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Peanut Butter & Cupcake



Last updated Monday, June 6, 2022

Author: Terry Border
Date of Publication: 2014
ISBN: 0399167730
Grade Level: Kindergarten    (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Jun. 2022

Synopsis: What's a little piece of bread to do when he's feeling lonely? Find a friend, of course!

And that's exactly what Peanut Butter tries to do. But sometimes friends are hard to come by, especially when Hamburger has to walk his (hot) dogs, Cupcake is too busy building castles in her sprinkle box, and Egg laughs so hard he starts to crack up! Does Peanut Butter have a soulmate? Young readers will know the answer long before Peanut Butter does and laugh along with each mismatched pairing.

Note to readers:
•  This unusual book is illustrated with photographs of manipulated 3-D objects. You might want to take some time (before or after reading) to talk about how the kids think these images were created.
•  Be prepared to read with different emotion/voices – like the egg cracking up, or the cupcake being very sweet.

Discussion topics for before reading:
•  When I say peanut butter and …, what do you think of? Peanut butter and jelly go together perfectly. What other foods belong together? (ex: Spaghetti and meatballs… Macaroni and cheese… Bagel and cream cheese… Mashed potatoes and gravy… Pancakes and syrup… French fries and ketchup… Rice and beans…) You could say one food and ask what the kids would pair it with. Can they think of any other good pairs?
•  Do you have a best friend? What makes you a good pair? #3Do your friends all act the same, or are they very different personalities?
•  Have you ever been new somewhere (like at a new school), where you didn’t know anyone? How do you find new friends?

Vocabulary:

•  Chuckle: laugh or giggle
•  Cracking up: laughing
•  Set a record: be the best at something -- maybe fastest or most or highest …
•  Knocked around: hit or kick a ball
•  Buns: hotdog/hamburger, or a person’s bottom

Discussion topics for during/after reading:
•  Do you know how to play soccer? Is it important to use your feet AND your head?
•  What does N-O spell?
•  Why do peanut butter and jelly make a good team? (different skills)
•  Who do you think knocks the ball around with his buns?
•  (Notice the soup is spelling W-O-W at the end.)
•  Do you have a favorite food? Imagine if that food could move and talk – how would it act?

Craft ideas:
•  With advance notice, the kids/families can bake a batch of cupcakes to enjoy during/after reading club. Maybe even peanut butter cupcakes with jelly on top!
•  Make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
•  Draw you and a friend having fun.
•  Draw your favorite foods being friends!
•  Make a card for a dad or a grad? (This can be sensitive for children in a household with a single mom)
•  Make a card for a good friend.
•  Make a Father’s Day (Sunday, June 19th) card for someone (father, grandfather, uncle).
•  If you know someone, make a graduation card for them. For a younger sibling who is “graduating” from preschool or kindergarten; a friend “graduating” to Middle school or an older sibling graduating from High School, Trade School or college.
•  Check our craft ideas on Pinterest!
https://www.pinterest.com/readingtokids/june-2022-friendship-fun//
•  Check this website for more suggestions: http://readingtokids.org/ReadingClubs/CraftTips.php

Special activities:
•  Pick two random students from volunteers. They can ask each other questions about things they like or don’t like and compare how they are alike and different.
•  Practice and memorize the verse that Peanut Butter repeats. Think of other funny words to finish the poem.
•  Ask for answers to these questions:
--Describe what a friend is: Someone who …
--What do you like to do with a friend?
--How does a friend make you feel?

*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions. You can use them, but you don't have to use them. You can expand upon them, or add your own twist. Remember, though, that the focus of your time should not be on the development and execution of a craft; the focus should be on the read-aloud and the enjoyment of the book!