Kathleen Pelley: Activity Guide "The Sugar Mouse Cake"

Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide

Activity Guide by Kathleen Pelley Š 2014 Kathleen Pelley

KathleenPelleyStorytelling.com

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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 Sugar Mouse Cake Written by Gene Zion and Illustrated by Margaret Bloy Graham

PAUSE and PONDER …

Why I love this story?

When I attended a writing conference, some years ago, one of the presenters, renowned editor, Patti Lee Gauch, mentioned that this book had always been a favorite of her own children. She also used it as an example of a perfect “storm” of a story – in other words, something is always happening on every single page. Although this was published in 1964, it still resonates with children today, because it is just so exciting. When I read it aloud to students, I can see their eyes widen as they sit on the edge of their seats, hanging on every single word – the definition of suspense ! It also presents a delightful portrait of a friendship between Tom, the pastry chef and his pet mouse, Tina.

Souvenirs from the story – A dash of delight at seeing two friends re-united after such an emotional roller-coaster and a crumb of comfort remembering that a good friend can indeed make everything feel better!

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.

Why should this universal truth matter so much to the read-aloud quality of a picture book?

© 2014 Kathleen Pelley

KathleenPelleyStorytelling.com

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Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide “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 Children’s Author, Storyteller, and Speaker www.kathleenpelley.com

© 2014 Kathleen Pelley

KathleenPelleyStorytelling.com

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Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide

Discussion Questions 1. Why did no one know that Tom was a good pastry chef?

2. What did Tina love to do?

3. Why did the other chefs make fun of Tom? 4. What kind of cake did Tom bake?

5. What accidentally fell into the batter?

6. How did Tom use Tina to help him?

7. What part of the story did you find most exciting? Explain.

8. What did the king mean when he said, “I shall feast on its beauty?”

9. Do you feel like that about anything?

10. Why was Tom not happy even when he won the contest?

11. Have you ever felt like that about something?

12. How did Tom and Tina celebrate their reunion?

13. Have you ever had a reunion with a friend or family member?

14. What do you like to share with your friends?

15. Which character in this story did you like the best? Why? 16. Which character did you like the least? Why? 17. Have you ever won a contest? How did you feel?

18. How did this story make you feel?

© 2014 Kathleen Pelley

KathleenPelleyStorytelling.com

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Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide

Story Characters For each description below, choose a character (or group) from the story.

Draw the character in the box and then write a sentence that explains your choice. ________________________________

The greediest character

________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________

________________________________

The meanest character

________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________

Š 2014 Kathleen Pelley

KathleenPelleyStorytelling.com

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Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide

Story Characters (Continued) The cleverest character ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________

Word Scramble Unscramble the words…

1. When she heard the _ _ _ _ _ (smicu) box, Tina danced.

2. Tina jumped into Tom’s _ _ _ _ _ _ (cepotk).

3. Tom stirred the _ _ _ _ _ _ (terbat).

4. The sugar mouse queen sat on a _ _ _ _ _ _ (horent).

5. The queen had a _ _ _ _ _ _ cookie tin. (velsir).

6. The palace cat was very _ _ _ _ _ _ (gruhyn).

© 2014 Kathleen Pelley

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Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide

Crisscross Words Use the clues below to complete the crossword.

Across 2.

3.

4.

7.

Down

You wave these at parades.

This surrounds a castle to protect it.

Tina liked to do these.

Soliders who watch for intruders.

1.

2.

5.

6.

Š 2014 Kathleen Pelley

Place prisoners go.

An ingredient for a cake.

Mice on Tom's cake were made from this.

Name of Tom's pet mouse.

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Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide

Research Coat of Arms Coat of Arms. Discuss what they are and how they were used in medieval times. Explain how symbols and different colors have significance. Discuss how they are similar to family crests. Encourage your child/children to research their family names and see if they have a family crest. Look online with them at www.google.com or another search engine. Show them the coat of arms displayed on back of book (below) and discuss why these symbols were used – chef’s hat, wooden spoon, Tina and the cakes. Encourage your child/children now to draw their own coat of arms, choosing symbols that are meaningful to them, eg, favorite pet, hobbies, books, sports, colors, words etc. Display around the classroom or in home. Draw a banner below the coat of arms, and have your child/children write a phrase in it, that is meaningful for them – explain word motto and give examples of famous ones in Latin - such as carpe diem (sieze the day) Nunc aut numquam (now or never) some message that holds meaning for them.

© 2014 Kathleen Pelley

KathleenPelleyStorytelling.com

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Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide

ART Activity Choose one of the following, or do them both.   Imagine you had to bake a cake for a contest. Draw your cake and write a few lines explaining your choice. Some suggestions for decorating – use mermaids, kites, butterflies, dragons, dinosaurs etc….  Draw Tom’s cake – be sure to show all the different kinds of mice.

For the classroom: Display students’ cakes around the room, or have a real cake contest with judges to decide on the “best” cake.

© 2014 Kathleen Pelley

KathleenPelleyStorytelling.com

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Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide

Answer Key Discussion Questions 1. Because he was only allowed to wash the pots and pans.

2. Dance 3. Because he was entering the contest and they thought he couldn’t bake.

4. Sugar mice cake 5. The music box 6. He replaced the broken sugar mouse queen with Tina.

7. No right answer.

8. No right answer.

9. No right answer.

10. Because Tina was gone.

11. No right answer.

12. Tom baked cakes for Tina, and Tina danced.

Word Sramble 1. music 2. pocket 3. batter 4. throne 5. silver 6. hungry

Š 2014 Kathleen Pelley

KathleenPelleyStorytelling.com

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Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide

Answer Key (Continued) Crisscross Puzzle

Across 2.

3.

4.

7.

FLAGS—You wave these at parades.

MOAT—This surrounds a castle to protect it.

SOMERSAULTS—Tina liked to do these.

GUARDS—Soliders who watch for intruders.

Down 1.

2.

5.

6.

DUNGEON—Place prisoners go.

FLOUR—An ingredient for a cake.

SUGAR—Mice on Tom's cake were made from this.

TINA—Name of Tom's pet mouse.

© 2014 Kathleen Pelley

KathleenPelleyStorytelling.com

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