Ask me a Question: about being outside (preview)

Dedicated to helping children think out loud

and my son

ASK YOUR CHILD A QUESTION AND ALLOW THEM TO DEDUCE THE ANSWER

Ask me a Questionabout being outside

First Edition: 2015a CreateSpace book -13: 978-1517582692Copyright © Mila Efema 2015

Illustrations by Morena GuarnaschelliDesigned by Olga Gorchs

Ask me a Questionabout being outside

MILA EFEMA

If there were a tree

much higher than it should be,

loaded with fruits that everyone can see,

how can you get the fruit from way up there,

all the way down to here,

if you neither have a chair nor a stair?

See the little boy

alone in the park with his toy

that gives him lots of joy,

but the boy does not want to share,

with anyone anywhere.

Should you be angry

or simply let the boy be happy?

“Come look at the top,”

says the man in the shop,“it will keep spinning and never stop,”

If only you could pay

what he is charging that day.

Do you say okay,

or do you say no-way?

What if a man had a very large fan that he took inside of his very large van,

but because the fan had no stand,

the man held the fan in one of his hands.

Should that man be driving that van?

There is a boy playing with a ball, and this little boy is really quite small,

and so it happens that he has a bad fall.

Who should you call,

his mommy, his daddy or no one at all?

Imagine a dog alone on the street,

begging from everyone something to eat,

should we give the poor dog a treat

or should we kick it away with our feet?

At the street fair there is candy everywhere and you can eat as much as you want

because your parents aren’t there.

Do you eat until you burst,

or do you wait and ask your parents first?

What a nice man, with such a nice face,

with his little dog running all over the place,

and this nice man stretches out his hand and says

he can show you more puppies back in his van.

Do you go with the man and his cute little puppy or should you always ask your mommy and daddy?

You must cross a busy street to meet your friend,

but he is standing in the middle

and the crossing is all the way at the end.

Should you run across as quick as you can,

or should you walk slowly to the crossing

holding your parent’s hand?

In the park everybody wants to play a game,

but you do not really want to be the same.

If you don’t play you’ll be all alone,

and if you don’t stay you’ll have to go home.

Should you play a game that’s not for you,

or stay and find something else to do?

You are out for a walk in the woods,

Just Daddy and you,

when Daddy gets really ill

and you don’t know what to do.

Should you sit and cry all alone,

or should you get Daddy’s phone

and call mommy at home?

Imagine you are at a restaurant one night,

and your parents have asked that you do what is right.

Does that mean playing, being loud and running

around, or does that mean sitting, speaking quietly

and not throwing any food on the ground?

It’s a warm, rainy and muddy summer day

that’s perfect for going outside to play,

but should you run into the house dripping mud and water,

or should you take your clothes off at the door,

when the playing is over?

Imagine a beach that is perfect in every way,

clear shallow water and playful waves

on a bright sunny day,

but mommy and daddy

are sitting far away.

Should you stay close to the shore

or keep going out just a little bit more?

You’re at the cinema with friends and the movie is great

but there is a lot of noise being made

by some kids that came in late.

They’re talking so loud you can’t hear anymore

and all you want to do is push them out of the door.

Should you scream at them to “shut up!”

or should you simply ask them, kindly,

if they could please stop?