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Wiggle
Stretch
Can you stretch to the ceiling? Can you stretch to the floor? You can stretch with a whisper, you can stretch with a roar! Doreen Cronin and Scott Menchin give new meaning to the yoga pose downward facing dog as publishing’s most energetic pooch explores the many, many ways a kid can get limber. More than simple toe touching, this pup stretches to ride a breeze, grab a snack from a tree, catch a wave. His bubble gum even gets in on the stretching action. POP! And he reminds us not to forget that we also need to stretch our imaginations (recognize that statue, anyone?). This interactive, energetic rhyming text will also help parents stretch out reading time with their youngsters.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published August 11, 2009
4 people are currently reading
228 people want to read
About the author
Doreen Cronin
122 books444 followersDoreen Cronin (born 1966) is an American writer of children's books, including Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type, a very well-received picture book illustrated by Betsy Lewin.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
July 18, 2019
A book that encourages movement and imagination. My favorite line: "A yawn is just a stretch that starts down deep inside. It travels up into your mouth and makes it open wide." Children will have so much fun acting out the various stretches and adults may be inspired to get up and move too!
November 12, 2009
Stretching, wiggling, bouncing – little children are full of movement. Cronin and Menchin capture this kinesthetic energy in Stretch, a new twist featuring the same friendly dog from Wiggle (2005) and Bounce (2007). Children are invited to join the fun, as the book opens with “Stretch with me,/ hands in the air!/ Count to three…./ Hold it right there!” The humorous rhyming text woks well as a read-aloud. The scenes change as the dog meets different animal friends and travels to different settings. “I can stretch underwater,/ I can stretch on a wave./ I can stretch on a surfboard/ if I’m very, very brave.” The illustrations are clean, sharp pen and ink drawings, combined with bright digital color and photographic elements. The layout is engaging, as text elongates, curves and responds to the pictures and images. This format is very familiar from Wiggle and Bounce, but children will enjoy this new version as well. It makes a fun way to add movement to story time.
April 22, 2013
A review of: Stretch
Publishing Details: Stretch
Author: Doreen Cronin
Year: 2009
Publishing: Simon &Schuster
Introduction: In Doreen Cronin’s Stretch, she highlights the importance of not only physically stretching but also stretching your mind and imagination. The story is a very simple one, which focuses mainly on the illustrations, but the text is simple and has a lot of rhymes to draw the students in.
Description: The lovable dog in this book is followed as he stretches in many different places. He stretches with elephants, underwater, on the moon and lots of other crazy places. Each location the dog does a different stretch that the kids would love to get up and try to do while the book is being read!
Text Judgment: This book would definitely be targeted at the youngest level of elementary students. The print is large but the illustrations really take president in the book by telling the story through pictures.
Publishing Details: Stretch
Author: Doreen Cronin
Year: 2009
Publishing: Simon &Schuster
Introduction: In Doreen Cronin’s Stretch, she highlights the importance of not only physically stretching but also stretching your mind and imagination. The story is a very simple one, which focuses mainly on the illustrations, but the text is simple and has a lot of rhymes to draw the students in.
Description: The lovable dog in this book is followed as he stretches in many different places. He stretches with elephants, underwater, on the moon and lots of other crazy places. Each location the dog does a different stretch that the kids would love to get up and try to do while the book is being read!
Text Judgment: This book would definitely be targeted at the youngest level of elementary students. The print is large but the illustrations really take president in the book by telling the story through pictures.
January 11, 2011
We have yet to read Wiggle and Bounce but after reading this I think we may. I do remember Doreen Cronin's name from Click Clack Moo and if I recall correctly we did both enjoy what we read.
Stretch can be a huge help to get a kid moving a think. Not all kids mind you, but some. The illustrations are awesome with two pages in the beginning showing only the hands of different animals as if they're stretching them into the air. The way the illustrations help the story really can make a kid want to get up and move.
Th rhyming text makes for a great sound while reading and the story is silly enough that it's good for some laughs.
