It's Valentine's Day

Dear Friends,

Valentine's Day is a great time to be a kid. There's excitement in the air, crafts to make, envelopes to address, and SUGAR! There's none of the ridiculous pressures of a grown-up's Valentine's Day, and without even realizing it, kids are generally much more excited about giving than receiving. If you are a kid, who cares what Valentine's you get (unless you are Charlie Brown!), it's all about making or choosing the right Valentine to give to each friend. Or mom. 

Enjoy this Valentine week: spread some glue, sprinkle some glitter, and have some sugar!

 

It's Valentine's Day

by Jack Prelutsky

Illustrated by Marilyn Hafner

 Jack Prelutsky once again gives readers a book of poetry that celebrates a holiday from a child's point of view with It's Valentine's Day. Full of poems about scissors, glue, kids friendships, and chocolate, this book truly gets to the heart of how the pint sized set like to celebrate.

From I Made My Dog a Valentine, to My Special Cake,  Prelutsky writes poems about the real life of kids and the things that have most likely happened to them. The poems are humorous, fun to roll off the tongue and read over and over again. Paired with entertaining illustrations by Marilyn Hafner, this book is sure to be a perennial hit each and every February.

 

In this Issue

• Chocolate Playdough

  

Chocolate Playdough

For this special Valentine issue we are combining our craft and recipe. Although it could be considered a recipe, it is not edible; it's simply fun to create and play with. For an edible recipe that is pretty close to play dough, try these delicious No Cook Chocolate Valentine Hearts.

Thumbprint Heart

Playdough rope, formed into a heart

Chocolate Playdough

Adapted from The Imagination Tree. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon cream of tartar
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup boiling water

1. Mix together the flour, salt, cocoa powder, and cream of tartar in a medium bowl.  
2. Stir in the oil, then the boiling water. Stir with a wooden spoon until dough comes together. 
3. Once the dough is cool enough to handle (this should only take a few minutes) remove from bowl and knead until smooth.
4. Play! Use cookie cutters, rolling pin, and any other creative tools to play with the chocolate play dough. Store in an airtight container. 

 

For more Valentine fun, check out these other love-ly books we have featured:

On The Day It Rained Hearts by Felicia Bond, Cornelia Augusta gets caught in the most unusual downpour and is thrilled with the situation. She collects as many hearts as she can hold in her hands and in the pockets of her slicker and then takes her hearts home to put them to good use.

Get in the spirit of Valentine's Day with The Valentine Bears by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Jan Brett. Celebrating Valentine’s Day is a tradition Mr. And Mrs. Bear have always missed due to their long winter nap. Determined to not miss it yet again, Mrs. Bear makes preparations very early, then sets her clock for the special day.