StoryWalks® for Pennsylvania Libraries

StoryWalk® Prompts for Snail Crossing by Corey Tabor

 

Intro Sign (displaying book cover and the following information)

StoryWalk®

Have fun enjoying nature and talking with your child as you read this story together! There are discussion prompts and activity ideas on each post. Feel free to do one, a few, or all as you proceed through the StoryWalk®. Talking about stories together is a wonderful way to help your child become a reader!

The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Storywalk® is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson.

This project is funded through the Family Engagement Grant, a federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant made possible by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries.

 

Sign 1

Display Book cover again

Welcome to this StoryWalk® of Snail Crossing by Corey Tabor!

Prompt: Look at the picture on the cover. What do you think will happen when this little snail tries to cross this busy road? Travel on this StoryWalk® adventure to find out!

 

Sign 2

Pages 1-2

Text: One lucky day Snail was out scooting around when he saw the most beautiful sight –

Prompt: Can you find the trail Snail is leaving on the ground as he scoots along? Point to it in the picture! What do you think the beautiful sight will be? Scoot on over to the next sign to find out!

 

Sign 3

Pages 3-4

Text: a field of plump, crisp cabbages just across the road.

“Well, you won’t stop me!” said Snail to the road.

Prompt: Why do you think Snail thinks the cabbages are a beautiful sight?

What is that watching him across the road?

 

Sign 4

Pages 5-6

Text: Snail had been traveling for some time when he decided to take a break.

Why, I must be nearly there, thought Snail.

Prompt: Do you think it is a good idea for Snail to stop in the middle of the road? Why or why not? Travel to the next sign to find out!

            

Sign 5

Pages 7-8

Text:  He was watching the grumbling grey clouds when he felt something coming

his way. What it was, Snail couldn’t say. Some things are too big and fast for snails to ponder.

“Well, you won’t stop me!” said Snail to the thing.

Snail was cabbage bound! Nothing could stand in his way!

Prompt: To ponder something means to think about it carefully.

What was the big, fast thing coming Snail’s way? Do you think Snail

will keep going? Ponder your answer and scoot to the next sign to find out!

 

Sign 6

Pages 9-10

Text: “Hey!” You!” “You’re standing in our way.”

“We’ve got a road to cross here!” yelled a group of rowdy ants. 

And they probably would have carried on like that if it hadn’t started to rain.

Prompt: To be rowdy means to be noisy and acting up! How do you think the rain will change how the ants are acting?

                  

Sign 7

Pages 11-12

Text: “Rain!” cried the ants. “Help! Help! Help!”

Cabbage bound or not, Snail couldn’t just leave them there.

“Come in!” said Snail. “Come in before you drown!”

Prompt: That was nice of Snail to offer to help the ants, wasn’t it? Can you tell where the ants are going? Travel to next sign to take a look!

 

Sign 8

Pages 13-14

Text: “Tea?” asked Snail.

“Oh!” “Please.” “Thank you.”

“That would be lovely,” said the ants.

CLICK.

Prompt: It’s very dark where the ants are! What do you think that “click” will be?

 

Sign 9

Pages 15-16

Text: “We’re sorry.” “About earlier.” “Terribly sorry.”

“Sometimes we get a bit antsy,” said the ants.

“Oh, I know the feeling,” said Snail, and he told them all about the plump, crisp cabbage just across the road.

“Hmm,” said the ants. “Hmm.”

Prompt: It looks like the click was Snail turning on the light in his house!

What did Snail and the ants do while it was raining?

Do you ever feel antsy or impatient for something to happen, just like the ants and Snail? If you’re feeling antsy to see how this story ends, keep going!

 

Sign 10

Pages 17-18

Text: When the rain stopped, the ants said thank you, thank you, thank you, and goodbye.

“Well, I hope you’ll come back soon!” said Snail.

“Count on it,” said the ants, and off they went.

“Now, where was I?” said Snail to himself. “Ah, yes…”

Snail was cabbage bound! Nothing could stand in his way!

Prompt: It looks like Snail and the ants are friends now. How can you tell?

Snail is still cabbage bound! Scoot over to the next sign to find out what happens when he gets back on the road.

 

Sign 11

Pages 19-20

Text: Snail was scooting right along when he noticed something standing in his way.

“Lunch!” said the hungry crow.

“Well, you won’t eat me!” said Snail. “Can’t you see I’m cabbage bound? Evasive maneuvers! Evasive maneuvers!”

Prompt: Uh, oh! The crow wants to eat Snail! Do you think he will get away by going in circles? Travel to the next sign to find out!

 

Sign 12

Pages 21-22

Text:  Honk! Honk!

