Contents of THE
ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/
BEST FRIENDS Curriculum
Package
Inside your Reading Rainbow Pet
Carrier, you will find:
two Reading Rainbow videos: The
Adventures of Taxi Dog and Best
Friends
The Adventures of Taxi Dog and
Best Friends books
a dog hand puppet
a pet dish
a Braille alphabet card
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Language Arts and
Literature
Through the use of the two books, The Adventures of Taxi
Dog and Best Friends, and the accompanying Reading
Rainbow programs, students will have the opportunity to
experience the following:
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understanding point of view
critical thinking
work of authors and illustrators
connecting literature with writing
writing for different purposes
understanding sequels
oral language skills
understanding character traits
distinguishing fantasy and reality
rhyming words
conducting interviews
understanding story sequence
following written directions
understanding different types of communication
American Sign Language
Language Arts and Literature Activities
Extending the story through critical thinking. After reading The Adventures of Taxi Dog, discuss the following with
students: Why did Jim decide to pick up the stray dog?
Sometimes strays are not friendly — why was this dog
friendly to Jim? Do both Jim and Maxi benefit from their relationship — why or why not? What are the advantages and
disadvantages of having a dog ride in a taxi cab?
Understanding point of view. Ask students to identify
which character is telling the story in The Adventures of Taxi
Dog. Discuss the role of a story’s “narrator” and the
narrator’s point of view. Discuss ways that the story would be
different if Jim were the narrator. Set up a chart titled “Whose
Story Is It?” and divide it into two columns. Head one column
“Maxi’s version” and the other column “Jim’s version.” Have
students recall major events in the story from Maxi’s point of
view, and record them on the chart. In the other column,
record students’ ideas about what Jim’s view might be of the
same event.
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Language Ar ts & Literature
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
7
Mathematics
Through experiences with the books, The Adventures of
Taxi Dog and Best Friends, and the accompanying Reading
Rainbow programs, students will have opportunities to work
with these mathematical concepts:
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
sorting and classifying
measurement
size
money values
collecting data
surveying
graphing
estimation
ratio
cooking
making a calendar
Mathematics Activities
Sorting and classifying. Have students cut out pictures of
dogs from magazines, newspapers, old calendars, etc., and
glue them onto construction paper or index cards. Brainstorm
different attributes by which to sort the dogs, e.g., short hair,
long hair, straight hair, curly hair, pointed ears, ears that hang
down, large dogs, small dogs, etc. Have students sort the
pictures in a variety of ways.
Using alternative units of measurement. Obtain dog biscuits in two different sizes (small and large size offer a good
comparison). Have students estimate the lengths of different
distances using the two units. For example, they might estimate the length of a table, the perimeter of a book cover, the
length of the classroom, and similar distances. Have them
verify their estimates by doing actual measurements with these
two units. They may record their estimates and measurements
on the reproducible sheet on page 47 at the end of this section of the guide.
Discovering a ratio — dog years and human years. Pose
a problem for students to figure how many dog years are
equivalent to one human year. Use as a general guideline that
100 dog years is about 16 human years. Give students, working with partners or in groups of three, 100 counters (beans
or some other small manipulative). Direct the students to
make sets of 16 from their 100. (They should have 6 sets with
4 left over.) Discuss what the 6 sets represent. (Higher ability
students may wish to calculate what fraction of a year that the
4 left over manipulatives represent.) Have students use their
information about the ratio of dog years to human years to
figure practical problems about the ages of dogs they know to
people they know.
Note to teacher:
The ratio of human years to dog years is not
exact. It is generally thought to be between 6
and 7. Larger breeds of dogs typically do not
live as long as smaller breeds, making the
ratio difficult to calculate.
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Mathematics
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
43
Social Sciences
Through the use of the books, The Adventures of Taxi Dog
and Best Friends, and the accompanying Reading Rainbow
programs, students will have opportunities to experience the
following:
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
city life
“wheels” — transportation
friendships
canine companions
dogs at work
understanding physical disabilities
economics
careers
process of voting
map making
Social Science Activities
Building friendships. Have students look for pictures,
articles, cartoons, and the like, that show friendships. Display
these on a bulletin board or wall and call it the “Friendship
Board” or “Friendship Wall.” As each new item is added to
the display, discuss the way in which friendship is depicted.
Add the “Book Friends” list (see activity on page 11 in the
Language Arts and Literature section of the guide) to this
display.
Friendship jackdaws. Set up a table near the “Friendship
Wall” and invite students to place items on the table for a
friendship jackdaw. Give each student an opportunity to explain why she/he chose a particular item to represent
friendship.
Enjoying older friends. Have a celebration in the classroom in which students invite older friends. As a class, decide
who might be invited (e.g., neighbors, school staff, friends
from a retirement home, and the like). In the invitation, ask
the guests to share a hobby, a memory from their childhood,
a song from their childhood, or something else special to
them, at the celebration. Have students plan the event, make
invitations, and prepare the treats that will be served.
Establishing friendship rules. Have students brainstorm a
list of “rules” for “How to Be a Friend” and post the list in the
classroom. Periodically discuss the list and add new rules as
needed.
Note to teacher:
A jackdaw is a crow-like bird that collects
things. Creating jackdaws in the classroom
allows students to organize items around a
theme or topic. As a sample, create a jackdaw for the book, The Adventures of Taxi
Dog, including a red bandana, a toy taxi, a
stuffed dog, disguise glasses with an attached nose, or other objects related to the
content of the book. Have students suggest
items for a jackdaw for Best Friends and
ask for volunteers to bring them in to display. For a friendship jackdaw, encourage
students to think of objects that make them
think of a friend, something they might do
with a friend, or something that a friend
would do.
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Social Sciences
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
51
Science & Health
Through the reading of the books, The Adventures of Taxi
Dog and Best Friends, and viewing of the accompanying
Reading Rainbow programs, students will have opportunities
to experience the following science and health concepts:
•
•
•
•
•
•
members of the dog family
caring for pets
safety around animals
hearing
sound
eyesight
Science and Health Activities
Researching dogs. Brainstorm a list of different breeds of
dogs and other members of the dog family. Have students
choose a dog they would like to know more about to research. As a class, decide on some questions that will guide
the research, such as the following:
How big is it?
What does it look like?
Is it usually a pet or a working dog?
If it is a working dog, what does it do?
What is an interesting fact about the breed?
Have them compile their information into a “dog-tionary.”
A reproducible sheet for recording their information may be
found on page 75 at the end of this section of the guide. They
may use a cutout picture or a drawing to illustrate their information. When they are ready to assemble the “dog-tionary,”
remind them that dictionaries are alphabetized and to think
about the possibility of dividing their “dog-tionary” into two
sections, one for domestic dogs and one for wild dogs (e.g.,
wolf, coyote, fox, dingo, etc.)
Caring for pets. Discuss general guidelines for caring for
pets. Include in the discussion things to think about before
acquiring a pet and how to choose the right pet. List the students’ ideas on a chart. Move the discussion from general to
specific and have students identify special needs of dogs,
cats, rabbits, birds, hamsters or gerbils, and other pets they
might name. Have students compile all of their ideas into a
pet care handbook as discussed on page 15 in the Language
Arts and Literature section of this guide.
Note to teacher:
Common breeds of dogs:
Afghan
Great Dane
airedale
greyhound
basset hound
Siberian husky
beagle
Irish setter
boxer
Labrador
bulldog
Newfoundland
Chihuahua
Old English sheepdog
chow
Pekingese
cocker spaniel
pointer
collie
Pomeranian
corgi
poodle
dachsund
rottweiler
dalmation
Saint Bernard
doberman pinscher Samoyed
English setter
schnauzer
fox terrier
Scottish terrier
German shepherd shar pei
golden retriever
springer spaniel
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Science & Health
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
71
The Arts
Through the use of the two books, The Adventures of Taxi
Dog and Best Friends, and the accompanying Reading Rainbow programs, students will have the opportunity to
experience the following art, music, and creative dramatics:
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•
•
•
•
•
dramatic role playing
puppetry
utilization of art media
creating cartoon art
singing
creative movement
Arts Activities
Dramatic role playing from a story. Working in groups of
two or three, have students role play scenes from Best
Friends. These scenes would work well for dramatizing:
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Kathy and Louise at play
Kathy and Louise at school
Kathy and her mother talking about Louise at camp
Kathy meeting Mr. Jode for the first time
Kathy and Mr. Jode visiting about the puppies (add Mrs.
Jenkins)
- Louise’s return from camp
- Kathy, Louise, and Mr. Jode waiting for Sarah’s puppies
to be born
- the girls’ deciding to share the puppy (add Mr. Jode)
Encourage the students to invent appropriate dialogue
where there isn’t any in the scene from the book. After each
small group has performed, discuss the way the scene was
portrayed as a whole class. Talk about the choice of dialogue
and how they played the characters. On other occasions,
have different students role play each scene and go through
the discussion of the process again, so that students have the
opportunity to understand that a scene may be interpreted
and played in different ways.
Dramatic role playing. Have students role play friendship
situations that involve making or being a friend. Possible scenarios might include:
- meeting a new person who has moved into the
neighborhood
- being a new person at school
- playing with a friend, but both friends want to play
something different
- promising to play with one friend, but another friend
comes along with a better “offer”
- being the friend of someone that another friend says
she/he doesn’t like
Have different sets of students play the roles and discuss
the varying possibilities presented by these situations.
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
The Ar ts
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
93
Appendix
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Appendix
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their
own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole
107
ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
108 THE
Bibliography
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Selected Bibliography of
Children’s Books
Dogs — Fiction
Agee, Jon. Ellsworth. Pantheon, 1983.
Ellsworth, a rather unusual dog, was a well-respected economics professor at a university. At night, however, his
natural instincts took over and he behaved in a dog-like
manner. It wasn’t long before he was caught in the act and
asked to leave his position. What could he do now? Confusion reigns until he meets a poodle and decides to live his
life as...a dog.
Alexander, Martha. Bobo’s Dream. Dial, 1970.
In this wordless story, a boy saves a bone for Bobo, a little
dog, when a big dog threatens to take it away. In his
dreams, Bobo returns the favor by rescuing the boy’s football from some big boys.
Blake, Robert J. Dog. Philomel, 1994.
An old man claims he has no need for a stray dog, even
though the dog warmed his toes on a cold night, and repeatedly turns him away. When the dog disappears, he
goes out to look for him and brings him home. Luscious oil
paintings depict the Irish countryside, the setting for this
book.
Bogart, Jo Ellen. Daniel’s Dog. Illus. by Janet Wilson.
Scholastic, 1990.
Daniel has a terrific imagination. When his mother is very
busy with his baby sister, he invents a “ghost dog” named
Lucy to keep him company. When a school friend is sad
and lonely too, Daniel shares a ghost dog friend of Lucy to
spend time with him.
Borden, Louise. Just in Time for Christmas. Illus. by Ted
Lewin. Scholastic, 1994.
The Bryan family shares many Christmas traditions, one of
which is the making of cream candy. As always, Will eagerly anticipates the arrival of relatives and festivities, but
when his dog Luke disappears, his heart isn’t in the celebration. Exquisite watercolor paintings enhance the story.
Brenner, Barbara. A Dog
Harper & Row, 1983.
A small boy describes
tributes of his beloved
shows the affectionate
pet.
I Know. Illus. by Fred Brenner.
all the physical and behavioral atpet dog. The easy-to-read text
relationship between a child and his
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Bibliography
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
109
Breslow, Susan & Blakemore, Sally. I Really Want a Dog.
Illus. by True Kelley. Dutton, 1990.
A boy who expresses a desire for a dog is confronted by a
large ethereal dog who asks him questions about the responsible care of such a pet. The boy’s conscientious
responses lead him to a pet store where the “right” dog
chooses him.
Brown, Marc. Arthur’s New Puppy. Little, Brown, 1993.
Pal, Arthur’s puppy, seems to have all the problems that
new puppies have. When his misbehavior causes Arthur’s
parents to threaten to send Pal away, Arthur begins to train
Pal. Part of the popular “Arthur” series.
Brown, Melanie & Lawlor, Anthony. Frankie’s Bau-Bau Haus.
Illus. by Elaine Arnold. Rizzoli, 1995.
When his family is away, Frankie the dog commissions the
world-famous architect who designed the family’s home to
design his doghouse. Illustrations include many architectural details, including floor plans, blueprints, and aerial
views.
Brown, Ruth. Our Puppy’s Vacation. Dutton, 1987.
A Labrador puppy takes its first vacation to the beach with
its family and makes one exciting discovery after another.
Richly detailed illustrations show every wonderful moment
of the puppy’s first day.
Bruchac, Joseph. Dog People: Native Dog Stories. Illus. by
Murv Jacob. Fulcrum, 1995.
This collection of read-aloud stories tells of the special
relationship between the ancient Abenaki people of New
England and their dogs, whom they regarded as “Dog
People,” intelligent beings who had chosen to devote their
lives to people.
Bunting, Eve. Jane Martin, Dog Detective. Illus. by Amy
Schwartz. Harcourt, 1984.
In three separate cases involving lost dogs, ace detective
Jane Martin sniffs out clues, paws through prints, and tails
suspects until the culprit is caught. Black-and-white illustrations add humor to the stories.
Byars, Betsy. Tornado. Illus. by Doron Ben-Ami.
HarperCollins, 1996.
This short, read-aloud chapter book tells how a dog, whose
doghouse landed in the yard of a family during a tornado,
becomes a special part of the family. Each chapter relates
a different adventure.
ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
110 THE
Bibliography
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Carrick, Carol. The Accident. Illus. by Donald Carrick.
Seabury, 1976.
When Christopher and his dog Bodger, set out to meet his
parents by the lake, Bodger is hit by a truck and killed. At
first, Christopher blames the truck driver for the loss of his
friend and then blames himself. When his father suggests
that they search for a stone for Bodger’s grave, he is finally
able to express his grief.
Christelow, Eileen. The Five-Dog Night. Clarion, 1993.
Cantankerous old Ezra doesn’t much care for the advice
on how to stay warm in cold weather from his busybody
neighbor Betty. When she discovers why staying warm is
not a problem for him (he adds one of his five dogs each
night to his bed), he insults her for the last time. Ezra
grows to miss her meddling and decides to make amends
by taking her some cookies. A dog lover’s delight!
Cleary, Beverly. Two Dog Biscuits. Illus. by DyAnne DiSalvo
Ryan. Morrow, 1986.
When the twins Janet and Jimmy’s next-door neighbor
gives them two dog biscuits, they set out in search of a
dog to give them to. They meet dogs in all shapes, sizes,
and colors, but end up giving the biscuits to a cat, that,
surprisingly, enjoys them.
Coffelt, Nancy. The Dog Who Cried Woof. Gulliver/Harcourt,
1995.
Ernie is a loud dog that barks at everything that moves. All
of the people who know Ernie are tired of his barking.
When a big orange cat moves in next door and sneaks into
Ernie’s house to steal food, Ernie barks. Unfortunately, no
one pays any attention. There is a happy solution to the
problem, as Ernie learns to pick and choose when he
barks. Large oil pastel illustrations accompany the story.
Cohen, Miriam. Jim’s Dog Muffins. Illus. by Lillian Hoban.
Greenwillow, 1984.
When Jim’s dog is killed, he is too sad to play with his
friends or join in any school activities. His friend Paul is
finally able to chase away his sadness by sharing some
pizza and few memories of Muffins.
Cole, Joanna & Calmenson, Stephanie. (Comp.). Give A Dog
A Bone. Scholastic, 1996.
This collection of stories, poems, jokes, and riddles is sure
to please dog lovers everywhere. Students will recognize
some stories from picture book versions.
Coplans, Peta. Dottie. Houghton Mifflin, 1994.
Dottie persists in her love of gardening, even though her
parents think it’s not an appropriate hobby for a dog. But
Dottie discovers that other animals have unusual interests
too.
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Bibliography
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
111
Cuyler, Margery. Freckles and Willie. Illus. by Marsha
Winborn. Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1986.
Freckles is a terrific dog and is always there when Willie
needs him. When Jane moves into the neighborhood and
refuses to get near Freckles, Willie neglects his friendship
with his dog to spend time with his new friend. After Jane
rejects the valentine that Willie makes for her, he realizes
that Freckles is his true friend after all and gives the dog a
special homemade valentine.
Cuyler, Margery. Shadow’s Baby. Illus. by Ellen Weiss.
Clarion, 1989.
Shadow becomes devoted to Samantha from the minute
she comes home from the hospital, even though babies
sometimes don’t treat dogs very well. As Samantha grows
older and more independent, she doesn’t need Shadow
quite as much, and Shadow becomes very depressed. In a
happy resolution to the story, the family gets Shadow his
very own puppy to care for.
Day, Alexandra. Good Dog, Carl. Simon & Schuster, 1985.
In this wordless story, lovable Carl does a good job of taking care of the baby while the mother is away, although
they have several exciting adventures together. First book
in the series of books about Carl.
Ehrlich, Amy. Maggie and Silky and Joe. Illus. by Robert J.
Blake. Viking, 1994.
Joe couldn’t remember a time without Maggie because she
was in the family before he was. When a puppy wanders
onto the farm, they name her Silky, and then it’s the three
of them that form an inseparable friendship. One day, they
cannot find Maggie, and when they realize she has died,
Joe and Silky must go on without her. Lovely oil paintings
complement the text.
Enell, Trinka. Roll Over, Rosie. Illus. by Dick Gackenbach.
Clarion, 1992.
A little girl tries everything she can think of, including rewards and threats of a bath, to get her dog to roll over.
Rosie isn’t about to do it until she sees her mistress off to
visit the neighbor’s dog...who will roll over!
Ernst, Lisa Campbell. Ginger Jumps. Bradbury, 1990.
Ginger has lived in the circus all her life and becomes a
competent performer. She longs, however, for a real family
and a child to love her. Her most amazing feat and the discovery of a family of clowns happen on the same night.
Gackenbach, Dick. Claude the Dog. Clarion, 1974.
Claude gives all his Christmas presents, a pillow, a blanket,
and a rubber mouse, to a stray dog with no home or family.
Even though he has no presents left for himself, he realizes
that his most prized gift is his family. See sequels: Claude
and Pepper (1979), What’s Claude Doing? (1984) and
Claude Has a Picnic (1993).
ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
112 THE
Bibliography
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Gackenbach, Dick. A Bag Full of Pups. Clarion, 1981.
Mr. Mullin has twelve pups to give away, and each person
who takes one has a different purpose in mind for the dog.
The last person to take one is a boy who just wants a
friend. Subtraction concepts are built into the story.
Goennel, Heidi. My Dog. Orchard, 1989.
A series of children describe what they like in a dog by
identifying several physical and behavioral attributes, such
as size, type of hair, and mannerisms. Brightly colored
graphic illustrations dominate the text.
Griffith, Helen V. Alex and the Cat. Illus. by Joseph Low.
Greenwillow, 1982.
Three short stories in a beginning reader format introduces
Alex, a dog, and his cat friend. Alex wishes he was a cat in
one story, decides he’s tired of being a pet and leaves
home in the second, and helpfully returns a baby bird (that
turns out to be a chick) to its nest in the third story. Two
sequels, More Alex and the Cat (illus. by Donald Carrick,
Greenwillow, 1983) and Alex Remembers (illus. by Donald
Carrick, Greenwillow, 1983), further the adventures of
these two friends.
Griffith, Helen V. Plunk’s Dreams. Illus. by Susan Condie
Lamb. Greenwillow, 1990.
John’s mom and dad both think they know what Plunk the
dog is dreaming, but John imagines all sorts of exciting
dream adventures for Plunk. When Plunk wags his tail and
sort of smiles when he sleeps, they all agree that he is
dreaming about John.
Hall, Donald. I Am the Dog. I Am the Cat. Illus. by Barry
Moser. Dial, 1994.
A dog and a cat take turns explaining all the wonderful
qualities they have. Magnificent watercolor illustrations
add life to the debate.
Harper, Isabelle. My Dog Rosie. Illus. by Barry Moser.
Scholastic, 1994.
When a little girl’s grandpa goes into his office to work, she
must take care of the dog. Lovely watercolors and a minimal text depict this slice of Barry Moser’s own life.
Harper, Isabelle. Our New Puppy. Illus. by Barry Moser.
Scholastic, 1996.
Isabelle wonders if their older dog Rosie will like the new
puppy, Floyd. Like most puppies, Floyd is an annoyance
for Rosie, but he soon grows to like the puppy’s company,
much like Isabelle herself grows to enjoy the company of
her little sister.
Hazelaar, Cor. Dogs Everywhere. Knopf, 1995.
City dogs eagerly anticipate their morning walk to the park
where they can run, visit other dog friends, and celebrate
being outdoors. All day, they wait for their masters to come
home, so the celebrations can begin once again.
