Understand the value of connecting animals and children From family pets and wild animals to toys, stuffed animals, and media images, animals are a central part of every child’s landscape. This book examines the reasons why children should interact and connect with real animals, and it identifies the rich learning that results. You’ll find heaps of foundational support and practical ideas to create authentic experiences that bring children and all kinds of species of animals together—including many adaptations if live animals are not permitted in your setting. Connecting Animals and Children in Early Childhood Examines the basic qualities that make animals so appealing to children Explains how animals impact children’s cognitive, social-emotional, and inter- and intrapersonal development and growth Includes an overview of the many ways animals are present in children’s lives Introduces authentic experiences with animals that are supportive of children’s understanding and learning, and respectful to both animals and people Provides real-life examples of how to bring animals into your classroom with suggestions for planning, ideas for finding the right pet, and resources for making experiences meaningful, relevant, and joyful for children Patty Born Selly is executive director of the National Center for STEM Elementary Education at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota. As the founder of Small Wonders, an educational consulting company offering services to schools, faith-based communities, and other organizations, Patty has developed hundreds of classes to help programs incorporate nature, science, and green education.

Lola wants a cat, but Mommy says taking care of a pet is a lot of work. So Lola does her homework. At the library she finds books about cats and pet care and she and Mommy learn as much as they can. She pretends her stuffed kitty is real and practices taking care of it. When the time comes, Lola is allowed to pick out her new friend at an animal shelter. With patience and care, her kitten settles in at home. Lola is a book-loving favorite, and this delightful story is a new treasure in the series. "This sweet story of first-time pet ownership is sure to appeal to young animal lovers of all kinds and especially to feline fanciers"—Kirkus Reviews "A solid introduction to pet ownership, probably best shared one-on-one"—School Library Journal

At the Underpants Zoo each of the animals sports underwear suited to her or his own personal style.

The thematic units in this valuable resource provide a variety of hands-on activities, fingerplays, and songs, as well as family letters and many timesaving reproducibles. Children will enjoy exploring these twelve thematic units: All About Me, Animals, Community Helpers, Dinosaurs, Fall, Family, Five Senses, Friends, Insects, Nursery Rhymes, Shapes and Colors, and Transportation.

"Early themes - animals is one of a new series of teacher resource books designed to support teachers as they impart knowledge about commonly-taught themes in early childhood classrooms. The books contain a variety of ideas for using the themes to assist teachers as they convey early skills and concepts using cross-curricular activities in learning centres or whole class activities." --p. iii.

This board book introduces children to some fun animal idioms.