Discussion Questions for The Deans’ List Recommended Books

Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices

1. Which insect was your favorite? Why?

2. How do the words of the Grasshopper poem make you feel? Why?

3. What is the joke that the Water Striders play on others? (letting them think they can also easily walk on water)

4. Have you ever seen a Firefly? Some people call them Lightning Bugs. What do the Fireflies mean when they say that “light is the ink” they use? They call themselves “insect calligraphers.” Can you find out what a calligrapher is?

5. What will happen to the Moth when it gets too close to the porch light? (will burn and die)

6. What does the mother Digger Wasp do for her children? (provides food) What will her actions teach them about her? (that she loved them)

7. Which of the Honeybees would you rather be? Why?

8. How do the illustrations for the Whirligig Beetles match the poem and the words? (all swirling around)

9. How do the House Crickets know about the seasons? (from the foods on the floor and the aromas in the kitchen) What serves as their sun? (the pilot light in the stove)

10. What happens to the Chrysalis during the time covered in its Diary? (changes from a chrysalis to a cocoon to a butterfly)

11. For listeners old enough, either read some of the poems with them in two parts or encourage them to read together. Two adults might also read one of the poems aloud, such as the one about Honeybees, for younger listeners.

1. Using the illustrations, play an “I Spy” game with the child:
   1. Can you find two dogs in the small pictures on the inside of the Stahlbaum’s house?
   2. Can you find Fritz being disciplined by his father for throwing the Nutcracker?
   3. Can you find a toy bank under the Christmas tree?
   4. Can you find two toy soldiers who have been captured by the mice during the battle?
   5. Can you find a sugar plum on the page with the reindeer?
2. Review the story by asking the child the following questions:
   1. Who gives the Nutcracker to Marie?
   2. Why does Fritz break the Nutcracker?
   3. What is shooting out of the canons?
   4. How does Marie lose her shoe?
   5. Where did the Prince come from?
   6. What are the snowflakes made of as Marie and the Prince walk outside to the boat?
      

The Polar Express

1. At the beginning of the story why did the little boy go to bed and listen for a bell?  At the end of the story why was his mother and father unable to hear the bell?  Why did his sister go from being able to hear the bell to not being able to hear the bell?  Why could he hear the bell his whole life?
   
2. What would you do if in the middle of the night a mysterious train pulled up to your house and stopped?  Where would it be going?  Depending on where it was going, give your train a name.
   
3. Chris Van Allsburg won the Caldecott Medal for Polar Express.  His Acceptance Speech is online at www.chrisvanallsburg.com/printerfriendly/news/polar_speech.html.  Print it out and read it aloud.  Then discuss such things with your youngsters such as where he got the ideas for the book, etc.  *Please note, certain aspects of this speech may not be appropriate for youngsters who still believe.
   
4. Van Allsburg had a definite idea about how the North Pole should look.  Encourage your youngsters to draw their idea of what this busy place might look like.  Discuss their artwork after completion.

Tikki Tikki Tembo

1. What is different about the two sons’ names? (length)  Can you say both names?

2. What disaster happens to each of the sons? (fell in the well)  Who saves them? (the Old Man with the Ladder)

3. Why is the older son’s fall a more serious event? (It was hard for little Change to recite his older brother’s long name after running for help.)  Do you think little Chang wanted to help save his older brother?  How could you tell?  (ran quickly)

4. Can you tell which son the mother loved better?  (older son)  How? (way she spoke to and of him)

5. When it is the Festival of the Eighth Moon, what do the boys eat? (rice cakes)  Have you ever eaten a rice cake?  If so, did you like it?  As an adult, if your young listener(s) have not tried rice cakes, you might try to get some to taste, as they are easy to find in larger grocery stores.

6. Do you think this is a true story?  Why or why not? (begins with “Once upon a time, a long, long time ago”)

It Could Always Be Worse

1. Do you think this is a true story?  What about the beginning might make you think it is a type of folk tale or make believe story?  (It begins with “Once upon a time.”)

2. As an adult, explain to your young listener(s) what a Rabbi is—a Jewish religious leader to whom villagers would have gone for advice.

3. What was the first piece of advice the Rabbi offered to help the man deal with his crowded hut?  (bring his chickens, rooster, and goose inside to live with them)  Were you surprised with this advice?  Why or why not?

4. What other animals did the Rabbi advise the man to bring inside the hut with his family? (a cow and a goat)

5. The poor man says that as these animals are added to his household, “the hut seemed smaller, the children grew bigger.”  Why do you think he felt that way?  Can you imagine having such animals living inside your own home?  How would they make you feel?

6. What is the Rabbi’s final piece to the man?  (to let the animals out of his hut)  How does the hut now feel to the man and his family? (peaceful and quiet, with plenty of room)  Has the hut really grown larger?  What has happened instead?

7. Was the Rabbi really a wise man in the advice he provided?  Why or why not?  What do you think is the lesson to be learned from this story?  (that sometimes our life must become extremely unpleasant before we recognize its actual sweetness or a similar idea)

Night Shift

• Study the illustrations with the child.  Look especially at the clothing.  Then, go to the last picture inside the all night café and play an I spy game:
• Can you find the D.J.?
• Can you find the zookeeper?
• Can you spy the window dresser?
• Can you find the newspaper printer?
• Can you spy the donut baker?
• Can you spy the road worker?

• Trace a timeline with the child for the workers on the night shift by looking at each clock in the illustrations and reading the times that are included in the text.

• Ask the child where he/she thinks the children are going in the final illustration?  Also, ask the child what each person inside the café is eating?

• Ask the child if they can think of any other jobs or work that people do when others are sleeping?  Discuss these.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

1. What were the very first things that led Alexander to believe his was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day?  (gum in his hair, tripped on skateboard, dropped his sweater in sink, no prize in his cereal)

2.  Where does Alexander want to move?(Australia) Why do you think he chooses that location?(very far away, etc.)

3.  How was his drawing at school different from his classmates’ drawings? (an invisible castle—may not have been a drawing at all)

4. What does his best friend decide?  (that Alexander is now only his third best friend)  Have you ever had a best friend decide to like someone else better?  How did it make you feel?