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Bibliography
113
Hazen, Barbara Shook. Fang. Illus. by Leslie Holt Morrill.
Atheneum, 1987.
A little boy chooses Fang, a big and fierce-looking dog, for
a pet because he hopes Fang can protect him. Unfortunately, Fang is afraid of all the things the boy is afraid of
and more! Hoping to set a good example for Fang, the boy
pretends to be brave in scary situations, and discovers that
he and Fang together can be a courageous team. See
sequel: Stay, Fang (1990).
Herriot, James. Only One Woof. Illus. by Peter Barrett. St.
Martin’s Press, 1985.
Gyp is a sweet-tempered sheepdog that happily lives on a
farm, accompanying his master on his chores and playing
with the other animals. What sets Gyp apart from other
dogs is that he never barks. When Gyp attends a championship sheepdog trial and sees his littermate perform, he
utters one “Woof!” — the only bark of his entire life. Colorful paintings accentuate the setting of the English
countryside.
Hewett, Joan. Rosalie. Illus. by Donald Carrick. Lothrop, Lee
& Shepard, 1987.
Rosalie still accompanies Cindy everywhere, even though
she is 16 years old and not in good health. Rosalie is a
cherished member of the family who gets quite a bit of
special attention from those who love her.
Hilleary, Jane Kopper. Fletcher and the Great Big Dog. Illus.
by Richard Brown. Houghton Mifflin, 1988.
In his efforts to get away from a very big dog, Fletcher
peddles his big wheel so far that he gets lost. The big dog
helps him find his way home, and Fletcher learns that the
dog is a new neighbor that he can visit any time he wants.
Howard, Ellen. Murphy and Kate. Illus. by Mark Graham.
Simon & Schuster, 1995.
Kate remembers how she and her dog Murphy grew up
together as best friends and doesn’t know how she will
manage without him when he dies. She finds that forgetting Murphy will not make her happy again, but
remembering him will. Luscious oil paintings enhance the
text.
ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
114 THE
Bibliography
Howe, James. Hot Fudge. Illus. by Leslie Morrill. Morrow,
1990.
The Monroe pets — Harold, the dog, Chester, the cat, little
Howie, the newest dog, and Bunnicula, the rabbit — are
left alone in the house with a pan of freshly made fudge,
something they like very much. When the fudge disappears, they need to find the thief before the robbery is
discovered. Then comes the fun, and a little mix-up with
some white fudge occurs. (Is Bunnicula up to his old tricks
again?) One of the popular picture books that accompanies the Bunnicula series. See also The Fright Before
Christmas (1988), Scared Silly (1989), Creepy-Crawly
Birthday (1991), and Rabbit-Cadabra! (1993).
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Hurd, Thacher. Art Dog. HarperCollins, 1996.
Art Dog, the mysterious, masked painter who roams the
streets of Dogopolis sets out to find who stole the Mona
Woofa from the Museum of Art. Unfortunately he is nabbed
for the crime! Splashy illustrations highlight this humorous
tale.
Johnson, Paul Brett & Lewis, Celeste. Lost. Illus. by Paul
Brett Johnson. Orchard, 1996.
A beagle named Flag takes off after a rabbit on the first
day of his family’s campout in the desert, and he doesn’t
find his way back. The little girl and her father do everything to try to find him, to no avail. After nearly a month of
worry and hope, a prospector brings Flag, barely alive,
back home. Colorful illustrations on the lefthand pages
show all the events that happen to Flag while he is away.
Sketches on the righthand pages show the activities of the
girl and her father.
Keller, Holly. Goodbye, Max. Greenwillow, 1987.
Ben can’t believe that his dog Max is gone, even though he
was very old. No one can console him, until his friend Zach
starts to remember funny things about Max and the two of
them laugh and cry until Ben begins to feel better.
Kellogg, Steven. Pinkerton, Behave! Dial, 1979.
Great Dane Pinkerton does just the opposite of every command he is given. He is even ousted from obedience
school! Pinkerton’s lack of abilities pays off one night when
he foils a robbery and chases away the burglar. Highly
detailed cartoon-like illustrations tell the story along with
the text. See sequels: A Rose for Pinkerton (1981),
Tallyho, Pinkerton! (1983), and Prehistoric Pinkerton
(1987).
Killilea, Marie. Newf. Illus. by Ian Schoenherr. Philomel,
1992.
When a huge black dog washes up on shore from the
ocean, he looks for shelter and finds, instead, a tiny white
kitten. The two become magnificent friends, loyal and dependent upon each other. Beautiful paintings fill the pages.
Koehler, Phoebe. Making Room. Bradbury, 1993.
A dog and his master have a great life...until “that lady”
comes along. She does have some good qualities,
however...until “that cat” comes. That cat’s not so bad all
the time...and then, “that baby” comes along. Some things
aren’t the same, but other things are better, so there is
room for everyone, after all!
Kuskin, Karla. City Dog. Clarion, 1994.
In a poetic text illustrated with watercolor paintings, a city
dog gets his first trip to the country near the sea. He revels
in the wide open spaces and trees and enjoys the freedom
and the day and the night.
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Bibliography
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
115
Laden, Nina. The Night I Followed the Dog. Chronicle, 1994.
A boy used to think his dog was just an ordinary dog until
he follows him one night and discovers that his dog has
another life that includes limousines, tuxedoes, doggie
night clubs, and some beautiful female dogs. Colorful illustrations and some clever uses of print add interest to this
humorous story. A Reading Rainbow review book.
Lewis, J. Patrick. One Dog Day. Atheneum, 1993.
In this first chapter book, Ned is not worried about the
chances of his dog Scooter winning the Annual Coon Dog
Race — especially since Scooter won last year. Serious
competition comes along, however, in the form of a girl
named Jilly, her friend Twef, and a collie called Poetry.
Low, Joseph. My Dog Your Dog. Macmillan, 1978.
A boy talks to his sister about the wonderful behavior of
his dog while pretending that the dog with horrible behavior belongs to her. She gets him to admit that there is only
one dog and despite his good and bad points, they love
him anyway.
MacLachlan, Patricia. Three Names. Illus. by Alexander
Pertzoff. HarperCollins, 1991.
Beautiful watercolors complement this touching memoir of
a boy and his dog. The boy was the great-grandfather of
the story’s narrator, and Three Names was his dog. The
two of them enjoyed their prairie life, but most of all, they
liked their times in the one-room school that the boy attended.
Manson, Ainslie. A Dog Came Too. Illus. by Ann Blades.
McElderry, 1993.
In 1793, explorer Alexander Mackenzie was the first European to journey across North America. He and his party
were accompanied by a big brown dog, that turned out to
be a valuable asset on the trip. The involvement of the dog
in this trip is documented in Mackenzie’s journals, upon
which this true story is based.
Marshak, Samuel. The Pup Grew Up. Translated by Richard
Pevear. Illus. by Vladimir Radunsky. Henry Holt, 1989.
In this humorous rhymed story, translated from Russian, a
woman begins a train trip with her pet Pekingese. At the
end of the trip, it’s a Great Dane that awaits her. What happened to the Pekingese? No one is sure...perhaps it grew
up!
McLean, Janet. Dog Tales. Illus. by Andrew McLean. Ticknor
& Fields, 1993.
Five dogs, tall, middle-sized, and small, engage in ordinary
dog activities daily, including sniffing, playing, and howling. Sometimes they get into trouble, but the children who
own them love them anyway.
ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
116 THE
Bibliography
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Meddaugh, Susan. Martha Speaks. Houghton Mifflin, 1992.
When Martha (a dog) eats alphabet soup and is suddenly
able to talk, she just can’t stop talking and creates many
difficult situations for her family. She manages to save the
day, however, when she foils a robbery by calling the police herself. A Reading Rainbow feature book. See sequels:
Martha Calling (1994) and Martha Blah Blah (1996).
Miller, Sara Swan. Three Stories You Can Read to Your Dog.
Illus. by True Kelley. Houghton Mifflin, 1995.
Three stories, addressed to dogs and written from a dog’s
point of view, feature topics sure to interest any canine:
warning that a burglar is present, bones, and running free.
Cartoon illustrations add humor to the stories.
Morgan, Michaela. Edward Gets a Pet. Illus. by Sue Porter.
Dutton, 1987.
Edward and his mother go to a pet store in search of a pet.
As she mentions several possibilities, Edward fantasizes
the extreme — a bird becomes an eagle and a cat is a tiger
in his imagination. Meanwhile, a frisky puppy is desperately trying to get Edward’s attention...and finally
succeeds.
Osofsky, Audrey. My Buddy. Illus. by Ted Rand. Henry Holt,
1992.
A young wheelchair-bound boy with muscular dystrophy
tells how his golden retriever works to help him. Considerable information about service dogs is included in this
fictional story. Lovely watercolor illustrations enhance the
text.
Pomerantz, Charlotte. The Outside Dog. Illus. by Jennifer
Plecas. HarperCollins, 1996.
In this story set in Puerto Rico, Marisol is never allowed to
pet stray dogs, but when she finds a skinny mutt she
names Pancho, she is determined to keep him. The problem is — can she persuade her grandfather that she should
give the dog a home? Some Spanish words are included in
the story, along with a glossary that defines them.
Porte, Barbara Ann. Harry’s Dog. Illus. by Yossi Abolafia.
Greenwillow, 1984.
Harry gets a dog, but he can’t let his father know because
his father is allergic to dogs. When the sneezes begin, it
doesn’t take his father long to figure out Harry’s secret.
After he tells his father several fantastic stories about how
he acquired the dog and why he can’t return him, Harry’s
Aunt Rose comes up with the perfect solution. This easyto-read text is designed for beginning independent readers.
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Bibliography
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
117
Porte, Barbara Ann. The Take-Along Dog. Illus. by Emily
Arnold McCully. Greenwillow, 1989.
Abigail and Sam have to take their new little dog, Benton,
everywhere with them because their mother is afraid of
dogs. Even though he is a good dog, there are many
places where dogs are not allowed — the swimming pool,
the library, the movie theater. When Benton scares a big
dog away from their mother at a picnic, he and Mother
become friends.
Rand, Gloria. Salty Dog. Illus. by Ted Rand. Henry Holt,
1989.
Salty is just a puppy when Zack begins to build his boat,
but as the boat begins to take shape, Salty grows bigger
and becomes an excellent companion for Zack. After a few
trips on the ferry and then on the boat, Salty has become a
first-rate first mate! Exquisite watercolor illustrations enhance the text. See sequels: Salty Takes Off (1991), Salty
Sails North (1992), and Aloha, Salty (1996).
Rathmann, Peggy. Officer Buckle and Gloria. Putnam, 1995.
Officer Buckle knows more about safety than anyone in
town, but no one ever listens to his safety tips. When a new
police dog named Gloria begins to accompany him to his
safety lectures, things change. What Officer Buckle doesn’t
know is that Gloria is doing all sorts of humorous demonstrations behind his back while he is speaking, placing
Officer Buckle suddenly in great demand. When he learns
the truth, he vows to give up speaking, until a flood of fan
mail reunites the partners. Colorful illustrations provide
much humor in this Caldecott Award winning book.
Reiser, Lynn. Any Kind of Dog. Greenwillow, 1992.
Richard wants a dog, but his mother says a dog is too
much trouble. She gives him many other kinds of pets,
which he compares to different breeds of dogs. He finally
gets a dog, and it is a lot of trouble...but it’s worth it.
Reneaux, J. J. Why Alligator Hates Dog. Illus. by Donnie Lee
Green. August House, 1995.
Richly hued acrylic paintings highlight this Cajun folktale
that explains why Alligator and Dog don’t get along. Dog
took every opportunity to tease Alligator, and Alligator
vowed to snap him up some day. When he had his chance,
though, Dog tricked him into coming to his master’s
house, and Alligator ended up with a thrashing. Now he
just floats in the water, waiting for Dog.
Robertus, Polly M. The Dog Who Had Kittens. Illus. by Janet
Stevens. Holiday House, 1991.
Baxter the dog feels abandoned and alone when he is banished from the house because Eloise the cat has had
kittens. One day, when Eloise is away from her box, Baxter
nurtures the kittens and, except for feeding, becomes their
guardian. Beside himself with grief when they are gone,
Baxter has Eloise to nurture him. Humorous illustrations.
ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
118 THE
Bibliography
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Rosen, Michael J. Bonesy and Isabel. Illus. by James
Ransome. Harcourt, 1995.
When Isabel is adopted from her native El Salvador by an
American family, she is befriended by Bonesy, the family’s
old dog. Bonesy becomes her steadfast companion as she
attempts to learn English and the ways of her new country.
When Bonesy dies, Isabel must learn to grieve with her
new family as well. Elegant oil paintings illustrate the text.
Rylant, Cynthia. The Bookshop Dog. Blue Sky/Scholastic,
1996.
A woman loves her dog, Martha Jane, so much that she
takes her to her bookshop with her and even names the
store after the dog. Everyone who comes into the store
loves Martha Jane, especially a big man in a green coat
who brings her treats. When the woman needs to be away
for awhile and needs someone to care for Martha Jane,
everyone argues about who will have the privilege. The big
man wins out...and wins the heart of the woman as well.
Rylant, Cynthia. The Old Woman Who Named Things. Illus.
by Kathryn Brown. Harcourt, 1996.
A very old woman who has outlived all of her friends keeps
herself company by naming inanimate things in her life,
such as her house, her car, and her bed. When a shy
puppy appears at her gate, she is reluctant to become attached to it because then she would have to name it.
Fearful that she might outlive it also, she doesn’t want to
take such a risk, and she chases the puppy away many
times. When the dogcatcher takes the puppy, she realizes
that she does miss it and claims it for her pet.
Rylant, Cynthia. Henry and Mudge. Illus. by Susie Stevenson.
Bradbury, 1987.
This book introduces the series about a little boy, Henry,
and his very big dog and best friend, Mudge. These “first
chapter books,” illustrated with cartoon art, include the
following titles: Henry and Mudge in Puddle Trouble
(1987), Henry and Mudge in Green Time (1987), Henry
and Mudge Under the Yellow Moon (1987), Henry and
Mudge in the Sparkle Days (1988), Henry and Mudge and
the Forever Sea (1989), Henry and Mudge Get the Cold
Shivers (1989), Henry and Mudge and the Happy Cat
(1990), Henry and Mudge and the Bedtime Thumps
(1991), Henry and Mudge and the Long Weekend (1992),
Henry and Mudge and the Wild Wind (1993), and Henry
and Mudge and the Careful Cousin (1994).
Schneider, Howie. No Dogs Allowed. Putnam, 1995.
When the Arbuckle family takes a trip, they find that no
hotels will allow dogs to stay. Not knowing what to do with
their dog, Mercer, they disguise him as Monsieur D’Puppie,
a mysterious Frenchman, and stay at a hotel. They manage to fool everyone for awhile, but before long the cat (or
is it the dog?) is out of the bag. Cartoon illustrations add to
the humor of the story.
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Bibliography
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
119
Schwartz, Amy. Oma and Bobo. Bradbury, 1987.
Grandmother Oma is not pleased when Alice gets a dog
from the animal shelter, especially the older dog Bobo,
who seems to have no training. Alice works hard with Bobo
and gets as far as “sit” and “stay.” It’s Oma who finally
takes Bobo to the final stage of his training after she has
accepted his companionship.
Seymour, Tres. Pole Dog. Illus. by David Soman. Orchard,
1993.
Beautiful pastel illustrations complement this touching
story of an old dog abandoned by its family on a country
road near a telephone pole. The old dog waits for them to
come back for him and endures several hardships while he
maintains his vigil. Just when it appears that no one wants
the old dog, a family stops to pick him up.
Singer, Marilyn. Chester, the Out-of-Work Dog. Illus. by Cat
Bowman Smith. Henry Holt, 1992.
Chester is a farm dog that likes nothing better than herding
sheep. When his family moves to the city, Chester has
nothing to do. His inappropriate attempts at herding land
him in trouble, but when he herds a group of lost children
(dressed as sheep) to school for a play, he becomes a
hero. He also gets a new job — school-crossing guard.
Skorpen, Liesel Moak. His Mother’s Dog. Illus. by M. E.
Mullin. Harper & Row, 1978.
A little boy had always wanted a dog — a Newfoundland,
which he planned to name “Moose.” What he got was a
cocker spaniel, which his mother named “Puck,” a dog
that grew to prefer his mother above him. When his mother
had a baby, both he and the dog were sad and lonely and
befriended each other.
Standiford, Natalie. The Bravest Dog Ever: The True Story of
Balto. Illus. by Donald Cook. Random House, 1989.
In this Level 2 book of the “Step into Reading” series, the
story of Balto, the dog who carried medicine to the sick
children of Nome, Alaska, in a blizzard, is related.
Stanley, Diane. Woe Is Moe. Illus. by Elise Primavera.
Putnam, 1995.
Moe the dog didn’t like his job at the Frozen Cow ice
cream factory, but when he wins a slogan contest, he becomes a vice president in charge of advertising. This
means money, a limousine, prestige, everything he’s always wanted...he thinks. Instead, he is lonely and
miserable and misses his best friend Arlene, who figures
out a way to bring them back together.
ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
120 THE
Bibliography
Tafuri, Nancy. Who’s Counting? Greenwillow, 1986.
A curious puppy that has wandered away from its mother
and littermates encounters a variety of animals in this
counting book from 1 to 10. Readers are invited to find the
puppy on each page. Vividly colored illustrations bring this
nearly wordless story to a satisfactory conclusion, as the
puppy joins the other puppies for some dinner.
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Taylor, Livingston. Can I Be Good? Illus. by Ted Rand.
Gulliver/Harcourt, 1993.
A young golden retriever wants to be good, but finds that
too many temptations and wonderful adventures waylay
his good intentions. This delightful first person account
from the dog’s point of view is illustrated with elegant watercolors. Pencil sketches of the dog on the endpapers are
also excellent.
Waber, Bernard. Bernard. Houghton Mifflin, 1982.
Bernard has a problem: his master and mistress are separating, and they both want to keep Bernard. Faced with
this impossible situation, Bernard runs away. Life alone is
good for awhile, until he finds that he has no home in bad
weather. In the end, Bernard’s owners decide that what’s
best for Bernard comes first.
Wahl, Mats. Grandfather’s Laika. Illus. by Tord Nygren.
Carolrhoda, 1990.
Matthew has always had a close relationship with his
grandfather’s elderly golden retriever, Laika. When Laika
becomes sick and finally dies, Matthew and his grandfather
remember Laika and grieve together over the loss of their
friend.
Weller, Frances Ward. Riptide. Illus. by Robert J. Blake.
Philomel, 1990.
Zach’s dog Riptide loves the sea and doesn’t understand
the “No Dogs” sign on the beach. The lifeguards, in particular, do not want Rip on the beach, even though he
thinks he should be one of them. When Rip rescues a child
caught in a riptide, he is accepted as one of the lifeguard
team. Beautiful oil paintings blend perfectly with the text.
Wells, Rosemary. Lucy Comes to Stay. Illus. by Mark
Graham. Dial, 1994.
When Mary Elizabeth brings her new puppy, Lucy, home,
she realizes that there is a great deal of responsibility associated with raising a puppy. Luscious oil paintings
dominate the pages of this story about responsible pet
care.
Wilhelm, Hans. I’ll Always Love You. Crown, 1985.
A small boy remembers the life he shared with Elfie, “the
best dog in the whole world.” Unfortunately, dogs and children don’t grow older at the same rates, and Elfie
eventually becomes a very old dog and dies. The boy consoles himself by remembering that every night, he told
Elfie, “I’ll always love you.”
Willis, Jeanne. Earth Hounds as explained by Professor
Xargle. Illus. by Tony Ross. Dutton, 1989.
Alien Professor Xargle presents a lesson on the Earth
Hound, that animal with unusual behaviors and characteristics, that creatures on the planet Earth seem to like so
much. Cartoon illustrations add zaniness to the story. A
Reading Rainbow review book.
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Bibliography
121
Young, Ed. The Other Bone. Harper & Row, 1984.
In this wordless story illustrated with pencil sketches, a
dog dreams about a bone, finds one, and then loses it
when he sees his reflection in a pond and tries to grab the
bone of the other dog. Efforts to find the bone are futile, as
it rests at the bottom of the pond.
Zion, Gene. Harry, the Dirty Dog. Illus. by Margaret Bloy
Graham. Harper & Row, 1956.
Harry gets involved in so many activities that leave him
very dirty. He is so dirty, in fact, that he is no longer a
white dog with black spots, and his family does not recognize him when he comes into the yard. See sequels: No
Roses for Harry (1958), Harry & the Lady Next Door
(1960), and Harry by the Sea (1965).
Zolotow, Charlotte. The Old Dog. Illus. by James Ransome.
