Pup 681: Storytime andA StoryCurriculumtime Guideand Curriculum Guide for 1 Pup 681: A Sea Otter Rescue Story by Jean Reidy, illustrated by Ashley Crowley PUP 681: A SEA OTTER RESCUE STORY ©2019 by Jean Reidy; Art by Ashely Crowley; Henry Holt and Company Praise for Pup 681 “Unabashedly adorable” ~ Kirkus Reviews, starred review “...otter enthusiasts will likely enjoy the tender relationship between 681 and her attentive caregiver.” ~ Publishers Weekly Learning activities align with CCSS (Common Core State Standards) and NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards) where applicable. Guide created by Natalie Lorenzi (www.nataliediaslorenzi.com) Artwork ©Ashely Crowley Pup 681: Storytime and Curriculum Guide 2 Story Summary Washed ashore alone, a tiny sea otter pup needs help! Soon, a rescuer is there to take her in and keep her warm and fed. The pup faces challenges in her new life without her sea otter family. But with the love and care of her rescuer, she flourishes in her new home. Inspired by a true story, this is a heartwarming and hopeful tale about family and love. About the Author Jean Reidy’s fun, lively and award-winning picture books have earned their spots as favorites among readers and listeners of all ages and from all over the world. She is a frequent presenter on writing and reading and at schools and storytimes across the country—in person and virtually. Jean is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, the National Council of Teachers of English, the Colorado Council International Reading Association and she has served on the board of Reach Out and Read Colorado. She writes from her home in Colorado where she lives right across the street from her neighborhood library … which she visits nearly every day. About the Illustrator A former police officer, Ashley Crowley found his passion in children’s books. IN addition to illustrating Jean Reidy’s Pup 681: A Sea Otter Rescue Story, he is the author-illustrator of the Officer Panda books and the illustrator of The Boy and the Blue Moon, by Sara O’Leary, and One Wave at a Time, by Holly Thompson. Ashley lives with his son, Frankie, in Suffolk, United Kingdom. Visit him at ashleycrowley.com. Guide created by Natalie Lorenzi www.nataliediaslorenzi Artwork ©Ashely Crowley Pup 681: Storytime and Curriculum Guide 3 Storytime Ideas Invite children and their stuffed animals to storytime. How do they care for their furry friends? For big brothers and sisters, how do they help care for younger siblings? How do their adult family members take care of them? Wear a baseball cap with an “Aquarium Staff” label like the girl in the story. What does an aquarium staff member do? Wear your cap as you read aloud Pup 681. Invite children to loosely wrap each other in “kelp” (purple and green crepe streamers) before you read. Otter mothers wrap their pups in sea kelp to prevent them from drifting away while they are out hunting for food. Ask children to share what their parents and caregivers used to wrap them as babies, and why. How do adults ensure that their children are safe when they go to the grocery store? Show illustrations of Pup 681’s “speech” bubbles. What do her sounds mean? Hear the real Pup 681’s sounds on the Shedd Aquarium playlist: https://goo.gl/3XqmyF (“A Pup’s Life” and “Playtime with Pup 681”). Let children share the noises they make when they’re hungry, cold, scared, happy, surprised, or frustrated. Lead a chorus of otter motions (to the tune of Head and Shoulders, Knees, and Toes): DIVE AND GLIDE AND SWIM AND SLIDE SWIM AND SLIDE DIVE AND GLIDE AND SWIM AND SLIDE SWIM AND SLIDE I CAN EAT AND SLEEP AND PLAY/RAFT/SEEK AND HIDE DIVE AND GLIDE AND SWIM AND SLIDE SWIM AND SLIDE! When sea otter Pup 681 (Luna) was found, she was so young and so tiny, the Shedd Aquarium staff has to teach her how to act like an otter. Now it’s your turn to go to otter school. Lead your listeners through a few of the fun and funny behaviors and activities they’ll need to learn to be a successful sea otter - dive, glide, bounce a beach ball with your nose, wrap in kelp, make a raft, hide a shell - and maybe award them an Otter School Diploma (see following page). Guide created by Natalie Lorenzi www.nataliediaslorenzi Artwork ©Ashely Crowley Pup 681: Storytime and Curriculum Guide 4 Pup 681 Sea Otter School Congratulations! has completed all the required activities to earn this certificate. Pup 681, Luna Author, Jean Reidy Guide created by Natalie Lorenzi (www.nataliediaslorenzi.com) Artwork ©Ashely Crowley Pup 681: Storytime and Curriculum Guide 5 Pre-Reading ACTIVATING PRIOR KNOWLEDGE 1. What are some of the ways that our parents or caretakers take care of us? What are ways that we take care of younger siblings or friends? What kind of care do newborn babies need? 2. Have you ever gotten lost or accidentally separated from a parent or caretaker? Who helped you? How did you feel? How did your parents/caretakers feel? 3. Have you ever found a baby animal alone in the wild? What should you do if you find one? (Make sure children know not to ever touch a wild animal, even a baby animal. During the reading, point out the “Aquarium Staff” hat that the girl wears, and explain that she is an expert in handling wild sea otters.) 