Written by Rosanne L. Kurstedt and illustrated by Ya-Ling Huang, And I Think About You poignantly captures the love and connection shared by a working mama bear and her cub. During the day, they are apart, but they are always thinking of each other. Told with the feel of a letter (or love song) from mama to child the rhythmic pattern will enchant and delight young readers --- all the way to the surprising end!
Check out the And I Think About You, reviews and activities below. Great for classrooms, daycare, or at home.
Young readers anticipating the start of school will benefit from both the introduction to daily events and the reminder that they are in their parents’ thoughts all day long… Warm and reassuring, sure to be especially appreciated by families with working parents and apprehensive children. --Kirkus
Crafts & Activities
Writing Craft
1. Highlight the different craft used in “And I Think About You” or better yet - have students notice them through discussion.
-
Repetition
-
Circularity
-
Onomatopoeia
-
Similies
2. Then encourage students to use the craft moves in their own writing.
3. Lead discussions about why authors use different writing craft in their pieces.
-
Why do students think I used repetition? Why do they think I used circularity?
-
How did the writing craft impact their enjoyment or engagement with the text?
4. Always remind students that as writers, they need to think about what they want the
reader to get from their writing.
5. If students want, they can email me with questions at rosanne@rlkurstedt.com
And I Think About You Books
​
1. Students write a story modeled from And I Think About You.
2. Students can write about a sibling, grandparent, pet, toy, stuffed animal or friend, the choices are limitless.
3. You can click on the paper link to get pre-made pages that say “And I Thought About You” or you can make your own books for students by cutting an 8.5” x 11” piece of paper in half and then stapling the pages together.
4. I'd love you see any poems that you write. Email them to me at rosanne(at)rlkurstedt.com
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​​Make a Pinwheel
​
In And I Think About You the bear cub brings a pinwheel to school, and it is shown in many of the illustrations. See if you can find them all! Then, make your own. They’re simple and fun.
Materials:
-
Scissors
-
Pencil (for drawing lines and for the pinwheel)
-
Ruler (optional)
-
Crayons or Markers
-
Square-shaped paper
-
1 Pushpin
(Steps 4 and 5 are best done by an adult)
1. Color the paper to create one-of-a-kind pinwheels.
2. Using a ruler, mark the center of your square paper with a pencil. Next use your ruler to draw a diagonal line from each corner of the paper, halfway to the center dot you just made.
3. Use the scissors to cut down the diagonal lines that you just marked on your paper.
4. Fold every other point into the center dot and put a pushpin through the paper. This step can be tricky because the points like to escape if you are not holding them tight, so patience is key. (Sometimes I put a piece of double-sided tape down)
5. Hold the pushpin with gathered points in one hand tightly and use your other hand to push the remainder of the pin through a pencil eraser (not all the way through because you don’t want any little fingers to get pricked and you need space so the pinwheel can spin)
6. Have fun watching them twirl in the wind.
​
​
Onomatopoeia Poems
1. Pull out the onomatopeia (sound words) from the story.
2. Have students discuss what all the words have in common. (They are sound words.)
3. Tell students what sound words are called (Onomatopoeia).
4. Brainstorm a list of other sound words.
5. Create a class Onomatopoeia poem or have students create their own. If often helps if a topic or theme is identified (e.g., summer, animals, or the farm).
6. I'd love you see any poems that you write. Email them to me at rosanne(at)rlkurstedt.com.
7. Check out this list of Onomatopoeia words from Kathy Temean’s blog.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Family Routines and Traditions
And I Think About You was inspired by a bed-time routine my older son and I created. After reading books together we would share with each other what we’d done throughout the day. We would always finish with “and I thought about you.”
1. Have students write about their own family routines and traditions – it might be a game night, a special meal they have together, or it could be simply having breakfast every Sunday morning.
2. Make a class book or have students share their pieces with family members during a "Routines and Traditions" celebration.
This page is always under construction.
Email me with lesson ideas, and or family rountines and traditions.
I will include your thoughts on this webpage.
An Interview and 6 More Activities
Head on over to Read. Discuss. Do. blog for an interview about the book with six more fun activities (https://www.readdiscussdo.com/2022/09/and-i-think-about-you-interview-plus.html)
​
​
