Nov28

Tales from the Chinese Zodiac: The Year of the Dog

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Tales from the Chinese Zodiac: The Year of the Dog
Characters from the Year of the Dog

Characters from the Year of the Dog

THE YEAR OF THE DOG

Chin, Oliver. The Year of the Dog, Tales of the Chinese Zodiac. San Francisco, CA: Immedium, 2006

Daniel was born on New Year’s Day. Shortly after his birth, Lin, his family’s neighbor, came to visit. Lin and Daniel became best friends and loved to explore their neighborhood and the countryside.

Daniel’s parents reminded him that as a dog, it was his duty to protect Lin from strangers especially during their adventures.

One day, Lin and her parents and Daniel and his parents went on a picnic in the forest. Lin wandered off and Daniel went to look for her.

Daniel found Lin just as a tiger loomed in front of her. Frightened, the animal roared and scared Daniel and Lin. But Daniel remembered his duty as a dog and barked loudly at the tiger.

Their parents herd Daniel and came running and shouting. Their noise frightened the tiger who ran way. Everyone praised Daniel for his bravery.

Lin hugged Daniel. “You are my best friend!”

Shadow Theatre

SHADOW THEATER PROJECT BELOW

Shadow Puppet Character:

Daniel the dog

Lin, a girl

Lin’s parents

Daniel’s parents

tiger

MATERIALS FOR SHADOW PUPPET THEATER:

(1) Large cereal box 13 ½” x 7 ½”

Scissors

Box cutters

Masking tape or packaging tape

White glue or double-stick tape

Colored papers, i.e. construction paper, scrap booking papers, or material like craft foam or felt

Tracing paper or translucent papers

Small lamp

PROJECT: MAKE A SHADOW PUPPET THEATER

  1. Measure the large cereal box and cut out the back. Tape down the sides of the box.
  2. Cut out a window in the front leaving 2” width wise and 1” lengthwise.  Discard   cardboard scraps or save them to use for another time.
  3. Select papers or felt or craft foam to cover the front and sides of the stage. Be colorful. The top, bottom, sides and the front of the stage do not have to match. Contrast colors and/or patterns.
  4. Select papers or felt or craft foam to cover the front and sides of the stage. Be colorful. The top, bottom, sides and the front of the stage do not have to match. Contrast colors and/or patterns.
  5. Measure the width and length of the window. Select either tracing paper or translucent paper and measure and cut it a slightly bigger than the window. Glue behind the stage so the ends of the paper won’t show.
  6. Test the lamp: does it work? The lamp will illuminate the puppets from behind.
  7. Add more embellishments such as columns or curtains.
  8. The Shadow Puppet Theater is (almost) ready to go!

MATERIALS FOR THE DOG:

White glue

Popsicle sticks

Dark paper

Scissors

Free clip art websites

PROJECT FOR MAKINGTHE DOG:

  1. Using free downloadable clip art, look up easy to follow instruction for tracing and cutting out the DOG.
  2. Glue to a Popsicle stick and recreate the stories for friends and family. Charge a small fee and open the plays to the neighborhood.
  3. As a challenge, rewrite the endings to the stories or add or drop minor characters to make the stories unique!
  4. Act out The Year of the Dog for family and friends. What other situations and people can Daniel help with his barking?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Nov21

Tales of the Chinese Zodiac: The Year of the Pig

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Tales of the Chinese Zodiac: The Year of the Pig
Characters from the Year of the Pig

Characters from the Year of the Pig

THE YEAR OF THE PIG

Chin, Oliver. The Year of the Pig, Tales of the Chinese Zodiac. San Francisco, CA: Immedium, 2006.

Mama and Papa Pig just had a baby. They named her Patricia or Patty for short.

Patty was small and soft. All the neighbors admired her.

Patty was a fast learner. She learned where Farmer Wu’s family and the other animals lived, their names and their duties on the farm. But it was hard to teach her manners especially to understand the manners of the other animals that had their own habits.

One day, Farmer Wu lost his jade ring. Cousin Dog couldn’t find it. Farmer Wu searched the fields, riding Auntie Horse. Farmer Wu’s wife searched the stream, riding Uncle Ox. Their son combed Auntie Sheep’s wool looking for the ring.

Mama and Papa Pig encouraged Patty to look for it. She came up with a plan. One night, she tiptoed to the pigpen’s gate, rolled on the ground and covered herself with mud. She squeezed and slithered until she slipped under the gate’s bottom rail.

Patty picked up and sniffed Farmer Wu’s dropped gloves. She noticed a strange smell and followed its scent. The scent led to the compost heap behind the barn. Patty dug through the vegetables piled high on the mound. She kept digging and digging through the food until she found the jade ring!

She squealed.  Everyone rushed to the compost heap, surprised that Patty had found the ring. Farmer Wu rewarded her by letting her out of the pig pen when she wanted!

