The kindergarten students and I read Rude Cakes by Rowboat Watkins today. This book offers a fun twist on the traditional book on manners.
"Who knew that cakes were so rude?! In this deliciously entertaining book, a not-so-sweet cake—who never says please or thank you or listens to its parents—gets its just desserts. Mixing hilarious text and pictures, Rowboat Watkins, a former Sendak fellow, has cooked up a laugh-out- loud story that can also be served up as a delectable discussion starter about manners or bullying, as it sweetly reminds us all that even the rudest cake can learn to change its ways."
From the first page turn, readers are engaged and the humor is evident.
Punny!
As the story begins, readers are introduced to rude cake's rude behavior.
After declaring baths boring and bedtimes for donut holes, this rude cake is whisked from its bedroom by a giant cyclops. Now, it may not be well known, but...
...and this is where we stopped to make predictions. At least three quarters of the students predicted that giant cyclops love to EAT rude cakes.
Luckily, giant cyclops love...
Giant cyclops also love to say please, to share, and to wait patiently in line!
Giant cyclops also listen when people ask politely, and so our little rude cake is returned safely home, where things begin to look a little different...
After reading the story, I asked the students to raise their hands if they thought they had ever been rude. In each of the four classes, about five students initially raised their hands. (I wonder if their family and friends think the same?) I gave a few examples from my past and present life.I asked the students to share some of theirs. We then switched gears and focused on ways to avoid being a rude cake - saying please, raising your hand, waiting patiently in line, saying thank you, and sharing. After the discussion the students went off to draw their ideas.
I think these posters will be a fun way to remind students not to be a rude cake!
Polite Rowboats always say THANK YOU when curious librarians and talented students write nice blog posts and draw such FUN pictures. Thank you! You are so NOT donut holes. But I find it hard to believe everyone there wasn't a little bit rude cake at least once. Not even Giant Cyclopses are polite all the time.
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting. I agree! I gave the children a skeptical look when so few hands went up at my question. I am hoping that my own confession of sometimes forgetting to open a door or thank someone for help allowed the children to view their actions more honestly! Thanks for creating a book that was so much fun to share and allowed us to have this important conversation!
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