Bailey's Snowman

Written & Illustrated by Natalie Slick

Grade: Kindergarten

Standard: CC.2.1.K.A.2 Apply one-to-one correspondence to count the number of objects.

There once was a dog named Bailey. Bailey was a very loyal dog. She loved living on an apple orchard farm with her owners.

Bailey always found something new and exciting to do each day. But some of her favorite days were spent wandering the rows of apple trees, playing hide and seek with her friends, Burt the bird and Sammy the squirrel. 

On other days, she spent following her owner, an old man named Roger, around the farm. Roger always fed her apples that fell on the ground because he knew apples were Bailey’s favorite treat.

One cool December day, Bailey was lying on the carpet by the fireplace resting, when she noticed small white flakes beginning to fall outside the window. Bailey immediately stands up from her spot and trots over to the window to get a better look. It was snowing!

Bailey loves the snow, almost as much as she loves eating apples. Excited about the possibility of playing in the snow, Bailey bolts through the doggy door and stepped out into the crisp December air. 

Bailey decides that playing in the snow is way more fun with friends. So she heads over to the tree where Burt the bird and Sammy the Squirrel live. Bailey greets her friends with an excited bark, “Do you want to help me build the perfect snowman?” Burt and Sammy excitedly agree to help Bailey build the perfect snowman.

Bailey explains that the perfect snowman is decorated with 15 objects total. The three friends are up for the challenge and set off to gather supplies for their snowman.

Bailey rushes back to her house and grabs 1 hat from Roger’s coat rack, 1 fresh orange carrot from off the kitchen table, and 1 of Roger’s pipes from beside his favorite blue chair in the living room. With a mouthful of snowman supplies, Bailey excitedly runs through the snow to meet her friends back at the tree.

Meanwhile, Burt the bird soars over the treetops in search for some small seeds to make the snowman’s eyes and mouth. Burt collects 2 sunflower seeds left over from Roger’s garden in the spring and he finds 5 round pebbles along Roger’s driveway.

He starts by counting the sunflower seeds…1…2. He had 2 sunflower seeds. Then he counts the pebbles…1…2…3…4…5. He had 5 pebbles. 5 pebbles and the 2 sunflower seeds made how many?

Burt wonders how many objects he collected in all. Burt was not sure, so he counted again starting with the pebbles. 1…2…3…4…5….then 1 sunflower seed made 6 and another makes 7. Burt was so happy! He had 7 things to bring back for the snowman!