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An Animal Harvest
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Humans are not the only
ones who “harvest” and save food to eat later during the winter. Animals,
too, collect food to see them through the long winter months. Chipmunks and
squirrels store nuts and seeds. Foxes bury leftover meat and berries in
underground troves. Hibernating animals eat lots of food to store up fat to
live on while they sleep. |
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Share the animal fantasy book
Possum’s Harvest Moon by Anne Hunter with your child for a fun depiction of
the preparations made and celebrations held by a group of animals at harvest
time.
What you need:
• Possum’s Harvest Moon by Anne Hunter
What you do:
• Show the cover of this book to your child and have him or her point out
Possum.
• Read the book aloud, asking your child to pay attention to what Possum
wants to do and what the other animals are busy doing.
• Discuss the idea that work is important, but so is spending time with
friends to celebrate each other and all the things we have. Note how the
beauty of the harvest moon inspires the animals to attend Possum’s Harvest
Soiree after all. And not only do they come, but they invite more friends,
too!
• Have your child select one of the animals talked about in the book (mice,
crickets, raccoon, frogs, or fireflies) and draw a series of three detailed
drawings to show what this animal was doing before the party to prepare for
winter, during the party to celebrate the harvest moon, and after the party,
for winter. (For example, the mice gathered seeds, made a party dish of
berries, and then went home to sleep for the winter.) Suggest that children
use the book illustrations, the text, and their own prior knowledge and
imaginations to draw their own pictures.
What you can talk about:
• Talk to your child about the harvest moon, the full moon that happens
nearest to the autumnal equinox, when days and nights last an equal amount
of time. Note that this moon was first called the harvest moon because its
bright face lit the autumn nights and gave farmers several more hours of
light in which to harvest their crops.
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