Circus Story Hour - Sudipta Bardhan

Circus Story Hour
FEATURING...
Tightrope Poppy, The High-Wire Pig
This event kit allows you to turn your story
hour into a three-ring circus.
The event features the book, Tightrope
Poppy, The High-Wire Pig by Sudipta
Bardhan-Quallen (Sterling Publishing Co.) and
celebrates the talents of your young story hour
guests. Best for Ages 3-6
About the Book:
In the book, Tightrope Poppy, The High-Wire Pig, a talented young swine waves goodbye to
her mother and the barnyard to show off her skills under the Big Top. She discovers that she has a
long way to go to become the hire-wire queen of her dreams, but through rounds of
disappointment and persistence, the pig named Poppy becomes a circus sensation.
Tightrope Poppy, The High-Wire Pig by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen and illustrated by Sarah
Dillard. ISBN: 978-1-4027-2411-4, Hardcover Picture Book $14.95 (Sterling Publishing Co.)
About the Event:
You can create a circus atmosphere at your story hour with
simple touches of costume, music, food, and a very low highwire. Think about adding some are all of these elements to your
story hour with the book, Tightrope Poppy, The High-Wire
Pig. You might just discover you are a quite talented
ringmaster...
Your Costume:
If you yourself have a simple costume, your story hour guests
will know instantly that this is a special event. How about an
inexpensive top hat from the party store and a jacket with tails?
Add a bright scarf and a touch of colored paper to the hat band
and you will look like the book's ringmaster, Zig E. Zailey
himself.
All 'Circus Story Hour' Illustrations by Sarah Dillard
www.sarahdillard.com
Circus Story Hour
Page 2
FEATURING...
Tightrope Poppy, The High-Wire Pig
Costumes for Your Guests:
The beginning of every event large and small is a bit ragtag as families arrive at different times.
You might offer costume clown elements as your guests arrive as clowns are the most recognizable
character of the circus.
Could you add a few quick red noses, stars on cheeks, or exageratted eyebrows with face paints?
Have enough face paints so that caregivers can join you in adorning their young circus performers.
As part of the event you might have your guests decorate plain party hats with paper circles or small
pompoms.
Music:
A circus atmosphere is instantly created with circus music. Check your library for a circus music
CD or browse iTunes for one of the "Sounds of the Circus" albums that can be purchased for $ .99.
Food:
Put the break room microwave to work popping popcorn for your guests. You might pick up small
white bags at the party store or use simple lunch bags. Boxes of animal crackers also bring an
instant circus scene (if you are allowed to give a wee bit of sugar to your guests.)
Could they decorate plain lunch bags with a circus theme for a craft? Then the kids can fill it with
popcorn at the end as a special goodie bag.
High-Wire:
Your guests should be encouraged after the book reading to try the high-wire just like Poppy.
Through your talents as ringmaster (gifted as you are with exaggeration) you can make a very low
high-wire into a daring feat for your guests.
Simply create a line on the floor that your guests will need to walk across. This could be done with
a few long strips of duct tape on the carpet. It could be done with a 2x4 piece of lumber. It could
be down with a broom secured to the floor with duct tape with the handle serving as the wire and
the bristles as the stepping off platform. Add a balancing prop like a small umbrella for a teettering
effect across the tightrope.
Steps You Might Follow:
Advertise the Event:
___ Order or pull out your copy of Tightrope Poppy, The High-Wire Pig by Sudipta BardhanQuallen. (If you sell books, you might order multiple copies for your families to purchase.)
___ Print the event poster, add your time and location, and post it around town.
___ List the event in your calendars and other marketing. You can download additional event
images for websites and newsletters at www.sudipta.com.
___ Make a display of Tightrope Poppy, The High-Wire Pig with the event poster.
Circus Story Hour
Page 3
FEATURING...
Tightrope Poppy, The High-Wire Pig
Steps You Might Follow (cont.):
Gather Resources for the Event:
___Volunteer to help with face painting and hat craft
___ Elements of your ringmaster or other costume
___ Face paints or crayons
___ Anti-bacterial wipes to clean face paint brushes or crayons between use
___ Plain party hats
___ Pom-poms
___ Glue sticks
___ Markers
___ Music and a player
___ Microwave popcorn or animal crackers
___ Bags for popcorn
___ Low high-wire (broom or 2x4)
___ Duct tape
___ Small umbrella
___ Printed and cut Zig E. Zailey business cards
Day of the Event:
You are the ringmaster, so follow your own lead on how to entertain your guests. If you would like
some advice from an old circus hand, though, here is a step-by-step set of instructions and scripts
for the event.
-Set up a small table for the food.
-Prep your music to play.
-Set out a chair and small table with supplies for face painting.
-Set up a table with supplies for hat making.
-Set out a chair for reading the story.
