The Cajun Cornbread Boy Puppet with Alligator - 12-16-08

Friends,

I am so excited! My first picture book for children, The Cajun Cornbread Boy, came in! My publisher, Pelican Publishing Company, is based in New Orleans so my husband picked up a case of books for me today. The books are beautiful! They are scheduled for a Spring 2009 release so getting the books this early is quite a delicious surprise. I have my first book signing on Saturday so, with the help of my daughter Soleil (who is majoring in art at LSU), I made The Cajun Cornbread Boy puppet. He came out better than I had hoped.

Cajun Cornbread Boy puppet w book - 12-16-08

I absolutely adore him! He is made out of felt, 8 inch cardboard cake circles, jumbo craft sticks, chenille sticks, foam, paper, and an enormous amount of hot glue. I have the burn marks to prove it! LOL There was even a bit of hand sewing involved. He was quite labor intensive (about 3 hours from start to finish) but well worth the effort.

I hope The Cajun Cornbread Boy will run into the hearts of many readers and spice up many children’s bookshelves! You can order your own autographed copy of the book from the Story Connection Store. http://storyconnection.net/?content=store If you order by Friday, December 19, 2008, you’ll get it in time for Christmas!

Spice up your holidays with The Cajun Cornbread Boy.

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

Eliana & Turkey Wooden Spoon Puppet 11-12-08

Turkey Wooden Spoon Puppet
Supplies:
Large wooden spoon
Construction paper (for feathers, beak and wattle)
Scissors
Glue gun
Large googly eyes
Markers

Directions:
Color the flat side of a large wooden spoon with a brown marker. Color slightly down the handle for the turkey’s neck. On four different colored sheets of construction paper (yellow, orange, red, brown, cream, green… fall colors), trace a child’s hand. Cut out each hand and layer them on top of each other, creating feathers. Staple them together. Glue the feather to the wooden spoon (should be glued to the curved side of the spoon). Glue two googly eyes on the flat side of the wooden spoon. Underneath the eyes, glue an orange construction paper triangle for the beak. Beneath that, glue a red construction paper wattle. Cut a small 1/2 inch strip of yellow construction paper to create a collar (this will separate the turkey’s neck from the rest of the wooden handle of the spoon). Done! Now you have a simple Gobbler puppet that can be used for Thanksgivings to come. You can even have the children make their own turkeys and stick them in Styrofoam, in a vase or bowl, creating a Thanksgiving centerpiece.

Gobble! Gobble!

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

Eliana's Spookover Door Sign - October 18, 2008

Friends:

Saturday was a blast! The night of my 8 year old daughter, Eliana’s Spookover, finally arrived! Eliana was ready for some swashbuckling fun. Argh, matey!

Pirate Eliana - October 18, 2008

We worked all day cleaning, decorating, and cooking. I set up my spooky backdrop and decorated the table full of frightening food – bloody pigs in a blanket, petrifying pizza party pinwheels, Jack-O-Jam cookies, popcorn chicken parts, witches brew and more. Check out the table. I love the mummies marrying under the Tree of Terror.

The Spooktacular Table - October 18, 2008

This is what the Witches Brew (lime sherbet ice cream in 7Up) looked like…

Witches Brew - October 18, 2008

All the girls had their own cups with their names on them. The girls came in costume. They are so adorable!

The Spookover Girls - October 18, 2008

No one had the same costume on – we had Hannah Montana, a princess bride, a mermaid, Sharpei from High School Musical, a pirate, a hip hop dancer, an angel, and an aquamarine princess. 8 crazy cuties ready to party! Here’s a parent-to-parent tip: I had all the parents/guardians fill out an emergency card with all their contact numbers on it – just in case…

We began with The Ghoulish Guessing Game. They each had a Halloween monster pinned to their back and they had to ask 10 yes-or-no questions. The first to guess their monster won. Next, we had a costume contest. My mom, Josie; my husband, Antonio; and I were judges. We judged the girls on three categories: creativity, originality, and attitude. Each category was worth 10 points with a total possible score of 90. The judges had score cards that were totaled at the end. The girls strutted down the “runway” and then had to talk about who they were. The pirate won with 79 points with the hip hop dancer and princess bride tied for second place. The girls loved winning prizes.