Shadow Puppets:

Patty, the pig

Cousin Dog

Mama Pig

Papa Pig

Farmer Wu

Auntie Sheep

Uncle Ox

Act out The Year of the Pig. What other objects can Patty look for?

Shadow Theatre

Shadow Theater made of recycled materials

 

 

 

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Nov13

Tales of the Chinese Zodiac: The Year of the Rat

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Tales of the Chinese Zodiac: The Year of the Rat
Characters from the Year of the Rat

Characters from the Year of the Rat

THE YEAR OF THE RAT

Chin, Oliver. The Year of the Rat, Tales of the Chinese Zodiac. San Francisco, CA: Immedium, 2007.

Ralph, the baby rat, let out a “Squeak!” when he was born.

When Bing heard the news, he ran up to the attic to visit the newborn. He offered Ralph a piece of cheese and the two became friends.

Ralph was a free spirit who was always getting into trouble. When he got caught, he always promised to behave.

On the day of Bing’s birthday party, Bing’s parents ordered him to put Ralph in his cage. Bing promised Ralph to let him out when the party was over.

Ralph could see the decorations hanging outside and smell the food cooking. Presents and balloons arrived, too. Bing reached for the balloons but their knot came loose. Bing grabbed the strings but all of a sudden the balloon pulled him up, up and away.

Ralph looked out the window from his cage. He found a pin in his pocket and used it to open the lock on the cage door. Then he ran to the ladder that led to the hayloft. He jumped out and luckily landed on top of the balloons.

Ralph had an idea. He slid down the balloon’s strings and bit through several of them. One by one they flew away and Bing and Ralph descended closer to earth.

Slowly, they landed on an ox who promised to take them home. Everyone was happy to see them and every one forgave Ralph, the prankster!

Shadow puppets:

Ralph, the rat

Bing, a boy

Bing’s parents

Act out The Year of the Rat!  Add your own ending to the story!

Shadow Theatre

Shadow Theater made of recycled materials

 

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Nov7

Tales from the Chinese Zodiac: The Year of the Monkey

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Tales from the Chinese Zodiac: The Year of the Monkey
Characters from the Year of the Monkey

Characters from the Year of the Monkey

THE YEAR OF THE MONKEY

Chin, Oliver. The Year of the Monkey, Tales from the Chinese Zodiac. San Francisco, CA: Immedium, 2016.

The Jade Emperor sat on his cloud and observed the Monkey King and Queen’s new baby, Max.

“If this child follows in his parents’ footsteps, heaven below had better take notice,” the Jade Emperor said.

Max was a rambunctious monkey both in and out of school. He often reported to the principal’s office to answer for one prank or another.

He became friends with Kai. One day, their teacher introduced them to the game of shuttlecock or jianzi. Max and Kai showed talent for the sport and the friends practiced hard.

Max’s family heard about a shuttlecock tournament and encouraged Max and Kai to enter it. The friends had to make the team roster first so Max and Kai continued to practice. They learned many moves including the “Leopard Head” and Standing Crane.”

Max and Kai became one of the county’s best teams but they barely qualified for the tournament tryout.  But Max’s dad had a thought about how to improve his son’s game. He taught Max a new move.

When the contest began, Max and Kai made it through the first two rounds. They beat the Snake, a formidable opponent, in the semifinals and squeaked to the finals.

In the finals, they came face to face with Tiger and Dragon. Tiger and Dragon won the first set but Max and Kai hung on in the second. Max and Kai earned a match point.

Max served a hard shot but Dragon leashed a hard return. This was the moment.

Max leaped high and smashed through Tiger and Dragon’s defense utilizing the “Monkey Spike” move his dad taught him. This was the deciding move! Max and Kai won the contest.

“This upset shows us that magic can still surprise us all,” the Jade Emperor said.

Shadow Puppets:

Max the monkey

Kai, a friend

The Jade Emperor

Tiger

Dragon

Monkey Queen

Monkey King

Act out The Year of the Monkey. Show Max and Kai competing and wining in other sports, too.

Shadow Theatre

Shadow Theater made of recycled materials

 

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Nov1

El Dia de los Muertos Banner Design

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El Dia de los Muertos Banner Design
El Dia de los Muertos Banner

El Dia de los Muertos Banner

 

Materials:

Felt in various colors

Puffy paint in bright and metallic colors

Pencil/eraser

Scissors

Glitter glue (optional)

Hole punch

Paper in various colors (optional)

Scraps of material (optional)

Decorative gems (optional)

String

Cardboard

White glue

 

Project:              

