MSU Extension Child & Family Development

No David

By David Shannon

This story is about a little boy who breaks the rules and hears his mother say “NO!” a lot. But no matter how much trouble he gets in, she still loves him.

BEFORE READING:

• Show the children the front of the book. Ask them to guess what the book is about.
• Point to the goldfish on the front cover and ask the children how many fish are in the bowl.
• Show them all of the letters on the back of the book. Tell them there are “Ns” and “Os” and make the sounds for them. Tell them that when you put the letters together, they say the word “no.”

WHILE READING:

• Stop at any time if there is something you or the children would like to talk about.
• Ask them questions so that they can connect what is happening in the book to things they already know about. Try some of these ideas: 
  • What kind of cookies do you like to eat? 
  • What toys do you like to take into the bathtub?
  • Who do you like to hug?

AFTER READING:

• Spend some time talking about the story. Ask the children things like:
  • What did David have for dinner?
  • What kinds of toys did you see on the floor in David’s house?
  • Why did David cry?
    Read this book several times to the children. Hearing the same story again and again helps them learn new words and understand the ideas the hear better. Each day, pick a different activity to do with the children after reading.

MATH AND SCIENCE

Play the sink or float game. Find several things that can be put in water like plastic toys, stones, twigs, or cotton balls. Be creative with what you find. Ask the children to guess which things will sink and which things will float. Test their ideas by filling up a plastic bowl with water and putting the items in one at a time.

MUSIC AND MOVEMENT

Play the drums. Use plastic containers or pans turned upside down for the drums, and silverware or wooden spoons for the drum- sticks. You can also bang the lids of pans together to make the cymbal noise.
ART Make a love note for someone. Draw a big heart on a piece of paper and have them cut it out. Have them color the heart any way they like. Ask them to tell you what they want to say and write it on the heart for them.

MOTOR SKILLS

Play catch with something soft like half of a clean, dry sponge or a rolled-up pair of socks. Start out close together but move farther apart as they get better catching and throwing.

PRETEND PLAY

Switch places! Have the children be the mom- my or daddy and you be the child. Let them pretend that you are getting in trouble like David does, and see how they handle it. Encourage them to use their words to talk about what they don’t like, or what they want you to do instead. This practice will help them when they play with friends, too.

THINKING SKILLS

Put a toy in a plastic or paper bag that they won’t be able to see through. Have them close their eyes, put their hand in the bag and feel the object. Ask them to guess what they think is in the bag. After they guess correctly, put something else in the bag and do it again.

READING READINESS

Ask the children to read “No, David!” to you by looking at the pictures. Praise their effort. It is more important that they learn pictures are clues in books, and that stories have a beginning, middle and end than if they know how the story is supposed to go.

For more information, visit the MSU Extension Early Childhood site.

MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer, committed to achieving excellence through a diverse workforce and inclusive culture that encourages all people to reach their full potential. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status. Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Jeffrey W. Dwyer, Director, MSU Extension, East Lansing, MI 48824. This information is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned.