Books About Animals
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Book Review & Lesson Plan: This “Bad Dog” Will Leave Your Kiddos Howling
(This post contains affiliate links. A purchase through these links supports Preschooligans at no additional cost to you and helps us continue to provide free educational resources. Thank you!) I stumbled across Bad Dog by Mike Boldt (find at your local library or purchase on Amazon) at a local bookstore early last year. I’m always in search of new books for our various themes, and I had our “Pets” unit on the brain. When I found myself giggling out loud page after page, I knew I had to add this one to our school library.
This adorable book stars a gap-toothed little girl and her new “dog” Rocky (spoiler alert: Rocky is actually a cat). She proceeds to explain why Rocky is not a good dog. Rocky won’t go on walks, Rocky won’t sit or listen or do tricks. Rocky is just a bad dog.
What makes the book so funny are the joyful and frustrated looks on her face as she earnestly details Rocky’s failings as a dog. And equally hilarious are the expressions of abject exasperation and irritation on the face of Rocky, who cannot explain the obvious to her new owner — that she’s not actually a dog, thus, why she is so bad at being a dog.
This is a good one for a pet unit because it invites the questions of what qualities make a “Good Dog” and a “Good Cat” and we’ve created an enrichment activity below that you can use to track your kiddos’ responses.
This one had our kiddos howling with delight as once again they found themselves smarter than a book character — this is a common theme in favorite books in our classroom. I like that they get to learn about cats vs. dogs, and I like that it starts them talking about their own pets. Anything that gets them talking and sharing is a plus in my book.
(Below please find a list of reading comprehension questions and vocabulary words. This list is not exhaustive, and it may spark additional questions from your kiddos. As always, we recommend that you scaffold based on your age group and the wigglies of your kiddos.)
*Downloadable/printable copy of the book/lesson plan below*
Reading Comprehension Questions
Before you read: Show the cover, “What do you think this book is about?” You will get a lot of answers that it’s about a cat. Then read the title. “What do you think this book is about now?”
As you read: On the first page, where the little girl says she got a pet dog for her birthday, point to the cat — “What do you think Rocky the cat is thinking here? What does her face make you think she’s feeling? Why do you think Rocky doesn’t like other dogs? Why do you think Rocky likes sticking her paws in the fish tank? Why do you think Rocky likes playing in the fish tank but doesn’t like bath time?”
After you read: Why do you think the little girl thinks Rocky is a bad dog? What is the actual reason that Rocky is a bad dog? What makes a good dog? What makes a good cat? Do you think Rocky would make a good cat? What do you think the little girl means at the end when she says that Rocky would make a good cat “most of the time”?
Vocabulary Words
- fur
- pointy
- listen
- fetch
- shake (as in a hand)
- paw
- delivered
Enrichment Activities
Literacy: Good dogs? Good cats? What exactly makes a good dog or good cat? Encourage your preschoolers to think about what qualities make a good dog or cat with our free Good dogs & Good cats can/have/are printouts you can download below.
Art (and Math): Our “Bad Dog” cat face art activity is constructed from common shapes. Download the template below. You have several options for this project: Print the template on white paper and have children color, cut out and assemble the pieces; print the templates on assorted colored papers, cut, and mix the different-colored pieces up; or print the template onto cardstock, cut and trace the shapes onto various colors of paper. Or, if you have a die cutter, you can also use your own shapes to create the cat face using the template as a guide.
- Blog, Book Lesson Plans, Books About Animals, Books About Seasons/Holidays, Counting, Literacy, Math, Measurement, Reading, Small Groups, Writing
Book Review & Lesson Plan: You Get A Tree! And You Get A Tree! In “Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree”
Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree by Robert Barry, (purchase a copy on Amazon or find at your local library) is quite possibly my all-time favorite Christmas book to read to my pre-k kiddos. It’s chock-full of flowery, descriptive vocabulary words (glistening! splendid! magnificent! mincemeat!) and jaunty rhyming prose. It’s long, for sure, but so worth it as the illustrations are super cute, and there are many comprehension activities you can do to extend the learning.
(This post contains affiliate links. A purchase through these links supports Preschooligans at no additional cost to you and helps us continue to provide free educational resources. Thank you!) Fair warning, though, you may have to explain some high-brow terms like “parlor” and “butler,” to your kiddos, but Mr. W’s bougie environs notwithstanding, this book rules.
Anyway…back to our story. Mr. Willowby has a giant tree trucked in, but oops, he failed to pre-measure and lo and behold, that big boy is scraping his 19-ft parlor ceiling.
So, like a man who knows he better act fast or he’s going to find himself in a tux atop a Little Giant ladder scraping off pine sap and applying a coat of touch-up paint, Baxter the Butler lops off the top of the tree. The ceiling is no longer in jeopardy, the tree looks lovely, and Mr. W goes on his merry way.
