Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide
Activity Guide by Kathleen Pelley Š 2014 Kathleen Pelley
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Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide One of the many things I love about good stories is that they can provide a space in our hectic busy lives to simply PAUSE and PONDER some truth, some beauty, or some new way of looking at the world. Each month I will invite you to join me as I PAUSE and PONDER upon the story I have just read.
The Quiet Place Written by Sarah Stewart and pictures by David Small
PAUSE and PONDER … Why I love this story? This story is told in the form of letters from a child to her Aunt – letter writing is a forgotten art nowadays, but I have fond memories of writing letters as a child to my friend who moved to Canada, and to my cousins who lived in Ireland. Letters are such a tender way of revealing our hurts and longings to one another. The story takes place in the 1950s when a little girl and her family move from Mexico to the States: we learn of Isabel’s struggles, not only with a new land, but with new words, new people, and new places. Her way of coping is to find her QUIET PLACE. What one of us has not felt that need for a safe, quiet place at some time in our lives? I moved to the States as an adult, and yet, still I remember the sharp pang of homesickness, the longing for the familiar, for the identity I left behind in my country. I have many favorite QUIET PLACES, but my favorite of all….a GOOD picture book like this. No wonder this tale resonates with me! Souvenirs from the story – a jolt of joy at seeing our Isabel find her place in her new country with the help of a QUIET PLACE and her “word” friends.
Emotional/Universal Truth What is an emotional truth? Any editor will tell you that a common weakness of many picture book manuscripts is that it is “too trite.” In other words, it will not withstand multiple readings, because it is too one dimensional and lacks a universal, emotional truth. It is NOT a lesson, a moral, or a message! Rather it is a simple truth, woven seamlessly throughout the story -some truth about love, hope, pain, joy, or home that a child can understand and connect with. I like to think of it as that whiff of wonder, that bolt of beauty that lingers with you, long after the last page is turned or the final word uttered. © 2014 Kathleen Pelley
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Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide Why should this universal truth matter so much to the read-aloud quality of a picture book? “The storytellers go back and back, to a clearing in the forest where a great fire burns, and the old shamans dance and sing, for our heritage of stories began in fire, magic, the spirit world. And that is where it is held, today.” Doris Lessing Truth connects us to one another, to our ancestors, and to the world around us. Good books and stories are all about connections. When we read a story aloud to a child – a story that truly touches us at the very core of our being with its beauty and its truth, then, we will naturally breathe our own life and love into those words as we read them aloud. (Notice how life and spirit, breath and voice are all connected). And, in turn, those words will seep into the little listener’s heart, making her or him feel brave or bold, calm or kind, happy or hopeful. “Adult books maintain lives; children’s books change lives.” Yolen
The “truth” of this story: In the midst of moving to new places, we all need a quiet place to help us transition from the familiar to the unfamiliar – it may be a box or a shady spot at the foot of the garden, or a good story!
What souvenir and what “truth” I wonder, will you and your children take from this story?
The following discussion questions and activities are designed for use either with a parent and a child, or with a teacher and her class or a small group. Most of the discussion questions are suited for children ages 6-8, but could be adapted for use with younger children too.
- Kathleen Pelley
© 2014 Kathleen Pelley
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Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide
Discussion Questions 1. When does this story take place? ( in the 1950s) 2. Where is Isabel moving from? (Mexico) 3. What language do they speak in Mexico? (Spanish) 4. Do you speak any languages other than English? Discuss. 5. How is Isabel practicing English? (by writing letters to her Aunt) 6. Discuss the differences between email and letter writing. 7. Why does Isabel find it hard to make friends? (she is shy) 8. Do you find it hard or easy to make new friends? Discuss. 9. How can you make a new student feel welcome? Discuss. 10. Why does Isabel start a Quiet Place? (to feel safe) 11. Do you have a favorite Quiet Place? Or a favorite Noisy Place? Discuss. 12. What do you like about Quiet Places? What do you dislike about them? 13. What happens to Isabel’s first box? (ruined in rain) 14. How does she get another one? (from pool box at party) 15. Isabel calls words her friends – discuss. 16. What does P. S. at end of each letter mean? (Latin for Post Scriptum – after the letter) 17. How does Isabel’s last letter end differently from all the others? (wishing you were here instead of missing you) 18. What does that tell you? (that she finally feels she belongs)
© 2014 Kathleen Pelley
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Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide
Story Characters Draw the animal in the boxes below. Then write a sentence about her/him.
________________________________
Isabel
________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________
________________________________
Chavo
________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________
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Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide Aunt Lupita ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________
Word Scramble Unscramble the words‌ 1. Isabel comes from the country of _ _ _ _ _ _ (oxicem). 2. Isabel made a _ _ _ _ (nosw) angel. 3. Isabel found it hard to make friends because she was _ _ _ (hys). 4. Isabel loved her _ _ _ _ _ (tieuq) place. 5. Spanish words are like _ _ _ __ _ _ _ (residfn) for Isabel.
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Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide
Crisscross Words Use the clues below to complete the crossword. 1
2 3
4
5
EclipseCros sword.com Across 4. Isabel made one after snowstorm. 5. Meaning of antidote (what the guard called Isabel).
© 2014 Kathleen Pelley
1. 2. 3. 4.
Down Isabel’s brother. The fireworks over the lake were like these. This came with the dollhouse. Isabel’s quiet place made her feel like this.
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Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide
Research Mexico
Learn about Mexico. Visit National Geographic and A to Z Kids Stuff. http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/countries/mexico.html http://www.atozkidsstuff.com/mexico.html Start your exploration by answering these questions, then create more of your own. Where is Mexico located on the globe? What colors are in the Mexican flag? What is Mexico’s traditional dress? For girls? For boys? What is the music of Mexico? What are fun things to do in Mexico? What are their favorite foods?
ART Activity Find a large box and decorate it with pictures of friends, objects, words, places, animals, toys – all the things that might help you feel SAFE or feel at home if you are in a strange place. © 2014 Kathleen Pelley
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Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide
Favorite Words Can you interview family, teachers, and friends, asking them for their favorite words – and words to say aloud? Then write them all out on colored card – use them to decorate your room/classroom. Be a word collector – keep a notepad filled with all YOUR favorite words. Begin with your favorite words from this story. My favorite words from this story:
Additional Reading Another wonderful book about words is The Boy who Loved Words by Roni Schotter.
© 2014 Kathleen Pelley
KathleenPelleyStorytelling.com
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Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide
Answer Key Word Sramble 1. Mexico 2. snow 3. shy 4. quiet 5. friends
Crisscross Puzzle 1
2
C 3
H
4
F
F
L
A
U
O
V
R
W
S N O W
A N G E L
A
I
R
F
T
S
E
U R 5
C U R E
EclipseCros sword.com
Š 2014 Kathleen Pelley
KathleenPelleyStorytelling.com
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