Educational
Resource: Runaway Rooster
Synopsis
The Kāhui farm has everything an animal
could want, but every day, Little Fred Rooster runs away. He doesn't
usually go too far, and the Kāhuis’ friendly neighbours always drive him back,
but no one knows why he goes.
When Fred escapes yet again, Junior
Kāhui follows him, and after visiting all the neighbouring farms finally solves
the mystery — Fred loves riding in cars! Now the Kāhuis know exactly what to do
to keep Fred content.
About the
Author
Melinda
Szymanik is an award-winning author of picture books, short stories and novels
for children. Her books include the junior novel A Winter’s Day in 1939
(Scholastic, 2013), winner of the Librarian’s Choice award at the 2014 LIANZA
Book Awards, and the picture books Fuzzy Doodle (Scholastic, 2016),
an International Youth Library White Raven Award winner in 2017, and My
Elephant is Blue (Penguin Random House, 2023), which has been published around
the world in different languages. Melinda lives in Tāmaki Makaurau
Auckland.
About the
Illustrator
Lael Chisholm is an award-winning illustrator living in Palmerston North. Lael began her illustration career winning
the 2017 Storylines Gavin Bishop Award for an unpublished illustrator. She went
on to illustrate the picture book Granny McFlitter, Champion Knitter as
part of the award’s prize, and four subsequent Granny McFlitter titles as well
as several other picture books — many of which have received Storylines Notable
Book Awards. This is Melinda and Lael’s first book together.
Comprehension
Questions
1)
Why does Mrs Kāhui think Fred runs away? (Answer: because
he’s bored.)
2)
What does Mrs Kāhui give Fred to keep him entertained?
(Answer: a seed ball.)
3)
How does Junior have time to follow Fred when he
runs away? (Answer: he’s on holiday from school.)
4)
What is Fred’s secret dream that is revealed at the
end of the book? (Answer: He’d really like to drive the car.) What does this
remind you of? (Example: Mo Willem’s Don’t let the Pigeon Drive the Bus.)
5)
There are two mentions in the story about the
danger a runaway rooster might face, eg., being cooked and eaten. Can you find
these? (Answer: ‘(but never ever to the Sanders)’ on p.11 and when Mrs Kāhui says ‘One day he’ll go too
far and end up as someone’s roast.’ on p.20).
Shared
Learning and Discussion Points
1)
Why are geese good birds to have in orchards and vineyards?
(Answer: because they are an environmentally friendly way to keep weeds and
insect pests under control between the vines/trees and are thought of as living
lawn mowers that keep grass levels under control.)
2)
This book has an underlying message about following
your dreams and doing what makes you happy. What are some of the things that
make you happy? Fred Rooster’s dreams might seem unusual for a farmyard animal,
but what are some good ways to keep livestock or pets happy?
Activities
1)
The author has had a bit of fun with some of the
farm animals’ names (like Pat the Cat and Tony the Pony). Can you think of some
other rhyming or funny names for farm animals or pets? Work in pairs and then
share your ideas with your classmates.
2)
Can you come up with team names for the two chicken
teams that play football with the seed ball?
3)
This story isn’t written in rhyme, but there are
lots of other language techniques used like alliteration, assonance and
repetition. Where can you spot these techniques in the book?
4)
Do you think roosters would really like to ride in
cars? What other farm animals might enjoy a car ride? Who would drive and how
many would fit in the car? Illustrate this with a picture.
Melinda
Szymanik, October 2026
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