Dorothy and Mikey By: Keiko Kasza

Theme: Friendship
Grades: Pre-K-2

Dorothy and Mikey is small collection of stories about to hippos who are best friends, who are constantly competing against one another. 

Summary: The Knight and the Princess

Mikey and Dorothy are the best of friends, but when Mikey wants to play it has to be his way or no way. Dorothy decides not to play with him, and he's forced to play by himself, but it's just not the same. Things begin to look up when Dorothy comes back and they make a compromise. Two friends can win in the end.

Bragging

Mikey was constantly bragging about how he was better than Dorothy. No matter what it was: jumping higher, standing on one foot or running faster. After Dorothy lost to all of those things, and Mikey would not stop bragging, she wanted to outsmart him. She tricked him into standing on one foot with his eyes closed, in terrible heat, while she went home and sipped on cool lemonade.

The Poem

Mikey was being really mean to Dorothy. He wouldn't let her swim in the mud with him, or sit in a box (that did not look very fun). He just didn't seem to want to be around her, and she was angry. After she realized why he wanted to be alone, she realized he was just being a good friend. He was writing her a poem about their friendship and Dorothy couldn't be happier.

Pre-Reading

• Create a Venn Diagram with students comparing and contrasting the front and back cover of the book.
• Ask students to write a journal entry about what makes a good friend. 
• Complete a picture walk and have students complete a prediction based on the illustrations and each character's facial expressions.

During and Post-Reading

• Have students write a poem about their best friend or someone they care about. Allow them time to make a web to list the qualities and activities they enjoy doing with their friends.

• Have each student complete a drawing of their best friend. Label the picture and have them write a few sentences based on why this person or animal is their friend.
• On a very big piece of paper, have one child lay down, and the other child trace the first child. The children may color in their bodies and cut them out to hang around the class.