The Tortoise and the Hare

Hi all!  Today's post is about a classic:  The Tortoise and the Hare.  I remember this story from when I was little.  Since then, I've read many versions and done puppet shows for it countless times.  It's amazing how you can capture children's attention by putting puppets on your hands.  I use these to retell the story:

I particularly like this version of the book by Janet Stevens:

The expressions on the character's are really intense.  You can see that the tortoise is sad because of the Hare's bullying.  I also think this is a great book because you can really explain to kindergarten students how bullying makes others feel and how it looks when somebody is being bullied.  This version is also very cool because the animals help tortoise to get ready for the race by cooking him healthy foods and exercising with him.  It's such a positive message about working together.  Unfortunately bullying still happens, but reading about it and discussing it will teach the children how it affects people and ways to combat it.

I recently visited some friends of ours who have a tortoise, and they let me hold it.  It was so cute, and I even got to stroke its neck.  I really want one for my classroom, but I'm not sure if our county will allow it.

I want to make tortoise puppets this year with the kids, using paper plates.  Maybe something that looks like this:

What kind of pets do all of you have in your classrooms?  I would love to hear about them.