John Burningham
Red Fox
Age 3-7
Baby won’t eat very much until one day when, very strangely, an avocado pear appears in the fruit bowl and baby eats it all up. Amazing things happen and baby, the smallest in the family, becomes the strongest of all. With an avocado a day, baby can break out of the high chair, chase a burglar, carry the shopping and move the furniture. This much-loved picturebook, by prizewinning writer and illustrator John Burningham, is a lesson in not underestimating the power of the little person… or avocado pears!
Share the story
Picturetalk
Spend time talking together about the cover picture before reading the story. Is there anything unusual about the baby? Have children seen or tasted avocado pears?
Read aloud Read the story aloud, taking time to talk together about the pictures as you do. Encourage children to imagine what the baby might do next.
Join in Read the story again (and again!), this time leaving spaces for children to join in describing all that baby can do.
Talk about the story Talk about the picture of lots of avocado babies on the double page endpaper. What are the babies doing? You can make a list together, for example:
Climbing
Sliding
Waving, Hiding…
Tell the story After hearing the story a few times, children will get to know it well. Encourage them tell it to you in their own words, turning the pages and using the pictures to help them.
Watch the story read aloud
Things to make and do
Storyplay Children can use small toys as characters to act out and retell the story. This helps them to get to know the story well and builds their knowledge of books and how stories work.
Draw a cartoon Look at the page with six pictures of Mrs Hargraves trying to feed baby. Fold a piece of paper into six sections, children can draw six brave and strong deeds that baby can do. They can choose some from the story and invent others.
Eat an avocado Peel and slice and eat an avocado, talking about how it looks, feels, smells and tastes. Eat half as slices and mash the other half. What do children notice about the taste or texture?
Share baby photographs Look at and talk together about your baby photographs of your children. You can also share any you have of yourself as a baby. What do they remember? What do they like or dislike?
Find out more
Read more books by author/Illustrator John Burningham, titles include:
Mr Gumpy’s Motor Car
Come away from the water, Shirley
* Granpa
* Mr Gumpy’s Outing
* Oi, Get Off My Train!
Would You Rather….
The Shopping Basket
* See more lovemybooks ideas
Follow us on Facebook
Follow @lovemybooksUK
Follow lovemybooksUK15