Books About Seasons/Holidays
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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: Catch That Thumpin’ Bumpin’ Runaway Pumpkin!
(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!) ‘Round and ’round, across the ground, makin’ a thumpin’ bumpin’ sound, came that thumpety bumpety, thumpin’ bumpin’, round and roll-y Runaway Pumpkin!”
— The Runaway Pumpkin by Kevin Lewis & S.D. SchindlerOkay, so, I admit it, I love saying the thumpety-bumpety rhyme, and it’s probably 80 percent of the reason why Kevin Lewis’ modern classic, The Runaway Pumpkin (buy a used copy or Kindle version on Amazon or find at your local library), is my all-time favorite Halloween book.
This gem is sadly out of print at this time (update: as of 2/18/21 it appears it may be back in print on Amazon), but it is still fairly easily found in local libraries and online, and it is already present in many preschool and kindergarten book stashes. I feel confident that if you don’t have a copy already, you can get your hands on one without much difficulty (some links are above). I wanted to talk about it today and share some of the many fun activities and learning experiences we do with this story because our kiddos love it as much as we do.
The snappy rhythm and rhyme of the story, S.D. Schindler’s colorful illustrations, and the complex words it uses that aren’t everyday words for most preschoolers and kindergartners, combine to place this one permanently on our go-to list of October favorites.
Our protagonist is Little Lil Baxter, who follows her mischievous brothers Buck and Billy up a hill on Halloween.
The group comes across an enormous pumpkin and against Lil’s better judgment, the boys decide to free it from its vine. (There’s a side tangent here about woman’s intuition, but this is best saved for another day.)
Well, predictably — I mean, as always, we wouldn’t have a story without it — the giant pumpkin immediately begins a “thumpin’ bumpin'” tumble down the hill, and as is the case with great children’s books — hilarity ensues.
The pumpkin mows through civilization on its way down the hill, while also stimulating the appetites of the adults it passes and perfectly illustrating what truly becomes important to us adults in our advanced age — food. The pumpkin busts through Momma Baxter’s pig sty, but she’s only got pumpkin pie on her mind.
As it barrels down the hill, it next crosses paths with Grampa Baxter. Now, Grampa Baxter’s about to lose the fence around his chicken coop and get knocked on his keister, but he’s thinking exactly what we all would think: “Mmm, pumpkin soup!”
We love this book for 3s, Pre-K & Kindergarten!
Finally, as it approaches the bottom of the hill, Poppa Baxter is facing a certain painful end as he sits squarely in the path of the supersonic gourd. He’s understandably thinking of Granny’s pumpkin bread, but he’s also got self-preservation on his mind, so with some quick thinking, he stops that crazy pumpkin by plowing a flat bed with his tractor.
At last, with a stationary pumpkin and Granny, who is evidently quite the prolific chef, the Baxters do what anyone would do — they gut that giant orange fruit, cook it and eat it.
And for good measure, they carve a happy jack-o-lantern face in that pumpkin and set it on the dining room table while they eat its innards. Yum, this adult approves.
(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 copy of book/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 does “runaway” mean? Have you seen a pumpkin this big before? Look at the faces of the animals on the cover, what do you think they are thinking?
While reading: When you read the part where Lil foresees “disaster,” point to the illustration of her face. What do you think Lil is thinking here? Is she happy? Scared? Nervous? Worried? Why do you think she is worried/nervous/scared?
As you read the repeated rhyme, “‘Round and ’round across the ground, makin’ a thumpin’ bumpin’ sound, came that thumpety bumpety, thumpin’ bumpin’, round and roll-y Runaway Pumpkin!” have a small pumpkin available. I like to tap the pumpkin with my hand to make the “thumpin’ bumpin'” sounds.
Point out any of the many rhyming words (like “thumpin’ bumpin'” and “coop” and “loop”) for an enrichment activity afterwards.
As you read about the adults thinking of pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup and pumpkin bread, ask the children if they’ve ever tasted those things. Did they like them? Are there other pumpkin treats you can think of?
After you read: What pumpkin dish would you eat first? How would you stop a giant runaway pumpkin?
Vocabulary Words:
- bumbling
- cautious
- foresaw
- disaster
- zooming
- mucking
- sty
- coop
- plowed
- bed (the garden kind)
- proud
- sup
- twinkle
Enrichment Activities:
Thumpin’ Bumpin’ Rhyming — Ask children to sit in a wide circle. Using a small pumpkin, repeat the book’s rhyme: “‘Round and ’round across the ground, makin’ a thumpin’ bumpin’ sound, came that thumpety bumpety, thumpin’ bumpin’, round and roll-y Runaway Pumpkin!”
For Pre-K & Kindergarten: Explain that we are going to name some rhyming words. You can give the children word families, like “-at” or “-in” words and encourage them to come up with different rhyming words, or you can give each child a different word to rhyme with. Then you name your rhyming words and roll the pumpkin across to a child who names two rhyming words. Then the child rolls the pumpkin to another child, who repeats the process. If rhyming words are a bit too complex for your children, try words that begin with the “P” sound like “pumpkin”.
For 3s: When playing this game with our 3s, we roll and name our favorite color. It benefits them in so many ways, including getting them listening to and following multi-step directions, taking turns and waiting for a turn, and getting more comfortable speaking in front of classmates.
Stop That Pumpkin!: Ask children how they would stop a giant runaway pumpkin. Record answers — you’ll get some interesting ones!
Pumpkin Investigations Freebie: The STEM Laboratory has an adorable Pumpkin Investigation freebie for some hands-on pumpkin exploration. Kiddos can investigate their pumpkin’s vital statistics, including height, weight, diameter, sink/float-ability, etc.
Watch Toadstools And Fairy Dust read The Runaway Pumpkin on Youtube.
