And our December pick is...
I'm Going to Build a Snowman by Jashar Awan
December Pick -- I'm Going to Build a Snowman
We're so excited to announce our last MOSS Kids Book Club pick of 2023! Join us in this wintery celebration of creativity! When a little boy wakes up to see a blanket of snow covering the world outside, there's only one thing to do: make a snowman, and not just any snowman -- he wants the best snowman ever. But when his perfectly packed and powdery dreams clash with cold, slushy reality, he realizes the best snowman ever may be out of reach.
Growing up outside of Washington, DC, Jashar Awan loved drawing and reading. In fact, he still does. For many years, he drew illustrations for publications such as The New Yorker, The New York Times, American Medical News, and Columbia Journalism Review. Jashar has many children's books including Strum & Drum: a Merry Little Quest which can be found on our holiday reads book list! Today, Jashar lives in Ohio with his wife and their son, who loves drawing and reading.
Below you will find our monthly craft; printable activity sheets; and our community outreach activity where we will be taking care of Earth's littlest friends & donating to local animal shelters. Don't forget to check out our full holiday book list as you celebrate this month (holidays included in the book list are -- Hanukkah, Christmas, & Kwanzaa):
We really hope you enjoy this month of book club as we try to keep our nationwide book club free & accessible for all. Each book is intentionally handpicked with each activity and outreach curated to engage and enrich our youth's experiences. Through these diverse and inclusive reads, working and playing together, and giving back to their own community, we hope to instill empathy, understanding, & kindness in our kids. If you didn't receive a copy of the book, don't fret. Below is a reading of I'm Going to Build a Snowman, read by the author, Jashar Awan:
let's craft: we're going to build a snowman
We knew after reading this book that we *had* to craft our own snowman. It's so important for kids to understand that they don't need to create something that's perfect, but rather, enjoy the process of creating. Sometimes we make mistakes. It's what we make of those mistakes that matters. That relates to our crafting but also how we look at ourselves & each other. Our differences make us unique. Our differences are what make us "perfect". With this craft, we will be embracing our imperfections. With that said, parents, caregivers, teachers: please do this activity alongside your youth. We all may learn a little something.
This craft is working primarily on fine motor development as we use our pincer grasps to rip the construction paper. We're also developing bilateral coordination (using both hands simultaneously) & our visual motor skills. It's also an opportunity to work on sequencing, spatial awareness, & following verbal instruction -- "the biggest circle goes on the bottom, next add the middle circle," "the eyes go on the top circle, draw an orange triangle on the top circle as a carrot stick nose."
Materials:
Construction paper (background)
White Construction paper (snow)
Glue
Crayons
Modifications:
Easy: Allow child to glue parts on. Hand over hand assistance to rip.
Moderate: Allow child to rip & create. Assist when necessary to rip/glue. May need additional verbal cues.
Hard: Allow child to create independently. Give verbal instruction to work on sequencing, spatial awareness , & ability to follow verbal instruction with minimal reminder cues.
Instructions:
Gather materials.
Rip the bottom 1/4 of the white construction paper to make a snowy ground. Glue the ripped white paper to the bottom of the background paper.
Rip another strip of white construction paper and tear that strip into 3 pieces of varying sizes -- these will be the 3 pieces of your snowman.
Tear the corners of each piece to round the edges. But don't throw those scraps away! Those will be your snowflakes.
Begin to glue the body pieces down, bottom first.
Glue your scraps/snowflakes around your snowman.
After everything is glued down, let's bring our snowman to life. Take a crayon (we are using black) to make the eyes on the top circle (or the head) of our snowman. Make a smile -- maybe like the one they get in the book. Feel free to draw a few buttons on the middle circle.
Next draw two arms coming out of the middle circle -- one long line on each side with two smaller lines coming off at diagonals -- see example below.
Draw an orange triangle for the carrot stick nose on the top circle (or the face).
Feel free to accessorize with a black rectangle top hat on top of our snowman's head. Maybe a scarf around their neck.
Grab a green crayon & add a little grass poking out of the snow on the ground & in our snowman. Every time we've ever made a snowman, there's been a bit of grass poking out!
