Book Week 2026 is the perfect time to dive into picture books that spark meaningful conversations in the classroom. One topic that often comes up in primary classrooms is the difference between telling and dobbing. It can be tricky for young students to understand when they should seek help from an adult and when they can solve a problem on their own.
That’s why I’m excited to use Sean E Avery’s Bob and Dob as part of my Book Week 2026 plans. It looks like the perfect book for introducing important conversations about friendship, honesty, responsibility, and making good choices.
When I first read about the story, I immediately started thinking about the rich classroom discussions it could inspire. Picture books are often one of the best ways to introduce social skills because students can explore situations through the characters before connecting the ideas to their own lives.
Why Teach the Difference Between Telling and Dobbing?
In the early years, understanding when to tell an adult is an important safety skill.
I often find that students either want to report every little thing that happens or, on the other hand, stay quiet when they really should ask for help. That’s why it’s so important to explicitly teach the difference.
Some of the situations we discuss include:
- Someone is hurt or unsafe.
- Someone is being bullied.
- A rule is accidentally broken.
- A disagreement can be solved independently.
- A friend needs help.
When students have opportunities to talk through these scenarios, they begin to develop empathy, problem-solving skills, and confidence in their decision-making.
A Simple Telling or Dobbing Activity for the Classroom
After reading Bob and Dob, one of the first activities I’m planning to use is a Telling or Dobbing sorting activity.
Students will read a range of everyday scenarios and decide whether the situation requires telling a trusted adult or whether it would be considered dobbing. I think this activity will create some fantastic classroom discussions because students will quickly realise that some situations aren’t as straightforward as they first appear.
This activity will encourage students to:
- Think critically about different situations.
- Discuss their reasoning with classmates.
- Develop a deeper understanding of safety and responsibility.
- Build oral language and social-emotional learning skills.
I’m particularly looking forward to hearing the different perspectives students bring to the discussion and seeing how their thinking develops as they justify their decisions.
Extending the Learning
Once students have completed the sorting activity, I plan to extend the discussion with a few simple questions:
- Why is it important to tell an adult when someone is unsafe?
- How can we solve small problems independently?
- What should we do if we are unsure?
- How can telling help keep people safe?
I also plan to have students work with a partner to create their own telling or dobbing scenarios. This will give them an opportunity to apply their understanding and think more deeply about the concepts explored in the book.
Creating a Meaningful Classroom Display
One of the activities I’m most excited about is creating a classroom display using the “Should Dob Tell on Bob?” writing prompt.
Students will complete the writing activity by sharing their opinion and explaining their reasoning. The completed bird templates will then be displayed alongside the book cover and discussion prompts.
I think this display will be a fantastic way to showcase student thinking while reinforcing the important messages from the story. It will also encourage students to revisit the ideas throughout Book Week and beyond.
The display might include:
- Student writing responses
- The “Should Dob Tell on Bob?” prompt
- Examples of telling and dobbing situations
- Discussion questions
- Student explanations and opinions
Not only will it make a colourful Book Week display, but it will also highlight the thoughtful conversations students have had about safety, responsibility, and making good choices.
Supporting Social and Emotional Learning with Bob and Dob
One of the reasons I’m looking forward to using Bob and Dob is that it provides an engaging way to explore social and emotional learning through literature.
By combining the story with hands-on activities, classroom discussions, and a meaningful writing task, I’m hoping students will develop a clearer understanding of when to seek help, when to solve problems independently, and how to make thoughtful choices as members of a classroom community.
I’m excited to see how students respond to the story and the discussions it inspires during Book Week 2026.
Looking for Ready-to-Use Bob and Dob Activities?
To save planning time, I’ve created a Bob and Dob Book Companion packed with low-prep activities for Kindergarten to Year 3 students.
It includes:
- Telling or Dobbing cut-and-paste activities
- Comprehension worksheets
- Vocabulary activities
- Character response tasks
- Writing prompts
- Word searches
- Classroom display ideas
These print-and-go activities make it easy to extend learning during Book Week while exploring the important themes found throughout this wonderful picture book.
Why Bob and Dob Is Perfect for Book Week 2026:
- rich discussion opportunities
- humour
- social-emotional learning
- writing opportunities
- classroom displays
More Book Week 2026 Ideas
If you’re planning your Book Week 2026 program, I’ve got plenty of resources and activity ideas to help make the week engaging, meaningful, and easy to prepare.
Check out these related blog posts:
And check out my Book Week resource collection, and each one includes ready-to-use resources, classroom activities, and practical teaching ideas that you can take straight into your classroom. Happy Book Week planning!
Freebie for Teachers
Want a quick activity to try today? Sign up for the newsletter to receive free Book Week printables, teaching ideas, and classroom resources delivered straight to your inbox.