5. Has your mom ever forgotten to pack part of your lunch?  How did that make you feel?  Do you think she meant to leave out the dessert?

6. What happens to Alexander’s foot in the elevator?  (gets it caught in the door)  Has this ever happened to you?

7. What happened at the shoe store?  (Alexander’s shoe size was only available in plain white rather than the fancy, colorful strips available for his brothers.)  Can you think of some ways in which this problem might have been resolved?  (They could have gone to another store for Alexander.)

8. What happens at Alexander’s dad’s office?  (copier shoots out paper and ink spilled)  What did Alexander forget?  (not to play with the copier and to watch out for the books on his dad’s desk.

9.  Describe some of the things that happen at home that night which Alexander also does not like. (food, TV, bath, pajamas, bedroom events)

10. Alexander did not like lima beans.  Do you like them?  Do you have any special foods you do not like?  He also did not like kissing on TV.  What do you like or dislike on TV?

11. Why do you think the cat decided to sleep with Alexander’s brother?

12. What advice does Alexander’s mom give him?  (that some days are just like his day)  Do you agree?  Is there anything Alexander might have done to improve his day? (listened to his father, learned his math, not slept with gum in his mouth, etc.)

13. Have you ever had the same kind of day that Alexander had?  Describe some of the things that happened to you.  Could you have done anything to have made things better?

Toy Boat

• Ask the child if she/he has ever made a toy out of ordinary objects?  Suggest that it might be fun to try. 
  Using household objects such as string, 3 x 5 cards, paper clips, toothpicks and a piece of aluminum foil
  and scotch tape, play with the child and build something.

• Reviewing the story, ask the child to pretend he/she is one of the boats the toy boat meets in the storm. 
  Ask the child to say “Move along!” in the voice of each boat:
• the tired, old tugboat,
• the giant ferry,
• the fast speedboat,
• the fleet of sailboats.

• Study the illustrations and ask the child why the moon is crying.

The Dot

1. How do you think Vashti feels at the beginning of this story? (frustrated, unhappy, etc.)

2. What is her problem? (She has not finished her art project and does not think she can do so.)

3. How does she try to explain away her blank sheet of paper to the art teacher? (as a polar bear in a snow storm)  Can you think of other things this white sheet of paper might have been?

4. What is her teacher’s advice, and why does she ultimately ask Vashti to sign her work? (to encourage her and to give her a sense of pride in her work)

5. What does her art teacher later do to encourage Vashti? (places her signed dot in a frame behind her desk)  How would that have made you feel if the framed work had been your own?

6. Describe some of the dots that Vashti later creates.  Which one did you like the best and why?

7. How does Vashti help the little boy at the end of the story?  What do you think will happen to him?

8. Have you ever felt that there was something you could not do?  Did anyone ever encourage you to try anyway?

9.  As an adult you might share some experience you have had in the past when you doubted your ability to do something and you were encouraged to take a risk.

The Apple Pie That Papa Baked

• Have the child study the illustrations in order to answer the following questions:
  
• Which animal is the first one to notice that Papa is going to bake an apple pie?
• Why does Papa run after the horse in the early part of the story?
• How does the little girl know that papa is going to bake an apple pie?
• How old do you think the little girl is and what would be an ideal name for her?

• The author describes the tree as being “crooked and strong.”  Ask the child to study the illustrations and find the many ways the tree is useful --- i.e. apples grow on it, it gives shade for the picnic and it is a home for the birds and etc.

• What role does the sun play in the visual telling of this story?  Look at the expressions on the face of the sun.

Move Over, Rover!

1. On the opening pages, how do you think Rover looks? (contented?)  What is he doing? (chewing on a bone in his doghouse)

2. Did you notice another animal peeking around the back of the doghouse?  If so, who was it?  (Skunk)

3. Can you guess what time of year this story takes place?  How?  (fall, because the leaves have changed color to orange)

4. Can you remember the whole call that the final visitor, Mouse, made asking to get in?                                     

Slide aside, Snake!

Out of the way, Blue Jay!

Squeeze in, Squirrel!

Make room, Raccoon!

Skit-scat, Cat!

Move over, Rover!

5. Why do you think the other animals told the Mouse there was no room for him?  Do you think it was really too full for him?

6. How did the animals first know that Skunk was present in the doghouse? (the whiff of his odor)

7. How did the animals respond?  (hurried out)

8. Now what does Rover do? (enjoys his quiet doghouse all alone with his bone) 

9. How do you think rover is feeling at the story’s conclusion? (very satisfied to be all alone?)  How would you feel if you were suddenly squeezed into such a small place by sudden guests?  How would you feel when they left?

Rainstorm

• If you found a mysterious key, as the boy in Rainstorm did, what locks would you try to open?

• The spiral staircase in this story leads to a lighthouse.  Where else could such an imaginary staircase lead the boy?

• Look closely at the pictures and answer the following questions:

What kind of toys does the boy have?

What kind of house does the boy live in?

Why is he alone?  Where could his parents be?

Who comes back with the boy after his second trip through the trunk and down the ladder?

Clip-Clop

• Where does the story take place?

• Why do you think Horse offers to take the animals for a ride?

• Why did the animals fall off Horse when they were riding?

• Did Dog, Cat, Pig and Duck enjoy the ride?

• Have you ever gone for a ride on a horse or pony?  If so, where did it take place?  If not, would you like to?

Not a Box

1. Have you ever had a large cardboard box to play with?  Did you imagine it was anything other than a box?  If so, tell about some of the adventures you might have had with your box.

2. As an adult, share any imaginary adventures you might have had with a large box when you were a child.

3. Talk about the many uses to which the young rabbit puts his box—racecar, burning building, mountain peak, rocket ship, crow’s nest on a ship, etc.

4. Look back through the book with your young listener(s) to imagine other uses for the rabbit’s boxes, such as the one he imagines is a race car becoming instead a stagecoach or a plane or a train.

