The Button Box

By Margarette S. Reid
Illustrated by Sarah Chamberlain

In The Button Box, a little boy's visits to his grandma's house are filled with wonder and imagination as he goes through her button box. His imagination takes off as he thinks up the many places the buttons have come from, all the way from the robes of kings and queens to grandpa's winter coat. As young readers also discover the many ways that buttons have been made, their imaginations will be sparked as the see everyday objects in a new way.

While this is a great read any time of the year, we thought The Button Box was especially appropriate for November because it celebrates family traditions and relationships. As the excitement of the holiday season starts to kick in, this is a perfect book for some quiet together time with your young reader.

In this Issue

A Button Treasure Box

Pinterest Picks: Buttons

Button Soup

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A Button Treasure Box

Does your young reader have a tendency to collect very small but very important treasures* that can easily be misplaced? Creating their own treasure box can help them to keep these tiny items safe and give them a wonderful sense of ownership.

Also, do you have lots of partially used scraps of construction paper that are just too good to throw away (*see "collect very small but very important treasures," above)? The method we used for decorating the bottom of the box is wonderful for using up and showcasing those precious scraps of paper. We chose to use colors inspired by the fall harvest and Thanksgiving, but young readers can choose whatever inspires them.

And in keeping with the theme of the book, we decorated the top with an assortment of eye-catching buttons. Between tearing the paper, gluing on the scraps, and placing and attaching the buttons, this is a great project for building fine motor skills. Perhaps the buttons on the box will inspired young collectors to add a special button or two to the treasures inside!

A Button Treasure Box

Supplies

Small box, we used a tea tin

Assortment of colored paper or magazine pictures

Glue

Buttons

Tear paper into pieces of desired size. Glue pieces of paper to cover the sides of the box.

Glue buttons to the top of the box.

Let dry.

FIll with treasures.

Related Activities: Shape and Feel McDuff Collage, Cereal Box Nature Tote

Button Whirligig

Try making your own button whirligig just like the one in the book! Or here's a neat one we found on Etsy!

Pinterest Picks: Buttons

Button Soup

November is the perfect soup month, and Button Soup is the perfect accompaniment to the Button Box. The imagination kicks in as the round foods transform into a variety of buttons!

Button Soup

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 cup chopped onions, about 1 medium

2 cups sliced carrots, about 3 large carrots

1 cup thinly sliced small or new potatoes

1 cup green lentils, picked over and rinsed

4 cups tomato juice

2-3 cups water

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sliced carrots and cook until onion is softened, about 10 minutes.

Add lentils, sliced potatoes, tomato juice, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and partially cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, until lentils and potatoes are done.

Serve hot, perhaps with round oyster crackers!