This 2015 Caldecott Award winner Dan Santat tells the story of an imaginary friend in search of a child. It is one of Miss Anne’s favorite picture books!
WATCH and LISTEN to Dan Santat read his book:
ACTION SONG: Friend of Mine (tune: Mary Had a Little Lamb)
Will you be a friend of mine,
friend of mine, friend of mine?
Will you be a friend of mine
and JUMP AROUND with me? (jump!)
Will you be a friend of mine,
friend of mine, friend of mine?
Will you be a friend of mine
and CLAP YOUR HANDS with me? (clap!)
Will you be a friend of mine,
friend of mine, friend of mine?
Will you be a friend of mine
and WIGGLE YOUR FINGERS with me? (wiggle fingers!)
Will you be a friend of mine,
friend of mine, friend of mine?
Will you be a friend of mine
and HOP ON ONE FOOT with me? (hop on one foot!)
Will you be a friend of mine,
friend of mine, friend of mine?
Will you be a friend of mine
and TAKE A BOW with me? (take a bow!)
Tip: ask your child to think of more actions to do.
ACTIVITIES:
- What kind of things would you do with your imaginary friend?
- What does your imaginary friend look like? Here’s a hint: if you like running and climbing with your imaginary friend, it should probably have some sort of arms or legs to use to climb. Or maybe… tentacles!
- Draw your imaginary friend – or make your imaginary friend using play dough and bits and bobs you can find, like buttons and twigs. Now draw yourself (or make a model of yourself!) with your imaginary friend, doing something fun.