SKIPPYJON JONES

Skippyjon Jones is a witty and fun Fantasy genre children's book that allows the reader to follow the precocious little main character, a kitten named Skippyjon Jones, into a world of imagination that lies just on the other side of his closet door.  This book would be a wonderful edition to any K-3 classroom with its soft yet vibrantly charismatic illustrations and its equally charismatic and funny dialogue.  Students can follow Skippyjon through his adventures into the Mexican countryside as he puts on his black mask and becomes a crusader who wrangles all the bad guy "banditos". Spanish phrases, smartly sprinkled throughout the book, allow the reader to peer inside another culture and learn a new language throughout this colorful and diverse Multi-culutral book.  This book uses its cute illustrations and humorous text to bring out the joy in reading as students become Skippyjon's sidekick in his audacious adventures of imagination and fantasy.

Here is a short animated webisode straight the from the book that may be great for student engagement before reading!

Discussion Questions:

- Have you ever pretended to be something or someone else?  

- Who or what did you pretend to be?

- What was one think that Skippyjon Jones pretended to be?

- Why do you suppose that Mama Junebug Jones sent Skippyjon Jones to his room?

- Where did Skippyjon Jones pretend to go when he went into his closet?

- What you think a "bandito" is?

- What happened at the end of the story to Skippyjon Jones?  Did he learn his lesson?

Motivational Activity:

Students will be broken into small groups of 3 to 4 students and given a few objects (e.g. hat, ball, bucket, bat) and asked to put together a little skit together about an adventure they want to pretend to go on.  After each group has performed their imagination adventure they will be given a worksheet that will allow them to draw what is in their closet.  they can draw actually things in their closet or they can draw what they imagine is in their closet like Skippyjon Jones. At the bottom of the page they are to write a sentence or two describing what is in their closet.

If you like this Fantasy Book, here are some other titles you might enjoy:

*Skippyjon Jones Cirque de Ole (2012) : Grades K-3

*Skippyjon Jones and the Big Bones (2008) : Grades K-3


Resource:

Schachner, J.  (2003).  Skippyjon jones. New York, NY: Scholastic