Learn with Emilia · Story 4
About “Big and Little”
- Ages: 2-5
- Length: 5 min
- Season: Learn with Emilia, story 4
A park day with her animal friends teaches Emilia six pairs of opposites: big Miss Giraffe and little Pip, the seesaw with Dr. Hippo, a fast and slow swing, a loud lion and a quiet mouse, a full bucket and an empty one, and wet and dry.
Opposites click when both halves show up in the same picture, and this park day keeps them side by side. Tall Miss Giraffe stands next to little Pip. Dr. Hippo goes down on the seesaw and sends Emilia up. A lion gives a big, friendly roar, and a tiny mouse answers with a squeak. Sand goes from a full bucket into an empty one until they trade places. Each word is said at the moment it happens on screen, so a child can match each word to the picture. A sprinkler and a fluffy towel cover wet and dry, and a recap ties it all together.
- opposites
- comparing
- describing words
- outdoor play
This story is coming to YouTube soon. You can read it below and print its coloring page now.
What Emilia learns
- big
- little
- up
- down
- fast
- slow
- loud
- quiet
- full
- empty
- wet
- dry
Tips for grown-ups
- Act out each pair with your body: stretch up tall for big, curl up small for little, run fast, then tiptoe slow.
- Near the end, the narrator starts each pair and waits. Let your child supply the opposite before the answer comes.
- Try the bucket idea at bath time: fill one cup, leave one empty, then pour and talk about which is full now.
- If loud noises bother your child, mention beforehand that the lion's roar is a big hello, and that a tiny mouse answers it quietly.
- Look for opposites on your next trip to the playground, like a big slide and a little one, or a fast swing and a slow one.
Talk about it
After watching, ask:
- Who is big, and who is little?
- Who went up on the seesaw?
- Was the lion loud or quiet?
- What made Emilia wet?
- How did she get dry?
- What is the opposite of full?
Try this together
Play an opposites game: you say a word and do it, like fast, loud or up, and your child answers with the opposite word and action. Then trade places and let your child lead.
Free coloring page
Big and Little: Miss Giraffe and Pip: print it (US Letter or A4) or color it on screen.
Read the story
It was a sunny park day, a day made for play,
with Emilia's animal friends! Hip, hip, hooray!
Miss Giraffe, and Dr. Hippo, and Ellie came too,
and the lion! And a tiny someone... peekaboo!
Miss Giraffe is big, so big and so tall,
and Pip is little, so little and small.
Big and little are opposites: as different as can be.
One is big, one is little. Just look and see!
On the seesaw sat Dr. Hippo, and Emilia, so light.
Down went Dr. Hippo, and up she went! What a height!
Is Emilia up, or down?
Up! Way up high! And Dr. Hippo is down!
Then Ellie pushed the swing: fast, fast, fast! Whee!
Then slow... slow... slow... as slow as can be.
Fast, like a bunny. Slow, like a snail.
And Pip? Shh! He gave a wiggle of his tail!
Then the lion gave a ROAR! A great big hello!
So loud! It made Emilia's pigtails blow!
And a tiny mouse? Squeak. So quiet, so small.
Loud, and quiet: opposites, after all!
In the sandbox, two buckets: one red, and one blue.
The red one is full, full of sand. And the blue?
Empty! Nothing inside. So she poured: plop, plop!
Now the blue one is full, all the way to the top!
Then the sprinkler went spritz! Splash! She got wet!
Drip, drip, drip! The wettest she's been yet!
Then a big fluffy towel: rub, rub, rub... and she's dry!
Wet, and dry! Opposites! Oh, my!
Big and little. Up and down. Fast and slow.
Loud and quiet. Full and empty. Wet and dry.
Opposites! And now you know!
Your turn! What's the opposite? Let's play!
Miss Giraffe is big. And Pip is...?
Little!
Emilia went up. Dr. Hippo went...?
Down!
The swing went fast. Then it went...?
Slow!
The lion is loud. The mouse is...?
Quiet!
This bucket is full. That one is...?
Empty!
First she was wet. Then she was...?
Dry!
You know your opposites! Hooray for you!
Six pairs of opposites! Hip, hip, hurrah!
Hands up high, and sing it with me: Ta-da!
Then over to her backpack, for pin number four:
a big star and a little star! Click! One more!
Four pins on her backpack! Is she proud? Oh, yes!
Six more to go! What's next? Can you guess?
Every day, there's something new to know,
and every time you learn, you grow, and grow!
Next time: who said moo? Let's find out! Bye-bye!
Questions parents ask
Is the lion scary?
No. His roar is a friendly hello that just blows Emilia's pigtails around, and a tiny mouse squeaks back right after.
How can I practice opposites at home?
Daily routines are full of them: lights on and off, a full cup and an empty one, wet hands and dry hands after washing. Say both words out loud as they happen.