5. How can you tell the rabbit’s race car is moving quickly?  (His ears are blowing back.)

6. How can you tell the rabbit is excited about climbing his Rabbit Peak? (He has his arms up in the air as though he is celebrating.)

7. A genuinely fun follow-up activity would be for you and your young listener(s) to find your own box from a refrigerator, washer, dryer, or stove delivery and make it into a variety of creative things as the young rabbit has done.

Madeline

1.  What do you notice about the twelve little girls at Madeline’s school? (same clothes, same table for meals, same bedtime routine, share the same bedroom, etc.)

2.  What are the good, bad, and sad events that made the little girls smile, frown, and look sad accordingly? (good event is a woman feeding a horse; bad event is a policeman chasing a thief, and the sad event is a soldier with a broken foot or ankle)

3.  What are some things you learn about Madeline? (the smallest of the twelve little girls, not afraid of mice or the tiger at the zoo, loved winter, etc.)

4. How does Miss Clavel know in the middle of the night that something is not right?  (just senses it, hears Madeline crying)

5. What is wrong with Madeline? (problems with her appendix, she is in pain, has her appendix taken out)

6. Describe Madeline’s room at the hospital. (hospital bed with a crank, crack in the ceiling that looks like a rabbit, flowers inside, birds and trees outside)

7. Why do you think the eleven other little girls want to have their appendixes removed?  (want to stay in the hospital, want the lovely toys and candy from Papa, want to have their very on “scars” on their stomachs)

8.  Have you ever known anyone who had surgery or have you had your own surgery?  Was it an exciting or a painful event?  Can you describe it?  If you have never had surgery, would you want to have a your own surgery?  Why or why not?

9.  In looking back at the book, talk about the rhyming scheme with your young listener(s).  Even while reading the book aloud the first time, young children can often guess what the next rhyming word will be before you turn the page.

10.  After you have finished with the book, you may want to point out the pictures of specific locations in Paris.  If you are unsure of these, the final page of the book identifies Paris scenes by where they are placed in the book and by what is happening on specific pages.

Camel Rider

• How are Adam and Walid alike in this story?  Discuss age and courage.

• How are Adam and Walid different?  Discuss standard of living, family life, country of origin and language.

• What do the two boys think of each other when they first meet?

• How and why do the boys learn to trust each other?

• Discuss examples of how the boys communicated since they did not speak or understand each other’s language.

Tops and Bottoms

1. Describe Bear.  (lazy, sleeps all the time)  How did he become wealthy? (His smart, hard working father left him land and money.)

2. What is Hare’s problem?  (poor, no land)  How did he lose his farm land?  (lost a bet with a tortoise—The Tortoise and the Hare)  What does Hare decide he needs to do to make sure that his family does not starve? (obtain use of Bear’s farm land)

3. If you had been Bear, would you have chosen the tops or the bottoms of the plants for yourself?  Why do you think Bear selected the tops? (seemed most likely to have good food on them)

4. What crops did Hare chose to plant? (carrots, radishes, beets)  What are some other crops that Hare might have selected to produce good, useful bottoms for his family? (potatoes, peanuts, turnips)

5. When Bear wants the bottoms, what plants does Hare select?  (lettuce, broccoli, celery)  What are some other crops that Hare might have selected to produce good, useful tops for his family?  (beans, asparagus, squash, tomatoes, peppers)

6. In his final trick, Hare plants something that yields a good middle.  What is that? (corn)  Can you think of another crop that would be so useful in its middle section? (perhaps melons???)

7.  How have both Bear and Hare benefited from the three plantings? (Bear has become industrious enough to plant his own fields, and Hare has made enough money from his vegetable stand to buy back his field.)

1. Have you ever played with a box? What kind of box was it? What did you make out of it?

2. From the story, can you recall the four things Christina Katerina made out of the refrigerator box? Which was your favorite?

3. What happened to the box when Fats Watson kicked over the castle? What happened to the box when he sat on top of the clubhouse? What happened to the box when he cut part of the racing car? What happened to the box when he hosed down the mansion floor?

4. What do you think you and a friend could make out of a washer box and a dryer box?

1.  When the little girl’s mother looks inside her heart, who does she see and what are they doing?  (the little girl, her father, and the cat—all eating breakfast)

2.  On that same double-page spread, how is the word “You!” spelled out?  What is used to make the “Y” for the word “You”? (the mother’s hands)

3.  As you look at the pictures throughout the book, what are some other big letters that appear in the illustrations?  See if you can spot a big W, an A, an I, an O, a B, an H, an L, a S, a K.  Can you spot any other big letters?

4.  How can you tell what her mother’s job is?  (a veterinarian—she is taking care of lots of animals at her office)

5.  Where does the little girl go during day?  (to school)  What are some things she does there?  (plays dress-up, eats, sings, paints)

6.   Her mother says that when they are not together and she looks inside her heart and sees her daughter, then “Happy jumps right back in my front door.”  What do you think she means by that expression?  (How does that expression make you feel?)

7.  Who are the people and animals you can see in the little girl’s heart while she is sleeping?  (mother, father, babysitter, pet cat, friends)

In Aunt Giraffe’s Green Garden

• In the poem “In Toledo” four fat geese welcome people to the city with their songs.  Study the picture.  Can you give each of them a name by the way they are dressed?  Can you give this quartet a professional name?  Are the four geese related?

• Why is the bluebird happy in the poem “High Atop a Lofty Mountain”?

• What is your favorite poem?  Why do you like it?  Does it have funny sounding words?  Does it rhyme?  Does it make you laugh?  Does it make you imagine?  Does it make you happy?  Does it make you think?

• Read “In Amarillo, Texas” aloud.  What word dominates the sound of the poem?  What word rhymes with Amarillo?  What three words rhyme with chair?

Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy

• Play the “I Spy Fancy Things” game by going to pages 5 and 6 of the story and finding the following fancy items:
• A white fur cape with a blue lining.
• Red ribbon toe shoes.
• A blue bow and head band.
• Pink sunglasses with angel wings.
• A jeweled dog choker and chain.
• A ring in the shape of a heart.
• A china pumpkin.
• A tiny tiara.
• White ruffles.
• A pink boa.
• A red sash.
• A small pink and gold chain.

