Las ranas, los sapos, y los cocodrilos /
Frogs, Toads, and Crocodiles
Books to Share
- Froggy se viste by Jonathan London.
- Little White Duck by Bernard Zaritzky.
- ¿Qué hace un cocodrilo por la noche? byKathrin Kiss.
- ¡Salta, Ranita, Salta! by Robert Kalan.
- Salta y Brinca byEllen Stoll Walsh.
- Sapo es sapo by Max Velthuijs.
- El sapo que no quería comer by Martha Sastrías.
Books to Show or Booktalk
- El Príncipe rana by Mary Lewis Wang.
- Sapo y Sepo son amigos by Arnold Lobel.
- El único e impresionante sapo toro y otras criaturas frías by Theresa Greenaway.
Bulletin Board
The Lake
Cover the bulletin board with blue paper and create a water scene with lily pads, frogs, and dragonflies. For an added touch, create the top of the crocodile’s head with eyes out of the water. Patterns are provided (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9).
Nametags
The Frog
Use a frog die-cut to create nametags.
Displays
Display books of frogs, toads, crocodiles, and other green creatures. Add frog figurines or frog bath toys, and lily pads cut out of construction paper.
Refreshments
Bugs on a Log
Clean and cut up celery stalks into small pieces. Put cream cheese in the center of the celery and place raisins and sunflower seeds on top of cream cheese to look like bugs.
Fingerplays
Tres cocodrilos en el agua
(By Paola Ferate-Soto.)
Tres cocodrilos en el agua (Hold three fingers straight out)
flotando como troncos (Move hand back and forth as if floating)
esperaban su comida.
Uno muy hambriento,
vió un pez y se zambulló, (Hide one of the fingers)
y quedaron dos cocodrilos flotantes. (Hold up two fingers straight out)
Dos cocodrilos en el agua…
Un cocodrilo en el agua …
… Y ya no queda ningún cocodrilo flotante.
Three Crocodiles in the Water
(English translation by Paola Ferate-Soto.)
Three crocodiles in the water (Hold three fingers straight out)
Floating just like logs (Move hand back and forth as if floating)
Hungry for their food to come
One saw a fish and dived (Hide one of the fingers)
And now there are only two floating crocodiles. (Hold up two fingers straight out)
Two crocodiles in the water …
One crocodile in the water …
… And now there are no crocodiles floating in the water.
Five Little Monkeys Hanging From a Tree
(Traditional.)
Five little monkeys hanging from a tree (Place one arm out and have the hand from the other arm hanging with 5 fingers extended, swaying)
Teasing Mr. Crocodile (Place thumbs on sides of head, and move hands back and forth sticking out your tongue)
-- You can’t catch me. (Point to self)
Along comes Mr. Crocodile (Place palms together and to the side)
Quiet as can be (Move them quietly from side to side)
SNAP that monkey right out of that tree! (Open hands and CLAP!)
Four little monkeys…
Three little monkeys…
Two little monkeys…
One little monkey…
Cinco monitos colgados de un árbol
(Spanish Translation by Paola Ferate-Soto.)
Cinco monitos colgados de un árbol (Place one arm out and have the hand from the other arm hanging with 5 fingers extended, swaying)
le hacían muecas a Don cocodrilo. (Place thumbs on sides of head, and move hands back and forth sticking out your tongue)
-- No nos puedes alcanzar. (Point to self)
Despacito, con mucho sigilo (Place palms together and to the side and move them quietly from side to side)
¡SNAP! ¡Qué lo muerde ese cocodrilo! (Open hands and CLAP!)
Cuatro monitos…
Tres monitos…
Dos monitos…
Un monito…
Rhymes and Poems
Me encontré un sapito
(Traditional school rhyme from Mexico. Adapted by Paola Ferate-Soto.)
Me encontré un sapito
que feliz vivía
debajo de un puente
donde un charco había.
Tula, tula, tula. Plas, plas, plas.
Ñaqui, ñaqui, ñaqui. Plas, plas, plas.
