Lunches September 3rd - 7th

Boogs' lunches are inspired by the books we read at bedtime the previous evening. Each night, Boogs reads one book to me and I read a book or a chapter of a book to him. I usually post his lunches once a week. Click on the "lunches" label at the end of this post to see lunches from previous weeks.

Toad by Ruth Brown

I have been a fan of Ruth Brown's books for a long time. As an author, her words clearly help you "see" the story. In this book, Toad is described as "muddy toad, mucky toad, clammy, sticky, gooey toad, odorous, oozing, foul and filthy, and dripping with venomous fluid." This gives a wonderful opportunity to discuss the rich and descriptive vocabulary Ruth Brown uses. Boogs really liked our discussion about the word "septic", which involved me describing a septic tank system and septic wounds to him. He was grossed out and intrigued at the same time. Ruth Brown's illustrations in this book invite you to look carefully at every page to try and figure out what is camouflaged in the background. Boogs insisted that I included the blue and green dragonfly in his lunch. In the Laptop Lunchbox: pb&j toad sandwich with red licorice tongue capturing a dragonfly pick, tomatoes, peach yogurt swamp, grapes, rotting tree branch pretzels, and a cheese "monster" hiding beneath spinach leaves.

closer view

Where Do Balloons Go? An Uplifting Mystery by Jamie Lee Curtis
Boogs liked this book so much that we had to read it twice at bedtime and also the next morning during breakfast. A little boy wonders where his lost balloon goes after it accidentally floats away. Near the beginning of the story, there is a two-page spread showing escaped balloons caught in wires, tangled in trees, being captured by people with nets, and all kinds of other balloons floating away. I asked Boogs which balloon was the one he lost a long time ago when he was little. He picked out an orange balloon and asked me to pick out a lost balloon. I picked a yellow one. Throughout the rest of the book, we search for "our" balloons on each page. Boogs especially liked when his balloon looked like a monk in Tibet and my balloon floated free from France with a little red beret. In one picture, Boogs' balloon looked like it was leading the Bunny Hop with my yellow balloon in line behind him. So naturally, when we finished reading the story, Boogs asked me to teach him how to do the Bunny Hop dance. We Bunny Hopped all over the house. I love my silly boy! In the ELB lunchbox: salami tree trunk with spinach leaves, cheese balloons tangled in the tree, prosciutto & mozzarella cheese swirl balloon on a slice of french bread, and orange, blueberry, tomato, & olive balloons.

Storytime for Little Porcupine by Joseph Slate

Little Porcupine loves to hear Papa Porcupine's bedtime stories, especially stories about Big Porcupine in the Sky (the sun). Each of the three bedtime stories explain about the mysteries of the sky - how the sun got his spines (rays) by catching lightning bolts, why the Big Porcupine in the sky rubbed colorful fruits on himself to create beautifully colored sunsets, why there are stars in the night sky, and why the moon changes from crescent to full. Boogs loves listening to these kinds of stories and imagining why things are the way they are. In the ELB lunchbox: pb&j Little Porcupine sandwich, star candy sprinkles, Big Porcupine in the Sky cheese sun, salad, and berries & grapes to help the Big Porcupine in the sky dress-up for sunset.

 

Our Principal  Promised to Kiss A Pig 

by Kalli Dakos and Alicia DesMarteau

Ms. Juliet, the principal, promised to kiss a pig if the students at her school read 10,000 books during the school year. A little girl volunteers her pig, Hamlet, for the job. Hamlet often expresses himself  by slightly changing famous Shakespearean quotes. Hamlet is at first reluctant to participate, "To kiss, or not to kiss, the principal in school? Why choose a pig to be their fool?" Hamlet falls in love with Ms. Juliet at first sight, but she does not feel the same and Hamlet is heartbroken. "Ms. Juliet, my star above, I no sooner looked than loved. I'll be sad today and tomorrow, for parting is such sweet sorrow." Eventually, Hamlet finds true love with a pig. Boogs and I briefly discussed Shakespeare while we read the actual quotes on the reference page in the back of this book. Boogs remembered hearing about Shakespeare in The Magic Tree House #25 Stage Fright On A Summer Night. I am always amazed at what he remembers from the stories we have read. In the Laptop lunchbox: ham & cheese Hamlet on flat bread with fruit leather hat, HAMLET spelled in swiss cheese, blueberries with a heart-shaped strawberry, spinach and carrots.

Be sure to check out the wonderful sites I link to on my sidebar! If you want to see more book inspired lunches, click on the "lunches" label at the end of this post or go to My Story Themed Lunches board on Pinterest. I would love for you to leave a comment to let me know you stopped by.