“There was a little sheep called Tinka,” said Pritka. “She was really tiny,” said Philippe. “Yeah, she was as small as a mouse,” said Pritka. “She could almost fit in your hand.” “But, I think Tinka felt sad,” said Juan. Jake agreed. “ . . . because she was too small,” he said. Juan said, “I was sad once . . . just like Tinka.” “Me too,” Tina interrupted. “Tinka reminded me about when I went on a cruise this summer. I was in a playgroup and I was the smallest one there. And nobody played with me. It was lonely. Tinka probably felt pretty lonely, too, because the sheep weren’t paying attention to her.” “She was sad when she was sleeping alone, too,” said Philippe. “Right! At night she slept alone in the corner. I think she felt like an orphan,” said Pritka. “Hmmm . . . “ said Lucy. “Maybe Tinka felt left out because she didn’t feel the same on the outside of her . . . and she didn’t know that she was the same on the inside.” “And she kind of looked different because she was so small,” said Hannah. “And her color was different, too,” said Lucy. “Yeah, Tinka was yellow,” said Philippe. “Maybe that’s why the sheep were not being nice at all,” said Hannah. “But, who cares if Tinka is small?” “Well, I felt bad for Tinka because she couldn’t do that much stuff,” said Roberto. Hannah shook her head. “She can do a lot of stuff,” she said. “Yeah” said Jake. “She can go through tall grass and no one would see her.” Then Roberto laughed and thought a moment. “ Another good thing about being small is that Tinka can go through holes and through fences and explore. “You know,” said Jake. “If I were small like Tinka, I would make a little designer house and I could use one block for a bed. “ Hannah laughed. “ Tinka was so tiny she even fit on the crow.” “She was really lucky,” said Philippe. “She got to go to the spider.” “Every spring the big spider came, but Tinka could never see it,” said Jake. “So, she went on the crow and flew there, said Philippe.” “But it wasn’t really a spider,” said Jake. The kiddles laughed as if they had a secret. Then Philippe said, “I think it’s okay to be small. And it’s okay to be big . . . whatever size you are, is okay.” “Right!” said Jake. “Bigger is not always better.” TEACHER TALK Children often play the “What If . . . ” game. Hey, I bet you have, too. Don’t we all? What if I won the lottery? What if I could eat anything I wanted and never gain an ounce. What if every day were sunny? Come on . . . give it a try. The list is endless. “IF I WERE . . . “ GAME Place children into small groups of two or three. Ask: “If you were as small as Tinka, what could you do?” Have children discuss possible activities. Each child should try to contribute at least one suggestion. Have children make a list of all appropriate suggestions. Some examples follow. If I were as small as Tinka: I could sleep in a tissue box. I could have a hamster for a best friend. I could take a bath in a teacup. I could live in a dollhouse. I could hide in a cash register drawer. I could play in a toilet paper roll. Then have the children illustrate their suggestions. Type up all “TINKA” suggestions. Cut apart sentence strips and label each child’s picture. Frame each picture on different colored construction paper, laminate for durability, and then compile into book format. This makes a great classroom book for shared reading and a great way for children to practice their reading skills. DISCUSSION: EMOTIONAL AWARENESS Have children discuss times in their lives when they may have felt uncomfortable because they were too ____________ to do something. Fill in the blank with a variety of discussion topics. too young too old too slow too grumpy If you like TINKA or books about sheep or characters who are worried about their size, you may also like the following books: HEY, LITTLE ANT by Phillip M. Hoose & Hannah Hoose, illustrated by Debbie Tilley SIX CREEPY SHEEP by Judith Ross Enderle & Stephanie Gordon Tessler, illustrated by John O'Brien COCK-A-DOODLE DUDLEY by Bill Peet |
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