Social Skills 2

Eaton, M. (2007). The adventure of max and pinky best buds. New York: Random House

ISBN #: 978-0-375-83803-3

The Adventure of Max and Pinky Best Buds. A story about two best friends who do everything together. Although they may not be similar in some ways, they keep each other company through all their adventures. However, one day Pinky goes missing and Max is now on his own adventure to find out where his best friend is. He searches all their favorite places, he asks all their animal friends in the forest but no luck. In the end, his imagination brought him to find Pinky.

A great story to help young children understand the importance of having and building friendships. The various activities best friends might do together, it shows that friends care about each other and help one another out. 

I thought the illustrations were adorable. I felt that children would really enjoy the simplicity of the characters and be drawn to the many adventures that were in the story. 

Provocation:

1. Set up different settings such as; a tent, water tables, and a little house. Each area would represent the different places where Max and pinky shared their adventures. So that during the story the children might notice that the tent reminds them of Max and Pinky’s adventure at camp.
2. Print out pictures of all the different animals that were in the book and stick them all around the class room. It would include all the animals that Max asked for help while searching for Pink.
3. Have all the children choose a picture of the animal they would like to be during the story. 

Presentation:

1. Using finger puppets of Max and the different animals he talks to in the story. 
2. Using felts to tell the story. Including felts of Max and Pinky, the various locations they hung out at; lake, forest, home, etc, all the different animals; chicken, horse, fish, polar bear, etc.
3. I would stop at the pages where Max looking and asking different animals to find out where Pinky might be. Wonder and ask with the children about where they think pinky or what he may be doing

Extensions:

1. Have a stuff animal pig hidden around the class room and have the children look for Pinky at the end of the story
2. Plan activities such as fishing at the water tables or setting up a big tent outside for children to play in similar settings as Max and Pinky did. 
3. Have children make masks of the animal they would like to be from the story.