The Pirate and the Princess Bride - October 18, 2008

After that we moved on to “Pin the Hat on the Witch.” I made a witch with different colored hats with double stick tape on the back. The girls were blindfolded with a sleeping mask and spun around 6 times. They pinned their hats to the witch. I took pictures of each hat after they were placed so we could remove the hat and judge in the end whose hat was closest. It was funny to see where the hats were placed!

Pin the Hat on the Witch - October 18, 2008

After that, we moved on to The Creepy Clothes Race, a relay game. The girls were divided into teams of two, with four girls on each team. They were given a bag of clothes that contained a hat, a cape, a shirt, shorts, gloves, and a scarf. Each player raced to the opposite side, dressing in the creepy clothes and then raced back, undressing, stuffing the clothing in the bag, and handing it off to the next player. I played “Ghostbusters” as they raced. It was laugh-out-loud zany fun!

Creepy Clothes Race - October 18, 2008

Our last game was “Keepin’ It Under Wraps,” a wrapping mummy with tissue paper game. Again, the girls were divided into two teams of four girls. The smallest girls on each team were the mummies. The remaining girls on the team were the “wrappers.” Each wrapper was given a roll of cheap toilet paper. They had to wrap the mummy as quickly and as best as they could without the paper ripping, which it did – plenty! It was hilarious. They wrapped and rolled to the song “Monster Mash.” The team with the best looking mummy at the end of the song won.

Keepin It Under Wraps Game - October 18, 2008

Afterwards, the girls had a massive tissue paper fight. I wish I could be a kid again! Such uninhibited joy!

Tissue Paper Fight - October 18, 2008

And yes, they helped clean up the mess too – very quickly! After all the games, the girls were ready to settle down and eat.

Then we began crafting. We made Batty Sock Bats from socks, foam, googly eyes, and chenille sticks.

Crafting Batty Sock Bats - October 18, 2008

These are the finished bats. Aren’t they the most boo-tiful bats you’ve ever seen?!!

Batty Sock Bats - October 18, 2008

Here is a closeup of the bats…

Batty Socks Bats Closeup - October 18, 2008

Next, we made mummies out of toilet tissue rolls and Boo Bags from white paper lunch bags.

Boo Bags - October 18, 2008

After our creepy crafts, we headed outside to the screened, covered patio for marshmallow roasting and spooky stories. I told several stories including “The Ghost of Mable Gable,” “Bloody Fingers,” “The Ghost with One Black Eye,” and “Blood Red Lips.” The patio was dark except for several lit candles. It was the perfect spookmosphere.

Gathering for Ghost Stories - October 18, 2008

Finally, around 1:30 am, we headed inside and set up the sleeping area on the floor of the living room. Everyone brought their sleeping bags. I put in the movie, Ghostbusters, and all but three girls fell asleep. The last three girls fell asleep around 4:30 am! That meant that I was up with them!

In the morning, Antonio made Eliana’s Devil’s Food Monster Muffins. The girls had a spooktastic time and I was ready for a nap!! LOL Two of the girls had never been to a sleepover and they loved it so much, they want to do it again! (Yes, maybe next year, girls!! hahaha)

Wrapping the Mummy - October 18, 2008

It was a successful Spookover and Eliana was elated. And that’s all a Mummy can ask for, right?! Happy Spooky Season!

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

Today, I performed my “Jump, Jiggle & Jam” program for a PK-5 elementary school in the Metro New Orleans area. I had so much fun with the students. I saw about 600 students in two assembly performances in the gym. The show is a rousing and energetic performance of favorite folktales “remixed with rhythm, rhyme, and rap.” My first story was “The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza,” a signature story full of humor and tons of audience participation. Both groups (PK-2 and 3-5) really enjoyed it.

