Do You Want to Be My Friend?

Do You Want to Be My Friend?

Author & Illustrator: Eric Carle

Genre: Fiction

Ages: 3-4 years

Theme: Friendship, Animals

Summary: This book follows a mouse on his quest to find a friend. There is only text on the first page which allows for teachers and students to improvise what happens throughout the book. The mouse follows tail after tail in hopes of finding a friend. 

Pre-Reading Activity: Ask students what it means to be a friend. Brainstorm lists and make a T chart with traits of a good friend and traits of a bad friend. 

Post- Reading Activity: As a class, complete the "Whose Tail Is It? activity. Use the print out and allow students to guess which animal each tail belongs to. This is a good activity to teach students about making reasonable predictions. 

(The print out can be found at : http://www.scribd.com/doc/97752064/Who%E2%80%99s-Tail-Is-It )

Reflection: Eric Carle books are always favorites to use in the classroom. They always teach at least one skill that can be expanded on and have fantastic illustrations. This book is a great starting point for lessons on social emotional skills or character education. 

About the Author:

Eric Carle is the creator of more than seventy picture books for young readers. He was born in Syracuse, NY. When he was six years old he moved with his family to Germany. In 1952 after graduating from the prestigious Akademie der Bildenden Kunste in Stuttgart, he fulfilled his dream of returning to New York. 

(www.barnesandnoble.com)