Too Many Carrots
by Katy Hudson
Rabbit loves carrots a little too much. In fact his carrots are crowding him out of his cozy burrow. When his friends offer to help they're just asking for trouble a lot of trouble! How do Rabbit’s friends help him solve his problem?
Reading Tips for Story Explorers
Find a comfortable space to read together
Slow down and enjoy the illustrations
Ask and answer questions together
Make reading part of your routine - bedtime is a great time for reading
Use these prompts to encourage deeper thinking with your children:
"Tell me more, why do you think that?"
"How do you know that?"
"Interesting, did you notice anything else?"
Phonemic Awareness
When introducing the book, share the title and notice these phonemic elements:
The first letter of the word “Too” is Tt. This letter says the sound /t/, /t/, /t/, like in tent, tiny, and turtle. Let’s say that sound together: /t/, /t/, /t/. Point to the Tt in the title. Read the title together, emphasizing the sound /t/.
Ask the children to say the word after you. Show them the cover of the book and have them read the word out loud with you as you point under each word.
Vocabulary
Collected: To gather together
Burrowed: To dig into the earth
Crowded: A large number of people gathered together
Hauled: To pull or drag with force
Whimpered: To cry in weak, broken sounds
Grumbled: To complain in a low voice
Groaned: To make a deep sound, showing pain
Questions to Discuss
What was Rabbit's problem? Why was this a problem?
How did Rabbit try to solve his problem? Did this work? Why or why not?
How did Rabbit feel after Beaver's house was swept onto the river bank?
Why does Rabbit decide to share his carrots?
Tell your adult about a time in your ife when it has been hard to share. Who is it hard to share with? Why? Is it important to share? Why or why not?
Let's Play
This activity will help your child develop age appropriate math skills.
The illustrations (pictures) in Too Many Carrots show that Rabbit had a lot of carrots! How many do you think that Rabbit had? This is called an estimate - when we guess a number without counting each item.
Find a piece of paper and draw 1-10 carrots (or circles). Point to each item and count. Continue adding or taking away carrots (or circles), so your child can practice counting different amounts.
If this is easy for your child, continue drawing 11-20 carrots!
