April Pulley Sayre Children's Book Author

Rah Rah Radishes on Best Lists

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:16:06 +0000

Happy news! Rah, Rah, Radishes: A Vegetable Chant is on some yummy best-o-year lists including the New York Public Library’s 100 Titles For Reading and Sharing 2011 and Kirkus’ 100 Best of the Year list. It also received one of California Reading Association’s Eureka gold awards for excellence in nonfiction. Go, Go, Grapes: a Fruit Chant is at the printer and will be released May 22, 2012.

Gordon School Shines: Shadow Puppet Plays

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 17:01:28 +0000

I just returned from four days as the Karla Harry Visiting Author at the Gordon School, in Providence, RI. The time at Gordon was one of the highlights of my career.Here are some of the shadow plays the kindergarten and 3rd graders did. The teachers and librarians collaborated to create this exciting exploration of light, shadow, and literature. They did Trout Are Made of Trees, Vulture View, and Honk, Honk, Goose.

I love this school. The scientific inquiry. The diversity. The joy of learning. It felt like the most wonderful educational family I have encountered and I miss them already! Extraordinary librarian Suzanne Fox, who I’d met when she worked at another school, invited me. I also had the pleasure of making friends with librarian Frances Martindale. Her reading style is fantastic. If I were doing an audio book, I’d call her to do the voice. Head of School Ralph Wales was so supportive and welcoming. This private school is serious about their mandate to bring racial and cultural diversity into their school. They have faculty and students of many backgrounds. Their library books and major projects are chosen to open children’s eyes to the possibilities for themselves and the world. They embrace science even at the youngest ages. The Kindergarteners, preschoolers, and I had some brain-expanding science talks. I just want to hang out at Gordon. The atmosphere is that joyful and stimulating.

Dig, Wait, Listen: A Desert Toad’s Tale Resource

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 16:36:08 +0000

Just found this great account of folks looking for various species of toads in the Sonoran Desert.

Vegetable Cookery For Kids

admin — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:41:54 +0000

I picked up a copy of a magazine called Chop Chop “The fun cooking magazine for families” at a local New Balance shoe store. I have to say the magazine looks great. High quality content. It would be a great place to go after reading Rah, Rah, Radishes: a Vegetable Chant and the upcoming Go, Go, Grapes: a Fruit Chant. So kids’ veggie and fruit enthusiasm can move into the kitchen. Here’s Chop Chop magazine’s site: http://www.chopchopmag.org/

How about a monkey storytime?

admin — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:28:18 +0000

Reviewer Meribeth Shank did a roundup of monkey books in Miami Family Magazine and the reviews are also available on her website here: http://meribeths.blogspot.com/

November Animal Surprise

admin — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 12:59:50 +0000

Look who came to my book signing! This tortoise lives outdoors on the grounds of the education area of the Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden. Someone left the door open during my signing and the tortoise walked in and up to my signing table. No joke!

Lesson Plan for One Is a Snail, Ten Is a Crab

admin — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 12:37:26 +0000

I’m speaking at the Indiana state conference of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics on Sunday and Monday. Here’s a lesson plan created by educator Margaret Goldsmith, who is co-presenting with me. She’ll cover the lesson plan at the end of my session talk.

Click here to download the lesson plan: One Is A Snail.

Thank you to Margaret for sharing. We met because she was teaching workshops on the book. She’s so creative as an educator. I’m her fan and it’s because of her math enthusiasm that I attended my first NCTM conference earlier this year. Love the vibe of the math education world. Just zaps my brain cells and makes me think, smile, and create.

Gardening Books for Kids

admin — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 14:44:40 +0000

Saw this post on INK and it might be useful to those of you needing gardening books. Apparently, there’s an award list created by the American Horticultural Society.

Travels and Rah, Rah, Radishes Extensions

admin — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 19:39:47 +0000

Erika Thulin Dawes, Ed.D of Lesley University wrote about some terrific extension ideas for Rah, Rah, Radishes: A Vegetable Chant over at The Classroom Bookshelf . Lots of helpful links, too. HUGELY useful information.

Jeff and I just returned from a 4,600 mile roadtrip to research at desert sites (White Sands, Painted Desert, Meteor Crater). I gave two programs at the spectacular Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden. I also spoke at a conference for early childhood teachers coordinated by Jennifer Haggart of the Early Childhood Consortium of the Omaha Area. Rockin’ awesome folks in Omaha and I learned a lot from Isabel Baker and Peg Callahan, who were presenting all sorts of new young books. Thanks to M. Susan McWilliams of the Omaha Literacy Partnership, University of Nebraska, who helped provide support and facilities.

Meanwhile, I have finished the photos for Go, Go, Grapes: a Fruit Chant. (Due out May 2012) and the layouts I’m seeing are scrumptious.

October Animal

admin — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 12:53:52 +0000

Time for some desert animals. Jeff and I drove all the way to Phoenix so I could give talks at the Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden. LOVE this place. Full of plants. Wild birds, butterflies, squirrels, and bunnies wander freely. These Gambell’s Quail strut around, then dash, dash, dash when startled.

September Animal

admin — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 12:51:13 +0000

This is a moth on our window. It was attracted to the kitchen light. What a beauty. I don’t know the species. Photographing through the glass is a tad tricky. Still working on capturing their fluffy loveliness.

Rah Rah Radishes in Kirkus

admin — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 19:09:50 +0000

Kirkus Reviews sure knows how to ask quality questions to get a person talking and reflecting. Read the Rah Rah Radishes interview here. There’s also a fun little California connection for the book made by a writer out in Salinas. His article is “‘Vegetable Chant’ showcases Central Coast’s chief product.” Meanwhile, after a fun South Bend Farmer’s Market signing last Sat, I’m completing final shots for Go, Go, Grapes: a Fruit Chant, 2012.

