Books: Apple unit

Thanks to the lovely ladies at Serendipity, we have started on an "A" unit ... angels, apple-blossom fairies and of course, the almost-trite, apple.

Apples are a very popular unit around this time of year. Here are two quotes we're using for copy-work (primarily because I really like them!):

Three apples fell from heaven.
One for the teller,
One for the listener,
And one for the one who took it to heart.

-- Armenian folk saying

Anyone can count the seeds in an apple, but only God can count the number of apples in a seed.

Robert H. Schuller

Here are some of the books we've found that have really helped our unit immensely:

Cheripko, Jan – Brother Bartholomew and the Apple Grove – is one of those picture books that is so much more; this is a story about dedication, mis-placed pride, understanding and love. The illustrations by Kestutis Kasparavicius add much to an already amazing story!

Edwards, Julie Andrews – Dumpy’s Apple Shop – this book I got for my youngest who loves Julie Andrews’ “Dumpy” series. This is a great addition to apple books as it talks about all the wonderful things you can make with apples. Also, it’s a “My First I Can Read Book” so it’s very kid-friendly!

Hibbert, Clare – The Life of an Apple – a well-done and well-illustrated book about seed to seed cycle of apples.

Hutchins, Pat – Ten Red Apples – this is a wonderful reverse counting book with lovely, folk-art style illustrations. A great picture book.

Kleven, Elisa – The Apple Doll – a scary start to school is lightened when a little girl makes a doll out of an apple from her family’s apple tree. The dolls starts to get a bit off so her mom shows her how to dry her “grandma” doll and soon all the kids in class want one. Includes directions for making your own apple doll.

Micucci, Charles – The Life and Times of the Apple – this was highly recommended by a friend and I can see why! This book is a lovely, beautifully illustrated tribute to the apple. It talks about the life of the apple – from planting seeds, grafting plants, blossoms, parts of the flower, help from the bees, apples forming and harvesting, uses of apples, apple varieties and more. This is a MUST HAVE for any apple unit!

Priceman, Marjorie – How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World – this is a great introduction to geography (and lots of rabbit trails from this one!) when a girl wants to make an apple pie, but the local store is closed. As she collects the best ingredients from around the world, readers learn a bit about these exotic locales.

Royston, Angela – Life Cycle of an Apple – another well-illustrated book that shows all the stages of an apple from seed to apple.

Tomorrow, I've promised the kiddoes that we'll try making our own apple dolls (ala Elisa Kleven's book above) -- and here in the REALLY DRY Front Range, they should turn out well. We'll also attempt the applie pie in the back of Marjorie Priceman's book -- unfortunately we already have the ingredients and thus, no excuse for visiting all the places she mentions!

We'll post more about our really fun week, later this week!