Do you know a child who just can’t sit still in the classroom? Or would rather move about instead of sitting down? Or perhaps you have an interest in creatures with eight legs or even those who blob around the ocean?
Well this book is just for you!
Jasper Juggles Jellyfish by Ben Long and David Cornish is a fun filled rhyming picture book that tells the story of young Jasper, an eight legged student who is having trouble learning how to count.
Learning how to count without doing the act of counting can make things tricky so young Jasper decides to juggle his numbers instead – but this proves to be just as tricky!
Instead of giving up, Jasper learns to take his time and slowly build up his juggling skills. Starting with one willing jellyfish before he moves onto two then three then all 12.
Colourful pictures and easy to read rhyme make this story quite a lot of fun but also provide many different talking points.
After we read this book we researched about different octopi, different types of jellyfish and of course tried to juggle ourselves.
We were also able to explore rhyme and the different types of ways words can rhyme in sentences to tell a story.
Jasper juggles jellyfish is a great story for young children who are learning how to count as it shows that persistence, practice and hands on learning are all key to understanding the great big world of numbers out there! It might also inspire parents and teachers to ensure that whenever learning takes place we make sure it is fun, hands on and linked to the real world!
So what else can you do with this book?
Numeracy
- Explore different ways of counting to 12.
- Explore different patterns in counting
- Explore how many legs were in that counting pattern!
Literacy
- Look at the different rhyming words used in this story and try to create your own sentence or two.
Science
- What are the different types of jellyfish that reside in oceans or surrounding waterways near you?
- Learn more about octopi and their intelligence.
- How can you juggle? is there a science behind juggling different types of objects?
- Can jellyfish always be this helpful? Look in the news for times jellyfish haven’t been too helpful.
