Before sharing the book: Start with the ABC book. Show the front and back covers, and explain that this book is unusual because it is two books in one. Encourage the children (or child) to share feeling words they already know. Look again at the front cover and then the title name. Invite them to study the illustrations and share the feelings they think are pictured. Ask the children to listen while you read, identify new feeling words, and see if the ones they know are included.

Reading and discussing the book: As you share the book, give the children (or child) time to linger over the illustrations and become familiar with each letter of the alphabet. Encourage them to note details like the arrows on the "A is for Anger" page that emphasize the feeling. As you share the book, guide the children in noting clues in the illustrations that illuminate unfamiliar words. Read and discuss the dedication and acknowledgments.

After the reading:
Ask a few children (or child) to select and act out one of the feelings illustrated in the book. You or the class can guess the feeling interpreted.

2 IS FOR DANCING

Before sharing the book: Discuss the meaning of action words. Invite a few children (or child) to demonstrate or mime some of the actions that they already know. Share the cover and title page illustrations and encourage them to describe the actions they see. Invite the children to listen to the book and identify more action words.

Reading and dicussing the book:
As you share the book, invite the children (or child) to count the animals on each page. Give them time to enjoy the illustrations and become familiar with each number. Encourage the children to guess the action being portrayed before it is read aloud.

After the reading: Revisit the illustrations to note and discuss the artist's use of design elements. For example, on the "9" page, how did the artist use line and color to make the turtle shells distinctive? After you have read both books, discuss why the two books were joined. What do they have in common? What sets them apart?