Alison's Zinnia Word Activity

Spring Children's Book Project With Lobel's Flower Alphabet

Jan 16, 2009 Melissa Roberts

Two children's book activities inspired by Anita Lobel's children's picture book, Alison's Zinnia, encourage children to create their own page from the book.

Anita Lobel's lush illustrations and flowery alphabet in Alison's Zinnia offer more than a clever children's springtime tale. Alison's Zinnia is a source of fun and activity for children. Combine the following project ideas with reading Lobel's picture book for literary fun to enjoy this spring or any time of the year.

Word Activity With Alison's Zinnia

Anita Lobel shares her formula for each page of Alison's Zinna in the book's postlogue- "girl-verb-flower." The following activity adapts "girl-verb-flower" so that each reader can step into the pages of Alison's Zinnia.

Supplies Needed:

• Enough paper for all participating
• Writing utensils

1. Read Alison's Zinnia aloud to child or group of children, inviting children to enjoy Lobel's illustrations and drawing attention to the various flowers.
2. Distribute paper and writing utensils. Encourage child to write his/her name at the bottom of the paper, then to circle the first letter of the name.
3. Next, ask the child to think of an action word that begins with the same letter as his/her name. Brainstorm some possibilities. Tell the child that he/she must be able to do this to a flower. Write the action word at the bottom of the page to the right of the child's first name.
4. Take turns going around the room and letting the children play-act the word on the page. For example, if Katie kicks, encourage Katie to kick her leg in the air. Say the action aloud as the child does it- "Katie kicks"- and encourage the child or children to repeat. (For older children, explain that this action word is called a "verb.")

The next activity can be an extension of the Word Fun Activity or a separate endeavor.

Supplies Needed:

• Enough paper for all participating
• Pencils for drawing
• Markers, crayons, or paints of many colors
• Images of flowers, from a flower guide or online. (May help to seek specific images ahead of time based on the first letter of the child's name.)
• Photocopied page from Alison's Zinnia as a template

1. Read Alison's Zinnia to children (if haven't already), allowing time to enjoy the illustrations.
2. Brainstorm flowers that begin with the same letter as the child's first name. Use a flower guidebook or do online research for assistance. Use a nickname or child's middle name if the first name is too difficult.
3. Write the name of the flower beside the child's name and a verb beginning with the same first letter on the bottom of a piece of paper.
4. Ask child to think of a friend or family member he or she would like to give the flower to. Write that individual's name at the bottom of the piece of paper, in imitation of a page from Alison's Zinnia (see photocopied page template or book).
5. Next, draw a line directly above the words on the child's page.
6. Provide a picture of the flower the child selected, and encourage him or her to draw and color the flower onto the sheet of paper. The child may also draw a picture of himself or herself giving the flower to the person selected, if room and time allows. The end result should be a page from Alison's Zinnia personalized with the child's name and drawing.
7. If desired, let the child present the picture to the person he or she selected as a gift.

For more spring reading fun with Alison's Zinnia, try Alison's Zinnia and a Trip to the Florist.

Source:

Lobel, Anita. Alison's Zinnia. Greenwillow Books, New York, 1990.

The copyright of the article Alison's Zinnia Word Activity in Children’s Books is owned by Melissa Roberts. Permission to republish Alison's Zinnia Word Activity in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Zinnia avenyn