Christmas in July Picture Book Exchange

Christmas in July Picture Book Exchange 

Linky Party

I was so excited to participate in this festive exchange organized by Randee at How About Them Apples?, Jackie at Here We Go Loopty Loo, and Nicole at First Grade O.W.L.s!

My partner was Amy, a kindergarten teacher in South Carolina.  

Amy sent me "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!" by Mo Willems

and some fabulous activities to go with the book including: thinking maps, writing prompts and cute pigeon writing paper, a directed drawing lesson, and so much more!  I can't wait to use these activities this fall when we start our Mo Willems author study! 

I LOVE MO WILLEMS! I had this picture book in my classroom, but it apparently met it's maker sometime during the last week of school :(  It was on my list of books to replace this summer, but I hadn't yet.  SO perfect!  And what makes it even more perfect than the fact that it's Mo Willems, you ask?

Look what I found at Target this last week! (more about my latest Target finds coming soon)

(on clearance for $6.48! Yea!)

It was meant to be!  Thanks Amy for a fabulous Christmas in July gift!

And because the giving is so much more important than getting...

I sent Amy "Splash!" by Ann Jonas.

This is one of my favorite picture books to use in math lessons.  Early in the year we use it to practice listening, counting, 1 to 1 correspondence, and oral number stories.  As the year goes on it is a natural book for addition, subtraction, and writing number sentences.

Here are the activities that I sent to Amy to go along with the book:

Small manipulatives to use with the story ( I have used them in small group math and as a follow up activity after the listening center).


Large version of manipulatives (I use mine with magnets on the whiteboard).



Number Story pages with 4 different levels, depending on the time of year or the needs of your students.

Head on over to 

to see all of the fabulous picture books that were exchanged and their corresponding activities!