• Have you ever had a fancy pet?  If so, describe it.  What made it fancy?  What did you do to make it fancier?  What was its name?

• How would you make the following objects fancy?
• A plain ice cream cone.
• A book bag.
• A birthday package.
• A snowman.
• A plain hamburger.

• Look through the book and find common household items used to make Nancy, her room, or the yard fancy.  (Brooms, mops, empty potato chip cans, etc.)

Gone Wild:  An Endangered Animal Alphabet

1. Which of the animals portrayed in this book was your favorite?  Why?

2. Can you identify one characteristic that was found in the letter transformed to portray each of the animals? (eyes looking back at you)

3. What part of the snow leopard was portrayed? (leg, foot, claw)

4. Get out a world map and explore with the young reader(s) the various locations in which these endangered species live.

5. In what physical position do you think the Chinese alligator is perched? (seems to be lying on its back)

6. What part of the black-spotted newt is outside the letter “N”? (the tongue)

7. Enjoy considering with your young reader(s) other animals whose body shapes might fit into the shape of the letter that matches their names.  Provide art supplies for creating these new alphabet animals.  For older readers, encourage them to identify and add some of the facts about general geographical location, specific habitat, and whether or not these animals are endangered.

• Ask the child to come up with a fancy word for the following:
• A French dinner roll?                             (Croissant)
• A wide necktie?                                    (Ascot)
• A nap?                                               (Siesta)
• The color red?                                    (Persimmon, Ruby)
• A railing around stairs?                        (Bannister)
• A big long car?                                   (Limousine)
• An afternoon movie or play?                  (Matinee)

• Ask the child if he/she dresses often.  (This should lead to discussion of special holidays, Halloween, picture day at school, etc.)  Ask the child how he/she feels when dressed in a fancy way.

• What items did Nancy use to make her and her family fancy?  Do you have any of these items?  Have you ever used them to make yourself, your room, a friend, or a pet look fancy?  Can you think of some other items that could be used?

1. What are some of the unusual items that the young boy in this story takes with him to the beach?  (microscope, magnifying glass, butterfly net)  What did you think when you saw first saw them?  

2. What are some of the more usual and expected items he takes with him to the beach? (sand buckets, snorkeling gear, colorful beach towel)  Have you ever been to the beach?  If so, what did you take with you, and what kinds of things do you like to do at the beach?

3. How does the boy look when he first notices the strange contraption that comes out of the water?  (surprised, shocked)  How would you feel?

4. Have you ever heard of an underwater camera?  How old does this one look?  How can you tell it has been in the water for a while? (barnacles growing on it)

5. How does the boy look as he waits for his one-hour film development to finish? (impatient, bored, eager)

6. When he looks at the first photo, how does he look? (shocked)  Why do you think the illustrator focuses on his eye so closely? (It will be a key to finding out the secrets of the photo.)

7. What is the first unusual thing he sees in the first photo? (mechanical fish)  And then what unusual things does he see? (fish lined up on a sofa with an octopus reading to them and to other octopuses; a turtle with a village growing on his back; tiny humanoids with globes covering their heads)

8. Using his magnifying glass, what is the boy able to discover about the next photo of the young girl? (It is a photo of a the girl holding a photo of a boy holding a photo of a boy holding another photo of a girl and so forth.)  How does he examine the photo even more closely? (He uses his microscope.)  As the photos change to black and white from color, what do you think this means, and what do the numbers next to these photos mean? (The black and white photos may be older, and the number indicates the magnification power.)

9. Did you figure out what the boy was going to do when he rigged up a way to take his own photo holding the girl’s photo?  What would you have done?

10. What do you think is going to happen next when the little girl in the green t-shirt finds the camera?  Can you write or draw a continuation of this story?

The Gulps

• Discuss the different vegetables and fruits that are in the produce area in a grocery store.  Suggest that next time they go grocery shopping, try to find broccoli, squash, lettuce, celery, tomatoes, zucchini, sprouts, apples, bananas, pears, pomegranates, pineapple, walnuts, strawberries, blueberries and other fruits and vegetables.  How are the fresh fruits and vegetables different from canned fruits and vegetables?

• Look at the illustrations on the inside of the front cover.  Ask the child to identify all of the junk foods the Gulps ate at the beginning of the story.  How many of these do they like to eat?  Do they have to ask permission before eating junk foods and are they limited to how much they can have at one time?  Ask if they have ever eaten too much junk food and gotten a belly ache or couldn’t move?  Now look at the illustrations on the inside of the back cover.  What foods did the Gulps eat while staying with Farmer and Mrs. Spratt and after?  Ask the child how many of these healthy foods they eat.

• Discuss the different ways the Gulps and Spratts exercised?  Ask the child what activities they do for exercise at school.  Ask them what exercise they get at home.  Does their whole family exercise?  Discuss how helping pick up their room or setting the table can be a form of exercise as well as other household chores.

1.  What were some particular reasons that caused Harriet Tubman to decide to escape north to freedom?  (her owner worked her “like a mule” and had decided to “sell” her south to work, “never to see” her family again)

2.  How can you tell in the text of the story that God is speaking to Harriet?  (The words are very, very large on the page and in a gray color.)   How can you tell when Harriet is speaking to God?  (The words are in italics.)

3.  What are some of the ways in which people helped Harriet as she journeyed to the north?  (pointed her to hiding places for runaways, fed her, hid her in a wagon, and drove her farther north)

4.  What was a major fear that Harriet had even as people reached out to help her?  (that they would just be tricking her while actually preparing to turn her in)

5.  How was she able to escape the dogs who were following her scent?  (She took off her shoes and waded in the water, which tricked the dogs since they could not follow her scent through the water.)

