Posted on Nov 26, 2014 | Resources
Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother Too?
Suggested Age: Read-aloud to Toddlers to Grade 1, Independent reading for Grades K and up
Submitted by Lori Bruner Okamura, School Librarian, Hongwanji Mission School
Book: Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too? by Eric Carle
Story Summary:
All sorts of different animal babies are shown on each page with their mothers. Simple text repeats the same question for each animal.
Story Lessons:
Animal babies and their mothers; repetition; colorful illustrations of Eric Carle.
Activities:
- Read the story together. Use different voices to ask the question and repeat the answer aloud with your child with enthusiasm.
- Show the question mark and model how questions sound. (Sentence rises at the end). Show the exclamation mark after the “Yes!” and model an excited voice.
- Point to details in each illustration: Where does this animal live? How many babies are in this picture? How many legs does this animal have?
- After reading the story together, play a game together taking turns asking questions about the animals. For example, “Which mommy was carrying her baby?” or “ Which baby was sleeping in the brown dirt?”
- Eric Carle likes to use bright colors. Identify colors with younger children. Use finger paints to make your own pictures of animal families. Older children may cut out shapes to make their animals and glue them to a painted background.
- Play a game of other animals that weren’t in the book. Include “daddy animals” or names of other important people in your child’s life.
- On the computer, find images of animals and make a slideshow with animal families. Add in text asking repetitive questions or record younger children asking the questions and showing an image for each answer as shown in this book.