This off-season #flannelfriday was inspired by Andrea’s Multi-Purpose Tree last week. Her post offers several great ways to use this pattern, and when I saw it I realized it’s a great match for one of my favorite fall books:
Fall Is Not Easy by Marty Kelley
I liked this books when even before I used it in storytime. I thought it was very silly and creative, but I could not have predicted my storytimers reactions. They went bananas!
Out of respect for the author, I won’t write out the full text here. Here are the highlights:
In this story, we (the readers) follow a tree through the changing seasons. According to the tree winter, spring, and summer are a snap. S/he knows exactly what to do:
Winter
Spring
Summer
…but fall is difficult. Each time I switch the leaves, I squinch up may face as if I’m trying really hard to magically transform
...s/he tries...
...and tries...
...and tries...
...and tries...
...Until finally, s/he did it!
It's time to relax... Phew!
Once again, winter is easy.
I took some liberties with the images you see in the leaves. I could always make more if necessary. Honestly the possibilites are endless. Anyway, easy peasy… I can’t wait to try this one in the fall.
Happy Flannel Friday! The magnificent Katie is hosting Flannel Friday Roundup this week, so check Secrets and Sharing Soda for great storytime ideas.Oops! That’s the wrong Katie! Sorry, I meant this blog: Storytime Secrets
Storytiming 
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September 9, 2011 at 4:43 pm
I love the flannels! I use this story as a springboard for an art project with my third graders at the beginning of the year. As a bonus, it decorates my walls for a while. 🙂 We make treetops using paper plates, draw a simple design on them and fill in with tissue paper squares – the old pencil top technique. Then we add cutout paper trunks to finish them. They are so dimensional and colorful and are FULL of personality!
September 10, 2011 at 9:00 pm
That’s a great idea for a fall craft. Thanks for sharing.
August 9, 2011 at 7:21 pm
HOW did I not know about this book? The smiley faced leaves are cracking me up. Can’t wait to order it and put it in our storytime kits with a flannel! Thank you! SO much better than all the boring “what do we do in the fall?” books out there.
August 9, 2011 at 7:33 pm
total genius, right? but it’s one of those hidden classics! In the book version, the hamburger kills me every time (I chickened out for the flannel). this is one of the first books I ever read in prek storytime, and it never fails.
July 8, 2011 at 10:41 am
Haha, you had the right Katie, just the wrong blog. Secrets & Sharing Soda and Story Time Secrets are both mine. 😉
July 2, 2011 at 11:24 am
I have always loved this story. I never even thought of making it a flannel board. Now I’m really excited to make one, thanks for the idea!
July 1, 2011 at 8:16 pm
We usually do this with story cards. I like the flannel version!
July 1, 2011 at 10:25 am
This is my favorite fall book and I bet it will be a great flannel for you!