I had never heard of Mark Shasha’s first picture book before. That’s why I love Five in a Row so much: it introduces us to such beautiful stories! This story is about the author’s childhood in which he helped out at his grandmother’s popular diner during the day, and returned a moonjelly to the deep ocean by night.

The things we added to the curriculum that were super-fun:

1. Making Our Own Diner, of course!

2. Making a sensory bin: (Note to self: it’s really not necessary to add sand to an ocean-themed sensory bin ever, ever again. Your children will have just as much fun with a bin full of shells and glass beads. And you will be much, much happier.)