The Sharing Surprise
A calm story about Gerry the giraffe, his favourite red ball, and a new friend named Milo. Gerry is not ready to share at first, and the quiet surprise of the story is that good things grow when they are shared. The book runs about six minutes read aloud and lands its meaning through what the characters do, not through a stated lesson.
Themes
Sharing and generosity, turn taking, friendship, and naming and settling big feelings.
Before reading
- Ask the children about something they love that is hard to share. How does it feel to be asked?
- Look at the cover together. What do they think the surprise might be?
While reading
- Pause when Gerry holds the ball tightly. Notice his face and name the feeling together.
- Predict what Milo will do, and what Gerry might do next.
After reading
- Why did Gerry feel better once he shared? What grew between the friends?
- Talk about a time the children shared something. What happened?
Three gentle activities
- Sharing circle. Pass one soft object around the group, each child holds it, says one kind thing, then passes it on.
- My red ball. Children draw something precious to them, then draw one way they could share it.
- Take turns game. A simple two child game with a single toy, naming the feelings of waiting and of giving a turn.
Curriculum mapping
| EYLF V2.0, Outcome 1 | Children have a strong sense of identity. Through co regulation and secure relationships, the story supports children to feel safe expressing a feeling as strong as not wanting to share. |
|---|---|
| EYLF V2.0, Outcome 3 | Children have a strong sense of wellbeing. The before, while and after reading prompts build emotional regulation and empathy, recognising a feeling, sitting with it, and choosing a kind next step. |
| EYLF V2.0, Outcome 5 | Children are effective communicators. Shared reading, predicting, retelling and the discussion prompts grow vocabulary and the language of feelings. |
| Australian Curriculum v9.0, Foundation English | Language and Literature. Interacting with others to share feelings and ideas, and responding to a story by sharing thoughts about the characters and events. Literacy. Shared reading, predicting and retelling a familiar narrative. |
A note on calm
The Sharing Surprise was written to settle rather than excite. It works well in a quiet corner, at rest time, or as part of a wind down, and reads gently in a one to one or small group setting.
One More Story® is a registered Australian trade mark, number 2586962. This guide is free to print and share for classroom and centre use.