If You’re Hoppy sings

admin — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 02:21:28 +0000

Here, some rockin’ awesome Mississippi librarians show me how they sing If You’re Hoppy, incorporating the slight variations from the traditional If You’re Happy song. (I admit I never imagined folks singing it, only saying it out loud. But I’ve heard lots of librarians are singing it for story hour.) The facebook author page with the video.

Greens & Other Goodies at South Bend Farmer’s Market

admin — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 14:55:13 +0000

I’ve been busy admiring greens, the structures of leeks, and other veggies at South Bend Farmer’s Market. Beets are one of the most productive crops because both the greens and roots can be used.

Shelton’s Farm Market Near Niles, MI

admin — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 14:32:23 +0000

When I got into a pickle with needing some fruit photos for the upcoming fruit chant book (Go, Go, Grapes: a Fruit Chant, 2012) , a gardening friend directed me to Shelton’s Farmer’s Market near Niles, MI, and they welcomed me heartily. I hadn’t visited in years. What surprised me is how much produce they had. They had all the traditional Midwestern fresh veggies and fruits, but also lots of specialty items for the Hispanic community and other communities, as well. Lots of Mexican fruits and vegetable specialties. Plus many other intriguing gourmet items. I’ve never seen black radish! I was able to buy a whole case of cactus fruit here for one of the shots in the new fruit book. Thanks, Shelton’s!

Daley Plaza Farmer’s Market, Chicago

admin — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 14:00:22 +0000

Explore Chicago’s Farmer’s Markets at this useful site, which lists them by day of the week. I can’t wait to try the green market. While I was in town for a reunion of grad school friends/writers, I visited Daley Plaza Farmer’s Market. The place was hoppin’! Music playing. Kids climbing, Chicagoans foot splashing in the water, and lots of folks buying veggies and fruits. Children’s book authors Gretchen Woelfle and Carmela Martino and I strolled, purchased beeswax products, and sampled some yummies. Some of the farmers here also come to my market at home, I think. Many represent orchards and farms in southwest Michigan. A few were from Wisconsin, too. I took a few photos in my continuing work for Go, Go, Grapes: A Fruit Chant, (Beach Lane, S&S, 2012), the sequel to Rah, Rah, Radishes: a Vegetable Chant.

Sea Turtle News and Online Kids Club

admin — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 19:01:46 +0000

Kids ages 7-18 who are seriously interested in conservation can join a new online club for young sea turtle fans, run by the Sea Turtle Conservancy. Sea turtle AdvoKids http://www.iseaturtle.org/ The Sea Turtle Conservancy’s “Tour de Turtles” starts August 15th. Classrooms can track migration, learn, and enjoy the race. www.tourdeturtles.org

It’s been a tough year for sea turtles. Strandings of sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico are up and most of those stranded, it seems, were drowned in fishing gear. The Sea Turtle Conservancy and others are pressuring the National Marine Fisheries service to enforce the laws that protect sea turtles, particularly those regarding fishing nets and turtle excluder devices. Letting lawmakers know that we care about sea turtles is more important than ever.

Glad you are embracing the newly illustrated Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out! For related activities to this book and many others, see Picture Perfect Science Lessons, published by NSTA. The authors, Karen Ansberry and Emily Morgan, are excellent presenters and create dynamite day-long and two-week long science education/literacy workshops. www.pictureperfect.com.

THE CHANT BOOKS: Read, Taste, Teach!

admin — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 19:42:34 +0000

My chant books are a celebration of words, rhythm, rhyme, and biodiversity. To celebrate my upcoming (June 16th, 2011) vegetable chant, I’ve assembled sound samples to help in teaching and understanding these books.

After a quick reading of the book, a 6-year old spontaneously practices, is able to chant a section, and has made up some dance moves to go with it. RahRahRadishesOutLoud

Here I teach the new chant to a large group, line-by-line. Rah Rah Radish youngauthorsconf. I teach word-by-word and challenge a group: Teaching Insect Chant. Here I perform a high speed version of the Fish Chant End . An older student rhythmically reads Bird, Bird, Bird_ A Chirping Chant.

Rah, Rah, Radishes: A Vegetable Chant is being released by Beach Lane Books/Simon & Schuster on June 16th, 2011 but can be pre-ordered at most stores/sites now. Order from your local independent bookstore at IndieBound. I highly recommend that preschools and early child care organizations order from the folks at The Book Vine For Children. They are experts on books for ages 0-6 and they ship nationwide.

Another activity is to divide up into teams and have each act out a stanza of the chant. I wish I had video of what creative teachers did performing Ant, Ant, Ant: An Insect Chant during a recent inservice!

Peppers and Huckleberries at Crescent City Market, New Orleans, Louisiana

admin — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 15:09:21 +0000

In between a panel talk and signings at ALA in New Orleans late June, I fit in a trip around the corner to the lovely Crescent City Market near my hotel. This small market stood out for its farms with diverse heirloom variety veggies and its ready-to-eat savory foods and bakery goods. Really, it’s all you really want on a Sat morning.

I found yummy peppers and a possible fruit for Go, Go, Grapes: a Fruit Chant: huckleberries. I stood in the market pondering, trying to figure out how to work it into the rhyme. Nothing came to mind. Just in case, I bought the huckleberries to take home and photograph. But I forgot them in the fridge at my hotel. Couldn’t tote them home for book photos. Oh, well, huckleberries. Sorry you’re not in the book, only in the blog!

Tribune Article

admin — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 12:56:05 +0000

Just back from whale watching in Canada to see that reporter Kirby Sprouls of the South Bend Tribune did a wonderful article July 31, 2011 about Rah, Rah, Radishes: a Vegetable Chant , the farmer’s market connection, and my work as an author. Hooray!