Why Mosqutioes Buzz in People’s Ears

Puppets and Reader’s Theater Script

Based on the Book by Verna Aarmdema and the

illustrations of Leo and Diane Dillon

Hello,

Thank you for purchasing this activity. I have loved the book “Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears” Since I was a small child. It is a wonderful folk tale cumulative tale, with wonderful use of Onomatopoeia. I have included a reader’s theater script that students can perform to improve their fluency. You might encourage students use their puppets to create their own retelling of the story. It would also be interesting to tell the story from different characters perspective. These puppets can be used in a lesson to address core content standard RL.2.2: Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central message, lesson, or moral.

I have included full color images that are ready to cut out and place in your literacy center. I suggest that you print the puppets on cardstock or other thick paper. You may want to laminate them if you plan to use them in a literacy center. I used large Popsicle sticks make the illustrations into puppets.

If you find this product helpful please write send me email at marathomas30@yahoo.com. Tell me how you used it in your classroom. I will send you a free gift as a thank you for your feedback.

Enjoy,

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears

A Reader’s Theater by Mara Thomas

Based on the book by Verna Aardema

Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon

Characters

Narrator

Mosquito

Iguana

Python

Rabbit

Crow

Monkey

Owl

Lion

Narrator: One morning Mosquito met Iguana at the lake.

Mosquito: Iguana you’ll never guess I saw!

Iguana: What?

Mosquito: There was a yam almost as big as me!

Iguana: Mosquitoes are small compared to yams. You are too silly. It is

a waste of my time to listen to you.

Narrator: With this Iguana stuck sticks in his ears so he wouldn’t have

to hear any more of mosquito’s nonsense.

Iguana: There now I can’t hear you!

Narrator: Iguana walked on through the reeds.

Iguana: Mek, mek, mek.

Narrator: Soon he passed his friend python.

Python: Hi there Iguana, how are you?

Narrator: Iguana could not hear python because he had sticks in his

ears. So he walked on without answering the snake.

Iguana: Badamin, badamin.

Snake: Iguana must be mad at me for something. I’d better hide before

he decides to play a trick on me! Wasawusu,wasawusu,wasawusu.

Narrator: Python went into Rabbit’s hole to get away from Iguana.

Rabbit: Oh No! Oh No! That snake is trying to eat me!

Narrator: Rabbit was scared. She jumped out of her hole and began to

run.

Rabbit: Krik, krik, krik!

Crow: Oh no Rabbit is running! There must be danger!

Narrator: Crow saw Rabbit running and thought there must be trouble.

He decided he better warn the other animals.

Crow: Kaa,kaa,kaa! Danger! Danger!

Monkey: Oh No! I’d better go somewhere safe. Kili, wili! Kili,wili!

Narrator: Monkey heard Crow’s warning and thought that he better

escape the danger. While running away he crashed into a tree limb.

The tree limb fell on Owl’s nest killing one of her owlets.

Owl: Oh my baby! How could monkey kill my baby? I’m too sad I will

not be able to wake the sun. So sad, so sad, so sad.

Narrator: It was Owl’s job to wake the sun but she was too sad.

Therefore all the animals lived in darkness.

Lion: I’m sick of living in darkness. Why doesn’t Owl wake the sun? It is

her job! Send her to me at once!

Narrator: Owl was brought before King Lion, the leader of all the

animals.

Lion: Owl, why have you stopped waking the sun?

Owl: I have stopped waking the sun because Monkey killed my baby.

Now I am too sad.

Lion: Monkey is the one who killed the baby owl! Send me Monkey!

Narrator: Monkey was brought before King Lion.

Lion: Monkey, why did you kill Owl’s baby?

Monkey: It was not my fault. Crow was screaming about danger. I

started running and a branch broke and killed owl’s baby.

Owl: and I was too sad to wake the sun.

Lion: So, it was Crow’s fault! Send me Crow!

Narrator: Crow was brought before King Lion.

Lion: Crow, why did you sound a false alarm?

Crow: I didn’t know it was false. I saw Rabbit running and I thought

there was danger, so, I alarmed Monkey.

Monkey: So, I killed Owl’s baby

Owl: And I was too sad to wake the sun

Lion: Well Rabbit must be to blame! Send me Rabbit!

Narrator: Rabbit was brought before King Lion.

Lion: Rabbit, Why did you run and startle crow?

Rabbit: I was scared! Python came into my house and tried to eat me.

So, I ran and startled crow.

Crow: I alarmed Monkey

Monkey: I killed Owl’s baby

Owl: and I was too sad to wake the sun.

Lion: I see, Python did it! Send me Python!

Narrator: Python was brought before King Lion.

Lion: Python, Why did you enter Rabbit’s house and try to eat her?

Snake: I didn’t try to eat Rabbit! Iguana was mad at me and was going

to play trick on me so I tried to hide in Rabbit’s house. I didn’t mean

to… but I scared Rabbit.

Rabbit: I startled crow.

Crow: I alarmed Monkey.

Monkey: I killed Owl’s baby

Owl: and I was too sad to wake the sun.

Lion: Seems like Iguana caused this trouble. Send me Iguana!

Narrator: Iguana was brought before King Lion.

Lion: Iguana, why were you mad at Python? Why did you want to play

a trick on him?

Iguana: Huh!

Narrator: Iguana did not answer because he still had the sticks in his

ears.

Lion: I do not think he can hear me. He has sticks in his ears. I will pull

them out.

Lion: Why were you mad at Python?

Iguana: I was not mad at Python. Mosquito talking about such silly

things, so I put sticks in my ears so I would not have to hear her. That is

why I frightened snake.

Snake: So, I scared Rabbit

Rabbit: I startled Crow

Crow: I alarmed Monkey

Monkey: I killed owl’s baby

Owl: and I was too sad to wake the sun.

Lion: So this is all Mosquito’s fault. We must do something to punish

her. Send me Mosquito!

Narrator: They didn’t find Mosquito because she was scared and hid

under a rock. To this very day she asks…

Mosquito: Zee! Are they still mad at me? Zee! Are they still mad at me?

Narrator: And she gets her answer. (Swats mosquito.)