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Copywork
About This Passage
Selected because Lobel makes the frame for his entire book in a single paragraph. Papa Mouse turns a small request into a generous offer with one practical condition. The mechanical lesson is in the dialogue punctuation; the structural lesson is that an entire collection can be unified by a single framing premise.
"I will do better than that," said Papa. "I will tell you seven tales — one for each of you, if you promise to go right to sleep when I am done."
Full copywork activity with handwriting lines available in the complete study guide.
Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
Summarize this chapter, then explain what you think the author most wanted the reader to notice or feel. What techniques did the author use?
Discussion Questions
- Lobel structures the book as a frame containing seven tales. Argue why the frame is essential to the book's effect. What would change if the seven tales were published separately, each as its own small book?
- In the wishing well tale, the mouse responds to the well's pain by inventing a solution (the pillow). She does not abandon her wishes; she adapts the practice to avoid causing harm. Argue what this reveals about Lobel's theory of how kindness and self-interest can coexist.
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Vocabulary Builder
Item 1
An outer story that contains inner stories; the structural device Lobel uses for the book as a whole.
Item 2
A story, often invented, told aloud or in writing; the unit of structure in the book.
Item 3
Continued effort despite difficulty; the journey-mouse's central trait.
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Critical Thinking
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