1,2,3 Storytelling
Storytelling 1
Look at the front cover together. Ask: Who can you see? Where are they? What might happen in this story?
Read the whole story to your child. Use actions for any verbs (doing words): packed, floated, rowed, helped, listened, searched. Use your face to show emotions: disappointed, delighted, lonely, sadder.
Storytelling 2
Read the story again and ask your child about each page and the illustrations.
Ask: How could the boy help the penguin? How could they get to the South Pole? What might it feel like to be in the storm? Why is the penguin sad when the boy leaves? Is the boy a good friend to the penguin? Why?
Storytelling 3
Ask your child to share the story with you. They tell you the story using the pictures on each page.
Ask: Did you like the story? Why? Which was your favourite part? Where might they go next?
Activities
Play
Iceberg Freeze
Ask your child to move around the room. When you call “Iceberg!”, they must freeze in a shape. Try different iceberg shapes: tall iceberg, wide iceberg, tiny iceberg, melting iceberg.
Weather Journey
Ask your child to move around the room. You call out a movement for them:
Sunshine – stretch arms out to the sides, wind – sway side to side, rain – tap knees and crouch, storm – jump and wave arms, calm sea – walk slowly, iceberg – dodge to the side.
Rhymes and Songs
Call-and-Response Rhyme
Adult: “Penguin, Penguin, what do you see?”
Child: “A great big ocean in front of me!”
Adult: “Penguin, Penguin, where will you go?”
Child: “Across the sea and through the snow!”
Adult: “Penguin, Penguin, what did you find?”
Child: “A special friend who’s good and kind!”
Friendship Rhyme
A friend is someone kind and true,
A friend can share and help you too.
When you’re sad or feeling small,
A friend can help you stand up tall.
Five Little Penguins
(Finger rhyme)
Five little penguins standing on the ice,
The first one said, “This weather’s nice!”
The second one said, “Let’s go and play!”
The third one said, “Let’s slide all day!”
The fourth one said, “Let’s swim around!”
The fifth one said, “I’ve got a friend I’ve found!”
So they all waddled away with glee,
Happy as a penguin can be!
Row, row, row your boat (song)
Sit opposite each other in pairs and hold hands. Rock forward and back as you sing.
Row, row, row the boat,
Across the ocean blue,
Helping out a small penguin,
Not knowing what to do.
Row, row, row the boat,
On the shining sea,
Boy and Penguin sail along,
As happy as can be.
Row, row, row the boat,
Through the wind and rain,
Taking Penguin safely home,
Then rowing back again.
Row, row, row the boat,
Past the ice and snow,
Boy and Penguin found a friend,
And never let them go.
Lost and Found is written and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers. It is published by Harper Collins Children’s Books.