Following that tale, I performed my original song, “Peanut Butter and Jelly Jam.” We build a “gourmet” PB&J. The sandwich begins with traditional peanut butter and jelly. Then there’s a twist as the other ingredients are added (apples & bananas, peppers & pickles, ketchup & mustard, and finally sardines & anchovies). By the end, the kids are really grossing out and laughing at the concoction. Here are some students helping me put that interesting sandwich together.

My last story was another signature story, “Rockin’ Three Billy Goats.” Kids love the “trippity trap” chorus and my rapping “Hoogedy Boogedy Woogedy” Troll. I never get tired of telling this story because every audience’s reaction to the story makes it fresh for me.

After my upper elementary performance, I had a Q&A session. The kids asked questions such as “Is it fun to travel to other countries and learn new languages?” “Where have you traveled?” “How do you remember so many stories?” I spoke to them about the importance of reading, writing, social studies, and taking learning seriously. I told them that when they are old enough to decide what they want to do in life, they will need to know as much as they can about the world around them.

When the students were filing out, they were high-fiving me, hugging me, and asking for autographs. One little boy exclaimed, “This is my first time meeting a millionaire!” They assumed that because I travel so much, I’m rich. Hahahaha!

It was a special day at school and they had other activities going on including a visit from the NBA Hornets Bookmobile. Parents were also in attendance at my show and I sold quite a few CDs. One of the 1st grade teachers returned with three of their students, who read me fractured tales from their writing journals. Wow! They were really amazing writers!

It was such a wonderful day and they told me they would be inviting me back again next year. Yay! (Thank you, Jeanne! Your school is wonderful – I love the teachers, staff and students!) I am really blessed to be able to do what I do for a living. Who wouldn’t want to have a job where you can be silly, have fun, and inspire children and teachers all at the same time?!! Thank you to all my clients and fans for helping me achieve my mission of “Connecting Children and Learning through the Arts.”

Boys and girls, if you are reading this, remember ~ keep reaching for the stars; sky’s the limit!

When I arrived home, I had more work to do (of course). I began preparing for my last two days at my Stories on Board Residency. I am going to tell a fun version of “The Three Little Pigs” and have the students play “Pigopoly.” (I couldn’t resist.)

My nieces are coming over to help me color the boards once again. (Thank you Eliana, Camrynn & Jasmynn!)

Next week, I finish my residency and then head to Dallas for the Texas Librarian’s Association conference. Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

Today was my eighth day doing my Stories on Board Residency at a school in the Metro New Orleans, Louisiana area. Every day this week, the library has been hosting the Scholastic Bookfair. Of course, I can never get away from a book fair without spending any money. There was no shortage of top-notch books from which to choose.

My first and second classes were a bit of a challenge. I had first grade as my first class. Their teacher was out and there was a sub but the children were a bit unruly. I had to spend ten minutes at the end of class talking to them about their behavior. My second class, 2nd grade,  was also a challenge. Unfortunately, there are several students in the class that were very disruptive. I had to counsel them for ten minutes before I could begin my story. Once I began, they really enjoyed it.

Kindergarten was a delight. We had so much fun laughing and playing “The Little Red Hen’s Pizza Party” game. Their teacher, Ms. Anchissi, must wear a halo because she has the patience of a saint. She is so nurturing. I love watching her guide and counsel her students. She does it with such love.

My class before lunch is 3rd grade. I love going to Mr. Boone’s class. Mr. Boone is a fun guy and he LOVES taking pictures. Here is one of Mr. Boone with the game “Pizzalicious,” based on “The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza.”

Since the class is right before lunch, we are always salivating over pizza – I guess it’s the power of suggestion. Here is a picture of me instructing the 3rd graders on how to create their game boards and label their game spaces.

This is “Pizzaopoly,” a “hands-on” game!

Here is “Pizzalicious,” completed. This game is going to be so much fun to play.

After lunch, I went to 4th grade. Their story was “The Ant and the Grasshopper.” There were some great game titles such as “Working for Winter”  and “The Ant Hill.” This game is called “Working for Winter,” and is still in progress.

My day ended in preschool. When I first walked in, they were all napping. It didn’t take long to rouse them when they found out the storyteller was there! I love how attentive they are when I am telling my story.

