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. Use actions for each movement: under, over, around, through and for each obstacle: grass, lake, swamp, cave. 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, “Where is the lion’s mane?” “What is it like in the cave?” “Do you think they will go on a lion hunt again?”
Storytelling 3
Ask your child to share the story with you. They tell you the story using the pictures on each page.
Watch Emma read We’re Going on a Lion Hunt here
Activities
Talk
Identify the body parts in the picture of the lion – Where is the lion’s nose? Where is the lion’s mane? Where are the lion’s paws? Discuss the words used to describe the lion: shaggy, furry. Can your child think of any words of their own to describe the lion?
Look at the pictures of each obstacle: grass, lake, swamp, cave. Use the describing words form the story (long, dark.) Help your child to think of their own words to describe each obstacle. What would it feel like? What would it sound like? What does it look like?
Look at the pictures of the girls in bed. How are they feeling? Do you think they will go on a lion hunt again? Would you like to go on a lion hunt? Why/Why not?
Play
Going on a Lion Hunt
Sing the story to this tune.
Move around the room to act out the story, using a different action for each obstacle.
The Lion Says
You say: ‘The lion says, go through the grass.’
Your child acts out the instruction using movements and noises (swish, swash, swish, swash). Repeat with all the obstacles in the story.
Songs
Sleeping Lions
To the tune of Sleeping Bunnies
Children lie on the ground, adult sings
See the lions sleeping ‘til its nearly noon
Shall we try and wake them with a merry tune?
They’re so still, are they ill? Shhhhhhh!
Wake up little lions, roar!
Children jump up and join in
Roar little lions, roar, roar, roar,
Roar little lions roar, roar, roar
Roar little lions roar, roar, roar
Roar, roar, roar.
Lion, Lion, in the Sun
To the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
Lion, lion, in the sun,
Roaring, roaring, having fun.
With a mane so big and bright,
Stomping, jumping, full of might.
Lion, lion, in the sun,
Roaring, roaring, having fun.
Safari Animals
To the tune of Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
Lion, giraffe and rhino
And rhino
Lion, giraffe and rhino
And rhino
There are lots of safari animals
Lion, giraffe and rhino
And rhino
Here We Go on Safari
To the tune of Here We Go Round the Mulberry
Bush
Here we go on safari now,
Safari now, safari now
Here we go on safari now
I wonder what we’ll see there?
Now we can see the lion cubs,
The lion cubs, the lion cubs
Now we can see the lion cubs
Because we’re on safari!
Repeat with: tall giraffes, wilderbeests, zebras run,
elephants, grey rhinos, flamingos.
Going on Safari
To the tune of I’m a Little Teapot
Going on a safari,
Looking about,
If you see animals,
Give us a shout!
When we’re on safari,
Let’s look out
There are animals all about!
We’re Going on a Lion Hunt, written and illustrated by David Axtell, published by Macmillan Children’s Books.