#April Pulley Sayre

[healthychildrenbook]

Books for Preschoolers About Healthy Eating - Healthy Children Books

Encouraging healthy eating habits in preschoolers is a challenging but rewarding task. Books for Preschoolers about Healthy Eating not only entertain but also instill essential lessons about nutrition, making them a valuable resource for parents and educators alike.  This blog post explores various books for preschoolers on healthy eating, offering insights into their themes and benefits.

Why Books About Healthy Eating Matter

Reading to children books of healthy-eating serves various purposes:

Education: Educating the children about the different food groups, the need for nutrition, and how the food impacts their bodies.

Engagement: Captivating their attention through colorful illustrations and interesting stories, that make learning fun.

Discussion: A platform for parents and caregivers to discuss the food choice and healthy habits with a child.

These books, then, can be made a part of the daily readings to encourage healthy eating habits from an early stage.

Recommended Books for Preschoolers

Here are some wonderful books that will have preschoolers learning the foods that keep them healthy, too:

1. Good Enough to Eat: A Kid's Guide to Food and Nutrition by Lizzy Rockwell

This comprehensive guide introduces children to the basics of nutrition, including food groups and the importance of a balanced diet. Plus, it includes simple recipes that families can try together, making it an interactive learning experience.

2. Why Should I Eat Well? by Claire Llewellyn

This book satisfies the children's quest to know as much as they can about food choices. With interesting illustrations and engaging storyline, it explains why healthy food is best for growth and energy.

3. Little Critter: Good for Me and You by Mercer Mayer

This very pleasing tale is the one where Little Critter learns about healthy lifestyles in school. The book about the food pyramid and fun exercises finds ways to help kids cultivate good habits in an easy, enjoyable way.

4. Mealtime by Elizabeth Verdick

At this age, they start learning about good table manners while becoming accustomed to numerous types of foods. Such a book encourages its young readers to try new things, and they immediately feel adventurous eating.

5. The Boy Who Loved Broccoli by Sarah A. Creighton

A fantasy tale about Baxter, the boy who can only be saved with broccoli. This imaginative story enables children to enjoy veggies in their diet.

6. I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato by Lauren Child

This silly story stars Lola, who is a picky eater until she learns to try new foods from her brother through his creative storytelling. It's perfect for using when you have kids that would not in a million years try something new.

7. Eating the Alphabet: Fruits & Vegetables from A to Z by Lois Ehlert

A colorful picture book to familiarize children with different fruits and vegetables while teaching them the alphabet. This is ideal for preschoolers who are just starting to look into letters and sounds.

8. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

A classic story that can both entertain and teach the difference in foods as well as the concept of hunger and fullness. Being a colorful book with a simple storyline, it's a favorite among children and parents alike.

9. Rah, Rah, Radishes! by April Pulley Sayre

This vibrant book features various types of vegetables with remarkable photos that will surely make any child hunger for them. It is great in assisting children explore the vegetables available.

10. Gregory the Terrible Eater by Mitchell Sharmat

This humorous tale features Gregory the goat, who refuses to eat anything outside fruits and vegetables, which his parents detest dearly. This book addresses dietary preferences through healthy eating habits.

How to Use These Books Effectively

To enhance the learning experience from these Books for Preschoolers about Healthy Eating, consider these strategies:

Read Together: This will make reading a shared activity where you can discuss the stories and ask questions to the characters about their food choices.

Interactive Cooking: Choose some recipes from the books, and try cooking them as a family to reinforce what they learned.

Encourage Questions: Encourage the child to ask questions to be read, so they can foster curiosity and understanding about food and nutrition.

FAQ About Books for Preschoolers About Healthy Eating

1. Which age group of children are these books for?

Most of these books are designed for preschoolers aged 2-5 years old but could be enjoyed by older siblings as well.

2. How do I encourage my child to try new foods?

You can start by reading some stories about trying new foods so as not to shock your little ones at the onset. You can also use the reader in connection with some cooking or tasting sessions.

3. Besides books, are there other resources?

Yes! There are also lots of online activities, such as recipes, games, and videos, that can support what your child learns from these books to have a healthy diet.

4. Can these books help my picky eater?

Absolutely! The stories with characters who overcome problems like being a picky eater can inspire your child to get more adventurous with their eating!.

In the routine, children's literature about healthy eating will enhance literacy skills and help them establish lifelong healthy habits.

[gettingready2read]

Reading, Counting, and Crabs!

We have two books featuring crabs for this month's early literacy post!

