education: language arts mentor texts for forms of writing k-8

it’s kitten delivery day, but—surprise. congratulations on your new lion! we know you ordered a kitten, but we ran out of those. fortunately, the big cat comes with instructions—like, try very hard not to look like a zebra. or a gazelle. and give your lion plenty of space to play. but soon the feathers and fur start flying and everything’s in chaos. is there any way a lion could actually be a child’s purr-fect pet?

a father teaches his daughter all about bicycle riding, from selecting the right bike to trying again after a fall.

shows how architects, carpenters, plumbers, masons, electricians, painters, and landscapers collaborate to construct a wood frame house and transform it into a home.

a new york times bestseller when you babysit a grandma, if you're lucky . . . it's a sleepover at her house! and with the useful tips found in this book, you're guaranteed to become an expert grandma-sitter in no time. (be sure to check out the sections on: how to keep a grandma busy; things to do at the park; possible places to sleep, and what to do once you're both snugly tucked in for the night.) from the author-illustrator team behind the new york times bestselling how to... series comes a funny and heartwarming celebration of grandmas and grandchildren.

a new york times bestselling picture book--from the creators of the hilarious how to... series--about a child spending time with his grandpa. written in a how-to style, the narrator gives important tips for "babysitting" a grandpa, including what to eat for snack (anything dipped in ketchup, ice cream topped with cookies, cookies topped with ice cream) what to do on a walk (find lizards and dandelion puffs, be on the lookout for puddles and sprinklers), and how to play with a grandpa (build a pirate cave, put on a scary play). filled with humor, energy, and warmth, this is a great gift for or from a grandparent, and perfect for lap reading when grandpa comes to visit!

in this hilarious and clever "how-to," a little girl and a know-it-all narrator are thwarted by a cat who refuses to take a bath. the perfect read-aloud for fans of snappsy the alligator and interrupting chicken. step one: fill the bath step two: put the cat in the bath step three: put shampoo on the cat step four: rinse the cat step five: dry the cat seems simple, right? one problem: the cat has no intention of doing any of these things! watch as the steps keep changing, the cat keeps escaping, the girl keeps eating cookies and the mess keeps escalating. soon it's not just the cat who needs a bath--it's the whole house! this spoof on an instruction manual features an increasingly bewildered human, a nonchalant cat and a know-it-all narrator . . . who really doesn't know it all. how do you give a cat a bath? read on to find out!

in a spare urban fable, bob graham brings us one small boy, one loving family, and one miraculous story of hope and healing. "no one saw the bird fall." in a city full of hurried people, only young will notices the bird lying hurt on the ground. with the help of his sympathetic mother, he gently wraps the injured bird and takes it home. in classic bob graham style, the beauty is in the details: the careful ministrations with an eyedropper, the bedroom filled with animal memorabilia, the saving of the single feather as a good-luck charm for the bird's return to the sky. wistful and uplifting, here is a tale of possibility -- and of the souls who never doubt its power.

a slightly overcomplicated and highly hilarious guide to making a peanut butter sandwich with all your critter friends it's lunchtime, and all the animals are hungry. in fact, you're feeling hungry too, and you know exactly what to make--delicious peanut butter sandwiches for everyone! the recipe is surprisingly complicated, but you're not worried. you gather the critters and a few necessary items (the peanuts and bread, of course, and don't forget the accordion and wooden clogs!), and then you get started! all the characters in this hilarious how-to have an important role in the making of this lunchtime staple. the raccoon earns the money to pay for the groceries, the crows and the mice gather the ingredients, the donkey and the beaver work hard on the hands-on (or hoofs- and paws-on) preparation, and the skunk ... well, the skunk has an essential role to play too! bold, charming artwork leaves something to discover on every page, and kids will laugh out loud as they puzzle through the many steps necessary to the making of this favorite sandwich.

what do you do when you meet a ghost? one: provide the ghost with some of its favorite snacks, like mud tarts and earwax truffles. two: tell your ghost bedtime stories (ghosts love to be read to). three: make sure no one mistakes your ghost for whipped cream or a marshmallow when you aren't looking! if you follow these few simple steps and the rest of the essential tips in how to make friends with a ghost, you'll see how a ghost friend will lovingly grow up and grow old with you.

step one: find a story. (a good one.)step two: find a reading buddy. (someone nice.)step three: find a reading spot. (couches are cozy.)now: begin.accomplished storytellers kate messner and mark siegel chronicle the process of becoming a reader: from pulling a book off the shelf and finding someone with whom to share a story, to reading aloud, predicting what will happen and--finally--coming to the end. this picture book playfully and movingly illustrates the idea that the reader who discovers the love of reading finds, at the end, the beginning.

from the creators of the new york times bestsellers how to babysit a grandma and how to babysit a grandpa comes a fun and exciting way to share the joy of reading with grandparents. now that you know how to babysit your grandma and grandpa, it's time to teach them how to read with you! in this hilarious new addition to jean reagan and lee wildish's bestselling how to... series, the kids are in charge! kids can show their grandparents how to choose a great book, find the perfect spot to read together, and use their best reading-out-loud voices. even after the book is done, there are lots of activities that kids and their grandparents can do together! filled with charming role-reversal humor, creative ideas, and heartwarming moments, this ode to shared storytime is sure to delight kids, parents, and grandparents everywhere.

provides simple, step-by-step instructions for teaching a slug how to read, including using mother slug rhymes, helping your slug sound out words, and making vocabulary lists.

things can get a bit messy when you try to wash a woolly mammoth. follow this step-by-step guide to successfully clean up your hairy friend. be forewarned! a mammoth's tummy is terribly tickly.