instant halloween: 2 super quick costumes and an easy-peasy treat!

Are you pressed for time?  (Who me?  Yes, you.)  Halloween is such a fantastic holiday, but it seems like the entire month of October is packed with this class party, and that neighborhood party, and before we know it, our heads are spinning!  If you need quick holiday projects, you've come to the right place!  We have whipped up two book-inspired Halloween costumes and a tasty treat that can be made with one quick trip to the store or maybe even with things you have around your home right now.  Let's do this! 

Ghostly Treat Pops! 

You can turn quick-to-make rice krispie treats into these adorably yummy treats.  

Here's what you need: 

• 6 crisped rice cereal
• 3 tablespoons butter
• one 10 oz. bag marshmallows
• white chocolate morsels
• mini chocolate chips
• regular sized chocolate chips
• pop sticks

1. Melt marshmallows and butter together in a large pan.  (Choose a pan that's bigger than you think you need because once you add the cereal, you need a lot of room to stir.)
2. Once everything is melted, add the cereal, and stir, stir, stir!  
3. Pour cereal mixture into a greased baking pan.  Press it down flat to fill the pan. (If the mixture sticks to your hands, and it will, wet your hands before you start pressing.)
4. Once the treats have cooled completely, cut into squares.  Add the sticks.
5. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave in short bursts, stirring after each round.
6. Dip the treats in the white chocolate only about one third of the way down.  Press two mini chocolate eyes and one larger chip for a mouth.  Do this before the white chocolate cools. 
7. Let them cool and harden.  Eat! 

Continuing our instant Halloween, we've got two costumes.  First up, Chicka Chicka Boom!  We love this classic book about the whole alphabet climbing up a coconut tree before tumbling down, and we've recreated that coconut tree with its letters climbing up.  

What You'll need: 

• brown t-shirt
• construction paper in the following colors: green, brown, assorted colors for the letters
• safety pins 
• stapler and staples

1. I created the headdress to look like the top of a coconut tree by creating a green band.  I attached four green strips to the band, and then, I cut notches into the strips to give it a feathered, palm tree look. 
2. I crumpled brown paper into balls to look like coconuts and stapled them to the band.
3. I cut out letters and safety pinned them to the brown shirt in a way that made them look like they were "climbing" up. 
4. That's it.  Boom goes the dynamite.  You're ready for your Halloween party! 

Next up, we have Dr. Seuss's Lorax.  The Lorax is a creature that stands up for the environment, especially the trees, and he spends his story protecting his world from those who want to destroy nature.  This Lorax costume is so simple and cute.  

Here's what you need: 

• orange knit cap
• orange sweatshirt
• sunglasses
• fake yellow fur or yellow felt

1. Cut the yellow fur or felt into the shape of a mustache and attach it to the sunglasses with hot glue.
2. That's it.  Seriously.  That's it.  

Happy, happy Halloween!  Be safe and have fun! 

there's a bear on my chair by ross collins

Hi there Booktomato family!  How is your week going?  We are in full lunch box packing-homework writing-teacher meeting-it's a school night so you need to get in bed now mode over here.  What about you?  

Today's book, There's a Bear on My Chair, is written by super-talented and super-prolific children's author, Ross Collins.  A full list of his works would be way too long for this post, so if you want to read more of his books (and there are some really, really good ones!) check out his website here. 

So what is a mouse to do when a bear comes and sits in his chair and he just will not move?  He begs.  He pleads.  He bribes, but the bear will not budge.  The solution?  Go get in the bear's bed!  This story is so cute, and my three year old loved it.  It has the simplicity and humor that I feel so many of the classic picture books have.  Also, any book that says the word "underwear"  is the height of comedy for my kids.  This is sure to be a classic!

talking to our kids about refugees: lost and found cat, the true story of kunkush's incredible journey

How do you approach difficult subjects with your kids?  It can be hard to find just the right vocabulary to use for young kids so that they will fully comprehend what you want them to know.  It can also be hard to know just how much information to give - not too much for them to handle but not so little that they don't get the full picture of what is happening. 

I like to find a good book on whatever difficult subject I need to discuss with my child.  The book helps me in several ways.  If I pick a book that I know is age-appropriate, then I know just how much information I should be giving.  I can just follow the book's lead.  Also, sometimes picture books can convey information to kids in a way that just talking can't, especially a book with great illustrations.  

The topic of refugees is a tough one.  I think it is important for my kids to understand that there are people in the world right now who are going through the horrific experience of losing their homes and families, who are having to start their lives over in a foreign land every day.  They need to know to show these people compassion and friendship.  At the same time, I find it hard to, in a sense, break their innocence bubble.  I wish the world wasn't such a tough place and that they could stay blissfully unaware that evil exists.  But that can't happen.  It's my job to teach these little minds to be world citizens. 