One Is a Snail Ten Is a Crab: A Counting Feet Book by April Pulley Sayre and Jeff Sayre, illustrated by Randy Cecil

This is a cute counting book about feet! It introduces possible new animals to children and shows how many feet each animal has.

One Is a Snail Ten Is a Crab helps children with talking and reading, which are essential skills for school readiness and learning to read.

This book builds print awareness, especially of numbers. The animals and the number of legs each has builds vocabulary and background knowledge. This is a great book to read to any child who likes the natural world and is learning to count.

Clem and Crab written and illustrated by Fiona Lumbers

Clem likes to spend her weekends at the beach. She works to clean up debris and trash that humans leave behind. During one of her clean-up missions Clem spots a small red crab and they become friends.

This book promotes talking and reading, along with print awareness, letter knowledge, background knowledge and vocabulary. Clem and Crab also brings awareness of ecology and crabs' natural habitats.

Extend the Book with a Paper Plate Crab

We love this paper plate crab craft from Vicky Barone! You'll need a paper plate, red acrylic paint, a paint brush, red construction paper, scissors, glue, and googly eyes. (If you don't have the eyes, you can make some out of paper!)

[everybook]

Being Frog by April Pulley Sayre It’s no secret I love photography and I love April Pulley Sayre. I think this is one of her best works. It really finds a sweet middle between the breakneck cadence of Rah Rah Radishes or Go Go Grapes and the meandering free verse of Bloom Boom or Best in Snow.  The photography is some of the most stellar frog-tography I’ve ever seen. This one would probably pair well with Toad Weather for a really good amphibian storytime.

[anniekoh]

Trout Are Made of Trees by April Pulley Sayre, illustrated by Kate Endle                       

How can a leaf become a fish? Join two young children and their dads to find out, as they observe life in and around a stream.Energetic collage art and simple, lyrical text depict the ways plants and animals are connected in the food web.Back matter provides information about the trout life cycle as well as conservation efforts that kids can do themselves.It's a natural choice for Earth Day.                            

[homeschoolbookpicks]

Week 28: Social Studies - Our Continents

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Hooray for Antarctica! by April Pulley Sayre - A look at various aspects of Antarctica including penguins, other animals, ice, and tourism.

[husheduphistory]

The Lingering Leather of Antoine Le Blanc

Judge Gabriel Ford sat in his courtroom with the fate of another human being in his hands. The stories he had just heard were horrific, blood soaked, and to him the max sentence just didn't seem to spell justice for the Sayre family. He decreed what everyone expected, the man before him would  "...be hung by the neck till you are dead." But, there was more, much more to come for the future corpse standing in the courtroom.

Antoine Le Blanc arrived in New York in April 1883 as a man uprooted. Disowned from his affluent family in France and finding himself in a massive city with no means of obtaining money or communicating in any language besides French, the thirty-one year old Le Blanc spent his first days in this new country seeking work. He wanted to bring fortune back into his hands. What he ended up holding was farming tools.

The Sayres of Morristown, New Jersey were a prominent farming family consisting of Mr. Samuel Sayre, his wife Sarah, and their young servant girl Pheobe. When he was hired by the family Le Blanc may not have understood what he signed up for. The work was brutal, the days were long, and the lodging was a dark and dank room in the Sayre’s cellar. These factors might have made the job miserable, but after two weeks of labor Le Blanc had not been paid and this, according to him, was both inexcusable and unforgivable.

Illustration of the Sayre home in Morristown, New Jersey.

On the evening of May 11th 1833 Le Blanc was spending some time at a local hotel drinking until late into the evening. He was deeply unhappy in his situation and decided he would no longer be under the control of the Sayre family. At approximately 10:30pm Samuel Sayre was at home when Le Blanc frantically ran up to him, gesturing wildly, and conveying that he had to follow him out to the stables immediately. Le Blanc entered the barn first and when Sayre followed behind him he was quickly cut down. Le Blanc had a shovel at hand, and when his employer entered the barn he proceeded to repeatedly unleash it on his head. With pieces of Mr. Sayre’s head strewn all over the barn Le Blanc made his way back to the house and repeated the same charade to his wife Sarah, luring her to the barn and committing her to the same grisly fate as her husband. Lastly, Le Blanc gripped a club and crept into the bedroom where Phoebe was sleeping. She was extinguished with one swing to her skull.

