Stories about Bizzy Bones

Jacket art © 1984 by Stella Ormai and is reproduced with permission.	Bizzy Bones and Uncle Ezra is the story of a young mouse who lives near a stone wall on the edge of a field and is afraid of the wind. It was inspired by Justin who was very afraid of the wind as a young child.
In this book Bizzy tries to drum out the sound of the wind. (Check out the family album page and you will see that now it is Justin who enjoys playing the drums.) When Uncle Ezra decides he must help Bizzy get over his fear of the wind he starts a secret project that depends on the wind in order to work just right. This book is out of print now, but you can still find it in libraries.

If you look inside the covers of Bizzy Bones and Uncle Ezra you will see a map of where Bizzy and his Uncle Ezra live. Some children like to use this map as a starting place and make a three dimensional map of Bizzy's neighborhood with green cloth for the grass, a small shoe for Bizzy's home and so forth. Or you might want to make a map of your neighborhood.

Making a Windsock

Bizzy was afraid of the wind. We cannot see the wind but we can see it working, moving leaves, branches, kites and windsocks. You can make a windsock yourself with sturdy paper and strips of lightweight cloth or crepe paper.

1. Cut a piece of sturdy paper into a rectangle 6" x 18".
2. Decorate the paper with markers, crayon or paints.
3. Glue on one of the 18" sides strips of lightweight cloth or crepe paper that you have cut to be 2" (or so) by 24". Leave about 1 inch between each strip.
4. Fold the 6" x 18" rectangle around to make a circle and staple or tape together.
5. Put one inch squares of tape in two places opposite each other on the top of the windsock. Make a hole in the center of each square of tape. Tie string through the holes so you can hang your windsock.

Jacket art © 1986 by Stella Ormai and is reproduced with permission.

Bizzy Bones and Moosemouse is the story of Bizzy's overnights with Uncle Ezra's friend Moosemouse, a loud and boistrous mouse whose home smells like bugs and bad potatoes to Bizzy. They do get to be friends but not before Bizzy has a scare and gets soaked in a rainstorm My family and I have spent quite a few nights camping and also have been soaked in rainstorms. I remembered this when I was writing Bizzy Bones and Moosemouse.

Jacket art © 1988 by Stella Ormai and is reproduced with permission.

Bizzy Bones and the Lost Quilt is a story of Bizzy losing his favorite quilt. Uncle Ezra tries to suggest a replacement but Bizzy knows that nothing can replace the quilt he takes with him everywhere he goes and must have before he can sleep at night. They look for the lost quilt until Bizzy is so sad he walks straight into a Canada thistle. Uncle Ezra doesn't know what to do but the Orchard Mice have a solution.

You may wish to read these books that feature quilts:

• Coerr, Eleanor. The Josefina Quilt Story. Illustrated by Bruce Degan. Harper, 1986.
• Ernst, Lisa Campbell. Sam Johnson and the Blue Ribbon Quilt. Illustrated by Lisa Campbell Ernst. Lothrop, 1983.
• Flournoy, Valerie. The Patchwork Quilt. Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. Dial, 1985.
• Johnston, Tony. The Quilt Story. Illustrated by Tomie dePaola. Putnam, 1985.
• Jonas, Ann. The Quilt. Illustrated by Ann Jonas. Greenwillow, 1984.
• Polacco, Patricia. The Keeping Quilt. Illustrated by Patricia Polacco. Simon, 1988.

One book about quilts also includes projects you can make:

• Cobb, Mary. The Quilt-Block History of Pioneer Days: With Projects Kid Can Make. Illustrated by Jan Davey Ellis. Millbrook Press, 1995.

Check out these sites for other quilt project ideas:

You may wish to create a quilt of your own. This quilt was made by some second grade students who created quilt blocks depicting their favorite stories. They used fabric paint to paint their pictures on cotton cloth. Parents volunteered to sew the squares together.

Design a Quilt. -- Integrating mathematics and quilt stories.

Washington Story Quilts. -- A unit used in a first & second grade multiage class at Sunnyside Elementary School in Pullman, Washington, USA.

Quilts and Children's Literature. -- A unit first published in Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Newsletter (Volume 1, Number 3. October 1996, page 2.)