Katy No-Pocket {Before FI♥AR}

A story about a kangaroo without a pocket to carry her baby in. . . and how she gets one. 

Kangaroos, Animals of Australia and a Little Geography

Found Australia on a map.

Read about Kangaroos @ Kids' Answers: Kangaroos

Talked about how animals carry their babies. Since we have a baby coming soon, we talked about how mama's carry their babies. . . in our arms, just like monkeys! Or in a baby sling or carrier. :-)

Sang: I'm a Little Joey - (sung to "I'm a Little Teapot") ~

I'm a little joey,

Oh so small;

Deep in Mother's pouch

So I won't fall.

When I start to grow up

Big and tall,

Out I'll hop like

A bouncing ball.

And hopped like a kangaroo!

Pavlova

Crisp meringue outside with a soft marshmallow like center. . . topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit. 

Since kangaroos live in Australia, I thought an Australian national dessert would be a great tie-in for our special treat.

One word ~ yum!

Thanks to Christine @ The Home Truth, who lives and blogs down-under, for the suggestion!

Matching Carpentry Tools

I explained that the man Katy met in the city is a carpenter and that carpenters build with tools.

Malachi colored the tools. . . 

And Eliana matched them up. 

Mechanical Construction Play Set

Building with tools. 

Animal Classification Cards

Naming all the animals in the book.

Apron {and a pocket}

I had (high) ambitions of sewing a "bunch" of pockets on the blue apron when I bought it, but the energy and motivation evaded me this week, so I flipped the bottom up and sewed it into a pocket.  Eliana's pink ruffly apron came with a pocket (phew!). 

Narration and Illustration

Illustrating his narration using Draw Write Now. 

"Katy No-Pocket doesn't have a pocket like the other mother kangaroos. She went to some animals to know how they carry their babies. But all the other animal's ideas didn't work. But the owl was the only one who was right. He told her to go to town. Then she got a pocket from a tool guy. All the animals that needed being carried, Katy let them. And Katy No-Pocket had a pocket now for her baby. The End." -Narrated by Malachi 11-28-10

After he does his narrations, I always read it back to him so he can hear what he wrote. This is the first time that he asked to edit his narration so that it made more sense. :-)

Note: Jane Lambert, author of Five in a Row, mentions that when we love a book, our children will come to love and cherish it too. I didn't love this book. Kangaroos are marsupials (non-placental mammals who have shorter gestation periods) thus the joey (baby kangaroo) requires the pocket to survive. This made the book nonsensical to me. Sigh. That or I am just tired. Only one more book to row before baby comes. . . then we are taking a break! 

Next row: The Snowy Day (Yay! We are getting lots of snow!).

Delightful Links:

1+1+1=1 (More ideas for ages 1-3)
Preschool Corner & 5K too! (More ideas for ages 4-5)
Katy B4 Archives @ FIAR
Resources at HSS
Baby Animal Songs and Fingerplays
Kids' Answers: Kangaroos
Expedition Earth: Discovering God's Animals ~ COAH

Recipes from Christine:
Pavlova
Anzac Biscuits
Lamingtons