Book Summary
In One Day in the Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus Tree, a sneaky snake has no idea that the captives in his belly are planning their escape! In the spirit of There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simms Taback, the reader sees a cutaway of the snake’s belly and can even guess how the tale ends!
Pre-Reading Activity
Discuss the cover of the book and what animals your child sees hidden in the tree. Have your child imitate the sound a snake and bird makes.
During the Story
Have your child predict what will happen next based on the pictures and comment on the illustrations. Model the action words and make connections for any other words that may be unfamiliar. Don’t forget to be animated and emphasize the fun sounds. Ask questions throughout the story to help your child comprehend what is being read. Have your child recall each thing the snake ate on previous pages after talking about the current page.
Fun Sounds
･ Gurgle
･ Cheap, Cheap
･ Gobbled
･ Purr
･ Buzz
･ Sniff
･ Moan
･ Slurp
･ Burp
Action Words
Find things in your home that you can use to perform the action below while talking about what you are doing (i.e., Mr. Bear is going up the wall) and have your child imitate you.
･ Down
･ Twist
･ Munch
･ Up
･ Bite
･ Stretch
･ Crinkle, Wrinkle
Post-Reading
Have your child re-tell the story in their own words using the pictures.
Beyond the Book Activities
- Label & Color: Use this worksheet to work on (1) labeling and identifying pictured items (vocabulary), (2) following directions to color or circle items, and (3) expressing sentences using the carrier phrase (i.e., The snake ate a cat ).
- Rhyming Activity: Use this worksheet to work on rhyming (phonological awareness). Rhyming teaches children (1) how language works, (2) helps them experience the rhythm of language, and (3) prepares them to make predictions.
You can find more Beyond the Book activities for other diverse titles via Maya’s Book Nook.
Buy on Amazon: One Day in the Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus Tree
