Penguins are ALWAYS perfectly polite. They wait their turn, they share their toys and they never forget to say please or thank you! But then Polly the not-so-polite penguin decides that being polite is BORING! And when the other penguins start to agree… Uh oh! It’s chaos!
Watch Emma read the story:
- As you are reading the story together, encourage your child to think about whether all the penguins are being polite. Ask questions such as, What are the penguins doing that is polite and thoughtful?
- Point out the speech bubbles and explain that they show what each penguin is saying. You could add your own speech bubbles to the page where Polly is juggling.
- Talk about what Polly does and how the other penguins react. Discuss what happens when all the penguins join in and start being rude. Think about how Polly could make this better.
- Highlight that even though Polly begins to try her best to be polite, sometimes she forgets, and that it is ok to make mistakes sometimes.
- Spend some time talking about ways to be polite and why it is important. Repeat words such as please and thank you. You could teach your child the words in Makaton signs. Find out more about Makaton here.
After you have finished the story, try these penguin-themed activities together:
- Draw your own penguin: Look closely at the illustrations in the book. Have a go at drawing your own penguin, talking about the shapes you use, such as a circle for the eyes and a triangle for the nose.
- Move like a penguin: Follow the actions in the Penguin Song and have a go at moving like a penguin.
- Make up a penguin story: Make up your own story about what the characters in the book might do next. Maybe Polly will be nervous about starting penguin nursery and the other penguins will help her to feel better.
Join in with Emma
Join in with Emma as she talks about the story and paints her very own penguin pictures.
For older children
Go to the library and find some non-fiction books about penguins. Find out information such as where they live and what they like to eat. Alternatively, you can find some information online using websites such as these:
