It Came from Under the High Chair: A Mystery by Karl Beckstrand

It Came from Under the High Chair... fully known as It Came from Under the High Chair – Salió de Debajo de la Silla Para Comer: A Mystery in English and Spanish... by Karl Beckstrand is a funny book that children who speak either English or Spanish can enjoy.  It features Ivan, a messy baby, who drops food under his highchair.  Somehow this food magically comes to life and becomes an icky, ooey-gooey, slimy food monster.  Read on to learn more about It Came from Under the High Chair and to find an ooey-gooey slime recipe inspired by the book!

Disclosure: Affiliate links to Amazon are included in this post.

Author's Summary

A mysterious visitor brings intrigue, excitement, and laughs to a biracial family. Elena is a sensible child. Unlike her whacked-out brother Benjamin, she sticks to reason and facts—but not for long. Elena’s practical world is about to be turned on its ear thanks, in part, to her baby brother Ivan…and an unusual guest! Get this gross humor book in Spanish, bilingual, hard/soft/ebook versions. A multi-racial monster book with Filipino and Polynesian children, a mixed-race family, and a Basset Hound. A picture book of prepositions, monsters, and heroes—with finding/counting activity, Spanish-English pronunciation guide, and online SECRETS.

🍎 Title: It Came from Under the Highchair: A Mystery
🍎 Author: Karl Beckstrand

🍎 Illustrator: Jeremy Higgenbotham

🍎 Publisher: Premio Publishing and Gonzo Books

🍎 Date: May 21, 2019

🍎 Pages: 36

Karl Beckstrand writes a large portion of his children's books in both English and Spanish. In It Came from Under the Highchair, the pages have both English and Spanish on them. This is great for English and Spanish-speaking children to practice reading in their own languages. It's also great for English-speaking children who are learning Spanish and for Spanish-speaking children who are learning English. (ESL teachers... check this one out!)

Prepositions

Throughout It Came from Under the Highchair, the author makes a point of using a lot of prepositions in both English and Spanish.  In some versions of the book, you will be able to see each preposition highlighted in red.  At the end of It Came from Under the Highchair, there is a glossary of prepositions and how they translate into English and Spanish.  

What is a preposition?  A preposition is a word or a group of words that usually describe the position of something.  Prepositions can also describe when, how, or the possession of something.  Here is a list of commonly used prepositions (English only), many of which can be found in It Came from Under the Highchair:

(To download a FREE copy of this graphic organizer, please click on the image above. Clicking on this image will take you to the Teachers-Pay-Teachers third-party website. This is a FREE download-- no purchase necessary.)

Let's Make a Food Monster!

The food monster that emerges out from under the highchair steals the show and essentially becomes the main character.  Children love reading about the places where the food monster hides, its antics, and how the family in the story gets worked up!  As a fun follow-up to the story, why not work together to make your very own ooey-gooey, slimy food monster?

You will need:

• two cups of water
• one 4-ounce bottle of glue
• one teaspoon of borax
• food coloring (optional)
• embellishments for additional color and texture (optional)

Directions:

• Take two small bowls and pour one cup of water into each one.
• Add the borax into bowl #1.
• Add the glue to bowl #2.
• Pour the contents of bowl #1 into bowl #2.
• Add your embellishments and food coloring, if desired.
• Mix everything together with your hands and have fun!
• Store your slimy food monster in an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator when you are done playing with it.

Have you read It Came from Under the High Chair – Salió de Debajo de la Silla Para Comer: A Mystery in English and Spanish and have additional ideas for teachers and parents to try?  Tell us about it in the comments below!

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