's illustrations are whimsical, soft and have a beautiful dreamlike quality. My students were mesmerized by the simple text that had them to wondering about the memories of other common things such as...

So we made our own book inspired by Nina Laden's text. Here are a few pages...

Doesn't this crack you up? "Does Pluto remember it once was a planet?"

Our class book is gorgeous and usually at someone's desk. Once Upon a Memory is usually on someone's desk too! Did I mention there are six beautiful owls hidden among the pages? There are lots of other surprises that will make  you either say "awe," or "wow"...Really!

Want some more WOWs? Head over to Curious Firsties and see who else has linked up. Even better link up yourself and share your wow from the week!

Book Fairy (and a Little Moving Fairy, too!)

I am feeling so bad in a naughty kind of way!  I am supposed to be moving across the street.  My husband has been working so hard at getting the house ready for us.  I have been procrastinating and saying I won't be ready to do anything until school is out.  I sit on the porch with my laptop facing my new house and as soon as I see my husband coming I close the lid and rush inside and look like I'm really busy cleaning and packing!  School is out...I should be packing.  I'm thinking of fairies!

I have always had a fascination with fairies.  When I was a little girl we would visit my grandparents in St. Louis every two years.  They would visit us in Michigan every other year, or that's what I remember!  My grandparent's house was magical.  There was an attic to explore, fireflies galore and my grandmother was an artist who was especially good with pottery.  She had her own wheel and kiln.  

Made by my grandmother October 1972

When we visited we would get to make "stuff" with her.  Now my grandmother didn't have a great way with kids, but she did try hard to connect with us. Her only child had blessed her with six grandchildren.  Pottery was one connection and the other...fairies!  Her fairy would leave candy for us under our pillows.  Usually once a day we would squeal in delight at finding a treat from the fairy.  When she came to visit us the fairy would travel along and leave us candy in a dish at our house.  It wasn't lots of candy just one small piece for each of us.

Made by me July 1971

                                                                 My mom continued the tradition with her grandchildren and even had a special dish with a fairy sitting on the side.  That fairy would travel with my mom and bring one small treat for each grandchild each day. My grandmother and mother are gone, but I love special memories  that seal in my mind very special times.


I have a fairy that shows up in my classroom.  I actually have several fairies, but my favorite one is the  Book Fairy.  That fairy shows up around each child's birthday and leaves a wrapped book in the birthday child's browsing box.  The child gets to open it and no matter what we're doing we stop, drop and read the book the fairy left.  Sometimes books have sat in the browsing box until the end of the day before someone spies it!  The gifted child gets to take the book home to share with their family before returning it to the classroom library. These books become favorites and even hoarded treasures of the recipient!

I thought I had a picture of these wrapped up with
gold paper and bows.  They are always wrapped
before being placed in the browsing boxes.

The inside cover has a tag from the Book Fairy commemorating
the birthday child.

Instead of preparing for a move today, I have been working on making bookplate stickers for the Book Fairy.  I've decided that the  Book Fairy can come more often than just birthdays.  I think I'll put out a welcome mat, so she'll know she can come for any special occasion!  The fairy uses bonus points from  the book orders, donated books from parents, or even books picked up at Goodwill.  It doesn't cost a lot of money, but children learn that books are magical!  You can get my Book Fairy materials by clicking the link or buy it at my TPT store!  It doesn't bother me if you want to buy it, but why not just get it for free!

THE LINK

I can't wait until Friday when my Moving Fairy is coming to help me get my kitchen ready to move into.  I bet you wish you had one of these...She's magical and sometimes she shows up with coffee!!
Here comes my husband again...I gotta go!!

Print these out on Avery 8164 shipping labels. They'll look fairly
lovely in the book!

P.S.  Laurie, I think I did it!! Click on the Chickadee to find out!!