I loved ending my day in Pre-K. They are so loving and sweet. One little boy said to me, “You are the best teacher ever and you are never leaving this classroom!” Another little girl came and just planted herself in my lap, like we had known each other forever and a day.  Though my day started a little rough, my day ended in enchantment.

On Monday and Tuesday, I get to see all the classes together during their PE period. It’s going to be fun and challenging to manage a whole grade at a time but I look forward to it.

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

Today was Day 5 of my Stories on Board Residency. For the lower grades (K-2), I told the story of “The Littlte Red Hen Makes a Pizza” and sang my original song, “Pizza Party.” Then the students played the game I created based on the story of “The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza” called “The Little Red Hen’s Pizza Party.” The above picture is of me telling the story to a kindergarten class. Here is a picture of first graders playing the game.

The students really loved the Pizza Party game. It was a lot of fun. I even played the game with my second grade class, though I didn’t win…

In Grades 3-5, they worked on creating the board games based on the story assigned to their class. Today’s third graders were assigned the story, “The Three Little Pigs.” Here are some of the game boards they created. This one is called “Inspiring Pig.”

I loved seeing the collaboration and group cooperation! It was amazing to see these students share ideas, give each other suggestions, and implement their plans. This 3rd grade group’s game is called “The Pig Escape.”

My fourth graders worked with the story, “The Three Billy Goats Gruff.” The creativity of this group was amazing. There was “Trollopoly,” “The Triumph Over the Terribly Treacherous Troll,” and “Go for the Grass!”

In 5th grade, the students were assigned the story, “Henny Penny.” The students were amazingly into their project. They wanted to continue working on their boards even when it was time to end the class. They created some really cool games. Here is “Chickenopoly.”

This is a picture of the game titled, “Super Chicken.”

I can’t wait to see how my other students’ board games turn out. It’s going to be sooo cool!

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

Today was Day 4 of my “Stories on Board Residency.” I had so much fun today. My first class was first grade. They had a blast. Here is a picture of some first grade boys playing “Gingerbread Jam.” It was wonderful to witness the teamwork and camaraderie between the students.

First grade set the tone for the rest of the day. Being in that class just put me in a good mood. Their teacher is an absolute delight. She was so enthusiastic and it was contagious. (Thank you, Ms. Lemoine!)

She had the children use the “Engage-O-Meter” to gauge how much they liked the activity. A happy face signified that they loved the activity, a straight face signified that the activity was so-so, and a sad face signified that they did not enjoy the activity at all. The Engage-O-Meter was hung on a clothes line. The children were given clothes pins to clip to the face that represented how they felt about the activity. Here is a picture of students hanging their clothes pins on the Engage-O-Meter.

While most of the children hung their clothes pins on the happy face, one student had the courage to place his on the straight face, indicating that the activity was “okay.”

It absolutely thrilled me that Ms. Lemoine loved the Gingerbread Jam game so much she asked if she could have a copy of it. Of course, I agreed. I spent about 40 minutes making a copy of the game (reducing it on the copy machine, cutting pieces and taping them together, resizing and copying again, and finally putting the 8.5 X11″ sheet through the poster machine). So now, Ms. Lemoine’s first grade class has their very own copy of The Gingerbread Jam. Here is a picture me and the teacher who made me so happy. What a doll!

In my third grade class, I had a blast. The teacher there, Mr. Boone, is an energetic and silly teacher who really loves his students. When I asked the students to describe some of Mr. Boone’s “characteristics” (part of the lesson), they responded with “nice” and “fun.” He’s just the kind of teacher I would have loved having in third grade! I gave Mr. Boone my camera and he took some of the best pictures, including this self-portrait.

Here is a picture of me teaching the story mapping lesson to Mr. Boone’s third grade class.