  1. Select a piece of felt for the background of the banner. Place the design vertically or horizontally.
  2. Using different colors of the felt and using the letter stencils, trace and cut three Es; one A; two L; one D; one I; two O; two S; one T; one U; and one R.
  3. Arrange the letters on the felt background. Glue. Allow to dry.
  4. Some objects associated with the Day of the Dead are skeletons, marigolds and skulls. Draw and cut flowers, skulls and skeletons out of the remaining felt or use paper or another material. Glue and let dry.
  5. Add sequins, glitter, beads, etc. to the overall design or add a starburst, the sun or other symbols appropriate for the holiday. Let dry.
  6. Punch holes in the top corners of the felt. Pass a piece of string longer than the length of the banner through one hole, tie a knot and then pass it through the second hole. Glue a strip of cardboard that fits between the holes and glue it to the back of the banner at the top. Let dry and hang up. Celebrate El Dia de los Muertos!
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Oct30

Tales of the Chinese Zodiac: The Year of the Sheep

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Tales of the Chinese Zodiac: The Year of the Sheep
Characters from the Year of the Sheep

Characters from the Year of the Sheep

THE YEAR OF THE SHEEP

Chin, Oliver. The Year of the Sheep, Tales of the Chinese Zodiac. San Francisco, CA: Immedium, 2015.

When Sydney the lamb was born, the entire flock came to see her. The shepherd’s daughter, Zhi and her dog, Dao, came, too.

Even though Zhi was the flock’s shepherd, Zhi and Sydney became close friends. Zhi even helped Sydney out of some hairy predicaments. Sydney was curious about the world around her and couldn’t help it but she did like grazing in the meadow with the rest of the flock.

One day, a great storm prevented them from going outside. The storm lasted for many days.

When the storm finally ended, it had destroyed much of the land including the pasture where the flock grazed. The sheep tried to eat dry shoots but the dried grass tasted awful.

As usual, Sydney strayed from the rest of the flock. Zhi found her talking to a rat and surveying the dried up river. They followed it upstream. Boulders and branches were blocking the flow of the water by the dam.

Sydney told Zhi about the river and together they devised a plan. Enlisting the help of all the animals of the surrounding countryside, Zhi and Sydney placed a log in a strategic spot in the dam. The animals stood on the log and hopped and hopped until pebbles and then rocks popped out. After more hopping and hopping a boulder finally gave way and the water rushed out of the dam, filling the river.

Zhi, Sydney and the other animals saved the day and the pastures, meadows and gardens were once more lush with vegetation.

Shadow Puppets:

Sydney, the sheep

Zhi, a girl

barnyard animals

Act out The Year of the Sheep for friends and family. What other predicaments can

Sydney and Zhi get into?

Shadow Theatre

Shadow Theater made of recycled materials

 

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Oct24

Smicksburg PA Photo Sampler

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Smicksburg PA Photo Sampler

I took two separate day trips to Smicksburg PA with a friend this October. Smicksburg is a country village in Indiana County with all kinds of craft and gift shops. (It even has a  US Post Office.) It is not far from Punxatawny Pa (home of the famous groundhog, Punxatawny Phil) to give you a geographic landmark.

The area is home to about 300 or so Amish families so it is not unusual to see horses and Amish buggies going by. Besides the craft and antique shops, we stopped by an apple orchard (excellent apple cider and apples) on the first trip. I bought so many apples that I was cooking with apples for a whole week!

The second trip included a visit to  an Amish farm so I could get my quilt repaired. We also visited a spinning studio and yarn shop (Silverbrook Fiber Arts and Sheepskin) in nearby Marchand PA where “spin-ins” as I call them, are held once a month or so.

If you want a day away from the city, consider a day trip to Smicksburg.

The photos above give a sampling of the many sights of Smicksburg PA. For more information go to: www.smicksburgh.net

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Oct16

Tales of the Chinese Zodiac: The Year of the Ox

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Tales of the Chinese Zodiac: The Year of the Ox
Characters from the Year of the Ox

Characters from the Year of the Ox

The Year of the Ox

Chin, Oliver. The Year of the Ox, Tales of the Chinese Zodiac. San Francisco, CA: Immedium, 2008.

Mama and Papa Ox named their newborn baby, Olivia, and introduced her to all their friends. The farmer’s daughter, Mei, came to see her, too. Mei declared that Olivia was her best friend and adopted sister. After that, Olivia and Mei played together every day.

One day, Mama and Papa Ox decided that Olivia had to learn to do chores and not just play all day long. They showed her the shed where they worked. Olivia was anxious to help with the daily farm chores but she was still too young and too small to do most of them. She messed up at everything she tried to do.

She even messed up when she tried to help at the farmer’s market.

On another day, Mei, her parents, and Mama and Papa Ox, went to work and left Olivia behind. Olivia moped about until she heard a noise outside. The dam had burst and the farm land was quickly flooding, frightening everyone on the farm and in the village.

Olivia searched for Mei and found her hanging from a tree branch. Olivia rescued Mei and the other animals swept away by the rising water. But Mei and Olivia noticed that the bank had begun to buckle. Neither Mei nor Olivia nor the other animals knew what to do.

