"Handa's Surprise" by Eileen Browne: Printable Activities and Worksheets- Speak and Play English

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Title: Handa’s Surprise

Author: Eileen Browne
Publisher: Candlewick
Language: English
Themes: exotic fruits, african animals, colours, adjectives
Age-range: 5 – 10 years

This is the story of Handa, who’s part of the Luo tribe in south-west Kenya. Handa decides to take seven pieces of delicious fruits to her friend, Akeyo, who lives in the neighbouring village. But as Akeyo wonders, I wonder what fruit Akeyo will like best?, a series of sneaky animals steal something from Handa’s basket, which she’s carrying on her head… When Handa reaches Akeyo, will she have anything left to offer her friend? Richly-illustrated, brimming with luscious fruit and cheeky wild animals, this mouth-watering story is for the youngest of readers. Children will long to tell Handa what’s happening right behind her!

Culture and Vocabulary:

fruits: a banana, a guava, an orange, a mango, a pineapple, an avocado, a passion-fruit, tangerines;
african animals: a monkey, an ostrich, a zebra, an elephant, a giraffe, an antelope, a parrot, a goat;
adjectives : soft, round, sweet-smelling, juicy, ripe, spiky-leaved, creamy, tanguy;
colours : yellow, red, green, purple.

Grammar:

questions in English “I wonder which fruit she’ll like best?”, “Will she like the…”, “Which fruit will Akeyo like best?”
structure “Will she like the… ?”
position of adjectives – before a noun in English (“the soft yellow banana”)