The Very Cranky Bear: Puppet Retell Booklet has been designed to accompany a whole class reading of the picture book The Very Cranky Bear by Nick Bland. This engaging and interactive resource allows students to use character puppets and a booklet of scenes to support oral retelling of the story.

Using the puppets and background scenes, students can retell the key events of the story, building comprehension, oral language skills, and confidence in storytelling. The resource also supports sequencing, understanding of story structure, and creative play.

The Very Cranky Bear: Puppet Retell Booklet is simple to assemble and offers multiple ways for students to engage with the text. Whether used independently or in small groups, it provides a fun and purposeful way to consolidate students’ understanding of the story.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• ✅ Retell key events of a familiar narrative
• ✅ Develop oral storytelling and language skills
• ✅ Build understanding of story structure (characters, setting, plot)
• ✅ Strengthen sequencing and expressive language skills
• ✅ Promote creative engagement with text through play-based learning

What’s Included:

• Cover page
• 8 background scenes from The Very Cranky Bear
• 7 images for making character puppets
• Puppet pocket for storing the puppets

Materials Needed:

• Printed The Very Cranky Bear: Puppet Retell Booklet pages (print pages 1-10 back-to-back, flip on long edge)
• Scissors and glue
• Stapler to assemble booklets
• Craft sticks or pop sticks (to attach puppets)
• Optional: coloured pencils or crayons to decorate booklet and puppets

How to Use:

1. Read The Very Cranky Bear with your class.
2. Print and assemble the Puppet Retell Booklets as per the included instructions. Slice pages down the middle to create two booklets and add the puppet pocket to the back if desired.
3. Students cut out the puppets and tape them to pop sticks.
4. Students use the puppets and booklet of background scenes to orally retell the story, focusing on sequencing and key story elements.
5. Encourage students to colour in their booklet and puppets to personalise their retell resources.

Ideas for Classroom Use:

• 💡 Use as an independent comprehension task after reading The Very Cranky Bear.
• 💡 Include in a literacy rotation for oral retelling practise.
• 💡 Use for assessment evidence of comprehension and oral language development.
• 💡 Add to a relief folder as a no-prep literacy activity linked to a familiar text.

Top Teacher Tips:

• 💛 Model expressive retelling using the puppets and booklet before students begin.
• 💛 Encourage students to work in pairs or small groups to perform their retell for the class.
• 💛 Use the booklets to support sequencing activities and discussions about narrative structure.
• 💛 Store completed booklets and puppets in a classroom literacy centre for ongoing use and storytelling practise.

The Very Cranky Bear: Puppet Retell Booklet is a fun and flexible way to build comprehension, sequencing, and oral storytelling skills. It’s the perfect companion to your literacy unit on this much-loved text!

Check out more amazing resources related to The Very Cranky Bear in our The Very Cranky Bear PACKAGE.

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