But that’s just where the story and the fun begins. This little lopped-off tree top makes its way through assorted residents of Mr. Willowby’s town — human and animal alike. First Baxter takes it to sweet Miss Adelaide, the aforementioned upstairs maid, but it proves to be too big, so she lops off the top and tosses it out. Gardener Timm ambles by the trashcan, picks up the discarded treetop and takes it home to Mrs. Timm, where, yes, they find it’s just a wee bit too big. The top is chopped off and tossed out, and that’s when the animals get involved. Gradually the tree top works its way to the home of the tiny mice who live in Mr. Willowby’s parlor (how is it Baxter hasn’t found them yet?), and it ends with everyone getting to enjoy a bit of Mr. W’s tree.
The treetop wends its way through six families after it leaves Mr. Willowby, so the book does get a little long. But it’s a heart-warming story, and it does encourage sharing, even though no one in the story is aware they are actually sharing (except Baxter, of course. That must be why he let those mice stay, he’s a softie at heart.)
We love this story for older 3s, 4s & 5s!
The subtle theme of reducing, reusing and recycling also gets a nod here — ahead of its time since the story was originally written in the mid-20th century. And finally, the animals demonstrate sheer joy at being together in the holiday season, as they celebrate finding the bits of the tree. That’s the best part of the story in my opinion, because it truly captures the holiday spirit of being with the ones you love.
So much to love about this wonderful story!
We’ve put together a packet of learning extension activities you can download below. And the downloadable version of the lesson plan is there as well. Enjoy!
(Below please find a list of reading comprehension questions and vocabulary words. This list is not exhaustive, and it may spark additional questions from your kiddos. As always, we recommend that you scaffold based on your age group and the wigglies of your kiddos.)
*Downloadable/printable copy of the book lesson plan below*
Reading Comprehension Questions
Before reading: Show the cover. What do you think this story is about? Can you figure out what is going on in the picture? What do you think this character (point to Mr. Willowby) is thinking? Why do you think he’s making this face? What is a “character” in a story? How about a “main character?”
After reading title: Point out Mr. Willowby. What do you think is going on with his Christmas tree?
While reading: I usually say “Uh oh, what happened when they put up their tree?” as each of characters find their tree is too big for their space. I also ask “What should they do?” each time, so the children can interact, and they get the hang of it as each character’s tree gets lopped off and put out for another. There are also a number of complex words that may need to be defined to your students depending on their ages (some suggested ones are listed below).
After reading: How would you have fixed Mr. Willowby’s Christmas tree? Would you chop off the top too? What’s another way to make the tree smaller? If you chop off the bottom or trunk instead, would others be able to share in the tree as well? What’s a way you like to share at the holidays? How about the rest of the year? Did you notice that the characters were reducing, reusing and recycling? How were they doing that? Since a tree was cut down in the beginning, what would be a good way to ensure there are more trees in the future? What are other ways we can reduce, reuse and recycle at Christmas? How about the rest of the year?
Vocabulary Words
- glistening
- dashed
- magnificent
- splendid
- parlor
- terrible
- butler
- glee
- trim/trimming (as in “decorate”)
- delighted
- snipped
- snug
- padding (as in “walking”)
- drowsily
- hunk (as in a large piece, not the “attractive person” kind)
- tinsel
- spied
- scampered
- mincemeat
- den
- merrymaking
- nook
- mistletoe
- grand
Enrichment Activities:
We have created a whole package of reading and math activities to go with this wonderful story. Our Companion/Extension Activities pack includes beginning/middle/end, count & color, cutting & ordering, and patterning activities to name a few. It’s free to download below.
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Book Review & Lesson Plan: Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus!
(This post contains affiliate links. A purchase through these links supports Preschooligans at no additional cost to you and helps us continue to provide free educational resources. Thank you!) We’re pretty sure, if you spend any time around preschoolers, you already know Pigeon. And those who know Pigeon, love Pigeon. Yes, we’re talking about Pigeon from Mo Willems’ Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus (find at your local library or purchase from Amazon) and many other Pigeon stories. We love Pigeon here, and we love Pigeon books, and hey, we love pretty much ANY Mo Willems book, but those are blogs for other days.
Back to Pigeon, if you aren’t familiar with him, Pigeon is a slightly cranky, slightly self-absorbed, very persistent protagonist who really just wants to drive a bus. Never mind that Pigeon doesn’t have opposable thumbs, isn’t in possession of a valid Class B Commercial Driver’s License, and that his feet don’t reach the pedals. None of this matters to Pigeon, who simply wants to drive the bus.