Once Le Blanc was done unleashing pure horror he set out to take what he wanted all along, cash and valuables. Going through the Sayre home he grabbed anything of value that could be shoved inside a pillowcase before fleeing the scene on one of the family horses. In Le Blanc’s mind this was only the first step of his return journey home. He would get to New York, board a ship to Germany, and arrive back in Europe with money in his bloodstained hands. But, the murderer never got out of New Jersey. The morning after the murder Lewis Halsey was walking along a road when he saw some unusual objects. When he picked them up to inspect them he was probably horrified to see the monogram of his good friend Samuel Sayre. Halsey and some people from town made their way to the Sayre home expecting a robbery, but what they found was a nightmare. A massive amount of blood and the bodies of his friends buried under a pile of manure.

Sketch of Antoine Le Blanc.

Sheriff George Ludlow was tasked with finding the monster, but the pursuit and capture of Le Blanc was quicker and easier than anyone expected. Not because the killer’s hiding place had failed, but because the Sayre belongings found in the road were only some of the many items that fell out of the pillowcase as he made his escape. The trail of belongings led directly to the fugitive, sitting inside a Hackensack Meadows tavern with Sayre’s pillowcase next to him. When he spied Ludlow approaching the tavern he panicked and ran for the back exit, but it was no use. Less than one day into his great escape Le Blanc was in custody and headed back to Morristown to face judgement.

For just over three months Le Blanc wallowed in a cell waiting for his day in court. He never denied the charge, confessing in prison and detailing how he sat in the hotel the night of the crime waiting until the perfect moment to return after the Sayre family were retired for the evening. On August 13th 1883 Le Blanc walked into the Morris County Courthouse where his trial, more a formality than anything else, was carried out under the eyes of Judge Gabriel Ford. The jury deliberated for only twenty minutes before giving the verdict that everyone already knew was coming. The first part of the sentence was obvious, “….that you be hung by the neck till you are dead” but it was a second part that was unexpected:

“And it is further considered by the court, that after execution is done, your body will be delivered to Dr. Canfield, a surgeon, for dissection. And may God have mercy upon your soul.”

Printed account of the confession, trial, and execution of Antoine Le Blanc. Image via MorristownGreen.com and North Jersey History & Genealogy Center.

On September 6th 1833 thousands of people descended onto the Morristown Green in Morristown to witness the demise of the man dubbed a monster. Custom gallows, constructed at the local ironworks, were hauled to the Green and designed to give the maximum visual effect. Le Blanc would be tied at the neck and a system of ropes, pulleys, and weights was configured so that when a rope was cut a weight would fall and hoist the body eight feet into the air in order to accommodate the thousands gathered and sitting on roofs to catch a better view of the execution.

Diagram of the gallows used on Antoine Le Blanc. 

 According to an article from The Jerseyman:

“No such crowd as witnesses it was, probably, ever in the town before or since. People came by the thousands, not only from within the bounds of Morris but from Essex, Union, Somerset, Warren, Sussex and all other contiguous territory. Horses and wagons at times blocked the roads, and were tied from the Park on the roads leading from it for a mile or more out in every direction. Many people brought their lunches, but all supplies gave out early and scores went hungry.”

It is estimated that 12,000 people witnessed Antoine Le Blanc’s body launch into the air and twist for two minutes. It hung for thirty-five minutes more before he was cut down and loaded into a wagon. The worst was yet to come for the corpse.

 After his demise Le Blanc’s body was handed over to Dr. Canfield and a Princeton professor named Dr. Joseph Henry. It was not unheard for the body of a murderer to be handed over for dissection, what was unusual was them being handed over to be used in experiments. Le Blanc’s arms and legs were opened up to expose the muscles and nerves before he was hooked up to a battery. The good doctors then went about surging his body with different measures of electricity to test how it affected muscle contractions. Allegedly his legs tensed, his eyes rolled, and they were even able to bring a slight smile to his dead face before they concluded their gruesome tests. Once finished a death mask was cast and according to some stories Le Blanc’s ears were cut off and given away. And yet, they still were not done with him.

In a highly unusual move, the skin was stripped from Le Blanc’s body and sent to Atno Tannery in Morristown. Here the skin was treated as an animal hide and turned into “charming little keepsakes” including book jackets, lamp shades, and wallets all signed by Sheriff Ludlow to prove their authenticity. As reported in The Jerseyman:

“Hon. A.W. Cutler of Morristown was said to have had a piece of the skin, and Hon. Thos. Carter of Newton, has a pocketbook made from it, bearing the endorsement by Sheriff Ludlow that it is the Simon-pure goods.”