Take a picture of your child with their snowman, just like the little boy in the book!
If you want to make the craft alongside our author, Jashar Awan,
tap the button for a video of how to make the craft starting at timestamp 3:52:
Remember: After you are done reading the book (if you received a copy from us!) & making your crafts, please have your kids sign the library card located in the front of the book (first names only!). Let's bring back a little bit of fun from our childhood. Also, please donate your book to your local public library, to your school library, or to a little free library in your area so more kids can enjoy a new diverse & inclusive read.
printable activity sheets:
This month we have printable sheets from our friends at Simon Kids! They have created a memory match game for your kids to play! We suggest glueing to construction paper and laminating the page to help save from wear and tear. There is also a coloring sheet encouraging kids to color our young protagonist in & create a drawing of their snowman at the end of the journey. This is the perfect supplement for a minute of peace in classrooms for all my teacher friends!
Community Outreach:
This month's community outreach activity we're giving back to our animal friends & to local animal shelters. In I'm going to Build a Snowman, the little boy has the cutest kitten friend. We want to make sure that our furry friends are warm and taken care of this winter season. Gather together to collect old blankets and towels that your family may not be using anymore. Maybe even collect a monetary donation to buy a couple new blankets. Try to drop off your donations as a group. Or call to see if a representative can meet you at your meeting space. Maybe you want to take your group to the shelter to read our December pick to the shelter animals. Be sure to call ahead before to make sure it's okay.
Please do not skip this activity. We truly believe this outreach activity is a vital part of childhood & an opportunity to raise kind kids. Teaching our youth about the importance of giving back by showing their support is necessary to raising the kind of kids that will help shape this society into something we are all proud of. It is vital that our youth understand the value of giving back, how it feels to help others, especially those who rely on our human help! We talk a lot about this season, the holiday season, and how we want to teach our children the importance of gratitude and giving. But sometimes, we let life get in the way. We get too busy. We forget. And we never end up giving back. We show our kids that giving back isn't a priority. What do you think they will take away from seeing that? We teach our kids by example. They learn by watching us and what we choose to do. Choose to be kind this season & all year.
YAY! Another MOSS Kids Book Club pick, craft, printable sheet, and community outreach activity. We would love to see when you receive your books and all the beautiful crafts your kids create. You do not need to share kid's faces. Please be sure to tag us on Instagram @mosskidsbooks & use #mosskidsbookclub. Sharing about MOSS Kids Book Club is a way for your community to learn more about what MOSS Kids has to offer & for them to know where they can find the book you're donating. By doing so, we can reach & help more kids across the country. We'd also love to hear any feedback you may have, please email us at hello@mosskidsbooks.com. We appreciate you all so much for taking the initiative to bring kids together to read diverse books & hopefully learn vital life skills to help make our world a better place.
did you miss out on a chance at the book this month & want to sign up for next month?
All you need to do is fill out the google doc below & you'll be entered to win next month's book. TEN lucky winners will receive a copy for their book club to read together that month & then donate to their local school library, public library, or a little free library in their area!
want a copy of our book club pick monthly sent to your door to keep & add to your shelves + more?
Join our $25 Patreon tier & every month we will ship you a copy of our MOSS Kids Book Club pick of the month AND a MOSS Mystery bundle (secondhand blind date with a kid's book) AND you will be entered into our monthly Patreon-only giveaway! Your support goes directly to purchasing new diverse & inclusive books for kids in underserved communities.
Don't Forget: We Have 4(!!) Local moss kids book club locations in eastern north carolina!!
Thursday, 12/14: MOSS Kids Book Club at Larema Coffee House in Rocky Mount at 430pm
Friday, 12/15: MOSS Kids Book Club at Books and Beans in Rocky Mount at 11am
Monday, 12/18: MOSS Kids Book Club at Wilson County Public Library in Wilson at 430pm
Tuesday, 12/19: MOSS Kids Book Club at Country Feedback Vintage & Vinyl in Tarboro at 4pm
Happy reading!
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