How to Make a Homemade Book

What You Need:

• Old magazines or catalogs
• Scissors
• Glue or tape
• 8½ " x 11" paper
• Stapler
• Pen

What You Do:

1. Cut the sheet of paper in half horizontally to create two 4¼" x 5½" sheets. This creates an eight-page (including the cover) book. If your child desires a longer book, add more sheets of paper.
2. Place the cut paper in a stack and fold it in half so the short edges meet.
3. Open the folded paper again and staple vertically on the fold 2–3 times to hold the pages together.
4. With your child, thumb through old magazines or catalogs and cut out small pictures that spark their interest. Have her choose enough pictures so that there will be one for each page.
5. Have your child select a picture for the book’s cover and glue it to the front page. Ask your child to tell you about the picture, and together brainstorm a title for the book. Help write the title on the cover. Ask leading questions to spark creativity, but encourage them to come up with the idea themself!
6. For each page of the book, have your child glue on a picture. Prompt your child to explain what is happening in the picture, then help them write a simple sentence or two about it on the page.
7. When moving on to the next page, help your child sequence the story by asking transition questions, such as “And then what happens?” or “What does he do next?” When you reach the last page of the book, ask your child, “How does the story end?”

Once the book is completed, read the entire book together with your child. They will delight in seeing the fruits of their clever imagination!