Meet Skippyjon Jones

Skippyjon Jones Up & Down
By Judy Schachner

Our family first met Skippyjon Jones in the board-book version of the story Skippyjon Jones Up and Down.  We used to read it all the time but had not read it in a while; however, when our oldest turned two he got Skippyjon Jones, the first story about the Siamese cat who thinks he is a Chihuahua, and along with it a Skippyjon Jones puppet.  Mom thought it would be fun to bring out the old favorite and play some games with the puppet.

Read It
Because my son had just arrived at that age where he wanted to help tell the stories we read, Skippyjon Jones Up and Down, was the perfect book.  Although it is a simple read, this book is full of fun and action.  Skippyjon Jones wakes up bouncing, zooming, sniffing, springing, and squeezing into tight spots--only to sleep so he can wake up and do it all over again.

Enjoy It
What a fun way to start learning prepositions and opposites!  This cute little cat bounces up and down; he zooms back and forth; he sniffs near and far.  You never know what he will do next.  It is a great read for young toddlers who need action and brevity--anyone who has an eighteen-month-old boy knows it is hard to find a book to keep him still and engaged.  Well this one surely does, and I am certain it will be a favorite if you check it out.

Make It Come to Life
Now that we are two, I thought it would be fun to use this book to practice prespositions and opposites.  So we got out our favorite puppet (thanks, Gigi!) and started seeing all of the things we could help Skippyjon Jones do, and all the places we could make him go!  Fun is the best way to learn, and you can sneak in this kind of learning at your home too.  If you do not have a Skippyjon Jones puppet--no worries!  Just have your children pretend to be Skippyjon and see where they can squeeze under, what they can jump over, and how fast they can run back and forth.  Make your own list of opposites or prepositions to practice, like: up/down, fast/slow, around, through, hot/cold, beside, behind, on, in/out. 

Skippjon Jones near

Skippyjon Jones far

Jumping over the chair . . .

and squeezing under.

Bouncing up!

(We really had fun bouncing up!)

And then down.

Our current favorite Skippyjon Jones book is Skippyjon Jones, Lost in Spice!  The copy we have from the library came with an audio CD of the author reading the story--a perfect addition to the already entertaining story and illustrations.  Find more books by author and illustrator Judy Schachner here, or go to the Skippyjon Jones website for more fun with the Siamese cat--like the Skippy Scoop (a Skippyjon Jones newsletter), an awesome iPad app, and more.    We would love to read your comments about what kind of fun times your family has had with Skippyjon Jones.