Peanut’s Bedtime Adventures

Welcome to the STEMHAX Book Spotlight. Today we are exploring Peanut’s Bedtime Adventures written and illustrated by Corri Lynne with contributions from Dr. Mike Watterson. This book would be an excellent addition to any early childhood classroom or homeschool library.

Kids enjoy reading the same book over and over again, so having a physical copy on hand is a great idea. My 4 year old granddaughter had previously seen the read aloud video on the STEMHAX YouTube Channel. When she came to visit me I picked this book and she exclaimed, “you have the real book!” She loved the read aloud version but was even more excited to turn the pages with me. This version can be purchased on Amazon.

Overview

Peanut’s Bedtime Adventures is about a simple mindful technique children can use when their minds are racing at bedtime. “Peanut can’t sleep. She is too excited about tomorrow! She tries everything she can think of to help her fall asleep, like jumping on the bed and singing a song, but nothing seems to work. Luckily, Winnie the whale has an idea: a trip to the Sleepy Sea to swim with the Sleepy Mermaids. Join Peanut and Winnie as they breathe deeply, relax their bodies, and use their imaginations to get ready to sleep.” – excerpt from book cover

I love this book as children learn they can control their minds though the simple breathing technique shared in Peanut’s Bedtime Adventures.

Peanut’s Bedtime Adventures – Read Aloud

The STEMHAX read aloud on YouTube is perfect for children who want to follow along with the book. This version has simple animations that help bring the story to life!

Exploring Peanut’s Bedtime Adventures with Young Learners

First, start with a book cover inspection. Show children the cover of the book and ask, “what do you think this book is about?” Follow this with some open-ended questions to get their minds warmed up.

• What does adventure mean to you?
• What are some of the reasons it is sometimes hard to fall asleep?
• What are some of the things you do before going to bed?
• What are some things you have tried to do to fall asleep?

After reading the book for the first time, ask more open-ended or fact checking questions. Remember there are no wrong answers. Some questions might include:

• Why did the author title the book Peanut’s Bedtime Adventures?
• What are some of the bedtime things Peanut and Winnie do?
• Who is taking Peanut on an surprise adventure?
• Why is Peanut unable to fall asleep?
• How does Peanut try to fall asleep?
• Where does Winnie suggest Peanut take an adventure?
• How does Peanut eventually fall asleep?

Vocabulary

• surprise – An unexpected event, fact or thing.
• vibrate – Quickly moving back and forth or up and down.
• adventure – An exciting experience or activity.
• relax – To become calm or comfortable.
• imagine – To dream up an image in your mind.
• graceful – Beauty of movement in a smooth and relaxed way.

Extend the Lesson

The following resources are a fun way to extend the reading of Peanut’s Bedtime Adventures. Here are some free hands-on activity ideas to get you started.

Peanut’s Bedtime Adventure Coloring Page – FREE Download

Free coloring page with the original art from Peanut’s Bedtime Adventures. Simply visit the STEMHAX TPT Store and download for free.

Why do We Brush Our Teeth? – Health for Kids from SciShowKids

The following video is from SciShowKids and shares the reasons why we brush our teeth. Peanut and Winnie brushed their teeth as part of their bedtime things in Peanut’s Bedtime Adventures.

HINT: Please watch all videos before sharing with children.

Easy Homemade Soft Serve Ice Cream – Slurp-Slurp-Slurp

As Peanut’s mind races with excitement she imagines eating ice cream with Grammy. Try making some homemade soft serve ice cream with your children. It is a fun science experiment that you can enjoy on a hot summer’s day! This video is from PBS Parents.

Belly Breathing: Mindfulness for Children – Teach the Teacher

Sometimes we use techniques to help calm ourselves. Children will benefit from learning how to belly breathe. This video can be used to help teachers to teach very young children how to utilize belly breathing techniques. Older children will appreciate watching the video. Peanut uses belly breathing to calm her mind to fall asleep.

How to Draw a Mermaid – Swim with the Sleepy Sea Mermaids

Art Hub for Kids is kid friendly and your students will love this how to draw lesson. You will need to pause the video periodically to allow students catch up. Let them know this ahead of time so there is minimal frustration. This video could allow the student to draw their own sibling or a friend.

FREE Read Aloud Book Report

Need accountability in a listening or iPad center? Check out this FREE Book Report available in my TPT Store for download. 

Q&A with Corri Lynne

During the collaboration process I was able to interview Corri Lynne. This is only a glimpse of Corri Lynne’s humble beginnings as a children’s picture book author and illustrator.

