Dear Reader,
This Blog is designed for the parents, grandparents and caregivers of young children. Each post will highlight a great book that all children should hear, with tips to enrich beginning reading skills. You will also find fun recipes that go along with each story. Enjoy reading and cooking with the children in your life!
*Read to the children in your life every day. You are giving them a gift that will last a lifetime!
Everybunny Count! By: Ellie Sandall
Ages: Toddlers through Kindergarten
We now have a new favorite counting book called Everybunny Count!. These delightful bunnies are playing hide and seek with fox, and children will get to practice counting on each page. Besides counting, children can also practice locating rhyming words. The end is wonderful, with fox having a nice surprise for the bunnies. This is a great Springtime read.
Tips for Reading:
- Before reading, ask the child if they have ever played hide and seek.
- During reading, ask the child to count the animals that the bunnies saw on each page.
- After reading, ask the child to recall who was playing hide and seek in the story.
- After reading, ask the child to recall some of the places where the bunnies looked for fox.
- After reading, review with the child some of the rhyming words, such as tree/three, dive/five, etc.
- After reading, ask the child to tell what the surprise was in the fox’s den.
Additional Books:
- Chicka, Chicka 1, 2, 3 By: Bill Martin Jr., Michael Sampson and Lois Ehlert
- Feast for Ten By: Cathryn Falwell
- Pete the Cat: Five Little Bunnies By: Kimberly and James Dean
- 100 Bugs! A Counting Book By: Kate Narita Illustrated by: Suzanne Kaufman
- Ten Black Dots By: Donald Crews
Cooking Time:
Spring Salad
This salad will be approved by bunnies and family members! Children love jello, and this delicious dish adds fruit as well as veggies. Children can help by adding the ingredients and kitchen clean-up.
Will need an 8 inch by 8 inch serving dish.
1 (3 ounce) package of lime jello
1 cup water
1 cup pineapple juice, add ice to fill the cup
1 cup cabbage, shredded very fine
1/2 cup carrots, grated
1 cup crushed pineapple in juice, drain and save juice
- Shred cabbage very fine.
- Grate the carrots.
- Drain the pineapple, saving the juice.
- Place the pineapple juice in a 1 cup measuring cup. Add ice to make a full cup. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, heat 1 cup of water to a boil.
- Turn off the heat and add the jello and mix until dissolved.
- Add the pineapple juice/ice to the jello mixture and stir.
- Add the cabbage, carrots and pineapple. Stir.
- Place mixture into serving dish.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until firm.
Makes 9 servings.
Bunny Cake
This is a perfect cake for an Easter family gathering or children’s party. It is easy to make and children can help with the decorating. Children can help by cracking the eggs, adding the ingredients, assembling the bunny and decorating. Don’t forget kitchen clean-up.
Will need a coated board, 20 inches by 14 inches. Can also cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
Use 9 inch round cake pans.
1 package (18 1/4 ounces) white cake mix
1 recipe Buttercream Frosting (Can use 2 cans of white frosting instead.)
1 1/4 cups flaked coconut
Red food coloring
Assorted jelly beans (size and color)
Black licorice
- Make the cake according to the instructions on the box. Bake in 9 inch round pans.
- Allow the cake to cool completely.
- Place one round cake onto the board for the bunny’s head.
- Using the diagram below, cut the second cake to form the bunny’s ears and bow tie.
- Prepare the frosting. You can use canned, or make the Buttercream Frosting.
- Put icing on the bunny’s head, both top and sides.
- Put the ears and bow tie in place.
- Put frosting on the ears and bow tie.
- Place 1/4 cup of the coconut into a small bowl. Add 1 or 2 drops of red food coloring.
- Mix until coconut is pink.
- Using 1 cup of white coconut, place on all of the bunny including ears and bow tie.
- Add the pink coconut to form the inner part of the ears.
- Add jelly beans for the eyes, nose and bow tie.
- Use black licorice for the whiskers, mouth and eye lashes.
Buttercream Frosting
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
6 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup milk
- Using a mixer, cream the softened butter.
- Add the vanilla and mix until combined.
- Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition.
- Add the milk a little bit at a time and beat on medium high to high speed until icing is the right consistency for spreading. Can add additional powdered sugar or milk as needed.
- Beat until light and fluffy.
Makes 12 servings.