HarperCollins, 1995.
Rich oil paintings add emotion to the story of a boy whose
dog has died. He spends all day reliving the things they did
together and realizing his grief until his father surprises him
with a puppy.
Dogs — Nonfiction
Arnold, Caroline. A Guide Dog Puppy Grows Up.
Photographs by Richard Hewett. Harcourt, 1991.
Informational text follows the life of a guide dog named
Honey, from the time she is a puppy, through her training
to be a guide dog, until she is placed with a blind person.
Full color photographs complement the text.
Barrett, Norman. Dogs. “Picture Library” series. Franklin
Watts, 1990.
An overview of different types of dogs, their behaviors, life
cycles, and activities is presented in an easy-to-understand
text illustrated with full color photographs. A facts page
and glossary are appended.
Butler, Beverly. Maggie By My Side. Dodd, Mead, 1987.
When her beloved guide dog becomes ill with cancer, the
author is faced with acquiring another dog. In this short
novel, she relates her experiences. Through her story,
some of the history and training of guide dogs is revealed.
Black-and-white photographs introduce readers to Maggie
and her owner.
ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
122 THE
Bibliography
Calmenson, Stephanie. Rosie, A Visiting Dog’s Story.
Photographs by Justin Sutcliffe. Clarion, 1994.
The text describes the “job” of a visiting dog as cheering
up “people who are sad, or sick, or lonely.” Rosie’s informal training as a puppy and her formal training by the
ASPCA is discussed and illustrated with full color photographs showing Rosie in a variety of “visiting” situations.
An author’s note contains resources for finding information
about visiting dog programs.
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Cole, Joanna. My Puppy Is Born. Photographs by Margaret
Miller. Morrow, 1991.
Full-color photographs and an easy-to-read text tell the
story of the first eight weeks of life of a Norfolk terrier
named Dolly, beginning with her birth and ending with her
life in her new home. A Reading Rainbow review book.
Cooper, Jason. Farm Dogs. “Barnyard Friends” series.
Rourke, 1995.
Simple text and full color photographs provide an overview
of several types of farm dogs. How dogs are raised,
trained, and related to wild dogs is also included. Glossary
is appended.
Gibbons, Gail. Dogs. Holiday House, 1996.
This informational text illustrated with colorful drawings
introduces different breeds of dogs and their special attributes. A brief history of dogs, their behavioral
characteristics, and types of dog communication are also
included. The last page overviews some famous dogs.
Jones, Teri Crawford. Dogs. “Children’s Nature Library.”
Publications International, 1991.
Full-color photographs highlight a minimal text that explains the various aspects of living with dogs. A brief
history of dogs, working dogs, dog performers, training
dogs, “dogtalk,” and raising puppies are topics covered in
the text.
Kuklin, Susan. Mine for a Year. Coward-McCann, 1984.
Told through the first person viewpoint of 12-year old
George, readers learn about the love and early training of a
black Labrador, that is destined to be trained as a guide
dog. Black-and-white photographs accompany this heartwarming narrative.
Ling, Mary. Amazing Wolves, Dogs & Foxes. “Eyewitness
Juniors” series. Photographs by Jerry Young. Knopf, 1991.
Excellent full-color photographs supplement an informative text that tells about the characteristics and behaviors
of various members of the dog family, including both wild
and tame animals.
Micklethwait, Lucy. Spot a Dog. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
In this book, intended to help young people develop an
appreciation for art, thirteen famous paintings are presented, asking the reading to find a dog in each one. Each
painting is indexed, with title, artist, medium, and gallery
location, in the back of the book.
Moore, Eva. Buddy, the First Seeing Eye Dog. “Hello
Reader” series, Level 4. Illus. by Don Bolognese. Scholastic, 1996.
This story provides an easy-to-read account of the training
and work of Buddy, the first German Shepherd seeing eye
dog in America, and her master, Morris Frank.
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Bibliography
123
O’Neill, Catherine. Dogs on Duty. National Geographic
Society, 1988.
Detailed text, illustrated with large, full color photographs,
describes how dogs are bred and trained for certain functions, such as herding, pulling sleds, assisting disabled
persons, and entertainment.
Patent, Dorothy Hinshaw. Dogs: The Wolf Within.
Photographs by William Muñoz. Carolrhoda, 1993.
This informational text compares the characteristics and
behavior of dogs and wolves and discusses the domestication of dogs. The many roles of dogs in today’s world is
also addressed. Full color photographs accent the text.
Suggestions for further reading and a glossary are appended.
Patent, Dorothy Hinshaw. Maggie, a Sheep Dog. Photographs
by William Muñoz. Dodd, Mead, 1986.
Black-and-white photos and an easy-to-understand text
tell the story of Maggie, a Kuvasz (a Hungarian breed that
guard sheep), and her life on a sheep ranch in Montana.
Maggie’s job is to protect the sheep and lambs, especially
from coyotes, and to gain their trust.
Pope, Joyce. Taking Care of Your Dog. Franklin Watts, 1986.
An easy-to-read text and full color photographs review
some basic points in dog care: preparing for a dog, choosing the right one, feeding a dog, and overall health and
hygiene. A checklist and question-and-answer page are
appended.
Posell, Elsa. Dogs. “A New True Book.” Children’s Press,
1981.
An easy-to-read text and colorful photographs provide an
overview of broad categories of dogs, along with advice for
choosing and caring for them as pets.
Ring, Elizabeth. Sled Dogs: Arctic Athletes. Millbrook, 1994.
Informational text describes the different breeds of sled
dogs and how they are trained for the rather demanding
sport of dogsled racing. Black-and-white and full color
photographs clarify the text.
Ring, Elizabeth. Companion Dogs: More Than Best Friends.
Millbrook, 1994.
Full color photographs enhance an informative text about
the training of dogs to serve as companions and for therapeutic purposes. Instances of dogs involved in heroic
rescues are also related.
Ring, Elizabeth. Patrol Dogs: Keeping the Peace. Millbrook,
1994.
Information, coupled with photographs in color and blackand-white, describe the selection process and training of
dogs in police service.
ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
124 THE
Bibliography
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Ring, Elizabeth. Assistance Dogs: In Special Service.
Millbrook, 1993.
The work of dogs that are specially trained to assist people
who are blind, deaf, or disabled is described in this informative text illustrated with full color photographs.
Selsam, Millicent E. How Puppies Grow. Photographs by Neil
Johnson. Scholastic, 1971, 1990.
Full-color photographs and a simple text depict the life of
a litter of six puppies from the time they are a few hours
old until they are ready for homes. The behaviors of the
puppies at each stage of their early development are highlighted.
Smith, Elizabeth Simpson. A Guide Dog Goes to School.
Illustrated by Bert Dodson. Morrow, 1987.
An informational text follows Cinderella, a golden retriever,
from a frisky puppy through her training to become a loving, responsible guide for her blind master. Well
researched. Illustrated with pencil sketches.
Smith, Elizabeth Simpson. A Service Dog Goes to School.
Illus. by Steven Petruccio. Morrow, 1988.
This story follows the selection, raising, training, and
placement of a black Labrador named Licorice as a service
dog for Scott, a boy who is confined to a wheelchair. The
various tasks that Licorice performs in her role are highlighted.
Spinelli, Eileen. Puppies. “Children’s Nature Library.”
Publications International, 1991.
Full-color photographs and a minimal text depict the various activities of puppies, including play, baths, eating,
sleeping, chewing, and interactions with other animals.
Mention of some specific breeds are also included in the
text.
Poetry
Blevgad, Lenore (Selected). Hark! Hark! The Dogs Do Bark
and Other Rhymes about Dogs. Atheneum, 1976.
Cole, William. Good Dog Poems. Scribner, 1981.
Hopkins, Lee Bennett (Selected). A Dog’s Life. Illus. by Linda
R. Richards. Harcourt, 1983.
Leichman, Seymour. Shaggy Dogs & Spotty Dogs & Shaggy
& Spotty Dogs. Harcourt, 1973.
Livingston, Myra Cohn (Selected). Dog Poems. Illus. by
Leslie Morrill. Holiday House, 1990.
Yolen, Jane. It’s Raining Cats and Dogs. Illus. by Janet
Street. Harcourt, 1993.
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Bibliography
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
125
Additional Resources
“Dog.” Eyewitness video series, distributed by Dorling
Kindersley. Available for viewing on PBS.
Microsoft Dogs. CD-ROM, distributed by Microsoft
Corporation, 1995.
Friendship
Ackerman, Karen. The Tin Heart. Illus. by Michael Hays.
Atheneum, 1990.
Mahaley lived on one side of the Ohio River, and her friend
Flora lived on the other side. Flora’s father made them a
tin heart, and each girl wore half of it to symbolize their
friendship. Every day, they played with each other when
Mahaley crossed the river on her father’s ferry boat. When
the Civil War started, the ferry ran no more, and their
friendship was threatened, but the two girls were determined to remain friends.
Aliki. We Are Best Friends. Greenwillow, 1982.
When Robert’s best friend Peter moves away, they both
think they will never find new friends. After awhile, they
both do find friends and they come to realize that they can
remain friends even though they live apart from each
other. See sequel: Best Friends Together Again (1995).
Baker, Barbara. Digby and Kate. Illus. by Marsha Winborn.
Dutton, 1988.
Digby (a dog) and Kate (a cat) are best friends who work
and play together, help each other with problems, and give
each other presents. Like most friends, they have their ups
and downs, but because they are friends, they share and
cooperate. “Easy reader” text with short stories that are
reminiscent of Lobel’s “Frog and Toad” books. See also:
Digby and Kate Again (1989).
Blegvad, Lenore. Anna Banana and Me. Illus. by Erik
Blegvad. McElderry, 1985.
A little boy’s friend, Anna Banana, is absolutely fearless.
When Anna Banana goes home, however, he is left to face
his fears alone. When he remembers a little bit of magic
she told him (that a feather is magic), he is able to confront his fears and gain confidence in himself.
Blegvad, Lenore. Rainy Day Kate. Illus. by Erik Blegvad.
McElderry, 1987.
In this story told in rhyme, a little boy is delighted when his
friend Kate can come to spend the day. When it rains and
Kate cannot come, he makes up for his disappointment by
creating a large, stuffed doll, who becomes his Kate for the
day.
ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
126 THE
Bibliography
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Briggs, Raymond. The Snowman. Random House, 1978.
In this wordless fantasy, a boy builds a snowman. That
night, when the snowman comes to life, the boy invites
him into his home and shows him all sorts of wonderful
things. In return, the snowman takes him on a magnificent
flight above cities and countries of the world. Colored pencil illustrations depict the friendship between the two and
the sadness of the boy when he finds the snowman melted
the next morning.
Bunting, Eve. Clancy’s Coat. Illus. by Lorinda Bryan Cauley.
Warne, 1984.
Clancy and Tippitt used to be best friends, until Tippitt’s
cow trampled Clancy’s garden. When Clancy brings his old
coat to Tippitt for repair, Tippitt finds many other uses for
it and in the meantime, mends his friendship with Clancy.
Carle, Eric. Do You Want to Be My Friend? Crowell, 1971.
In this wordless story, a little mouse approaches several
different animals, hoping to find a friend. He finally finds a
friend — another mouse — and the two of them manage to
elude a snake.
Clifton, Lucille. My Friend Jacob. Illus. by Thomas DiGrazia.
Dutton, 1980.
Sam tells the story of Jacob, his next-door neighbor and
best friend, who is much older but mentally slower. Sam
celebrates the fact that there are many things he can help
Jacob with, but that there are also many ways in which
Jacob helps him. Pencil illustrations depict the warmth of
the friendship between the two of them.
Cohen, Miriam. Will I Have a Friend? Illus. by Lillian Hoban.
Macmillan, 1967.
Jim is very worried about finding a friend on his first day of
school. Even though his father assured him that he would,
all the other children are preoccupied with playing with
their friends. Before the day is over, Jim finds Paul, and it
appears to be the beginning of a great friendship.
Denslow, Sharon Phillips. At Taylor’s Place. Illus. by Nancy
Carpenter. Bradbury, 1990.
Tory enjoys helping her older friend, Taylor, with all sorts of
woodworking projects. In this story, they make a dog
weather vane for their neighbor Mrs. Perry, but they always
have their next project in the works. Pastel illustrations
enhance this friendship story.
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Bibliography
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
127
Dugan, Barbara. Loop the Loop. Illus. by James Stevenson.
Greenwillow, 1992.
Anne spends a lot of her time playing with her doll Eleanor
until she meets her older, very feisty, wheelchair-bound
neighbor, Mrs. Simpson, and her cat Bertrand. Mrs.
Simpson sings and plays the piano, and they take long
walks and play cards. Finally, Mrs. Simpson begins to
teach Anne her speciality — the yo-yo. When Mrs.
Simpson is hospitalized with a broken hip, Anne continues
to practice until she too becomes an expert. Cartoon-like
illustrations depict this special friendship.
Ellis, Anne Leo. Dabble Duck. Illus. by Sue Truesdell. Harper
& Row, 1984.
Dabble is a rather messy apartment duck that gets lonely
when Jason is at school. Mom wants to send Dabble to the
country where she can be with other ducks. One day at the
park, Dabble makes friends with a bedraggled dog, and
Jason takes the dog home. His family decides to care for
the dog, which makes Dabble very happy. A Reading Rainbow review book.
Ernst, Lisa Campbell. Zinnia and Dot. Viking, 1992.
Zinnia and Dot are two hens that share the same henhouse
and ought to be good friends. Instead, they spend their
days arguing over which hen has the most perfect eggs.
When a weasel takes all their eggs except one, the two
hens must share the duties of raising the lone chick and
finally realize the value of cooperation. Bright, cartoon-like
watercolors add humor to the text.
Fleming, Virginia. Be Good to Eddie Lee. Illus. by Floyd
Cooper. Philomel, 1993.
Christy has always considered Eddie Lee, a boy with
Down’s syndrome, a pest because he follows her around,
and her mama is always telling her to be good to him.
When Christy and her friend JimBud go looking for frog
eggs, it’s Eddie Lee who makes the best discovery of the
day and who has the sensitivity to know what to do with it.
In the process, Christy learns something about friendship.
Exquisite paintings accompany the story.
George, Lindsay Barrett. William and Boomer. Greenwillow,
1987.
William and his father find a baby goose, and before long,
the goose is William’s faithful companion. The goose,
named Boomer, loves to swim, and William longs to swim
with him. When the time is right, William learns to swim
too, and he and Boomer swim every day. Exquisite watercolor and colored pencil illustrations dominate the pages.
ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
128 THE
Bibliography
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Graham, Bob. Crusher Is Coming! Viking, 1988.
When tough, football hero Crusher is coming over after
school for a visit, Pete wants to make a good impression.
That means he wants his little sister Claire out of the way.
Crusher takes quite a liking to Claire, however, and turns
out to be a sweet-natured softie. Colorful cartoon illustrations add to the humor of the story.
Guy, Rosa. Billy the Great. Illus. by Caroline Binch.
Delacorte, 1991.
From the time Billy is a baby, his parents try to plan his life
for him. When an older boy, named Rodney, moves in next
door, they don’t approve of his friendship with Billy. After
tempers flare between the two dads over a broken window,
it is the two children who show them a thing or two about
getting along. Expressive watercolor paintings are a delight.
Havill, Juanita. Jamaica and Brianna. Illus. by Anne Sibley
O’Brien. Houghton Mifflin, 1993.
Jamaica’s feelings are hurt when her friend Brianna makes
fun of her hand-me-down boots. When Jamaica gets new
boots, she tells Brianna that she could have chosen boots
like Brianna’s but she didn’t because they were ugly. Now
Brianna’s feelings are hurt, but the girls finally work out
their differences and become friends again.
Heine, Helme. Friends. Atheneum, 1982.
According to a rooster, a mouse, and a pig, “good friends
always stick together.” They were a fearless trio and enjoyed many adventures together. When night came,
however, they realized that good friends can’t always be
together because none of them liked where the other two
slept. Cheerful watercolor illustrations enhance the text.
See sequel: Friends Go Adventuring (1994).
Henkes, Kevin. Chester’s Way. Greenwillow, 1988.
Chester and Wilson are two friends who are so much alike
that it’s hard to tell one from the other. They do everything
together! That is, until Lilly moves into the neighborhood.
She’s a bit unconventional, but she finally wins Chester
and Wilson over, and then it’s the threesome that is
unseparable.
Henkes, Kevin. Jessica. Greenwillow, 1989.
Ruthie does everything with her best friend Jessica, who
just happens to be imaginary. She takes Jessica to school
and can do almost everything there with her too, except
when it is time to line up with partners. Ruthie’s day is
saved when a real Jessica offers to be her partner, and the
two of them become good friends.
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Bibliography
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
129
Hoban, Russell. Best Friends for Frances. Illus. by Lillian
Hoban. Harper & Row, 1969.
Frances refuses to play with her little sister Gloria because
she is too little. When her friend Albert wants to go wandering by himself and then play in a no-girls baseball
game, she discovers that playing with Gloria is not so bad
after all. Before long, Frances, Gloria and Albert are three
friends playing together.
Hutchins, Pat. My Best Friend. Greenwillow, 1993.
Two little girls are best friends, in spite of the fact that one
of them can do more things and do them better than the
other one. Everyone has talents, however, and the child
who hasn’t “bloomed” yet is able to show her best friend
something she knows.
Johnston, Tony. Amber on the Mountain. Illus. by Robert
Duncan. Dial, 1994.
Rich oil paintings complement this touching story of Amber, a lonely mountain girl, and her friendship with Anna, a
city girl who begins to teach her to read. When Anna must
leave all too soon, Amber decides that she will learn to
write so that she can send Anna a letter. The exchange of
letters binds these two friends together.
Jones, Rebecca C. Matthew and Tilly. Illus. by Beth Peck.
Dutton, 1991.
Matthew and Tilly are best friends, who enjoy doing everything together. Occasionally, however, even the best of
friends have an argument, but it’s no fun playing alone.
When they both say “I’m sorry,” they are back to being
best friends again. Rich oil paintings depict Matthew as a
Caucasian boy and Tilly as an African American girl
against an urban backdrop.
Joosse, Barbara M. Better With Two. Illus. by Catherine
Stock. Harper & Row, 1988.
Laura is very good friends with her older neighbor Mrs.
Brady and her dog Max. The three of them do many things
together, but one day, Max dies. Laura is sad, but she is
more worried about Mrs. Brady and tries to cheer her up
with little gifts. Finally, she goes to just sit on the porch
with Mrs. Brady because sometimes being sad and remembering is better with two.
Keller, Holly. Lizzie’s Invitation. Greenwillow, 1987.
Lizzie is so upset that she didn’t receive an invitation to
Kate’s birthday party (when it appears that everyone else
did), that nothing seems fun any more. On the day of the
party, she finds Amanda playing and learns that Amanda
didn’t get an invitation either. The two new friends spend
the day together and find that they have much in common.
ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
130 THE
Bibliography
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Komaiko, Leah. Annie Bananie. Illus. by Laura Cornell.
Harper & Row, 1987.
When Annie Bananie has to move away, her best friend
just can’t believe it. She then remembers all the zany fun
they had together. Rhymed text and humorous illustrations
mark this friendship story.
Komaiko, Leah. Earl’s Too Cool for Me. Illus. by Laura
Cornell. Harper & Row, 1988.
In this story told in rhyme, a little boy enviously looks
upon Earl, a boy who appears to be able to do just about
everything, anywhere, and with anyone he chooses. Why
would someone so cool want to be friends with him. Earl
does want him for a friend, however, and as it turns out,
both of them are “cool as cool can be.”
Kroll, Virginia. Pink Paper Swans. Illus. by Nancy L. Clouse.
Eerdmans, 1994.
When Janetta first meets Mrs. Tsujimoto, she is fascinated
by the origami animals that the elderly woman makes.
Soon Janetta is fashioning origami figures herself under
the guidance of her new friend. When Mrs. Tsujimoto’s
arthritis begins to give her problems, Janetta becomes her
“fingers,” and they create origami projects together.
Lillie, Patricia. Jake and Rosie. Greenwillow, 1989.
Jake and Rosie are neighbors and best friends who do everything together, including trying to dress just alike. When
Rosie is gone for a day, Jake becomes very upset, until
she returns with a nice surprise for him.
Lionni, Leo. Little Blue and Little Yellow. Astor-Honor, 1959.
Little Blue and Little Yellow are best friends, but when they
hug each other, they become green. Neither of their parents recognize them as green, which makes both of them
so sad that they turn into tears — blue and yellow tears.
The parents soon figure it out, and a little hugging turns
them green too. Simple torn paper collages illustrate the
text.
Lionni, Leo. Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse. Pantheon,
1969.
