INTERACTIVE READ ALOUD
Read aloud questions & Sensory Walk
1. Mama wakes the kids up in the middle of the night.
→ “Why did she wake them?”
→ “Where do you think they are going?”
2. Because it is so dark out, the family is paying more attention to what they are experiencing with their other senses. As you read, ask:
→ “What are they smelling? Hearing? Feeling?”
3. The family walks deeper into the countryside.
→ “Can you count the cows?”
→ “Do you see another animal in this picture? It’s a badger!”
4. As the family walks through the dark forest it appears that they’re noticing some creatures around them.
→ “How many animals can you notice? (Hint: There are 5)
5. When the family gets to the lake, they stop to play with the moon.
→ “What do they use to play with the moon?
6. As they continue their night walk, the family hurries to get somewhere.
→ “Where do you think they are going?”
→ ”Why are they in such a hurry?”
7. On the top of the mountain, the family arrives at their destination just in time.
→ “What do they see?
→ “What’s happening in the sky?”
→ ”Now do you know why they went on a night walk?”
8. Be sure to turn to the very last page to experience “the light of a new day.”
→ “Have you ever seen the night sky?”
→ “Have you ever watched a sunrise?”
9. Once you are done reading this book for the first time, flip back through to go on a picture walk. Identify the source(s) of light on each page.
→ “Where is the light coming from?”
In this book, the author pays careful attention to the sights, smells, sounds, and tactile sensations experienced by the characters on their night walk. After reading this book with your little ones, we invite you to create a parallel experience by exploring what you can see with your eyes, hear with your ears, feel with your body, and smell with your nose.
Invite your little one to join you on a walk. Just like the family in "The Night Walk", you will pay close attention to your surroundings not only with your eyes, but also with your ears, nose, hands & feet!
This walk can take place anywhere! Indoors, outdoors, in one room, around the block…you choose.
As you walk together, stop periodically and call out a specific sense to attend to:
→ Smell: Take a deep breath in with your nose. What do you smell? Does it smell good? Is it stinky?
→ Touch: Notice what you feel underneath you and around you. Are you warm? Cold? Is the ground hard or soft? Is there anything squishy where you are?
→ Sight: Look around you for a moment. What do you see?
→ Hearing: Pay attention to the sounds you are hearing. Where are the sounds coming from? Do you hear other people? Animals? Pause for a minute and close your eyes. Does that help you hear anything new?
