Juno and the Stop-and-Tell Detective Game

Read-aloud note

Read the child name into the story when it fits, then pause for a giggle or reply.

Inside this storybook

Pitter-patter, pitter-patter. Rain tapped on every window. Juno pressed her nose to the glass. "There's nothing to do," she sighed. Grandpa Abe held up her wooden magnifying glass. "Detective Juno," he said, "I have a job for you. Some things in our house are only for grown-up hands. When you find one, you say: Stop. Step back. Tell a grown-up!" Juno grinned. "Stop. Step back. Tell a grown-up!"

First stop: the kitchen. On the cooker, a big pot of soup went blub, blub, blub. Steam curled up high. Juno lifted her magnifying glass. "Hot!" she said. Hot can hurt, even if you only touch it for a tiny second. So Juno stood back on the stripy mat, far from the cooker. "Stop. Step back. Tell a grown-up!" "Good spotting," said Grandpa Abe, and he turned the pot handle in, away from the edge.

Chop, chop, chop. Grandpa Abe was cutting carrots with a big, shiny knife. Juno peeked from her stool by the sink. "Sharp!" she whispered. "Sharp things are for grown-up hands." "That's right," said Grandpa Abe. "And I have a special job just for your hands." He gave her a bowl of muddy carrots. Swish, swish, Juno washed them till they sparkled.

Juno tiptoed into the living room. Her magnifying glass found something on the low table: a little bottle of medicine. Uh-oh! Medicine is not sweets. Only a grown-up can give it, and only when you need it. Juno did not open it. Juno did not even touch it. "Stop. Step back. Tell a grown-up!" she called. Grandpa Abe came quickly and put the bottle up high in the cupboard. "Thank you, Detective. That was a very big find."

Vroom! Juno's little red car zoomed across the floor and rolled behind the lamp, right next to the plug in the wall. Juno reached out her hand. Then she stopped. Plugs and wires are not for fingers. Electricity can hurt you. So Juno stepped back. "Stop. Step back. Tell a grown-up!" Grandpa Abe unplugged the lamp, reached behind, and rolled the red car back to her. Vroom!

Click, the front door opened. Mum came in, dripping from the rain. "What did you do today?" she asked. Juno stood tall. "I was a detective! I found hot things, sharp things, medicine, and plugs. And I know just what to do." She took a big breath. Grandpa Abe smiled. Mum smiled. And all together they said it: "Stop. Step back. Tell a grown-up!" Outside, the rain kept falling. Inside, everyone was safe and warm.

The pages

A New Game

Pitter-patter, pitter-patter. Rain tapped on every window. Juno pressed her nose to the glass. "There's nothing to do," she sighed. Grandpa Abe held up her wooden magnifying glass. "Detective Juno," he said, "I have a job for you. Some things in our house are only for grown-up hands. When you find one, you say: Stop. Step back. Tell a grown-up!" Juno grinned. "Stop. Step back. Tell a grown-up!"

The Steamy Pot

First stop: the kitchen. On the cooker, a big pot of soup went blub, blub, blub. Steam curled up high. Juno lifted her magnifying glass. "Hot!" she said. Hot can hurt, even if you only touch it for a tiny second. So Juno stood back on the stripy mat, far from the cooker. "Stop. Step back. Tell a grown-up!" "Good spotting," said Grandpa Abe, and he turned the pot handle in, away from the edge.

Sharp Means Grown-Ups

Chop, chop, chop. Grandpa Abe was cutting carrots with a big, shiny knife. Juno peeked from her stool by the sink. "Sharp!" she whispered. "Sharp things are for grown-up hands." "That's right," said Grandpa Abe. "And I have a special job just for your hands." He gave her a bowl of muddy carrots. Swish, swish, Juno washed them till they sparkled.

The Bottle on the Table

Juno tiptoed into the living room. Her magnifying glass found something on the low table: a little bottle of medicine. Uh-oh! Medicine is not sweets. Only a grown-up can give it, and only when you need it. Juno did not open it. Juno did not even touch it. "Stop. Step back. Tell a grown-up!" she called. Grandpa Abe came quickly and put the bottle up high in the cupboard. "Thank you, Detective. That was a very big find."

The Toy Car and the Plug

Vroom! Juno's little red car zoomed across the floor and rolled behind the lamp, right next to the plug in the wall. Juno reached out her hand. Then she stopped. Plugs and wires are not for fingers. Electricity can hurt you. So Juno stepped back. "Stop. Step back. Tell a grown-up!" Grandpa Abe unplugged the lamp, reached behind, and rolled the red car back to her. Vroom!

Detective Juno Teaches Mum

Click, the front door opened. Mum came in, dripping from the rain. "What did you do today?" she asked. Juno stood tall. "I was a detective! I found hot things, sharp things, medicine, and plugs. And I know just what to do." She took a big breath. Grandpa Abe smiled. Mum smiled. And all together they said it: "Stop. Step back. Tell a grown-up!" Outside, the rain kept falling. Inside, everyone was safe and warm.

Read-aloud note

Read the child name into the story when it fits, then pause for a giggle or reply.