Alexander longs to be a wind-up mouse like his friend
Willy. When he hears of a magical lizard, he thinks that his
wish can come true. Unfortunately, Willy is in a box of toys
to be discarded, so Alexander wishes for Willy to become a
real mouse like him. This wish does come true, and the
two friends rejoice.
Lobel, Arnold. Frog and Toad Are Friends. Harper & Row,
1970.
The adventures and warmth of two of the best-loved
friends in literature for children are chronicled in this book
and these companion books: Frog and Toad Together
(1972); Frog and Toad All Year (1976); and Days with
Frog and Toad (1979).
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Bibliography
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
131
Lyon, George Ella. Together. Illus. by Vera Rosenberry.
Orchard, 1989.
A rhymed text and cheerful illustrations describe how two
friends working together can accomplish almost anything
— especially when it comes to dreaming the same dream.
Mahy, Margaret. Making Friends. Illus. by Wendy Smith.
McElderry, 1990.
Mrs. de Vere and Mr. Derry often saw each other on their
respective walks, but were too shy to say anything. When
both of them decided they were lonely and went to the dog
pound for a dog, she chose a huge, hairy dog, and he
chose a small, wispy dog. Their paths crossed again while
they were walking the dogs, and even though they might
not say anything, dogs always recognize each other. The
dogs soon had them tied up (literally), and Mrs. de Vere
and Mr. Derry were lonely no more.
Marshall, James. George and Martha. Houghton Mifflin,
1972.
The humorous ups and downs of these two lovable
hippotamus friends are related in very short stories in this
book and in these sequels: George and Martha Encore
(1977); George and Martha Rise and Shine (1979);
George and Martha One Fine Day (1982); George and
Martha Back in Town (1984); George and Martha Tons of
Fun (1986); and George and Martha Round and Round
(1988).
Medearis, Angela Shelf. The Adventures of Sugar and Junior.
Illus. by Nancy Poydar. Holiday House, 1995.
Santiago Antonio Ramirez, aka Junior, lives next door to
Sugar, an African American girl, in the same apartment
building. They become friends and enjoy doing many
things together, such as play basketball, bake cookies, and
go to scary movies. Colorful illustrations accent four short
“chapters” in this picture book.
Merriam, Eve. Fighting Words. Illus. by David Small. Morrow,
1992.
Leda and Dale, two friends, envious of each other's physical traits and living situation, decide to have a fight...with
words. They shout wonderful words to each other, such as
balderdash, kinkajou, and lummox, until both are too
hoarse to speak any longer. Then the two friends agree
that it was a good fight and shake hands.
Nikola-Lisa, W. Bein’ with You this Way. Illus. by Michael
Bryant. Lee & Low, 1994.
A rap beat and full-page watercolor and colored pencil
illustrations depict a playground of children enjoying each
other's unique qualities. Hair, eye, and skin color make no
difference when it comes to being together in play. This
book celebrates the joys of childhood.
ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
132 THE
Bibliography
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Peters, Lisa Westberg. Good Morning, River! Illus. by
Deborah Kogan Ray. Arcade, 1990.
Katherine’s older friend, Carl, tells her that the river talks
to him. She wishes that the river would talk to her too,
because Carl always seems to know when it’s safe to walk
on in the winter and when it’s just right for swimming in the
summer. Carl teaches Katherine about all the seasonal
changes of the river. When Carl becomes ill and his voice
no longer booms at the river, Katherine talks for both of
them, and the river responds. Lovely watercolor landscapes show the river in its glory and the beauty of a
special friendship.
Polacco, Patricia. Appelemando’s Dreams. Philomel, 1991.
Appelemando is a dreamer, and the townspeople think he
will never amount to anything. His friends know better,
because they see his dreams in beautiful colors. When the
townspeople find out about the colors, they are so angry
that the children wander away. When they become lost in
the forest, their faith in the abilities of their friend
Appelemando saves them. A Reading Rainbow feature
book.
Polacco, Patricia. Chicken Sunday. Philomel, 1992.
In a story from her own childhood, the author relates a
time when she and her best friends, Stewart and Winston,
made and sold pysanky eggs to earn money to buy a hat
for the boys’ beloved grandmother. Magnificent watercolor
illustrations enhance this story that brings many cultures
together in friendship and understanding.
Polacco, Patricia. Mrs. Katz and Tush. Bantam, 1992.
Larnel doesn’t know his neighbor Mrs. Katz very well until
he persuades her to adopt a kitten. As the two of them
care for little Tush, Larnel learns about Mrs. Katz’s past
and her Jewish heritage. The two of them become lifelong
friends, and Mrs. Katz influences Larnel’s family long after
she is gone. A Reading Rainbow feature book.
Rylant, Cynthia. Miss Maggie. Illus. by Thomas DiGrazia.
Dutton, 1983.
Nat was always afraid of old Miss Maggie, who lived in a
rotting log house near his home. People said she had a big
snake hanging from the rafters of her house, and Nat was
always trying to sneak a peek at it. When he got to know
her, he found that she made a very nice friend. Softly textured pencil sketches complement the story.
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Bibliography
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
133
San Souci, Robert D. The Faithful Friend. Illus. by Brian
Pinkney. Simon & Schuster, 1995.
In this retelling of a traditional tale from the French West
Indies, two friends, Clement and Hippolyte, become involved in an adventure of romance and intrigue. Clement
falls in love with the beautiful Pauline, but her ward (a wizard) is angry. Hippolyte tries to protect the couple, but is
lured into a situation that forces Clement to choose between Pauline and his friend. It is the deep friendship of the
two men that causes all to end well. Elegant scratchboard
illustrations merited Caldecott Honor Book distinction.
Shannon, George. Seeds. Illus. by Steve Björkman. Houghton
Mifflin, 1994.
Warren enjoys spending time with his older next-door
neighbor Bill, especially when they are gardening. When
Warren moves away, he misses Bill and the garden, but
gets the idea of asking Bill to send him some seeds for a
garden of his own. Meanwhile, Warren’s idea of planting a
garden gives Bill an idea for a book.
Steig, William. Amos & Boris. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1971.
Amos, the mouse, loves the ocean and builds a boat.
When it’s finally finished, Amos sets sail, but he rolls off
the deck in the middle of the ocean and doesn’t know what
to do. When Boris, a whale, rescues him, they become fast
friends. Although their friendship is a happy one, they realize that Amos is a land animal and Boris belongs in the
sea. They bid farewell, but a terrible storm beaches Boris,
and it is up to Amos to figure out a way to save him.
Trivas, Irene. Annie...Anya: A Month in Moscow. Orchard,
1992.
Annie is not happy about going to Russia with her parents
and the sightseeing is almost too much for her. When she
is taken to a daycare center, she meets Anya, and the two
girls become friends. They teach each other language and
customs and, at the end of the month, they know they will
meet again. Delightful illustrations add to the charm of the
story.
Viorst, Judith. Rosie and Michael. Illus. by Lorna Tomei.
Atheneum, 1974.
Rosie and Michael are best friends — the kind of best
friends that play jokes, share belongings, stand up for each
other, and understand the shortcomings of the other one.
Black-and-white illustrations add even more humor to the
already funny, two-person dialogue.
ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
134 THE
Bibliography
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Wilhelm, Hans. Let’s Be Friends Again! Crown, 1986.
A boy and his little sister get along well most of the time,
until the day that she set his pet turtle free in a pond. He
became so angry that he imagined all sorts of horrible
endings for his sister. He finally realizes that being angry
can be very lonely, and he makes friends with his sister
again.
Winthrop, Elizabeth. The Best Friends Club. Illus. by Martha
Weston. Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1989.
Lizzie and Harold are best friends and think that having a
Best Friends Club is a great idea. When the club rules require that they only do things together, they begin to have
doubts about the club and their friendship. When Lizzie is
left to having a club of her own because Harold is playing
with Douglas, she rethinks what it means to have a friend
and realizes that even best friends can have other friends
as well. See also: Lizzie and Harold (1985).
Yorinks, Arthur. Hey, Al. Illus. by Richard Egielski. Farrar,
Straus & Giroux, 1986.
Janitor Al and his faithful dog, Eddie, live in a small apartment, and they are miserable. When a mysterious bird
offers them a change of lifestyle, they go to the life of
luxury on an island. They soon learn the price of all this
comfort and escape. During the escape, Eddie plunges
into the water, and Al fears he has lost his best friend forever. All’s well that ends well, however, in this Caldecott
Medal winner.
Zolotow, Charlotte. I Know a Lady. Illus. by James Stevenson.
Greenwillow, 1984.
Sally describes a wonderful older lady who lives in her
neighborhood, who grows flowers, feeds the birds, makes
great treats for all the children on holidays, and knows all
the children by name. Cartoon-like illustrations paint a
delightful intergenerational friendship.
Poetry
de Regniers, Beatrice Schenk. A Week in the Life of Best
Friends and Other Poems of Friendship. Illus. by Nancy
Doyle. Scholastic, 1986.
Hopkins, Lee Bennett (Selected). Best Friends. Illus. by
James Watts. Harper & Row, 1986.
Additional Resources
“Let’s Be Friends” includes video, audiotape, and teacher’s
guide, available from Sunburst Communications.
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Bibliography
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
135
Visual and Hearing Impairments and
Other Physical Disabilities
Adler, David A. A Picture Book of Helen Keller. Illus. by John
& Alexandra Wallner. Holiday House, 1990.
This easy-to-understand biography traces the life of Helen
Keller from the illness in infancy that left her deaf and
blind, through her work with teacher Anne Sullivan,
through her accomplishments as an adult.
Alexander, Sally Hobart. Mom Can’t See Me. Photographs by
George Ancona. Macmillan, 1990.
In a story told from the point of view of the author’s daughter, readers learn how Sally Alexander leads a complete
life, full of activities with her family, in spite of the fact that
she is blind. Black-and-white photographs accompany this
inspiring story. See sequel: Mom’s Best Friend (1992).
Ancona, George & Miller, Mary Beth. Handtalk Zoo. Four
Winds, 1989.
Full-color photographs tell the story of a group of
children’s fun-filled visit to the zoo, where they learn to
sign the names of various animals and how to tell time in
sign language. Finger spelling of animal names is also
included.
Aseltine, Lorraine; Mueller, Evelyn, & Tait, Nancy. I’m Deaf
and It’s Okay. Illus. by Helen Cogancherry. Whitman,
1986.
A young deaf boy explains what it is like to be deaf, including his feelings of isolation and being different from others.
Baker, Pamela J. My First Book of Sign. Illus. by Patricia
Bellan Gillen. Kendall Green/Gallaudet University Press,
1986.
Illustrations of how to sign 150 common words are included in this book along with explanations of how to sign
them and some general information about fingerspelling.
Words are arranged alphabetically.
Booth, Barbara D. Mandy. Illus. by Jim LaMarche. Lothrop,
Lee & Shepard, 1991.
Hearing-impaired Mandy and her grandmother bake cookies, dance, and enjoy long nature walks. When her
grandmother loses a special pin on one of their walks,
Mandy braves the night and an impending storm to look
for it. Large, luminescent paintings add many details to the
story.
ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
136 THE
Bibliography
Brown, Marc. Arthur’s Eyes. Little, Brown, 1986.
Arthur has trouble seeing at school and at play. When he
gets glasses, he is amazed at his improved vision, but is
upset by the teasing about his glasses from his friends.
When he learns that his TV hero has glasses just like his,
he gains a whole new attitude. A Reading Rainbow feature
book.
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Brown, Tricia. Someone Special, Just Like You. Photographs
by Fran Ortiz. Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1984.
Black-and-white photographs and a minimal, easy-to-read
text relate the activities of a group of preschool children
who have a variety of physical disabilities. The focus of the
book is on things that all children have in common, rather
than the differences among them.
Carlson, Nancy. Arnie and the New Kid. Viking, 1990.
Arnie teases Philip, the new kid at school who is confined
to a wheelchair. When Arnie falls and breaks his leg, he
gains an understanding of what it means to be limited in
some activities, but discovers the many similarities between himself and Philip as he gets to know him better.
Chaplin, Susan Gibbons. I Can Sign My ABCs. Illus. by Laura
McCaul. Kendall Green/Gallaudet University Press, 1986.
Large, clear signs are given for each letter of the alphabet.
On the page opposite the letter, the illustrations teach a
sign for a common word that begins with the letter.
Charlip, Remy & Miller, Mary Beth. Handtalk Birthday.
Photographs by George Ancona. Four Winds, 1987.
It’s Mary Beth’s birthday, and her friends help her celebrate
with a big party that includes cake and lots of presents.
Full-color photographs tell the story by depicting signs for
objects and words and showing the finger spelling of some
words.
Charlip, Remy & Miller, Mary Beth. Handtalk. Photographs by
George Ancona. Four Winds, 1974.
Simple words, one for each letter of the alphabet, are
taught through sign language and finger spelling in this
collection of full-color photographs.
Cohen, Miriam. See You Tomorrow, Charles. Illus. by Lillian
Hoban, 1983.
The first graders are trying to figure out how to talk and
react to Charles, the new boy who is blind. Charles is quite
capable and can do many things. When a few of them and
Charles become stuck in a dark room, it is Charles who is
able to get them out.
Fain, Kathleen. Handsigns. Chronicle Books, 1993.
Each letter of the alphabet is represented by an illustration
of an animal that begins with that letter in this book that
teaches the American Sign Language alphabet. A glossary
at the end of the book provides details about the animals
pictured.
Cowen-Fletcher, Jane. Mama Zooms. Scholastic, 1993.
A little boy whose mother is in a wheelchair imagines that
he is involved in all sorts of fantastic, fast-moving adventures when she carries him in her chair. Large, pastel
illustrations depict his flights of fancy.
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Bibliography
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
137
Gillen, Patricia Bellan. My Signing Book of Numbers. Kendall
Green/Gallaudet University Press, 1988.
Full page illustrations teach in sign language the numbers
from 0-20, 30-100 by tens, and 1000 and 1,000,000. Objects to count are depicted on the pages, and signs for
those objects are presented in the back of the book.
Golder, Stephen & Memling, Lise. Buffy’s Orange Leash.
Illus. by Marcy Ramsey. Kendall Green, 1988.
Buffy, a trained hearing ear dog, lives with the Johnson
family. Since the family signs, Buffy knows basic commands in the form of hand signals. His orange leash and
collar identify him as a hearing ear dog.
Hermann, Helen & Bill. Jenny’s Magic Wand. Photographs by
Don Perdue. Watts, 1988.
Black-and-white photographs illustrate this photo-essay
about a blind child. Jenny has been comfortable in her
school for the blind, but is apprehensive about being
mainstreamed into a school where there are sighted children. The other children learn quickly, however, how
Jenny’s cane and her other senses enable her to function
much like they do.
Karim, Roberta. Mandy Sue Day. Illus. by Karen Ritz. Clarion,
1994.
A lyrical text and large watercolor illustrations tell the story
about blind Mandy Sue and a special day that she gets to
spend with her horse, Ben. She’s free from her farm chores
for the day, and she and Ben take off for the woods, where
Mandy Sue uses her other senses to explore. The trust and
affection that the girl has for her horse is clearly depicted.
Kroll, Virginia. Naomi Knows It’s Springtime. Illus. by Jill
Kastner. Boyds Mills, 1993.
Large watercolor illustrations in soft shades illuminate this
story of a blind child who cannot see the buds come onto
the trees nor the grass turn green, but she can hear the
seasons changing.
Landau, Elaine. Deafness. Henry Holt, 1994.
A straightforward informational text overviews the causes
of deafness, the acceptance of deaf people, the achievements of deaf people in various walks of life, and the
nature of the deaf community. A glossary, suggestions for
further reading, and a list of organizations associated with
deafness are appended.
Landau, Elaine. Blindness. Henry Holt, 1994.
In a companion work to the book on deafness annotated
above, this informational text outlines the causes of blindness, means of prevention, and the challenges and myths
associated with blindness. A glossary, further readings, and
a list of related organizations is appended.
ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
138 THE
Bibliography
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Lee, Jeanne M. Silent Lotus. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1991.
Vivid watercolor paintings accompany this touching story
of a young girl who can neither hear nor speak, but who
eventually becomes an honored dancer in the traditional
Cambodian court ballet. A Reading Rainbow feature book.
Litchfield, Ada B. Words In Our Hands. Illus. by Helen
Cogancherry. Whitman, 1980.
In this fictional story, nine-year-old Michael tells about his
life in a family in which both parents are deaf. The sign
language alphabet and some common signs are included
in the illustrations.
Lundell, Margo. A Girl Named Helen Keller. A “Hello Reader.”
Illus. by Irene Trivas. Scholastic, 1995.
This easy-to-read biography overviews the life of Helen
Keller, giving special focus to her experiences with learning to communicate.
MacLachlan, Patricia. Through Grandpa’s Eyes. Illus. by
Deborah Kogan Ray. HarperCollins, 1980.
A blind grandfather does his morning exercises, plays the
cello, takes a long walk to the river, and countless other
activities, as he teaches his grandson to see the world the
way that he does. A Reading Rainbow review book.
Moran, George. Imagine Me on a Sit-Ski! Illus. by Nadine
Bernard Westcott. Whitman, 1995.
In this fictional story, Billy, a child who is wheelchair-bound
because he has cerebral palsy, really wants to learn to ski.
He has the opportunity to learn using adaptive equipment
designed for people who are physically challenged.
Peterson, Jeanne Whitehouse. I Have A Sister My Sister Is
Deaf. Illus. by Deborah Kogan Ray. Harper & Row, 1977.
In an easy-to-read text, illustrated with black-and-white
sketches, a young girl describes the daily activities of her
sister, who is deaf. A Reading Rainbow review book.
Powers, Mary Ellen. Our Teacher’s in a Wheelchair. Whitman,
1986.
An easy-to-read text and black-and-white photographs
depict the activities of Brian Hanson, a day-care center
teacher who is partially paralyzed and must use a wheelchair. A Reading Rainbow review book.
Rabe, Berniece. The Balancing Girl. Illus. by Lillian Hoban.
Dutton, 1981.
Margaret, who is in a wheelchair most of the time, is the
best at balancing objects among all of her first grade classmates. Her capabilities are further evidenced by her plan
for what is ultimately the most successful booth at the
school carnival.
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Bibliography
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
139
Rankin, Laura. The Handmade Alphabet. Dial, 1991.
Exquisite colored pencil illustrations of hands belonging to
people of all ages and ethnic backgrounds demonstrate the
American Sign Language alphabet. Each hand is engaged
with an object represented by the alphabet letter. This
stunning book is a Reading Rainbow review title.
Raskin, Ellen. Spectacles. Atheneum, 1968.
Iris Fogel’s poor vision allows her to imagine that she sees
all sorts of unusual things. When she gets glasses, her vision is greatly improved, but the things she sees are much
less interesting.
Rosenberg, Maxine B. My Friend Leslie. Photographs by
George Ancona. Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1983.
In this photo-essay illustrated with black-and-white photographs, a young girl tells about her friendship with and the
everyday activities of a fellow kindergartner, Leslie, a child
with multiple disabilities.
Slier, Debby. A First Book of Sign Language. Checkerboard
Press, 1993.
This board book uses large full-color photographs to illustrate common objects in the life of a young child. Small
inset pictures illustrate the sign for each object.
Smith, Lane. Glasses (who needs ‘em?) Viking, 1991.
A young boy is not thrilled with the idea of wearing glasses
until his eye doctor presents him with an array of interesting people and animals who also wear glasses. Offbeat
illustrations add humor to the text.
Sullivan, Mary Beth & Bourke, Linda. A Show of Hands.
Lippincott, 1980.
More than 150 signs and information about signing are
included in this book that uses black-and-white pictures in
a comic book format to teach. A Reading Rainbow review
book.
Walker, Lou Ann. Amy, the Story of a Deaf Child.
Photographs by Michael Abramson. Lodestar, 1985.
In her own words, deaf child, Amy, talks about her life with
her family and friends at home and at school. Black-andwhite photographs illuminate the text of this engaging
portrait. A Reading Rainbow review book.
Yolen, Jane. The Seeing Stick. Illus. by Remy Charlip &
Demetra Maraslis. Crowell, 1977.
In this tale set in long-ago China, the emperor is sad because his beloved daughter is blind. When a mysterious
old man in tattered clothing arrives at the palace with a
“seeing stick,” the guards are reluctant to let him in and do
so only when they see the magnificent carvings he is capable of doing. When the old man shows his stick to the
emperor’s daughter, he teaches her to use her fingers to
see.
ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
140 THE
Bibliography
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
City Life
Alexander, Sue. Sara’s City. Illus. by Ronald Himler. Clarion,
1995.
Lovely watercolor paintings accent this story about a little
girl’s perceptions of life in Chicago in the 1940s. A lyrical
text features the sights and sounds of various aspects of
city life.
