You Go First
Cat and Duck are great friends, and are excited to visit the playground together. When they notice a big, new, spiral slide, Duck is ready to try it out and Cat is not so sure. Duck listens carefully to Cat’s cautions, and when a decision is finally made, Cat has some thoughtful moments about friendship. Colorful illustrations, expressive text, and a double-paged spread of the setting invite readers into the playground along with the characters. Readers will not be disappointed with how this story ends…weeeeeee promise!
Pennsylvania Center for the Book Awards
Book Activities & Discussion Ideas
Some of the print in this book is a narration of the story; but much of it is dialogue between Duck and Cat. Point to the dialogue and speaker while reading with an expressive voice, making sure the children can see the characters and read their expressions and body language. Periodically ask children how Duck and Cat might be feeling.
As a follow up to this story, adults can talk to children about what made Duck and Cat such good friends, (e.g., friends know and understand how the other feels, friends are patient, friends take turns, when someone is afraid friends don’t make fun, friends help you). Invite children to make pictures of people being good friends. Use those pictures to illustrate a class book or poster containing children’s ideas for how to be a good friend.
This story’s familiar setting gives families and children much to think and talk about. Adults and children can share times when they both have been confronted with a need to be brave. Where possible, adults can introduce ideas of how we decide about doing something we fear. For example, to be sure that the activity is safe, children can ask a trusted grown up or older sibling for advice. They can also watch others do the activity first, or even start by doing just a small part at a time.
This story also presents a good opportunity to point out individual differences in people. Some of us love to try out new things right away, while others need to take our time. Adults can point out that on the Dedication Page, the illustrator Marc Rosenthal declares that he is actually a “scaredy-cat!”