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Oral Language

Introduce the book. Read aloud the title of the book and names of the author and illustrator. Talk about the pictures on the cover and ask your child what he sees. Point out that the word “Blues” in the title is actually blue and ask what color the other words are in. Ask your child if he knows what “the blues” are and if he or anyone else he knows has ever had them. Does the boy on the cover look like he has “the blues?”

Oral Language

Discuss what you read and see. As you read, talk about the ways the words and illustrations capture different moods and feelings. How do the colors change on the pages? How does the boy look on the page when he says he had “the go away, Mr. Sun, quit smilin’ at me blues?” How does he look on the page when he has the “runnin’ my hand along the hedges greens?” Ask your child about what it could mean to feel blue or green or pink. How are those feelings reflected on the pages? Explain any words, like “indigo” and “drapes,” which may be unfamiliar to your child.

Beginning Writing

Ask your child to draw how he feels today. Provide paper and an assortment of crayons or markers, so that your child can choose the colors that best fit how he feels. As your child draws, ask about what he’s drawing and about the colors he’s using. Connect or compare the colors with those used in the book for certain feelings. Help your child write his name and word for the feeling he feels today.

Looking for more books about feelings and emotions? Try these:

• Today I Feel Silly and Other Moods That Make my Day
  
• Julius, the Baby of the World
• Leo the Lightning Bug
• The Lonely Scarecrow
• The Otter Who Loved to Hold Hands
• Thunder Cake
• How Are You Peeling? Foods With Moods

Explore more reading activities for 5-year-olds, or take the Reading BrightStart! Preschool Reading Screener. The screener can help you determine if your child is on the path to reading readiness, and provides a free plan for moving forward.