I think once you read one of Cronin's book her name stays with you. I saw her name on this and I could pretty much know it was a safe bet.
Stretch can be a huge help to get a kid moving a think. Not all kids mind you, but some. The illustrations are awesome with two pages in the beginning showing only the hands of different animals as if they're stretching them into the air. The way the illustrations help the story really can make a kid want to get up and move.
Th rhyming text makes for a great sound while reading and the story is silly enough that it's good for some laughs.
I think once you read one of Cronin's book her name stays with you. I saw her name on this and I could pretty much know it was a safe bet.
September 30, 2016
This picture book uses rhyming to keep the story flowing. It is great to use in a lesson that can get students up moving and away for their desks and interact with the stretches going on in the book. It incorporates animals, space, the ocean, New York and Paris, as well as many other settings throughout the book. It gives the message that stretching can be done anywhere and in many different ways!
February 23, 2017
This picture book uses rhyming to keep the story flowing. It is great to use in a lesson that can get students up moving and away for their desks and interact with the stretches going on in the book. It incorporates animals, space, the ocean, New York and Paris, as well as many other settings throughout the book. It gives the message that stretching can be done anywhere and in many different ways!
April 21, 2010
Great storytime reading for a rainy day when kids have been cooped up inside and need a good STRETCH!
July 30, 2015
I love this author - this was not the book I was looking for.
June 22, 2018
This was a fun book by a favorite author in this house.
When the kids were little, we loved the Click, Click, Moo series of books.
It was fun, and a storyteller could certainly make some stretches up to go along with the pictures, but I was hoping this was a book of actual stretches for kids.
When the kids were little, we loved the Click, Click, Moo series of books.
It was fun, and a storyteller could certainly make some stretches up to go along with the pictures, but I was hoping this was a book of actual stretches for kids.
May 31, 2017
Stretch, run, wiggle and jump, a type of intro to yoga for kids.
June 9, 2017
This was a cute and interactive book to read with children.
June 14, 2017
This is really cute. The book is definitely better for a younger audience. The phrasing is simple and it has an easy rhyming pattern. I think I am going to add this book to my Yoga storytime.
October 22, 2017
Looking forward to sharing STRETCH with my young Storytime friends!
April 19, 2018
Love it. This is a fun way to incorporate interaction into storytime while reading and to work out some wiggles if I need to.
August 29, 2018
In a cute way a dog demonstrates the many ways to stretch. End pages have yoga stretch images.
March 22, 2019
I love this book for storytime!
May 30, 2019
Great story
kids loved it
kids loved it
February 18, 2020
A good get-up-and-wiggle book
age: toddlers+
plot: a dog rhymes about stretching
themes: imaginative ways to stretch
wordiness: medium-low
length: medium-short
age: toddlers+
plot: a dog rhymes about stretching
themes: imaginative ways to stretch
wordiness: medium-low
length: medium-short
March 28, 2021
A good book to get the kids to stand up and stretch.
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July 14, 2022Beginning is a great leading Story Time movement book, but it gets long.
July 15, 2022
Good movement book for story time.
July 30, 2022
I love this book! I can't wait to use it for a mindfulness program in the Spring, and to read to a classroom. A nice way to have a stretch in the middle of the day!
September 7, 2022
good read-aloud for wee ones
June 8, 2023
Cute book. This was on a park sidewalk reading trail. It was fun, they also included, moving bits, like walk backwards, etc to keep you moving more. I enjoyed walking along to this book.
October 9, 2023
A dog shows all kinds of ways to stretch and kids can do it too. preschool and up
March 30, 2024
Super cute book. The illustrations really help make this book what it is! Great work Scott Menchin.
April 8, 2024
A cute read, encouraging Tot to do a little stretching. It was a great choice for Toddlertime at our local library.
August 3, 2024
Good rhyme and encouragement to stretch!
February 7, 2025
A fun look at the many ways to stretch for both mental and physical well-being.
March 25, 2017
Great rhyme scheme. Yoga, too! I may incorporate in a yoga storytime.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews