Reading Together

Storybook Guide Based on Kate Read’s “One Fox: A Counting Book Thriller”

Explore math while reading and talking about this storybook.

Topic:

Activity Summary

Use this storybook guide with the book “One Fox: A Counting Book Thriller.”
Many public libraries have this book. This book is a Mathical Award winner.

Reading guide

About the Story

This beautifully illustrated and scary (but not too scary) story will delight young children. It tells the tale of one famished and stealthy fox with two sly and beady eyes, four padding paws, and 10 sharp teeth. The fox comes across three plump hens, five snug eggs, and eventually an entire chicken house. Suspense is at its peak when the fox encounters 100 chickens. The outcome will surprise and delight because it results in “one” … Can you guess what happens at the end?

Words to Learn

SPOKEN COUNTING WORDS, WRITTEN COUNTING WORDS, AND WRITTEN NUMBERS
from
one through ten, and one hundred

OTHER WORDS
 famished, sly, plump, padding, snug, silent, beady

About the Math

The math in this book is mostly about counting. Your child can:

  • Learn to count objects from one to 10.
  • See that 100 objects is quite a lot, compared with the numbers from one to 10 (but don’t even try to count the 100 hens!).
  • Learn which number comes before and after a given number.
  • Learn to recognize written numbers and written number words.

Math Talk During Reading

  • ASK YOUR CHILD HOW MANY OBJECTS ARE ON THE PAGE
    How many plump hens are there? Let’s count them. What else do you see?  How many worms are there?
  • COMPARE NUMBERS ON THE PAGE
    How many snug eggs are there? How many hens? Are there more hens or more eggs?
  • TALK ABOUT NUMBER ORDER
    There are two eyes. What number comes next, after two? What came before it?
  • HELP YOUR CHILD READ THE NUMBER WORDS AND WRITTEN NUMBERS
    Look. Eight beady eyes. This is the written number 8 and this is how you write the word ‘eight.’ 

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

Activity After Reading

Help your child select different numbers of objects, like one salt shaker, two marbles, and so on to 10. Then have your child draw a picture of each collection of objects on a piece of paper. Next, help your child write the correct written number on each page. Finally, put together all the pages to make a counting book.

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