A heart-warming, culturally themed book, On Mother’s Lap is a great choice for any preschooler expecting a new sibling. Lots of educational opportunities present themselves in this book because of the Inuit (Eskimo) culture presented in the illustrations. The text, however, is applicable to any family situation, making this book a valuable story for any preschooler.
On Mother’s Lap Author and Publisher Information
On Mother’s Lap is written by Ann Herbert Scott and illustrated by Glo Coalson. The ISBN number is 0-590-46889-8 and published by Scholastic, Inc.
On Mother’s Lap Story Summary
On Mother’s Lap is a tender story about a mother and her two children. The oldest, a boy name Michael, enjoys sitting in his mothers lap. Throughout the book he brings his favorite toys and blanket onto mother’s lap with him. And they rock back and forth. Then mother wants to bring the baby to her lap and Michael is worried there won’t be room. At the end of the book, we discover that mother has room for all on her lap, and that it “feels good” to be together as a family.
Story Stretching Educational Ideas for On Mother’s Lap
- Culture – Inuit (Eskimo)- On Mother’s Lap, while relevant to any family, is set in an Inuit culture. The doll in the book, has a furry parka on when Michael goes to get it off the shelf. Michael’s warm blanket is made of reindeer fur. Outside the window in the second-to-last picture, there are people playing in the snow and pushing a dog sled. This is a perfect chance to explain other cultural habits.
- Playmate Discussion – Favorite Toys – Through the course of the story, we see Michael collect some of his favorite toys and items from throughout the house. Find out some of your preschoolers favorite toys and personal items. Do they have a special place where they are kept?
- Animal Jobs – Dog Sledding – One of the things that Michael brings to Mother’s lap is a puppy. When looking at the artwork of the inside cover of the book, you can see sled dogs pulling a wooden snow sled. This gives us a great opportunity to explain to preschoolers how some animals have important jobs and can help humans. Show a video clip of dog sledding in action, if possible, and talk about how the thick fur keeps the dogs warm in the snow.
If desired, or if time allows, talk about some of the other jobs that canines have in our world. Saint Bernard rescue dogs, German Shepherd police canines, guard dogs, herding dogs, etc.
- Family Love – Special Time With Mommy - In the book On Mother’s Lap, Michael and his mother have special time rocking in the rocking chair together. You can tell that it is something they’ve done together often. Ask the preschooler what special things they do with their mother.
- Life Changes – Sometimes life brings changes. Maybe you have to move to a new house, get a different car, or a new sibling. Find out what changes have impacted the life of your preschooler lately. In the book, On Mother’s Lap, Michael discovered that even with a new baby in the house, he was still able to do his favorite activity. Ask your preschooler whether they are still doing the things they enjoy.
Buy your own copy of On Mother’s Lap from Amazon.com
For more Educational Story Stretchers for Preschoolers consider this ebook with more than ten stories detailed.
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