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This blog is my diary of works in progress. The only way a writer can improve upon her skill is to practice, practice and practice some more. Here, in this place of quiet peace, I pen to paper my thoughts and creativity. Welcome to my world.

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Friday, April 6, 2012

Perfect Picture Book Friday & A-Z Challenge: F is for The Farmer's Wife

Yes, I am cheating!! But why re-invent the wheel? :D Happy Friday everyone!!!
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Title: The Farmer’s Wife

Author: Idries Shah

Illustrator: Rose Mary Santiago

Publisher: Hooppe Books, June 2005

Suitable for: 3 and up

Themes/Topics: Culture: Afghanistan, Folktale/lore, Problem-solving,

Opening:
Once upon a time there was a farmer’s wife. One day when she was picking apples from a tree, one of the apples fell into a hole in the ground and she couldn’t get it out.

Brief synopsis:
This is a cumulative tale about a woman's efforts to retrieve an apple from a hole in the ground. Children will enjoy learning the highly predictable lines by heart. But when a surprise event changes the direction of the tale, their expectations will be jolted in a most amusing way, and they will have learned its valuable lessons about the nature of problem solving and discovery. Rose Mary Santiago’s striking illustrations evoke the story’s origins and, at the same time, add a uniquely playful atmosphere to this funny tale.

Links to resources:
Activity and discussion ideas. 
*What was the moral of the story? Have your child(ren) discuss what they got out of the book. 
*This story can be used to talk about problem solving. Let your child(ren) discuss alternative ways the farmer’s wife could have retrieved the apple from the hole. 
*Talk about the importance of treating animals with kindness. Is it ever okay to have one animal hurt another? 
*Notice the dress of the farmer’s wife? Where is she from? Have your child(ren) guess where she is from. This story is an Afghani folktale. Where is Afghanistan? Have your child(ren) look up the country and research the culture.
*Afghani girl cultural dress coloring page
*Read the story online.

Why I like this book:
This was a really cute tale that reminded me of the stories I grew up reading like the Old lady who swallowed the fly, the napping house, etc. I always loved a story that started off, “Once Upon A Time.” :D Those are the classics. There is always a lesson to be learned in a ‘once upon a time’ tale! In this story children learn that being persistent will sometime lead to remarkable outcomes. For young children, it helps to have the repetition in the story. It helps them anticipate the rest of the story and encourage early literacy skills. The illustrations were playful and hilarious! I loved them.  Another neat thing about the books is that it is translated into Spanish as well. I took Spanish in college and tried reading and well let’s just say I need to go re-learn the language! :(

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

I like books about flok tales. I've never heard of this one and it sounds like a great story. Thanks for telling us about it!

Susanna Leonard Hill said...

I love once upon a time books! And this one sounds like fun. I always like books about different cultures. This will be a great addition to our list. Thanks!

Heather said...

Excellent activities. Thank you for the recommendation!

Joanna said...

Now we want to know the twist! I always enjoy folk tales from other nations.

Kirsten Larson said...

We love "The Napping House" and the "Old Lady." I also love to teach the boys about geography. I hope our library has this one. Thanks for the recommendation!

Miranda Paul said...

Ooh..sounds like my kind of book. And I'd never heard of this publisher before. Thanks for sharing!

Patricia T. said...

Saba, love that this is a cultural tale that has no limitations. I always enjoyed the "Once upon a time..." themes I grew up with as a child. Always something magical about it. So this is certainly a classic. Really enjoyed your actvity suggestions! Nice pick today.

GatheringBooks said...

Sounds like a good introduction to cultural awareness and sensitivity. With a fun storyline too! Thanks for the recommendation.

patientdreamer said...

I think it's allowed...
Love the book. I also used to love the "Once upon a time...." books. This books has some great messages and multicultural theme.... Nice.

Vivian Kirkfield said...

I also love this type of story...part fable part fairy tale and 100% enjoyable. :)

Little ones love repetition...and it's great that it is available in Spanish as well.

The activities are great...thank you so much for adding this to PPBF!

Ms Saba (aka Teacher007.5) said...

Yay!! I'm not the only one who loves 'Once upon a time' folktales :D

Unknown said...

Sounds like a great book--where did you get hold of it?

---Damyanti, Co-host A to Z Challenge April 2012

Twitter: @AprilA2Z
#atozchallenge

Ms Saba (aka Teacher007.5) said...

Thanks Damyanti, I found it online actually. I was looking for another book and came across this and got to read it online and loved it :) I included the link where I read it online but I am pretty sure you can get hold of it at your local library.

Penny Parker Klostermann said...

"Once Upon A Time" tales always grab me, too. Thanks for adding it to the list.


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