Handa's Surprise by Eileen Browne Worksheet Printable
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4.7/5 - (7 votes)

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”)

Phonology:

  • accents of words, phrases
  • rising intonation on a question that does have a yes or no answer.

Teaching suggestions:

  • work on structure I like, I don’t like, I prefer.
  • work on quantity (How many… are there ?)
  • there is/ there are
  • stage the story
  • switch the adjectives “delicious”, “tasty”…
  • discover another author’s album “Handa’s Hen” (YouTube)
Handa's Surprise by Eileen Browne Worksheet Printable
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Handa's Surprise Project

Printable Activities and Worksheets “Handa’s Surprise” – Free Download:

Other activities

♦ Handa’s Surprise Fruit Game (collaborativelearning.org)
♦ other ideas (Teaching Ideas)

“Handa’s Surprise” Videos in English:

handa’s surprise song in English:

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3 Comments

  1. I absolutely loved the activities you shared for “Handa’s Surprise”! They are such a fun way to engage children with the story while helping them learn. The worksheets are also a fantastic resource for reinforcing the themes of friendship and sharing. Thank you for providing such creative and educational materials!

  2. I absolutely loved the activities and worksheets you shared for “Handa’s Surprise”! They really enhance the story and make it more engaging for kids. The vibrant illustrations and the interactive elements will definitely help in bringing Handa’s journey to life in the classroom. Thank you for these fantastic resources!

  3. I absolutely loved the activities and worksheets for “Handa’s Surprise”! They are such a fun way to engage with the story and help kids learn. The connection to different fruits and cultures is a great touch. Can’t wait to try these with my little ones! Thank you for sharing!

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