A-mmm (Literally biting your tongue)
me encontré un sapito.
A-mmm, me miró un sapito
A-mm, me encontré un sapito... para ti,
Pero a mi, sus ojitos me hacen: “mm mm mm” (Bite tongue and “wink” both eyes at the same time)
I Found A Toad
(English translation by Paola Ferate-Soto.)
I found a toad
That lived rather happily
Under a bridge
In a great big puddle
Tula, tula, tula. Splash, splash, splash
Ñaqui, ñaqui, ñaqui. Splash, splash, splash
Ahm mm (Literally biting your tongue)
I found a toad
Ah mm, he is looking at me.
Ah mm I found a toad ... for you,
But his eyes go “mm, mm, mm” when he looks at me. (Bite tongue and “squint” both eyes at the same time)
Songs
Estaba la rana cantando
(Traditional. Adapted by Paola Ferate-Soto. This cumulative song can also be used as a participative story by creating masks and selecting children from the audience to act it out. At the end, the remaining children in the audience can be the “vecinos” or neighbors. You can find a similar version of this song on Alerta Sings & Canciones para el recreo / Children’s Songs for the Playground by Suni Paz.)
Estaba la rana cantando
debajo del agua,
cua cua;
cuando la rana se puso a cantar,
vino la mosca y la hizo callar:
la mosca a la rana
que estaba cantando
debajo del agua,
cua cua.
Cuando la mosca se puso a cantar,
vino el ratón y la hizo callar:
el ratón a la mosca,
la mosca a la rana
que estaba cantando
debajo del agua,
cua cua.
Cuando el ratón se puso a cantar,
vino el gato y le hizo callar:
el gato al ratón,
el ratón a la mosca,
la mosca a la rana
que estaba cantando
debajo del agua,
cua cua.
Cuando el gato se puso a cantar,
vino el perro y le hizo callar:
el perro al gato,
al gato al ratón,
el ratón a la mosca,
la mosca a la rana
que estaba cantando
debajo del agua,
cua cua.
Cuando el perro se puso a cantar,
vino la niña y le hizo callar:
la niña al perro,
el perro al gato,
el gato al ratón,
el ratón a la mosca,
la mosca a la rana
que estaba cantando
debajo del agua,
cua cua.
Cuando la niña se puso a cantar,
vino el papi y le hizo callar:
el papi a la niña,
la niña al perro,
el perro al gato,
el gato al ratón,
el ratón a la mosca,
la mosca a la rana
que estaba cantando
debajo del agua,
cua cua.
Cuando el papi se puso a cantar,
¡Ni los vecinos le hicieron callar!
The Singing Frog
(English translation by Paola Ferate-Soto.)
The frog was singing under the water, cua cua
When the frog started to sing,
The bug came and made him stop.
The bug to the frog under the water,
Cua cua.
When the bug started to sing
In came the mouse and made him stop:
The mouse to the bug,
The bug to the frog
That sang under the water,
Cua, cua.
When the mouse started to sing
In came the cat and made him stop:
The cat to the mouse,
The mouse to the bug,
The bug to the frog
That sang under the water,
Cua, cua.
When the cat started to sing
In came the dog and made him stop:
The dog to the cat,
The cat to the mouse,
The mouse to the bug,
The bug to the frog
That sang under the water,
Cua, cua.
When the dog started to sing
In came the girl and made him stop:
The girl to the dog,
The dog to the cat,
The cat to the mouse,
The mouse to the bug,
The bug to the frog
That sang under the water,
Cua, cua.
When the girl started to sing
In came her daddy and made her stop:
The dad to the girl,
The girl to the dog,
The dog to the cat,
The cat to the mouse,
The mouse to the bug,
The bug to the frog
That sang under the water,
Cua, cua.
When the dad started to sing
Not even the neighbors could make him stop!
Había un sapo
(This traditional song can be used as an opening ritual for your program. Instead of saying “you” at the end, you can say “Y ese amigo / esa amiga es: the name of a child”, and repeat the verse until you say every child’s name in the group. You can also change the name of the color to reflect what he/she is actually wearing. Red: rojo; blue: azúl; yellow: amarillo; white: blanco; black: negro; purple: morado; pink: rosado; etc.)