Best, Cari. Taxi! Taxi! Illus. by Dale Gottlieb. Little, Brown,
1994.
Tina anxiously awaits Sundays, the day that her father, a
taxi driver, comes to pick her up in his bright yellow cab
and takes her all through the city neighborhoods. He always has something special planned and part of the fun is
wondering what it could be. Brightly colored oil pastel illustrations reflect the vibrancy of city life. A Reading
Rainbow review book.
Brown, Craig. City Sounds. Greenwillow, 1992.
The many sounds that a visitor might hear in the city are
depicted through colorful illustrations and sound effects
words. Young readers will enjoy experimenting with the
sounds themselves.
Crews, Donald. Harbor. Greenwillow, 1982.
Bright watercolor illustrations and little text depict the
many kinds of boats that come into a big city harbor. The
bridges and skylines in the background establish the urban
setting.
Crews, Nina. One HOT Summer Day. Greenwillow, 1995.
A minimal text describes the activities of a young child on
a very hot day in the city. When a storm finally breaks the
heat, she can enjoy playing outside. Magnificent collages
depict a vital urban setting.
DiSalvo-Ryan, DyAnne. City Green. Morrow, 1994.
In the middle of Marcy’s block in her city neighborhood is
an empty lot filled with trash and junk. Seeing this lot every day makes Marcy sad. With the help of her elderly
friend Miss Rosa, Marcy organizes her neighbors into
cleaning up the lot and planting a community garden.
Emberley, Rebecca. City Sounds. Little, Brown, 1989.
Paper collage illustrations take readers to all parts of a city
in this book that is wordless except for the sound words on
the pages. The concluding pages identify the sounds and
classify them into categories, such as “Traffic sounds,”
“Construction sounds,” “Park sounds,” and others.
Florian, Douglas. City Street. Greenwillow, 1990.
Colorful illustrations and a minimal text depict life in a
large city, including children playing, brownstone stoops,
rooftop activities, and traffic.
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Bibliography
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
141
Gibbons, Gail. Up Goes the Skyscraper. Four Winds, 1986.
Vivid illustrations and an easy-to-understand text follow
the building of a skyscraper from beginning to end. Construction materials, machinery, and the various workers on
the project are all labeled and described.
Grimes, Nikki. C is for City. Illus. by Pat Cummings. Lothrop,
Lee & Shepard, 1995.
The vitality of city life is shown through colorful illustrations and rhymed verse in this alphabet book. Readers will
enjoy searching for the many objects on each page that
begin with the highlighted letter of the alphabet.
Isadora, Rachel. City Seen from A to Z. Greenwillow, 1983.
In this unique alphabet book, black-and-white sketches
and a single concept per page depict the variety of activities, structures, and cultures that are part of large
American cities.
Jonas, Ann. Round Trip. Greenwillow, 1983.
Dramatic black-and-white illustrations take the reader on a
car trip to the city, where the family enjoys many different
types of activities. The unique feature of this book is that
when readers reach the last page, they must turn the book
around and read back to the beginning in order to finish
the trip.
Konigsburg, E. L. Amy Elizabeth Explores Bloomingdale’s.
Atheneum, 1992.
Amy Elizabeth and her grandmother attempt to find the
time to go to Bloomingdale’s, but the many sights and
activities in New York City distract them. The colorful illustrations with black-and-white sidebars that resemble
photographic film provide many images of New York City
life.
Maestro, Betsy & DelVecchio, Ellen. Big City Port. Illus. by
Giulio Maestro. Four Winds, 1983.
An easy-to-read, informative text and colorful, detailed
illustrations provide a glimpse at the many different types
of boats that come into a big city port, the cargo they
carry, and the workers and equipment that make it all happen. A Reading Rainbow review book.
Moore, Elaine. Good Morning, City. Illus. by William Law.
BridgeWater, 1995.
Before a city awakens, many people are already hard at
work — grocers, bakers, streetsweepers — in preparation
for a new day. Richly colored illustrations help to provide a
behind-the-scenes look at city life at the break of day.
ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
142 THE
Bibliography
Patrick, Denise Lewis. The Car Washing Street. Illus. by John
Ward. Tambourine, 1993.
Matthew looks forward to Saturdays when everyone on his
block washes their cars. There are many neighborly pranks
as people emerge from their apartments with hoses and
buckets. Colorful acrylic paintings depict a multicultural
urban neighborhood. A Reading Rainbow review book.
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Porte, Barbara Ann. Taxicab Tales. Illus. by Yossi Abolafia.
Greenwillow, 1992.
In a series of short stories, a father entertains his family of
eager listeners with stories about the variety of colorful
passengers he picks up in his taxicab.
Provensen, Alice and Martin. Town and Country. Crown,
1984.
Illustrations and text provide many details about life in a
large city, including buildings, transportation, events, and
people, and contrasts that lifestyle with rural communities.
Rice, Eve. City Night. Illus. by Peter Sis. Greenwillow, 1987.
Oil paintings and a simple, rhymed text show a family enjoying the sights and sounds of the city at night. Food,
entertainment, and crowds of people gather in the streets
against the glowing night lights.
Ringgold, Faith. Tar Beach. Crown, 1991.
In a magical story, Cassie Louise Lightfoot’s dream comes
true one night when she is lifted from the rooftop of her
family's Harlem apartment building and flies over the city
of New York. The elegant illustrations in this Caldecott
Honor Book were reproduced from one of Ringgold’s story
quilts. A Reading Rainbow feature book.
Robbins, Ken. City/Country. Viking, 1985.
Beautiful photographs and a minimal text take readers on
a car trip through the city, out into the suburbs, and eventually on the highway that leads to rural areas. The
photographs provide excellent comparisons of the many
types of neighborhoods that make up our country.
Soentpiet, Chris K. Around Town. Lothrop, Lee & Shepard,
1994.
Large watercolor illustrations and minimal text celebrate
the joys of big city life, as a little girl and her mother use
various means of transportation to get around the city and
see people involved in a variety of activities. Their day is
truly a day for fun!
Stevenson, James. Grandpa’s Great City Tour. Greenwillow,
1983.
In this wordless alphabet book, Grandpa takes Mary Ann
and Louie on a tour of the city. Almost anything is possible, and they have a memorable adventure. Readers will
enjoy finding objects beginning with the letters in the illustrations.
Tresselt, Alvin. Wake Up, City! Illus. by Carolyn Ewing.
Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1990.
Day begins in the city as animals and people wake up and
head off to their jobs and activities. Colorful watercolor
illustrations depict the vibrancy of city life.
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Bibliography
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
143
Zelver, Patricia. The Wonderful Towers of Watts. Illus. by
Frané Lessac. Tambourine, 1994.
This true story describes how Old Sam, an Italian immigrant, used a variety of discarded materials to build three
towering structures in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. Vivid illustrations depict the marvel of the towers. A
Reading Rainbow feature book.
Poetry
Greenfield, Eloise. Night on Neighborhood Street. Illus. by
Jan Spivey Gilchrist. Dial, 1991.
Transportation — Cars,
Buses, Trucks, and Bicycles
Barton, Byron. Trucks. HarperCollins, 1986.
Large, colorful illustrations dominate the simple text that
depicts the various types of work that trucks do.
Bingham, Caroline. Mighty Machines: Big Rig. DK
Publishing, 1996.
Full-color photographs show the parts of many different
types of heavy-duty trucks. Sidebars on each page provide
“Amazing Facts.” Lots of information for truck fans. See
also Mighty Machines: Truck (1995).
Borden, Louise. The Neighborhood Trucker. Illus. by Sandra
Speidel. Scholastic, 1990.
All the other neighborhood children enjoy toys and games,
but Elliot loves all different kinds of trucks and envisions
the day when he will become a trucker. He is particularly
interested in wheeling around a cement mixer like the one
his friend Slim drives.
Cleary, Beverly. Lucky Chuck. Illus. by Winslow
Higginbottom. Morow, 1984.
A boy who throws caution to the wind when he rides his
motorcyle gets a reality check and learns a valuable safety
lesson when he crashes and a police officer gives him a
ticket for recklessly operating his motorcycle. The book’s
endpapers show a labeled drawing of a motorcycle.
Cole, Joanna. Cars and How They Go. Illus. by Gail Gibbons.
Harper & Row, 1983.
Colorful illustrations and an easy-to-understand text offer
an inside and outside view of cars and their functions.
Word labels help to develop car-related vocabulary.
Crews, Donald. Truck. Greenwillow, 1980.
In this wordless book that was a Caldecott Honor Book, a
red eighteen-wheeler transports a load of bicycles across
country, through the city and the countryside and through
all kinds of weather.
ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
144 THE
Bibliography
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Crews, Donald. School Bus. Greenwillow, 1984.
Colorful illustrations and a minimal text depict the routine
travels of school buses, large and small, from the garage
through their daily rounds, and back to the garage again.
Denslow, Sharon Phillips. Bus Riders. Illus. by Nancy
Carpenter. Four Winds, 1993.
When the regular school bus driver becomes ill, a variety
of substitutes take his place. The children who ride the bus
are not pleased with any of them — none of them are as
much fun as Lee. It’s a happy day for them when he returns.
Diller, Harriett. Grandaddy’s Highway. Illus. by Henri
Sorensen. Boyds Mills, 1993.
Maggie and her grandfather imagine an all-night trip driving an 18-wheeler west on Route 30 from Pennsylvania to
the Pacific Ocean. It’s a memorable trip, as they stop to
eat, admire the nighttime lights, and both take a turn at the
wheel. Detailed watercolor illustrations make the trip seem
real.
Gibbons, Gail. Trucks. HarperCollins, 1981.
A minimal text and colorful, detailed illustrations depict a
variety of trucks at work. All of the different types of trucks
are identified with a word label.
Howland, Naomi. ABCDrive! Clarion, 1994.
A boy and his dog enjoy a car trip with Mom in this alphabet book. Each letter of the alphabet represents a different
type of vehicle or some aspect of highway travel.
Hughes, Shirley. Wheels. Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1991.
The children on Trotter Street have all sorts of wheels —
tricycles, bicycles, skateboards, roller skates, scooters,
and go-carts. What Carlos has his heart set on for his
birthday is a beautiful new bicycle like the one his friend
Billy rides up and down Trotter Street. Highly detailed illustrations accent the text.
Jeunesse, Gallimard & Delafosse, Claude. Cars and Trucks
and Other Vehicles. Illus. by Sophie Kniffke. Scholastic,
1990.
All sorts of vehicles are depicted in this book with transparent overlays that reveal cutaway portions of the
vehicles or place them in a natural context.
Kovalski, Maryann (Illus.). The Wheels on the Bus. Joy
Street. Little, Brown, 1987.
The traditional song is illustrated with cheerful, humorous
illustrations in this version that is sure to invite children to
sing along. Music is included.
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Bibliography
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
145
Maccarone, Grace. Cars! Cars! Cars! Illus. by David A.
Carter. Scholastic, 1995.
Many different types of cars in all sorts of colors, shapes,
and sizes are colorfully illustrated on the pages of this concept book. Some opposite pairs are presented in the
simple word descriptions of the cars.
McLeod, Emilie Warren. The Bear’s Bicycle. Illus. by David
McPhail. Little, Brown, 1975.
A boy and his bear have a series of exciting adventures on
a bicycle ride. The boy follows all the safety rules of bike
riding. The bear (who has become real) experiences one
disaster after another.
Newton, Laura P. William the Vehicle King. Illus. by
Jacqueline Rogers. Bradbury, 1987.
William loves vehicles of all kinds. He especially enjoys
playing with them on the rug in his room, where they can
travel on the highways he builds. Cheerful watercolor illustrations fill the pages.
Pinkwater, Daniel. Tooth-Gnasher Superflash. Four Winds,
1981.
The Popsnorkle family test drives a new car, the ToothGnasher Superflash. They are delighted with its
performance — it flies and it turns into many different
types of animals. A Reading Rainbow feature book.
Rotner, Shelley. Wheels Around. Houghton Miffin, 1995.
A minimal, easy-to-read text and excellent full-color photographs show all sorts of wheels at work and at play,
including wheels that help build, wheels that deliver, and
wheels that help people get around. Outstanding concept
book.
Say, Allen. The Bicycle Man. Houghton Mifflin, 1982.
In a story from the author’s own childhood, two American
soldiers entertain some Japanese school children with
some antics on a bicycle at the school’s field day event.
Delicate watercolor illustrations enhance this special
memory. A Reading Rainbow feature book.
Shone, Venice. Wheels. Scholastic, 1990.
In this concept book, labeled pictures of vehicles with
wheels are organized into categories, such as “Emergency
wheels,” “Working wheels,” and “Vacation wheels.”
Siebert, Diane. Truck Song. Illus. by Byron Barton. Crowell,
1984.
Brightly colored paintings highlight a rhymed text that
describes the movement of trucks of all sorts through the
city and around the country.
ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
146 THE
Bibliography
Zelinsky, Paul O. (Illus.). The Wheels on the Bus. Dutton,
1990.
All sorts of tabs to pull, wheels to turn, and flaps to lift
make this delightfully illustrated, interactive version of the
traditional song a treat.
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Poetry
Hopkins, Lee Bennett (Selected). Poetry on Wheels. Illus. by
Frank Aloise. Garrard, 1974.
Livingston, Myra Cohn (Selected). Roll Along: Poems on
Wheels. McElderry, 1993. (Includes three poems about
taxis: “Hey, Taxi” by J. Patrick Lewis; “Taxis” by Rachel
Field; and “Taxi to the Airport” by Marni McGee.)
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Bibliography
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
147
Repro #30
Reproducible Dog Stationery, unlined
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
149
Repro #31
Reproducible Dog Stationery, lined
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
151
Repro #32
Reproducible Manual Alphabet
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
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153
Playing a game — ”Spin for a Friend”. Have the students
sit in a circle with a plastic bottle, bowling pin, or similar object in the center. Arbitrarily choose the first child to spin the
bottle. When the bottle stops, the spinner decides on an action that she/he and the child to whom the bottle pointed will
do together. This action might be hopping, skipping, jumping,
dancing, etc., and the two of them must do this action all
around the outside edge of the circle. The next spinner is the
child to whom the bottle pointed.
Making a mural. Using dark blue bulletin board paper for
a large mural or construction paper for individual pictures,
have students create a city scene at night. Brainstorm some
of the types of things that people can see at night in the city.
Use books about cities and pictures to give students ideas.
Provide construction paper in dark colors for buildings, trees,
etc., and bright colors for lights. Have students cut out objects and glue them onto the dark background.
Note to teacher:
If pencils are available, a softer pencil lead
(a higher number than a No. 2 pencil) works
better for sketching because the pencil
moves more easily across the paper.
Making pencil sketches. Invite students to examine pictures of city skylines in books and pictures, and discuss what
they notice (e.g., variations in both height and width of buildings, patterns of windows and doors, different types of
rooftops, bridges, statues, etc.). Have them make pencil
sketches of city skylines on white paper.
Creating cartoon art. The style of art in Best Friends and
other books by Steven Kellogg is cartoon. The style in which
the characters in The Adventures of Taxi Dog and other books
illustrated by Mark Buehner is also easily adaptable to cartoon art. Discuss with the students some of the features of
cartoon art (e.g., bright colors, black ink outlines, word balloons, humorous situations, etc.). Have students make “Taxi
Dog” cartoon strips. They might use scenes from The Adventures of Taxi Dog and its three sequels, or they might create
their own adventures. So that students have ample space for
their drawings and the word balloons, use 12 x 18-inch construction paper cut in half horizontally. Students can measure
four equal panels (6 x 4 1/2 inches) for their cartooon strip.
Display the strips or bind them into a book when they are
finished.
Creating disguises. Maxi entertained passengers in Jim’s
taxi by wearing disguises. Using a variety of scrap materials,
have students create disguises for themselves.
Designing a dog collar. Using the reproducible on page
97 at the end of this section, have students use their imagination and creativity to design a special dog collar. Provide a
selection of materials for them to use, such as fabric trims,
glitter, sequins, buttons, wallpaper and wrapping paper
scraps, ribbons, etc.
94
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
The Ar ts
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
The Arts Activities (Continued)
Making a collage. Have students search magazines, catalogs, newspapers, etc., for pictures of vehicles with wheels.
Tie into a math activity by having them sort the vehicles into
categories. Discuss different ways in which the vehicles
might be classified. Have the students make a wheels collage
bulletin board based on their categories. Have them label the
categories.
Making posters. Discuss bicycle safety. Have students
make posters depicting one rule for bicycle safety. Display
these posters in the school cafeteria or another prominent
place where many students will see them.
Puppetry. The dog puppet included in this curriculum
package may be used in a variety of ways:
- Since Maxi is the first person narrator in The Adventures
of Taxi Dog, use the puppet to “read” the story aloud.
- Introduce the puppet at the appropriate time during the
reading of Best Friends.
- Use the puppet to greet students when they arrive in the
morning or to send them on their way at the end of the
school day.
- Use the puppet to introduce a book for reading aloud
and to remind the students to listen to the story.
- Designate a special spot in the classroom for displaying
the puppet with a new book and use it to recommend
the book to the students.
- Invite students to write their own puppet plays featuring
a dog as one of the main characters and use the puppet
in performances.
Making finger puppets. Have students search magazines
and advertisements for pictures of dogs. Have them cut out
the pictures and glue them onto a paper ring band. A strip of
construction paper that is 3/4 inch wide and 3 inches long
will allow students space for their picture and to adjust and
glue the band to fit their fingers. Use these finger puppets for
retelling dog stories from books (see Annotated Bibliography) or for puppet plays of the students’ own creation. Make
a set of three or four desktop “Pup-pet Theaters” for students
to use with the finger puppet productions. See directions for
making the “Pup-pet Theater” on page 99 at the end of this
section of the guide.
Making paper bag puppets. Have students make paper
bag dog puppets. They may create their own designs or use
the reproducible patterns on pages 101 and 103 at the end of
this section of the guide.
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
The Ar ts
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
95
Singing. Locate songs associated with the themes from
this unit — friendship, dogs, city life, and wheels. The music
teacher might be able to provide some assistance in locating
songs and in teaching them to students. Possibilities include:
“The More We Get Together, the Happier We’ll Be” —
friendship
“Getting to Know You” — friendship
“How Much is that Doggie in the Window?” — dogs
“The Wheels on the Bus” — wheels
“Up on the Roof” — city
Singing “If You Want to Make a Friend.” Using the tune
to “If You’re Happy and You Know It,” sing the following song
with the students. (A reproducible copy of this song may be
found on page 105 at the end of this section.)
If you want to make a friend, wear
(students smile broadly)
If you want to make a friend, wear
(students smile)
If you wear a cheerful smile, you’ll
for miles.
If you want to make a friend, wear
(students smile)
a smile.
a smile.
have friends lined up
a smile.
If you want to make a friend, say “Hello!”
(students say “Hello”)
If you want to make a friend, say “Hello!”
(students say “Hello”)
If you always say “Hello!”, then your list of friends will
grow.
If you want to make a friend, say “Hello!”
(students say “Hello”)
If you want to make a friend, shake a hand.
(students shake hands with the person next to them)
If you want to make a friend, shake a hand.
(students shake hands)
If you think to shake a hand, you’ll have friends across
the land.
If you want to make a friend, shake a hand.
(students shake hands)
If you want to make a friend, do all three.
(students do all three actions)
If you want to make a friend, do all three.
(students do all three actions)
If we smile and say “Hello!” and shake hands with those
we know,
I’ll be friends with you and you’ll be friends with me.
(students point to a friend and then to themselves)
96
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
The Ar ts
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Repro #26
Reproducible Dog Collars
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
The Ar ts
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
97
97
DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING PUP-PET THEATER
The Pup-pet Theater should be of the appropriate size to sit on a student
desk or table and suitable for finger puppet or stick puppet productions. The
dimensions suggested here may be altered to fit your needs. The entire theater may be constructed from cardboard. The bone-shaped header can be
painted. The two side pieces can be covered with wallpaper or contact paper
to represent curtains. Two more pieces of cardboard are needed to support
the theater. They should be cut in triangles with these
dimensions:
Attach them to the backs of the
side pieces with heavy tape.
These pieces will
fold in so that the
theater can be
stored flat.
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
99
Repro #27
Reproducible Paper Bag Dogs
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Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
101
Repro #28
Reproducible Paper Dog Bags
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Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
103
Repro #29
Reproducible Song
If You Want to Make a Friend
(Sing to the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It.")
If
If
If
If
you
you
you
you
want
want
wear
want
to make a
to make a
a cheerful
to make a
friend, wear
friend, wear
smile, you'll
friend, wear
a smile.
a smile.
have friends lined up for miles.
a smile.
