The Pond Paper Parade
The Pond Paper Parade
by ReadRead · 4 min readA yellow star becomes a boat for two friends. A small mark on the bow remembers where it came from.
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Tuck has two empty hands and a wish to join the parade. Milo helps with a blue square, but a loose fold lets the wind in. The paper falls into the pond. Dot looks at the wet paper, then at a much-loved yellow star—and makes a generous choice.
The new words in this book
Bend paper over onto itself. Said 6 times as Tuck learns to make a boat.
Open folded paper out again. Said 6 times through practice, a setback, and a generous gift.
Painted paper cards turn along a visible crease, then open through a hat and diamond into a boat. The same yellow paper passes from Dot’s hands to Tuck’s and becomes their boat.
Questions to ask while you read
Pause after each spread and ask one question. There are no right answers; the point is to get your child talking.
- 1What does Dot have? What is in Tuck’s hands?
- 2What line appears when the blue square opens?
- 3How does Tuck feel about the first boat?
- 4What lets the wind into the boat?
- 5Why does the wet paper open again?
- 6Why does Dot take one last look at the star?
- 7What do the friends do more carefully this time?
- 8Why does Tuck draw a star on the boat?
- 9Which pieces will fold? Which will unfold?
- 10What does the yellow boat help the friends remember?
How hard is this book?
About 250 words, sentences of 6–8 words, dialogue.
- Dialogue × 13“This is for you, Dot.”
- Questions × 2“Can I make something too?”
- Commands × 2Tap each paper to fold or unfold it.
- Not / no × 2But Tuck has not pressed one side down.
- Past tense × 3“I made it all by myself!”
- Will / going to × 1“I will unfold my star. You can have my paper.”
- Bigger / biggest × 1The friends make more boats for the parade.
All 114 words, most used first
the 18 · boat 8 · it 8 · star 7 · fold 6 · paper 6 · yellow 6 · i 5 · unfold 5 · a 4 · can 4 · down 4 · for 4 · one 4 · at 3 · is 3 · on 3 · parade 3 · press 3 · side 3 · with 3 · you 3 · all 2 · apart 2 · blue 2 · but 2 · each 2 · friends 2 · hands 2 · has 2 · in 2 · little 2 · look 2 · looks 2 · make 2 · me 2 · my 2 · our 2 · pond 2 · puts 2 · sides 2 · this 2 · your 2 · again · and · are · away · be · boats · both · brings · by · cannot · close · comes · day · dry · empty · flat · gently · good · have · here · holds · into · just · last · leads · left · lies · line · made · more · myself · no · not · now · of · or · pressed · pull · pulls · ready · says · see · sets · shape · slips · so · something · square · stays · still · sun · takes · tap · their · then · there · three · time · to · too · top · try · two · unfolds · us · very · warm · water · wet · will · wind
Names don’t count: the picture shows who it is.
Tips for parents
- Watch first with Read to me. Give the quiet sharing page time.
- Follow the colors: the blue paper gets wet; the yellow paper is Dot’s gift.
- On the game page, say fold or unfold before tapping a shape.
- Fold and reopen a scrap of paper at home. Find the crease with a finger.