Había un sapo, sapo, sapo
que nadaba en el río, río, río
con su traje verde, verde, verde
y temblaba de frío, frío, frío.
La señora sapa, sapa, sapa
un día me contó, contó, contó
que tenía un amigo (una amiga)
¡Y ese amigo (esa amiga) eres tú!
There Once Was A Toad
(English translation by Paola Ferate-Soto.)
There once was a toad
That swam in the river
With his green, green outfit
But he was cold and he shivered.
Mrs. Toad, Toad, Toad
One day told me, me, me
That he/she had a friend
And that friend is you!
Audio Recordings
- “El coquí” on Alerta Sings & Canciones para el recreo by Suni Paz.
- “Don’t Get Close to the Alligator” on Great Big World by Joe McDermott.
- “Heal, Heal / Sana Sana” on Universe of Song by María Del Rey.
- “Metamorphosis” on I Was a Supa-Dupa-Pupa! by Lucas Miller.
- “Mr. Froggie Went A-Courtin’” on Burl Ives Sings Little White Duck and Other Children’s Favorites, by Burl Ives.
- “La rana” on Alerta Sings & Canciones para el recreo by Suni Paz.
- “La rana” on Baby's First Steps in Spanish.
Flannel Boards
Counting Crocodiles—An Indonesian Tale
Copy the patterns from the book and tell the story “Counting Crocodiles -- An Indonesian Tale” from The Flannel Board Storytelling Book by Judy Sierra. In this tale, Mouse Deer devises a plan by which he can visit his friend Monkey who lives on another island by enlisting the help of and outsmarting the crocodiles that live near by.
El renacuajo paseador
Rafael Pombo is a celebrated Colombian poet who lived from 1833-1912. The influence of the time he spent living in the United States shows in his poems for children. This poem / story is loosely based on the traditional song: “Froggie Went A-Courting”. However his version has a tragic ending. Frog is invited by his neighbor Mouse to visit Ms. Mouse. When they are both visiting her, and enjoying a refreshing drink and good music, Mamma cat and her kittens decide to barge into the party with disastrous consequences. Copy the patterns provided (Mr. Frog, Mrs. Frog, Mr. Mouse, Mrs. Mouse, duck, guitar and drinks, cats) at the end of this chapter and use them on the flannel board while you recite this poem. You can also use these patterns while singing “Froggie Went A-Courting.” The song can be found at Dan Dutton’s Ballad Project, http://dandutton.com/DanDuttonsBallad/froggy.html or listen to a traditional Arkansas traditional version at the Wolf Folklore Collection, www.lyon.edu/wolfcollection/songs/ashfroggy12471.html.
El renacuajo paseador
(By Rafael Pombo. Adapted by Paola Ferate-Soto.)
El hijo de rana, Rinrín renacuajo
salió esta mañana muy tieso y muy majo
con pantalón corto, corbata a la moda
sombrero encintado y chupa de boda.
-¡Muchacho, no salgas¡- le grita mamá
pero él hace un gesto y orondo se va.
Halló en el camino, a un ratón vecino
Y le dijo: -¡Amigo venga usted conmigo!
Visitemos juntos a doña ratona,
habrá francachela y habrá comilona.
A poco llegaron, y avanza ratón,
Estírase el cuello, coge el aldabón,
Da dos o tres golpes, preguntan: ¿quién es?
-Yo doña ratona, beso a usted los pies.
¿Está usted en casa? -Sí señor sí estoy,
y celebro mucho ver a ustedes hoy;
estaba en mi oficio, hilando algodón,
pero eso no importa; bienvenidos son.
Se hicieron la venia, se dieron la mano,
y dice Ratico, que es más veterano:
Mi amigo el de verde rabia de calor.
Démele un refresco, hágame el favor.
Y en tanto que el pillo consume la jarra
mandó la señora traer la guitarra
y a renacuajo le pide que cante
versitos alegres, tonada elegante.
