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"Frog, you are looking quite green." "But I always look green," said Frog. "I am a frog." "Today you look very green, even for a frog," said Toad. "Get into my bed and rest." Toad made Frog a cup of hot tea. Frog drank the tea, and then he said, "Tell me a story while I'm resting." "All right," said Toad. "Let me think of a story to tell you." - ARNOLD LOBEL   As a Montessori teacher and administrator for some 21 years, I became a huge consumer of children's books and passionate for picture book classics. Early in my pre-primary teaching career I began pulling favorite children's books from the classroom library and placing them on the shelves in all of the learning centers. Each book was displayed with a companion learning activity that I created to extend the experience of the book for the children. I was fortunate to have my husband, a professional artist, involved with the illustration of many of these materials. My staff and I joyfully read to individual children and small groups throughout the day, using both a one-on-one reading approach and a shared reading model, especially effective for our Montessori kindergartners. We used the extension activities to support reading presentations to five year olds, and based the decision to use the extensions on readiness and interest when working with three’s and four’s. Thus, all of the children were exposed to quality children’s literature which evoked interest and enjoyment, while also receiving skills instruction relative to their reading experience. There was also an added benefit - adults love reading picture book classics, too! (and hoard them into personal collections, as I do). So a true love of reading was the constant model in our classrooms. And so we have the inspiration for Montessori Images - integrating the teaching of skills in the context of favorite children’s classics. I hope our materials will support your enthusiasm for reading to young children and inspire you to make time for reading every day. Your feedback is welcomed. Rita About Our Location and Wood Products The shores of the Chesapeake Bay provide an inspirational setting for our M'Images art studio. We are situated on 23 forested acres which have been placed in a conservation and stewardship program. As part of our stewardship of the land, we mill and construct our wood products on site using only fallen, storm-damaged trees that lay across our access road. A history of the tree used is included with our wood products.