*Read to the children in your life every day. You are giving them a gift that will last a lifetime!
Little Blue Truck By: Alice Schertle Illustrated by: Jill McElmurry
Ages: Toddlers through Kindergarten
This amazing book provides many learning opportunities for children. It explores recognition of colors, animal sounds and rhyming patterns. However, the best part of this delightful story is that it shows the importance of being kind to each other and how valuable friendship can be. It is just a fun story that children will want to here over and over again.
Tips for Reading:
- Before reading the story, do a picture walk through the book. Let the child look at the pictures and tell you what is happening in the story.
- Read the story and then ask the child to tell you if his or her predictions from the picture walk were correct.
- For younger children, review colors and animal sounds as you read the story.
- Explore with the child the rhyming words on each page. (Example: road/toad, duck/truck, etc.)
- Ask the child to tell you how all of Blue’s friends came to his rescue and what lesson the dump truck learned.
Additional Books:
- My Truck is Stuck! By: Kevin Lewis and Daniel Kirk
- Little Blue Truck Leads the Way By: Alice Schertle Illustrated by: Jill McElmurry
- Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site By: Sherri Duskey Rinker Illustrated by: Tom Lichtenheld
- Goodnight Little Blue Truck (released in October) By: Alice Schertle Illustrated by: Jill McElmurry
This is Judy’s son Alex and grandson Theo. Theo loves Little Blue Truck.
Cooking Time:
Macaroni and Cheese Wheels
The wheels on the Little Blue Truck got stuck in the mud, so what could be more perfect than macaroni pasta shaped like wheels. This is a very easy recipe that will be fun to make and share. Children can help by adding the ingredients and kitchen clean-up.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2 quarts of water to boil
1 tablespoon salt
2 cups mini wheel macaroni (Barilla)
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
6 oz. processed cheese (Velveeta)
2/3 cup milk
- Add the salt to the water and bring to a boil.
- Add the macaroni and cook for 12 minutes.
- Drain the macaroni and return to the pan and place on low heat.
- Add the butter and stir until melted.
- Add both kinds of cheese and stir until melted.
- Add the milk and stir.
- Place macaroni mixture into a 1 1/2 quart baking dish.
- Place 4 slices of Velveeta on the top of the macaroni mixture.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Pigs in a Blanket
Most children love hot dogs and crescent rolls make them extra special. These are very easy to make and children will love helping. Children can help by rolling the hot dogs in the crescent rolls, cracking the egg, brushing the egg onto the rolls and kitchen clean-up.
1 can refrigerated crescent rolls
4 bun-length hot dogs
1 egg, lightly beaten
Mustard
Ketchup
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut each hot dog in half, cutting crosswise.
- Unroll the crescent rolls and separate.
- Place a hot dog on the wide end of the crescent dough and roll it up.
- Complete until all hot dogs are rolled.
- Place on the lined baking sheet a couple inches apart.
- Brush each roll with egg wash.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until the rolls are brown and flaky.
- Let the hot dogs cool for a few minutes before serving.
- Serve with mustard and ketchup.
Makes 8 pigs in a blanket.
Mini Pigs in a Blanket
1 can refrigerated crescent rolls
20 mini hot dogs or cocktail franks
1 egg, lightly beaten
Mustard
Ketchup
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Unroll the crescent rolls and separate.
- Cut each roll into 3 long strips, cutting lengthwise.
- Place a mini hot dog on the wide end of the strip and roll it up.
- Complete until all of the mini hot dogs are rolled.
- Place on a lined baking sheet leaving space between each dog.
- Brush each roll with egg wash.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until the rolls are brown and flaky.
- Let the mini dogs cool for a few minutes before serving.
- Serve with mustard and ketchup.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Ice Cream Mud Turtles
The name may not sound very good, but it really is! The Little Blue Truck got stuck in the mud, so this delicious treat is totally appropriate to make after reading the book. What could go wrong with a dessert that includes ice cream, Oreo cookies, and chocolate and caramel sauce? Please do toast the pecans. It really makes a difference. Children can help by rolling the ice cream balls, adding the toppings and kitchen clean-up.
15 Oreo sandwich cookies
6 large scoops of vanilla ice cream
1 bottle (7.25 ounces) chocolate flavored hard-shell
Caramel ice cream topping
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Put the chopped pecans on the lined baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
- Remove from pan to cool and set aside.
- Place the cookies in the bowl of a food processor with a blade; process to form coarse crumbs. (Could also place cookies in a zip lock bag and press cookies with a rolling pin.)
- Put processed cookies in a shallow dish.
- Make the ice cream balls and roll them in the processed cookie mixture.
- Place the ice cream balls on a shallow plate and cover tops and sides with the hard-shell chocolate.
- Place ice cream balls in a covered container and put them in the freezer for at least 1 hour.
- To serve, place an ice cream ball into a serving dish, top with the caramel sauce and toasted pecans.
Makes 6 servings.
