Feelings Vocabulary

by | Feb 16, 2026

Introduce or review emotion words such as shy, brave, lonely, happy and excited. Explain that these feelings may appear in the story and students will look for them while listening.

New Places, New Friends

by | Feb 16, 2026

Ask students to think about a time they were new somewhere. How did it feel? Discuss feelings such as excitement, nervousness or shyness, and connect this to the beginning of the story.

Same and Different

by | Feb 16, 2026

Have students share one way they are similar to a friend and one way they are different. Discuss how being different does not stop people from being friends and may even make friendships stronger.

Cover & Illustration Walk

by | Feb 16, 2026

Display the cover and do a picture walk through several pages without reading the text. Ask students what they notice about the children, their actions and their expressions. Invite predictions about what the book might be teaching about friendship.

What Is a Friend?

by | Feb 16, 2026

Begin with a whole-group discussion about friendship. Ask students what a friend is and what friends do. Record responses on chart paper. Encourage students to give examples from their own lives. Explain that the class will revisit this chart after reading to see if...