6.  For Harriet, what was her “promised land”?  (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

7.  What was a major regret for Harriet once she was safe and free?  (She missed her family.)  What did she do about her regret?  (She began to work on the Underground Railroad, assisting those who had escaped to the north as she did, and finally she became a “conductor” on the Railroad and went back south to bring them to freedom as well.)

8.  As she kept bringing others to the north and freedom, why do you think they finally named her “Moses”?  (Because like Moses in the Old Testament, she brought her people out of slavery.)

9.  Do you think Harriet ever stopped being afraid as she brought people out of the south?  Why or why not?  Do you think you would be able to escape as Harriet did and then return many times for your family and others you did not even know?  Why or why not?

10. Try to learn more about the history of the Underground Railroad.  There was even a station in Marshall, Michigan.  Try to learn more about it and any other stops that existed in Michigan.

• Go to the book illustrations that show the family’s refrigerator.  Discuss the kinds of things that are tacked up on the refrigerator door and sides; such as art work, homework, letters, notes, grocery lists and photographs.  Does your family use your refrigerator as a bulletin board?  If so, what things are on it?

• In this story, the family has other pets including parakeets, goldfish and crickets.  What pets has your family had, not including a dog?  How does taking care of these pets differ from taking care of a dog?

The Golden Dreydl

• The Golden Dreydl is full of riddles.  Can you identify some of them?  What role do they play within the narrative?  What is your favorite riddle and why?  Can you share a riddle that you have heard in your own daily experience?

• Who is your favorite major character in this story within a story and why?  Discuss Sara, her brother Seth, the Dreydl girl, her mother the Queen of Sheba, her father King Solomon, Aunt Miriam, the peacock, the Demon King Ashmedai and the Fool.

• The Queen of Sheba warns Sara that a “demon will trick you into your own worst self, if he can.”  The Fool warns Sara not to “get sucked into the demon’s world.”  Do you know people who are troublemakers?  Have you ever been tricked into joining troublemakers?  What happened?

1. Why do you think that Madlenka wants a dog?  In what ways does she try to tell her parents about her intense desire for a dog?  (She begs them for a dog and puts pictures of dogs on the walls of her room.)

2.  Do you have a pet or have you ever wanted a pet?  Discuss the pet you have or wish that you could have.

3. What would you describe as the perfect characteristics of a pet?

4. As an adult, discuss with your young listener any pets you may have had as a child.

5. Why do you think that some of Madlenka’s neighborhood friends see her imaginary dog in different ways?  What are some of these different descriptions they give, and how does Peter Sís show you how they imagine her dog for themselves? (They are under the flaps in the illustrations.)

6. What are some of the imaginary characters that Madlenka and her friend Cleopatra imagine themselves to be? (royalty from a world of dragons and unicorns and the world of ancient Egypt, figures in the frozen north)

7. How many of the dogs pictured at the end of the book have you seen?  Which ones do you like the most?

• Ask the child if they think the dog that is inside the box is a real dog or a stuffed animal, and why?

• Ask the child if he/she has ever played with a box.  If so, what did they make with it?

• Ask the child what he/she could so with a big refrigerator box.  What about a shoe box?  How could a lunch box be transformed into something else?

Knuffle Bunny:  A Cautionary Tale

1. How can you tell that Trixie is very young in this story? (can’t speak words, very little hair, very tiny next to daddy)

2. Describe some of the people Trixie and her father pass on the way to the Laundromat—in what kinds of activities are they involved?

3. Have you ever been to a Laundromat?  Can you describe what it was like inside?

4. How can you tell that Trixie is having fun loading their clothes into the washer? (dancing around, wearing some of them)

5. What part of Knuffle Bunny can you see in the washing machine as Trixie and her daddy leave the Laundromat? (his eyes)

6. Why do you think Knuffle Bunny got mixed up with the clothes and Trixie forgot him? (She was playing with all of the clothes, and she was very excited about going to the Laundromat with daddy.)

7. Why couldn’t Trixie tell daddy as soon as she realized she had left Knuffle Bunny at the Laundromat? (She couldn’t yet use real words)

8. Do you remember when you couldn’t really talk?  If so, what was it like?

9. Have you ever had a special toy such as Knuffle Bunny?  What was your toy? 

10.  Did you ever lose something very special to you?  Did you later find it?  If so, how did that make you feel?

The Boy of the Three-Year Nap

1. Why do people call Taro “The Boy of the Three-Year Nap”? (It was “said that if no one woke him, Taro would sleep three years at a stretch.”)

2. When Taro’s mother complains to him that the roof leaks, the walls are crumbling, and they are running low on food, he says that she should not worry because he has a “plan.”  Describe exactly what his plan is.  (Convincing the rich merchant to marry his daughter to Taro—ask the young child to give more details about the plan.)

3. Taro’s mother is puzzled by his plan.  What does she think he might be planning to do? (become a priest)

4. Describe how Taro’s plan works.

5. When Taro’s mother realizes how effective his plan has been, she comes up with a plan of her own.  Describe her plan. 

6. What are the results of Taro’s mother’s plan? (better house for her and a job for Taro)

7. What about his mother’s plan most surprises Taro? (the job).  How do you think he feels when he realizes that she has outsmarted him?

8. Look at the last picture in the book.  How do you think Taro feels by that point?  Why?

• Review the story line with the child by asking the following questions:
• What caused yellow bird to have a bad day?
• What caused white dog to have a bad day?
• Why did brown squirrel think she was going to have a bad day?
• What happened to orange fox that made his day bad

• Discuss with the child if he/she has ever had a bad day.  Why?  What happened?  Did it turn out to be a good day in the end?  If so, why?

• With the child, examine the final page that asks “Who’s Who?”  Discuss how the eighteen pairs of eyes are all different.  Talk about size, shape, which eyes are closest together, which eyes are farthest apart.
• Ask the child if they can change their facial expressions to express different feelings such as happy, sad, angry, and scared.  What parts of the face change (eyes, mouth, forehead) and how?

When Sophie Gets Angry

1. On the page after Sophie’s sister snatches the gorilla away, how can you tell that Sophie is really angry by looking at her face?

