The Easter Bunny's Assistant

The Easter Bunny's Assistant by Jan Thomas
Illustrated by Jan Thomas
Published by Harper
Ages 2-5
2012

     The Easter bunny is here to help you make beautiful Easter eggs.  He has enlisted the help of his trusted assistant, the skunk.  Easter bunny starts listing the steps necessary to make the Easter eggs, but there is a serious problem: Skunk is getting excited. Too excited. And do you know what happens when skunks get excited? Well, they do their skunk thing...they stink up the place. Easter bunny tries to get him to control himself but nothing is helping.  How will they get through their lesson on how to make beautiful Easter eggs?
     The Easter Bunny's Assistant is hilarious.  The bright illustrations by Thomas and the funny dialogue makes this a great read aloud for the youngest readers. It can also be used as an example of procedural writing and for sequencing activities.

Squirrel's New Year's Resolution

Squirrel's New Year's Resolution by Pat Miller
Illustrated by Kathi Ember
Published by Albert Whitman & Company
2010

     It's January 1st and Squirrel just put up the new calendar. On the radio they're talking about New Year's resolutions, but Squirrel has no idea how you make a resolution.  He heads out to see his friends and ask them about New Year's resolutions.  Bear already has one: to teach skunk to read. Skunk already has one: to learn how to read. Mole and Turtle have one: to start a garden. Porcupine has one: to be less grumpy.  Without thinking twice, Squirrel ends up helping all of his friends get started on their resolutions and along the way he finds a resolution of his own: to help someone every day.
     Squirrel's New Year's Resolution is a great read-aloud to share on the first day back to school after the holiday break. I love having my students write resolutions that last till the end of the school year and keep them on display around the classroom to hold them to it.  Have you made your resolution yet?