Annual Haircut Day

 Title: Annual Haircut Day

Picture of the cover:

Written by: Rohini Nilekani

Illustrated by: Angie & Upesh

Year, Publisher, place: 2019, Pratham Books, India

Grade level(s): Kindergarten-2nd

Genre: Picture Book

Theme: Kindness, Helping Others

Author name and brief biography: Rohini Nilekani is an Indian author and philanthropist. She has written several books for children and adults, including "The Hungry Little Sky Monster" and "The Little Book of Good Indian Girls". She is also the founder of Arghyam, a nonprofit organization that works towards sustainable water management in India.

Synopsis: Sringeri Srinivas, a long-haired farmer, wants a haircut on Annual Haircut Day. However, everyone in the village is busy with their own work and cannot help him. When he is about to give up hope, a tiger comes to help him get his haircut.

Pre-reading strategies:

• Show the cover of the book and ask students to make predictions about what the story might be about.
• Ask students if they have ever gone to a barber or hairdresser before.
• Introduce any new vocabulary words that may be in the story, such as "barber" or "haircut".
• Show the students a picture of a farm and ask them to identify different things they see.

During reading strategies:

• Ask the students to predict who might help Sringeri Srinivas get his haircut.
• Pause periodically and ask students questions to check for understanding, such as "Why is Sringeri Srinivas having trouble getting his haircut?" or "What do the children do to help him?"
• Encourage students to make connections between the story and their own experiences, such as "Have you ever helped someone who needed it?" or "Have you ever needed help from someone?"
• Ask students to predict what might happen next in the story.

Post-reading strategies:

• Ask the students to draw a picture of a time when they helped someone.
• Have a class discussion about the importance of helping others.
• Ask the students to write a short story about someone who needs help and how they help them.
• Ask students to summarize the story in their own words.
• Have students draw a picture of their favourite part of the story.

Reflection

"Annual Haircut Day" is a heartwarming story emphasizing the importance of helping others. It teaches children that even small acts of kindness can make a big difference in someone's life. The illustrations in the book are colourful and engaging, and the language used is simple and accessible for young readers. Overall, this book would be a great addition to any classroom library and a helpful tool for teachers to teach children about the value of kindness and empathy.

Reference:

https://storyweaver.org.in/stories/283-annual-haircut-day