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Activity Guide

by

Kathleen Pelley

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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.

AMOS AND BORIS

Written and illustrated by William Steig

PAUSE and PONDER …

Why I love this story?

It is a tender tale of two very different characters – a mote of a mouse and a

mountain of a whale – who develop a deep and an abiding affection for one

another. Amos, the mouse, is an adventurer, a lover of life, and….a philosopher.

Every time I read those lines after he has fallen into the ocean, “He began to

wonder what it would be like to drown. Would it take very long? Would it feel

just awful? Would his soul go to heaven? Would there be other mice there?” I

smile and think of E.B. White’s words, “All I want to say in books. All I ever

wanted to say in books, is – I LOVE THE WORLD” This story truly celebrates a

love of life and rejoices in the gift of FRIENDSHIP.

As a storyteller I delight in the rich, lively language – words such as:

phosphorescent sea, luminous water, gemlike radiance, quivering daintiness,

grandeur, abounding friendliness.” When Frank McCourt (Pulitzer prize winning

author of Angela’s Ashes, first encountered the language of Shakespeare, he

described it as “having jewels in my mouth” – “phosphorescent….gemlike

radiance” – “RICH” language - JEWELS indeed!

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When I talk to children at schools, I will often compare stories to journeys. Just as

a journey involves movement from one place to another, so too a story involves

movement: a movement of our heart to feel something – hence the word,

eMOTION. And just as we will often return from a journey with some souvenirs

to remind us of where we have been, so too a good story, I believe, should leave

us with some souvenir: a bolt of beauty, a glimpse of goodness, some words of

wisdom, a jolt of joy, a dollop of hope, a soupçon of sadness, a nugget of

knowledge, or a crumb of comfort.

So, the two souvenirs I take from this story are:

1. A soupcon of sadness to see our two friends part from one another – a

reminder that often we must endure separation from our loved ones,

whether through death or distance or some other circumstances.

2. A dash of delight as I revel in the joy of friends who have lit up my life in so

many ways over the years.

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?

“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

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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 is, I think, twofold:

1. Friends are the elixir of life – they help us to love more, they bring out our

best characteristics, and though we may have to endure separation

through death or distance, good friends always live in our hearts.

2. “A friend in need is a friend indeed” – surely all of us have experienced the

care of a dear friend in our times of trouble and know what solace a good

friend can bring.

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

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Discussion of Friendship

In what ways are Amos and Boris different from one another? (mouse, whale, big, small, one lives on land and the other on sea etc.)

In what way are they similar? (both love life, are curious, friendly, adventurous, mammals etc.)

What did Amos admire about Boris? (the bulk, grandeur, power, purpose, rich voice, and abounding friendliness)

What did Boris admire about Amos? (the delicacy, the quivering daintiness, the light touch, the small voice, the gemlike radiance)

Think of one of your special friends. How are you alike?

How are you different?

What do you admire about your friend?

What do you like to do with your friend?

Have you ever had a friend who helped you in a time of need?

Have you ever helped a friend in a time of trouble?

“A friend in need is a friend indeed” – discuss.

Are you more like Amos or Boris?

Boris described Amos as “all heart” – what do you think he meant?

Why can’t Amos and Boris be together (one lives on land, the other in the sea)

Have you ever had a friend who had to move to another place?

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Character Comparison

On chart paper, draw two overlapping circles and label them AMOS and

BORIS. Have child/children compare Amos to Boris. Direct them to think

about physical characteristics and personality. Record their answers in the

circles. Explain that descriptions matching both Amos and Boris will be

written in the area where the circles overlap and that the descriptions

matching only one of them will be written in that character’s circle.

Amos

Mouse

Tiny

Gemlike

Natural sailor

Lives on land

Fur coat

Squeaks

Runs

Has legs

Bold

Adventurous

Boris

Whale

Huge

Lives in sea

Spouts

Swims

Has fins

Both

Friendly

Mammal

Curious

Loves the ocean

Kind

Bold

Adventurous

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Character Comparison (for younger children)

Copy the words from the box below onto colored cards. Tell the child that

some of these are AMOS MOUSE words and others are BORIS WHALE

words. Have child/children stick cards onto the correct animal shape from

the next page.

Mouse

Curious

Adventurous

kind

brave

lives on land

lives in the sea

Whale

Squeaks

Boris

Small

Sounds

eats fish

Amos

Big

mammal

eats cheese

Friendly

wonders

Loves life

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Going on a Journey

Discuss some of the items Amos took on his journey – sextant, compass,

iodine, bandages, acorns, telescope, needle and thread, a yo-yo, and playing

cards. These were his “necessities.”

Encourage child/children to talk about what “necessities” they like to take

on a journey.

Have your child draw a picture of a sailboat – or use the picture on the next

page. Ask your child to give a name to her or his boat (Amos called his boat

Rodent). Now encourage your child to write and/or draw her or his list of

“necessities.”

The name of my boat is: __________________________

My list of “NECESSITIES”

______________________

______________________

______________________

______________________

______________________

______________________

______________________

______________________

______________________

______________________

______________________

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Word Scramble

Unscramble the words…

1 A mote of a __ _ _ _ _ (emsuo)

2 A mountain of a _ _ _ _ _ (hewla)

3 Ivory coast of _ _ _ _ _ _ (fiacar)

4 Worst storm of the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (cryuten)

5 Two goodhearted _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (lanstehpe)

6 Middle of the _ _ _ _ _ (noeca)

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Crisscross Words

Use the clues below to complete the crossword

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WE LOVE THE WORLD – Activity

E. B. White said, “all I want to say in books, all I ever wanted to say is, I

LOVE THE WORLD.” Discuss.

What did Amos love? (ocean, smell of sea air, he loved to hear the surf

sounds, breakers, the back washes.) Discuss with child/children what they

love to see, smell, touch, hear, do.

Draw heart shapes on card. Have child/children write their name in the

heart. Then fill the heart with all things they love about the world –

encourage them to think of things they love to see, hear, taste, feel, do.

Decorate – wall of room/classroom under heading of We LOVE the World.

You could do a heart for every day of the week and what they loved about

the world that day, or you could do a heart for the week and what they

loved that week.

SEE SAMPLE HEART ACTIVITY BELOW

Today I LOVED…

Hearing baby brother laugh

Crunch of leaves

Jumping in a puddle

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Answer Key

Word Scramble

1. mouse

2. whale

3. Africa

4. Century

5. Elephants

6. Ocean

Crossword Puzzle

1. bandages

2. sail

3. Yetta

4. yo-yo

5. rodent

6. mote

7. mouse

8. ocean

9. mammal

10. Africa