This program is presented in part by

the Kansas Arts Commission and the Missouri Arts

Council, state agencies, and the

National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency,

which believes that a great nation deserves great art.

Prepared by Sheryl Bryant, Director of Education, Theatre for Young America

An educational supplement to the live theatre experience of

JUNIE B IN JIJUNIE B IN JIJUNIE B IN JIJUNIE B IN JINGLE BELLS, NGLE BELLS, NGLE BELLS, NGLE BELLS,

BATMAN SMELLSBATMAN SMELLSBATMAN SMELLSBATMAN SMELLS By Barbara Park

Adapted by Allison Gregory

Hi. Junie B. returns to Kansas City and Theatre for Young America in this all new

holiday story! Enjoy the wild and wacky life of Junie B. and meet Tattletale May,

Junie’s big rival, as she roars through the first grade. Between picking a Secret

Santa gift for May, and taking part in the holiday pageant, Junie’s life is wild and

chaotic. We hope you enjoy this Kansas City area premier and use this study guide

to connect the event to your class curriculum! Send us your response to the play

and the guide. Thanks.

JUNIE B. IN JINGLE BELLS, BATMAN SMELLS STUDY GUIDE

This play by Allison Gregory is adapted from three of Barbara Parks’ series about Junie

B. Jones. It is based primarily on “Junie B., First Grader: Jingle Bells, Batman Smells!

(P.S. So Does May.)” The play also draws from two other books in the Junie B., First

Grader series—“Shipwrecked” and “Dumb Bunny.” Booksforkidsblog@.blogspot.com

says that this story is “For all of us less-than-perfect people who can’t help harboring a

secret grudge against the perfect Mays of the world, this Junie B. Christmas story is a

catharsis of chuckles as well as charity.” Besides the funny situations that Junie B. gets

herself into, there is also humor in the way she talks—like using the word “shellfish” for

the word “selfish” and “tinkles” for the word “tingles.”

In the play Junie B.’s first grade class is putting on a holiday program, which reminds

June B. of the time her class did a Columbus Day pageant and it went awfully wrong.

Now they are having a holiday sing-a-long to “Jingle Bells.” Junie B. breaks everyone

up with her own version. (See the original version and Junie B.’s at the middle of this

guide.) Junie B. and her classmates are told by Mr. Scary that they must resist the

temptation to call each other names and tattle on one another or face a daunting trip to the

principal’s office. The two girls agree to a shaky truce. Later Room One is having a

Secret Santa gift exchange. When it comes time to draw names, Junie B. draws the name

of her archrival Tattletale May. Junie B. tries to get more money from her Grandpa

Miller and other family members to buy all the gifts she wants at “Ye Olde Gift Shoppe”

at school. Also with her stuffed elephant Philip Jonny Bob, Junie B. plots to teach May a

lesson by giving her a lump of coal in her gift bag. Then when faced with the potential

fallout of her actions, Junie B.is able to truly feel the spirit of the season and give the gift

she never thought possible.

The characters you will see in the play are Junie B.Jones, tattletale May, Mr. Scary the

teacher , best friend Herb, Grampa Miller, the rich Lucille, Elf Ellen, José, the music

teacher Mr. Toot, Sheldon, and the stuffed elephant Philip Jonny Bob.

Sheryl Bryant, Director of Education

Barbara Park: Author

Barbara Park is a resident of Scottsdale AZ and has written more than fifty books. She is

one of today’s funniest, most popular authors for young people. She has received over 40

awards for her books, including 25 Children’s Choice awards. Theatre for Young

America has twice produced “ Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business”, adapted by

Joan Cushing. That play had the highest attendance of all time of any TYA show.

Allison Gregory: Playwright

Allison Gregory worked very closely with Barbara Park to adapt the three stories for the

stage. She had to decide how to blend the stories together. She had to find what is

theatrical about the books and concentrate of those elements in order to create her

successful adaptation. She divides her time between Austin, TX and Seattle, WS. She

has written many plays for young audiences, including “Go, Dog, Go” which she adapted

with her husband Steven Dietz. It is based on the famous book by P.D. Eastman.

JINGLE BELL FUN

Jingle Bells was originally written by James Lord Pierpoint sometime between 1850-

1859. The song was first called “One Horse Open Sleigh.” The composer was inspired

by sleigh races held in the towns during winter. Both Georgia and Massachusetts claim

that the song was written in their states. Most think Pierpoint wrote it while living in

Savannah, Georgia, but referring to sleigh rides he remembered in Massachusetts.

Here’s the first verse and

chorus of the original: Junie B. Jones Version:

Dashing through the snow Jingle Bells, Batman Smells,

In a one horse open sleigh, Robin laid an egg.

O’er the fields we go Batmobile lost it’s wheel

Laughing all the way. And the Joker got away!

Bells on bobtails ring,

Making spirits bright. Junie B.later in the sing-a-long:

What fun it is to laugh and sing Jingle bells, Batman smells.

A sleighing song tonight! P.S. So does Maaay…

I’d throw May

Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells, Right off the sleigh,

Jingle all the way And then I’d drive away.

Oh, what fun it is to ride

In a one horse open sleigh

Jingle bells, jingle bells,

Jingle all the way.

Oh, what fun it is to ride

In a one horse open sleigh!

Learn the song and you can sing along with the cast when they perform it in the play!

LANGUAGE ARTS CONNECTIONS

Read one of the Junie B. Jones books in you classroom. Ask each student to pick a

character to explore. Have the students compile a list of adjectives that describe this

character. What does the character say about himself or herself? What do other

characters say about him or her? How do you think this character will be played

onstage in the TYA production? After the group sees the play, return to your ideas

about the character. Did the actor play the character the way you expected?

Junie B. is the main character in the play. What is her problem in the play? Have you ever had a

similar problem? What did you do to solve the problem?

Humor in the books and play comes from Junie B. using a word that sounds like another word but

has a different meaning. We call these “malapropisms”. What can you find in the books besides

the aforementioned –piracy-privacy and tinkles-tingles- word mixups?

(Some are shellfish for selfish, virus for iris, hogs for dogs, bladdermouth for blabbermouth. Find

more.)

CRITICAL THINKING

At the end of the play, does Junie B. make the right choice about what

present to give May? What would you have done?

No one is all good or all bad. Name two character traits that you admire

about Junie B. Name two character traits that you do not admire.

Junie B.’s school has a tradition of doing Secret Santa. Do you have any special activities that

your school or group does at holiday time?

Compare and contrast the three books with the live play production. What is alike? What is

different? Why do you suppose that is so?

CONFLICT RESOLUTION There is conflict with the performers in the Christopher Columbus Day play. What is conflict?

What are some of your conflicts?

There are several conflicts between the characters in “JUNIE B. in Jingle Bells.” Name some of

them. What does one character want? What does another character do that creates the conflict?

Junie B. even has a conflict with herself at the end. What is it?

Is it ever all right to “tattle” on someone? When is it right to tell on

someone and when is it better to just leave it alone?

How do Junie B. and May resolve their conflict? What does Junie B.

do? How does May respond to what Junie B. does? Why do these

enemies both feel like winners at the end of the play? What can we learn from

Junie B. and May’s ending behavior toward each other?