ISBN: 9781550745719
A little girl retells the story of how, on the way to the creek, she accidentally bumped into a dragon, but because he’s so well-mannered, she befriended him. Against Mom’s better judgment, she agreed to have the dragon over, and that set them off to an eventful afternoon! Everyone knows what happens when dragons sneeze, and this time was no exception, and their home is accidentally set on fire! The girl knew what to do in an emergency like that, and because of her keeping cool she saved the dragon from potential harm. When the fire-truck arrived, everything was brought under control, and the girl and the dragon were showed around the fire-truck and equipment the firemen used.
This week’s Book Club Hour at Thorntree Preparatory School was all about Fire Safety, and No Dragons for Tea is a wonderful picture book to introduce or reinforce it to little ones in a non-threatening way. The funky, rhyming text and colourful illustrations make for a fun, engaging read, and covers all the basics children need to know in case of an emergency.
The children were asked whether they would like to play with the toys in the bag (a box of matches, a lighter, a candle, an oil lamp and lastly an (empty) insecticide can). At first they were excited to play games, but when they saw the “toys” they changed their minds. They already knew they were not toys, but tools!
Topics touched during and after the story reading were
- two symbols included on spray cans that show us that it is harmful, and highly flammable
- what “highly flammable” means
- how fires start
- how fires can be put out
- how fires can be prevented
- smoke detectors and alarms, how they work, and where they should be installed
- why smoke is dangerous and how to stay out of it
- contacting the fire-department – when it is okay to phone them and when not
- what personal information we need to know in order to give to emergency services (name & surname, address, nearest intersection)
- that we don’t tell just anyone our name and address, only emergency services, close friends and family
- assembly points in case of emergency (at school and at home)
- never to hide but go and stay outside whenever there is a fire
- what to do if your clothes should catch fire (STOP – DROP – ROLL)
The kids were engaged and participated all throughout the lesson.
