2007 Printable Manual - Texas State Library and Archives ...

2007 Texas Reading Club Manual
LITTLE FROG: (climbing onto lily pad) Oh, boy! This is great! I can see all the way across the
pond. And look at that strange cloud up there. It looks like a dinosaur. It looks like a
Tyrannosaurus Rex. It looks like ….
(ripping sound)
LITTLE FROG: Huh? What’s that sound?
(Lily pad “breaks” and dumps Little Frog)
LITTLE FROG: Oh, no! Not again! Mommeeeeeeeeeeeee!
LIBRARIAN: So now you know the story behind the song. Will you help me sing the song?
(sings)
The frog sat on the lily pad
Gazing at the sky
The lily broke
The frog fell down
Got water in his eye.
Production notes
The song is sung to the tune “It Ain't Gonna Rain No Mo” by Wendell Hall. The traditional
song, and many variations, is available from several sources and sound files can be found on the
Internet. If you are not familiar with the tune, Fred Penner also records it on The Cat Came Back.
As an alternate way of ending the puppet show, play lively banjo music instead of having the
librarian sing. Banjo music can also be played during interludes when characters are entering or
exiting the stage. Many sources are available but if you need to buy something, try The Banjo
Kings by The Banjo Kings.
Use Folkmanis puppets or create your own. A long table turned on its side makes an inexpensive
puppet stage. You can also increase the height by leaning large pieces of cardboard in front of it
and covering the whole thing with plastic tablecloths or craft paper. The covering should be blue
for the pond with perhaps some greenery at either side to indicate the banks. The dragonfly can
be attached to a thin rod to fly above the stage. The lily pads can be made of green construction
paper, scored to tear easily.
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