School Holiday Specials
School Holiday Specials with Librarians!
Amazing Animals
Making a cute paper owl!
Materials needed:
- Paper
- Scissors
- Tape
- Googly eyes
- Marker
Download full instructions for this craft.
Recommended Books
Title: Platypuses
Author: Sara Louise Kras
Publisher: Capstone Press, 2019
Platypuses live only in Australia. Learn all about these unusual, duck billed divers and their habitats in Platypuses. Bring augmented reality to your students by downloading the free Capstone 4D app and scanning for access to an online article, video, and discussion questions. This item is a Capstone Duo and includes both a hardcover and Capstone Interactive eBook edition of the title.
Title: 10 Reasons To Love a Penguin
Author: Catherine Barr
Illustrator: Hanako Clulow
Publisher: Lincoln Children’s Books, 2018
Penguins are the cutest birds! Did you know that they go on incredible journeys? Or that they toboggan on their stomachs? Discover ten reasons why penguins are amazing and five ways you can show they love them in this gorgeous picture book. A must for any young animal enthusiast and a fantastic introduction to environmental issues.
Title: Emperor Penguins
Author: Jody S. Rake
Publisher: Pebble, a Capstone imprint, 2020
Emperor penguins are known as the largest of all penguins. Find out more about this flightless, but quick swimming bird.
Title: Snowy Owls
Author: Rita Santos
Publisher: Enslow Publishing, 2020
The nomadic snowy owl is among the Arctic’s most graceful predators. It makes its home in the frigid north, relying on its heavy feathers and snowy white appearance for survival in the subzero temperatures. With full-color photographs and accessible text, this book examines how the snowy owl’s life cycle, body structure, and behaviors have adapted to its challenging environment. Fun facts will engage young readers, and a final activity encourages them to use what they’ve learned to create a food web based on the snowy owl.
All synopses taken from the respective publishers. The book covers are the copyright of the respective publishing companies.
Volcanoes And Rocks Rock!
I lava reading card!
Materials needed:
- 1 sheet of A4 sized drawing block
- Brown, yellow and orange poster or acrylic paint (ensure that it is safe for skin)
- Paintbrush
- Markers
Download full instructions for this craft.
Recommended Books
Title: A Trip to The Top of The Volcano With Mouse: A Toon Book
Author: Frank Viva
Publisher: Toon Books, 2019
A boy and a mouse trek to the top of a volcano, taking in soaring trees, lunar landscapes and snow-capped peaks, then return to the ancient city at the bottom.
Title: Old Rock (Is Not Boring)
Author: Deb Pilutti
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2020
OverDrive Link: https://nlb.overdrive.com/media/4716401
Tall Pine, Spotted Beetle, and Hummingbird are certain that being a rock is boring until Old Rock shares what he has seen and done since he first flew out of a volcano.
Title: Spenser And The Rocks
Author: Lawrence F Lowery
Publisher: NSTA Kids, National Science Teachers Association, 2013
The heart of the story is a young boy named Spenser and his interests, curiosity, and thoughts. Through the story, the reader is introduced to scientific procedures such as classification, research, and reclassification. Spenser’s interest in rocks increases as he learns more about them by sorting the rocks, asking questions, and reading reference books.
Title: A Rock Can Be…
Author: Laura Purdie Salas and Violeta Dabija
Publisher: Millbrook Press, 2015
OverDrive Link: https://nlb.overdrive.com/media/2077338
Rocks may seem like boring, static objects–until you discover that a rock can spark a fire, glow in the dark, and provide shelters of all shapes and size. Learn how rocks decorate and strengthen the world around them.
All synopses taken from the respective publishers. The book covers are the copyright of the respective publishing companies.
Safari Adventure
Make your own lion paper crown
Materials needed:
- Lion paper crown template
- Scissors
- Coloured pencils
- Pencil
- Double-sided tape
Download full instructions for this craft.
Try this: Make paper crowns of your favourite animals!
Recommended Books
Title: Oh, No!
Author: Candace Fleming & Eric Rohmann
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books, c2012
OverDrive Link: https://nlb.overdrive.com/media/3015120
Young children will delight in repeating the refrain “OH NO!” as one animal after another falls into a deep, deep hole in this lively read-aloud. This simple and irresistible picture book by hugely popular picture book creators – Candace Fleming and Caldecott medallist Eric Rohmann – feels like a classic-in-the-making. Fans of Rohmann’s Caldecott Medal-winning My Friend Rabbit will be thrilled to see a new book created in the same expressive and comical style.
