The New(s) Room Archives

FEATURES FROM NOV. AND DEC. 07

On this page you will find lessons on how to draw different sea creatures plus a holiday story.

FEATURE FOR THE WEEK OF DEC. 16th

Read the story of Kris Mouse

'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

That is, except for Kris Mouse, a tired little mouse trying to stay awake. He knew Santa was coming (he kept a calendar and crossed off every day till Christmas). It was hard to stay awake. So he tried to think about things, like why do people always leave cookies for Santa Claus? Why don't they leave cheese? How many cookies can Santa eat on Christmas eve? If most everybody left cookies, how many cookies would that be? He wondered and wondered; it was a perplexing question. He thought so much, he tired his little mouse brain and got drowsy and fell asleep.

He dreamt it was Christmas day, and nothing was left in his stocking. A big tear slid down his little mouse face. "Gee whiskers," he said, "I didn't even get a crumb of blue cheese" (which he didn't even like). "How could Santa forget me? I've been a good mouse all year. I've kept my mouse hole clean and tidy, and I always try to do a good deed every day."

Suddenly, the alarm on his little wrist watch went off. "Wow," he said, "it's still Christmas eve! I must have been dreaming." He looked at the tiny wrist watch with a smile. His grandmouse had given it to him for his birthday. (He was a very kindly old mouse, who lived in a nearby field, and visited him often).

He always told Kris Mouse, "It's good to know what time it is, whether you live in a mouse hole or a field, becuase you have to know if it's morning, noon or night, or you might eat your breakfast for supper." Kris Mouse wondered if Santa had a watch. Maybe Santa was so busy giving presents to everyone else, he never got a present. He decided to give Santa his watch. Even a little mouse could give up something for Santa. The idea made Kris Mouse happy and he sang Jingle Bells all the way through. READ MORE

FEATURE FOR THE WEEK OF NOV. 24th

DRAW A BLUE CRAB!

Blue crabs are found all over Chesapeake Bay. In the summer, blue crabs spawn in the lower Chesapeake Bay where the water is the saltiest. If you were a crab you would be molting (changing) your shell all the time. This is how the blue crab grows. In the winter, a blue crab buries itself in the mud. Kinda messy, but it stay warm!

FEATURE FOR THE WEEK OF NOV. 3rd

DRAW A HORSESHOE CRAB!

The horseshoe crab has been on the earth for over 300 million years, so the crab you're drawing now looks the same as its great, great, great, grandfather crab.

Horseshoe crabs come out of the water during a full moon in the spring to lay lots of bright green eggs in the sand. They move very slowly on the sand. When the baby crabs hatch, they return to the water. Draw lots of little crabs on the beach.

FEATURE FOR THE WEEK OF OCT. 24th

DRAW A HERRING!


Years ago Chesapeake Bay was filled with lots of schools of herring returning from the ocean to spawn (make little herrings). Because of pollution, too much fishing and the building of dams, less herring return to Chesapeake Bay each year.

If you have a drawing or poem you would like to send us, just put your FIRST name, age and place in the world you live (not your address, just town or city and state or country) on the back, and send it to Chunky Monkey, P.O. Box 64, Absecon, NJ 08201. Your art cannot be returned, so please don't send originals of anything you want to keep.