1,2,3 Storytelling
Look at the front cover together. Ask your child to tell you what they can see and what is happening. Take note of their questions / comments. Read the story to your child. Ask your child to tell you about the story.
Storytelling 1
Read the whole story. It is likely that your child will want to tell you what is happening and will talk about the pictures.
Storytelling 2
Read the story and ask your child about each page and the illustrations, for example, “How do you think the girl felt when the chapati ran away?” or “Oh no, what is going to happen next?”
Storytelling 3
Ask your child to share the story with you. They tell you the story using the pictures on each page.
Activities
Talk
Talk to your child about the story. Tell him/her which part you liked best. Talk about how different
characters might be feeling in various parts of the story. Ask questions like, “How do you think the
characters feel at the end of the story?” or “Why do you think the chapatti wanted to escape?”
Re-read the story together and create sound effects for each action. For example, clapping for running, tapping for rolling, and so on. This can make story time even more engaging and interactive.
Watch video storytellings of The Runaway Pancake and The Gingerbread man. Discuss what is the same and what is different to the Runaway Chapatti.
The Gingerbread man – traditional tale
The Runaway Pancake – traditional tale
Make
Bake – Make chapattis or gingerbread men. Encourage your child to use doing words (verbs) to talk about each part of the recipe, for example: mix, stir, fill, roll, sprinkle, turn.
Chapatti recipe.
Gingerbread men recipe
Draw – draw and cut out pictures of all the characters in the story – the girl, the dog, the monkey, the crocodile, the chapatti, the tiger. Act out and tell the story with all the characters.
Experience
Other books to read and watch at home
The Gingerbread man – traditional tale
The Runaway Pancake – traditional tale
The Runaway Pea by Kjartan Poskitt
The Runaway Wok by Ying Chang Compestine
Biscuit Bear by Mini Grey
No Dinner! by Jessica Souhami
Play
Find the chapatti game – make a paper cut out chapatti. Hide the “chapatti” somewhere in the house and have children search for it, like a hide-and-seek game. Give clues based on where the chapatti “escaped” to next. For example, “Next, the chapatti ran to a cosy place!” (the sofa.)
Songs
The Animal Song
(To the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star)
Doggy, doggy, hungry and thin,
Chases the chapatti and won’t give in.
Hoping for food, he looks around
He chases the chapatti through the town.
Doggy, doggy, hungry and thin,
Chases the chapatti and won’t give in.
Monkey, monkey, small and grey,
In the trees he likes to stay.
With his tail he likes to swing,
He chases the chapatti and won’t give in.
Monkey, monkey, small and grey,
In the trees he likes to stay.
Crocodile, crocodile, long and green,
The sharpest teeth you’ve ever seen.
His legs are short, his mouth is wide
Get too close you’ll be inside!
Crocodile, crocodile, long and green,
The sharpest teeth you’ve ever seen.
Tiger, tiger, orange and black,
He’s got stripes upon his back.
When he growls sharp teeth I see,
He’s as scary as can be.
Tiger, tiger, orange and black,
He’s got stripes upon his back
The Runaway Chapatti
(To the tune of This Old Man)
This little chapati, round and neat,
Rolling away on tiny feet.
Run, run, as fast as you can,
You can’t catch me in your frying pan!
This little chapati, rolling fast,
Here comes a dog, running at last.
Run, run, as fast as you can,
You can’t catch me in your frying pan!
This little chapati, what a sight,
Here comes a croc, ready to bite.
Run, run, as fast as you can,
You can’t catch me in your frying pan!
This little chapati, gone in a snap,
The tiger ate it, oh what a flap!
Run, run, as fast as you can,
You can’t catch me in your frying pan!
The Runaway Chapatti is written by Susan Price and illustrated by Adam Price. It is published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.