Reading Together

Storybook Guide Based on Ae-hae Yoon’s “Who Eats First”

Explore math while reading and talking about this storybook.

Topic:

Activity Summary

Use this storybook guide with the book “Who Eats First.”
Many public libraries have this book.

Reading guide

About the Story

This story is about animals that find a delicious peach but can’t decide who should take the first bite. Each animal makes an argument explaining why they should go first. For example, giraffe thinks he should take the first bite because he’s the tallest, but alligator wants the first bite because his mouth is the biggest.

A rabbit, monkey, alligator, rino, and giraffe line up from shortest to tallest. Illustration from “Who Eats First.”

Words to Learn

MATH WORDS
measure, longer, longest, tallest, shortest, heaviest, lightest, biggest, weight, balanced, tiny, round, first, second

About the Math

Who Eats First is about size and measurement. As the animals discuss their sizes, your child can learn:

  • That there are different aspects of animals that can be measured, such as the length of their necks and the width of their mouths.
  • The importance of making fair comparisons, such as comparing all the animals’ weights to the same pile of rocks.
  • How to use tools to measure: For example, you can measure weight by counting the number of rocks needed to balance the animals on a seesaw.
  • That you can line things up in order from shortest to tallest or lightest to heaviest.
A rabbit, monkey, alligator, rino, and giraffe all compare ear lengths. Illustration from “Who Eats First.”

Math Talk During Reading

  • COMPARE THE SIZES OF THE ANIMALS
    Which animal has the smallest mouth? Which animal has the longest ears?
  • TALK ABOUT OTHER CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ANIMALS THAT CAN BE COMPARED AND MEASURED
    Who has the biggest feet? Who has the greatest number of feet?
  • CONSIDER OTHER WAYS TO MEASURE
    How else could we measure the giraffe’s height? How could we find out which animal has the longest tail?
  • DISCUSS DIFFERENT ANIMALS
    Can you think of an animal with shorter ears than a rabbit or a bigger mouth than an alligator?
  • EXPLORE THE ANIMALS’ MOTIVATION
    Why are the animals talking about their sizes? Who do you think should eat the peach first? Why?

Try to come up with some of your own questions and comments, too!

Activity After Reading

  • LOOK FOR OBJECTS AROUND YOUR HOME TO COMPARE AND LINE UP IN ORDER.
    For example, take uncooked pasta and ask your child to pick out the longest, shortest, or thickest pasta. Line up the pasta from shortest to longest or thickest to thinnest. Also, check out the activities described at the end of the book.
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