I’m always on the hunt for the perfect read aloud for “Spooky Season”. As a kid, my family didn’t really celebrate Halloween because we had a scary experience one year while trick-or-treating. And for many years, I taught at a school that didn’t observe this holiday. So for me, It’s always a MAJOR plus when I come across an amazing picture book that feels like October without always referencing halloween, costumes, candy etc… and this new picture book fits the bill.

Introducing… A Spoonful of Frogs by Casey Lyall and Vera Brosgol

It’s about a Witch with a cooking show! When the main ingredient *hops* away during filming… Witch goes to great lengths to “put it on the spoon” but ultimately has to opt for a clever substitution.

This book came out in July of 2022 and had been on my radar…Honestly, it far surpassed my original expectation and was blown away by it. Originally, I was really worried about the frog/soup combo, but I can assure you NO FROGS were harmed in this story. It actually has a funny narrative and cute (frog soup free) ending. I’ve already deemed it a new *classic* for the spooky season/October.

This read aloud got me really excited about reading comprehension…

So, I want to show you a few of the new activities to pair with this story. These comprehension activities are ideal for a K-1 classroom to invite kiddos to listen, interact and show what they know via easy to implement crafts, printable(s) and group discussions. You can easily spread them out over the course of a week.

Let’s take a little peek

The setting of this story is too fun and great for “cooking up” a discussion on when/where it’s happening/why it changes. Use these text cards to dig deeper into the illustration.

Witch is an (outside) character trait DREAM! From her red lipstick to apron to hair (and it changes in the story), she surely has a lot of features to notice and describe alongside kiddos. Use these headers to make a quick chart for kiddos to interact with and use later for independent time.

You’ve probably already guessed the problem in this story… and the solution is equally as silly! Here’s a little green hint on this Problem & Solution PICKLE craft (there’s also regular printables if that’s more your jam).

Retelling! You knew it, I LOVE retelling. Kiddos can make their own retelling spoon with a little hopping frog. This spoon isn’t so little though, it’s a little over 12 inches in length. 🙂

Wrap it up with a Witch craft and prompt of your choice! I’ve always loved ending the week with a response craft as a final “show what you know” moment.