The Lantern Walk · ages 3-5

The Lantern Waits

The idea: the hardest job on the walk — stop, wait, then go.

Read it

The five-night book 294 words

Five nights, one book

Little children love the same story again. Read this one five nights running, with a different job each night.

listen.
say the last words.
tap along.
guess who's next.
read it to a toy.

Who is in this book

Bà Tư The grandmother who hands over the lantern from VầnTots
Tí a child of the Green Notices small things; says "again"
Hopp Stop on stop, go on go — waiting is the hardest job from ReadyRoos
Mem Hold a little string of words in mind and bring it back from ReadyRoos
Stepp Lay the steps in order before you cross from ReadyRoos

Every recurring character has a short tune, so you can tell who is on stage before a word is said. The tunes play only when you tap, and the Reading Access sound switch turns them off.

The Honest Page

Which parts of this story are true, stretched or made up?

True

Stopping and waiting when you want to go is hard, and it gets easier with practice. Source
Saying a short rule out loud can help you remember it when it matters. Source
You only move on go, and you wait on every stop.

Stretched

Tí crosses the lane with friends, and Bà Tư watches from the door. What we simplified: Little children always cross a real road holding a grown-up's hand.

Made up

Hopp, Mem and Stepp are made up. Kangaroos, elephants and beavers do not live on the Green.

Tell it back

Tell the story to a toy, or to a grown-up. When you have, the grown-up taps the button, and a keepsake from The Lantern Waits goes on your belt.

Ring the hammer for someone

Pick this book for someone younger. The link carries only the book, and it will wait for them on the Green.

Across the Table → For the grown-up: the story in three lines, one question to ask, and one thing to do together.