“You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back, relax, all you need is a book.” Dr.  Seuss

Reading Level:

Grades K-1 [according to common core]

Grade   2.5 [according to Scholastic – reflects the grade level at which a student reading on grade could read the book independently]

Interest Level:

Grades K-2

Review and Comments:

Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet and Allan Ahlberg is a treasury of poetry, familiar fairy tale and nursery rhyme characters and corresponding illustrations that compliment every detail of the text.  It all begins with a little poem that invites the reader to play a game of “I Spy.”  Then the fun begins.  Young readers, even non readers, will love to listen carefully to the short rhyme on each page so they can identify familiar characters and then search for those characters in the illustrations.  The text is simple and repetitive and the very detailed and colorful pictures make the search lots of fun. This book is the perfect opportunity to introduce a few fairy tales and nursery rhymes to children or retell old favorites.

Possible Issues:fair

There are no issues with this book.

Further Discussion:

• Identify the nursery rhymes and fairy tales mentioned in the book. Introduce or reread old favorites.

1. The fairy tales mentioned are: Tom Thumb, Cinderella, and The Three Bears.  A fictional character mentioned is the Wicked Witch.

The nursery rhymes mentioned are: Baby Bunting, Bo Peep, Jack and Jill, and Old Mothe Hubbard.

The legend mentioned is Robin Hood.

• Read each fairy tale story and mentioned in the book.  Make a list of the characteristics of a fairy tale.

[“A fairy tale is a story with magical elements.  It’s actually quite difficult to define this type of literature as many of the characteristics cross over into fables and folklore.  But there are common characteristics of fairy tales share to a certain extent:”]

• Set in the past
• Use some form or variation of “Once upon a time”
• Fantasy or make-believe elements
• Enchanted setting – can include forests, castles, water or kingdoms
• Clearly defined good and evil characters
• Magical elements
• Characters take on unusual forms (giants, witches, dwarfs, talking animals)
• Groups of 3 (objects, people or events)
• Clearly defined problem, climax and resolution
• Most often they have a happy ending
• Teach a lesson that is important to the culture it came from

• Memorize the nursery rhymes mentioned. Video tape your child reciting or acting out each.

• Sample a taste of a peach, plum and pear. Graph the favorite fruit if more than one child is participating or write a descriptive paragraph about the favorite fruit.

[“The primary purpose of descriptive writing is to describe a person, place or thing in such a way that a picture is formed in the reader’s mind. Capturing an event through descriptive writing involves paying close attention to the details by using all of your five senses.” ]

Information found on this website: http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/descriptive_writing

• Compare the seeds of a peach, plum, and pear.

1. Pears encase multiple seeds. Plums and peaches encase a single seed (a pit).

 Catholic Resources:

Play an “I Spy” game.  Give clues that describe God’s creation. This does not have to be played all at one time.  Give clues while experiencing God throughout the day.

1. After a rain storm – I spy something that God created that is big, gives light, and warms us…..
2. While shopping or fixing dinner – I spy something that God created that is healthy, grows under the ground, and is long and orange…..
3. While driving past a church – I spy a place where we can go to hear God’s word and be part of a community….

This is another game that might be fun to play.