Folksinger, musician and storyteller Seeger first told this story-song to his children over 20 years ago and has now written it as a book. It's based on a South African lullaby and folksong, yet it's too rollicking and exciting to lull a child to sleep. A ukulele-playing boy and his magician father are always getting into mischief, so they are banished to the edge of their town. There they have an opportunity to redeem themselves when Abiyoyo, a horrible, people-eating giant approaches the village. The story is so lyrical that Seeger's voice can be heard on every page. Hays, in his first picture book, creates a beautiful multicultural village. His sea of many-colored faces and costumes is exhilarating and expressive. The giant Abiyoyo is massive and jagged-toothed, but childlike and nonthreatening.
A magical week of Abiyoyo! Magically the camera did not upload the pictures of the first three days of school this week. Monday the 4kers created a magic wand by string beads on a chenille stick and wrapped them around a stick. We have been talking about a variety of magic words, abracadbra, hocus pocus, bippity boppity boo, ala cazam, etc. Tuesday we watercolor painted pictures of Abiyoyo. Wednesday was a 3 part pattern day. This is tricky stuff.
Lastly on Thursday we made magic calming sensory bottles. I was able to save these photos
