Tacky the Penguin – An Odd Little Bird

Tacky the Penguin has been on our winter read-aloud list for so many years now. Penguins are one of those obvious seasonal topics this time of year, but there’s more to this story. If you know, then you know.

However, if this book is new to you, we recommend you check out a copy and save some time to read out loud. It’s silly and the kids love it, especially if you give it a little gusto. And it’s okay to do gusto. Be a little odd.

Whether you identify more with Tacky the penguin or his proper little friends, the lesson is a good one… embracing individuality is necessary. In fact, it’s one of those things that helps a community thrive, even (and especially) a community of kids.

We’ve taken what’s typically a kindergarten read-aloud and created a few pieces to help our first graders dive deeper into the content. We don’t want the message of the book to be missed. And though we love penguin crafts as much as anyone, we know there’s something bigger going on here.

LITERACY WORK FOR TACKY THE PENGUIN

After we read Tacky the Penguin, we go over the story elements. That’s a skill we cover often, and it checks the boxes for a few of our literacy standards. But in a story like this one, understanding the villains helps us recognize the need for a hero. And that’s life, isn’t it?

One reason we talk about unlikable characters is because knowing what we don’t like informs what we do like. And that teaches us a lot about how we want to be treated and how we should be treating others.

If you work with children, you’ve probably had conversations like these two or three (dozen) times.

So, what makes Tacky unique? How would you describe him? What would you have done in that situation? Have you ever had an experience like this? These are some good questions to help get important conversations started among your students. It all leads to the development of this question: What’s the big idea in this story?

All that being said, we do love a craft project and Tacky is a pretty simple one. Plus, crafts continue to be a great way to let kids review shapes, develop spatial skills, and strengthen fine motor control. We think that’s a big deal. And penguins are cute. So… win-win.

You can grab these resources for Tacky the Penguin HERE to get started. If you only have time to make the penguin (pictured above), that’ll be fun enough. But if you have a little extra time, we think designing tacky t-shirts is the cherry on top of this craft project. The kids love to share their ideas with each other in a quick Tacky Fashion Show. Give it a go!

Until next time, happy teaching!

ANOTHER WINTER FAVORITE