MSU Extension Child & Family Development

Olivia

By Ian Falconez

This book, which has beautiful pictures, uses colors and animals to describe the different feelings and moods we feel every day.

BEFORE READING:

• Show the children the front of the book. Ask them to guess what the book is about.
• Ask them what kind of animal is on the cover.
• Ask them what they think the animal on the cover is doing.

WHILE READING:

• Stop at any time if there is something you or the children would like to talk about.
• Ask them questions so that they can connect what is happening in the book to things they already know about. Try some of these ideas: 
  • What do you like to wear each day?
  • What things do you like to do that Olivia likes to do, too?

AFTER READING:

• Spend some time talking about the story. Ask the children things like:
  • What kind of dancer did Olivia think she was?
  • What did Olivia say when it was time to take a nap?
  • What did you think Olivia was best at?

Read this book several times to the children. Hearing the same story again and again helps them learn new words and understand the ideas the hear better. Each day, pick a different activity to do with the children after reading.

ART and MUSIC

Have the children paint or color a picture and make a gallery to display it. Ask them to tell you about the picture and write the words they say on the front or back of the paper. Encourage them to use a lot of describing words. Make a gallery to display it somewhere. Try hanging it on the bulletin board, in the room or on a closet door.

MOVEMENT

Sing the children’s favorite song as many different ways as you can. Try singing it slow, fast, like an Opera singer, in a whisper voice, or as loud as you can. Be creative and get silly. You might be surprised about all of the ways that you can think of!

READING READINESS

Ask the children to name some things that Olivia does during the story. After they have named a few, ask them if they do any of those things during their day.

PRETEND PLAY

At the end of the story, Olivia is dreaming that she is a famous singer. Pretend that you and the children are famous singers and give a performance. See if you can find something to use for microphones, and something to wear that looks like you are on stage.

THINKING SKILLS

Have the children help you sort pretend clothing. Start by sorting darks from whites. Ask them if they can think of another way to sort the clothing piles.

MOTOR SKILLS

Get a long piece of string or tie shoelaces together. Find a place with a few feet of space and jump rope. You might need to show the children how to twirl the rope around and start by jumping with both feet together. Count the jumps or sing a song out loud while you jump. See how long you can jump before you feel worn out.

For more information, visit the MSU Extension Early Childhood Site

MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer, committed to achieving excellence through a diverse workforce and inclusive culture that encourages all people to reach their full potential. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status. Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Jeffrey W. Dwyer, Director, MSU Extension, East Lansing, MI 48824. This information is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned