My Friend Rabbit
by Eric Rohmaann. Roaring Brook
Press, 2002
Activities ©2003 Nancy Polette
| About the Book When Mouse lets his best friend, Rabbit, play with his brand new airplane, trouble isn't far behind. Rabbit means well but he is much bigger than Mouse and when he tries to launch the plane it ends up in a tree, too high to reach. Rabbit tells Mouse not to worry since he has an idea. Rabbit gathers together lost animals and gets them to climb on each other. A tall tree of animals results with rhino on top of elephant, hippo on top of rhino, antelope on top of hippo, crocodile on top of antelope, bear on top of crocodile, goose on top of bear, and squirrel on top of goose holding mouse. Reaching for the plane proves to be a disaster when the animal ladder collapses sending the animals bouncing every which way. Mouse is left hanging on to the wing of the plane which is still stuck in the tree. Finally the plane is rescued but trouble looms again when Rabbit tries to take a plane ride with mouse. This is a charming story of toys, trouble and friendship and having a bigger playmate.  |
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| Journal Writing Directions: Before reading the story, choose a sentence starter to complete. You may add one or two more sentences if you wish. Can be done orally. 1. A good friend is always... 2. When you break a friend's toy... 3. A mouse and a rabbit are... 4. If your toy plane was stuck in a tree... 5. One way to help a friend... 6. When something is too high to reach... 7. Words to describe a mouse are... 8. Words to describe a rabbit are... |
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| Questions to Think About 1. Was Rabbit a good friend? Why? 2. How many ways can you get something down that is stuck in a tree? 3. Why do you suppose Mouse did not get madat Rabbit? 4. Do you think Rabbit had good ideas? Why? 5. If Mouse gets another new toy do you think hewill let Rabbit play with it? Why? 6. Tell about a time when a friend helped you. 7. Tell about a time when you helped a friend. |
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| Sing the Story Directions: Choose words from the line below to complete each line in the song. Tune: 'Hush Little Baby' tree.....fell..... friend..... worry..... mouse In the yard outside the house Was a Rabbit and a (1)____________________ Oh, dear, what is that they see Plane has landed in a (2)______________________ Get the plane down, hurry, hurry Rabbit said, "Not to (4)____________ " The animals helped but sad to tell The animals tumbled and they (4)______________________ Rabbit is still mouse's (5) ___________________ Now this song comes to an end. |
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| Rhyming Song Sing to "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" Who's a friend of a small mouse? Who's a friend of a small mouse? Who's a friend of a small mouse? It's a word that rhymes with HABIT. Substitute other animals for the last line: It's a word that rhymes with CARE It's a word that rhymes with LOOSE. It's a word that rhymes with PEARL |
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| A Word Game DIRECTIONS Use only these letters to make the missing words: e r t o s 1. Use two of the letters to make the missing word. Rabbit wanted ___ ___ to fly the plane. 2. Take away one letter and add two letters to make the missing word. The animals were ____ ____ ____ one on top of the other. 3. Add one letter and move letters around to make the missing word. After his airplane ride Mouse wanted to _____ _____ _____ _____. 4. Take away two letters and add two letters to make the missing word. A bump on hippo's head would make it ____ ____ ____ ____. 5. Add one letter to make the missing word. Mouse bought the airplane at a _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ Here is a pattern that compares Rabbit and Mouse. Use the same pattern to compare Bear and Elephant. Example: If I had the ears of a rabbit I would hear that Mouse got a new toy And I'd have soft white fur and pink eyes But I wouldn't have gray fur And a long tail Because only Mouse has that. |
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| The Mystery Toy Choose a toy you might find in a toy store.. Write six clues about the toy. Number them 1-6. One clue must be a 'give away' clue. Ask a classmate to give you a number between one and six. Read the fact for that number. If the student passes, call on another classmate to give you a different number. The game continues until the mystery animal is guessed, or all clues are read. EXAMPLE: 1. I can move. 2. I have more than one part to me. 3. I can make noise. 4. I am not an animal. 5. My name rhymes with rain. 6. I often go round and round (Answer: Train) |
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| About Mice Work with a friend to answer these questions yes or no. Guess if you do not know the answers. 1. ____ The house mouse is dull gray in color. 2. ____ Mice belong to the same family as rats. 3. ____ Snakes like to eat mice. 4. ____ Mice eat a lot but often spoil more than they use. 5. ____ A mouse can kill a tree by gnawing away the bark. After you have guessed the answers to the above statements, find a book about mice or use the encyclopedia to prove or disprove your answers. Use the facts you find to write a mouse song. Example: A mouse is dull gray A mouse is dull gray This is a fact about a mouse A mouse is dull gray. (Sing to the tune of 'The Farmer in the Dell') A mouse ____________________________________ A mouse ____________________________________ This is a fact about a mouse. A ________________________________________ |