2. What are some things that Sophie does to show her anger?  (kicks, screams, roars a red, red roar)  What does she want to do?  (smash the world to smithereens and explode like a volcano)

3. What does Sophie do about her intense anger?  (runs and runs, cries, climbs a tree, looks out at the trees and waves, listens to a bird)

4. Why do you think that all of these things help Sophie to feel better and not angry anymore?

5. When Sophie finally returns home, why do you think her family now feels that “everything’s back together again”?

6. Have you ever gotten as angry as Sophie did?  If so, what did you do about it?  Do you think that Sophie’s approach would ever help you if you were angry?  Why or why not?

7. As an adult, you might talk about ways in which you try to deal with anger in a productive way without hurting yourself or anyone else.

• Read Ernest Thayer’s “Casey At the Bat” with your child/grandchild.  Ask him/her to tell you all the similarities between the original story and Casey Back at Bat.  Discuss the following by going back over each text:
• Both stories are written in rhyme.
• Both stories end with Casey unable to score.
• Both stories are about a team called the Mudville Nine and take place in Mudville.
• In both stories there are two men on base when Casey comes up to bat.
• Both stories are about baseball.

• Ask your child/grandchild to tell you how the two stories are different.  Discuss the following:
• One store was published in 1888 and one was published in 2007.
• One story was first published in a newspaper and the other was first published as a picture book.
• In one story Casey strikes out and in the other story Casey flies out.
• In one story only one team is mentioned (Mudville) and in the other story two teams are mentioned (Mudville and Rutland).
• In one story the score is 4 to 2 when Casey comes to bat and in the other story the score is 3 to 1 when Casey comes to bat.

The Lotus Seed

1. Why does the grandmother in the story take the lotus seed? (as something to use to remember the emperor)

2. Where does she keep the seed from the lotus pod? (under the family altar) What does she do with the lotus seed?  (She takes it out when she feels sad or lonely)  Why do you think it is important to her?  (She is encouraged when she remembers the “brave young emperor.”

3. Why does she carry the seed with her on her wedding day? (“for good luck, long lfe, and many children”)

4. Why does her grandmother suddenly have to leave her home in Vietnam? (the war—bombs dropping)  How does she escape? (in a boat)

5. As an adult, discuss the war in Vietnam and the “boat people” with the young listener.  There is some helpful information in the back of the book.) 

6. How is America different from Vietnam for her grandmother?

7. What does the little grandson in the book do to make his grandmother so very, very sad? (He steals the seed and plants it in mud behind their house.)

8. What finally happens to the seed? (It grows and blooms.)

9. How does the grandmother describe the bloom?  (“It is the flower of my country.”)  Why do you think it is so important for her to have this memory of her country, Vietnam?  If you had to flee your country suddenly, what would you take that would help you remember it forever?

10. What does the grandmother do with the seeds from the new plant? (She gives one to each of her grandchildren.)

11. What does the little granddaughter plan to do with her seed? (She will plant it and give the seeds to her own children while telling them her grandmother’s story about the emperor of Vietnam.)

12. What is a special part of your family history that you would want to share someday with your own children?

Under the Spell of the Moon:  Art for Children from the World’s Great Illustrators

1. Which of the illustrations was your favorite?  Why?

2. Can you name five of the countries from which the artists come who illustrated this book?

3. Can you think of a poem that is special to you that you would like to illustrate?  As an adult, encourage the young child to do so.

4. Do you have some tricky puzzles to solve such as the two in the book on page 32 about the “hole” and the “louse”?  What are they?  As an adult, you may have a few puzzles of your own to share.

5. On page 42, can you name some other kinds of cake the little chimpanzee might have eaten at his birthday party?  Why do you think he is not feeling well?

Moon Plane (for very young children)

• Why do you think the little boy wanted to go to the moon?

• What do you think he found there?

• Was the little boy glad to come home?  How can you tell from the pictures?

• What do you think the little boy is dreaming about in the last illustration?

• Have you ever taken a trip on an airplane?  If so where did you go?

The Art Lesson

1. Why or how do you think that Tomie “knew he wanted to be an artist when he grew up”?

2. Do you have any ideas about what you might want to be when you grow up?

3. As an adult, discuss what you wanted to be as a child when you grew up and why.  If you changed your mind as you grew older, you might also share that.

4. Why was Tomie concerned with the art teacher’s Thanksgiving assignment?  (She wanted them to copy her work.  He could only use the eight school crayon colors.  He could only have one piece of paper.)

5. The art teacher and his classroom teacher find a solution that satisfies everyone.  What was it?  (He must first complete the Thanksgiving project, and then he could have an additional piece of paper for his own creative project using all sixty-four colors.)  How do you think the solution made Tomie feel?

6. Have you ever had to find a solution to a problem the way Tomie’s teachers did?  Can you describe it?  How did it make you feel to find this solution?

7. As an adult, give your own example of finding a solution to a problem and how it made you feel.

• Simon lost ten items between school and home.  Look at the pictures with the child/children and ask them to find the lost items. *Note, the crayons are not all together in the museum.

• Ask the child/children if they have ever lost something.  Discuss the incident.  Were they worried about the loss?  Was the lost item found?

• Study the map on the inside back cover of the book with the child/children and locate, with the help of the legend, where each item was lost.

The Gift of the Magi

• Study the text of the story with the older child looking for clues that this story was written in 1906.  Look at the language and the details of the setting as well as the gifts.

• After looking at each illustration with the older child, discuss which picture is the favorite of each of you and why?

• Discuss the relation between the story and the title.

• Ask the child if he/she has ever wanted to buy something for someone but did not have enough money.  Discuss what they did about this.

The Polar Express

1. At the beginning of the story why did the little boy go to bed and listen for a bell?  At the end of the story why was his mother and father unable to hear the bell?  Why did his sister go from being able to hear the bell to not being able to hear the bell?  Why could he hear the bell his whole life?
   
2. What would you do if in the middle of the night a mysterious train pulled up to your house and stopped?  Where would it be going?  Depending on where it was going, give your train a name.
   
