Louis

Louis is a teddy bear who has truly seen it all. And he's a teddy bear who has had enough. But this grumpy bear realizes that even though he gets squeezed, washed, lost, and eaten by a dinosaur, his life is pretty good. Just when he’s ready to leave it all behind, he decides there is always a reason to stay!

English

A Guide to Reading Aloud to Your Child

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 in the word Louis is Ll. This letter makes the sound /l/ like leap, land, and lollipop. Let’s say that sound together: /l/, /l/, /l/. Point to the Ll in the title. Read the title together, emphasizing the sound /l/.

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

downhill : gets bad, little by little, and keeps getting worse

prehistoric : a long, long time ago, before humans could write down history

hurricane : a powerful storm with strong wind and lots of rain

accessory : a person who helps another person do something that is against the rules or laws

mislaid : lost, or put somewhere and forgotten

routine : an activity that is done over and over in the same way

Questions to Discuss

Why did Louis feel like his life was going "downhill"? What did he not like about being a teddy?

What did the boy share at school during Show and Tell? How do you think the boy felt when he mislaid Louis on the bus? How do you think Louis felt? Can you tell by looking at the pictures?

Have you ever lost something? Did you get it back? Have you ever found something that didn't belong to you and tried to return it? What happened?

Do you have a special stuffed friend? What things do you do with your stuffed friend?

Let's Play

This activity will help your child make connections to the text, which helps children improve comprehension.

Draw two pictures of Louis (or your own favorite stuffed friend!) and what you might do while playing with them. Draw one picture of an activity that you think Louis or your stuffed friend would NOT like very much! Draw another picture of something that you think Louis or your stuffed friend would LOVE to do with you. Write or dictate a sentence on each picture telling how Louis or your stuffed friend feels about doing that activity.