It is raining outside, but Erica wants to go out. Without a raincoat or rain cap, even going against her mothers earlier request, she goes out with a hat made out of folded newspaper. Her adventurous day begins as she steps out of the house and meets challenges that brings out her resourcefulness and courage. Oh, what a young mind can do with a newspaper! A firefighters helmet? A boat to take her across the street? Is that possible? Let Grandma tell the story again.

This picture book combines the story with paper-folding directions so that readers can memorize the story, and tell it using paper folding. Paper folding is an old art form that mixes stories with actions and usually provides a surprise ending to the delight of the audience.

Reading the story with paper-folding activities encourages parent-child bonding and enhances language literacy, creativity, and memory skills.

About the Author

Annette Gagliardi is an educator in a large public school in its Early Childhood and Family Education (ECFE) program. She is also a writer and a poet. She has two poetry books and one self-published childrens book, The Three Betty Goats Griff. In 2001, she co-authored a parenting curriculum titled, Raising Children with Roots, Rights, and Responsibilities. She and her husband have four daughters and six grandchildren.