After lunch, when I arrived in fourth grade, I told “The Ant and the Grasshopper” and started my lesson plan. Suddenly, the loud speaker pipes in, “Fourth grade teachers, please send your students to the No Tardy Party.” Students who did not receive any tardies that quarter were treated to a party. Consequently, about 3/4 of my class got up and left! I was left with 9 students. In spite of that, I had an awesome class. I proceeded with the lesson and the students really enjoyed the work. They are excited about inventing their own board games. Here is a picture of them working on their story maps.

Here is a close-up of a fourth grader working on her story map.

My last class was Pre-K. Wow – they are so adorable. They listened so intently to my story, singing all the choruses and really participating in “The Gingerbread Man.” After the story, we began playing the game. I was surprised at how quickly they grasped the math concepts in “The Gingerbread Jam.” They played as well as many of my kindergarten and first grade classes. Here is a picture of me giving a “high five” to one of my Pre-K students. (Thank you, Ms. Renee!)

Here is a picture of me with the Pre-K teacher, Ms. Muller. Isn’t she a cutie?!

After my last class, my day was not over! There was a big surprise in store for me. Betty Brodtmann, the librarian at the school where I did the Louisiana Story Fest residency in February, stopped by with a treat for me! She and one of the Pre-K teachers, Carla Short, gifted me two pies — sweet potato pie and pecan pie! I was so touched that I cried… The card that came with the gift said on the front “You are as sweet as pie.” Inside it read:

“Dianne, it was a pleasure having you visit our school. You are a sweetheart! Take care and God Bless. Sincerely, Betty & Carla”

Thank you so much, Betty and Carla! It’s a great feeling to know that you leave an imprint on someone’s heart like that. Here is a picture of Betty and me holding my pies. Mmmmmm!

Here is a picture of Carla with another teacher, Jennifer, from my residency in February. Carla is on the right.

I am soooo blessed to live this life! I am doing what I love, making new friends, and making a difference in the lives of thousands of children and adults each year. Thank you so much for being a part of my life!

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

Even if it is April’s Fools Day, how can your day start off wrong when you receive a note like this first thing in the morning?

“Dear Mommy, you are the best in the whole wide world! You are my angel! I love you so much! Have a great day! Love, Eliana”

So sweet! What a great way to begin my day…

It was a good day at school. This year’s crop of students have been delightful – well-behaved, participatory and very bright. The kindergarten through second graders love the refrain of my “Gingerbread Man” story:

“Run, baby, run as fast as you can
You can’t catch me ’cause I’m the… (clap, clap) Gingerbread Man!”

They also enjoy playing the game I created based on the story: “The Gingerbread Jam.” The game teaches or reinforces so many skills such as:

• Cooperation and collaboration
• Team building
• Good sportsmanship
• Basic math: number identification
• Basic math: addition and subtraction
• Familiarity with a popular folktale
• Story structure
• Sequencing
• Critical thinking

In one of my first grade classes, I had a group of students who took it upon themselves to play the game until everyone won. It was astounding to witness that kind of attitude and to observe their teamwork skills. In the same class, the first grade teacher (Hi Sherry!) told me that another group of students, who had trouble all year working together, worked together so well during the Gingerbread Jam game. I love hearing those types of stories! It makes me feel like my work really has value and makes a difference!

My third through fifth graders worked on story mapping. Again, they analyzed the stories beautifully and contributed some wonderful vocabulary words such as “mischievous,” “devious,” and “persistent.”

Today was a somewhat somber day for many of the teachers and students. On Christmas Day last year, one of the third grade teachers, who had been at the school for many years, passed away suddenly. Today was her birthday so they had a memorial service for her and planted a tree in her honor to celebrate her life. She was one of my favorite teachers, always enthusiastic about my classroom visits. Because many of the teachers attended the memorial, parent volunteers watched many of the classrooms. During the memorial service, I was teaching fifth grade.

One of the students’ grandmothers was in the class with me. She asked to stay because she had heard I was a “fantastic storyteller.” The class chose “Brer Rabbit and the Tar Baby” as their story, which I performed for them. We mapped the story and had a great debate about who was really the protagonist of the story – Brer Rabbit or Brer Fox? After I finished, the grandmother approached me and asked if she could attend my next class with the students because she was enthralled and fascinated with my work. What a great feeling!

