Here Comes the
Big,
Mean
Dust Bunny!
by Jan Thomas
Here Comes the Big, Mean Dust Bunny!
By Jan Thomas
Beach Lane Books, an imprint of
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing
Copyright © 2009 by Jan Thomas
ISBN: 978-1-4169-9150-2
JLG Activity Guide
Available only from
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Plain City, OH 43064
www.juniorlibraryguild.com
ISBN: 978-1-93612-912-6
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Here Comes the Big, Mean Dust Bunny!
By Jan Thomas
Table of Contents
About the Book and the Author/Illustrator ........................................................4
Library Applications: Books About Rhyme & Jump Rope Time .......................5
Prereading Strategies and Activities ..................................................................6
Activating Prior Knowledge.................................................................................7
Recognizing New Words ......................................................................................7
Dust Bunny Math.................................................................................................7
Make Your Own Dust Bunny ..............................................................................8
Alphabetic Awareness ..........................................................................................9
Name That Student! ............................................................................................9
Phonemic Awareness: Rhyming Dust Bunny Card Game & Ed, Ned, Ted, &
Bob?................................................................................................................10
Name That Student Reproducible .....................................................................11
Dust Bunny Card Game Reproducible ........................................................12–13
Understanding the Story: Comprehension Skills ............................................14
How Many Dust Bunnies? Reproducible Math Page .......................................15
Practicing Rhymes with Hink Pinks .................................................................16
Correlation to National Standards ...................................................................17
Answer Key.........................................................................................................18
A school may reproduce copies of the pages in this book for use in its classroom or library. Any
other reproduction is strictly prohibited.
Copyright © 2010 by Junior Library Guild/Media Source, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be transmitted, stored, or recorded in any form without written permission from
the publisher. For permission questions, contact Junior Library Guild.
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About the Book and the Author/Illustrator
Here Comes the Big, Mean Dust Bunny!
by Jan Thomas
Ed, Ned, Ted, and Bob love to rhyme all the time, but the Big, Mean Dust Bunny
doesn’t want to join them—at least not at first. When Ed asks, “What rhymes
with fit?” the Big, Mean Dust Bunny thinks it’s fun to sit—on the other dust
bunnies. Now that the Big, Mean Dust Bunny gets the hang of the game, how
will the other dust bunnies get him to stop playing? Full-color, digital
illustrations.
JLG Reviewers Say:
★ With strongly integrated text and art, this entertaining story is told in just
over one hundred words, making it an attention grabber for younger readers
and beginning readers alike. A lighter take on a bully story. The Big, Mean
Dust Bunny changes from a frowning meanie to a hugging sweetie.
★ Thick, black outlines, bright colors, and bold expressions make the pages easy
to see from afar. Together with the dramatic dialogue, this is a great storytime read-aloud.
★ Dust bunnies have never been as endearing and funny as they are in Jan
Thomas’s Rhyming Dust Bunnies and this equally enjoyable sequel.
Jan Thomas says she has lots of experience with dust bunnies, because she
lives in the dusty town of Socorro, New Mexico. Last year, a giant (Big, Mean)
dust bunny emerged from under her bed. Ms. Thomas knew she had a story.
However, writing a book about “such an unpleasant, disagreeable character” was
a real challenge for her, she admits, particularly because he had “such strong
opinions about his lines in the book.”
www.janthomasbooks.com
Classroom Topics: Rhymes. Humor. Friendship. Bullies. Danger. Forgiving.
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Library Applications
Books about Rhyme
Set up a special area in your library where students can find books that feature
rhyme. You could make a display with a “Rhyme Time” sign and add some fun
rhyming items, such as pairs of objects that rhyme (can/fan; pen/ten; cat/hat,
etc.), some Hink Pinks (see page 17), or a collection of Dr. Seuss books with
rhyming titles: One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish; Hop on Pop; Fox in
Socks; The Cat in the Hat, etc.
Some well-reviewed and award-winning books would include:
✦ Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan Thomas
✦Come Rhyme with Me by Hans Wilhelm
✦ R Is For Rhyme: A Poetry Alphabet by Judy Young and Victor Juhasz
✦ Truckery Rhymes by Jon Scieszka, David Shannon, et. al.
✦ Anna Banana: 101 Jump Rope Rhymes by Joanna Cole and Alan Tiegreen
✦ Color Me a Rhyme: Nature Poems for Young People by Jane Yolen and
Jason Stemple
✦ Playtime Rhymes for Little People by Clare Beaton and Tessa Strickland
✦ Hand Rhymes by Marc Brown
✦ Eentsy, Weentsy Spider: Fingerplays and Action Rhmyes by Joanna Cole,
et. al.
✦ Button Up! Wrinkled Rhymes by Alice Schertle and Petra Mathers
✦ Read a Rhyme, Write a Rhyme by Jack Prelutsky and Meilo So
✦ various nursery rhyme books
Jump Rope Time at the Library
Coordinate a time with your school’s physical education teacher to have a Jump
Rope Time in the library. Select books with jump-rope rhymes to share with the
students. Have students work in groups to learn one jump-rope rhyme and
perform it for the class.
