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The Little Red Hen: A Folk Tale Classic by Paul Galdone

jbuwalda's review

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funny lighthearted reflective
The Little Red Hen (1979) was written and illustrated by Paul Galdone. It is a great read aloud for younger students, in which the hen does all the housework while the cat, dog, and mouse lay around and sleep all day. When the hen bakes a cake all by herself, the other animals learn a lesson about the benefits of hard work.
In the classroom, one way to use this book would be as a role play or readers' theater type activity. Students could read or recite the parts of the different animals, acting the parts out while the teacher reads. The repetitive "not I" refrain would make it easy for kids to catch on.

canada_matt's review

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4.0

A little hard work goes a long way. When Neo and I took it upon ourselves to read this story, we learned all about the hard work the little red hen undertook to keep the house running. While her lazy roommates sleep the days away, she cultivates some wheat and goes through the laborious process to turn it into flour, before making a delicious treat. While no one wants to help with the chores, when a sweet-smelling cake emerges from the oven, everyone wants their share. Little do they know, the free ride ends there. Neo got the moral from the story without my needing to inch him in the right direction. Interesting that he picked it up, yet cannot think of one instance he might have been guilty of expecting without helping.
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