This month’s Virtual Book Club for Kids author, David McPhail, was new to us so I am super excited to see all of the fun book activities for children featuring his work that everyone is linking up. We checked out many of his books from the library, but the one we had the most fun with was Piggy’s Pancake Parlor (Action Packs).
Piggy’s Pancake Parlor is the story of a little pig who is taken in by a farmer family. Mrs. Farmer teaches him how to make a pancake recipe with a special secret ingredient. Piggy befriends Fox and they open a successful pancake parlor together in town.
The kids loved the idea of having a pancake parlor and decided to make their own. They started talking about what they were going to do even before we had finished the book (it’s written in a chapter book style so we didn’t read it all in one sitting.)
They even designed costumes for their characters. They created a pig nose for Piggy like we did during our Letter P Play Date and cut out cardboard ears for Fox and taped them onto a headband. The customer carried a purse/wallet with play money in it to pay for the pancakes.
Not only was their pretend pancake parlor fun, it was also packed full of early literacy practice!
- They used writing and prewriting skills while creating the sign, writing (and pretending to write) the orders, and filling out the bill.
- They recalled and sequenced story events while planning and acting out the book.
- They identified the main characters and were able to describe each the characteristics of each.
- They made text to self connections and used their background knowledge of really going out to eat pancakes to help remember and understand what happened in the story.
It’s amazing how much learning takes place while kids are playing!
Now it’s time to check out all of the other David McPhail book activities for children that bloggers have linked up!
We’d love to see what you did this month so please link up your David McPhail inspired posts to the blog hop below.
There are a few rules for this blog hop that we ask you to follow, so make sure to read them:
- Link up only posts inspired by David McPhail that share children’s book inspired crafts, activities, recipes, etc. Any other posts will be deleted.
- Visit other blog posts on the linky and comment on or share the ones you love!
- Add our Virtual Book Club button to your post if you’d like.
Here are all of the bloggers who are participating in the Virtual Book Club for Kids this year! Be sure to visit to see all of the fun they have had!
Toddler Approved – Rainy Day Mum – Adventures in Reading with Kids – 3 Dinosaurs – Royal Baloo – The Educators’ Spin On It – Inspiration Laboratories – Pleasantest Thing – Edventures with Kids – Two Big Two Little – Playing With Words 365 – Kitchen Counter Chronicles – Outlaw Mom – Mommy and Me Book Club – Crafty Moms Share – No Twiddle Twaddle – The Good Long Road – Ready. Set. Read 2 Me – Reading Confetti – Mama Smiles – Juggling with Kids- Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas – Creekside Learning – Creative Family Fun – The Usual Mayhem – Teach Preschool – PlayDrMom – CraftoArt – Here Come the Girls – Being a Conscious Parent – Smiling like Sunshine – Crayon Freckles – Train Up a Child – Smile Play Learn – Enchanted Homeschooling Mom – Coffee Cups and Crayons – Having Fun at Chelle’s House- Love, Play, Learn – Juggling With Kids
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