Kathleen Pelley: Activity Guide "The Sugar Mouse Cake"

Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide

© 2014 Kathleen Pelley KathleenPelleyStorytelling.com Page 1

Activity Guide

by

Kathleen Pelley



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 Sugar Mouse Cake

Written by Gene Zion and Illustrated by Margaret Bloy Graham

PAUSE and PONDER …

Why I love this story?

When I attended a writing conference, some years ago, one of the presenters, renowned editor, Patti Lee Gauch, mentioned that this book had always been a favorite of her own children. She also used it as an example of a perfect “storm” of a story – in other words, something is always happening on every single page. Although this was published in 1964, it still resonates with children today, because it is just so exciting. When I read it aloud to students, I can see their eyes widen as they sit on the edge of their seats, hanging on every single word – the definition of suspense ! It also presents a delightful portrait of a friendship between Tom, the pastry chef and his pet mouse, Tina.

Souvenirs from the story – A dash of delight at seeing two friends re-united after such an emotional roller-coaster and a crumb of comfort remembering that a good friend can indeed make everything feel better!

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

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: In the midst of moving to new places, we all need a quiet place to

help us transition from the familiar to the unfamiliar – it may be a box or a shady spot at the

foot of the garden, or a good story!

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 Children’s Author, Storyteller, and Speaker

www.kathleenpelley.com



Discussion Questions

1. Why did no one know that Tom was a good pastry chef?

2. What did Tina love to do?

3. Why did the other chefs make fun of Tom?

4. What kind of cake did Tom bake?

5. What accidentally fell into the batter?

6. How did Tom use Tina to help him?

7. What part of the story did you find most exciting? Explain.

8. What did the king mean when he said, “I shall feast on its beauty?”

9. Do you feel like that about anything?

10. Why was Tom not happy even when he won the contest?

11. Have you ever felt like that about something?

12. How did Tom and Tina celebrate their reunion?

13. Have you ever had a reunion with a friend or family member?

14. What do you like to share with your friends?

15. Which character in this story did you like the best? Why?

16. Which character did you like the least? Why?

17. Have you ever won a contest? How did you feel?

18. How did this story make you feel?



Story Characters

For each description below, choose a character (or group) from the story.

Draw the character in the box and then write a sentence that explains your

choice.

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

The greediest character

The meanest character



Story Characters (Continued)

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

Word Scramble

Unscramble the words…

1. When she heard the _ _ _ _ _ (smicu) box, Tina danced.

2. Tina jumped into Tom’s _ _ _ _ _ _ (cepotk).

3. Tom stirred the _ _ _ _ _ _ (terbat).

4. The sugar mouse queen sat on a _ _ _ _ _ _ (horent).

5. The queen had a _ _ _ _ _ _ cookie tin. (velsir).

6. The palace cat was very _ _ _ _ _ _ (gruhyn).

The cleverest character



Crisscross Words

Use the clues below to complete the crossword.

Across 2. You wave these at parades. 3. This surrounds a castle to protect it. 4. Tina liked to do these. 7. Soliders who watch for intruders.

Down 1. Place prisoners go. 2. An ingredient for a cake. 5. Mice on Tom's cake were made from

this. 6. Name of Tom's pet mouse.



Research Coat of Arms

Coat of Arms. Discuss what they are and how they were used in medieval

times. Explain how symbols and different colors have significance. Discuss

how they are similar to family crests. Encourage your child/children to research

their family names and see if they have a family crest. Look online with them at

www.google.com or another search engine. Show them the coat of arms

displayed on back of book (below) and discuss why these symbols were used –

chef’s hat, wooden spoon, Tina and the cakes. Encourage your child/children

now to draw their own coat of arms, choosing symbols that are meaningful to

them, eg, favorite pet, hobbies, books, sports, colors, words etc. Display

around the classroom or in home. Draw a banner below the coat of arms, and

have your child/children write a phrase in it, that is meaningful for them –

explain word motto and give examples of famous ones in Latin - such as carpe

diem (sieze the day) Nunc aut numquam (now or never) some message that

holds meaning for them.

http://www.google.com/



ART Activity

Choose one of the following, or do them both.

Imagine you had to bake a cake for a contest. Draw your cake and write

a few lines explaining your choice. Some suggestions for decorating –

use mermaids, kites, butterflies, dragons, dinosaurs etc….

Draw Tom’s cake – be sure to show all the different kinds of mice.

For the classroom: Display students’ cakes around the room, or have a real

cake contest with judges to decide on the “best” cake.



Answer Key

Discussion Questions

1. Because he was only allowed to wash the pots and pans.

2. Dance

3. Because he was entering the contest and they thought he couldn’t bake.

4. Sugar mice cake

5. The music box

6. He replaced the broken sugar mouse queen with Tina.

7. No right answer.

8. No right answer.

9. No right answer.

10. Because Tina was gone.

11. No right answer.

12. Tom baked cakes for Tina, and Tina danced.

Word Sramble

1. music

2. pocket

3. batter

4. throne

5. silver

6. hungry



Answer Key (Continued)

Crisscross Puzzle

Across 2. FLAGS—You wave these at parades. 3. MOAT—This surrounds a castle to protect it. 4. SOMERSAULTS—Tina liked to do these. 7. GUARDS—Soliders who watch for intruders.

Down 1. DUNGEON—Place prisoners go. 2. FLOUR—An ingredient for a cake. 5. SUGAR—Mice on Tom's cake were made from this. 6. TINA—Name of Tom's pet mouse.

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Kathleen Pelley: Activity Guide "The Sugar Mouse Cake"