Just Pretend

By Janet McCann

1. I drive a big red fire engine

That puts out all the fires.

I also have a yellow truck

With four great rubber tires.

2. I’m captain of my sailboat

And sail the stormy sea.

Mother says, “Don’t go too far—

I’d like you home by three.”

3. My airplane carries two of us.

It flies high in the sky.

My house and car seem very small

As we go flying by.

4. When I am riding on my train,

I take my dog and cat.

We wave to everyone we see,

And laugh when they wave back.

5. One day I rode an elephant.

It was a wobbly ride.

I might have fallen off his back

If he hadn’t been so wide.

6. Some days I ride my pony

Or take my racing car

Or even ride my spaceship

Up to a shining star.

7. Mother doesn’t worry,

’Cause I try to take a friend.

And I’ll be back for dinner,

Since my trips are just pretend.

Instructions: Carefully remove pages 28–29 from the magazine and mount them on lightweight cardboard (a manila file folder works well). Trim this panel from the story, cut out the boy and the hats, and cut slits along the broken line in each picture and hat. As you read the story, put the appropriate hat on the boy, then insert the tab at his feet into the appropriate slip in the illustration.

Illustrated by Taia Morley