If
If
If
If
you
you
you
you
want to make a friend, say "Hello!"
want to make a friend, say "Hello!"
always say "Hello!", then your list of friends will grow.
want to make a friend, say "Hello!"
If
If
If
If
you
you
you
you
want to make a friend,
want to make a friend,
think to shake a hand,
want to make a friend,
shake a hand.
shake a hand.
you'll have friends across the land.
shake a hand.
If you want to make a friend, do all three.
If you want to make a friend, do all three.
If we smile and say "Hello!" and shake hands with those we know,
I'll be friend with you and you'll be friends with me.
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
105
Safety around animals. Invite a resource person associated with animal control or the police department into the
classroom to discuss safety around animals. Have that person include in the discussion appropriate behavior around
stray animals, unfamiliar dogs, and wild animals that are
commonly found in neighborhoods or that may wander into
rural areas, such as squirrels or raccoons. At the end of the
visit, have students write or draw on the “Here’s What I Want
to Share with My Family about Safety Around Animals” reproducible sheet on page 77 at the end of this section. Have
students take their sheets home and have a discussion with
their families about what they learned.
Researching animal friends. Ask students to select an
animal that they think they would like to have for a friend.
Have them research some information about this animal that
would support their position that it would make a good friend.
They may use the reproducible sheet on page 79 at the end
of this section of the guide for identifying their animal friend,
drawing a picture of it, and citing three reasons why the animal would make a good friend. Allow opportunity for
students to share their reasons and display their pages or
bind them into a book.
Staying healthy — hearing. Invite a doctor or the school
nurse into the classroom to explain how the ear works and to
discuss behaviors and sounds that are harmful to the ears. To
review the doctor’s presentation with the students, use the
drawing of the ear on page 81 at the end of this section of the
guide. Enlarge and laminate the drawing and make word
cards for the parts of the ear. Have students attach the word
cards to the appropriate places in the drawing. This page
may also be used as a reproducible.
Healthy hearing. Discuss the concept of “noise pollution”
and identify places where it is most serious. Brainstorm with
students a list of ways that we can protect our hearing.
Understanding sounds in speech. Invite the speech
therapist into the classroom to explain how speech sounds
are produced and the relationship between hearing and
speaking.
72
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Science & Health
“Feeling” sounds. Have students place their fingers on
their throats and hum in a low tone. Discuss how their fingers
feel. (They should feel a vibration.) Assign each student a
partner. Each student should feel the partner’s throat while
they each hum or talk. (It is easier to feel the vibration on
someone else’s throat than on one’s own.) Remind the students not to press hard on their partner’s throat and to keep
their fingers straight. Have the students make different
sounds and try to detect the differences as they feel their
partner’s throat. (Since sounds have a different feel, it is possible for the fingers to become sensitive to different
vibrations. In other words, the fingers can “hear.”)
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Science & Health Activities (Continued)
Distinguishing sounds. Obtain some film canisters and
enough objects to put in them in order to have 5 or 6 different sets of canisters. For example, a canister may contain
pennies, paper clips, coins, macaroni, salt, or be empty.
Make about 4 canisters of each type, so there are enough for
everyone to use in the activity. Give one different canister to
a group of (5 or) 6 students and randomly distribute the rest
of the canisters. Have the group of students shake their canisters one at a time, so that everyone can listen to the sound.
Then have all other students shake their canisters and listen
to the sound. Instruct students to conduct trials by listening
to the group canisters and to their own in an effort to determine which sound from the group matches the sound in their
own canister.
Distinguishing sounds. Make an audiotape of common
sounds for students to identify. These might be inside or outside sounds, sounds from home or at school, city sounds or
country sounds, and the like. Play the tape and have students, making decisions as they confer with others in small
cooperative groups, identify the sounds. Have students use
the reproducible sheet on page 85 at the end of this section
of the guide for recording their guesses. Play the tape again,
have students tell what they think each sound is, and confirm
correct guesses.
If there is a variety of sounds on the tape, students might
also categorize them into “city sounds” and “country
sounds,” “animal sounds” and “people sounds,” and others.
Using sound to write a song. Fill five glass bottles with
varying amounts of water. Each bottle should have a different
tone when struck with a spoon. Experiment with the water
levels until you have five distinct tones. Using the “friendship” theme from this curriculum package, brainstorm with
the students a list of words associated with friendship.
Choose four words to use in an original song. Put these four
words and the topic word “friendship” on cards. Place one
card by each bottle.
Students create a song by tapping on the bottle while saying the word. They might tap on a single bottle more than
once before moving to another one. For example, a “friendship” song might be: “Caring. Sharing. Laughter. Love.
Friendship. Friendship. Caring. Friendship. Sharing. Friendship.” Different combinations of words create different songs.
Changing topics and associated words creates new songs, as
well.
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Science & Health
73
Note to teacher:
Sounds are made by vibrating objects. The
vibrations spread through the air in all directions. These vibrations are sound waves.
The tube stops the sound waves from escaping into the air, and the resulting sound
is louder to the ear.
Making sounds louder. Brainstorm with the students lists
of sounds that are soft and sounds that are loud. Experiment
with ways that sounds can be made louder, such as cupping
one’s hand behind the ear. Give students cardboard tubes
from toilet tissue or paper towels to use as “stethoscopes.”
Have them experiment with their stethoscopes by listening to
a friend’s heartbeat and by listening at various locations in
the classroom or in the hallway, such as listening to a clock,
to water running, or at a doorway. Invite students to take their
stethoscopes home to try it out in different places there. Discuss why the use of their stethoscopes makes sounds louder.
Other activities related to sound may be found on the
Newton’s Apple World Wide Web site at :
http://ericir.syr.edu/Projects/Newton/newtonalpha.html
Staying healthy — seeing. Invite an optometrist into the
classroom to explain to the students how the eye works and
to discuss how to keep our eyes safe and healthy. To review
the doctor’s presentation with the students, use the drawing
of the eye on page 87 at the end of this section of the guide.
Enlarge and laminate the drawing and make word cards for
the parts of the eye. Have students attach the word cards to
the appropriate places in the drawing. This page may also be
used as a reproducible.
Protecting our eyesight. Have students make a series of
“radio commercials” reminding others of ways to protect their
eyesight. “Air” these commercials over the school intercom
system during Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month, which
is September.
Utilizing our senses without sight. Have students experiment to discover how well they can use their senses of
hearing, taste, touch, and smell. Set up four stations, one for
each of the senses, and place three or four different objects
at each station that will appeal to that particular sense. Cover
the stations so that students cannot see the objects ahead of
time. Have students in small cooperative groups, using the
recording sheet on page 91 at the end of this section of the
guide, rotate through the stations. At the stations, students
are blindfolded and they try to guess what each of the objects
is by using their senses. Each group comes to an agreement,
the station is covered again, and the group completes its
recording sheet. After all groups have rotated through each
station, reveal the objects and discuss the students’ ideas in
relation to the actual objects. It would be a good idea to ask
for parent volunteers to assist with this activity so that there
can be an adult at each station. If parent volunteers are not
available, perhaps a student volunteer from an upper grade
could assist.
74
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Science & Health
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Repro #19
Reproducible "Dog" - tionary Form
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Science & Health
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
75
75
Repro #20
Reproducible Safety Around Animals
Here's what I want to share with my family
about safety around animals
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
77
Repro #21
Reproducible Animal Friend
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
79
Repro #22a
Reproducible Ear
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
81
Repro #22b
Reproducible Ear — Answer Key
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
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83
Repro #23
Reproducible Blank Stamp
Name That Sound!
Directions: Listen to the sounds on the tape. What do you think the sounds
are? Write your guesses on the lines.
My guess
The sound on the tape
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
85
Repro #24a
Reproducible Eye
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
87
Repro #24b
Reproducible Eye — Answer Key
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
89
Repro #25
Reproducible Senses Recording Sheet
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
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91
Making friendship chains. Keep a supply of paper handy
for links in a friendship chain — 9 x 12 construction paper
cut in four strips vertically (link paper is 2 1/4 x 12 inches).
Invite students to watch for instances in which classmates are
being a friend and then write what they saw on a strip of paper. Glue or staple the strips together like links in a chain and
display the chain so that it can begin to encircle the room.
Make this a year-long activity, adding links, in order to “circle
the class in friendship.”
Playing a guessing game — ”Who’s That Friend?” Have
students bring something from home that they would like to
share with the rest of the class, and have them bring it in a
grocery bag so that no one else can see it. (Make a label with
each child’s name on it and place it inside the bag. Store the
bags in a special place when they are not in use.) One by
one, remove an object from a bag, and have students guess
who brought it in. Discuss what caused them to guess as they
did. After all the objects have been revealed, provide time for
students to share what they brought in with the others. Inform
parents of this activity so that they might help their children
select an object that reflects an interest or experience of their
child.
Identifying and locating cities. Brainstorm with the students a list of large cities whose names they know. Have
available state, United States, and world maps, as well as
atlases for the students to use in locating the cities they
name. Categorize the cities in different ways, such as “Large
Cities in Our State,” “Large Cities of the U.S.,” or “Large Cities of the World.” Discuss with students how they will decide
which cities are “large” enough to stay on their list.
Researching cities. Working in small cooperative groups,
have students choose a city from one of their categorized lists
and research some basic information, such as where it is
located, how many people live there, what the weather is like
there, what kinds of work people do there, and something the
city is famous for (a well known landmark, a historical event,
something is produced there, etc.). Invite students to use
both print and nonprint resources ( e.g., World Wide Web).
Have groups post their findings on the maps.
52
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Social Sciences
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Social Sciences Activities (Continued)
• Comparing and contrasting city and country life. Use the
students’ brainstormed city and country words (See activity
on page 19 in the Language Arts and Literature section of the
guide) along with the information they gather from viewing
Reading Rainbow programs and reading books to compare
city life with life in rural areas. Have students make a Big
Book that illustrates these similarities and differences. Set up
the book so that the front side of each page depicts city life
and the back side of each page shows country life. At the top
of the front of each page, write the words “In the city....” Have
students draw a picture that reflects some aspect of city life
and label it with a sentence of explanation about the picture.
For the back of each page, turn the paper upside down and
write the phrase “In the country...” at the top. Have students
draw a picture that shows country life and write a caption for
it. When the book pages are bound together, the front side of
each page will tell about the city as the book is read front-toback. On the last page, readers will need to turn the book
around and read it again front-to-back to find out about the
country. (This format is like the book Round Trip by Ann
Jonas, which is annotated on page 142 of the Bibliography.)
• Reading Rainbow program tie-in: Tar Beach. LeVar
explores the uniqueness of apartment building rooftops
in New York City.
• Learning about taxi cabs. Invite a taxi driver to bring her/
his taxi to the school parking lot to talk to the students about
driving a cab and to show them the inside of the taxi and how
the meter works.
• Learning about public transportation. Compare a taxi with
other forms of public transportation, e.g., subway, bus, overhead train, water taxi, air taxi, etc., and discuss how some
forms may be more appropriate for different situations than
others.
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Social Sciences
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
53
Distinguishing vehicles with wheels. Have students consider the similarities and differences of vehicles that have
wheels using a semantic feature analysis. To do this activity,
construct a grid with the names of different types of wheeled
vehicles that the students have brainstormed down the left
side. Across the top of the grid, list attributes or functions of
these vehicles, also suggested by the students. Complete the
grid by indicating a “+” for “yes” or a “-” for “no” in the intersecting squares. This is best done as a whole group activity
so that students can discuss their ideas and share their information. As they get into completing the grid, they may
decide that they need a symbol for “sometimes.”
+
+
-
+
+
+
+
-
+
+
-
-
+
-
-
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+/-
+
+
• Reading Rainbow program tie-in: Tooth-Gnasher
Superflash. LeVar spends the day at a service station
and learns something about different types of vehicles
with wheels.
Parent involvement — locating traffic signs. Ask parents
to accompany their child on a walking tour of the neighborhood or to take their child on a short car trip (perhaps on
their way to shop, visit relatives, etc.) to search for a variety
of traffic signs. Send home the reproducible recording sheet
on page 59 at the end of this section of the guide for them to
use in their search. Have students return the sheet to school
so that they can compare what they found. If the students
and their parents were not sure of the meaning of some of the
signs, have a driver’s manual handy to consult.
Invent a bicycle. Encourage students to use their imaginations and invent a bicycle that can do extraordinary things
or has unusual items attached to it. Have them draw pictures
of their magnificent bicycles and write descriptions of the
bicycles’ unique features. Display the pictures as “Magnificent Two-Wheelers.”
54
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Social Sciences
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Social Sciences Activities (Continued)
• Reading Rainbow program tie-in: The Bicycle Man.
LeVar experiments with several types of human-powered
wheeled vehicles.
Researching careers. Explore different categories of careers associated with this unit, such as working with dogs or
vehicles, and brainstorm a list of jobs in each category with
the students. Possible jobs they might identify include:
- working with dogs — veterinarian, animal control officer,
groomer, pet store clerk, dog trainer, and others.
- working with vehicles — truck driver, bus driver, taxi
driver, motorcycle police officer, messenger, mechanic,
and others.
- health careers — optometrist, ear specialist, and others.
Have students research a career in one of these areas that
is the most interesting to them. In addition to print resources,
have them conduct an interview, write a letter, or use e-mail
to ask questions. As a group, generate a short list of questions they would like to have answered — questions that
would be appropriate across all these careers. Give everyone
a copy of this list of questions. Then have each child add at
least one question to the list that is unique to the career she/
he is researching. Provide an opportunity for all students to
share their findings. Encourage them to be creative in their
sharing. For example, they might dress up as the person and
tell about “themselves,” they might act as that person in a
“TV interview” conducted by a classmate, they might write a
biography of that person, they might dramatize that person at
work, they might make a poster of that career, or many other
ideas.
Utilizing community resources. Invite persons engaged in
some of the careers identified in the above activity to the
classroom to talk about their work, conduct a demonstration,
or explain an object associated with their work to the
students.
Taking a field trip. Take a trip to a local animal shelter.
Ask shelter personnel to explain to the students how people
can claim lost animals, how animals are adopted, the challenges of maintaining the facility, and ways that responsible
pet care can help alleviate the stress on the shelter. When
students return to the classroom, brainstorm ways that they
can inform others about the work of the shelter and what its
needs are. Students might be interested in organizing a drive
for donations of items that can be used at the shelter. (Contact the shelter for a wish list of items, but they usually
include such things as pet food, pet treats, pet toys, old
towels and blankets, cleaning supplies, etc.)
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Social Sciences
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
55
Voting in the “Name the Puppet” contest. Hold a contest
to name the puppet that is included in this curriculum package. Set up a box in which students can submit names for the
puppet on slips of paper. On a designated day, open the box
and list all the nominations on the board. By a show-of-hands
vote, gradually reduce the list of names to three. Place these
three names on the ballot on page 61 at the end of this section of the guide. Discuss with students what they know about
elections and explain how people vote — by machine or by
paper ballot, why votes are confidential, and why each person only has one vote. Set up a voting booth in a quiet area
of the classroom, in which students may vote one person at a
time. (A three-sided divider on the top of a student desk offers privacy.) Have a typed list of the students’ names outside
the voting booth, so that they may sign in before they vote.
Decide at what times the polls will be open, and station students at the booth to monitor the sign-in, give voters their
ballots, and show voters the closed box where their folded
ballots should be placed. At the end of the day after everyone
has voted, open the ballot box and ask for three volunteers to
do the tallies for each name as you read the ballots. In case
of a tie, have a run-off election to decide on the puppet’s
name.
Marking Maxi’s taxi rides on a map. Enlarge the map on
page 63 at the end of this section of the guide and attach it to
the wall. Make construction paper, markers, and other supplies available for students to add features to the map. Make
two copies of “Maxi’s Trip Log” on page 65 at the end of this
section. Place one copy next to the enlarged map and explain
that this will serve as a “key” to Maxi’s trips. Cut apart the
remaining copy and give students, working in pairs, one of
the descriptions of a ride that Maxi took in Jim’s taxi. Have
the partners make the structures or locations they need, according to Maxi’s trip, and glue them to the map. Have them
use a crayon to trace the route on the map from the starting
to the ending place of their taxi ride. (Each taxi ride should
be shown in a different color of crayon.) After the partners
have drawn Maxi’s route on the map, have them make a
color box with their crayon next to their description of Maxi’s
ride on the posted trip log.
Making a map. Reproduce the blank map on page 67 at
the end of this section of the guide so that each student may
have one. Have students make up their own trip logs for
Maxi. Indicate that each log should have three trips. Use the
reproducible trip log form on page 69 at the end of this section. Have students map Maxi’s trips on their blank map by
drawing the structures and locations they need and marking
the routes. Display the students’ maps along with their trip
logs.
56
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Social Sciences
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Social Sciences Activities (Continued)
Dogs in the news. Start a “Dogs in the News” bulletin
board with the class. Have students collect newspaper and
magazine articles and pictures about dogs. Analyze the display with the students: Do they notice any common themes
among the articles? Do any of the articles make them feel
happy, sad, angry? Did any of the articles give them new
information? Do any of the articles make them want to take
an action? In addition to further developing the study of dogs,
this activity helps students understand the different purposes
of newspaper articles.
Understanding disabilities. Invite a guest speaker with a
disability into the classroom to talk with the students. In addition to having the speaker talk about activities she/he enjoys
and aspects of her/his life that are similar to everyone’s life,
ask the speaker to address some of the following: mobility
issues, safety concerns, what it is like to live in an occasionally hostile environment, how people often react to her/him,
and how she/he would like for people to react. Provide time
for students to ask questions.
• Reading Rainbow program tie-in: Knots on a Counting
Rope. In the story, a blind child begs his grandfather to
tell him the story of the night of his birth.LeVar
introduces viewers to people who have a variety of
physical challenges.
Note to teachers:
The Americans with Disabilities Act (1990)
is helping to redress existing inequities toward physically challenged individuals as
well as raise public awareness of specific
needs. For young people, good literature
can help eliminate negative stereotypes,
provide accurate information, and help develop an awareness and understanding of
disabled persons. In fictional selections,
disabled characters should have meaningful roles in the story and should grow and
change like other story characters. In nonfiction, accuracy in terminology and
description is essential. In discussions of
literature, children should be allowed to
respond to thoughts and feelings of story
characters. Through carefully selected literature, children may possibly become
aware of characteristics they share with a
disabled person as well as those they do
not.
Exploring deafness. Tie into the activities in the Science
and Health section and Language Arts and Literature section
of this guide. After listening to and identifying environmental
sounds (see activity on page 73), discuss important sounds
that people who are deaf do not hear. Research devices or
services that help deaf people function in a hearing world.
Checking the precision of our hearing. Set up an experiment in which one student is sitting blindfolded in the center
of a circle of five friends. One person in the circle makes a
short, but sharp and easily identifiable sound (a whistle,
snapping fingers, jingling a bell, etc.). The blindfolded student must point exactly to where the sound came from.
Imagining no sound. Brainstorm a list of sounds with the
students that they would miss most if they could not hear,
and have them explain why.
Experiencing no sound. View a television program or
video without turning on the sound. Afterwards, discuss feelings and frustrations.
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Social Sciences
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
57
Note to teacher:
Reading Rainbow videotapes are closedcaptioned.
Investigating closed-captioning. Have students locate
information about closed-captioning services. Questions to
pursue might include: Is this service available for television
programming in their area? How do people get the service?
Are special devices or pieces of equipment needed? How
expensive is it? A field trip to a local TV station might be useful in this investigation. View a closed-caption program in the
classroom.
Exploring blindness. Tie into activities in the Science and
Health section of this guide. Locate items printed in Braille,
so that students can both see and feel what they are like. Use
the Braille card included in this curriculum package for this
purpose. Check your local public library for children’s books
printed in Braille. Many titles familiar to children are available
in Braille editions. If possible, invite a resource person who
knows how to use a Braillewriter into the classroom to do a
demonstration.
Parent involvement — locating Braille writing in the environment. Invite families to look for Braille signs and labels
in public places (e.g., elevators, restrooms, etc.). Have students share their findings in class.
Experiencing loss of sight. Have students work in pairs
and alternately blindfold each partner so that students can
experience the loss of sight and the feelings generated by the
loss. While blindfolded, students might try to move around
the classroom, hallway, or playground. It is important that the
environment be completely safe for this activity. Blindfolded
students should be with their partners at all times. Ask for
extra adult volunteers on the day you do this activity or acquire help from older students to monitor the movement of
the younger children. After the blindfolds are removed, discuss the various feelings that the students had when they
could not see.
Research canine companions. Have students investigate
the training and work of dogs who serve as canine companions. For information, a list of addresses and World Wide Web
sites are available on pages 5 and 6 of this guide.
