Introducing a whimsical adventure of friendship, bravery, and the great blue sea, featured in the MaiStoryBook Library Collection:

“The Snail and the Whale” by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

*~Click here to purchase your own copy of “The Snail and the Whale” to start on your own reading adventure!(This is an affiliate link~ 5% of your purchase will go to MaiStoryBook to help create Reading Resources for your littles)~

Book Synopsis and Review

This is the story of tiny snail who caught a ride around the world on a humpback whale. Together, the snail and whale become friends as they explore the seas and far-off lands together. After seeing so many grand, amazing sights, Snail feels so small in the big wide world. However, when one day, Whale swims a bit too close to shore and is beached on the sand, it it use to Snail to save her new friend. Can a tiny snail save such a huge whale? With determination, grit, and clever thinking, Snail shows us that even the tiniest of ones can do BIG things.

From the author and illustrator duo who brought us “Room on the Broom,” “Snail and the Whale” is another rollicking read aloud. The rhyming words and stanzas roll off the tongue, making the words almost musical to ears of little readers. They can easily read along and join in on predictable parts of the text as they catch on to the rhyming scheme and rhythm of the words. Scheffler’s illustrations bring the story to life through animated and expressive characters, bright colors, and cartoon-like style. Through the pages, littles will get a tour of different climates around the world and a glimpse at different weather patterns. They will feel for Whale when he gets stuck on the sand, and root for Snail to find a way to save her friend. Overall, this is in inspirational read that encourages littles to seek to explore the world and all its amazing sights, and to have the courage to do BIG things, even if they are small.

Vocabulary

• slithered (p.1) moving while twisting and turning your body smoothly over a surface
• flock (p. 3) a large group
• enormous (p. 6) super big
• hideous (p. 12) super ugly
• tale (p. 28) a story

Themes/ Main Ideas

• Even the littlest of people and do BIG things and help in a BIG way. Size doesn’t determine your capabilities.
• The world is big and beautiful. Appreciate the amazing sites in nature all around you.

YouTube Video: Guided Shared-Reading Read Aloud Example

Example of a shared-reading, interactive Read Aloud of “The Snail and the Whale” – how to subtly introduce the vocabulary list words within the text, ask guided questions, and spark conversation!

*~Check it Out~*

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Big Things and Amazing Sights Snail and Whale Craft

It’s officially summertime: school is out and last weekend marked the first day of the season of summer. Normally, summertime for me looks like alternating back to back days at the pool or the beach. Anywhere in the water is mai happy place: the cool, smooth, velvety touch of water gliding over my skin, completely encompassing my body in a liquid shell of pulsing waves– the water a pressing weight and comforting pressure that I slide through with the strokes of my arms and gentle propels from my feet. However, this summer, with covid cases increasing and social distancing at an imperative, the beach and pool are temporarily off limits. The weather has hovered between June gloom and humid, hot, bright-blue skies, and while I miss the ocean and pool-time shenanigans, keeping maiself, mai family, and others in the community safe and healthy is a top priority. Summer travel plans have also been canceled, but that doesn’t mean there’s no chance for adventure. I’ve taken this time to find delight in enjoying the outdoors in the backyard, finding a new appreciation for the warmth of the sun and a space for fresh air, and the joy of a bike ride around the neighborhood. Time at home has helped me to slow down, and find more to love and admire about what is already right around me. But if and when I do crave adventure, the perfect remedy is to crack open a book and get lost in an epic story time escapade. “The Snail and the Whale” is a perfect summertime adventure book for littles. Explore the world on the back of a humpback whale, and take part in a heroic act of courage and friendship. Then, take time to reflect, document, and appreciate, what BIG things you are capable of doing, and what Amazing sights you have already seen with this week’ craft inspired by the story. Check it out down below!

Materials

• Big Things and Amazing Sights Snail and Whale Downloadable Templates
• Glue/ Tape
• Scissors
• Colors: crayons, markers, colored pencils, etc
• Pen/Pencil

Directions:

There are 2 Craft choices: *I Can Do Big Things* or *Amazing Sights*

I Can Do Big Things

• This craft focuses on how even little people can do BIG things.
• Choose a whale template: color template or black and white template. Each has two choices for one with black letters, or outlines letters to color in.
• On the blank line, write in your name. Cut out the Whale.

• Choose the color snails or the black and white snails.
• Answer the prompts written on the shell on the line on the snail body *About 5 snails fits best (but you can squeeze on more if you want)
• Prompts focus on what are some *big* things you can do that you are proud of.
• *There are also blank snails provided for your own prompts*

• Cut out the snails. Color in if you chose the black and white ones.
• Glue the snails anywhere onto the whale. Or you can leave them separate and use them to act out the story of the snails climbing on and off the whale.

Amazing Sights

• This craft focuses on amazing sights that you have seen- just like how Snail sees amazing sights with whale.
• Choose a whale template: Choose a whale template: color template or black and white template. Each has two choices for one with black letters, or outlines letters to color in.
• On the blank line, write in your name. Color/ Cut out the Whale.

• Choose the color snails or the black and white snails.
• Answer the prompts written on the shell on the line on the snail body *About 5 snails fits best (but you can squeeze on more if you want)
• Prompts focus on what are some amazing sights you’ve seen such as the prettiest thing you’ve seen, or the biggest, happiest, funniest, etc. 
• *There are also blank snails provided for your own prompts*

• Cut out the snails. Color them in if you chose the black and white ones.
• Glue the snails anywhere onto the whale. Or you can leave them separate and use them to act out the story of the snails climbing on and off the whale. (Extra snails can be used to act out climbing on and off the whale as well)
• Cut out the snails. Color them in if you chose the black and white ones.
• Glue the snails anywhere onto the whale. Or you can leave them separate and use them to act out the story of the snails climbing on and off the whale. (Extra snails can be used to act out climbing on and off the whale as well)

How to Use Your *BIG Things or Amazing Sights* Crafts

• Display your Snails and Whale to remind yourself that you can do BIG things, or to remind yourself about the Amazing sights around you
• Use your extra snails (or any snails that aren’t glued on the whale) to act out the story: have the snails climb on the back of the whale, and swim around acting out adventures, exploring new lands, or participating in heroic acts
• Share your Snails and Whales with a family member or friend, and ask them tis hare about what BIG things they can do, or what Amazing things they’ve seen
• Re-read the book “The Snail and the Whale” with your own snails and whales and have your snails climb along and your whale swim along with the story.

*~Overall, as always, I hope you all are staying safe and healthy, and enjoying some summertime adventures! Tag me on Instagram @MaiStoryBookLibrary, Twitter @MaiStoryBook  – post on FaceBook – or contact me via email to share your own *Snail and Whale Crafts* and your own reading adventures! I’d love to hear from you !~*

*~Until next time, Happy Reading~*