Besides the jump-rope rhyme books listed above, you can find more rhymes
at:
www.gameskidsplay.net/jump_rope_ryhmes/
www.mudcat.org/jumprope/jumprope.cfm
www.aacs.wnyric.org/donius/jump_rope/rhymes.html
www.kyanags.org/pdfs/004.pdf
www.fungameskidsplay.com/jump-rope-rhymes.htm
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Prereading Strategies and Activities
Set a Purpose for Reading
Students are better prepared to read something when you help them set a
purpose for reading. Some common purposes include: reading for information,
for enjoyment, for practicing a specific skill such as finding the main idea, or
for learning how to do something.
Set a purpose for reading Here Comes the Big, Mean Dust Bunny. Two
purposes may be reading for enjoyment—this is a fun book!—and
learning about rhymes. You may determine other purposes for reading
that apply to your class or to an individual student who will read the book.
Make Predictions
Activate students’ prior knowledge and generate interest in the book by
having students make predictions about the book before you read it aloud or
they read it to themselves.
Below are some statements and questions that will get students thinking
about the story and ready to make predictions.
•
What is a “dust bunny”?
•
Explain what “being mean” means to you.
•
What is a bully?
•
What does it mean when words rhyme?
•
Do you like books that rhyme?
•
Do you like to play games with friends?
•
Can someone who is mean become someone who is nice? How can
that happen?
Explain that his book is about imaginary dust bunnies that like to play a
rhyming game. Ask:
What do you think would happen if a big, mean dust bunny tried to bother a
bunch of silly, fun dust bunnies?
Be ready for some fun answers!
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Activating Prior Knowledge
Before reading the book aloud to the children, allow them to share some prior
knowledge they have gained from their own experiences. Ask them:
•
Have you ever been bothered by a bully? What happened?
•
Who would you talk to if someone was being mean to you?
•
Why is it important to be kind to others?
•
What have you done to show kindness to someone recently?
•
What rhyming games to you like to play?
Recognizing New Words
The following words may be unfamiliar to readers and are found in the
text of this book. Help students learn the meaning of these words:
dust
rhyme
know
ton
drat
weird
bunnies
interesting
weighs
splat
thug
chase
Dust Bunny Math
Use the handout on page 15 to allow students to practice adding and
subtracting dust bunnies. To help with the exercise, you may want to
make several “dust bunnies” as manipulatives. Have your students draw a
dust bunny using the sample and directions on the next page. Have your
students cut out their dust bunnies and hand them in.
Gather all the dust bunnies and use them to model adding and
subtracting by taping them onto the board and adding or removing them.
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Make Your Own Dust Bunny
Name
1. Use the shape as the
body of your own
dust bunny.
2. Add bunny ears.
3. Draw a nose.
4. Draw eyes.
5. Draw a mouth.
6. Draw feet.
7. Draw arms and hands.
8. Color your dust bunny.
9. Name your dust bunny.
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Alphabetic Awareness
Alphabetic Awareness: Capital (Uppercase) Letters
As you do reading sweeps with your finger or a pointer, encourage students to
look for uppercase and lowercase letters. Explain that uppercase letters are
mostly used:
•
at the beginning of a sentence
•
for words that name a person, group of people, place, or thing
•
for words that are being emphasized, such as words that
stand for a big sound: NO!
In Here Comes the Big Mean Dust Bunny!, the author uses capital letters for
names and for emphasis. For example, on page 2, the names of the dust bunnies
begin with capital letters. Explain to the students that names are capitalized:
Ed, Ned, Ted, and Bob. Remind them that their own names begin with a capital
letter, too.
Name That Student!
Use the reproducible name tags on page 11. Give each student a set of name
tags. Have the student write his or her own first name in one of the tags. Then
have the student ask five other students their first names and write each one in
another tag. Every student will have six tags with names. Remind them to begin
each name with a capital letter.
Hello! My name is
Loud, Louder, Loudest
As you go through the book, you will find that words vary in size and some
are written as all capital letters. Explain that both styles indicate how loudly a
word or words should be spoken when read aloud. Model this by reading several
pages with the correct emphasis on those words.
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Phonemic Awareness
Rhyming Dust Bunny Card Game
These dust bunnies love to rhyme! Have your students practice being dust
bunnies, too! Hand out a copy of the Dust Bunny Card Game on pages 12 and 13
to each student. They may color the pages before cutting out each card. Then
have them pair the cards according to words that rhyme with each other.
Ed, Ned, Ted, and Bob?
The four main dust bunnies are Ed, Ned, Ted, and Bob, and they rhyme all the
time. Well, Bob doesn’t always follow the rhyme pattern. Have students listen to
each of the groups of four words below. Ask them which word Bob would sat—in
other words, which one does not follow the rhyming pattern.
day
say
may
bee
hot
hat
not
got
cap
cut
nut
but
far
car
fan
jar
lip
rip
sit
tip
dog
dig
pig
wig
tie
my
pie
ray
sun
cat
run
fun
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Name That Student!