3. Chris Van Allsburg won the Caldecott Medal for Polar Express.  His Acceptance Speech is online at www.chrisvanallsburg.com/printerfriendly/news/polar_speech.html.  Print it out and read it aloud.  Then discuss such things with your youngsters such as where he got the ideas for the book, etc.  *Please note, certain aspects of this speech may not be appropriate for youngsters who still believe.
   
4. Van Allsburg had a definite idea about how the North Pole should look.  Encourage your youngsters to draw their idea of what this busy place might look like.  Discuss their artwork after completion.

Stranger in the Woods

1. Discuss various aspects of the descriptive language used in this book, such as the snowflakes arriving in a “twisting twirling dance through the crisp night air” and daybreak “yawning as its rays slowly stretched across the snowy meadows.”  How do these words make you feel?  Why do you think the authors chose such descriptive phrases?

2. In anticipation of the story, the second page states, “The birds were the first to notice...”  Before you turn the page, ask your young listener to guess what it is the birds have noticed and, after you turn the page, discuss why the birds might have been the first to be aware of the stranger.

3. The mourning dove advises that they “follow the snow trail.”  Who do you think might have left this trail?

4. As you read through the suggestions provided by the many wildlife creatures, encourage your young listener to imitate the sounds and expressions used by each one. 

5. What is the first part of the “stranger” that you are able to see?  Point to the very first detail.  (the red cap)

6. What creature finally takes the lead to investigate the stranger?  (the Chickadee)

7.  Why did the Chickadee arrive before any other creature?  (The others were busy talking, while the Chickadee flew into action and reached the snowman.)

8. Why does the Chickadee describe the stranger as “friendly”?  (because of the foods attached to him)

9. What special treat does the young doe find on the snowman?  (the carrot nose)

10. Which creature took the last item of food from the snowman?  (The Chickadee took the last seed.)

11. Ask your young listener to name as many of the food items attached to the snowman as she or he can remember.

12. What clue does the fawn find that indicates there could be “more than one stranger in the wood”?  Who do you think the stranger or strangers might be?  (a red glove)

13. What plans do the young brother and sister have for the future?  (to continue to provide food for the animals until the snows are over and spring has arrived)

Crossing Bok Chitto:  A Choctaw Tale of Friendship & Freedom

1. The slogan that holds the story together reads “Not too fast, Not too slow, Eyes to the ground, Away you go!”  Discuss with the child how this refrain allowed people to pass without being seen – as if they were invisible.

2. In the back of the book you will find “A Note on Choctaw Storytelling.”  Here author Tim Tingle reveals the fact that the story of “Crossing the Bok Chitto” was first a song.  Ask the child if he/she can imagine what the rhythm of the refrain could have been.  Clap it out while chanting the line.  Try different rhythms.

3. Look at “Choctaws Today:  Two Prosperous Nations, One Strong People” at the back of the book.  Here author Tim Tingle talks about the Trail of Tears.  Ask the child if he/she has ever heard of the Trail of Tears.  If the child has not heard of it, ask them what they think it could be just from the descriptive words.  Perhaps this could lead to further research on the part of older children.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

1. Can you tell by looking at the little egg just what might hatch from it?  Can you name some things that hatch from eggs?

2. When the caterpillar finally hatches from the egg, how is he described? (tiny and very hungry)

3. What is the first thing the caterpillar starts to do? (look for some food)

4. Try to name the items the very hungry caterpillar ate on his first five days.  (one apple, two pears, three plums, four strawberries, five oranges,

5. Try to name as many of the items as you can that the very hungry caterpillar ate on Saturday. (one piece of chocolate cake, one ice-cream cone, one pickle, one slice of Swiss cheese, one slice of salami, one lollipop, one piece of cherry pie, one sausage, one cupcake, and one slice of watermelon)  How did the caterpillar feel that night? (had a stomachache)  Do you think you could have eaten all of that food?  Would it have given you a stomachache? 

6. Name some of your favorite foods if you were planning to eat some of them throughout a week the way the very hungry caterpillar did.  As an adult, you might also share some of your favorite foods.

6. What did the caterpillar eat on Sunday? (one nice green leaf)

7. Describe how the caterpillar looked after Sunday. (big and fat)  How has he changed, and what does he do next? (built a cocoon around himself)

8. How long does the caterpillar stay in his cocoon, and how does he get out of the cocoon? (two weeks and nibbles a hole to push his way out)

9. What has the very hungry caterpillar become now? (a beautiful butterfly)

Kitten’s First Full Moon

1. Why do you believe Kitten thought the full moon was “a little bowl of milk in the sky”?  Can you think of other items the full moon might also resemble in shape?  Do you ever imagine items you might see in the moon?  What are these imaginary items?  As an adult, you and the child might plan to go out and look at the next full moon and imagine what different things it could be.

2. What happened when Kitten first tried to reach out and lick the moon? (got a bug on her tongue)

3. What happened when Kitten tried to jump out and grab the moon? (fell down the steps)

4. How does it make you feel each time the author describes her as “Poor Kitten”?

5. What does Kitten do to get closer to the moon in the sky? (climbs to the top of a tree)

6. Later, what does the kitten think might be in the pond? (an even larger moon)  What happens when she tries to reach this desirable item in the pond? (falls in and gets wet)

7. When Kitten finally decides to go home, how does she feel? (wet and sad and tired and hungry)

8. What does Kitten find when she returns home? (a bowl of milk on the porch)

9. Who do you think might have provided the bowl of milk for Kitten?

10. Now, how does the author describe Kitten? (Lucky Kitten)

• Discuss how Luisa gets her Mama to the surprise party.  Then ask the following questions:
• Have you ever planned a surprise party for someone?
• Who was it for?
• Were they surprised?
• How did you get the person to the party without them knowing anything about it?

• In the story, where does Luisa do her homework each night?  Where do you do your homework?

• Luisa and her Mama live by themselves but they have many people who watch over them (like an extended family).  In the book, who is Luisa’s extended family?

