Dig In!

Title: Dig In! 
Author: Cindy Jenson-Elliott 
Illustrator: Mary Peterson 
Publisher: Beach Lane Books 
Publication Date: March 1st, 2016 
Genre/Format: Fiction/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: Dig in to this vibrant picture book that celebrates all the surprises found down in the dirt!

I dig in the dirt...and find a seed.
Seed waits.
I dig in the dirt...and find a spider.
Spider runs.

Explore all of the creepy, crawly, dirty, muddy, green, and growing things that can be found outside in the garden. From pill bugs to worms to leafy green sprouts, young readers will love discovering the muddy garden habitat within the pages of this book—and outside in their own backyards!This sweet and playful celebration of outdoor exploration is a perfect read aloud for story time.  
What I Think: Little Bean and I enjoyed predicting our way through this repetitive down-in-the-dirt picture book! This is a perfect book for little ones to talk about what they might find in the dirt and to try and predict what they find in the dirt. We especially had fun talking about words like sprout and pill bug - we call them rollie pollies! And I've heard them called doodle bugs. Even a simple text can be great to spark discussions, build vocabulary, and get kids brainstorming their own ideas for stories. 
     As a mentor text, you can read this book and invite kids to write their own dirt adventure stories or maybe they write a similar style book with a different setting instead!
Read Together: Grades Pre-K - 1 
Read Alone: Grade Pre-K - 1 
Read With: Up, Tall, High! by Ethan Long, The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli
Writing Prompts: Write about what you have discovered in the dirt!  
Topics Covered: Integration - Science, Discovery, Exploration 

I *heart* It:

*Thanks to Simon & Schuster Children’s Books for 

a copy of Dig In! in exchange for an honest review!*