Close your eyes. Wait, open them! You have to finish reading this article. Okay, that’s better. Now imagine you are closing your eyes and thinking of a cute and fuzzy little penguin. Can you imagine anything more adorable? Go ahead, I’ll give you a minute. You can’t think of anything, can you? What if I told you that the penguin has the hiccups? You didn’t think it was possible, but that cute and fuzzy penguin got 50% cuter.
In our next Missouri Building Block nominee, “Little Penguin Gets the Hiccups” by Tadgh Bentley, poor Little Penguin gorges himself on chili and subsequently gets the hiccups. This book has some great opportunities for audience participation, as you have to help scare our cute heartburn-suffering protagonist. Besides talking to your child about the unpleasant side effects of eating spicy food before bed, here are some other activities you might enjoy:
- Sing and act out “Little Penguins” (Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”)
Little penguins black and white,
On the ice, what a sight!
See them waddle, see them glide.
Watch them as they slip and slide.
Little penguins black and white
On the ice, what a sight!Little penguins black and white
On the ice, what a sight!
See them dive in the water blue.
See them catch a fish or two.
Little penguins black and white,
On the ice, what a sight!(Source: Elizabeth Scofield, Preschool Express)
- Walk like an Emperor Penguin. Have your kids use a plastic egg or bean bag and pretend to be an Emperor Penguin protecting their eggs. They can put their feet together with the “egg” on top, and then walk, waddle and jump. This is perfect for developing gross motor skills.
Once you have read at least five Missouri Building Block nominees, help your child vote for their favorite.
