Today in Kindergarten, at the end of their day, I read this book to the class:
Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business, by Esphyr Slobodkina. It is a DELIGHTFUL story- having been read to generations of children, it still draws laughs out of kids. I love this book!!!! When I start reading it, I tell them the title (by the way, when I read to a GROUP of kids- I sit on a very small chair them- they sit cross-legged, in 3 or 4 rows, facing me, and I hold the book out to my side, facing them)- so I told them the title and said "Do you know what a "peddler" is?" They all shook their heads no. I told them that a long, long time ago, when the mommies and daddies needed to buy pots and pans and shoes and food, there weren't any Safeways and Wal-Marts and stores- so what did they do? There were men called peddlers who went around pulling wagons and carts and knocking on doors (and I knock on the wall here for them) and would say, "Pans sale, pans for sale, anyone want to buy a pan?" So this peddler was selling caps- and he didn't even have a wagon to put them in.
Today I also wore 2 caps on my head while I read it- I put them on - stacked up- before I even read it- they were delighted. (the caps are useful later for throwing down during parts of the story) so I read the story to them, demonstrating how the peddler had to walk very slowly with all the caps stacked up, how he had to sit very carefully next to the tree, how he checked to make sure all his caps were there, how he went to sleep....So, if you know the story, you know what happens!! (Another thing I have always done is make the "Tsz, tsz, tsz" sound the monkeys make- they love this!!!!) It is a very satisfying story, the children are so satisfied and happy at the end. My book also has a dust cover with a picture of Esphyr S., the author and illustrator, so I tell hem about her. Try it with a group of kids someday, or even just one.