Yoko Yak's Yakety Yakking

2 0 1 1 Ani mal Ant ic s to A Z® Yoko Yak’s Yakety Yakking

by Barbara deRubertis • illustrated by R.W. Alley Praise for Animal A ntics to A Z ®

2 0 1 Recipient of Learning Magazine’s 1 2011 Teachers’ Choice Award for Children’s Books

Comments from teachers . . . “Very interesting and motivating for all of my students. They loved hearing the silly stories!”

“Students thought the characters were delightful. The stories give students the opportunity to be exposed to wonderful and often new vocabulary words. . . . [The characters’] escapades offer teachers the opportunity to engage students to listen for sounds in words.”

“This is a great product for any class learning about letters! The students love the ‘animal antics,’ and it really helps drive home letter sound recognition.”

More praise for Animal Antics A to Z . . . “Cheerful mixed-media artwork illustrates this light, appealing story.” —Booklist (for books I–J)

“Bravo for Kane Press. Animal Antics A to Z is a superior alphabet series. The whimsical characters and wonderful illustrations will have children smiling, laughing, and wondering what will happen next, while learning to recognize letter sounds. A delightful and thoroughly original way to supercharge beginning readers.” —Roger Farr, Chancellor’s Professor, Emeritus, Indiana University; Past President, International Reading Association

“This splendid series lets little learners listen for letter sounds in lively literature! Animal Antics will engage children and encourage them to play with the sounds that make up words.” —Nancy L. Roser, Professor, Language and Literacy Studies, University of Texas, Austin

“Very original! Children will have fun discovering the alliterative words as they listen to the stories. The memorable characters and lively pictures have great kid appeal. . . . My students enjoy reading the books with the letter of their first name as a motivator!” —Madeline Gilbert, Librarian/Teacher, Mamaroneck Avenue School, Mamaroneck, NY Ani mal Ant ic s to AA ZZ ® Yoko Yak’s Yakety Yakking

by Barbara deRubertis • illustrated by R.W. Alley

the Kane Press / new york Alpha Betty’s Class

Dilly Dog

Alexander Anteater Corky Cub Bobby Baboon

Hanna Hippo

Eddie Elephant Gertie Gorilla Frances Frog

Lana Llama

Izzy Impala Kylie Kangaroo

Jeremy Jackrabbit Maxwell Moose Alpha Betty’s Class

Nina Nandu Oliver Otter Polly Porcupine

Quentin Quokka

Rosie Raccoon Sammy Skunk Tessa Tiger

Umma Ungka

Victor Vicuna Walter Warthog Xavier Ox

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information regarding permission, contact the publisher through its website: www.kanepress.com.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

deRubertis, Barbara. Yoko Yak’s yakety yakking / by Barbara deRubertis ; illustrated by R.W. Alley. p. cm. — (Animal antics A to Z) Summary: Yoko Yak is eager to talk about her first kayak trip, but Alpha Betty tells her she must wait, challenging the chatty student to find another way to tell her classmates about the experience. ISBN 978-1-57565-358-7 (library binding : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-1-57565-350-1 (pbk. : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-1-57565-389-1 (e-book) [1. Quietude—Fiction. 2. Schools—Fiction. 3. Yak—Fiction. 4. Animals—Fiction. 5. Alphabet.] I. Alley, R. W. (Robert W.), ill. II. Title. PZ7.D4475Yok 2011 [E]—dc22 2010051473

1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2

First published in the United States of America in 2011 by Kane Press, Inc. Printed in the United States of America WOZ0711

Series Editor: Juliana Hanford Book Design: Edward Miller

Animal Antics A to Z is a registered trademark of Kane Press, Inc.

www.kanepress.com

Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter facebook.com/kanepress @kanepress Yoko Yak yanked back the covers and bounced out of bed.

She had SO much to tell her friends about her adventure yesterday!

5 “Yodel-odel-odel!” Yoko sang in the shower.

“Yay for school today!” Yoko chanted as she dressed.

6 Mama Yak called to Yoko. “Are you ready for breakfast?”

“Yip! Yap! Yup!” Yoko yelled back.

7 “Yogurt’s yum, yum, yummy in my tum, tum, tummy,” Yoko chattered as she ate.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full, Yoko,” said Papa Yak.

8 “Don’t talk, period. Please!” said Yoko’s younger sister, Yolanda. “You’re always yakety yakking.”

“I am not!” Yoko yelped.

9 First Yoko whispered:

Oh, a yakety yak can be quiet, As quiet as quiet can be. A yodel-odel-odel And a yip, yip, yippee!

28 Then Yoko chanted loudly:

And a yakety yak can yodel. A yakety yak can yak. A yodel-odel-odel And a yak, yak, YAK!

29 “Yay for you, Yoko Yak!” cried Alpha Betty. “You proved you CAN be a quiet yak!”

“And a clever yak!” said Polly. “And a funny yak!” said Sammy. “And a yodeling yak!” laughed Bobby.

30 Then everyone cheered, “Yay for Yoko Yak!”

And everyone did the “Yakety Yak Yodel”!

