CAPS FOR SALE by Esphyr Slobodkina

“Caps! Caps for sale! Fifty cents a cap!”

I love this book because it is full of teaching treasures. There is a reason that this book is a classic, not to mention it is fun!

Vocabulary: what is a peddler? I also had a child ask me what “refreshed” meant.

Money: How much is fifty cents? A great time to talk a little or lot about money and coins.

Colors: The blue looks a little off in this book, but it provides an opportunity to talk about or review colors.

Movement: copy me

Science: monkeys

Positional language: see below

Notice anything missing?

What a fun way to work on the right and the left (and behind for the little ones):

This is when I got the children to help me with the story, look at these cute little monkeys:

I continued the copycat theme after the story and had the children follow my movements (oops forgot photos!).

I have some hats to sell to you, only fifty cents!

Who wore it better? (Yes, I know – B wins!)

Monkeys on the projector:

The students in my afternoon classes took their own monkey masks home with them:

Print mask here: https://www.firstpalette.com/printable/lion-mask.html

The children then colored their own caps to sell, and coloring sheets. They also cut out” two quarters”.

Print caps to color here:

We put on our mustaches, became peddlers, and went out selling our caps:

(Beatrix seemed to want a mustache too!)

“Caps! Caps for sale! Fifty cents a cap!”

We finished the day playing A Barrel of Monkeys:

Another Beatrix and Berto approved book!

For more ideas to go with this book go here:


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