Bartholomew and the Oobleck

Do you like to celebrate birthdays?  I do!  I love any excuse for cake and ice-cream.  March 2nd is Dr. Seuss' birthday.  Take a few minutes and celebrate by reading aloud one of his books.

One of my favorites to share with kids is Bartholomew and the Oobleck.  It was first published in 1949 and the message it shares is just as important today as it was sixty years ago!    King Derwin loves to look at the sky, but he tires of seeing only snow, fog, rain and sunshine.   He calls upon his magicians to create something new to fall from the sky that no other kingdom has seen before.  His royal magicians create oobleck - a green, gooey substance that ends up creating disaster throughout the kingdom.  Bartholomew, the king's page boy, tries to help out, but in the end the king needs to mutter three simple (yet magic) words: "I am sorry."  


The story is so much fun to read aloud; however, it is a rather long picture book.  Be prepared to take about twenty minutes to share this one!  It is a great book to help kids determine importance.  Determining importance is really just deciding what matters most-- finding the big idea.  The story also lends itself to creating inferences.


A few questions to help boost you conversation about the story.


1.  Read to "But, Your Majesty, I still think that you may be very sorry."  Ask your child: What do you predict is going to happen?


2.  Read to "He poked his head  out through the little trap door."  Share what you think is going to happen.  Start with the following thinking stem to share your prediction: It could be that...


3.  Read to "I'll blow the loudest alarm that's ever been heard in the Kingdom of Didd!"  Ask your child: What do you think is going to happen when the royal trumpeter blows on his horn? 

4.  Read to "Shaking his head sadly, he stepped back inside."  As your child:  How would you feel if you lived in the Kingdom of Didd?  What would you do if you were Bartholomew?


5.  At the end of the story as your child:  What is one thing we should remember about this story?  If your child has trouble coming up with a big idea, you can say I want to remember.....

Half the fun of sharing this book is making your own oobleck!  It is really easy and I guarantee your child will LOVE it!  Making and investigating the oobleck is a great science experiment.  To make oobleck you just need the following ingredients: 1 cup of water, 1 1/2 cups of cornstarch (maybe a bit more) and a few drops of food coloring.   Mix all the ingredients together and prepare to get messy! 


Enjoy celebrating Dr. Seuss' birthday on March 2nd! I cannot wait to hear your oobleck experiences.


Today is the last day to enter into the giveaway!