Books / 4-Year-Olds / Too Many Carrots

Too Many Carrots

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?

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 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!