The Cricket in Times Square — Chapter 2

About This Passage

This sentence is a small, careful scene of kindness. Notice how many small actions it holds together: Mario pulls, he lays, he takes, he dusts. Each verb is simple and quiet, but together they show a boy being gentle with something very small. The author uses two sheets of Kleenex — one for a bed and one for cleaning — to make us feel how carefully Mario is treating the cricket. Copying this sentence teaches a writer how small actions, one after another, can add up to something tender without any big words about love or care.

Narration Prompt

Tell someone what happened in this chapter in order. When you get to the most important part, slow down and tell it carefully — what happened, why it mattered, and what you think about it.

Discussion Questions

1. Mama Bellini says the cricket is just a bug, calls it dirty, and wants Mario to throw it away. Is Mama being mean to Mario, or is she trying to protect her family from something she thinks might be dangerous? What in the story makes you think so?
2. In Chapter 1, Tucker Mouse almost went to sleep before he heard the strange sound. Now in Chapter 2 we see that the strange sound was a cricket Mario is going to rescue. Does Mario's finding of the cricket feel like good luck, or like something more like a gift? What in the way the author tells the scene makes you think so?

+ 2 more questions in the complete study guide