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If you were stranded on a tropical island and had to pick two foods to eat for the rest of your life, what would they be? Mine would probably be veggie pizza and chocolate. Hopefully, there would be some fruit around, as well. Hey, in Italy I once had a dessert pizza with chocolate covered fruit!
There aren't too many people who don't like pizza or chocolate. Just think about how many different versions of each there are, and how many creative ways they can be served. So, whether the special dad in your life likes meatballs or pineapple on his pizza, I hope today's post will inspire him to read and play with your child...
Just thinking about the book, Pete's a Pizza, by William Steig, brings back so many memories. I absolutely LOVE this book. How can you not adore a book that has you smiling, giggling, and interacting with your child? Believe me; parents will not be able to resist bringing the acting out of interACTING after reading this book.
One word of caution, though: repeat performances are part of the package. I never got tired of bringing pizza to life with this book, though, and I doubt you will either. The toddler and preschool years go by so quickly, and Pete's a Pizza is one book that will give you so many precious memories with your young children.
Dads will also enjoy reading the fractured fairytale, The Princess and the Pizza, by Mary Jane Auch, with their children (ages 4 - 8). What I love about this book is that there's no damsel in distress here! This princess is a problem solver and a budding entrepreneur. As she leaves the prince behind to do greater things with her life, she inspires us all.
Another great picture book that dads might enjoy is Pizza for the Queen, by Nancy F. Castaldo. It's one book that might inspire dads to do some cooking with their children! They'll learn some history along the way, too...
The icing on the cake here is that pizza can also be a great tool to teach math. Dads can find creative ways to use a real pizza to talk about fractions. For example, if there is one piece remaining of an 8 slice pizza, then 1/8 of it is left. If there are 4 pieces remaining, then 4/8, or 1/2, of the pizza is left.
A great product which can be used to introduce the concept of fractions to 5 - 8 year olds is Learning Resources Piece-a-Pizza Fractions. Even three year olds will enjoy playing with, and even sorting, the different slices. While 4 to 6 year olds can be introduced to halves, it can also be used to help older students with quarters and eighths. Even 10 and 11 year olds sometimes have a difficult time understanding that 1/8 is less than 1/4 is less than 1/2 (since the denominator gets smaller), so it's great for them to be able to compare the sizes and see the difference with their own eyes.
Another game dads might enjoy with their older children (9 and up) is the Pizza Fraction Fun game. This game takes fractions to the next level and helps children to learn about equivalent fractions, and adding and subtracting fractions, as well.
If your child (ages 4 - 10) does not like pizza, perhaps s/he would like the picture book, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, by Judi Barrett. Just imagine what it would be like if food fell from the sky! This picture book is so popular that it's been made into a movie, which is set to be released in September 2009. You can view the trailer here.
For some other Father's Day ideas, try these previous posts:
- Need Some Laughs? Turn to Comic Books and Graphic Novels
- Father's Day Read Alouds: Boys, Men, and Insects
- Father's Day Read Alouds: A Trip Around the World
- Father's Day Read Alouds: More Baseball Fun and Games
So, what two foods would you choose if you were stranded on a tropical island? Oh, the idea of a beach and a pizza sounds pretty tempting right about now...