The other day I shared about Florian's book Flamingos Fly. Today I write about another book in the series, Bears Are Big. I am always on the lookout for books exploring opposites.
Bears Are Big is a great new option to use with parent/child and preschool dance classes. Illustrator Barbara Bakos shares playful images of a variety of creatures. Use the ideas to create a warm up for your classes.
Bears are big.
Bees are small.
Shrews are short.
Giraffes are tall.
I would like to offer two options with this particular text.
Option 1 – use the text from the beginning until the 12th page….ending with the idea, "Tree frogs stick." I think you can create a playful warm up that can be repeated for several weeks in a row.
Option 2 – using the entire text – you will need some fabric. I have been exploring how to use the final set of words in the book, "Ravens are black. Doves are white." My solution is this: use the whole book, and then when you get to the last two pages about the birds, have your class come over to you and get black and white fabric. This can transition into an improvisational activity exploring the fabric and the bird inspiration of flying, flapping, soaring, opening, and closing. My top suggestion would be to head to the local fabric store to buy cheap tulle fabric in both black and white.
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