Build Background
Display a couple of books that you personally are reading. Explain briefly what kind of book each one is and why you are reading the book. Ask students to tell why they enjoy reading books and what happens when they read. List the reasons they give on a board.

Discuss poetry's rhymes and rhythms. Write the word book on the board. Invite students to identify words that rhyme with book. Write these words on the board. Remind students that not all ending sounds of rhyming words are spelled the same.

Explain to students that rhyming poetry can follow a definite pattern. If the ending words of the first two lines rhyme, the pattern is called AA, and the next pair of rhyming words is referred to as BB. The rhyme pattern would be called AABB, and if the fifth line does not rhyme with the others, it would be C. Poetry and musical patterns can be fun to experiment with in your own writings.

Preview the Poem
Show students the front and back covers of the book. Discuss the illustrations. Turn to the title page. Discuss the illustration and the information on the page (title of book, author's name, illustrator's name). Ask students to explain what this poem might be about based on the illustrations and what they already know about their own feelings related to reading books. Explain to students that thinking about what they already know about the topic will help them understand and enjoy the book.

Remind students about the rhyme present in some poetry. Read pages 3 and 4 with students. Ask them to tell you the pattern for the rhyming words and to predict what the next part of the pattern will be for the remainder of the book. Write their guesses on the board.

During Reading
Have students listen as you read the poem. Tell them to clap or raise their hand whenever they hear the second word of a rhyming pair. Read the book expressively and emphasize the words that rhyme in each pair of sentences. Then reread the book with students.

Use think-aloud strategies to remind students to use what they already know to help make sense of the poem. React to parts of the poem with facial expressions and gestures.

Allow students to stop and ask questions during reading, especially if they do not understand something. Invite students to share how they connected to prior knowledge while reading or listening to the poem.

After Reading
Reader Response
Ask students what they thought of the poem. Have volunteers summarize the poem or describe their favorite part.

Comprehension
Ask specific questions that allow students to demonstrate their understanding of the poem.

• Why is the boy never alone?
• What kind of experiences can you have from reading a book?
• How can a book take you to a faraway place?