Title of Book:
Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
20 Hungry Piggies: A Number Book
Trudy Harris
Millbrook Press, Inc (Division of Lerner Publishing)/2007
978-0-8225-6370-9
Grade Levels for Recommended Use: Kindergarten/First Grade
K.2
Number, operation, and quantitative reasoning. The student describes order of events or
objects. The student is expected to: (B) Name the ordinal positions in a sequence such as
first, second, third, etc.
Brief Summary: Using the traditional rhyme of "This Little Piggy", Trudy Harris creates a
storyline around the idea of the first little piggy having a party. Using ordinal numbers, Harris
counts off the preparation and arrival of 19 other piggies. The ever present "Big Bad Wolf" even
makes an appearance as he usually does in piggy tails. I mean "tales".
Materials Needed: Card stock, sentence strips, or note cards (sturdy paper of some kind), yarn,
and markers.
Suggested Activity: Line Them Up
Before reading the book show, the Piggy Geico Commercial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F_G2zp-opg
After reading the story, randomly hand students numbered cards (1-20). Explain to students that
we are going to try to organize ourselves in the correct order to attend a piggy party. Have
students look around and spot who should be first in line, second, third, etc. Teacher can be the
10th pig. If there are more than 20 students in the room, speak to the student/students who do
not receive cards. Have them be your party planners. They will have the job of helping you
(teacher) hand out the treats at the end of the activity. After everyone is lined up in the correct
order, the "party planners" can help you (the 10th piggy) hand out the doughnuts or doughnut
holes to the rest of the piggies at the party.
Adapted by: Christine Dunahoo, 2010