Title: My Book of Animals
Author: Nik Afia
Publisher: Windmill Books, 2019
The Animal Kingdom is a wild place. It’s home to enormous blue whales and fluttery butterflies, spotty leopards, and wriggly jellyfish. In this engaging book, readers will meet a menageries of adorable creatures in all shapes and sizes. They’ll explore pages of stunning illustrations as they learn basic animal words. Fun, simple questions engage readers and foster confidence. Learning will feel like a game as beginning readers peruse his zoo of animals. This high-interest topic and playful design will intrigue even reluctant readers, making it a valuable addition to any library or classroom.
All synopses taken from the respective publishers. The book covers are the copyright of the respective publishing companies.
Colourful Garden
Make your own vegetable garden
Materials needed:
- Big paper plate
- Watercolour paint
- Paintbrush
- Scissors
- Foam papers (white, green, orange and brown)
- Transparent tape
- Hole punch
- Brown yarn
Download full instructions for this craft.
Recommended Books
Title: My Busy Green Garden
Author: Terry Pierce
Publisher: Tilbury House Publishers, [2017]
Takes a close look at a garden, describing the plants, insects, and birds and their activities throughout the day.
Title: Caterpillar and Bean
Author: Martin Jenkins
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2019
What’s that wedged in a crack in the ground, small and hard and wrinkly and brown? A bean seed! Soon it develops roots and leaves. And what’s that on the leaf? An egg! The egg hatches a caterpillar, and the caterpillar eats the leaves, getting bigger and bigger until it forms a chrysalis. Meanwhile, the plant is growing, too: it develops flowers, then bean pods, as it reaches up toward the sun. Side by side, plant and insect grow . . . and grow . . . and grow throughout the year, until they come full circle.
All synopses taken from the respective publishers. The book covers are the copyright of the respective publishing companies.
Zoom into Space
Make your own Solar System mobile
Materials needed:
- Long chopstick or wooden dowel
- White stock paper or drawing block paper
- Tape or white glue
- Thread
- Colouring materials
- Scissors
Download full instructions for this craft.
Try this: Replace the planets with stars in different sizes and you’ve got a star mobile!
Recommended Books
Title: Aliens Love Underpants
Author: Claire Freedman
Publisher: Barron’s Educational Series, 2017.
OverDrive Link: https://nlb.overdrive.com/media/3303412
With wacky illustrations and hilarious rhyming text, Aliens Love Underpants is already a favorite among toddlers, beginning readers, teachers, parents, big brothers, big sisters, grandparents, and essentially anyone else who cracks open this super-silly book. When little aliens fly down to Earth, they’re not visiting because they want to meet the Earthlings. They simply want to steal everybody’s underpants!
Title: It Started with a Big Bang: The Origin of Earth, You and Everything Else
Author: Floor Bal
Publisher: Kids Can Press, 2019.
OverDrive Link: https://nlb.overdrive.com/media/5018465
An accessible and engaging primer on the history of the universe and life on Earth. In this delightful book, kids can follow the fascinating story of how we got from the beginning of the universe to life today on the “bright blue ball floating in space” called Earth. They’ll learn about the big bang theory, how our solar system and planet were formed, how life on Earth began in the oceans and moved to land, what happened to the dinosaurs and how humans evolved from apes to build communities all over the planet … and even travel to space!
All synopses taken from the respective publishers. The book covers are the copyright of the respective publishing companies.
Magical World
Make your own Dragon book corner
Materials needed:
- Origami paper of at least 15cm by 15cm, or cut out any paper (e.g. construction paper or wrapping paper) to the same size.
- Scissors
- Glue or tape
- Colouring materials
Download full instructions for this craft.
Try this: Make book corners based on your favourite magical creatures!
Recommended Books
Title: I’m Casting a Spell! : Meet a Fairy-Tale Witch
Author: Lisa Bullard
Publisher: Millbrook Press, 2014.
OverDrive link: https://nlb.overdrive.com/media/1907919
Meet Hex. She’s a fairy-tale witch! Hex has magic powers. She likes to fly around and play tricks on people. But don’t worry. Hex is not real. She’s one of the monsters you meet in stories. She just wants to tell you about fairy-tale witches. Learn how a witch scares villagers. Meet different kinds of witches around the world. And find out where witch tales come from. You’ll have a creepy time with this monster buddy!
Title: The Paper Bag Princess
Author: Robert Munsch
Publisher: Annick Press, 2019.
OverDrive link: https://nlb.overdrive.com/media/965094
Princess Elizabeth is excited to marry dreamy Prince Ronald, but then a dragon attacks the castle, kidnaps her prince, and burns all her clothes. In resourceful and humorous fashion, Elizabeth dons a paper bag, finds and outsmarts the dragon, and recues Ronald – who is less than pleased at her unprincesslike appearance. What’s a modern-day princess to do? Read this delightful tale to find out.
All synopses taken from the respective publishers. The book covers are the copyright of the respective publishing companies.