Festive gift books for kids to make and give

Instructor, Nov-Dec, 1997 by Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord

Add some holiday spirit to your language arts program with kid-crafted books that are fun to make and to give. The four projects shown here, all based on the same simple accordion fold, resemble cards, but they open to reveal more than just a greeting. In different ways, they allow students to think and write about what this special time of year means to them.

HOW TO MAKE THE BASIC BOOK

MATERIALS

* a 5 1/2-by-17-inch strip of paper for the interior

* two 4 1/2-by-5 3/4-inch pieces of heavier paper for the covers

* scissors, glue, markers, colored pencils, crayons

Encourage students to experiment with other materials such as rubber stamps, potato stamps, glitter, stickers, computer printouts, and paint. Making ties with colorful ribbon or yarn and beads provides a nice touch.

STEPS

1 Fold the paper in half.

2 Fold on flap in half by bringing its edge to meet the fold.

3 Turn the paper over.

4 Fold the other half the same way.

5 Attach the covers by centering and gluing heavier pieces of paper to the exterior faces of the book.

Students can cut the books into unique shapes, such as a snowman or a bell. Just be sure they don't sever the folds.

POETRY CHAPBOOK

Poems are perfect for gift books because so much can be said in very few words. Any kind of poem will do, but here is a form, similar to haiku, that works nicely with the book's folds.

line 1: a noun line 2: two adjectives line 3: three verbs ending in -ing line 4: two adjectives line 5: a noun connecting back to line 1

DESIGN TIPS

Use stiff paper and no separate covers. Punch three holes through all layers of the folded book and weave pieces of yarn through the holes, as shown. Wrap excess yarn around the folded book.

RHYMING RIDDLE FLAP BOOK

Riddles are always fun, so why not create whole books of them? Students can write riddles in two or four lines of rhyming verse, focusing on holiday customs. For example:

Give me a whirl. Give me a spin. If you're lucky, you might win Who am I A dreidel

DESIGN TIPS

There's room for four flip-up riddles in this book. To create flaps, you will need four pieces of 3 1/2-by-8 1/2-inch paper folded in half. Write riddles on the front of the flaps, and punch lines on the inside. Glue the riddles into the book and illustrate them, as shown in the photograph.

"HOLIDAYS AT YOUR HOME" BOOK

How does your family celebrate the holidays? What foods do you eat, songs do you sing, decorations do you hang, stories do you tell? This book allows children to answer these questions through words and pictures. You may want to encourage kids to think of each page as a room in their home - they could depict making cookies in the kitchen, singing carols in the dining room, trimming the tree in the living room, and watching for Santa from the bedroom window.

DESIGN TIPS

Make the book in the shape of a house. If students are too young to cut their own form, give them a pattern to trace.

MEMORY BOOK

The holiday season is a time for looking back as well as enjoying the moment. This book provides a way to collect and preserve cherished memories. Students can write their own recollections, or they can interview family members and devote a page to each one. Encourage students to speak to relatives from different generations to get a sense of how holiday traditions change over time.

DESIGN TIPS

This book has a ribbon that ties around the front. Before gluing on the back cover, center a 24-inch piece of ribbon between the back cover and last page of the book. Decorative borders, text-related illustrations, and bold headers for each page are good design elements to consider.

Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord is an educational consultant specializing in integrating bookmaking into the curriculum. She is the author of Multicultural Books to Make and Share (Scholastic, 1994). To order a copy for $15.95, call (800) 223-4011.