Sleepy Bear Has a New Book Buddy–In Michigan!

Hi Book Buddies,

I have a new friend.  His name is Thorndyke.  He lives in the library in Canton, Michigan.  This is a link to a map of the entire United States:  http://www.rightsofthepeople.com/education/government_for_kids/3-5/state/index.php

Look for a pink state with the letters MI on it.  That’s Michigan.  If you click on it you can learn a lot of fun facts about Michigan!

Thorndyke must like to read, a LOT!  Maybe I can host a book club for him and his library friends.  You can visit Thorndyke on his library’s website.  This is his address:

http://www.cantonpl.org/blog/beginning-readers/thorndyke-thoughts

I’m going to write to Thorndyke and I hope he writes to me, too!

If you want me to host a book club for you and your library or school, just write to me and let me know!

Your Book Buddy,

Sleepy Bear

Sleepy Bear Wakes Up!

Hi Book Buddies,

I can’t believe I fell asleep reading a book!  Interrupting Chicken sure knows how to tell a good bedtime story.  I hope you enjoyed reading with me. Interrupting Chicken reminds me of Moosey-Moose.  He sometimes interrupts me, too, when I’m telling a story. 

Speaking of Moosey-Moose, do you know about his new goal?  He wants to collect t-shirts and sweaters from all his fans from all over the world.  You should write to him and ask for his snail mail address.  Maybe you’ll be the first one to send him something and he’ll wear it on his blog!

Oh, this is his blog address:  http://MooseyMooseWrites.blogspot.com

Your Reading Buddy,

Sleepy Bear

Sleepy Bear Reads More INTERRUPTING CHICKEN

Hi Book Buddies,

So the next story Papa reads to Interrupting Chicken is CHICKEN LITTLE. 

 

But guess what happens?  Yup!  Interrupting Chicken interrupted the story again!

 

 

Next, Papa tells Interrupting Chicken to tell her own story.  So she does!

 

 

Uh Oh!  Papa has a big Z coming out of his beak.  I know what that means.

 

 

 

ZZzzzzz

Sleepy Bear Reads INTERRUPTING CHICKEN

Hi Book Buddies,

I went to Mockingbird Books today to read my new story.  I like going there because there are lots of super cozy nooks to curl up into and read.

Today I started at the table and chairs because I was eating my chocolate chip cookie. 

It’s the next best thing to hot cocoa and goo-gobs of whippy cream.

 

Chicken asked his Papa to read him a bedtime story to help him go to sleep.

 I was super comfy lying on my back with my feet up.  This is one of my favorite ways to read a good book!

 Papa started to read HANSEL AND GRETEL.  I like that story.  Uh oh! Chicken jumped into the story and told Hansel and Gretel the old woman was a witch.  That ended the story real fast. 

Papa started to read another story called LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD.  But guess what?  Chicken interrupted that story, too!

I wonder if Chicken will stop interrupting his bedtime stories.  What do you think?

Write to me and tell me your predictions.  I’ll write back tomorrow with more of the story from INTERRUPTING CHICKEN.

Your Book Buddy,

Sleepy Bear

Sleepy Bear and the INTERRUPTING CHICKEN

Hi Book Buddies!

I’m super duper excited about reading a new book.

I chose INTERRUPTING CHICKEN by David Ezra Stein.

 

 

The story is about a red chicken who can’t go to sleep at night.  So, she asks her papa to read a bedtime story to her but she won’t sit and listen to the story!  Instead, she, well, I don’t want to give that part away. Check back tomorrow and I’ll tell you what happens next.

Oh, a fun fact about the book is that it won the Caldecott Honor Award this year.  The Caldecott Award is for illustrators.  That’s the person who makes the pictures in picture books.

I hope you join me while I read INTERRUPTING CHICKEN.  I invited Moosey-Moose, too.  Will you help him with some of the tricky words?  I know he would really like your help.  Here’s his blog address:  http://MooseyMooseWrites.blogspot.com

Your Book Buddy,

Sleepy Bear 

Sleepy Bear Goes to Opening Night for WILLY WONKA!