Then Olivia had an idea. Olivia placed her shoulder against the dike while Mei went to get help. A crack appeared as Olivia waited. She became frantic but she did only what she could do: plug it up with her tail. Olivia pushed against the wall with all her might.

Eventually, Mei, Mei’s family and Mama and Papa Ox arrived with help. The waters receded and Olivia was able to take a breather.

Everyone exclaimed that Olivia and Mei were “the bravest girls in the world.”

Shadow puppets:

Olivia, the ox

Mama Ox

Papa Ox

Mei, a farmer’s daughter

Act out The Year of the Ox for family and friends.

Shadow Theatre

Shadow Theater made of recycled materials

 

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Oct10

Tales of the Chinese Zodiac: The Year of the Snake

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Tales of the Chinese Zodiac: The Year of the Snake
Characters from the Year of the Snake

Characters from the Year of the Snake

THE YEAR OF THE SNAKE

Chin, Oliver. The Year of the Snake, Tales of the Chinese Zodiac. San Francisco, CA: Immedium, Inc, 2013

Suzie, the baby snake, was born to her parents after they awoke from their winter’s nap.

Suzie wanted to fly like the dragons did but her father warned her to stay on the ground.

One day, she was outside exploring her surroundings and met a little girl named Lily. They shared a snack and became friends.

Suzie helped Lily with her chores because she was long and flexible like all snakes. Although Lily’s grandparents didn’t like Suzie at first, they changed their minds when they saw how helpful she was to Lily.

One day, various people in the neighborhood spotted a wild tiger and everyone ran for their lives. But Suzie and Lily confronted the tiger and found out that it was running away from a fire-breathing dragon.

Suddenly, the dragon circled overhead leaving behind a trail of fire and smoke as far as the eye could see.

Suzie’s parents taught her how to shed her skin and she did so now. This enabled her to climb up a tree. She slithered out on a tree limb and waited.

The dragon glided to earth and noticed the snake-skin. Suzie jumped down from the tree and wrapped herself around the dragon’s snout. She stopped the dragon’s fire and the dragon relaxed.

The dragon thanked Suzie for helping her. The dragon wasn’t trying to set anything on fire. She just had an uncontrollable case of the hiccups.

Everyone admired Suzie’s bravery and Lily and Suzie remained friends forever!

Shadow Puppets:

Suzie the snake

Suzie’s parents

tiger

Lily,a girl

dragon

Act out The Year of the Snake but think of other animals Suzie and Lily can face during their long walks and use them in your shadow play!

Shadow Theatre

Shadow Theater made of recycled materials

 

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Oct3

Tales of the Chinese Zodiac: The Year of the Tiger

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Tales of the Chinese Zodiac: The Year of the Tiger
The Year of the Tiger

The Year of the Tiger

THE YEAR OF THE TIGER

Chin, Oliver. The Year of the Tiger, Tales from the Chinese Zodiac. San Francisco, CA: Immedium, 2010.

In the mighty jungle, Teddy the tiger was born to the King and Queen.

Teddy loved to play in the forest but his parents warned him to stay away from dangerous animals called humans. This order only roused Teddy’s curiosity. He found out that humans lived on the edge of the forest so he set out to see them for himself.

He walked for a while until he spotted a town. A girl spotted him and screamed, “Tiger!” Heeding the warning, Teddy scampered back to the jungle.

Curious about the girl, Su, Teddy returned to the town the next day. He noticed a barn and looked inside. Su was feeding the sheep and the pig. With a toothy grin, Teddy shouted, “Good morning!” and scared all the barnyard animals.

Su gave him a bowl of mild and introduced herself.  Scared, Teddy ran way but Su’s mama saw Teddy. She warned all the neighbors that a tiger was roaming the village. This situation caused all the other tigers in the jungle to find a new home.

Teddy decided to see Su one last time and say goodbye before his family moved away. Her dog’s barking warned Su’s parents that a tiger was on their farm and they chased him into the jungle. This time, though, Su followed him and they explored the jungle together.

Both Su and Teddy’s whereabouts were unknown to their parents. The King and Queen and Su’s mother and father were looking for them at the same time.

As Su walked through the jungle she accidentally stepped on a snake, slipped and fell over a ledge. Teddy leaped forward, roaring. Teddy’s claws clutched the dangling branches of a tree while his teeth held on to Su. Su hung on to his tail as he pulled her up and climbed up over the ledge.

Teddy’s act of courage brought the two families together in a long-lasting friendship.

Shadow Puppets:

Teddy, the tiger

Teddy’s parents,the King and Queen

Su, a girl

Su’s parents

sheep

pig

snake

Act out The Year of the Tiger for your friends and family!

Shadow Theatre

Shadow Theater made of recycled materials

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