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Ages:
 Sparkling
with rich autumn watercolors and magical detail, this book introduces
little Clee and her blanket, a true and trusted friend. But when
her father's shivering pumpkin patch needs help to survive the frost,
Clee understands that it needs her blanket more than she does.
"A beautiful
and soulful story....Thoughtful recognition of a milestone in a
child's growth." School Library Journal
TeacherView by Libby Trumbull
Email: teacherlibbyt@aol.com
Grade(s) taught: K
Thousand Oaks Elementary
Berkeley, CA
The Review
Upon birth, Clee receives a beautiful, patchwork blanket. Clee's blanket is
safe and warm and comforting. Clee dances with her blanket, sleeps with her
blanket, and pretends with her blanket. As her kindergarten year nears, Clee's
Father wonders how to separate Clee from her blanket so that she can move
onto kindergarten independently.
As Clee's Father cares for the pumpkins in their garden he points
out that the pumpkins will freeze if not kept warm. They discuss
the wonderful faces these pumpkins will wear when harvested. Clee
decides to cover one unsheltered pumpkin with one square cut from
her precious blanket. As frost continues to threaten the pumpkins,
Clee gives up her blanket squares to care for them.
A gust of wind takes the squares into the sky where they shelter
the full moon. Clee and her Father harvest the pumpkins and the story
ends with 12 carved jack-o-lanterns sitting on the porch steps.
The Activities
After reading The Pumpkin Blanket, ask students to share their ideas of how
Clee felt when she held her blanket. It's a good idea to write all of these
responses on the whiteboard/chalkboard. Share with students something from
your childhood that helped you feel warm/safe/loved. This could be a story
or even an old teddy bear you still have. Ask students if any of them have
things at home that give them some of the feelings you've written on the
board. Again, write down all responses.
Give each child a square piece of paper (around 8x8 or so). Have
students use crayons to draw a picture of something that makes them
feel the way that Clee felt when holding her blanket. Ask them to
make it big so that it takes up a lot of the paper space. Encourage
them to color in their picture as much as possible (this is for practice
and for hand muscle development). When drawings are complete, take
dictation (it can be right on the square or separately) that speaks
to the object and the feelings it provokes.
Pictures/dictation can be displayed as a patchwork blanket on the
wall. This is an especially good project at the beginning of the
year when children are experiencing the anxiety that comes along
with starting school and leaving security blankets at home.
Extension:
This story also lends itself to conversations regarding students' own birth
days. Invite children to bring in photos of themselves as babies (and bring
in one of your own, of course). Make a guessing display for students to wonder
at, or simply let each child discuss her/his picture and share it with the
class. ISBN
1883672597
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