58
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Social Sciences
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Repro #14
Reproducible Traffic Signs
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Social Sciences
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
59
59
Repro #15
Reproducible Name Puppet Ballot
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
61
MAP TO ENLARGE
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
63
Repro #16
Reproducible Maxi's Trip Log
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
65
Repro #17
Reproducible Make a Map!
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
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(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
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67
Repro #18
Reproducible Trip Log Form
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
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69
Note to teacher:
To make a large survey more manageable,
have students predict, from the list of dogs
they mentioned, what they think the most frequent responses to the question of favorite
kind of dog might be. Choose six or seven of
those dogs to use in the survey. The respondents to the survey then choose among these
six or seven dogs. The resulting graph is more
manageable for the children.
Surveying and graphing. Conduct a survey of favorite dog
breeds. This could be done by classroom, grade level, or even
schoolwide. Include teachers and other school personnel in
the survey. Graph the results.
Estimation. Acquire as a donation a small bag of puppy
chow. Involve students in some estimation activities, such as
the following:
- Estimate how many cups of puppy chow there are in the
bag.
- Estimate the weight of a cup of puppy chow.
- Fill the dog dish included in this curriculum package
with puppy chow and estimate how many pieces of
puppy chow are in the dish.
After the math activities are completed, donate the puppy
chow to the local animal shelter.
Collecting data and money values. As a class project,
determine the cost of owning a small pet. Divide the class into
cooperative groups according to animal. Have the students
choose the animals, such as a bird, cat, guinea pig, rabbit,
dog, etc. Brainstorm as a whole class what information they
will need to gather, e.g., food, veterinary care, license fees,
special supplies (collar, leash, water bottle, etc.), supplies for
care (brush, shampoo), and sleeping place (cage, pillows).
Encourage the students to use multiple resources in their
search for information, such as letter writing, newspaper ads,
catalogs, a trip to a pet store, and the like. Each cooperative
group compiles its data and shares the information with the
class.
Other activities, in addition to figuring expenses, may be
done with the data. Students might rank order the pets from
most to least expensive to care for. They might also graph the
different aspects of the data, such as food costs.
• Reading Rainbow program tie-in: Tight Times. In the
story, a little boy wants a pet, but his family cannot afford
to keep one. LeVar explores a variety of activities that
don’t cost anything to do.
Comparing sizes. Tie into the activity involving researching different breeds of dogs on page ___ in the Science
section of the guide. Based on the students’ findings, chart
breeds of dogs into size categories — small dogs, mediumsized dogs, large dogs. Have students compare the height/
length and weight of different types of dogs to their own
height and weight.
44
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Mathematics
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Mathemtics Activities (Continued)
Cooking. Have students make “Puppy Chow” (for them to
eat!).
Ingredients:
1
1
1
1
3
stick butter or margarine
package of chocolate chips (12 oz.)
cup peanut butter
box Rice Chex cereal (12 oz.)
cups powdered sugar
Directions:
Melt butter, chocolate chips, and peanut butter together
and mix well. Spread the cereal in a large flat pan. Pour the
melted mixture over the cereal, stirring it until the cereal is
evenly coated. Put the powdered sugar in a grocery bag, add
the coated cereal, and shake well.
Cooking. Have students bake bone cookies. Use the
recipe below for a crunchy bone cookie or use your favorite
sugar cookie recipe and cut the dough into the shape of a
bone.
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
4 egg whites
1/4 cup large granulated sugar
Directions:
Separate the eggs. Only egg whites are needed for this
recipe. Place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl. Add the
sugar, baking powder, and almond extract. Use a mixer to
thoroughly blend the ingredients. Add the sliced almonds and
flour and continue to mix. Finally, add the large granulated
sugar. Beat all these ingredients on a slow speed until they are
mixed well. Cover the mixture in plastic wrap and chill in the
refrigerator for about one hour. After the dough is chilled,
give everyone 3 pinches of dough (each pinch is about the
size of a medium walnut or 1 tablespoonful). Have students
roll their dough into a “snake” about 3 inches long. Place the
snakes on a greased and floured baking sheet. Bake the
cookies in a 325° oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the
cookies are light golden brown. Remove from the oven and
allow the cookies to cool until they are warm to the touch, but
still soft. Students can now shape their cookies into a bone.
They do this by rolling the dough into a “snake” again, gently
squeezing it in the palm of their hand (so that one end of the
bone sticks out by their thumb and the other end sticks out
by their little finger), and forming the ends of the bone by
pinching an indentation (into a heart shape) at the ends of the
cookies. This recipe makes about 24 “snappy,” crunchy
bones.
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Mathematics
45
Calculating Maxi’s mileage and fares. Students can use the
trip log for Maxi on page 65 in the Social Sciences section of
the guide for students to calculate the mileage for Maxi’s trips
and for figuring how much Jim charged his passengers in
fares. Have students figure the taxi fares for the questions
asked on the reproducible sheet on page 49 at the end of this
section of the guide for this activity.
Graphing friends’ favorites. Tie into the interviewing activity on page 12 of the Language Arts and Literature section of
the guide and have students graph some of their friends’ favorite things that emerge from the interviews. Several graphs
will be needed, depending on the interview items, such as
“Favorite Color,” “Favorite Animal,” “Favorite Game,” and
others. These graphs might be best made as pictographs,
using photocopies of the students’ school pictures. Instead of
placing their own pictures on the graphs, they will place the
picture of the friend they interviewed. In order to save all of
these graphs, they may be bound into a book of graphs,
called “Our Friends’ Favorites.”
Maintaining a birthday calendar. Make an oversized calendar with a page for each month, leaving room for students to
write in the box for each date. Based on information from the
interviewing activity on page 12 of the Language Arts and
Literature section of the guide, have students enter the birthday of the friend they interviewed on the calendar. Brainstorm
other birthdays the students would like to put on the calendar,
e.g., other teachers, the principal, etc. As time goes on, they
may wish to put the birthdays of favorite authors on the calendar as well. Have students draw pictures for the months and
display the calendar on the “Friendship Board.” (See page 51
in the Social Sciences section of the guide.)
Graphing eye colors. Give each student a piece of paper
that is 1 x 3 inches. Have them use the whole space to draw
an eye shape, color it their own eye color, and then cut it out.
Construct a large circle graph with enough spaces marked so
that each student has a place to glue her/his eye shape. Before students glue, have them place the shapes in groups by
eye color around the graph, e.g. all the brown eyes together.
After all the shapes are attached, use the graph to discuss
which eye color is the most predominant in the class, which is
least, and other interesting facts that the students might notice.
46
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Mathematics
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Repro #12
Reproducible Bone Estimation
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Mathematics
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
47
47
Repro #13
Reproducible Maxi's Mileage
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
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49
• Reading Rainbow program tie-in: Martha Speaks.
LeVar’s dog friend Luke takes over the show and lets
viewers see the world from his perspective.
Who’s in my taxi? Have students imagine if they could
have anyone in the world ride in their taxi cab, who would
they choose? Using the reproducible on page 21 at the end of
this section, have students draw themselves behind the wheel
and draw their mystery passenger right next to them. They
need to write three clues to the identity of their passenger.
Invite students to share their clues and pictures and have
classmates guess “Who’s in my taxi?”
Writing a want ad. Ask students to suppose that some of
Jim’s taxi driver friends might want a dog to ride in their cabs
too. Have them write newspaper want ads for a “taxi dog.”
Brainstorm the types of information that should be in the ad.
It might be helpful to look at some newspaper want ads before beginning. The reproducible on page 23 at the end of
this section may be used for this activity.
Writing a “for sale” ad. Have students write an advertisement for selling or giving away puppies. Brainstorm the kinds
of information that should be in the ad. Look at ads for pets
in the newspaper to get some ideas.
Preparing a persuasive speech. Working in small cooperative groups, have students decide on another kind of
animal (besides a dog) that would make a good taxi pet.
Each group must think of reasons why that animal would be
good in that role and organize their ideas into a persuasive
speech to present to the class. Each group must also decide
how to present its “case.” For example, they might make a
chart or a poster that includes illustrations as well as words,
or they might role play or have a panel discussion. After all
groups have presented, discuss as a class the kinds of arguments that were most persuasive. Tie this discussion to other
examples of persuasion, such as advertisements on television
and political campaigns.
Understanding the purpose of a sequel. Obtain copies of
the three sequels to The Adventures of Taxi Dog and use them
to discuss how and why authors sometimes continue the adventures of story characters through sequels.
Maxi, the Hero. Illus. by Mark Buehner (Dial, 1991)
In the midst of their usual rounds and interesting fares,
Maxi and Jim have an exciting adventure. Maxi chases
and manages to catch a purse snatcher. In the process,
Maxi makes all the newspapers, and he and Jim enjoy
his newfound celebrity.
8
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Language Ar ts & Literature
Maxi, the Star. Illus. by Alan Ayers (Dial, 1993)
A television producer has spotted Maxi and wants him
to audition for a new Doggie Bites commercial. So Jim
and Maxi get into their taxi and leave the familiar New
York scene to head for Hollywood.
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Language Arts & Literature Activities (Continued)
A Taxi Dog Christmas. Illus. by Alan Ayers (Dial, 1994)
Maxi and Jim celebrate Christmas Eve in this story.
They rescue a litter of kittens and keep one for
themselves, they help shoppers with their last-minute
gift-buying and take time to skate at Rockefeller Center.
In their biggest adventure of all, they come to the aid of
Santa Claus, whose sleigh has broken down, by hitching
the taxi to the reindeer and flying off across the sky.
As a class, write another sequel for the series, following a
process similar to this one: brainstorm ideas and record them
on a chart, select one idea for the story, take dictation of the
story events from the students, use the dictated version as a
rough draft and edit the story as a class, type or print lines
from the story onto 8 1/2 x 11 paper, and have volunteer
students illustrate the pages. Have someone do a cover illustration and include details such as the title page, book’s
dedication, and copyright information page. Retain the chart
of brainstormed story ideas for individuals to use who may
wish to write their own sequels.
Since the last two books in the series were illustrated by a
different person from the illustrator of the first two books,
have students compare and contrast the illustrations as they
examine the sequels.
Making predictions. Before viewing the Reading Rainbow
program of Best Friends, read the book to the students and
pause after Mr. Jode has determined that Sarah will have only
one puppy and that the puppy will belong to Louise. Ask students to predict resolutions to this situation, since Kathy
expected to get a puppy also. Finish the story to find out how
it was resolved and discuss the plausibility of the students’
other ideas.
Distinguishing fantasy and reality. Have students recall
events from the story and record them on a chart under
headings of “Fantasy” and “Reality.” Ask students where
most of the story’s fantasy takes place — in the story or in
the illustrations — and discuss examples. Both Kathy and
Louise have terrific imaginations. Invite students to share
some of their imaginative play with the class.
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Language Ar ts & Literature
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
9
Discussing emotions. Brainstorm a list of emotions and
discuss instances in which students have experienced these
feelings. If students have difficulty going beyond “happy” and
“sad,” share a book, such as On Monday When It Rained by
Cherryl Kachenmeister (Houghton Mifflin, 1989), Feelings by
Aliki (Greenwillow, 1984), or Sometimes I Feel Like a Mouse
by Jeanne Modesitt (Scholastic, 1992), to prompt discussion.
Understanding character traits. Use the discussion of
feelings from above to help students understand the personalities of characters in the story, especially Kathy, Louise, and
Mr. Jode. Working in small groups, have students make personality profiles of the story characters. According to the
diagram below, have students enter a word to describe the
character on one of the “strands” and write supporting evidence from the story in the box. The strand word might be a
character trait, such as “generous,” or a feeling, such as
“jealous.” A reproducible is provided on page 25 at the end
of this section of the guide for use in this activity.
Making a Big Book. Have each student make a page for a
Big Book by completing the sentence frame, “A friend is
someone _________________,” and illustrating the page. After
students have shared their individual pages, place the Big
Book in the classroom library for students to enjoy.
Friendly circle talk. Periodically, have students sit in a
circle and give compliments to classmates. During this time
of quiet circle talk, students who wish to participate identify a
friend and describe a friendship quality of that person. The
quality might be behavioral or might be a description of a
friendly act.
10
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Language Ar ts & Literature
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Language Arts & Literature Activities (Continued)
Making new friends. Invite students to share experiences
of making new friends. These experiences might include
starting school for the first time, going to a new school, moving to a new neighborhood, making friends while visiting
relatives, etc. Brainstorm a list of “Get Acquainted” questions
and discuss why these questions might be useful to ask when
making a new friend. Keep the list of questions handy in the
classroom in the event of a new student.
Locating friendships in literature. Brainstorm a list of
friends from books that the students have read or have had
read to them. Display the list with the “Friendship Board”
(see activity on page 51 in the Social Sciences section of the
guide), so that students can add new names as they encounter them. For example, Frog and Toad, George and Martha,
Rosie and Michael, and other book friends might appear on
the list.
Writing friendly letters. Use the study of friendships as an
opportunity to introduce the writing of friendly letters. In order to make the letter writing experience an authentic one,
locate pen pals for the students. These might be children in
the same grade at another school that is nearby, or from another city, state, or country. (If no immediate possibilities are
available, teacher magazines, such as Instructor, and Teaching K-8, often contain requests for pen pals. There are also
many sources for pen pals on the World Wide Web.) Make a
chart of the form of a friendly letter for students to use as a
model. Brainstorm the types of information or questions that
they might place in the body of their letter. Ask parents for
donations of stamps and leftover envelopes from stationery
or cards.
Using friendly words. Brainstorm a list of “friendly”
words, phrases, and actions, e.g., words that illustrate peacemaking, offer compliments, unite rather than divide. Have
students role play situations that use these words, phrases,
and actions. Set up situations that might occur on the playground, in the classroom, in the lunchroom, in the gym, at a
birthday party, in the backyard, etc., for students to dramatize.
Making a “friendly” frieze. Have students, working in
pairs, draw pictures of their partners. Also have them think of
a friendly word from the list in the activity above to put in a
word balloon above their partner’s head. Put a long piece of
mural paper on the wall and have students create different
backgrounds (classroom, playground, lunchroom, swimming
pool, etc.) in a frieze format (a series of pictures with a border between them). Have them cut out the pictures and word
balloons and attach them to the background.
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Language Ar ts & Literature
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
11
Conducting an interview. Working with a partner, have
students interview each other about their favorite things. As a
class, brainstorm a list of possible questions to ask in the
interview. Have students take notes on the responses to their
partner’s answers to the questions.
Writing a biography. Using the notes from the interviews
about favorite things, have students write a biography of their
partner. Encourage them to ask more questions if they need
additional information as they write. Have them illustrate the
biographies and bind them into books to share with the class.
Writing “wanted” posters. Have students make “wanted”
posters for best friends. Discuss the possible items they
might put on the poster as desirable characteristics of a best
friend. They might also want to illustrate the posters. Display
the posters in the classroom.
Writing an advice column. Discuss what it means to give
advice. Show students examples of newspaper columns that
give advice on different topics, e.g., medical advice, how to
rear children, pet care advice, fashion advice, advice on how
to deal with problems. Have students write an advice column
on how to make friends. Display their columns on the
“Friendship Board.” (See activity in Social Sciences section.)
Alphabetical order. Provide students with the reproducible
on page 27 at the end of this section of the guide and have
them list breeds of dogs in alphabetical order.
Following written directions. Do a “Draw-a-Dog” activity
that requires students to follow simple directions. Prepare a
set of attribute envelopes, such as “kind of hair,” “color,”
“ears,” “tail,” and “size.” In each of the envelopes, place
cards with descriptive words related to that attribute. (See
suggestions below.) Students take one card from each envelope and draw the dog described by the cards. For example,
a child might draw an “enormous, black and white shaggy
dog with ears pointed up and a long fluffy tail.” Display all
pictures.
kind of hair
short
fuzzy
long and shaggy
long and straight
short and curly
silky
12
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Language Ar ts & Literature
ears
droopy
long
one up and one down
pointed down
short and round
pointed up
color
all brown
all black
brown & white spotted
golden
gray and white
black and white
tail
long and fluffy
long and smooth
medium and curly
short and stubby
short and shaggy
medium
size
small
medium
huge
very tiny
average
enormous
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Language Arts & Literature Activities (Continued)
Parent involvement — making a friendship scrapbook.
Discuss with students the different types of friendships that
make up their lives, e.g., school friends, neighborhood
friends, elderly friends, animal friends, book friends, imaginary friends, etc. Involve parents in helping their children
make a friendship scrapbook. Show students some examples
of scrapbooks so that they can see the types of items people
put in scrapbooks, such as pictures, drawings, clippings, artifacts, and other items. Suggest that they divide their
scrapbook into categories to show different kinds of friendships. Use the reproducible letter to parents on page 29 at
the end of this section of the guide to explain the scrapbook
activity.
Making an alphabet book. After viewing the Reading
Rainbow program for The Adventures of Taxi Dog and reading
books with city settings (see Annotated Bibliography), have
students make a class alphabet book about the city. Brainstorm a chart of ideas for each letter of the alphabet, of
things one might find in a city. Have students illustrate the
pages and bind them into a book.
Writing “wheel” poems. Provide students with a copy of
the reproducible wheel on page 31 at the end of this section
of the guide. They may choose any vehicle with wheels as the
topic of their poem. The name of the vehicle goes in the hub.
They then write descriptive phrases about the vehicle itself or
riding in the vehicle on the spokes of the wheel. Display the
wheel poems with the vehicles collage described on page 95
in the Arts section of the guide.
The Great Debate: Which makes a better pet — a dog or
a cat? Have students work in small cooperative groups to
address this question. Give each group one of the sentence
starters, “A dog makes a better pet because...” or “A cat
makes a better pet because....” Make sure the same number
of groups respond to each sentence. Students brainstorm
their reasons and list them on a chart. Each group presents
its “argument” to the entire class. Have “secret” ballots and a
ballot box available for voting. When all students have cast
their ballots, tie into math by tallying the votes.
Semantic map for “dog.” A semantic map allows students to develop their vocabulary skills by connecting words
and ideas on a concept. Have students use the reproducible
on page 33 at the end of this section of the guide to create a
semantic map for “dog.”
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Language Ar ts & Literature
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
13
Reading books about dogs. Dogs are a popular topic in
literature for children. Collect some books featuring dogs as
important characters, read some of them aloud to the students, and place others in a special display for independent
reading. (See Annotated Bibliography for suggestions.) After
students have read a book about a dog, have them make a
“dog tag” to identify the book. They need to write the dog’s
name, its owner, and something about the dog (as it relates
to the story) on the “tag.” Stretch a piece of rope across a
section of the classroom wall to serve as a “collar” and have
the students hang the dog tags on the rope. For a book you
have read aloud to the whole class, ask for a volunteer to
make the dog tag. A reproducible dog tag pattern appears on
page 35 at the end of this section of the guide.
Understanding story sequence. Select 4-6 story events
(depending on students’ abilities) from several stories about
dogs that you have read to the students or that they have
read independently and write each event on a piece of boneshaped paper. (See page 37 at the end of this section for a
pattern.) Color code the bones by writing all the event statements that go with a single story in the same color. For
example, all the statements written in blue go with Best
Friends. Store the bones from all the stories in the dog dish
included in this curriculum package. The lines of a short
poem may also be put on bones. As an independent activity,
have students arrange the story events or the poem in the
correct sequence by laying the bones in order. (Direct students to sort the bones by color before they begin this
activity.) Encourage students to return to the book for selfchecking. (If students are assembling a poem, have a copy
nearby.) As an example, the bones for Best Friends might be:
14
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Language Ar ts & Literature
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Language Arts & Literature Activities (Continued)
Rhyming words. After reading The Adventures of Taxi Dog
aloud to students, ask them what they notice about the way it
is written. Discuss how the rhymed text differs from most
other stories they have read. Make an interactive bulletin
board that invites students to assemble sets of rhyming
words. See pages 39 and 41 at the end of this section of the
guide for patterns and directions for making the bulletin
board.
Finding solutions to problems. Brainstorm with the students different types of problems that people have with their
pets. Set up a two-sided chart and list the problems they
identify on one side of the chart. Then, discuss possible solutions to each problem. Write the proposed solutions opposite
each problem. Encourage students to think of positive actions they can take to help their pets.
Imaginative writing. Invite students to envision what their
pet does while they are not at home. Have them write and
illustrate stories about their pets’ adventures.
Writing nonfiction. Based on the discussion of how to
take care of pets (see page 71 in the Science section of this
guide), have small groups of students plan, write, and illustrate a handbook on pet care. Laminate the pages and bind
them into a book. Make arrangements with local veterinarians
to place the handbooks in their clinic waiting rooms.
Animal communication. Discuss a variety of ways in
which animals communicate with people, such as wagging,
barking in different “voices,” purring, scratching, snapping,
etc.
