Yup, I’m doing a month of performance books. I have zero background in any of this, but I do love to try new and exciting books- especially if they can teach me something new!
But first, here’s the back story…
It’s February, folks. How did that happen??
I have to tell you something about February, and I do not wish to offend all of the February lovers out there, but… February is my least favorite month.
There, I said it.
I’m sorry if you adore February, I am. It’s just that I live in New Hampshire and February always feels like an exceptionally long month, especially considering how short it is.
And my kids, historically, like to get sick in February.
And usually I’m tired of hibernating and I just want grass and blue skies and sunshine and bare feet.
What I’m trying to say is: February feels long and boring to me. We have all this pent-up energy and we’re tired of staring at dirty snowbanks. We want to shed our winter coats and run free.
So I’m switching things up over here at our Family Book Club. I’m breaking out of my comfort zone a little bit, folks. I’m trying something new.
This month, I’ve selected four performance-related reads. Now, one of these is new to me but it comes highly recommended. My thought is that these books will provide everyone with activities and inspiration in order to survive February. I hope this strategy works!
And so, without further ado, I present to you:
A Month of Performance Books!
Our First Performance (1st week of February)
On Stage: Theater Games and Activities for Kids by Lisa Bany-Winters
This book is brand-new to us, but it came highly recommended and it has been on my wish list for far too long. I decided to put it in the first slot so that we can use it all month. I’ve been enjoying paging through it and there are oodles of ideas in here!
For our second performance (2nd week of February):
The Barefoot Book of Ballet Stories by Jane Yolen
I love Jane Yolen! And, my daughter loves this book, which includes two CDs read aloud by Juliet Stevenson. This beautifully illustrated book includes many well-known favorites, from The Nutcracker to Swan Lake to Sleeping Beauty.
Our third performance (week 3):
Big Magic for Little Hands by Joshua Jay
My oldest has been on a magic kick for the past several months. He’s learned some fun skills and our family has thoroughly enjoyed his performances. He’s even taught his little brother and sister some tricks, too! I thought this was a perfect winter activity. Magic tricks are fun, they keep kids engaged, and they teach you how to follow instructions. Plus, this over-sized book is gorgeous with a retro feel. I promise you’ll have fun with it, too!
Final performance:
The Barefoot Book of Stories from the Opera by Husain Shahrukh
Are you thinking, “Opera? For kids?” I get it, I do. But, the thing is, I don’t know much about opera myself and I’ve been working hard to expose my children to heaps of music over here this year. One of the many benefits of homeschooling is that we have time to delve into the arts and I don’t want to skip over opera just because I know little about it. I love to learn alongside my children. I purchased this book at the beginning of the year to use in our homeschool and I think this month is a perfect time to dust it off. It includes seven world-famous operas, complete with information about each composer. The operas are paired with gorgeous illustrations and an audio CD.
