Mr. TwistyMr. TwistyBooks
An Oliver & Penny story

SLOW DOWN!

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

For the fast kid who finds waiting hard, and the grown-up who wishes they'd notice more.

Ages 3–7 · PreK–1About 5 minutes to read aloudTrue story · real dogs

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SLOW DOWN! cover

Look inside

Sample pages from the book. Swipe or use the arrows.

SLOW DOWN!, sample page 1
SLOW DOWN!, sample page 2
SLOW DOWN!, sample page 3
SLOW DOWN!, sample page 4
SLOW DOWN!, sample page 5
SLOW DOWN!, sample page 6
SLOW DOWN!, sample page 7
SLOW DOWN!, sample page 8
SLOW DOWN!, sample page 9
SLOW DOWN!, sample page 10
What it's about

The story

Oliver wants to go FAST. Today Penny goes s l o w. Her head is low and her steps are small. Oliver zooms, whines, spins and even barks. Mr. Twisty doesn't hurry anyone: "Some days are slow days. Let's see what Penny sees." Down at Penny's height, Oliver finds ants, a mushroom, a feather, a beetle, and a puddle with the whole sky in it.

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

True story, real dogs

Oliver and Penny are Mr. Twisty's own dogs. They perform in his show, and this really happened.

The dogs don't talk

Kids read Oliver's ears, tail and body to figure out how he feels. Built-in practice reading feelings.

Words you can see

Big, bold words shaped like what they mean, so little readers can chime in. About 5 minutes.

Meet the real Oliver & Penny

Penny leads the way
Penny leads the way
The real trail
The real trail
A slow morning walk
A slow morning walk

Oliver's photo album

Teach it

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

Read-aloud permission: Teachers, librarians and caregivers are welcome to read Mr. Twisty's books aloud in classrooms, storytimes and live or virtual library programs. Please don't post full recordings online.

Kids will ask...

Why is Penny slow? Is she sick?
The book doesn't say, on purpose. The real Penny is an older dog, born in 2013, and older dogs (and people) have slow days. It's a good chance to ask, "What does your body feel like on a slow day?"
Does Oliver stop zooming?
Not completely. "Oliver still zoomed ahead, sometimes. But he always came back." Fast is okay too. Both days find something.
Is the trail real?
Yes. It's the trail where Mr. Twisty walks Oliver and Penny every day.

More Oliver & Penny

The Oliver & Penny series · 3 books
UP! OVER! DOWN! cover

UP! OVER! DOWN!

Trying again & starting small

For the kid who wants to do it NOW. Oliver learns Penny's jump by starting small, with a little help.

Buy on AmazonLook inside
SLOW DOWN! cover

SLOW DOWN!

Waiting, noticing & slow days

For the fast kid who finds waiting hard. On a slow day, Oliver finds a whole new world.

Buy on AmazonLook inside
ONE MORE ZOOMIE! cover

ONE MORE ZOOMIE!

Bedtime & saying goodbye to a fun day

For every kid who asks for "just one more" at bedtime.

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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, librarians 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.