Week 1: The Bremen-Town Musicians, Else Plume

Vocabulary

bray: to whinny, hee haw
elegant: excellent, superior
exhausted: very tired
moan: a long, low sound of displeasure
racket:a loud noise

Charlie caused a racket when he knocked over the tower of blocks.
When Buddy accidently stepped on his donkey’s tail, the animal made a loud bray.
Mother knew the children would moan when she told them to eat their vegetables.
After a long day of school and baseball practice Jeremy was exhausted.
The Duchess though the Queen’s tea party was quite elegant.

Vocabulary Usage in the Book

As he walked, he decided that since he had such a wonderful bray</u, he would go to Bremen-town and join a band of street musicians there.
She looked as sad as a rainy day, and her elegant</u whiskers drooped almost to the ground.
Exhausted</u from their adventure, they quickly fell asleep.
“Little do you know,”moaned</u the cat.
“Why are you making such a racket</u?”

Comprehension

The donkey has become too old to carry heavy sacks of grain on his back.
The donkey decides to go to Bremen to join a ban of street musicians.
The dog is too old and stiff and can’t hunt anymore.
The cat’s eyes are failing and its teeth are no longer sharp.
The rooster is not as young as he used to be.
Bremen-Town was impossible to reach in one day.
When the rooster perched in the tree he saw a bright light glittering through the trees.
When going to the house the dog had hopes of finding a few bones and the cat longed for a saucer ofmilk.
After looking inside the house, the four friends quickly thought of a way to get rid of the robbers.
After being scared by the animals, the robbers ran screaming into the forest, fearing a pack of demons had attacked them.
The frightened robber says an old judge crouches up on the roof who yells, “Catch the crook, do!”
The animals decide it would be a shame to leave such a comfortable house.

Week 2: Mole Music, David McPhail

Vocabulary

audience: a crowd of people watching or listening to something
horrible: very unpleasant
practice: to repeat an action or exercise
screech : a loud, piercing sound
supper: a light evening meal

When the father came in from his work in the fields, the whole family sat down to eat supper.
Dorothy thought the taste of lima beans was horrible.
The chair made a screech as Jamie slid it across the floor.
Derek knew he would need to practice the piano well if he wanted to play the new piece.
The whole audience was silent and listened to Dana sing her song.

Vocabulary Usage in the Book

He imagined himself playing before a huge audience</u.
But instead of beautiful music, all he made was a horrible</u screeching sound.
Mole continued to practice</u.
But instead of beautiful music, all he made was a horrible screeching</u sound.
At night he ate his supper</u in front of the TV and then went to bed.

Comprehension

Mole spent his days digging tunnels.
Mole saw a man on television playing a violin.
After nearly three weeks Mole’s violin arrived.
The first time Mole played the violin it made a horrible screeching sound.
Before a month went by Mole could play an entire scale.
Mole learned to put the notes together in a simple song.
As Mole dug tunnels he hummed the music he would play at night.
Mole wondered what it would be like to play his music for people.
Mole imagined himself playing before a huge audience.
Mole imagined his music could reach into people’s hearts and melt away their anger and sadness.
Maybe Mole’s music could even change the world!
When Mole went to sleep he dreamed beautiful, peaceful dreams.

Week 3: Geraldine the Mouse, Leo Lioni

Vocabulary

lingered: stayed in place longer than needed
melodious: pleasant or musical sounding
peered: looked closely
solemnly: seriously and with dignity
tidbits: small pieces of tasty food

Though there were no cookies left, Danny ate the last tidbits in the jar.
Mr. Jones peered through the binoculars at the falcon in the tree.
Barbara loved to listen to the melodious wind chimes outside her window.
The squirrel lingered in the shade of the tree because it did not want to go back into the hot sun.
Mrs. Johnson solemnly placed her hand over her heart as she led the students in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Vocabulary Usage in the Book

She learned to recognize the melodies, and even in daylight they lingered</u in her ears.
As it grew darker the sounds became clearer and more melodious</u until they seem to move lightly through the air like invisible strings of silver and gold.
As her friends carried away their cheese tidbits, Geraldine peered</u in amazement at the hole she had gnawed.
Then she took a step backward, solemnly</u lifted the tip of her tail to her puckered lips, took a deep breath and blew.
As her friends carried away their cheese tidbits</u, Geraldine peered in amazement at the hole she had gnawed.

