HUGLESS DOUGLAS

HUGLESS DOUGLAS by David Melling

Storysack:
I put this story sack together for a boy named Tate. I made a universal bag that he could use in future as a library bag. The story sack included:

•  ‘Hugless Douglas’ a wonderful story book that has inspired this story sack
• ‘100 facts: Bears’ a non-fiction book that explores bears
• A Hugless Douglas soft toy to act out  the story and suggestions to make other props
• $3 to purchase the Hugless Douglas interactive app
• Activity and games suggestions – some were printed and put in a folder for his parents

Reading book – Hugless Douglas by David Melling 

(available as Paperback, Hardback, Board Book, iBook,  interactive Android or Apple App available as Read Yourself and Audio )

Parent questions you could ask (depending on age of children)

Pre-reading questions:

• What does the picture on the cover tell us?

During reading questions:

Questions that can be asked throughout the story –

• What do you think will happen next?
• What do you think Douglas is feeling?

Specific questions

• What do you see in Douglas’s bedroom
• What colour is Douglas’s scarf?
• Why do you think hugging the rock and tree doesn’t feel right?  (lead questions to talking about hugs needing two people/animals)
• What is the opposite to big and tall? (if child doesn’t know the concept of opposites there are activity cards below to introduce the concept)
• Where do you think the rabbit is taking Douglas?
• Who do you think is in the cave?

After reading questions:

• What do you think Douglas felt when no-one wanted to give him a hug?
• Who do you like to hug?
• Which type of hug do you like best?
• Did you like the story?

If you enjoy this book David Melling has written several more Hugless Douglas books:

• Don’t Worry Douglas!
• Hugless Douglas and the Big Sleep
• We Love You Hugless Douglas!  (coming out late 2013)

Non-fiction book – 100 facts: Bears  by Miles Kelly 

Audio tape – Use Hugless Douglas interactive iPad or Android app read by Alan Davies

Main characters & props

A Hugless Douglas doll is available as part of a gift set with a small hardback version, but any teddy bear will do.  We have a bear from Ikea which will be perfect – after I have crocheted a red scarf.   Other prop ideas

• cave: use blankets and cushions
• rock: crumpled paper or alfoil
• Tree: paper towel roll & leaves
• Sheep, owl, rabbit & mum bear: soft toys

However there are a number of craft ideas that you could make to retell the story:

• Toilet roll characters http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/tproll.html

Go to the website and hit on the applicable animal – you can print in colour or black and white have the kids colour them in

Bear:                         Lamb:                              Owl:                          Rabbit:

• Paper bag puppets http://www.dltk-kids.com/type/paper_bag.htm

• Cut & paste animals: http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/CutandPasteActivities.htm

• Paper plate characters
• Bear – http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/PaperPlateBear.htm
• Sheep – http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/PaperPlateSheep2.htm
• Owl: http://craftsbyamanda.com/2010/06/paper-plate-owl-craft.html
• Rabbit – http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/mplate-rabbit.htm

• Rainbow shape animals (they don’t have an owl but you could come up with your own http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/RainbowShapeAnimals.htm

This cow is an example of rainbow shape animals

• Masks    http://www.funnycoloring.com/masks.html

Games

Opposite/ Antonym card game http://bogglesworldesl.com/oppositecardgame.htm This website also has large flash cards to teach the opposites.  There are then 56 (28 pairs) opposite cards so children can try to match the opposites.  They could start with the cards faced up and then as they learn the pairs they could play it as a memory game.

Bear upper and lower case match http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/BearBrownUpperLowerCaseMatching.htm

Cotton Ball Count Cards for a Lamb Theme

http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/LambCottonballCount.htm

Sleeping bears – a variation of Sleeping Tigers: Children will pretend to be hibernating bears.  They cannot move and you are trying to catch them out. You could point out that ‘this bear’s paw is moving’ or ‘this bear is asleep’.  If you catch them out you could tickle them but as this is an excellent way of calming them down you might not want to.  When they become really good at this – have a cup of tea and read a magazine!

Activities, Craft & Cooking

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:  I forgot to recognise Childledchaos.me.uk who had assembled many of these resources (apologies I forgot on the first post)    http://childledchaos.me.uk/2012/10/02/hugless-douglas-week-activity-ideas/

Colour by numbers Owl – number recognition http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/OwlColorbyNumber.htm

Rabbit pre-writing skills card http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/RabbitPreWritingSkillCards.htm

Hugless Douglas Activity Pack: https://www.opendrive.com/files?OF8yOTcwOTQwX3FST3JY

Tangrams – make tangrams for bears (under polar bears) and rabbits (these are a great way of teaching shapes and space) http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/MathTangrams.htm

Mothers Day card: http://davidmelling.co.uk/images/pc/Mothers%20Day%20activity%20Sheets%202.pdf

Colouring in http://www.huglessdouglas.com.au/#fun

Bear Hug Cards: http://cms.tigertalesbooks.com/uploads/23861c3671c4cfd32d52c909a237c8e0.pdf

Potato paw print http://claras.me/2011/12/advent-calendar-the-13th/

Wearable hugs – see the website for the original idea however you could adapt using woollen gloves and pieces for felt for the details http://domesticali.typepad.com/domesticali/2010/03/to-take-arms-against-a-sea-of-troubles-and-by-opposing-end-them.html 

Hand and footprint bears http://funhandprintart.blogspot.co.uk/2010/04/handprint-bear-and-footprint-teddybear.html If you enjoyed this activity, http://www.redtedart.com/2012/10/06/handprint-animals-alphabet-a-z/ has a handprint alphabet which includes an owl

Make a circles bear http://www.firstpalette.com/Craft_themes/Animals/circlesbear/circlesbear.html

 Nutella bears (can use chocolate icing if worried about nuts). Spread nutella/icing over milk arrowroot biscuit.  Use two milk chocolate buttons for ears and black icing to create eyes, nose and mouth

Teddy bear toast http://www.minieco.co.uk/teddy-bear-toast/

 http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/14587/bear+cake+pops

http://www.bundysugar.com.au/resipes/snacks/teddybear

 http://www.thejc.com/lifestyle/recipes/21379/recipe-chocolate-teddy-bear-cupcakes

http://goingjane.blogspot.com.au/2011/01/unbearably-cute-and-delicious-cupcakes.html#!/2011/01/unbearably-cute-and-delicious-cupcakes.html

Extra resources

1. This fabulous page has a variety of activities that can be linked to Hugless Douglas (some have been included above) http://childledchaos.me.uk/2012/10/02/hugless-douglas-week-activity-ideas/
2. Teaching & reading guide http://cms.tigertalesbooks.com/uploads/23861c3671c4cfd32d52c909a237c8e0.pdf
3. Teaching & reading guide 2 http://molib.org/awards/buildingblock/2012/Hugless%20Douglas.pdf
4. Teaching ideas http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/library/books/huglessdouglas.htm

OTHER GREAT PICTURE BOOKS ON THE BEAR THEME:

• The Terrible Plop by Ursula Dubosarsky & Andrew Joyner (3-5+ yrs)
• Bom! Went the Bear  by Nicki Greenberg (0-5 yrs)
• Bear and Chook by the Sea by Lisa Shanahan & Emma Quay (2-5 yrs)
• We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen & Helen Oxenbury (2-5 yrs)
• Kisses for Daddy by Frances Watts & David Legge (2-5 yrs)
• Be Gentle by Virginia Miller (1-3 yrs)
• Sleep Bears  by Mem Fox & Kerry Argent (2-5 yrs)
• Silent Night by Juliet Groom & Tim Warnes (0-5 yrs)

Tags: Children's book activities, Picture books