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 Enormous Crocodile Written Roald Dahl
PAUSE and PONDER … Why I love this story? “Mr. Dahl’s gift for sonorous and inventive language carries the story along merrily.” The New York Times Book Review I have been reading this story at schools for nearly twenty years and it is ALWAYS one that children adore, frequently begging for repeat readings. What joy it is for me to see them all sitting on the edges of their seats, with saucer eyes and mouths agog – sure signs of a “good story!” This crocodile character is so deliciously nasty, you can’t help but wonder what his next secret trick will be and then rejoice triumphantly when you see him get his just deserts. As a storyteller I delight in the fresh language that Mr. Dahl uses –words such as “greedy grumptious brute, horrid hoggish croc, Muggle Wump, Humpy Rumpy, and Roly Poly Bird.”
Souvenirs from the story A wry smile and a little chuckle at seeing the nasty crocodile’s plans foiled by the brave jungle heroes.
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! © 2014 Kathleen Pelley
KathleenPelleyStorytelling.com
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Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide
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? “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: Good will triumph. As parents and teachers and storytellers, our job is not to remove all fear and darkness from our children’s lives, but rather, it is to give them the courage to conquer and tame the demons. As G.K. Chesterton says, “Fairytales don’t tell children that dragons exist; children already know that dragons exist. Fairytales tell children that dragons can be killed.”
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
KathleenPelleyStorytelling.com
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Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide
Discussion Questions 1. What was the Enormous Crocodile’s first nasty trick? (Disguising himself as a coconut tree) 2. Why did it fail? (Humpy Rumpy came to the children’s rescue) 3. What was the Enormous Crocodile’s second nasty trick? (Disguising himself as a see-saw) 4. Why did it fail? (Muggle Wump the monkey came to the rescue) 5. What was the Enormous Crocodile’s third nasty trick? (Disguising himself as a wooden crocodile on the merry-go-round) 6. Why did it fail? 7. What was the Enormous Crocodile’s final nasty trick? (disguising himself as a bench at the picnic place) 8. Why did it fail? (Trunky the elephant came to the rescue) 9. Has anyone ever played a trick on you? Discuss how tricks can be harmless and fun, or mean and nasty. 10. What is the funniest trick you have ever heard of? Discuss how tricks can be funny if no one is harmed. 11. Have you ever played a trick on someone? 12. Have you ever rescued someone from danger? 13. Have you ever disguised yourself as someone else? Discuss word camouflage and how important it is for animals. 14. Have you ever been rescued from a dangerous situation? By whom? Discuss Heroes….who are your heroes and why? 15. Which of the Enormous Crocodile’s tricks do you think was the cleverest? Explain. 16. What was your favorite part of the story? Explain.
© 2014 Kathleen Pelley
KathleenPelleyStorytelling.com
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Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide
Jungle Characters Draw the animal in the boxes below. Then write a sentence about him.
________________________________
Roly Poly Bird
________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________
Muggle Wump
________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________
Š 2014 Kathleen Pelley
KathleenPelleyStorytelling.com
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Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide
Jungle Characters Draw the animal in the boxes below. Then write a sentence about him.
________________________________
Humpy Rumpy
________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________
TRUNKY
________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________
Š 2014 Kathleen Pelley
KathleenPelleyStorytelling.com
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Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide
Word Scramble Unscramble the words… 1
secret plans and _ _ _ _ _ _tricks
2
teeth rattled like _ _ _ _ _ _ _ in a piggy bank
3
squashed and _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ and sizzled
4
sizzled up like a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (GAUSASE)
5
sparkled like _ _ _ _ _ _ (NIKSEV)
© 2014 Kathleen Pelley
(LRECEV) (SPENINE)
(QISUHDE)
KathleenPelleyStorytelling.com
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Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide
Crisscross Words Use the clues below to complete the crossword
Across
Down
3. Eating outside
1. They grow on palm trees
4. Another creature on the merry-go-round
2. Where the animals all lived
5. Name of the elephant
6. Roly Poly bird liked to eat these
7. This animal has a trunk
10. Name of one of the children near coconut trees
8. One of the creatures on the merry-go-round 9. Muggle Wump liked to eat these
Š 2014 Kathleen Pelley
KathleenPelleyStorytelling.com
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Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide
Answer Key Word Scramble 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
clever pennies squished sausage knives
Crossword Puzzle 1. coconuts 2. jungle 3. picnic 4. dragon 5. Trunky 6. berries 7. elephant 8. lion 9. nuts 10. Toto
Š 2014 Kathleen Pelley
KathleenPelleyStorytelling.com
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