Words from Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino and Steven Kellogg

A llama is a nice animal, a little like a small camel.

Llamas live in South America.

Say it: llama

A friend is someone you know and like, and who knows and likes you.

The dog is the boy’s friend.

Say it: friend

To believe is to think something is true.

Do you believe that Santa Claus lives at the North Pole?

Say it: believe

To behave is to act. How you act, or what you do, is how you behave.

This girl does not behave nicely.

Say it: behave

Feathers are what birds use to fly.

The swan has beautiful white feathers.

Say it: feathers

To behave politely is to act nicely, like a friend.

The two men are shaking hands politely.

Say it: politely

To explain something is to say what or why it is.

“To start a fire, you can use a match,” the man explained.

Say it: explained

To graze is to eat grass. Cows, sheep, and other animals graze.

The cow grazes when she is hungry.

Say it: grazes

Clyde is a man’s name.

Here is a man named Clyde Barrow. (He was a robber!)

Say it: Clyde

Whiskers are long hairs under the noses of men, and cats, and other animals.

The man has long whiskers. So does the cat!

Say it: whiskers

Really means actually, in fact.

Is that dog really that big? Yes!

Say it: really

Rhonda is a woman’s name.

Here is a woman named Rhonda. She plays the mandolin.

Say it: Rhonda

To respond is to answer.

The lady responded to the question with a smile.

Say it: responded

Hind means in back. Hind legs are the back legs.

A kangaroo’s hind legs are big, for jumping.

Say it: hind

Certainly means definitely. Something is certainly true if there is no doubt! Yes, it’s right!

“That is a lot of cars.” “Yes, it certainly is a lot!”

Say it: certainly

Llyn is a name. It sounds the same as “Lynn.”

Here is a lady named Llyn.

Say it: Llyn

Lloyd is a man’s name.

Frank Lloyd Wright showed people how to make this house, called Falling Water.

Say it: Lloyd

Lashes means eyelashes, hair just above and below your eyes.

She has very long lashes.

Say it: lashes

A herd is a big group of animals like sheep, or llamas!

The sheep are in a herd, and so are the llamas.

Say it: herd

’cause is just a short way to say because.

The boy hugs the dog just ’cause (because) he likes him!

Say it: ’cause (because)

The End Note: I would like to see more presentations like this, taking books and explaining words from them that are either hard to pronounce or that might not be familiar to little kids.