Wallet made from the skin of Antoine Le Blanc. Image via NJ.com.

Antoine Le Blanc’s execution was the last public hanging in Morristown and the bodies of the Sayre family were buried in the town’s Presbyterian Church cemetery. Although the town moved on from the murder, pieces of the horrific crime continued to permeate the region. The keepsakes made from Le Blanc’s skin circulated from hand to hand and in the almost 200 years since the killings segments of the story including death masks, skin wallets, and the bones of the long-dead Le Blanc have popped up unexpectedly inside the innards of old buildings and in private collections kept quiet over generations.

There are dozens of mementos that have never been located.

Today the death mask of Antoine Le Blanc and one of the infamous skin wallets can be found inside the collection of the North Jersey History & Genealogy Center.

Death mask of Antoine Le Blanc. Image via MorristownGreen.com and the North Jersey History & Genealogy Center.

[robertagibsonwrites]

#Nonfiction Monday #kidlit Bloom Boom! by April Pulley Sayre

#Nonfiction Monday #kidlit Bloom Boom! by April Pulley Sayre

For Nonfiction Monday, we have the beautiful picture book by April Pulley Sayre, Bloom Boom!

As with some of her earlier books, April Pulley Sayre combines her gorgeous nature photographs with sparse, lyrical text.

From woodlands to gardens — ready, set, go! Nature is preparing a flower show…

On the cover is a photograph of brilliantly-colored poppies, which sets the tone for what is to come…

[tabarronauthor]

I love this newly-released picture book by award-winning children’s book author April Pulley Sayre — "Thank you, Earth" is a thank-you letter to the planet that sustains and inspires us all, beautifully crafted with gorgeous photos.  It should be read by every parent and child, teacher and student!

[giftideasfromaycaramba]

Best in Snow With gorgeous photo illustrations, award-winning author April Pulley Sayre sheds sparkly new light on the wonders of snow! Click: https://www.aycaramba.us/product-page/best-in-snow #seasons #nature #weather #AyCarambaBooks #ChildrensBooks #read2kids #love2read https://www.instagram.com/p/BtDOTRVAYHB/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=d0dfeh6l2nbk

[winningthesweepstakes]

Happy Sloth Day! by April Pulley Sayre with Jeff Sayre

Happy Sloth Day! by April Pulley Sayre with Jeff Sayre

Happy Sloth Day! by April Pulley Sayre with Jeff Sayre. Beach Lane Books, 2022. 9781534453739 Rating:  1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 5 Format: Hardcover What did you like about the book? Full page close-up photographs of a three-toed brown-throated sloth in Panama’s Canopy Tower accompany poetic descriptions of its behavior as it eats, lounges, and scratches its way through the…

[sneevish]

“Can you winter like a bear? It’s November. The fat you wear will help you live through winter. Snows will come.”⁠ From “Eat Like A Bear” by April Pulley Sayre and Steve Jenkins. ⁠ ~⁠ #eatlikeabear #aprilpulleysayre #stevejenkins #henryholt #2013 #picturebook #kidlit #childrensfiction #picturebookillustration #picturebooks #picturebookstagram #childrensbook #kidlitart #picturebooksofinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CXyY78BltrU/?utm_medium=tumblr

[gettingready2read]

Welcome Fall!

Full of Fall by April Pulley Sayre will make you and your child feel like you've stepped outside for a walk on a beautiful fall day.  The book is illustrated with pictures that will provide your child with plenty of background knowledge.  Background knowledge is what your child knows about the world around her.  Lots of background knowledge will make reading easier because she will be reading about things that are familiar.  

This story begins with a goodbye to summer and then takes you on a step-by-step look at the phases of fall.  Your child will see how the leaves on the trees change to yellow, gold, orange, and red and then  fade to brown.  She will also hear some new words which will help build her vocabulary. When the story ends with all the signs of winter, you can talk about seasons, what they are and how each one changes.  Talking with your child helps her learn new words and their meanings.  Be sure to give her many opportunities to ask questions and share her thoughts.

Full of Fall may inspire you and your child to take a walk down the block, in a park or at a forest preserve. This free printable Nature Scavenger Hunt, from The Measured Mom.

Extend the Book:

Why not make an Autumn Whirligig! Try this easy fall craft from Red Ted Art. You’ll also find lots more fall activities on their site, plus some other ideas on how to enhance this craft!

Supplies:

Brown Finger Paint or Acrylic Paint (brown crayons or markers would work if you don't have paint.)

