Frann Preston Gannon
Pavilion
Age 3-5
The alarm clock rings and a farmer gets up and has a hearty breakfast before leaving for a day’s work in his tractor. But this is no ordinary farm; the livestock are not cows and sheep but dinosaurs! This means lots of hard work and more than a little danger. The farmer is kept very busy all day feeding the hungry dinosaurs, cleaning and clearing up after them and looking after their newly hatched babies. He is exhausted by the end of the day and keen to get home, but did he lock the gate…..?!!
A day in the life story with a difference Dinosaur Farm is an interesting and amusing story and the humorous illustrations offer lots to discuss.
Share the story
Read aloud
Before looking at the cover or title, it might be fun to look together at the first few double page spreads of the farmer waking up and getting ready for work together and think about why its hard work being a farmer, what he has to do or what might happen in the story.
Then read the story aloud to your child pausing to talk about what’s happening when your child wants to.
After reading the story look back together for all the dino clues in the first few pages ( eg the famer’s bed cover) and the end papers, with dinosaur footprints.
Hear a father share the story
Listen here. Talk about the ending and how the dinosaurs got into the farmer’s house.
Join in
Show your child how to follow the writing with a finger as it curves round the images.
Children could join in with the alarm ringing or add extra sound effects as you read the story, eg for dinosaurs running or snoring at the end of the story.
Talk about the story
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What has happened at the end of the story? Talk about what you can tell from the words and pictures and what you guess.
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What might it be like being a farmer on a dinosaur farm? Look at the farmer’s expression for clues about what he is feeling when feeding the animals, clearing up the mess or going home after a long day.
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Look for the dino details in the illustrations – including the end papers, and the farmer’s bedroom.
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Was anything in the story puzzling? Eg why did the farmer have such a big egg for breakfast?! Anything unusual about the farmer’s dog
Things to make and do
Create a dinosaur farm
With dinosaur figures if you have them and construction material you could help your child set up their own dinosaur farm. Add a figure with a vehicle to be a tractor and a toy dog and children can act out the story or make their up their own story about a dinosaur farm.
Make a day in the life chart
Take a large piece of paper and fold it into 6 or more squares so that your child can draw different things that happen during the farmer’s day. Talk to your child about what they have drawn.
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