Going to buy a Book

One day, grandfather gave my brother
and me some money.
“Go and buy books,” he said.
We were both very happy.

We both love to read.
Should we go now?
Should we go later?
Should we go today?
Should we go tomorrow?
We decided to go right now.

A boy and a girl standing outside book shop.

kids searching for books in the book shop

Should we go to the big market?
Should we go to the small shop?
Should we go with somebody?
Should we go alone?
We decided to go to the small shop, just the two of us.

We like the small bookshop.
It is small but it has many books.
The man in the shop likes us.
He always helps us.

Should I buy a book with a lot of pictures?
Should I buy a book with a lot of stories?
Should I buy a thin book?
I could not decide.

We did not know which book to buy.
The man in the shop smiled at us.
“Relax, come with me,” he said.
“These books are about animals.
Those are about machines.
Those over there are about wars.
Take what you want.”

I picked some books.
My brother picked some books.
I sat on the floor.
He sat on the chair.
And we read and we read and we read.

Kids sitting and reading books in the book shop.

Boy and girl lying in bed with their grandfather.

It was very quiet.
There was no sound.
One hour passed.
Two hours passed.
Finally, we knew which books to buy.

The man in the bookshop smiled at us.
I got a fat book with many stories.
My brother got a big book with many pictures.

We ran home to our grandfather.
We climbed on his bed.
He put his arms around us and then
We read, and read, and read.

– Rukmini Banerji

New words

alone, bookshop, machines, finally, climbed

Reading is fun

1. Why did grandfather give the children money?

2. Where did they go to buy books?

3. Did the girl buy a picture book?

Let’s listen and search

In small groups one child will give directions orally only once; the others will listen and hunt for the following:

1. a circle

2. a square

3. a triangle

4. a piece of paper with three signatures

5. a piece of paper with red colour

6. a piece of paper with a number

7. a piece of paper with the label of tea

8. a twig in the shape of an alphabetic letter

9. a slab of mud with a drawing

10. a flower in the shape of a number

Let’s talk

1. Is there a bookshop near your home? If there is, do you like to visit it?

2. What are the different kinds of books in this bookshop or in any other bookshop you have seen? Tell the class.

Let’s write

1. Look at these sentences in the story –

(a) Should we go to the big market?

(b) Should we go to the small shop?

The coloured words above are describing words.

Now fill in more describing words into the passage below –

It was a _____ night. A _____ girl sat up in bed listening to her mother tell a _____ story. Her _____ eyes opened wide and she gave a _____ smile. “Now go to sleep, Paro,” hermother closed the book. “_____ dreams.”

2. Imagine that you will go to the bookshop tomorrow.

What will you do there? Write five sentences beginning with –

(a) I shall

(b) I shall

(d) I shall

(e) I shall

3. Tina goes to her school library to borrow a book. Complete her dialogue with the librarian by using and or or in the blanks.

Tina: Ma’am, I want to borrow a book.

Librarian: Do you want a story book _____ a book of poems?

Tina: I want a story book.

Librarian: Do you like stories about animals _____ adventure stories?

Tina: I like both.

Librarian: Go to the second cupboard. On the first shelf, you will find animal stories_____ on the second, adventure stories.

Tina (after selecting two books): Ma’am, I want Black Beauty _____ Panchantantra Stories.

Librarian: You can have either Black Beauty _____Panchantantra Stories.

4. What is your favourite book? Write down the name of the book. Then write down the story.

Let’s make a bookmark

Make your own bookmark

Remember to treat your books well. Never fold the corners of pages. This makes books look shabby and old.

A dove bookmark.

A bookmark helps you to find the page you were on when you last read your book.

Here is a way to make your own beautiful Dove Bookmark.

You need –

An old greetings card/wedding card/scissors
A black bindi for the eyes

Method –

Take the old card. You will need to use the inside of the card.
Fold it into two as shown in the picture.
Trace the outline of a dove on the card.
Cut it along the lines.
Make an outline with a black pen.
Stick a bindi for the eye.
Paste it on a strip of 2 inches x 4 inches.
Your Dove Bookmark is now ready to be used.

Let’s cover our book

Spread your notebook on a brown paper which is four inches bigger than your notebook, as shown in the picture.

A book cover.

Fold the paper into two halves with the book inside it in the middle.

Book cover folded from middle.

Fold the two open flaps of paper inside the first and the last page of the book and press to crease.

One side of the cover folded along the notebook.

Fold the closed end of the two top and bottom flaps of the paper, forming a triangle. Crease the paper and cut it.

Triangle formed on the folded side of the cover.

Fold the two front flaps inside the first page and crease it.

The two front flaps folded inside the first page.

Fold the two back flaps under the last page and crease it.

The two back flaps folded under the last page.

Now your book is neatly covered.

Covered book.

Write your name and class on the cover. Then write the subject you will use this notebook for.

Do you know?

The earliest books were written by hand. Two thousand years ago in India, birch bark (bhojapatra) and palm leaves (talapatra) were used for pages. A pen and black ink were used to write on birch bark. A sharp, iron spike was used for writing on palm leaves. Holes were drilled through the leaves and the book was held together by a string!

Enjoy and read the poem

Say in Chorus

Books are great! Books are fun!

Books let you do what you’ve never done!

Read a good mystery, solve a crime!

Read about history, go back in time!

Read about a lost dog, where can it be?

Read about a giant frog under the sea!

Read a very funny book, tears go away!

Read a bright, sunny book on a rainy day!

Chorus –