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Copywork
About This Passage
Despereaux is a tiny mouse who is just born, and his sister is making fun of his big ears. The sentence shows how brothers and sisters sometimes notice the things that make a person different. Notice the word 'biggest' — adding 'est' to a word means more than any other. Copying this sentence helps children practice writing about being different.
His ears are too big, said his sister. Those are the biggest ears I've ever seen.
Full copywork activity with handwriting lines available in the complete study guide.
Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
Tell about how Despereaux was born. What was special about him from the very first moment?
Discussion Questions
- Despereaux was born with his eyes already open, and he was looking at the sun reflected in his mother's mirror. Why does the author tell us about his eyes being open? What does it mean for a mouse to be looking at light from the very start?
- Despereaux's mother is sad that he is the only baby that lived. She names him Despereaux for 'the despairs in this place.' Is naming a baby for sadness a kind thing or an unkind thing?
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Critical Thinking
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