Little Deer Lost
Author: Janet Bingham
Illustrator: Rosalind Beardshaw
Age Recommended: Grade k-1
Genre: Picture book
Summary:
This book is about a set of twin baby deer that experience their first snowfall for the first time. The deer, Sparkle and Silver, start off with being excited that they finally get to see snow. They spend some time playing in the snow and loving every second of it. Soon it becomes dark and Sparkle and Silver are ready to head home, but they have a problem. They realize everything looks the same when it’s covered it white snow and soon become lost. Sparkle and Silver get very nervous when it starts to get darker and the wind picks up. Eventually they are reunited with their mom and get to go home. The next day, Silver and Sparkle get to play in the snow with their mom.
How I will use it in classroom.
I would use this book to teach young students about the different seasons. This book would be an especially good way to introduce winter. The book tells a fun story about two deer enjoying winter. The story paints a good description of winter to the reader. The deer experience many winter conditions like snow, cold, and wind. The book also shows that trees have no leafs on them and many flowers gone in the winter.
Connection to a teaching strategy:
I would Pair Little Deer Lost a KWL chart. I would have the children fill this chart out about the season winter. Before reading the story I will have the students fill out the “what they know” and “what they want to know” about winter. As a class, we will then read Little Deer Lost. After, I will have the students fill in the “what they learned” part of the chart. According to Tompkins (2011), KWL charts are a great way to teach students new information and also review what they already know about a Topic.
Bingham, J., & Beardshaw, R. (2011). Little deer lost. London: Scholastic.
Tompkins, G.E. (2013) Language Arts: Patterns of Practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ.
Teaching with Children's Literature 