Two Bad Ants

1. After reading the first two pages, ask the young child to guess what the “delicious” food is that the ants have discovered.  If not certain at this point, ask the child to tell you at what point in the story she or he is confident of its identity.

2. Also, to assist your listener, explain what a crystal is.  Salt is a crystal, for example.

3. Ask your young listener if she or he would have considered staying behind to enjoy the delicious crystals as these two bad ants did.  Why or why not?

4. As the ants try to escape in various ways, such as into the slice of bread or into the cooling water of the sink, ask the child first to guess what each item is and then to anticipate what may happen to the ants.

5. Ask your young listener to suggest other adventures the ants might have had if they had not decided to return to their own home.

6. Provide your listener with crayons or paints and paper and encourage the creation of illustrations of human beings and everyday life from the perspective of a small pet or wildlife creature.

Stanley Goes Fishing

• Ask the child if he/she has ever been fishing. 
• Who did you go with?
• Did you fish from the land, or from a boat?
• What did you catch?
• Did you eat your catch for supper?
• How did you feel about your fishing experience?  Would you want to go again?

• Stanley had everything he needed to go fishing.  Study each picture carefully.  Discuss what items/supplies he took with him.  Ask the child if these are some of the same things they take to go fishing.

• Ask the child if he/she ever caught something other than a fish when fishing.  How do you think it may have gotten there?

• Discuss Stanley’s idea.  What may have made him think of fishing in the sky?

1. Discuss what it means to make “mischief of one kind and another.”  Looking at the illustrations, what are some of the mischievous things that Max did? 

2. What did Max’s mother call him? (wild thing)  Why do you think she used that term to describe him?

3. Ask your young listener if she or he really believes that a forest grew in Max’s bedroom.  Why or why not? 

4. Max envisions his journey as one “through night and day and in and out of weeks and almost over a year.”  Do you really think his journey took that long?  Why or why not? (His supper was waiting and was still hot, so it couldn’t have been too long.)

5. How do you think Max looks when he sees his first ferocious sea creature?  What do you believe he is thinking?

6. Can you give an example of roaring a “terrible roar” and gnashing your teeth the way the wild things did?  Do you think you would have been afraid of the wild things?  Why or why not?

7. How did Max tame the wild things?  Can you think of other ways you might have attempted to tame them?

8. Do you think the wild things really look very scary?  Why or why not?

9. When Max becomes lonely and wants to be “where someone loved him best of all,” of whom was he thinking?

10. When Max leaves the wild things, they tell him, “we’ll eat you up—we love you so.”  Who else had threatened to eat someone up in this story?  Do you think Max remembered this statement in his dream? 

11. Have you ever had a dream that seemed as real as Max’s journey to the land of the wild things?  If so, describe it.

Seen Art?

• Ask the child if he/she has ever visited an art museum.  If so, ask them if they remember any particular piece of art that they liked, disliked, or thought was unusual.

• Ask the child to study all of the art pieces in the back of the book and find at least one of the following:
• A picture of a profile.
• A hanging mobile.
• An artist’s self-portrait.
• A cover of a children’s book.
• A landscape.
• A photograph of a real person.
• A chair.
• A sculpture.
• Pop art.

• Using the picture gallery in the back of the book, ask the child to look at the following pictures:
• Vincent Van Gogh’s “The Starry Night,”
• René Magritte’s “The False Mirror,”
• Edvard Munch’s “The Storm,”
• Edward Hopper’s “New York Movie.”

Ask the child to study each painting and give it a new title.  Also ask the child to make up a story using the setting or the people depicted.

The Napping House

• After reading the story, ask your young listener to try to name in order each of the “nappers” in the house and to try to remember the descriptive phrases used to describe each of these characters.  (a slumbering mouse, a snoozing cat, a dozing dog, a dreaming child, a snoring granny)
  
• Which inhabitant of the house was NOT napping?  (a wakeful flea)
  
• Now try to describe the effect the flea’s bite has on each of the “nappers” in the household.  (scares the cat, who claws the dog, who thumps the child, who bumps the granny, who breaks the bed)
  
• What are the expressions on the sleepers’ faces when they are wakened?  How do you think you might have felt if you were the dreaming child who was suddenly thumped awake by the dog?
  
• Discuss what kind of day it is outside while everyone is sleeping in The Napping House.  (rainy)  Does a rainy day ever make you want to take a nap?  Why or why not?
  
• How has the day changed outside when everyone is wakened?  What is everyone doing on the book’s final page?  How do they look now?

Fancy Nancy

• Ask the child to come up with a fancy word for the following:
• A French dinner roll?  (Croissant)
• A wide necktie? (Ascot)
• A nap? (Siesta)
• The color red? (Persimmon, Ruby)
• A railing around stairs? (Bannister)
• A big long car? (Limousine)
• An afternoon movie or play? (Matinee)

• Ask the child if he/she dresses often.  (This should lead to discussion of special holidays, Halloween, picture day at school, etc.)  Ask the child how he/she feels when dressed in a fancy way.

• What items did Nancy use to make her and her family fancy?  Do you have any of these items?  Have you ever used them to make yourself, your room, a friend, or a pet look fancy?  Can you think of some other items that could be used?

Ella Sarah Gets Dressed

1. Ask your young listener to see if she or he can name each of the colorful clothing items that Ella Sarah wants to wear in this story.  (pink polka-dot pants, dress with orange-and-green flowers, purple-and-blue striped socks, yellow shoes, and red hat)

2. Discuss the other clothing options presented by her parents and her big sister.  How do they compare with what Ella Sarah wants to wear?  Which outfit would you have wanted to wear and why?

3. What are the reasons that her family members give to Ella Sarah as to why she should not wear the outfit she has selected?  Do you agree with any of their reasons?  Why or why not?

4. When Ella Sarah finally puts on her special outfit, how do you think she feels?  Does she seem excited or happy?  How do you think she looks?

5. Who did you think would be at the door when the doorbell rang?

6. Why do you think Ella Sarah’s friends also thought her outfit was “just right”?

7. Describe the outfits that Ella Sarah’s friends