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Hi, Koo!: A Year of Seasons



Last updated Wednesday, August 1, 2018

Author: Jon J Muth
Date of Publication:
ISBN: 0545166683
Grade Level: 1st    (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Aug. 2018

Synopsis: Jon J Muth takes a fresh and exciting new look at the four seasons! "Eating warm cookies on a cold day is easy / water catches every thrown stone skip skip splash." With a featherlight touch and disarming charm, Jon J Muth--and his delightful little panda bear, Koo--challenge readers to stretch their minds and imaginations with twenty-six haikus about the four seasons.

Note to readers:
•  You can do a picture walk before reading, and you might want to read the Author's Note at the beginning of the book.

Discussion topics for before reading:
•  What are the four seasons?
•  What is your favorite season and why?

Vocabulary

•  haiku - a Japanese poem of seventeen syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five syllables, traditionally evoking images of the natural world. A poem in English written in the form of a haiku.
•  syllable - a unit of pronunciation having one vowel sound, with or without surrounding consonants, forming the whole or a part of a word; e.g., there are two syllables in water and three in inferno.
•  Autumn - the third season of the year, when crops and fruits are gathered and leaves fall, in the northern hemisphere from September to November and in the southern hemisphere from March to May.
•  powdery - consisting of or resembling powder.
•  icicles - a hanging, tapering piece of ice formed by the freezing of dripping water.
•  crocuses - a small, spring-flowering plant of the iris family, which grows from a corm and bears bright yellow, purple, or white flowers.
•  audience - the assembled spectators or listeners at a public event, such as a play, movie, concert, or meeting.
•  sparrow - a small Old World bird related to the weaverbirds, typically with brown and gray plumage.
•  perilous - full of danger or risk.

Discussion topics for during/after reading:
•  Have you ever lived or traveled where there are four seasons?
•  Have you ever seen snow?

Craft ideas:
•  Draw a picture of your favorite season. Or all four seasons on a page divided into four parts.
•  Draw a picture of a panda bear.
•  make a panda bear mask using a paper plate.
•  Check our craft ideas on Pinterest!
https://www.pinterest.com/readingtokids/august-2018-arts-entertainment/

Special activities:
•  Make a list of things people do in each season. Examples, go to the beach or swimming in Summer, have a picnic in Spring, rake leaves in Fall, go sledding or skiing in winter

*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions. You can use them, but you don't have to use them. You can expand upon them, or add your own twist. Remember, though, that the focus of your time should not be on the development and execution of a craft; the focus should be on the read-aloud and the enjoyment of the book!