Comprehension

Geraldine had never heard music before.
Geraldine wanted to take the enormous piece of cheese to her secret hideout in the barn.
Where Geraldine had been gnawing at the cheese she saw the shapes of two enormous cheese ears.
Geraldine gnawed and gnawed at the cheese until she finally uncovered the entire mouse.
Geraldine realized the flute was actually the tip of the mouse’s tail.
Geraldine listened to the music all through the night until the first glow of dawn filtered through the dusty windowpanes.
When Geraldine met her friends on the street they were desperate because there was no more food.
While trying to play her tail like a flute, Geraldine’s friends laughed until their hungry little tummies hurt.
When the tune came to an end, Gregory whispered, “If this is music, Geraldine, you are right. We cannot eat that cheese.”
Geraldine said, “Now we CAN eat the cheese. Because… now the music is in me.”
While Geraldine whistled the gayest of tunes, her friends ate cheese to their tummies’ content.

Week 4: Little Pig Joins the Band, David Hyde Costello

Vocabulary

marching-band: a group of musicians who play together while marching
musical instrument: a device created to make musical sounds
march: to walk following a regular beat or rhythm
harmonica: a small rectangular instrument
band: a group of musicians who play together

Clarence decided to play a musical instrument instead of playing soccer.
The tuba player was thrilled to join the marching band.
I play the flute in the band.
Albert plays silly songs on his harmonica.
My baby brother loves to march around the yard to loud music.

Vocabulary Usage in the Book

When his brothers and sisters got out Grandpa’s old marching-band</u instruments…
When his brothers and sisters got out Grandpa’s old marching-band instruments</u…
He watched everyone marching</u around the house.
“Do we have a harmonica</u?”
Little Pig was just too little to join the band</u.

Comprehension

Sometimes Little Pig didn’t like being called little.
Little Pig’s brothers and sisters found Grandpa’s old marching band instruments.
Little Pig searched for an instrument to play.
The drum was too big for Little Pig to play.
His sister Margie played the drum.
The trombone was too big for Little Pig to play.
His brother played the trombone.
The trumpet was too big for Little Pig to play.
His sister Sally played the trumpet.
When Little Pig sees the tuba he said, “Aw, forget it!”
Little Pig feels sad that he was too little to join the band.
But when Little Pig discovers the band needs a leader, he gives a signal and off they marched!

Week 5: John Philip Duck, Patricia Polacco

Vocabulary

doff: to remove an item of clothing
parlor: a sitting room in a house
scrawny: thin and bony
splendid: magnificent, very impressive
waddle: walk with short, clumsy steps

Mrs. Johnson invited her guests to sit in the parlor.
The scrawny stick bug walked back and forth across the tree branch.
While Tom’s little sister was learning to walk, she would waddle around the house as she held his hand.
The princess held up the splendid diamond necklace for everyone to see.
It is polite to doff a hat or hood when entering a classroom.

Vocabulary Usage in the Book

He turned it up as loud as it would, then stood up and doffed his hat.
He and his family all gathered around the old radio in the parlor and listened to grand music.
The tiniest, scrawniest little duckling he had ever seen.
Then Mr. Schutt handed Edward a splendid uniform with two rows of brass buttons and a grand cap.
But one day, the little duck waddled right into the lobby.

Comprehension

Edward and his father worked at the same hotel in Memphis.
Edward especially loved hearing the brass bands play marches by John Philip Sousa.
Everyone at the hotel swore to keep the little duck a secret from Mr. Schutt.
One day, the little duck waddled right into the lobby of the hotel.
The front desk crew kept the duck in a vacant key box.
Edward tapped his stick twice and the little duck turned around and around.
Edward named his pet John Philip Duck.
As a joke, Mr. Schutt and his hunting buddies put live duck decoys into the lobby fountain pool.
Mr. Schutt gives Edward one month to train the ducks to march into the lobby, get in the fountain, and stay there all day then march out again
Mr. Schutt let Edward build a duck house up on the roof of the hotel.
Mr. Schutt gave Edward a splendid uniform with two rows of brass buttons and a grand cap.
Edward Pembroke served as Duckmaster of the Peabody Hotel for over fifty years.