STEMHAX: Corri Lynne can you tell me a little about your background?

Corri Lynne: My name is Corri Lynne. I am an author, an artist, and a lover of books. I grew up in a humble home in a tiny town in rural Pennsylvania. When I was not outside running wild through the woods, you could find me with my head in a book, painting, or drawing. I studied psychology and art at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and graduated from Tony and Guy Hair Academy for hair and color design. In my early twenties, I battled with some issues due to unresolved childhood trauma and PTSD. In the midst of this dark time, I had lost my ability to draw completely… I had not regained my ability to draw until about four years ago when a very talented therapist gave me the assignment to draw… Every time I would try to draw, I would just get really upset. But I told her I would try. That night, I got my dusty art supplies out of the closet and set about my task. As I put the pastel to the page and began a messy scrawl… all the pain transferred from me to the page, and it set me free. The block had been broken, and in the following months and years, a flood of repressed creativity had continuously flowed. Eventually, I decided to merge my love of literature, storytelling, and drawing to become a children’s book author and illustrator.

STEMHAX: How did you come up with Peanut’s Bedtime Adventures story?

Corri Lynne: Meditation, mindfulness, and understanding the mind-body connection were a huge part of my healing journey. Because of this, I knew I wanted my first book to be a fun, engaging story that introduces children to some techniques like deep belly breathing, self-soothing touch, body scan, and visualization. My brother, Dr Mike Watterson, also teaches and uses these techniques to help his clients, so I asked him if he would like to collaborate with me on the book. The inspiration for the characters is based on my husband’s and my little bulldog Peanut and the adventures that her real-life Grammy would take her on.

STEMHAX: In what application is this book meant for children?

Corri Lynne: Peanut’s Bedtime Adventures introduces mindfulness and meditations to children in a fun, engaging story format that incorporates whimsical fairytale-like elements.

STEMHAX: What age group is the book written for?

Corri Lynne: Ages 3-6

STEMHAX: Creating successful picture books for children is not an easy task. What inspired you to become a children’s author?

Corri Lynne: I have had a long-standing love affair with books of all kinds. My favorite genres have always been young adult and children’s picture books. I have always had a writing practice, mostly writing poetry and journaling, and as I discussed before, drawing was my favorite creative medium. Even though I was expressive in all these ways, I still was not fully satisfied and felt something was missing. As I began exploring the idea of writing and illustrating a picture book, I knew I needed more education. I took a year, went to an online illustration school, took some writing workshops online, and prepared myself for the pursuit. I completely fell in love with the art of storytelling through words and pictures and have been running with it since.

STEMHAX: Will there be more books in the future?

Corri Lynne: Yes! Evelyn and the Magical Button is in its last stages of editing with my editor. It is a story near and dear to my heart about a young girl who gets bullied and struggles to make friends in school. Every day at school is hard for Evelyn, but this one particular day is even worse than all the rest. When Evelyn runs to the library to hide, she finds a magic porthole that changes everything. I am also working on a story outline about a little Appalachian witch named Saddie that I am very excited about.

STEMHAX: Do you have a memorable book from your childhood? 

Corri Lynne:  I can never pick just one when it comes to books. But when I was four or five years old, my mom read The Hobbit to me. She would read a little bit every night before bed. I fell in love with the characters, and when the book was over, I cried because I missed them. I also will never forget the first time I read James and the Giant Peach. Everything about the book, from the magical realism to the illustrations and characters, is still something that I love in books today.

STEMHAX: Where can people find you?

Corri Lynne: I can be found on my Website: corrilynne.com or Instagram: corrilynneillustration

STEMHAX: Is there anything else you would like to add? 

Corri Lynne: I had no idea this would be the path I would take as an artist, but I am so happy that I ended up here. Making children’s books has been such a fun and rewarding career. The thought that my books are or will be on kid’s bookshelves all over the country and that those same books might play an important role in a kid’s life is just incredibly cool. I can’t believe how lucky I am to be able to create for a living and to be with someone who does the same! I am so excited to share all of the things I make with kids and their parents and teach everything I’ve learned to those who want to take a similar path in life. Thank you so much for reading and keep an eye out for a lot more from me!

Coming to a Bookstore Soon

Corri Lynne has so many books to share with the world. Her next book is due out this year. Check back often as Corri Lynne releases new books, we will update them here, with a giveaway, too!

Evelyn and the Magic Button

Thank you!

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