-¡Ay! de mil amores lo hiciera, señora,
pero es imposible darle gusto ahora,
que tengo el gaznate más seco que estopa
y me aprieta mucho esta nueva ropa.
-Lo siento infinito, responde tía rata,
aflójese un poco chaleco y corbata,
y yo mientras tanto les voy a cantar
una cancioncita muy particular.
Mas estando en esta brillante función
de baile y refrescos, guitarra y canción,
la gata y sus gatos salvan el umbral,
y vuélvese aquello el juicio final.
Doña gata vieja trinchó por la oreja
al niño Ratico maullándole: ¡Hola!
Y los niños gatos a la vieja rata
uno por la pata y otro por la cola.
Don Renacuajito mirando este asalto
tomó su sombrero, dio un tremendo salto
y abriendo la puerta con mano y narices,
se fue dando a todos noches muy felices.
Y siguió saltando tan alto y aprisa,
que perdió el sombrero, rasgó la camisa.
Se coló en la boca de un pato tragón
y éste se lo embucha de un solo estirón.
Y así concluyeron, uno, dos y tres
Ratón y Ratona, y el Rana después;
los gatos comieron y el pato cenó,
¡Y mamá Ranita solita quedó!
Stories to Tell
Tell, or play the recording, “The Legend of Sr. Frog.”The story can be found in English and in Spanish on the The Peanut Man by Maria Del Rey.
Crafts
Frog Finger Puppets
Materials
Self-adhesive wiggly eyes
Crayons or markers
White or green cardstock
Directions
In advance, trace the frog finger puppet pattern onto sturdy green or white cardstock. Precut the holes into which children will insert their fingers to make frog legs. Let the children color the frog and attach the wiggly eyes.
Estaba la rana Coloring Page
Use this coloring page available from the Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia de España, www.sgci.mec.es/usa/deparenpar/1998jun/cantar3.shtml as a craft activity for the children or as a handout for parents who are interested in learning the song, Estaba la rana cantando, provided in the songs section, above.
Games and Activities
We Are All Frogs and Crocodiles
Play some lively music and let the children pretend to be frogs by hopping from one end of the room to the other. Then let the children pretend that they are crocodiles by “duck-walking” and snapping their arms as if they were the crocodile’s mouth.
Sapito Sapón
This game of endurance can be found through the virtual library of the Biblioteca Luis Angel Arango, www.lablaa.org/blaavirtual/ninos/cantar/43.pdf. In this game children recite a rhyme. At the end of each time, they jump like frogs in a circle. The game is repeated until all children fall down.
Professional Resources
Alerta Sings & Canciones para el recreo by Suni Paz.
The Flannel Board Storytelling Book by Judy Sierra.
The Peanut Man: Children’s Songs And Stories From Latinamerica by Maria Del Rey.
Biblioteca Luis Ángel Arango
www.lablaa.org/para_ninos_digital.htm
This web site from the Luis Angel Arango Library in Bogotá, Colombia provides the lyrics, music, and a coloring sheet for Sapito sapón. It also includes Cantar, jugar y tocar: juegos para niños, a book written by Pilar Posada Saldarriaga, that is filled with songs, rhymes and games that are part of the Colombian folklore.
Dan Dutton’s Ballad Project
http://dandutton.com/DanDuttonsBallad/froggy.html
Contains lyrics to the song “Froggie Went A-Courting.”
Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia de España (MEC)
www.sgci.mec.es/usa/deparenpar/1998jun/cantar3.shtml
This web site is part of the Consejería de Educación y Ciencia en Estados Unidos y Canadá, which supports the work of Spanish educators that work in the United Estates and Canada. The site includes a version of the “Estaba la rana” song that may be used as a coloring page, as well as sheet music for the song.
Wolf Folklore Collection
www.lyon.edu/wolfcollection
This collection of Ozark folk songs contains transcriptions and audio files for hundreds of folksongs, among them several versions of “Froggie Went A-Courting.”
