Story - Handa's Surprise
Handa's Surprise
Handa puts seven delicious fruits in a basket to take to her friend, Akeyo. But as she walks, carrying the basket on her head, various creatures steal her fruits. When she shares her basket with Akeyo, it's Handa who gets the biggest surprise.
There are many activities you could do after listening to this story. Have a read trhough the ideas and pick any that suit you.
- Retell the story in the form of a storyboard with captions and speech bubbles for each character / animal.
- Rewrite the story from Handa's point of view. What does she think happened to the original fruit in her basket?
- Make a list of vocabulary to describe the animals and / or fruit that appear in the story.
- Write a review of the story, giving your opinions about what you liked / didn't like.
- Try to make a similar story where a child organises a surprise for somebody else, but there is a surprise for them at the end of the story.
- Weigh a selection of different fruit and vegetables. Can you put them in order from lightest to heaviest?
- Find out about the fruits Handa gathered for her friend. What vitamins do they have in them?
- Find out about the animals that appear in the story. Where do they live? What do they like to eat?
- Draw a map showing Handa's route to see Akeyo and add pictures which shows the events which took place along the way.
- Research where the fruit in Handa's basket comes from. You could also look at the packaging / labels of fruit in your local shops. Where is the country of origin for each type? Can you plot these on a map?
- The story is based in south-west Kenya. Can you find this on a map? Can you find out more about the country? How is it similar / different to where you live? I found this very interesting video about life in Kenya through the eyes of a child.
- If you were going to collect some gifts for a friend, what would you give them?
- What surprises have people organised for you? Can you think of a nice surprise that you could arrange for somebody else?