In The Tall, Tall Grass by Denise Fleming: A Book Review and Interactive Toddler Activity

Creeping, Crawling Fun with In the Tall, Tall Grass – A Book Review + Interactive Activity for Curious Little Hands

As a grandma, few things bring me more joy than snuggling up with a good book and watching my grandkids light up as a story unfolds. One of our recent favorites has been In the Tall, Tall Grass by Denise Fleming—a delightful, rhythmic picture book that captures all the magic of a bug’s-eye view of the world.

Denise Fleming’s In the Tall, Tall Grass is a vibrant and playful look at the mini-wonders hiding in the backyard or park. Told through simple, rhyming phrases, the story follows a young caterpillar crawling through the grass and encountering a parade of insects and animals along the way.

What makes this book such a hit with little ones is the on-the-move rhythm—each page has an active, sound-rich phrase like “crunch, munch, caterpillar’s lunch” or “zip, zap, wings flap.” The repetitive format and vivid illustrations make it perfect for vocabulary building and early reading engagement. Plus, it invites all kinds of movement and sound effects, which keeps wiggly kids invested.

It’s simple, fun, and packed with opportunity for learning—and that’s my sweet spot as a grandma.

To deepen the experience and support early literacy, I’ve started creating interactive book baskets for my grandkids. These themed baskets include the book itself along with hands-on activities to spark conversation, encourage retelling, and expand vocabulary. For In the Tall, Tall Grass, I put together a “Bug Hunt Basket” with the following items:

What’s in the Basket:
🪴 Boon’s Grass Drying Rack – Used as our pretend “tall grass”
🐞 Safari Insect Toob – A collection of small plastic insects that match the story
🧲 Kid-Safe Tweezers – Great for fine motor skill development

The Activity: Bug Hunt in the Tall Grass

Here’s how we played:

1: Hide the Insects: I tucked the little bugs down between the blades of the Boon Grass rack. Some were easy to spot, others a little trickier—just like a real nature hunt!

2: Grab & Name: Pooh-Bear used the kid-sized tweezers to carefully pluck the bugs from the “grass,” while Scooby is still working on her pincer grasp. As they pulled out each one, we named it together, mimicked its sound or movement, and looked for it in the book.

3: Story Retelling: After the hunt, we re-read the book and paused on each page so Pooh-Bear could show me the matching figure. This helped boost comprehension and support retelling skills, all while keeping their hands busy.

Why It Works

These interactive moments do more than entertain—they help:

• 📖 Build vocabulary through repetition and hands-on naming

• 💬 Encourage storytelling and sequencing as kids retell what they remember

• ✋ Develop fine motor skills using the tweezers

• 🧠 Support attention and recall, especially for active kiddos

And most importantly, they create joyful, connected learning that doesn’t feel like “work.”

Final Thoughts

In the Tall, Tall Grass is a beautiful reminder that small things—bugs, words, and moments—can spark big wonder. Pairing it with a hands-on activity like our bug hunt brings the book to life in a way that’s playful, educational, and full of grandparent magic.

If you’re looking to make reading time more interactive, I highly recommend putting together a book basket like this one. It’s simple, inexpensive, and creates lasting memories your little ones will carry with them, just like the caterpillar crawling through the tall, tall grass.

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