A Beaver

Words and music by Jean Young
© 2006 Jean Young

Jean says, “I always introduce the song with a true story about going camping with my husband and two young children. My husband, who likes to get up early and take a walk while I sleep a bit longer, returned one morning with the story of seeing a beaver on the nearby pond. He challenged me to get up early enough the next day to see the beaver at work. So I did…crawling out of the tent very quietly.

“I then start right into the ‘SSH! Not a sound’ chant, which the children can join in on and continue throughout the first verse. With a small beaver puppet, I sing the first verse, then show a photo of a beaver swimming, leaving a V-shaped wake. I might teach the second verse as well, showing another photo of the tree trunks and starting with the chant, ‘Tooth marks! Hey, look!’

“I would wait until another day to teach the last two verses, again showing photos of beaver dams and houses.

“With five or six year olds, after they learn the song, I like to try having half of them continue the chant while half the class sings the verse with me. We’ll switch jobs for the second verse, with the other half doing the chant.”