4. Have you ever visited an aquarium? What is happening in this scene (shown in the book’s endpapers)? For students who have never visited an aquarium, most offer virtual tours, including the National Aquarium in Baltimore (search “virtual tour” at aqua.org). Others offer “live cams” of animals and marine habitats, including a “sea otter cam” and a “kelp forest cam” at the Monterrey Bay Aquarium (search for “live cams” at montereybayaquarium.org). Through the Shedd Aquarium, where Pup 681 (Luna) currently lives, teachers can sign up for a virtual field trip led by the Shedd staff (search for “virtual field trip” at sheddaquarium.org). Guide created by Natalie Lorenzi (www.nataliediaslorenzi.com) Artwork ©Ashely Crowley Pup 681: Storytime and Curriculum Guide 6 WORDS TO THE WISE mist kelp surf (noun) pup dozed The words above may be new to your students within the context of this story. Words like dozed, kelp, and pup have picture clues throughout the story to help with understanding (students may think of “pups” only as baby dogs). Context clues may help with surf as a noun for children who have experienced a visit to the ocean. Videos like this 1-minute clip https://safeYouTube.net/w/qvbj offer an excellent illustration of how the surf rocks otters to sleep! CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.4 Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text. TAKE A BOOK WALK Before reading, show students the book’s cover and ask what a “pup” is. Discuss what the title might mean and how the cover illustration and subtitle provide context for the word “pup.” Who is the author? Who is the illustrator? What are their jobs in creating the book? Use a document camera to give all children a close-up view of these pre-story images on the title, verso, and dedication pages: What is happening in these pictures? What is the girl doing? What is the sea otter doing? Guide created by Natalie Lorenzi www.nataliediaslorenzi Artwork ©Ashely Crowley Pup 681: Storytime and Curriculum Guide 7 Share the book illustrations up to this page where the van is on the road to the aquarium: What might be the problem in the story? Point out the road sign on the page. On a map, show students the distance between Monterrey, California and Chicago, Illinois. Explain that this trip can take several days by road. Ask students if they have ever been on a long trip. How did they feel? What are the pros and cons of traveling far? Why is the sea otter being taken on such a long trip? What might happen when the sea otter arrives? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.6 With prompting and support, name the author and illustrator of a story and define the role of each in telling the story. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.5 Identify the front cover, back cover, and title page of a book. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.7 With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the text in which they appear (e.g., what person, place, thing, or idea in the text an illustration depicts). CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.10 Actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding. Guide created by Natalie Lorenzi www.nataliediaslorenzi Artwork ©Ashely Crowley Pup 681: Storytime and Curriculum Guide 8 After Reading DISCUSSION STARTERS (Based on Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy) 1. How was Pup 681 found? (remembering) 2. Why do you think Pup needed to be rescued? At the end of the story, why do you think Pup’s empty heart was finally filled? (understanding) 3. What might you do if you if you were to find a baby animal alone in the wild? (applying) 4. How does the girl take care of Pup? How is this similar or different to how you are cared for by the adults in your life? (analyzing) 5. Do you think Pup would have been happier in the wild? Why or why not? (evaluating) 6. If Pup could meet her otter family, what do you think she would feel/say? Pretend that sea otters can talk like humans do and create a dialogue between Pup 681 and her family.