If you are like me, and you want to teach your kids about the hard life of a refugee but also don't want to have the story be too much, too scary, too violent, then Lost and Found Cat by Amy Shrodes and Dough Kuntz is a great book for you. 

The family in this story must leave their home in Iraq because it has become too dangerous.  They cannot bring too many personal belongings because they will have to carry them on their long journey, but they can't bear to leave their beloved pet cat, Kunkush, behind.  They hide him in a basket and do their best to keep him hidden and quiet.  When the family makes it to Greece, Kunkush escapes from the basket, and they can't find him before they must leave on a bus for the next leg of their journey.  Volunteers help the family to find Kunkush and reunite him with his family. 

recommended age: 4-12, all ages can enjoy this

themes: teaches compassion and world-awareness, highlights hope and love of the family

gets brownie points for: creating a story that is relevant in our world and doesn't sugar-coat the hardships of refugees but also not too sad or scary for kids and ends on a heart-warming, hopeful note.

you tube tuesday with snacks! flossie and the fox by patricia c. mckissak and a classic southern pie

It's You Tube Tuesday!  This week, we are sharing a southern-style retelling of Little Red Riding Hood and a pie recipe inspired by the book.  Check it out!

trainbots by miranda paul and shane mcg

Kids love trains.  Kids love robots.  So guess what?  A genius person put them both together in one book giving kids everywhere exactly what they want!  Miranda Paul is a relatively new author who has written several titles including the new and adorable 10 Little Ninjas.  

Trainbots is the story of cheerful and rather industrious little robots who work together to build a shiny, new train that they will ride all the way to Kids Town, the place where boys and girls are waiting to play with their new robot toys.  On the way to Kids Town, terrible mean bots jump on board the train and break it.  The trainbots turn into super hero bots who save the day!  

Story Time Conversations:

• This is a rhyming story.  Let's think of some words that rhyme.  I say a word, and you think of a word that rhymes.  Ball/Wall Cat/Bat Bot/Pot Train/Rain
• If you were riding on the trainbots' train, what car would you ride in?  Caboose?  Engine?  Passenger car?
• Which robot toy do you like the best?

sylvester and the magic pebble by william steig

What would you do if you had a magic pebble that could grant you any wish that you desired?  I have a to confess that we have reached the part in the summer where I am really tired with the lack of solid, daily schedule.  This happens every year, and being a stay-at-home mom, I have zero child care when school closes. The first month of summer vacation is spent reveling in freedom. Sleeping late!  Spending the whole day at the playground!  Popsicles for lunch!  Don't get me wrong - all of the items listed above are simply marvelous, but then that something in my DNA that needs order and predictability kicks in, and I start to crave the scheduled days of the autumn season.  Maybe I could learn a thing or two from Sylvester, the donkey in today's story.  Sylvester finds a real magic wishing pebble, and he isn't careful with what he wishes for, and trouble ensues.  I should try to put my schedule-loving DNA in a box and embrace the last weeks of free-wheeling summer.  Before I know it, school will be here and we will all be knee-deep in construction paper and glue!  

In this Caldecott winner, Sylvester the donkey finds a beautiful and unusual stone while he is walking through the forest.  He picks it up to bring home to add to his collection.  He discovers that the stone has the ability to grant wishes!  When his wishing goes awry, he accidentally gets turned into a rock!  His family looks everywhere for him but cannot find him anywhere.  Eventually, after many months of searching, Sylvester is turned back into himself again.  When he is finally reunited with his family, everyone learns that the most valuable thing is the love of one's family.

Have you read Sylvester and the Magic Pebble?  Our edition came with a recorded reading C.D. voiced by James Earl Jones.  It was awesome!  

3 books my 3 year old loves

happy monday everyone!  my three year old likes dragons and castles, pirates, pyramids, and adventure stories.  here are three books that i have read him about a billion times lately. 

King Jack and the Dragon Board Book

By Peter Bently

Jack and his friends spend their whole afternoon building castle forts, chasing away dragons, and feasting like kings until their moms and dads say it's bed time.  Cute story! 

The Color Kittens (A Little Golden Book)

By Margaret Wise Brown

The color kittens are in charge of all the colors in the world, and they are on a mission to mix the perfect green paint!  They mix combination after combination of paint colors making purple, and orange, and brown, and finally green.  Playful illustrations.  

Corduroy

By Don Freeman

Corduroy is a classic!  A bear in a department store wants a home more than anything, but he looks a little shabby with his button missing from his overall strap.  He meets a special little girl who takes him home and fixes him up.  The story is a bit lengthy for preschoolers, but it's worth getting past the wordiness for the great story.