Using Kindergarten and Elementary Lesson Plans Based on Books from Kevin Henkes's A Box of Treats

Posted by Renee Carver Feb 13, 2009

At first glance, the five small books found in Kevin Henkes's boxed set A Box of Treats might seem to appeal only to babies, toddlers, and preschool children. However, the plots and characters are sophisticated enough to capture the interest of older children, and each book can also act as the focus for a content-area lesson plan for Kindergartners, first graders, or even second graders.

The books in the set are linked because each book takes place on a different holiday and centers on the fate of a different treat. Sheila Rae's Peppermint Stick [HarperFestival, 2001] narrates how Sheila Rae comes to share her Christmas peppermint stick with her younger sister, Louise. Julius's Candy Corn [HarperFestival, 2003] tells what happens to the candy decorations on some Halloween party cupcakes. Owen's Marshmallow Chick [HarperFestival, 2003] portrays how Owen bonds with a special candy chick from his Easter basket. Wemberly's Ice-Cream Star [HarperFestival, 2003] describes how Wemberly cleverly solves the problem of how to share a Fourth of July ice-cream treat. Lilly's Chocolate Heart [HarperFestival, 2004] explains how Lilly finds the perfect place to store a Valentine's Day treat.

For more information about the specific themes found in each book, see my book review of A Box of Treats.

Kindergarten teachers and parents of Kindergartners can use:

• Owen's Marshmallow Chick in a math lesson to teach how to match and sort objects by color.
• Julius's Candy Corn in a math lesson to teach subtraction.

Elementary teachers and parents of elementary students can use:

• Sheila Rae's Peppermint Stick in a math lesson to teach fractions and division.
• Sheila Rae's Peppermint Stick in a writing lesson to teach how to use adjectives in descriptive writing that appeals to the five senses.
• Lilly's Chocolate Heart in a writing lesson to teach how to write with prepositional phrases and adjectives to describe locations.
• Wemberly's Ice-Cream Star in a science lesson to teach how matter changes states from a solid to a liquid.