31 STAR OF THE BOOK: THE YAK

Fun Facts • Home: Wild yaks live in the Tibet region of China and nearby. They prefer high areas where the weather is cold. • Family: Female yaks and young yaks live together in large herds. Adult male yaks live in small groups or alone. If a herd is disturbed, the yaks will gallop away with their tails held straight up in the air! • Size: Wild yaks can grow to a height of 6 feet at the top of their shoulder hump. Their horns can each be 3 feet long. LOOK BACK • Appearance: Most of a yak’s hair is short. But the hair on its Learning to identify letter sides can be so long and shaggy it almost reaches the ground!

sounds (phonemes) at the • Did You Know? Yaks often crunch on ice and snow to get beginning, middle, and water. And they can use their horns to break through the ice end of words is called and snow when they are looking for grass to eat! “phonemic awareness.” • The word yak begins with the y TRY THIS! consonant* sound. Listen to the words Yak with Yoko Yak! on page 9 being read again. When you hear a Listen carefully as each word in word that begins with the y sound, repeat the the word bank is read aloud. word while you stand up and make a giant Y • If the word begins with the y by raising your arms in the air! Then quickly sound, stand up, say “YAKETY sit down again. sound YAK!,” and sit down again. • The word kayak has the y consonant • If the word does NOT begin with in the middle. Listen to the words on page 25 the y sound, remain seated and say nothing! being read again. When you hear a word that has the y sound in the middle, repeat the word yak yarn fun yogurt draw and pretend to paddle a kayak. read yam you math year bell or a vowel sound (like the long i or *Note: Y can have a consonant sound yawn talk trip yolk yard quiet the long e sound). In the activities for this book, we will practice finding only the consonant sound for y. young yes yodel g FOR MORE ACTIVITIES, go to Yoko Yak’s website: www.kanepress.com/AnimalAntics/YokoYak.html 32 You’ll also find a recipe for Yoko Yak’s Yam Fries! Collect all 26 titles in

Animal Antics to A Z ®

Alexander Anteater’s Amazing Act Nina Nandu’s Nervous Noggin Bobby Baboon’s Banana Be-Bop Oliver Otter’s Own Office Corky Cub’s Crazy Caps Polly Porcupine’s Painting Prizes Dilly Dog’s Dizzy Dancing Quentin Quokka’s Quick Questions Eddie Elephant’s Exciting Egg-Sitting Rosie Raccoon’s Rock and Roll Raft Frances Frog’s Forever Friend Sammy Skunk’s Super Sniffer Gertie Gorilla’s Glorious Gift Tessa Tiger’s Temper Tantrums Hanna Hippo’s Horrible Hiccups Umma Ungka’s Unusual Umbrella Izzy Impala’s Imaginary Illnesses Victor Vicuna’s Volcano Vacation Jeremy Jackrabbit’s Jumping Journey Walter Warthog’s Wonderful Wagon Kylie Kangaroo’s Karate Kickers Xavier Ox’s Xylophone Experiment Lana Llama’s Little Lamb Yoko Yak’s Yakety Yakking Maxwell Moose’s Mountain Monster Zachary Zebra’s Zippity Zooming

Be sure to check out www.kanepress.com for other series from The Kane Press! n th Fu l Wi ! ect al ties Coll Activi titles in 26 al Anim A Antics to Z!

n th Fu l Wi ! ect al ties Coll Activi titles in Yoko Yak’s 26 al Anim A Antics to Z! Yakety Yakking

Alphabet Letter Sounds / Letter Y • Interest Level: Grades PreK–3 Yodel-odel-odel, yak yak yak! Yoko Yak can’t seem to stop chatting! And it makes her classmates wonder— n what do you doth with Fu a yakety yak? l Wi ! ect al ties Coll Activi titles in 26 al Anim tics A An n thto FuZ! Ani mal Ant ic s A to Z l Wi ! A Z® ect al ties Coll Activi tles in From Alexander Anteater to Zachary Zebra, it’s one adventure after another for Alpha Betty’s 26 ti imal students. Get to know these zany characters as they find new friends, test their talents, go on exciting An n tics A explorations, and have a rip-roaring,th super-sensational, Fu totally tremendous good time! An l Wi ! ect al ties to Z! Coll Activi titles in EACH BOOK: 26 al Anim • tellsA a humorous story children will relate to • focuses on a single letter sound (phoneme) Antics •to encourages Z! children to listen for the letter sound at the beginning, middle, and end of many words • can be read aloud to younger children and enjoyed by independent readers • includes a fun activity

Recipient of Learning Magazine’s 2011 Teachers’ Choice Award for Children’s Books Fu“I wouldn recommend this to all teachers of young students! It’s a fun way for them to learn their letters! With My students keep asking for more!”—Teacher comment all es! llect tivi ti Co s in Ac“Simple, pleasant stories . . . a good read-aloud option for parents and a natural for classrooms that celebrate [letter] weeks. . . . title Full of action and humor, Alley’s expressive artwork adds considerably to the appeal.”—Booklist 26 al Anim tics A “With an allure to alliteration, author Barbara deRubertis brings youngsters a humorous treat with Animal Antics A to Z, An following the adventures of Alpha Betty’s class and their letter-driven dilemmas . . . Children will [also] enjoy the excellently to Z! complementary art style from R.W. Alley.”—Midwest Book Review (for books K–R)

“Kids will enjoy hearing each story . . . Alley’s pen and ink drawings with soft watercolors capture the animals and their human characteristics in full-page illustrations, making the stories a delightful experience.”—School Library Journal (for books E–H)

n th Fu l Wi ! ect al ties Coll Activi titles in 26 al www.kanepress.com Anim A Antics to Z!

n th Fu l Wi ! ect al ties Coll Activi titles in 26 al Anim A Antics to Z!