Paint Brush or Foam Brush

Paper Plate

Glue

Yarn

Hole Puncher

Scissors

Leaves: You can use store bought leaves or cut some out of construction paper.

Paint the paper plate and allow to dry completely.

Once the paper plate is dry, cut the paper plate in a circle all the way to the center. When you pull the center piece up, your plate spirals like a Whirligig!  Punch a hole at the top and add a piece of yarn to hang it from. Glue your leaves all along the spiral. Once your leaves have dried, hang your whirligig somewhere where everyone can enjoy it.

[surejaya]

Bloom Boom!

Download : Bloom Boom! More Book at: Zaqist Book

Bloom Boom! by April Pulley Sayre

Discover the magic—and the science—behind spring flower blooms with this companion to the celebrated Raindrops Roll, Best in Snow, and Full of Fall. When spring arrives, flowers of all kinds sprout and grow buds and bloom. Sometimes, they bloom a few at a time. But other times, many will bloom at once in a colorful flower boom! This photographic exploration of flowers goes from the desert to the woodlands and beyond, celebrating their beautiful variety and the science behind these colorful displays.

Download : Bloom Boom! More Book at: Zaqist Book

[noodlenuts]

Change is everywhere, this time of year! ... At the Read With River Book Club, we're focused on change this week, but instead of experiential change, I thought it would be fun to share a book I've been saving for the right time about change in nature, and how so much of not just the food chain but our environment as a whole is interconnected. 🐟🐟🐟 "Trout Are Made of Trees" (2008) by April Pulley Sayre, is a beautiful, accessible exploration of how this life cycle works, from leaves that fall and decompose to the animals that take sustenance from this to grow and thrive. Kate Endle's illustrations in a gorgeous autumnal palette are sweet and inviting even to younger children who may not fully understand the details but will delight in seeing two children exploring and learning about the environment around them. Everything in nature changes constantly, and this is a great way to introduce that to kids. ⚫ Please feel free to contribute to this week's theme by tagging #FindMeStoriesAbout_Changes and check out more great selections from our book club members: @readwithriver @toddlers.who.read @inclusivestorytime @noodlenuts_classics @bookoholicmom @_mybookaddiction_ @thetinyactivists @sharing.the.shelf @astoryaday @ivyslibrary @bodkinandroo @houstonlibraryfinds @mrswalkerreads @communication.blooms @talesofkids @littledailylibrarian ⚫ ⚫ #noodlenutsclassickidlit #noodlenutskidsbooks #troutaremadeoftrees #aprilpulleysayre #kateendle #kateendlecollage #kateendleillustration #environmentforkids #naturekids #circleoflife #foodchain #foodweb #soilfoodweb #lifecycle #kidsandnature #getoutside #montessoriathome #montessorihomeschool #bookish #homeeducator #unschoolinglife #unschooling #booknerdigan #365homeschool #iteachfirst #elementarylibrary #bookishplay #nonfictionforkids #ignitecuriosity https://www.instagram.com/p/B3m_4EFH2ch/?igshid=1rc4r45g8dyf6

[theliterarybug]

I found this wonderful non-fiction text on birds and thought I would share a list of non-fiction titles on birds that I enjoyed and think you will too. Happy Reading!!!

  Birds Make Nests by Michael Garland

A look on how different nest are made by different birds.

About Birds: A guide for Children by Cathry Sill and Illustrated by John Sill

An introduction to birds from  flight to nests. Detailed resources on the birds mentioned in the back.

Thunder Birds by Jim Arnosky

A look on different birds of prey with  life size illustrations.

Mama Built A Little Nest by Jennifer Ward

A poetic look on different ways bird nests are constructed.

Vulture View by April Pulley Sayre

The habits of the Turkey Vulture.

Owls by Gail Gibbons

Information on everything you need to know about owls.

  Please check out these titles at your local library.

Non-Fiction—Birds I found this wonderful non-fiction text on birds and thought I would share a list of non-fiction titles on birds that I enjoyed and think you will too.

[winningthesweepstakes]

Feel the Fog - April Pulley Sayre

Feel the Fog – April Pulley Sayre

  Feel the Fog – April Pulley Sayre, Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, 9781534437609, 2020

Format: Hardcover

Rating:  1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 5

Genre: Picture Book

 What did you like about the book? This is another beautiful nature book filled with photographs by April Pulley Sayre–her previous books were Full of Fall, Best in Snow, and Raindrops Roll. With Bes…