Our First Book Club!
(Fall Book Club Paw Cast Kids!)
It was mid-October in Seattle, but the weather was unprecedented—in the upper 70’s. The day was a perfect gift from nature. The positive energy was palpable as the sun gave warmth and the promise of life to everything touched by it’s rays of light. The Kubota Gardens was being visited by nature enthusiast near and far, and the first group of Paw Cast Kids gathered one by one with excitement and anticipation.
“Do you all know what it takes to make a good story?”, I asked. They all raised their hands eagerly. Everyone had something to share. Kids are natural story tellers and it showed! They raised their hands with confidence, and just couldn’t wait to share all they knew about the makings of a good story. With that, we began our walk through the gardens sharing stories.
The story I shared was about a plant who spent half their life in a farmer’s nursery and the other half in the Kubota Gardens. The plant didn’t realize how special they were until it was too late! Luckily, the Paw Cast Kids are smart and I think they will avoid making the plant’s mistake. At the end of the story, the kids shouted out the moral right away— “don’t forget you are special, unique and perfect just the way you are!”.
As we gathered into our Book Club circle, the kids were so excited to show their own stories, books and illustrations they brought with them to share. There was so much creativity and confidence in that circle. I was so impressed by the way the kids gave each other their attention and support as they all took turns sharing. (Read to the end to see the gallery of special books the Paw Cast Kids recommended during circle time.)
After the Book Club circle it was time to move around for some much needed story play time. The kids got to choose their own make-believe props, create their own story as a group, and then perform for one another. They had a blast! It was hard to get them to stop!
In our second Book Club circle, the Paw Cast Kids got to meet Sunny and Root, Sinaya’s pet rabbits and inspiration for the Paw Cast. No, the real Sunny and Root couldn’t make it, but with a little bit of puppet magic, they stole the show! The kids roared with giggles and cheers when Sunny and Root made their surprise appearance. Our littlest Paw Cast Kid came up and gave puppet Root a hug and pat on the head. Can I just say that my Paw Cast Mama heart completely melted!! That is a moment I won’t ever forget, along with so many other special moments from this day.
Before ending the circle and moving on to our craft project (making custom book marks), each Paw Cast Kid shared one challenge the Earth is having right now, and one thing Paw Cast Kids can do to help fix it. Lightbulbs were going off in a whole new way! These kids were so passionate and knowledgable, it just warmed my heart. Our future looks bright with them in it! We sang the Tree Song (I wrote specially for the Book Club—check out the lyrics in the picture above), and the kids ended the song with a big cheer. Sinaya later told me how happy she was to know that other Paw Cast Kids care about the Earth as much as she does. We are so excited to continue to grow that Paw Cast Kids community and engage in Earth Love projects together.
After circle time, we jumped right into our first Earth project. Each kid signed our poster to help save the trees of Deadhorse Canyon. We later shared this poster at the “Into the Canyon” event where more kids added their signatures. These Paw Cast Kids are making sure the city hears their voice— “We all say save the trees of Deadhorse Canyon!”. Visit the Deadhorse Canyon at Lakeridge Park and see the poster now hanging at the entrance kiosk for all visitors to see. (To learn more about the trees under threat, see the resource linked below.)
Thank you to each Paw Cast Kid who came to the Book Club and made this a special day we will never forget!!!
We look forward to sharing many more special moments as we continue to grow the Paw Cast Kids community through special events that celebrate stories, animals, earth and fun! In the meantime, have some fun family story times by checking out these books below. They were Paw Cast Kid recommended at the Book Club! :)
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Here are some Links/resources!
We highly recommend subscribing to the Earth Bound Journal to help kids protect and connect with our Earth! It’s packed with all the things Paw Cast Kids love (stories, animals, Earth, fun) and you can even get your kid’s creations featured. Check it out!
If you want to learn more about protecting the trees of Deadhorse Canyon in Lakeridge Park of South Seattle, under threat, visit Friends of Deadhorse Canyon’s website.
Follow us @pawcastkids on social media for more ways to inspire kids to help make the Earth and themselves paw-some🐾! Don’t forget to check out Sinaya’s book “Come Meet the Rabbits: A Paw Cast Kids Animal Adventure”. Your kids will have a blast as they learn lessons about gardening, friendship, and life to help make our world a better place. Filled with fun, laughs, lessons, and facts, this story is sure to brighten your bookshelf and make you a Paw 🐾 Cast Kid! Your purchase helps Sinaya on her mission toward environmental justice. Purchase HERE
(Blog author Ayana is a proud mother, wife, nurse, homeschooling parent, and mother to Sinaya, author, environmentalist, and owner and creator of Paw 🐾 Cast Kids. Sinaya and Ayana co-create content for Paw 🐾 Cast Kids to make our kids and our Earth paw-some🐾!)