Now Bus Driver has been down this road before. Clearly, he has had run-ins with Pidge and knows that as soon as he leaves to get his cup of coffee or whatever he has to go do, Pidge is gonna show up and try to go all Sandra Bullock and commandeer the bus. So to head off this eventuality, Bus Driver asks us, your friendly and conveniently located onlookers, to make sure that Pidge doesn’t try to drive the bus.
It’s a simple request, right? We will probably just sit here and chat and only half pay attention to the bus. Kinda like when mom asks you to watch her purse while she runs to the ladies room, right? Sure, Bus Driver, you got it. Now where were we?
Heh heh. Well now, if that’s what happened, we’d have no story, would we?
Opportunistic Pigeon recognizes a tenderfoot when he sees one. And he is all over that in a heartbeat. In fact, he’s probably been lying in wait all this time. First he tries to be coy, chummies up to us readers, and delicately asks if he can drive the bus. This question is generally met with an explosion of “NOs” from your real-life audience. And so it begins.
We love this book for 3s and Pre-K!
Pigeon, affronted at being shut down so unceremoniously, proceeds to throw at us a litany of wheedling preschoolisms: “Pleeeease, I’ll be careful!”/”I’ll be your best friend!”/”Just one time around the block!” before he desperately resorts to cash-money bribery, followed by threats of going over our heads to mom, rounds it out with a healthy dose of good old-fashioned guilt, and finally ends with the full-blown mother-of-all-toddler-reactions — the screaming tantrum.
All the while, your joyous and raucous audience is generally howling in amusement at his gradual descent into full, unfettered, completely unhinged meltdown. (Because they’ve certainly never been the ones to do this before, right?) And this is the hook. Pigeon displays all of the reactions, feelings, emotions and unfiltered angst that every preschooler can relate to.
It’s why Pigeon books are so popular with the preschool crowd. Pigeon displays a slightly-lower-than-the-average-preschooler’s sensibility, so the preschool crowd instantly recognizes “Hey, I’ve got it together way more than this guy.” They see the fallacy in his logic and they’re empowered to tell him what to do and what not to do.
And man, he’s funny. He makes us laugh. His failures and frustrations make us laugh. He’s also a little bit naughty. And he doesn’t listen so well. And he’s fairly confident that he’s right (when he’s not). Plus, he’s totes adorbs. And all of that, folks, is a winning combination.
*Downloadable/printable copy of lesson plan below
Reading comprehension questions:
Before reading: Show the cover. What is happening on the cover? What do you think this book might be about?
After reading title: What do you think it’s about now? What is a pigeon? Have you seen a pigeon before? Did it look like this pigeon? Did it talk? Do you think it could drive a bus? Why or why not?
While reading: Whenever Pigeon asks a question, encourage the children to answer him. Encouraging the dialog puts the children in control and empowers them as rules enforcers. Draw parallels between Pigeon and the children. When Pigeon says “I never get to do anything!” ask the students if they ever feel that way? What made them feel better?
After reading: Did this book turn out the way you thought it would? How was it different? How was it the same? What was your favorite part?
I like to do an enrichment activity immediately after this book is done and ask the children “Why do you think the Bus Driver didn’t want the pigeon to drive the bus?” It’s a question that’s never really answered in the story, so we answer it on our own. The key here is asking them separately so they can’t hear others’ answers and parrot. So, I generally do it as a transition activity, for example, if we read the book and then go wash hands for lunch, I’ll call each one up individually and ask them quietly, record their answers, then dismiss them to go wash hands.
Another enrichment activity that gets the kiddos thinking and talking, is asking them “What would be a better choice for the pigeon rather than driving the bus?” It gets them thinking about things birds do, things that are safer for birds and non-adults to do, and again it empowers them to make “better choices” for the Pigeon. A free downloadable copy of the “Better Pigeon Choices” enrichment activity and other follow-up activities are below.
Vocabulary words:
- pigeon
- careful
- steer
- cousin
- almost
- block (as in a city block)
- five bucks
Enrichment Activities:
Better Pigeon Choices Freebie Literacy & Reading Comprehension: “Better Pigeon Choices” — What do you think would be a better choice for the pigeon to do instead of driving the bus? Free downloadable pages (below) for recording and displaying dictation. In this freebie, we’ve included a one-pager with a built-in headline and lines/spaces to write in children’s names and responses. The second page is just the headline question in large font so you can print & cut it out and affix it to a large sheet of paper to create your own dictation record.
Art: The Best Children’s Books has an adorable Pigeon directed drawing activity, check it out here.
