Oral Language

Show your child the cover of the book and talk about what you see.

You might say:

“I see an animal in a cage. I wonder what animal it could be? I see it has some hair sticking out around its big head and long tail. What could it be?

There is also a sign hanging on the crate. It says, FROM THE ZOO. It looks like this crate is being delivered by the zoo. What do you think we might see in a crate from the zoo?”

Oral Language

As you read each page, see if your child can use the clues to predict what animal is hidden behind the flap. The first page says, 

“I wrote to the zoo to send me a pet. They sent me an _____. He was too big! I sent him back.” 

After reading this page, you might say:

“Look at this yellow crate. See the words on the crate? The words say VERY HEAVY! Can you think of a zoo animal that is very heavy and very big? Let’s check to see if you are right.”

Continue making predictions as you read. You might model your own thinking as you make predictions on some of the pages. Invite your child to make predictions on the others. Be sure to point out the words that are printed on some of the crates.

Introduce vocabulary words that might be new to your child. Some words to define and introduce include fierce, grumpy, scary, naughty and jumpy.

Oral Language

Bring the book to life. Gather a few of your child’s stuffed animals. Ask your child which of the animals would make good pets. Ask why or why not?

Beginning Writing

Ask your child to recall some of the animals that were featured in the book. Invite her to draw a picture of one of the animals.

Explore more recommended children's books for two-year-olds, or find an at-home activity to help build important pre-reading skills.