Is Everyone Ready for Fun?

This is a great book by Jan Thomas, as children just have this innate desire to jump on the sofa, and so relate to the cows’ inability to control themselves, their regret as they are reminded they shouldn’t do it, and how they get around promising not to do it again!  As the reader, I weave myself as a parent sharing the chicken’s frustration, so the children are really drawn into this in the classroom.  It’s also really a great book to use repetitive and meaningful Chinese to the children.  It reinforces lots of phrases we use in the classroom regularly, and connects with our ‘Up Down’ lessons. (See Going Up Going Down, London Bridge, Up and Down Characters, Three Jellyfish, Exploring 上下）

You can download a lovely finger puppet activity to act this story out on the author’s website Jan Thomas Books.

Here are some of the words the children hear when sharing this book in Chinese:

小鸡           xiǎo jī                            Little chicken
小牛           xiǎo niú                         Little cow
沙发           shā fā                             sofa

准备好了吗？              zhǔn bèi hǎo le ma?                       Are you ready?
准备好了！                 zhǔn bèi hǎo le！                            Ready!
跳上跳下                      tiào shàng  tiào xià                          Jump up and down
跳舞                              tiào wǔ                                              Dance
扭来扭去                      niǔ lái niǔ qù                                   Wiggle around
在沙发上                      zài shā fā shàng                               on the sofa

别！                              biè!                                                   Don’t!
别跳！                          biè tiào!                                           Don’t jump！
别跳舞！                      biè tiào wǔ!                                     Don’t dance!