Read, Rhyme and Sing

The Star
I work at a public library and teach at a Lutheran preschool, so I get to do a lot of different material--especially at holiday time. I made up a super simple star flannel board story rhyme. The kids loved it so much, we made them each a set as a Christmas gift.

You'll need several felt stars in a variety of colors. You'll also need a baby Jesus. Since I was in a hurry (as usual) and the space available for hiding something behind a star is limited, my baby Jesus is simply a circle with a smiley face. If you tell them it's Jesus, it's Jesus. Here's the rhyme:

The wise men travelled very far,
Is Jesus under the (color) star?

That's it. I just read Little Owl and the Star, A Christmas story by Mary Murphy. I wish I had it the day I introduced the rhyme. In the book, Owl has a waiting feeling and befriends a star in the sky. Owl and star encounter three men on camels and later some shepherds, "Follow us," said the star. And they did. When owl arrives at the stable and sees the smiling baby, the waiting feeling disappears, and the star fills the world with light.