Waddle and Glide
Waddle and Glide
by ReadRead · 5 min readSlow on the ice, fast in the sea. A little penguin finds out what it is good at, and uses it to help a lost fish get home.
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Pom the penguin lives on the ice by the big cold sea. Sal the seal slides by, fast, and Pom tries to keep up, but Pom can only waddle. Bump! Pom falls in the snow and feels too slow. Then Sal says: come to the water. Under the sea, Pom can glide, and a little yellow fish called Flip needs help to get home.
The new words in this book
To walk slowly with short steps, rocking from side to side. It comes up 7 times, and every time a paper penguin really rocks from foot to foot across the snow.
To move along smoothly and easily. It comes up 7 times, each one a long smooth sweep through the water: Pom, Sal the seal, and Flip’s family.
The two words are a pair the pictures can show side by side: waddle on the ice, glide in the sea. The last pages repeat it (“On the ice you waddle, and in the sea you glide!”), so a child can say it along. Every other word is a common word, like ice, sea, fish, fast, slow and home.
Questions to ask while you read
Pause after each spread and ask one question. There are no right answers; the point is to get your child talking.
- 1Where does Pom live? What can you see on the ice?
- 2Who is faster on the ice, Pom or Sal? Why did Pom fall?
- 3How does Pom feel? What does Sal say?
- 4Would you jump into the cold sea? One, two, three…
- 5Is Pom slow under the water? Show me how Pom can glide.
- 6Who is the little yellow fish? What is wrong?
- 7How does Pom help Flip get home?
- 8Who comes out of the tall ice rock?
- 9Tap a friend: who can waddle and who can glide?
- 10What is something you are slow at, and something you are fast at?
How hard is this book?
About 300 words, longer sentences, more different words.
- Dialogue × 12“I am too slow,” says Pom.
- Questions × 1“You see? You are fast in the sea!”
- Commands × 3“Come on, Pom! Let’s go to the sea!”
- Not / no × 2Under the water, Pom is not slow at all!
- Will / going to × 1“Come to the water, Pom. You will see!”
- Contractions × 1“Come on, Pom! Let’s go to the sea!”
All 122 words, most used first
the 26 · and 10 · ice 10 · on 10 · a 8 · in 8 · sea 8 · glide 7 · is 7 · to 7 · waddle 7 · you 7 · fast 6 · i 6 · am 4 · it 4 · says 4 · can 3 · go 3 · like 3 · little 3 · slow 3 · then 3 · all 2 · at 2 · away 2 · back 2 · but 2 · by 2 · cold 2 · come 2 · down 2 · fish 2 · for 2 · friend 2 · goes 2 · home 2 · me 2 · my 2 · not 2 · only 2 · rock 2 · see 2 · tall 2 · they 2 · this 2 · water 2 · again · alone · are · big · blue · bump · comes · dad · day · deep · did · edge · falls · far · flip's · fun · gift · gives · gold · hold · holds · hooray · hops · its · jumps · laughs · let's · lives · look · lost · make · mom · now · of · one · or · out · past · pebble · penguin · pink · play · rocks · round · seal · sees · sky · slides · smooth · snow · so · splash · sun · swim · tap · thank · that · there · three · time · too · tries · tummy · turns · two · under · up · very · walks · way · what · wheee · whoosh · will · yellow
Names don’t count: the picture shows who it is.
Tips for parents
- First time: use Read to me and let your child just listen and watch.
- Waddle together: stand up, feet together, and rock from side to side across the room. Then “glide” with arms out, smooth and slow.
- On the play page, before each tap, ask “Will it waddle or glide?” and let your child say the word.
- Talk about Pom: being slow at one thing is fine. What is your child good at?