Another fabulous day! I look forward to tomorrow… Until then, Happy Tales to You!

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

Today was my first day presenting my “Stories on Board: Creating Board Games From Favorite Tales” residency at a New Orleans area school. This is my 8th year at this school; they have a very special place in my heart. In fact, my first book, Story Fest, is dedicated to this school.

I began the day laminating my “Gingerbread Jam” game boards, and making copies of stories and worksheets for the upper grades.

It was a great day. The students in all my classes were fantastic. In grades K-2, I told the story of “The Gingerbread Man,” which has a super catchy rhythmic chorus that is sung throughout the story. Although the students knew the story already, they really “jammed” to my version of “The Gingerbread Man.” Following the story, I instructed the students on how to play my game, “The Gingerbread Jam.” Using dice and fuzzy pom pom balls as game pieces, the students were divided into groups of five or six to play the game. The game tackles the basic math skills of addition and subtraction. The students loved the game. Here is a picture of first grade students playing “The Gingerbread Jam.”

With the upper grades (3-5), I told them a story (each class is assigned its own story) and then we story-mapped the tale using a “Stories on Board Story Map” that I developed specifically for this lesson. The students learned new vocabulary: protagonist, antagonist, supporting characters, adversary, motivation, peril, triumph, and aid. One of the third grade teachers (Hi Betty! And thank you!!) liked my Story Map so much that she took a copy for herself and asked if she could use it with future classes! She told me that my lesson was great; it was just what they were tackling in language arts. That makes me so happy! Here is a picture of me story mapping with today’s third grade class.

Though I worried that the story mapping might be too complex and perhaps a bit “boring” for the students, I was pleasantly surprised at how attentive and interested they were in the lesson. The students’ contributions to the discussions were incredibly astute and impressive. And we haven’t reached the “fun” part yet – creating the board games – that’s next week…  In a fourth grade class, I told my version of “The Three Billy Goats Gruff.” One of my fifth grade students said he and his group were going to create the game “Goat-opoly.” So clever!

Here are some of my third grade students working on their story maps.

I am really looking forward to the rest of my classes this week. I am also looking forward to seeing the students’ games next week. It’s so much fun working with these students. Since I have been doing an teaching artist residency at this school for so long, many of these students have “grown up” with me. They recognize me every year and wave, hug, and high five me in the halls. What a great feeling!

Until next time, heres’ to fun and games!
Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

I spent most of the day preparing for my residency at a New Orleans area school (I have been a teaching artist at this school for 8 years!). I am doing a two-week artist residency at an elementary school (PK-5) presenting “Stories on Board: Creating Board Games from Favorite Tales.” For grades PK-2, I will be telling stories and then the students will play board games I created based on my stories. For grades 3-5, students will be creating board games from folk and fairy tales that they will deconstruct, from which they will create a story map. Using the elements of the story, in groups, they will design and craft board games based on the stories they choose. The upper grades’ activities will culminate in a grade-wide “Game Day,” where they will exchange games with other classes and play each others’ games.

Because I am teaching such a wide age range, I had to come up with a way to make the board games work even for children who have not yet mastered reading fluency (PK-1). I decided to go with a nearly wordless board game that I invented called “The Gingerbread Jam,” based on my retelling of “The Gingerbread Man.” Here is a picture of my 7 year old daughter (in all light pink) and her cousins helping color the boards.

The students will be divided into groups of 5-6. They will be instructed on how to play the game. “The Gingerbread Jam” tackles basic math concepts of adding and subtracting. Numbers do not go higher than “4.” This is done so that even my preschool students will be able to play the game with minimal supervision. Game pieces are fuzzy pom pom balls and the game uses either dice or spinners.

Here is a picture of Eliana (7 years old) and her cousins, (Camrynn [8)] Ashlynn [7], and Jasmynn [6]) playing the game. They had so much fun that they played it over and over.

The game is simple in concept but addresses many content standards in language arts and math. Besides, it also makes learning a blast!

I will be blogging about my residency every day so please come along and join the fun!

Warmly, Dianne