Sit Still. Be Quiet.A Wiggle-Friendly™ bookThe book that hands you the next 90 seconds of circle time.
Three-year-olds aren't built to sit still. Neither are four- or five-year-olds. Sit Still. Be Quiet. is a read-aloud that names what their bodies are doing, gives the whole circle the same word for it, and ends with a move-then-freeze that brings everyone back together.
Built for the bodies actually in your circle.
- The refrains do the heavy lifting. "Sit still. Be quiet." gets repeated through the book — your kids will start chiming in by the third spread.
- Big, bold pages with one line of text per spread. Easy to read across a room of 18 kids on a rug.
- The Dinosaur Stomp is preschool-perfect. Four moves — CLAW, TAIL, STOMP, ROAR. Kids learn it in one read-through.
- Inclusive illustration. The classroom spread shows kids of varied skin tones and a child who uses a wheelchair — joining the dance, not watching it.
- Validates what you already know. Movement isn't a problem. It's how preschoolers learn.
Six places this book earns its spot in your classroom.
Morning meeting / circle
Read it Monday. Lead the Dinosaur Stomp. Establish the routine for the rest of the week.
Before story time
A 60-second stomp-and-freeze before another book settles the circle better than "shhh" ever did.
After outside play / motor
When little bodies come in keyed up, finish the energy on purpose, then transition.
Before nap
Big stomp, big freeze, big quiet. The contrast cues "now it's resting time."
Before lunch / line-up
A predictable pre-transition the whole class learns. Para-friendly.
Family-engagement nights
Read it with families. Give them something to do at home tonight.
Maps to the frameworks you're already using.
- Head Start ELOF — Approaches to Learning (emotional & behavioral self-regulation, attention persistence) and Social & Emotional Development.
- NAEYC DAP — supports the principle that movement and play are how young children learn.
- Pyramid Model — universal practices: nurturing, responsive relationships and high-quality supportive environments.
- State Pre-K SEL standards — most include self-regulation, body awareness, and emotion vocabulary; this book opens conversations on all three.
- CASEL — Self-Management foundations (recognize and regulate emotions/energy).
Two things worth saying out loud.
Adapt the moves freely
For toddlers and twos, downsize the moves: hand-claws on lap, finger-tail wiggle, soft foot-tap, gentle "rrr". The freeze is the magic — keep that one.
Inclusive by default
For kids using mobility devices: claws and tail are the same; "stomp" can become a hand-drum on lap or a chair rock; ROAR as written. Affirm what every body does.
Other roles, other angles.
The one-page lesson guide
The lesson, talk-about-it questions, words to notice and the Dinosaur Stomp steps on one printable page. Ready for circle time, a K–3 morning meeting, or library storytime.
⬇ Download the free guide (PDF)Read-aloud permission: Teachers, librarians and caregivers are welcome to read Sit Still. Be Quiet. aloud in classrooms, storytimes and live or virtual library programs. Please don't post full recordings online.
Who wrote itMeet Mr. Twisty
Chad Currin, better known as Mr. Twisty, is the son of an elementary school librarian and grew up in libraries. Today he's a storyteller and comedy magician who performs for kids at schools, libraries and festivals. He has watched thousands of wiggly kids up close, and he wrote this book for them.
🎩 Book Mr. Twisty for a visitThe Oliver & Penny series
Three true stories about Mr. Twisty's real dogs. The dogs never talk, so kids read their ears, tails and bodies to figure out how they feel.
Raised in a library
Mr. Twisty (Chad Currin) is the son of an elementary school librarian. He grew up in libraries: reading stories, writing stories, reshelving books, and taking in everything a library had to offer. He has loved telling stories ever since.
On stage, his magic illustrates the stories he tells. His books are the stories that come from the rest of his life: the morning walks, the dogs, and the kids he meets along the way.
Magic on the stage. Stories on the page.