Posted by lmhannon | Posted in Funny First Graders, Reading | Posted on May 15, 2014
For years I have been reading Mr. Popper’s Penguins to my first graders. Although I prefer books, each year I wondered outloud with my students if it would ever be made into a movie. So I was very excited when I heard a couple of years ago that it would, finally, become a movie. I was much disappointed (as I should have expected) that it was next to nothing like the book. I wish it had been left in the setting of the 1930’s. The book does have some rather obscure vocabulary (even for me), such as “calcimine,” and other words which are challenging for first graders since the book is more suited for Grades 3-5 (if the student is reading independently). The responses to the book as shown below are proof that the students knew and understood what was going on. Reading aloud books of a much higher level than the students themselves can read is such a great tool for increasing comprehension and vocabulary, plus it is just plain fun. I remember reading such books aloud to my own girls far into the intermediate grades and beyond. You know they are engaged when they beg you for just one more chapter! There are not a ton of illustrations in this book, so their visualization of some of the story scenes are right on. We laughed and laughed over the antics of the Captain Cook and his “family” and it is always kind of sad to close the last page of such a wonderful story. Here are their favorite parts of the book:
When Captain Cook says “Gook!”
When the penguin was in the ice tub.
My favorite part was when Mr. Popper got Captain Cook (“Ork!”).
The penguins with their eggs in the ice box.
Going down and up the stairs (“Gaw!”).
When the refrigerator guy came over.
It was when the penguins went on (the stage).
“Ork!”
Mrs. Popper playing the military march.
When Mr. Popper said goodbye to Mrs. Popper.
I like when Mr. Popper put holes in the ice box.
My favorite part is when they slid on their bellies.
This is when the penguins surprisingly appeared from beneath the stage, making the opera singer suddenly screech in the middle of a song. (when the lady screamed)
When they had to eat lots of beans (between the house painting season being over for Mr. Popper, plus the expense of providing for the penguins, yes the Popper family subsisted on beans).