And just like that the hungry crow was gone!

Snail was very relieved but a little dizzy from all that spinning.

Cabbage bound! I’m cabbage bound!

Head in the clouds, foot on the ground… (Sang Snail)

Prompt: What scared the crow away? Snail feels dizzy from spinning around but he keeps going. Keep going, too, to find out if Snail reaches the cabbage!

 

Sign 13

Pages 23-24

Text:  Snail scooted and scooted and scooted and…

“Hooray!” said Snail. “I made it!”

But where was the cabbage?

Prompt: Oh, no! What do you think happened to the cabbage? Keep scooting along…

 

Sign 14

Pages 25-26

Text: “Well, shoot,” said Snail.

Prompt: Where is Snail now? How do you think that happened? Will Snail ever get his cabbage? Travel to the next sign…

 

Sign 15

Pages 27-28

Text:  But what was that on the horizon? Could it be? It was!

The cabbage was coming to Snail!

Prompt: How could that be? Cabbages don’t walk! Can you guess what is happening? Scoot to the next sign!

 

Sign 16

Pages 29-30

Text: “Hooray!” said Snail.

Snail bound! We’re Snail bound! (Sang the ants)

           Prompt: Hooray! The ants are taking their turn to help Snail now! Can you sing along with them as you make your way to the last sign?

“Snail bound! We’re Snail bound!”

 

Sign 17

Pages 31-32

Text: “Thank you,” he said to the ants. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Then the new friends went inside for cabbage soup and tea. And no one felt antsy at all.

Prompt: The ants saved the day, didn’t they? Hooray!

We hope you enjoyed this StoryWalk® of Snail Crossing by Cory Tabor.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for coming!

Five Extension Ideas for Additional Programming with StoryWalk® Selections

These ideas can apply to any of the books to engage families and extend the StoryWalk® experience for your community.

1. Consider having your StoryWalk® available for two to four weeks and then holding a special storytime centered around the book! Make it a celebration by including a special craft, a guest reader, a talk from a park ranger, a video clip of the real animals in their natural habitats, etc. This could be done in reverse order as a kick-off celebration for each new StoryWalk®.
2. Give families a Draw and Tell activity sheet for each book. Children can draw a picture of their favorite part of the story and tell parents about their picture. Parents may write down the child’s words, and they can read it together!
3. Create stick or paper bag puppets for the main characters in each book. Encourage parents to help their children retell the story with their puppets!
4. Create a Story Sack with objects or props for each of the stories. Children and parents can use the bags to talk about the characters and events together. For example, for Snail Crossing you could have a snail shell or a picture of a snail, a cabbage leaf, a toy truck, etc.
5. Create a STEAM display for each book. In addition to the StoryWalk® book, have related nonfiction books, facts about the animals, and nature materials connected to each story. Add a simple craft or sensory activity and a related poem or nursery rhyme to round out your display.

 

Resources for Snail Crossing

Related Books The Biggest House in the World by Leo Lionni (Fiction, Classic) The Someone New by Jill Twiss (Fiction) Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature by Joyce Sidman (Nonfiction) Are you a Snail? by Judy Allen (Nonfiction, Backyard Books) Snail-Snails-Snails by Bonnie Bader (Nonfiction, Penguin Young Readers)

10 Fun Facts About Snails Snails are the world’s slowest animals. There are more snails on Earth than insects. Snails can be found everywhere on Earth. There are both land snails and water snails Snails eat by gliding across a food surface. They have what is known as a radula in their mouths, which grinds up their food. A radula is like a tiny tongue with a bunch of sharp teeth coating it. Snails are born with shells. Snails hibernate in winter. Snails cannot hear so they hunt for food with their sense of smell. Snails leave slime behind them as they travel. The slime protects them as they move. A snail’s body consists of one head with a pair of tentacles, a neck, a visceral hump, one foot, and a tail.

Songs The Snail Song Performed by BusSongs.com The Snail Song Two little eyes, one and two. One pretty shell. Nice to meet you. He has no legs, just a tail. It’s a snail, it’s a snail, it’s a snail. Snail, snail, crawling on my knee. Snail, snail, he likes me. Snail, snail, crawling on my head. Snail, snail, time for bed.

Poems Snail Races There never is a slower pace, Than snails competing in a race, On your mark, get set and go, The one that’s way ahead is slow, The one that’s far behind is slower!   The Snail The snail is very odd and slow, He has his mind made up to go, The longest way to anywhere, And will not let you steer him there. Today I met one in the grass, And hadn’t time to watch him pass, But, coming back at sunset, I Discovered him still traveling by.