Hi Theater Buddies,

Tonight was another fabulous night at the theater.  No, not the movie theater.  Live musical theater!  I saw the opening night performance of WILLY WONKA by Broadway Bound Children’s Theater.

Once again I had a perfect seat.  I like to get to the theater early so I have time to read the program.  I especially like to read the bios of the cast and crew. A bio is their biography. It’s fun to read about all the shows they’ve been in before. Or maybe this is their first show.

 

WILLY WONKA is about a boy named Charlie who is very poor but he learns that life is not all about having lots of money and always getting your way. 

Charlie and his dad sing a song called “Think Positive”.

 

 

 

Charlie does just that.  One day he finds a coin buried in the snow.  He uses it to buy a chocolate bar.  He hopes to get one with a gold wrapper so he can go to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. 

 

Good thing he was thinking positive. He gets the last gold wrapper!

 

 

This is Charlie and Phinneous Trout broadcasting the good news on the radio!

 

Everyone is excited!  There’s a flag parade to celebrate.

 

 

 

The other kids on the tour are all very bratty and think they should always get their way.  Well, that gets them into lots of trouble!  That reminds me of Moosey-Moose and the trouble he gets into.  You can read more about Moosey-Moose at http://MooseyMooseWrites.blogspot.com.

Violet doesn’t listen to Willy Wonka when he tells her not to chew his new gum.  She turns into a huge blueberry!  I like blueberries but I would not want to be one.  Poor Violet.

 

Finally, Charlie and his dad are the only ones left on the tour.  Willy Wonka thinks the day was a disaster.  But, Charlie thinks positive about everything.  He said he had a super- duper day! 

That made Willy Wonka very happy.  It made him so happy that he gave Charlie his factory!  Wow!  I’m going think positive all the time too.  Maybe one day I’ll get a factory that makes whippy cream!

The entire cast gave an excellent performance! 

 

 

 

It’s been fun for me to watch them rehearse and then to see the finished show on stage. 

Remember when I met Melina during my first rehearsal?  Well, this is me with Melina during intermission.  Melina sits in the orchestra pit.  It’s a room that is under the stage.  There’s a hole in the stage and she peeks out the top. 

 

 

I got to play the drums!  That was super cool.  Maybe I’ll take music lessons and then one day I can play in the orchestra for musical theater shows!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or, maybe, one day I’ll get to perform on stage.  If I think positive like Charlie, then my dreams will come true, too.

Well, like they say in show business, “kudos” to the cast and to Sonya, the director.  Everyone gave a superb performance!

If you want to see the show, here’s the link so an adult can buy tickets for you:  http://www.broadwaybound.org/

I think you will really like the show.  The cast sang all the songs like professional actors.  And the costumes are bright and colorful.  Some of the actors wear spiffy hats!  The stage is even painted in different colors.  I wonder if I can paint my bedroom floor like just like the stage?  Hmmm, I’ll think positive about that!

Look for me in the audience when you see the show.  I plan to go back and again.

Your Theater Buddy,

Sleepy Bear

Sleepy Bear and More WILLY WONKA Rehearsals!

Hi Theater Buddies,

I was still feeling under the weather at rehearsal, but like they say in show business, “the show must go on!”

I got to see cast number 3 rehearse on Saturday. 

That’s my head at the bottom of the picture. 

I had front row seats in the rehearsal hall.

 

I followed along with one of the actor’s and her script.  She had some parts highlighted in pink.  Very important notes!

 

This is my new friend.  I was helping her at the prop table. Props are pretend things the actors use to make the scenes

real, like telephones, flags, and even beach balls!

 

 

Opening night is Friday February 4th.  I already have my tickets.  I hope to see you there.  Be sure to ask an adult to take you.  Give them the website for Broadway Bound so they can buy tickets, too.  Here it is:  http://www.broadwaybound.org/willy-wonka

Be sure to say hi if you see me on Friday.

Your Theater Buddy,

Sleepy Bear