Story Times Good Enough to Eat!: Thematic Programs with Edible Story Crafts

by Melissa Rossetti Folini

Overview

Learning and fun go hand-in-hand with these thematically organized story time programs that are linked to adorable, edible crafts.

There are kids' cookbooks and there are books with story time suggestions, but no book has combined the two—until now. Story Times Good Enough to Eat!: Thematic Programs with Edible Story Crafts brings these elements together in programs that will engage kids and make every story time special.

Both a manual and a recipe book, Story Times Good Enough to Eat! offers thematic programs for major holidays and seasons and includes programs on popular animals and other themes as well. It is designed to educate children by having them listen to the story, then reinforcing the lessons of the story by creating an edible craft to go along with it. Every theme in the book includes a suggested titles list, a brief overview of the program, and a complete recipe and instructions for making the corresponding snack/craft, from yummy school bus cupcakes to mouth-watering sugar cookie sombreros for Cinco de Mayo.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781591588986
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	01/22/2010
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Melissa Rossetti Folini is a retired library director and full-time writer.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Chapter 1: Seasons: Fall
Backto School
Fire Prevention
Halloween
Thanksgiving
Chapter 2: Seasons: Winter
Chinese New Year
Christmas
Mardi Gras
President's Day
St. Patrick's Day
Valentine's Day
Winter/Snow
Chapter 3: Seasons: Spring
Cinco de Mayo
Easter
Maple Sugar/Syrup
Mud
Chapter 4: Seasons: Summer
Camping
Sunflowers
Chapter 5: Insects and Other Animals
Ants
Bears (Teddy)
Dinosaurs
Dogs
Ladybugs
Spiders
Wombats
Butterflies
Chapter 6: Miscellaneous Themes
Fairies
Graduation
Ocean
PB&J
Wizards and Magic
Playing Dress Up
Chapter 7: Easy Nonfood Theme Programs
Fourth of July
Olympics (Summer or Winter)
Statue of Liberty
Index

Editorial Reviews

A wonderful collection of suggested thematic programs with edible story craft objects . . . a great resource for teachers, librarians, and parents.” —Midwest Book Review

“A terrific resource for anyone who wants to include a snack with their read-aloud program . . . Story Times Good Enough To Eat! will spark delicious ideas for schools or libraries who would like to provide a sweet snack or as a resource for room mothers or others planning special events for young children.” —Catholic Library World

From the Publisher

This is a collection of more than 30 themes (seasons, insects, holidays), each of which is accompanied by three to five unannotated picture-book suggestions and an edible snack/craft that children from ages 3 to 8 can assemble quickly. Aided by black-and-white photographs, the food creations are simple and age appropriate. Many of the suggestions use the same ingredients (pretzels, candy, cereal) so that items can be purchased economically in bulk. The author provides a clear general introduction as a focus. However, the paragraph about cleaning up is given the same seriousness as the paragraph that cautions about food allergies, which are so prevalent. Folini does provide a sample permission form for parents or guardians to sign before any child is given food. However, there is no mention of having EpiPens readily available in case of emergencies. The bottom line: there is nothing here that wasn't described better in Jan Irving and Robin Currie's out-of-print Mudluscious: Stories and Activities Featuring Food for Preschool Children (Libraries Unlimited, 1986). It is crammed full of ideas for fingerplays, songs, and both edible and nonedible crafts, with extensive indexes beyond the traditional author/title index. Veteran storytellers may find a few new ideas in Folini's book, but it is more likely that newer librarians or teachers who do not have access to this older title will find it the most useful.—Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA

School Library Journal