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Language Ar ts & Literature
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
15
Communication without words. So that students may see
how frequently they use their hands to communicate, discuss
some commonly used hand signals that convey messages
without using words. Possible gestures to discuss include:
signals at sporting events (safe, strike, and you’re out in
baseball; touchdown in football, etc.), crossing one’s fingers
for luck, snapping fingers to show something is easy, twiddling thumbs to indicate impatience or boredom, thumbs up
to show “OK” or “good,” clapping hands to show approval,
crossing one’s heart to indicate a promise, clenching a fist to
show anger, and many others.
Learning American Sign Language. Children enjoy learning different ways to communicate. Display the American
Sign Language alphabet poster included in this curriculum
package. Share Reading Rainbow review book The Handmade Alphabet by Laura Rankin (Dial, 1991) and provide
opportunities for students to practice the sign language alphabet. Teach other useful signs, such as numbers, people
words, and signs for common objects. Invite a sign language
interpreter into the classroom to sign a familiar story for the
students and teach them a simple story or poem in ASL.
• Reading Rainbow program tie-in: Silent Lotus. LeVar
learns some sign language, visits a deaf child and
experiences aspects of his family life, and watches a
dance class which teams hearing with hearing-impaired
children as partners.
Using sign names. Once students know how to sign the
first letter of their first name, help them identify a sign name
for themselves. Sign names usually use a person’s first initial
to describe a special interest or hobby, a personal trait, or a
habit. For example, a child whose name is Tom and likes to
draw might have a sign name that is a combination of the “T”
sign and the sign for drawing.
Thinking about the way signs look. There are many ASL
signs that look like what they represent, such as ice cream,
baby, camera, tree, book, telephone, spider, house, and many
others. Students might wish to begin a chart of these signs to
use as a quick reference. When they spot these signs in
books, a cutout photocopy could be mounted next to the
word on the chart.
16
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Language Ar ts & Literature
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Work of an Author and Illustrator
Debra and Sal Barracca are native New Yorkers who were
inspired to write The Adventures of Taxi Dog after they rode in
a taxi whose owner kept his dog with him in the front seat.
They have their own company that publishes books for
children, called Halcyon Books, and as a result, have the
opportunity to work with many other authors and illustrators.
They have written three sequels about Maxi: Maxi, the Hero
(1991); Maxi, the Star (1993), and A Taxi Dog Christmas
(1994).The Barraccas live in New York with their daughter
and their cats.
Mark Buehner’s first book for children was The Adventures
of Taxi Dog. He grew up in Utah and worked for many years
as a freelance illustrator. He also illustrated the first sequel
about Maxi — Maxi, the Hero. He collaborated on four books
with his wife Caralyn, for which she wrote the words and he
did the illustrations: The Escape of Marvin the Ape (Dial,
1992), A Job for Wittilda (Dial, 1993), It’s A Spoon, Not a
Shovel (Dial, 1995), and Fanny’s Dream (Dial, 1996). Mark
also illustrated Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm by Jerdine
Nolen (Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1994). He uses oil paints
over acrylics to create bold paintings that contain slightly
exaggerated figures with a comic touch. He has enjoyed
drawing all his life, as evidenced by his sisters’ claim that he
learned to walk by grasping a pencil in his hand for balance
and that he began to paint when he was a teenager. Mark and
Caralyn Buehner presently live in Salt Lake City with their
four children.
Use The Adventures of Taxi Dog and other books illustrated
by Mark Buehner to discuss perspective. Have students examine the illustrations to determine the viewpoint of looking
at the scene. Buehner mixes the viewpoint in his illustrations.
Some perspectives are looking down on a scene in a bird’seye view, and others are looking up at a scene. Still others
are directly on eye-level. In the some of the illustrations, the
view is a close-up and in others, the scene is far away. Discuss reasons why he might have chosen a variety of
perspectives for his illustrations.
Steven Kellogg, author and illustrator of Best Friends, is
among the most popular author/illustrator of children’s books
today. The energy and humor in his colorful cartoon-like illustrations have great appeal to young readers. Steven
enjoyed drawing and making up stories from the time he was
a small child. He used to sit between his two younger sisters
with a stack of paper and a pencil in his lap, telling stories
and drawing the pictures to go with them and giving the
pages to his sisters. He continued to draw all the way through
school and majored in art at the Rhode Island School of Design. After a year of study in Italy, he returned to New York for
graduate work and teaching. During this time, he began to
submit ideas for picture books to publishers. In 1966, he illustrated his first book, Gwot! Horribly Funny Hairticklers. A
year later, he moved back home to Connecticut to write and
illustrate full time. Since that time he has written and/or
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Language Ar ts & Literature
17
illustrated nearly a hundred books for children, and he still
enjoys the challenge of putting books together.
Steven lives in an old farmhouse in Connecticut with his
wife Helen. His six step-children have grown and moved
away. Over the years they have had many dogs and cats, one
of which was Pinkerton, a beloved Great Dane, who was the
star of four of Steven’s books: Pinkerton, Behave! (Dial,
1979), A Rose for Pinkerton (Dial, 1981), Tallyho, Pinkerton!
(Dial, 1983), and Prehistoric Pinkerton (Dial, 1987). Steven
places an illustration of Pinkerton in many of his books. Secondhand Rose, a wild cat who came to live with them, also
makes a frequent appearance in his books. Kellogg’s fans
often enjoy searching for Pinkerton and Rose in the background illustrations in his books.
Other popular Steven Kellogg titles include The Day
Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash by Trinka Hakes Noble (Dial,
1980), a Reading Rainbow feature book, and its two sequels,
Jimmy’s Boa Bounces Back (Dial, 1984) and Jimmy’s Boa
and the Big Splash Birthday Bash (Dial, 1989). Steven’s tall
tale series is also popular with young readers: Paul Bunyan
(Morrow, 1984), a Reading Rainbow feature book, Pecos Bill
(Morrow, 1986), Johnny Appleseed (Morrow, 1988), Mike
Fink (Morrow, 1992), and Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind
Crockett (Morrow, 1995). Kellogg uses his imagination and
humor to illuminate math concepts in How Much Is a Million?
by David M. Schwartz (Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1985), a
Reading Rainbow feature book, and in If You Made a Million,
also by Schwartz (Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1989.).
Using the READING RAINBOW
Review Books
The six review books in the Best Friends and The Adventures of Taxi Dog programs can serve as springboards for
additional activities.
18
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Language Ar ts & Literature
The Story of Mrs. Lovewright and Purrless Her Cat by
Lore Segal and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky is the tale of
wanting one thing and getting something very different.
Chilly Mrs. Lovewright decides that a cozy cat is just what
she needs. What she gets is Purrless, who doesn’t seem to like
Mrs. Lovewright, and definitely does not want to be her cuddly cat. After a series of mishaps, in which Mrs. Lovewright is
the unfortunate recipient, she tosses the cat out. In no time,
he wants to come back. Has he reformed? Not at all, but both
of them learn to accept the other for the kind of person...and
cat...that they are, and they manage to live in harmony for
many years.
Invite students to share some misadventures they have had
with their pets. Discuss how the actions of people sometimes
cause problems with animals.
This story is well suited for discussing cause-effect relationships. Ask students to think of as many events in the
story as possible. Write the events on sentence strips and
place them in a pocket chart. Discuss the events as causes
or effects of each other. Move the sentence strips to show the
relationships.
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
In A Gift for Tía Rosa by Karen T. Taha, a little girl is saddened by the illness of her dear elderly neighbor, but she
visits her every day, and the two of them work on special
presents. Carmela works on a knitted scarf for her Papá, and
Tía Rosa knits a baby blanket for her unborn grandchild.
When Tía Rosa dies, Carmela is deeply hurt, but thinks of a
special gift she can give her friend — she can finish the baby
blanket for her.
Invite students to share experiences in which a person
older than they are has taught them to do something new.
They might want to bring in pictures or artifacts to show. If
these are things that can be brought into the classroom, have
students demonstrate their skills for the class.
Have students wear or bring in something that is knitted.
Examine the different patterns that appear in knitted objects.
Invite someone who knits into the classroom to do a demonstration. Have some large sized knitting needles and some
yarn available for students to try their hand at knitting.
The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy by Jane Thayer, illustrated
by Lisa McCue, is the reverse of the boy-wants-dog story. The
puppy tells his mother that he wants a boy for Christmas,
even though she says that boys are in short supply. Nevertheless, he sets off to find his own boy. There are many likely
candidates, but they all seem to be taken already by other
dogs. Quite by accident, the puppy finds a lonely boy outside
a Home for Boys and ends up with not just one boy of his
own, but with 50 boys!
Have the students take the puppy’s point of view and write
want ads for a boy or a girl. Brainstorm the qualities that a
puppy might want in a boy or a girl of his own.
Have the students make a map of the puppy’s travels, on
which they start the puppy from his home and draw each of
the boys he thought he might adopt until he eventually finds
his own boy at the Home for Boys.
In Taxi, A Book of City Words by Betsy and Giulio Maestro, a yellow taxi travels all around the city in a day, picking
up people and taking them where they need to go. The story
also introduces readers to city words by highlighting them
within the text. The watercolor illustrations provide many
details of city life.
Ask students to recall some of the city words from the
book and write them on a chart. Brainstorm with the students
a list of country words. Compare the two charts to see if
there are any words in common.
Have students write and illustrate a class book of country
words. For example, they might write a book called “Tractor,
A Book of Country Words.” As a class, brainstorm ideas for
this book, using the chart of country words. Then have students create individual pages.
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Language Ar ts & Literature
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
19
I Want a Dog by Dayal Kaur Khalsa tells the story of May,
a girl who wants a dog more than anything else in the world.
She read about them, drew pictures of them, and daydreamed about them, but her parents always said “No”
everytime she asked for a dog. May soon began to think of
her white roller skate as a dog. She tied a rope to it and took
it everywhere with her. May’s parents noticed how responsible she was with her imaginary dog, and eventually she got
a real dog of her own.
Have students role play scenes from the book in which
May tries to persuade her parents to let her have a dog and in
which her parents try to convince her how much work having
a dog can be.
Ask students to invent an imaginary pet. What kind of pet
is it? Does it have a name? What kinds of activities can they
do with their pet? How do they care for their pet? Invite students to write stories about themselves and their imaginary
pets.
In The First Dog by Jan Brett, highly detailed illustrations
inspired by cave paintings and artifacts from the Pleistocene
Era help tell this fanciful story of a cave boy’s adoption of a
wolf as the first dog. Wolf’s keen senses of hearing, smell, and
sight warn the boy of danger at every turn. All Wolf wants in
return is a few bones to eat, but the cave boy is reluctant to
share until one last close call shows him the value of the
wolf ’s companionship.
Several animals from this time period were mentioned in
the story. Students might be interested in researching some
of these animals to find out more about them and to determine which animals on earth today are similar to these
ancient animals.
Invite students to share stories they have heard or experiences they’ve had firsthand in which a dog has protected a
person. For each of the stories, discuss how the dogs were
able to sense danger.
20
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Language Ar ts & Literature
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Repro #2
Reproducible Who's in My Taxi?
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Language Ar ts & Literature
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
21
21
Repro #3
Reproducible Want Ad
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
23
Repro #4
Reproducible Character Traits
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
25
Repro #5
Reproducible Alphabetical Order
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
27
Repro #6
Reproducible Scrapbook Parent Letter
Dear Families:
As part of our unit centered around the Reading Rainbow programs, The Adventures of
Taxi Dog and Best Friends, we are thinking more about friendships, including how to make
a friend and how to be a friend.
One of our projects in this unit is making a “Friendship Scrapbook.” In school, we have
been discussing all the different types of friends that make up our lives — school friends,
neighborhood friends, elderly friends, animal friends, book friends, imaginary friends, and
others. We have also been looking at scrapbooks to see what kinds of things people put in
them. We noticed that sometimes people put in pictures, drawings, newspaper clippings,
cards, invitations, event programs, and even small objects. We decided that a scrapbook is
a collection of things that people want to keep because these things are important to
them.
We need your help with our friendship scrapbooks. Talk to your child about her/his
friends — Who are they? Are they home friends or school friends? What would be some of
their friends that are not “people friends?” Help your child think of some items for a scrapbook that represent these friendships. As you help your child assemble items for the
scrapbook, you might suggest organizing them into groups, such as “School Friends,”
“Home Friends,” etc. It is important that your child do all the work on the scrapbook, but
your role in helping them think about their scrapbook and in collecting items for it is essential.
Keep the materials used in the scrapbook simple. There is no need to purchase a scrapbook. Instead, use materials such as cardboard for the covers, which can be covered with
scraps of contact paper or wallpaper, or your child can decorate the cover with drawings
or pictures cut from magazines. Use recycled paper, such as old computer paper or grocery sacks cut to fit, as much as possible for the pages. For each item in the scrapbook,
your child should write a short description (one or two sentences is enough) telling about
the item or why it was chosen for the scrapbook.
Thank you for your help. Have fun with this project. We will enjoy looking at all the
scrapbooks at school at the end of our unit.
Sincerely,
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
29
Repro #7
Reproducible Wheel Poem Pattern
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
31
Repro #8
Reproducible Make a Dog Map
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
33
Repro #9
Reproducible Dog Tag
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
35
Repro #10
Reproducible Bone Pattern for Sequencing
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
37
DIRECTIONS FOR RHYMING WORDS BULLETIN BOARD
1. Enlarge the dog to fit your bulletin board. Color and laminate.
2. Reproduce the dog dish on page 41 of this guide in different colors. Put words that are examples of
rhyming word patterns that you wish to emphasize on the dishes. Laminate the dishes. After laminating,
cut a slit in the top of the dish so that students may slip the rhyming word bones in the dish. Make a
pocket for the back of the dish by cutting down a brown mailing envelope (7 x 9-inch in size) so that it
will fit without showing around the edges of the dish. Glue or rubber cement the envelope to the back of
the dish, positioning the opening of the envelope next to the slit cut in the dish. Staple the back of the
envelope to the bulletin board. When the students place the bones in the dish, they will actually be
placing them in the envelope.
3. Reproduce the bone patterns on page 41. Make several bones for each rhyming word pattern. Code the
backs of the bones for self-checking with a different symbols for each rhyming word pattern. Laminate
the bones.
4. Attach a Milk Bone™ or other snack box to the bulletin board. Store the rhyming word bones in this box.
5. Attach these directions to the bulletin board:
Directions:
Take the bones out of the dog snack box. Read the words on the bones. Look at the words on the dishes.
Put all the bones that rhyme with the word on the dish in that dish. All the words on the bones should
rhyme with each other too. After you have all the bones in the dishes, check the backs of the bones to
see if all the pictures are all the same.
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
39
Repro #11
Reproducible Bulletin Board Patterns
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
41
Acknowledgments
Curriculum Package
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/
BEST FRIENDS
Writer
Karla Hawkins Wendelin, Ph.D.
Instructional Development
Ann Michaelis
Project Director
Nan Schweiger
Editor
Dick Spence
Special Thanks to:
Erin Urso
Tom Henderson
Communication Design, Lincoln, NE
© 1996
GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln
(This curriculum package may not be reproduced in any
manner without prior written permission from GPN.)
GPN
P.O. Box 80669
Lincoln, NE 68501-0669
(800) 228-4630
Reading Rainbow is a registered trademark of
GPN/WNED-TV
Reading Rainbow Director/Executive Producer
Twila C. Liggett, Ph.D.
Reading Rainbow Associate Project Director/Executive
Producer
Anthony Buttino
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI
DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Integrated Curriculum
Package
Getting Started
Before beginning the unit based on The Adventures of Taxi
Dog and Best Friends, plan ahead with the following activities:
Collect children’s literature from the school library
media center and public library for classroom display and
research. See the Annotated Bibliography at the end of this
curriculum guide for suggestions of fiction, nonfiction, and
poetry, as well as various nonprint media related to the following topics: dogs, friendships, physical disabilities, city life,
and wheeled vehicle transportation.
Arrange field trips, guest speakers, and resource
persons associated with the unit.
Write letters to agencies, organizations, and government
commissions that work with individuals who have visual or
hearing impairments or other physical disabilities requesting
free materials for classroom use. Search World Wide Web
sites for additional information. A list of addresses and www
sites related to the primary themes of this curriculum package may be found on pages 5 and 6 of this guide.
Contact the American Kennel Club for free classroom
materials. AKC makes the following materials available to
teachers: “Best Friends” kit — a program about responsible
dog ownership, which includes a video, teacher’s guide, activity copymasters, student certificates, and a poster; “Kid’s
Corner” newsletter; “Taking Care of Corey" — a video about
caring for a dog, which comes with a poster and reproducible
coloring pages; classroom set of Corey bookmarks; and the
“Before You Buy a Dog” brochure. These materials are free of
charge (there is a limitation of one video per school) from
American Kennel Club, 5580 Centerview Drive, Suite 200,
Raleigh, NC 27606-3390. The American Kennel Club may
also be contacted on the World Wide Web at:
<http://www.akc.org/akc/.
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Getting Star ted
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
1
Send home the Parent Letter on the next page, informing parents about the unit and asking for contributions of
supplies and materials. Use the space at the bottom of the
letter to personalize it according to your specific needs.
Set up a “doghouse” for recreational reading. Erect a
“pup” tent in the classroom and stock it with dog stuffed animals, books, and a few dog toys. Invite students to go there
for some quiet reading time.
2
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Getting Star ted
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Repro #1
Reproducible Parent Letter
Dear Families:
In our classroom, we are beginning a new unit of study centered around the books, The
Adventures of Taxi Dog and Best Friends, and the Reading Rainbow programs of the
same name. As part of our unit, we will be reading many books and using a variety of
materials as we investigate these topics and others: dogs, as pets and as workers; all
types of friendships; physical disabilities including deafness and blindness; city life; and
transportation involving vehicles that have wheels.
We do need your help! We are collecting the following materials:
• old magazines, catalogs, and calendars — we are particularly interested in finding
pictures of all kinds of dogs
• dog stuffed animals and dog toys (clean, please)
• small donations of puppy chow and dog snacks in small and large bone sizes
• brown paper lunch sacks
• cooking supplies and equipment — at the bottom of this page is a list of specific
supplies we need
• volunteers to help us cook and bake — please let me know if you are available
We are also looking for some resource persons who might speak to our class or assist
us in planning a field trip. If you have a friend or a relative who does any of the following,
please let us know: drives a taxi, trains dogs, knows American Sign Language, works
with persons who are hearing or visually impaired, works in animal control, or drives
some sort of vehicle as a regular part of her/his work. We would like to make a connection with a veterinarian and an optometrist as well.
We also have some family projects in this unit that will help us with our language arts,
math, and social sciences. Watch for news about them later!
Thank you for your contributions! Feel free to drop in any time and help us celebrate
our learning!
Sincerely,
Here are some items we need:
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
3
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
Useful Addresses
Visual Impairments
American Council of the Blind
1155 15th Street, NW, Suite 720
Washington, DC 20005
Guide Dogs for the Blind
P.O. Box 151200
San Rafael, CA 94915
Note to teachers:
As a general rule, enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope with all requests
for information. Most national commissions
and federations interested in visual and
hearing impairments have local and state
chapters. Check the telephone directory for
local resources.
Helen Keller International
15 West 16th Street
New York, NY 10011
National Federation of the Blind
1800 Johnson Street
Baltimore, MD 21230
National Society to Prevent Blindness
500 East Remington Road
Schaumburg, IL 60173
The Seeing Eye
P.O. Box 375
Morristown, NJ 07963-0375
On the World Wide Web:
www.prevent-blindness.org/
(Educational materials may be accessed on the web site.)
Hearing Impairments
American Auditory Society
1966 Inwood Road
Dallas, TX 75235
International Hearing Dog, Inc.
5901 E. 89th Avenue
Henderson, CO 80640
National Association of the Deaf
814 Thayer Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20910
National Information Center on Deafness
Gallaudet University
800 Florida Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20002-3695
Telecommunication for the Deaf, Inc.
8719 Colesville Road, Suite 300
Silver Spring, MD 20910
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Getting Star ted
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.
5
Dog Related Information
American Kennel Club
5580 Centerview Drive, Suite 200
Raleigh, NC 27606-3390
http://www.akc.org/akc/
or
51 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10010
Canine Companions for Independence
http://www.caninecompanions.org/ccifaqs.htm
(Nonprofit organization whose mission is to serve needs of
people with disabilities by providing trained service, hearing
and social dogs)
The Delta Society®
P.O. Box 1080
Renton, WA 98057-9906
(Information about visiting dog programs)
Dog World Magazine
P.O. Box 6500
Chicago, IL 60680
6
THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG/BEST FRIENDS
Getting Star ted
©1996 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.
Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use
(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all other cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.