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Wild About Books



Last updated Sunday, August 27, 2017

Author: Judy Sierra
Illustrator: Marc Brown
Date of Publication: 2004
ISBN: 037582538X
Grade Level: 1st    (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Sep. 2017

Synopsis: It started the summer of 2002, when the Springfield librarian, Molly McGrew, by mistake drove her bookmobile into the zoo...
In this rollicking rhymed story, Molly introduces birds and beasts to this new something called reading. She finds the perfect book for every animal—tall books for giraffes, tiny ones for crickets. "She even found waterproof books for the otter, who never went swimming without Harry Potter." In no time at all, Molly has them "forsaking their niches, their nests, and their nooks," going "wild, simply wild, about wonderful books."

Discussion topics for before reading:
•  What animals do you see on the cover?
•  What kind of book would a ___ read? (bear, zebra, cheetah, lion, monkey)
•  How do the animals read?
•  Have you been to a Zoo?

Discussion topics for during/after reading:
•  What kind of books do the Panda's demand?
•  What did the Llamas read while eating their lunches?
•  What is your favorite animal in the book?
•  Have you read any of the books that the animals read? Do any of them look interesting?
•  What book are you wild about?
•  How did some of the animals start writing? What did they write about?
•  What did the animals build?

Vocabulary

•  Niches- something (such as a sheltered or private space) that resembles a recess in a wall
•  Conquer- to gain mastery over or win by overcoming obstacles or opposition
•  Skink- Lizard
•  Lynx- wildcats with relatively long legs, a short stubby tail, mottled coat, and usually tufted ears
•  Haiku- unrhymed verse form of Japanese origin having three lines containing usually five, seven, and five syllables respectively
•  Pretentious- expressive of affected, unwarranted, or exaggerated importance, worth, or stature
•  Redundant- characterized by similarity or repetition

Craft ideas:
•  Draw your own zoo, and fill it with your favorite animals.
•  Make animal finger puppets.
•  Check out our craft ideas for September on Pinterest!
https://www.pinterest.com/readingtokids/september-2017-back-to-school-fun/

*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions. You can use them, but you don't have to use them. You can expand upon them, or add your own twist. Remember, though, that the focus of your time should not be on the development and execution of a craft; the focus should be on the read-aloud and the enjoyment of the book!