Sweet Dreems Children's Books

The text in this book tells a fun story about Gregory, and you probably noticed that the illustrations tell more of the tale!  There are so many interesting things to find!  Every illustration has the name of the month hidden in it, as well as animals/items that represent holidays or other interesting aspects of each month.  The full I-Spy Guide appears below, and includes links to sources/further information/activities.  

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Or you can click                    for a printable list of what to look for in each picture.  

 

Parents, caregivers and teachers may want to use this book and I-Spy Guide at the beginning of each month as a jumping-off point for discussing the holidays and significant aspects of history and nature relevant to that month!  

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January:

1. A book about Martin Luther King, Jr. for 
2. A noisemaker, for New Year's Day.
3. A snowy owl.                    come from the Canadian Tundra, but often visit New Jersey and other east-coast beaches in January for food.

 

February:

1.  Heart shapes for Valentine's Day.
2.  A stovepipe hat for Lincoln's birthday and 
3.  A book about                a civil rights leader, in honor of her birthday and 
4.  A book about                         a women's rights leader born in February.
5.  A Mardi-gras hat; the                holiday is also called 'Fat Tuesday.'
6.  Chinese Lanterns for 
7.  A groundhog. Groundhogs hibernate in the winter. It is a tradition for groundhogs to peek out of their hidey-hole in February and, if they see their shadow, uh-oh! Six more weeks of winter. No shadow means an early spring!

 

March

1.  A leprechaun for St. Patrick's Day, along with his hat and pot of gold.

2.  Four-leaf clovers, also for St. Patrick's Day.

3.  A clock, springing forward, for 

4.  A banner for 

5.  Cherry-blossom buds on one tree.                           came to the United States from Japan.

6.  An eagle and its nest.                   hatch in March.

 

April

1.  Funny glasses and a fake nose for April Fool's Day.

2.  An                  and colored eggs.

3.  The little mice are going to work with their Mama and Papa for “take your child to work” day. Can you guess what each  parent mouse does for a living?

4.  The mice are using recycled items from nature as umbrellas, for 

5.  A brown bear and two cubs; bears come out of hibernation in April.

 

May

1.  The maypole is for  

2.  A red poppy for 

3.  A sombrero for 

4.  A Mothers' Day gift.

5.  A red-headed woodpecker and a nest; woodpeckers lay their eggs in May.

 

June

1.  An American Flag for 

2.  A Fathers' Day gift.

3.  A fairy for                                      which happens on the longest day of the year.

4.  A rainbow ribbon for love.  

5.  A fox and her kits (babies); the best time to spot kits playing is June.

 

July

1.  Fireworks and sparklers for Independence Day.

2.  A little information about the members of Gregory's band and the other animals in this month: These critters are “beneficial,” meaning that they help food and flowers grow in the summer. Spiders, ladybugs, click-beetles, and decollate snails get rid of pests that destroy plants; bees pollinate plants, which means that they help make new plants; grasshoppers and caterpillars eat plants (uh-oh), but then grasshoppers fertilize soil, and caterpillars turn into butterflies, which pollinate plants, like bees!

 

August

1. A peach; peaches ripen in August and many towns have                 during this month.

2. A humpback whale mother and baby; these whales can be seen all along both coasts of the U.S., as well as Canada in August.  

3. Diamondback terrapins – mama and baby;              hatch in August.

4. Two sandpipers;                 spend most of the summer in the Arctic, but they start their migration south in August.

 

September

1.  An apple tree with a honeycomb on it; apples are ripe for picking in September, and to celebrate                   , Jewish people eat apples with honey.

2.  A hardhat for 

3.  A               Bluebirds lay their last “clutch” of eggs in September.

 

October

1.  Costumes and trick-or-treating for Halloween.

2.  A spyglass and hat for Columbus Day.

3.                 symbolizing the first frost.

4.  A               ; bats are the only mammals capable of true flight; they begin to hibernate in late October.

5. A                               ; these creatures are not usually around as late as October, but in recent years, they have been spotted this late in some areas of the US.  

 

November

1.  A gratitude note, feasts, and Gregory is dressed like a turkey, for 

2.  A clock falling backwards to reflect the end of Daylight Savings Time.

3.  An Uncle Sam hat for 

4.  A red, white and blue ribbon for 

5.  A deer; male deer have their full antlers in November.

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December

1.  Mistletoe, which is a symbol of the                    it is a tradition for people to kiss under it!

2.  A dreidel for 

3.  A tree and Santa's cookies/milk for Christmas.

4.                 which is used in celebrating  

5.  A white wolf; December is an ideal time to visit wolves at the                          in NJ.

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