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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.” [email protected]
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?