Hello! My name is
Hello! My name is
Hello! My name is
Hello! My name is
Hello! My name is
Hello! My name is
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Dust Bunny Card Game
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12
Dust Bunny Card Game
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13
Understanding the Story
Comprehension Skills
After you read the book to the students, have them answer the following
comprehension questions.
1. What are the names of the four main dust bunnies?
2. What do they do all the time?
3. Who shows up and yells his name?
4. What is his name?
5. What color is he?
6. What does he say when the dust bunnies ask if he wants to play a game?
7. Does he play anyway?
8. What are some mean things he does?
9. What does Bob keep saying?
10. What happens to the big, mean dust bunny?
11. Why should he have listened to Bob?
12. How do Ed, Ned, Ted, and Bob help the big, mean dust bunny?
13. How does he change?
14. What does Bob suggest they do next?
Responding to the Story
Have students respond to the following questions:
•
•
•
•
What did you like best about this story?
Do you know someone who acts like the big, mean dust bunny?
Why do you think the artist made him gray?
How many rhyming dust bunnies are there now?
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How Many Dust Bunnies?
Name _________________________________________________________
3 dust bunnies + 2 dust bunnies = _____ dust bunnies
7 dust bunnies –
1 dust bunny = _____ dust bunnies
4 dust bunnies + 0 dust bunnies = _____ dust bunnies
6 dust bunnies –
5 dust bunnies = _____ dust bunnies
2 dust bunnies + 6 dust bunnies = _____ dust bunnies
5 dust bunnies + 3 dust bunnies = _____ dust bunnies
6 dust bunnies –
3 dust bunnies = _____ dust bunnies
2 dust bunnies + 4 dust bunnies = _____ dust bunnies
3 dust bunnies –
1 dust bunnies = _____ dust bunnies
3 dust bunnies + 4 dust bunnies = _____ dust bunnies
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Practicing Rhymes with
Hink Pinks
Hink Pinks are riddles that rhyme. Below are some Hink Pinks you can share
with your students. You can offer them as straight riddles. Example: What do
you call someone who takes all the puppies? A DOG HOG! Or you can have the
students write their own Hink Pink based on rhyming word pairs. Example:
STAR CAR: What would you drive in outer space? Have fun!
Hink Pink Riddle
Rhyming Pair Answer
a chubby animal
fat rat or fat cat
popular candy that is made of peanut butter
and chocolate
Reese’s Pieces
a small animal that lives in someone’s home
house mouse
rain made of roses
flower shower
sticky stuff for sneakers
shoe glue
unhappy father
sad dad
slithering creature’s Rollerblades
snake’s skates
silly rabbit
funny bunny
someone who steals from the library
book crook
a piece of clothing made of soil
dirt shirt
a plate that holds trout
fish dish
a smashed baseball cap
flat hat
a cherry-colored place to sleep
red bed
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Correlations to National Standards
For Grades K–4
Content Area
Standard Number
Standard Objective
Language Arts: English
NL-ENG.K-12.1
Reading for Perspective
Language Arts: English
NL-ENG.K-12.2
Reading for Understanding
Language Arts: English
NL-ENG.K-12.3
Evaluation Strategies
Language Arts: English
NL-ENG.K-12.4
Communication Skills
Language Arts: English
NL-ENG.K-12.5
Communication Strategies
Language Arts: English
NL-ENG.K-12.6
Applying Knowledge
Language Arts: English
NL-ENG.K-12.12
Applying Language Skills
Mathematics: Number
and Operations
NM–NUM.PK–2.2
Understanding Meanings of
Operations and How They
Relate to One Another
Mathematics: Number
and Operations
NM–NUM.PK–2.3
Compute Fluently and Make
Reasonable Estimates
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Answer Key
Page 6: Make Predictions Answers will vary.
Page 7: Activating Prior Knowledge Answers will vary.
Page 10: Ed, Ned, Ted, and Bob? The word in each line that does not rhyme is
highlighted below.
day
say
may
bee
hot
hat
not
got
cap
cut
nut
but
far
car
fan
jar
lip
rip
sit
tip
dog
dig
pig
wig
tie
my
pie
ray
sun
cat
run
fun
Pages 12–13: Phonemic Awareness: Dust Bunny Card Game
Match the following pairs of cards that rhyme: bee/tree; sled/bed; corn/horn;
hat/bat; mouse/house; box/fox.
Page 14: Comprehension Skills
1. Ed, Ned, Ted, and Bob. 2. They rhyme. 3. A big, mean dust bunny. 4. Big,
Mean Dust Bunny. 5. He is gray. 6. He says, “NO!”. 7. Yes, he does. 8. He sits on
them and chases them. 9. He keeps saying, “Cat.”. 10. A big cat sits on him. 11.
He would have known the cat was coming. 12. They they tug on him after he’s
been flattened. 13. He becomes nice. 14. He wants them all to hug.
Page 14: Responding to the Story Answers will vary.
Page 15: How Many Dust Bunnies?
3+2=5
7-1=6
6-5=1
2+6=8
6-3=3
2+4=6
3+4=7
4+0=4
5+3=9
3-1=2
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