Mr. TwistyMr. TwistyBooks
Lessons & activities

Read it. Talk about it. Do it.

Free discussion questions, skills and a no-materials activity for every Mr. Twisty book. Use them in circle time, counseling groups, storytime or at home.

Start with UP! OVER! DOWN!
UP! OVER! DOWN! coverSLOW DOWN! coverONE MORE ZOOMIE! cover
UP! OVER! DOWN!SLOW DOWN!ONE MORE ZOOMIE!Sit Still. Be Quiet.Series activities
UP! OVER! DOWN! cover
Trying again & starting small Ages 3–7 · PreK–1

UP! OVER! DOWN!

An Oliver & Penny story about trying again and starting small

The lesson: Start small, and learn from someone who has been there. Big skills are built one step at a time, with help.

Skills it builds

  • Persistence: trying again after "a GREAT jump, just not an OVER jump"
  • Learning by watching a mentor (Oliver watches Penny; Penny watched Izzy)
  • Accepting help, and breaking a big skill into small steps
  • Good judgment: on the wet day, Oliver sits it out and gets carried

Words to notice

up, over, down, through, underneath · higher, smaller · once, twice, third lap · crunch, chirp, sniff · this way, that way

Talk about it

  1. What did Oliver want to do? Who was he watching?
  2. Oliver's first jump landed right where he started. Was it a bad jump?
  3. Why did Oliver sit down on the wet day? Was that okay?
  4. Where was Penny's very first hoop? Why do you think it started there?
  5. What is something you're learning one small step at a time?

Try it: Hoop on the floor

Set out hoops (or hula hoops and pool noodles) at three heights: on the floor, a little up, a lot up. Every child chooses where to start. Chant UP! OVER! DOWN! and AGAIN! together.

Free lesson guide (PDF) Look inside Buy on Amazon

SLOW DOWN! cover
Waiting, noticing & slow days Ages 3–7 · PreK–1

SLOW DOWN!

An Oliver & Penny story about waiting, noticing and slow days

The lesson: Waiting is hard. Going at someone else's speed can show you things you'd zoom right past.

Skills it builds

  • Reading body signals ("Slow steps. Head low.")
  • Naming a feeling: "Waiting is hard, isn't it?"
  • Empathy for someone moving at a different speed
  • Mindful noticing with all the senses

Words to notice

fast and slow opposites · the stretched-out "s l o w" · trot, stop, sniff · ants, mushroom, acorn cap, feather, beetle, puddle

Talk about it

  1. How did Mr. Twisty know Penny was having a slow day?
  2. What did Oliver do that showed waiting was hard for him?
  3. What did Oliver find when he got down to Penny's height?
  4. Have you ever had a slow day? What helps?
  5. What can YOU find on a slow day?

Try it: Slow-day noticing walk

Take a walk at "Penny speed." Trot, trot, trot. Stop. Sniff! Each child finds one thing they only noticed because they went slow: a sound, a color, a bug, a leaf. Draw it afterward. (Look, don't touch, if you find a mushroom!)

Free lesson guide (PDF) Look inside Buy on Amazon

ONE MORE ZOOMIE! cover
Bedtime & transitions Ages 3–6 · PreK–K

ONE MORE ZOOMIE!

An Oliver & Penny bedtime story for kids who aren't done with today

The lesson: It's hard to say goodbye to a fun day. The fun will still be there tomorrow, and sleep fills you up for it.

Skills it builds

  • Handling transitions and endings
  • Naming the feeling: "It's hard to say goodbye to a fun day"
  • Co-regulation: a calm grown-up who sits with you
  • A predictable, cozy bedtime routine

Words to notice

"Okay. Just one more." (kids chime in) · grrr, slurp, thump, zoom, zzz · around, under, over · tonight, tomorrow

Talk about it

  1. How did Mr. Twisty know what Oliver was asking for?
  2. Why didn't Oliver want the day to end?
  3. What will still be there tomorrow?
  4. What "fills up your zoom"?
  5. What helps YOU get ready for sleep?

Try it: Fill up your zoom

Practice a calm wind-down: one more big stretch, one more slow breath, one more whisper "goodnight." Great for nap, the end of recess, or clean-up time. Families can add their own "one mores" to a bedtime chart.

Free lesson guide (PDF) Look inside Buy on Amazon

Sit Still. Be Quiet. cover
Self-regulation & big energy Ages 4–9 · K–3

Sit Still. Be Quiet.

A Wiggle-Friendly story about learning to calm your body

The lesson: Sometimes you need to move first. Then you can focus.

Skills it builds

  • Self-regulation and body awareness
  • Movement as a calming tool (the Dinosaur Stomp)
  • Replacing shame with understanding
  • Call-and-response refrains

Words to notice

CLAW, TAIL, STOMP, ROAR · louder, faster, FREEZE

Talk about it

  1. Where did Ronald hear "sit still, be quiet"?
  2. What did Ronald's body do when he tried to be still?
  3. What does your body do when it has big energy?
  4. What helps you get ready to listen?

Try it: The Dinosaur Stomp

CLAW! TAIL! STOMP! ROAR! Repeat louder and faster, then FREEZE. Two minutes, no materials. Full guide at sitstillbequiet.com.

Free lesson guide (PDF) Full teacher guide Buy on Amazon

Activities for the whole series

Dog Detective

Pause on any page and ask: "What are Oliver's ears doing? His tail? What do you think he's feeling?" Kids practice reading feelings without words.

Hoop on the floor

Penny's first hoop was on the floor. Make a class chart of big goals and the small first step for each one.

Big-sibling stories

Penny helps Oliver, and sometimes she needs space. Talk about how siblings and friends take care of each other.

Words you can see

Kids draw their own "picture word": FAST that looks fast, TALL that looks tall, SLEEPY that looks sleepy.

Trail walk journal

Oliver and Penny's stories come from their daily walks. Take a walk and write or draw one thing you noticed.

Meet the real dogs

Show the photo album at olivertwisty.com after reading. Kids love seeing the real Oliver.

Say the magic word!

Mr. Twisty
Meet the storyteller

Raised in a library

Mr. Twisty (Chad Currin) is the son of an elementary school librarian. He grew up in libraries: reading stories, writing stories, reshelving books, and taking in everything a library had to offer. He has loved telling stories ever since.

On stage, his magic illustrates the stories he tells. His books are the stories that come from the rest of his life: the morning walks, the dogs, and the kids he meets along the way.

Magic on the stage. Stories on the page.

Explore Twisty World

For grown-ups

Questions? Visits? Class sets?

Teachers and parents, send a note here about author visits, Head Start or preschool readings with Oliver, class sets, or anything else.

Your info only goes to Mr. Twisty. It's never shared or sold.