Our family is trading around a nasty summer cold! My daughter has had to get creative in finding things for my two-and-a-half year old grandson to do, since he's been too sick to be running around or playing outside.
Enter
the
flashlight!
One of my grandson's best friends is "Puppy", a shadow playmate with a funny voice that my husband introduced him to a few months ago. "Puppy" magically showed up on our ceiling one night, and it took quite a few visits before my grandson ever noticed his Grandpa's animated hand in front of the flashlight. His little eyes were so riveted to the circle of light and the shadow puppet!
So the other afternoon my daughter got out our trusty flashlight and let my grandson have at it. "Little Puppy" was born!
And when he'd had enough of "Little Puppy", we got out his Madeline Shadow Puppets. Then he had fun holding those up to the flashlight, while we read aloud a Madeline story.
It's a perfect summer read - especially if you have a cold - because you can go camping in the woods without ever leaving your house!
You'll discover what a boy sees when he leaves his tent and ventures out into his dark backyard with his faithful flashlight. Preschoolers will love naming all the animals illumined by the beam of light, as well as those still in the shadows.
I love the twist at the end. Guess who ends up with the flashlight!
Stay healthy! (But it sickness finds you and your family this summer, grab a flashlight. Fun is sure to follow.)
Go here for my other posts about shadow play books, and about how to make your own shadow puppet theatre.
by Giora Carmi. When a boy anonymously shares his snack with a homeless man, he begins a cycle of good will.
(series) by Alexandra Day. This fun wordless story is about Carl the responsible Rottweiler, and the adventures he shares while "babysitting" his infant mistress.
by Barbara Lehman. Bored and lonely in his big house during a rainstorm, a boy finds a key that leads him on an adventurous journey.
(series) by Mercer Meyer. A boy's pet frog thinks that the new little frog the boy gets for his birthday is one frog too many.
In his wordless book, Peter Speir takes us through all the sights and happenings of the season and gives us glimpses of the happy chaos of being part of a big family. Each of us has our own unique version of this celebration with our loved ones, but the peek into this family's is like a walk down memory lane for me! 