-Lay out your low high-wire somewhere where guest cannot bump heads on anything should they
tumble off.
-Welcome your guests with music playing in the background.
Circus Story Hour
Page 4
FEATURING...
Tightrope Poppy, The High-Wire Pig
Day of the Event (cont.):
"Welcome to the Zig E. Zailey Circus! We are looking for young clowns, dancers, acrobats,
and hire-wire acts. Would you like to join my circus? Yes, then step right up so that
we can apply you circus makeup.
No? Well then, take a bag of popcorn and wait for the greatest show on earth to begin."
-Paint faces while you ask your waiting guests about their talents.
"I would like to ask you about your amazing abilities. Can you twirl in a circle?
Marvelous! Can you hop on one foot? Such talent! Can you touch your toes?
Incredible! Can you roar like a lion? Very good. Can you purr like a tiger?
Very nice." And so on...
-When you have enough guests, promise to paint faces after the story, and gather the guests to read
Tightrope Poppy, The High-Wire Pig.
"We are going to paint one more face and then I would like to gather you for a story.
Now, now, no sad faces. We will paint everyone's circus faces before the Big Top closes for
the day. I promise."
-You might hand out popcorn/animal crackers for them to munch during the story.
-Turn off the music.
-Introduce the book.
"I would like to tell you the story of Poppy who was once just like you. Poppy too
wanted to join my circus and just like you, she was VERY talented. Shall I tell you
about her?
Poppy's story was written by an author named Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen. The
pictures were done by Sarah Dillard. I think Sarah made me very handsome in the
book."
-Read the book.
"What did you think of that? Poppy has been very popular in our circus. So popular in
fact that I need more people to join the high-wire act. Would any of you like to try
walking on the high-wire? I have brought with me a rather low high-wire ( I would not
want the adults to worry). But with the low-wire and a little imagination, we can all see
how talented you will be on the low-wire."
Circus Story Hour
Page 5
FEATURING...
Tightrope Poppy, The High-Wire Pig
Day of the Event (cont.):
-You might turn the music back on for the background.
-Present the low-wire with a flourish. Show them how to pretend to climb to the platform and walk
across the wire. You may extend an umbrella to help keep your balance.
"May I demonstrate. First we climb the spire. We pause on the platform and then this is
what Poppy repeats to herself:
'Balance, focus, straighten spinepractice makes a tightrope swine.'"
-Have each guest take a turn and have the rest repeat with you Poppy's mantra:
"Balance, focus, straighten spinepractice makes a tightrope swine."
-Hand out your business cards to all of the children.
"I would be delighted to have any of you in my circus. This is my business card. When
you are all grown-up and want to join the circus send me a letter. If you would like to
know more about Poppy and would like to play games with Poppy, I have included the
website for the author, Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen.
Copies of Poppy's book are available for sale/to taken out of the library. I am sorry
Poppy is not here to sign books for you, but she has a bit of a cold today."
-Start some guests on hat making while the remainder have their face painted.
"Until you join my circus, I want you to practice on being amazing--balancing on one
foot, touching your toes, and spinning in place. You can also work on your costume. A
costume and makeup are VERY important to a circus performer. To get you started we
will continue to paint faces and make circus hats over here."
-Take a bow.
"It has been a pleasure being your Ringmaster!"
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Faces
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Circus Story Hour
FEATURING: Tightrope Poppy, The High-Wire Pig
By Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen
Run away with the circus
with Poppy's picture book !
Zig E. Zailey
Zig E. Zailey
For more about...
Tightrope Poppy, The High-Wire Pig
For more about...
Tightrope Poppy, The High-Wire Pig
visit: www.sudipta.com
visit: www.sudipta.com
Zig E. Zailey
Zig E. Zailey
For more about...
Tightrope Poppy, The High-Wire Pig
For more about...
Tightrope Poppy, The High-Wire Pig
visit: www.sudipta.com
visit: www.sudipta.com
Zig E. Zailey
Zig E. Zailey
For more about...
Tightrope Poppy, The High-Wire Pig
For more about...
Tightrope Poppy, The High-Wire Pig
visit: www.sudipta.com
visit: www.sudipta.com
Zig E. Zailey
Zig E. Zailey
For more about...
Tightrope Poppy, The High-Wire Pig
For more about...
Tightrope Poppy, The High-Wire Pig
visit: www.sudipta.com
visit: www.sudipta.com
Zig E. Zailey
Zig E. Zailey
For more about...
Tightrope Poppy, The High-Wire Pig
For more about...
Tightrope Poppy, The High-Wire Pig
visit: www.sudipta.com
visit: www.sudipta.com
Ringmaster
Ringmaster
Ringmaster
Ringmaster
Ringmaster
Ringmaster
Ringmaster
Ringmaster
Ringmaster
Ringmaster