• Story book

• Choose a story from the following suggestions:
  • The Wedding by Eve Bunting, 2003. On her way to town, Miss Brindle Cow meets a host of animals who are late for a very important wedding.
  • The Rabbits' Wedding by Garth Williams, 1958. Animals in a moonlit forest attend the wedding of a white rabbit and a black rabbit. Note: Intimations of interracial marriage caused some Alabama politicians to call for this book to be banned in the late 1950s. But the racial concerns of the past seem to have dissipated; contemporary, online reviews are positive. One reader notes that the book "brought clarity and understanding to what my parents [white Scottish mother, black Caribbean father] must have had to experience in their own travels and after their own 'rabbits' wedding.'"
  • King and King by Linda de Haan and Stern Nyland, 2003. In this postmodern fractured fairy tale, a worn-out Queen is ready for retirement. After much nagging, the Prince, who "never cared much for princesses," finally caves in and agrees to wed in order to ascend the throne. However, no one strikes the Prince's fancy-until he meets Prince Lee. A "very special wedding" ensues!
  • Uncle Bobby's Wedding by Sarah S. Brannen, 2008. Bobby's niece Chloe worries that when Bobby and Jamie, his boyfriend, get married, Chloe won't be his favorite person anymore. This warm story embraces the alternative family while keeping its focus on the uncle and niece's love for one another.
• Review How to Read a Story Book, under Resources in the Introduction.

Hold up the book and say, in these words or your own:

Here's how I am going to read the story. Does anyone need to move so they can see and hear?

This will help children move if they need to and then get settled before the story is started, so they don't interrupt the reading. It also serves as a reminder that if they stand or sit right in front of the pages, no one else can see. Invite them to find a place to settle so that everyone can see. When all are ready, read the story. When you finish reading, ask if anyone has thoughts about the story that they would like to share.

Seat a child with hearing or sight difficulties near the reader.