Too Many Carrots Reading Guide & Activities | Ages 12 Months–8 Years

Turn storytime into an opportunity to read together, create together, and grow together with this printable companion guide for Too Many Carrots, written and illustrated by Katy Hudson.

Designed for children ages 12 months through 8 years, this guide helps you enjoy the story at your child’s developmental level—without turning reading time into a lesson or quiz. Start by simply enjoying the book together. Then, return to the story whenever you are ready to explore its humorous illustrations, friendship lessons, and message about sharing through engaging questions and an interactive counting activity. 

Inside this 17-page guide, you’ll find:

• During Reading Tips to help you read with expression, notice hidden illustration details, and emphasize the story’s playful sound words
• Age-appropriate After Reading Questions for:
• 12–18 months
• 18–24 months
• Ages 2–4
• Ages 5–8
• Guidance showing where to ask each question, which skill it supports, and how it helps your child learn
• A complete materials list and step-by-step directions for an interactive craft and game
• Directions for individual and multiplayer play
• Opportunities to build vocabulary, counting, picture awareness, inference, emotional understanding, empathy, sharing, and problem-solving skills

About the activity

The craft extends the story’s carrot theme while supporting number recognition, counting, one-to-one correspondence, listening, following directions, turn-taking, and sportsmanship.

The goal is not a picture-perfect project—it is the connection, conversation, creativity, and time spent making and playing together.

This guide is a good fit for families who want to:

• Talk about sharing, generosity, and how our choices affect friends
• Help children identify and discuss character emotions
• Practice using picture clues to make predictions and inferences
• Build counting and number-recognition skills through play
• Strengthen turn-taking and sportsmanship
• Make storytime more interactive and meaningful
• Enjoy a reusable activity without having to plan everything themselves

Please note

This is a digital PDF download. No physical book, printed guide, or craft supplies will be mailed.

You will need access to a copy of Too Many Carrots by Katy Hudson to use the reading portions of this guide. The book may be borrowed from your local library or purchased separately.

Adult preparation and supervision are required for steps involving the wooden skewer and cutting the opening in the cup.

Recommended ages: 12 months–8 years

Format: Printable digital PDF

Length: 17 pages

Included activity: 2

Also included: Individual and multiplayer game directions