The Picnic Levels 1-2

In The Picnic, a fun outing quickly turns into a comical adventure as curious farm animals distract the family-and cheeky birds make off with their food! This engaging story is told through both text and expressive illustrations, offering a delightful way to reinforce visual literacy, narrative prediction, and high-frequency word recognition. With repeated phrases like œLook at the, and a rich array of animal names, children learn to track print and identify familiar phonemes like /g/ (goat, goose) and /h/ (hen, horse). The humorous twist encourages critical thinking and creative storytelling, making it ideal for early guided reading sessions or dramatic retelling.

Educational Benefits:

• Strengthens reading comprehension through prediction using illustrations.
• Supports recognition of animal names and associated phonemes.
• Develops understanding of sentence structure and quotation marks.
• Encourages creative thinking through alternative story outcomes.

Classroom Ideas:

• Retell the story using animal masks or puppets.
• Create a sequencing chart showing which animals appear and what they do.
• Write a new ending where the family saves the picnic.
• Host a œclassroom picnic to connect to the story experience.

Safety & Information:

• Suitable for ages 4+
• Book dimensions: 14.5 cm x 16.5 cm
• 16 pages; staple-bound
• Supervise use of magnetic letters and snack items if included in activities.