GRUMPY MONKEY SPRING FEVER SEQUENCING THEME: BEING A SUPPORTIVE FRIEND ~ Book Units by Lynn

Teacher’s Fact Sheet: Grumpy Monkey Spring Fever

Theme: Emotional Honesty & Sensory Awareness

Focus: this unit explores the social-emotional side of seasonal changes. While many books celebrate the “energy” of spring, this unit validates the child who feels overwhelmed by the noise, light, and “bounciness” of the season. It teaches students that their feelings don’t have to match the “weather” and that finding a quiet space is a healthy way to self-regulate.

Key Teaching Points

• Respecting Your “Inner Battery”: Just because everyone else has “Spring Fever” doesn’t mean you have to. It is okay to feel quiet when the world is loud.

• Identifying Sensory Triggers: Spring can be “too much” (too bright, too smelly, too noisy). Recognizing these triggers helps us understand why we might feel grumpy.

• The “Forced Happy” Trap: Trying to force a smile or a “bouncy” mood when you don’t feel it can make you feel worse. Honesty about our moods is important.

• Being a Supportive Friend: Norman shows us that being a good friend doesn’t mean “fixing” someone’s mood; it means sitting with them until they feel better.

Discussions Starters

1. The Sensory “Too Much”: “In the book, Jim says spring is too bright, too smelly, and too loud. Have you ever been somewhere like a loud party or a bright playground-where your ears or eyes felt like they needed a break?”

Clipart by doodle art

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