Brundibar Story and Opera - Overcoming Adversity

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for details.

We had tons of fun with the Poppins Book Nook blog series last year and we will be continuing that fun all throughout 2015. This month's theme was, "Composers" Keep reading to learn more about the books we read, craft we made and grab your FREE journal page. There is also a giveaway at the end of the post! To check out all of our past Poppins Book Nook posts click here.

Books:
This month we read Brundibar by Maurice Sendak. This book is based on the Czech opera of the same name (which is slang for Bumblebee), with libretto  by Adolf Hoffmeister, set to music by Hans Krasa. The opera was completed in 1938, and performed 55 times by the children of Terezin, a Nazi concentration camp. Krasa who was Jewish, was also imprisoned in Terezin. He died in Auschwitz in 1944.

Brundibar is a great story and a good way to introduce children to the holocaust since the composer was a Jew who lived and died in a concentration camp. The story however is not about the holocaust and teaches important lessons on bullying, friendship, self esteem, overcoming evil and more.

The story itself is a simple one. It is a story of two children who must find help for their sick mother in impossible circumstances. The town bully, Brundibar, prevents them from reaching their goal until a bird, a cat, and a dog advise them to join with their friends and work together to defeat the bully. The children join together, and good wins the day. This is not high drama.

We also utilized our Usborne Geography Encyclopedia to learn more about Germany and the Czech Republic.

Other book recommendations:

-Second World War Cards
-Second World War Sticker Book
-Story of the Second World War
-The World Wars


FREE Resources:
Here are some further resources for learning about this book as well as the holocaust.

-Brundibar lesson plan
-PBS - Brundibar and holocaust lessons
-WWII films for children
-Brundibár - The Children Opera - Holocaust Survivors back on stage!!!
-Original footage -Hans Krása: Brundibár - children's opera and Brundibar Clip   
-Brundibar: A Children's Opera

Crafts:

For our craft we made friendship necklaces since friendship and sticking together is one of the important lessons learned from the book.

Materials:

• Yarn
• Connecting puzzle pieces (we used what we had on hand...I would recommend getting blank ones like these)
• Markers
• Scissors
• Hole Punch

Instructions:

1. Decorate the puzzle pieces and write "best friends," "friends forever," etc on the pieces.
2. Punch a hole at the top of the pieces.
3. String a piece of yarn through the hole.
4. Give one piece to a friend. 

Free Journal Pages:
Here is a biography journal page and music journal page which both complement this book nicely. Download your copy by clicking on the the pictures below.

Here is a list of the wonderful bloggers participating in the Poppins Book Nook be sure to visit them for more fun ideas:

Enchanted Homeschooling Mom - 3 Dinosaurs - ABC Creative Learning - As We Walk Along the Road - Brain Power Boy - Chestnut Grove Academy - Embracing Destiny - Every Bed of Roses - Farm Fresh Adventures - Growing in God's Grace - Kathys Cluttered Mind - My Bright Firefly - Peakle Pie - Preschool Powol Packets - Pray Species - SAHM I am - Stir The Wonder - Sunny Day Family - Sweet Silly Sara - Teach Beside Me - To the Moon and Back - Tots and Me - Tree Valley Academy - Witty Hoots

Note the Score with your Favorite Composer Giveaway!
Composers are important to music because they write the music the musician play in their orchestras, bands, and groups. This month the Poppins Book Nook is bringing Composer themed storybooks to life with fun activities and more! Every month this group will be offering readers a chance to win a brand new storybook or product that ties in with our theme for the month. This month one lucky entrant will win the Note the Score with your Favorite Composer Giveaway. The winner will receive one copy of The Story of the Orchestra by Robert Levine. So let’s all get our instruments ready and bring composer themed storybooks to life in this month with the Poppins Book Nook!

Entrants must be 18 years or older and reside in a country that receives U.S. Postal mail. This giveaway is brought to you by the company Enchanted Homeschooling Mom who is owner and founder of the Poppins Book Nook. By entering this giveaway you are also acknowledging that you have read and agree to all of the PromoSimple terms & conditions as well as Enchanted Homeschooling Mom's disclosures found here. 

Just enter the PromoSimple below to win:

Image attribute: Melonheadzdoodles CollectiveCreation

Homeschool Community - Friends and Groups

*This post contains affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for details.

Welcome to day 3 of the 5 day homeschool essentials blog hop. Homeschool essentials will be different for every homeschool family. So make sure you visit the other TOS crew members to see what their essentials are. I hope you enjoy this blog hop series and find some helpful information along the way!

Be sure to stop by everyday this week to find out what our other homeschool essentials are.

Our homeschool friends and our amazing homeschool group with 115 families is definitely a homeschool essential for us. Friends and groups are not only important for the children but also for me. Having the support of other moms who understand the daily joys and struggles I am dealing with everyday is very important!!! And this applies to both my online and "in real life" friends. I am blessed to have an amazing close knit group of homeschool mom friends who I meet with on a weekly basis. But I also treasure my many online homeschool mom friends too. There are several that I have met IRL (in real life) but the majority of them I have only spoken with online via social media. My friends are part of my support system and a big part of what keeps me going, especially on the rough days. Each and every time I need them I can count on at least one (often more) of them to be there to listen to me and offer advice. When we began homeschooling in 2011 my husband insisted that I make friends (something I have always had a hard time with since becoming a mom) and that I get out of the house at least once a month for some "alone time". Thank goodness a fabulous homeschool group popped up at the beginning 2012!!! I met some of the most amazing women who I not only became great friends with but who I can also sneak out of the house with once a month for some much needed "alone" time!


That crazy stereotype about homeschooled children being unsocialized always makes me laugh...hysterically. My kids have way more friends than they ever would if they were in public school. Those 115 families in our homeschool group each have 2+ kids...that's a lot of friends and acquaintances. And I love that not all of their friends are the same age as them. They have younger friends and older friends all whom they get along great with. They see several of their friends at least once a week for various events such as parties, clubs, fieldtrips or play dates. And my children have no problem making new friends. It doesn't matter where we go they will make a friend even if it is an 80 year old lady. They cherish their friends and rely on their friends just as much as I do mine!

If you are not part of a homeschool group I highly encourage you to search Yahoo Groups and Meetup to try to find local groups in your area to connect with...or perhaps start your own.

Also be sure to head over to Schoolhouse Review Crew Blog to see what else is essential to homeschoolers across the globe!

Here are a few quick links to some of my bloggy friends:

Shalynne @ Wonderfully Chaotic
Jody @ Because I’m Me
Melanie @ A Year of Jubilee Reviews
Emilee @ Pea of Sweetness
Nikki @ Angels of Heart
Sara @ Embracing Destiny
Heather @ Only Passionate Curiosity
Jennifer @ Simblissity Cottage
Kathy @ Kathys Cluttered Mind
Annette @ A Net in Time

What is essential in your homeschool?