Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type

*Read to the children in your life every day.  You are giving them a gift that will last a lifetime!

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type                 By:  Doreen Cronin              Illustrated by:  Betsy Lewin

Ages:  Preschool through Second Grade

 

 

Children may need a little history lesson prior to reading Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type. With today’s text messaging and e-mail, they may not know what a typewriter is and how it was used.  In this delightful story, the cows are very cold and find an old typewriter in the barn.  They send a letter to the farmer and the fun begins.  This award winning book helps to build vocabulary and is an example of the art of negotiating and problem solving.

Tips for Reading:

• After discussing the use of a typewriter, ask the child to look at the cover and predict what the story might be about.
• As you read, encourage the child to read along with you, “Click, clack, moo.  Click, clack, moo.  Clickety, clack, moo.”
• After reading, ask the child to tell you what the problem was and how it was resolved.
• Discuss with the child the meanings of some of the more difficult words as you read them in the story, such as “ultimatum”, “exchange”, and “neutral”.
• Ask the child who the neutral party was in the story and what did he do.
• Ask the child if they can remember a problem that they have had, and how it was resolved.

Additional Books:

• Can I Be Your Dog?          By:  Troy Cummings
• Dear Mr. Blueberry           By:  Simon James
• A Letter for Amy           By:  Ezra Jack Keats
• Dear Annie           By:  Judith Caseley
• Dear Peter Rabbit            By:  Alma Flor Ada          Illustrated by:  Leslie Tryon

*All of the books listed can be found on Amazon and most can be found at your local bookstore or library.

 

Cooking Time:

Fresh Strawberry Milkshakes

The cows in our story wanted to exchange milk for electric blankets, but we can just go to a grocery store to get fresh milk.  There is nothing like a milkshake made at home, especially if it is made with fresh strawberries.  Children can help clean the strawberries and add ingredients.

1 cup fresh strawberries, stems removed and sliced

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups vanilla ice cream

1/4 cup milk

• In a small bowl, combine the sliced strawberries, sugar and vanilla and stir until well blended.
• Set aside for 30 minutes.
• Using a blender, add the strawberry mixture, ice cream and milk.
• Blend until smooth.
• Pour into a glass and garnish with a strawberry.
• Serve immediately and enjoy.

Recipe makes 1 large serving.

The colorful straw is reusable and comes in a great set from Amazon.  Cleaning brush is included.

Banana Pudding

You can’t make this pudding without using milk.  Banana Pudding, using vanilla wafers, has been a classic for years.  Children can help by peeling the bananas, cracking the eggs, adding the ingredients and assembling the layers.

Can use individual serving dishes or layer in one large bowl.

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup flour

Dash of salt

3 eggs, separated  (You will use the yolks.)

2 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 Tablespoon butter

32 vanilla wafers

2 to 3 large bananas, sliced

• Mix the sugar, flour and salt in a sauce pan.
• Place 3 egg yolks in a bowl and whisk.
• Add the milk to the yolks and whisk together.
• Gradually add the milk mixture to the flour mixture.
• Cook on medium to medium high heat stirring constantly until thick, about 5 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and add the vanilla and butter.
• Spread a small amount of the custard in the bottom of the serving dish.
• Put a layer of wafers over the custard.
• Put a layer of the sliced bananas over the wafers.
• Continue layering the pudding, wafers and bananas ending with pudding on the top.
• Garnish with additional wafers and bananas.
• Refrigerate.

Makes 4 large servings using individual dishes.   More servings if made in 1 large bowl.