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Book Review & Lesson Plan: Bear Snores On
(This post contains affiliate links. A purchase through these links supports Preschooligans at no additional cost to you and helps us continue to provide free educational resources. Thank you!) We all have our favorite books — those stalwarts we always try to work into our lesson plans throughout the preschool year. Bear Snores On (pick this book up at your local library, or purchase from Amazon) is one of those books for us. Whether we’re studying animals, friendship, hibernation or winter, we always manage to squeeze in a few readings of this adorable modern classic from author Karma Wilson and illustrator Jane Chapman.
There’s so much to learn from this story about Bear, who is asleep in his cave while a winter storm howls outside. An assortment of wildlife gathers in his warm cave and holds a party right under his nose. Chapman’s charming illustrations highlight a story that teaches valuable lessons about kindness, friendship amongst diverse individuals, and the importance of not prejudging someone based on their looks. The bouncy rhyming prose opens up the opportunity to talk about words that sound alike, and numerous challenging vocabulary words expose preschool kiddos to words that may be new to them.
We love this book for 3s and Pre-K
Watch Liz Loves Books reading Bear Snores On on Youtube.
(Below please find a list of reading comprehension questions and vocabulary words. This list is not exhaustive, and it may spark additional questions from your kiddos. As always, we recommend that you scaffold based on your age group and the wigglies of your kiddos.)
*Downloadable/printable copy of lesson plan below
Reading comprehension questions:
Before reading: Show the cover. What do you think this story is about? Why do you think Bear is sleeping? Explain concept of hibernation and that some animals hibernate during colder months. What do you think the other animals on the cover are doing?
After reading title: Have you ever heard someone snore? Can you snore? What does it sound like?
As you read: What do you think Hare means when he says “Long time, no see!” to Mouse? Why do you think the animals look so scared when Bear wakes up? What do you think the animals were thinking at that moment? What do you think will happen once Bear is awake, what do you think he will do?
After reading: Were you surprised at what Bear said and did when he woke up? How did you think he would react? Why did you think he would react that way? How did his new friends make him feel better? Why do you think Bear couldn’t sleep at the end of the book? Why do you think his friends were so tired?
Vocabulary:
- lair
- wee
- spark
- coals
- hare
- scuttles
- divvy
- mutters
- gnarls
- blubbers
- blustery
- tall tales
Enrichment & Small Group Activities:
Small group activity: Spedtacularly Au-Some offers a cute and free Bear Snores On set for story retelling.
Art project: School Mum features a free tutorial on how to make a simple and very cute origami bear that looks just like Bear in the story!
- Blog, Book Lesson Plans, Books About Animals, Books About Colors, Books About Emotions, Circle, Colors, Literacy, Reading
Book Review & Lesson Plan: Pete the Cat I Love My White Shoes
(This post contains affiliate links. A purchase through these links supports Preschooligans at no additional cost to you and helps us continue to provide free educational resources. Thank you!) Oh Pete the Cat, don’t we all just love him to bits? In this first installment of the Pete saga, Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, (find at your local library or purchase from Amazon) written by Eric Litwin and illustrated by James Dean, our favorite cool cat is walking along in his fancy white shoes, singing a groovy song, and feeling all good.
But then, oh no, Pete steps in a pile of strawberries! Now what color are those white shoes? Does Pete cry? Goodness, no! Pete doesn’t cry over the fact his once-white shoes are now red, he embraces the change — and alters his song to match. “I love my red shoes, I love my red shoes.”
Pete’s adventure leads him to step in a number of colorful items, until he washes clean his shoes at the end.
We love this story for 3s and older 2s
Watch Litwin and Dean read the story and sing Pete’s groovy song in this Youtube video.
*Downloadable/printable copy of lesson plan below
(Below please find a list of reading comprehension questions and vocabulary words. This list is not exhaustive, and it may spark additional questions from your kiddos. As always, we recommend that you scaffold based on your age group and the wigglies of your kiddos.)
Reading comprehension questions:
Before reading: Show the cover. What do you think this story is about? Pete the Cat is the main character of our story. What is a “character” in a story? How about a “main character”? What is Pete the Cat wearing? Do cats usually wear shoes? What color are his shoes?
After reading title: Have you ever had white shoes? Do white shoes usually stay nice and white? What usually happens to white shoes? How do you think Pete feels about his white shoes?
As you read: Allow time for the children to answer the questions that are posed as part of the story. Soon they will be answering and singing along with Pete.
After reading: Why don’t you think Pete cried about his shoes changing colors? What do you think Pete is trying to tell us with this story?
Vocabulary:
- character
- main character
- brand new
- cool
- puddle
- moral
Enrichment Activities:
Small Group/Large Group: Prekinders offers this free Pete the Cat I Love My White Shoes color and matching activity.
Art: Books And Giggles features a tutorial of how to make Pete the Cat button slime.
