The Truck Cat Colouring-In Page is the perfect way to celebrate this year’s National Simultaneous Storytime with a calm, creative, and meaningful activity. Based on the cover illustration from the much-loved book The Truck Cat by Deborah Frenkel, this story-inspired resource invites students to bring the characters to life through colour while strengthening the connection between text and image.

Designed as a visual response to reading, this colouring page offers students a chance to express themselves artistically and engage with the story in a hands-on way. It’s ideal for a wide range of classroom uses—from quiet reflection after a shared reading session to an extension task for early finishers. Whether you’re celebrating NSS or simply incorporating the book into your regular literacy program, this resource is a flexible and purposeful addition to your lesson plans.

The activity encourages students to recall and retell story events, visualise the setting, and express ideas through colour and detail. It also provides an opportunity to revisit themes of kindness, friendship and belonging as students work independently or collaboratively. This printable page supports fine motor development while promoting comprehension through creative response.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• ✅ Build fine motor skills and pencil control
• ✅ Foster creative self-expression
• ✅ Reinforce comprehension and story-to-image connections
• ✅ Support mindful engagement and visual literacy

What’s Included:

• 1 high-quality A4 colouring-in page inspired by The Truck Cat cover illustration

Materials Needed:

• Printed colouring page (210mm x 297mm)
• Coloured pencils, crayons or markers

How to Use:

• Read The Truck Cat with your class as part of National Simultaneous Storytime or during a themed reading block.
• Invite students to discuss and retell the story using key events or characters.
• Distribute the colouring-in page and encourage students to reflect the story’s setting and mood in their colouring choices.
• Encourage connections between the text and the artwork by referencing specific scenes or emotions depicted on the page.
• Display the completed artworks in a class gallery or include them in students’ literacy portfolios as evidence of reading response.

Ideas for Classroom Use:

• 💡 Use as a calm-down activity following a shared reading or group discussion
• 💡 Include in a book-themed literacy rotation or reading centre task
• 💡 Create a class gallery wall or collaborative mural to celebrate storytime and student creativity
• 💡 Pair with a writing task where students describe the scene or predict what happens next in the story

Teacher Tips:

• 💛 Print on heavier cardstock to create a keepsake version students can take home or display
• 💛 Discuss the illustration before colouring to support comprehension and inference skills
• 💛 Use the colouring task as a launchpad for art or writing extensions—students could design a new book cover or write a sequel scene

The Truck Cat Colouring-In Page is a simple yet effective way to engage students in a creative book response that blends art, literacy and mindfulness. Whether used as part of your NSS celebration or as a literacy-linked activity, it’s a delightful way to deepen connection to the text and inspire imagination in the classroom.