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Art © 2015 by Paul O. Zelinsky
by
by
E mily J enkins, illustrated by P aul O. Z elinsky
Discussion Questions
and Follow-Up Activities
ABOUT THIS BOOK
Lumphy, StingRay, and Plastic are back for an
exciting trek through the snow. The personalities
of the characters are on full display in this vivid
and beautiful picture book, revealing their
curiosity, whimsy, and logic. Take your students
on a literary journey with the toys to see a
winter’s day in a whole new light.
1. Where do names come from?
Ask students to describe the physical characteristics and personality traits of Lumphy, StingRay,
and Plastic. Then have students come up with
new names for the toys based on these characteristics and traits. Place a picture of each character
at the top of your whiteboard. Have students
write the new name they have come up with
and explain why they chose that name. Keep a
tally of repeated names to see which is the
most popular.
PRE-READING
ACTIVITY
Collect books from the library or appropriate
websites and ask students to research snow,
focusing on what, where, when, why, and how.
Students can work individually or in small groups
as they gather information. They should write
important words or phrases and draw illustrations
on index cards. Create a bulletin board titled
snow and include the headings what, where,
when, why, and how. Then gather as a group
and have students add their index cards to the
bulletin board under the correct headings.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Emily Jenkins is the author of numerous picture books, including A Fine Dessert,
Water in the Park, a Booklist Editors’ Choice and a Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book;
Lemonade in Winter, a Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book of the Year; and two
Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor Books: Five Creatures and That New Animal. She also
wrote the three chapter booksin the Toys trilogy: Toys Go Out, Toy Dance Party, and
Toys Come Home. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. Learn more at emilyjenkins.com.
Take students outside to your school’s playground, parking lot, or sports field. Ask them to
draw what they see on a sunny day. Then ask
them to draw a picture of the same location after
a large snowstorm. What does everything look
like covered in snow? Pair each student with a
partner and have them trade pictures. Challenge
them to identify each snow-covered item!
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C orrelates to Common Core Language Arts Anchor Standards for Writing 8
This guide is aligned with the Common Core Curriculum according to the standards for the first grade. If you teach another grade, you can easily find the coordinating standard for your grade level at corestandards.org.
7. What does it take to build a snowman?
Once students have a good understanding of
what these words mean and how they differ,
ask them to imagine a snowy day. Have them
close their eyes and listen as you describe
details such as the color and shine of snow,
the pace of the falling snowflakes, and the
glow from the setting sun. When they open
their eyes, ask students to write one poetic
statement and one factual statement about
that scene.
C orrelates to Common Core Language Arts Anchor
Standards for Informational Text 3
5. How do the toys get outside?
Review the different strategies the toys used
to open the door to get outside. Which one
worked and which ones didn’t? Ask students
to brainstorm ways to accomplish a difficult
task, such as how to roll a ball from one side
of the classroom to the other without the ball
hitting any objects (and without moving any
furniture). They can use anything they find
in the classroom to help, including their own
bodies! Test their strategies until they find one
that works.
C orrelates to Common Core Language Arts Anchor
Standards for Speaking and Listening 1
6. What is a snowflake?
Review the science behind snowflakes,
including how they form and why they are all
different. Then have students make their own
snowflakes by folding a piece of paper multiple times and cutting out shapes in various
spots. When they unfold the paper, they will
see that every snowflake is unique!
Art © 2015 by Paul O. Zelinsky
Art © 2015 by Paul O. Zelinsky
C orrelates to Common Core Language Arts Anchor
Standards for Speaking and Listening 4
3. Do things look different when they’re
covered in snow?
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
4. What do the words poetic and factual
mean?
Ask students to share what they are curious about.
Then help them develop a way to explore their
curiosity. This could be meeting with a professional in a specific field, conducting research using
the Internet, or talking with a family member. Ask
students to share what they learn in a multimedia
presentation using videos, photos, Internet sites,
or even special guests.
Ages: 3–7 • Grades: Preschool–2
HC: 978-0-385-37330-2 • GLB: 978-0-385-37331-9 • EL: 978-0-385-37332-6
by
C orrelates to Common Core Language Arts Anchor
Standards for Literature 7
2. What does it mean to be curious?
C orrelates to Common Core Language Arts Anchor
Standards for Writing 7
Caldecott Medalist Paul O. Zelinsky is one of the most acclaimed picture book
illustrators working today. He is the illustrator of Dust Devil by Anne Isaacs,
a New York Times Notable Book and an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum
Award winner. He received the Caldecott Medal for his retelling of Rapunzel and
three Caldecott Honors, for his illustrations in Rumpelstiltskin, Hansel and Gretel,
and Anne Isaacs’s Swamp Angel. He also illustrated the three chapter books in the
Toys trilogy: Toys Go Out, Toy Dance Party, and Toys Come Home. Visit the illustrator
at paulozelinsky.com.
E mily J enkins, illustrated by P aul O. Z elinsky
Ask students to think about a time they built a
snowman. What materials did they use? What
steps did they take? Tell them to imagine they
have a friend who has never seen snow before.
Have students write step-by-step instructions
for building a snowman so that it is easy for
their friend to understand. On the next snowy
day, invite someone into the classroom to “test
out” these instructions!
C orrelates to Common Core Language Arts Anchor
Standards for Writing 2
8. What is a simile?
Explain that a simile is a figure of speech in
which two things are compared using as or
like. Review StingRay’s descriptions of snow,
snowflakes, and the sunset. As a class, work on
turning those into similes.
Some examples:
• Snow is like a blanket of peace over
the world.
• A snowflake is like a tiny ballerina.
• A sunset is like strawberry syrup pouring over
the world to make it sweet before nightfall.
Challenge students to come up with their own
similes—you can place items on a table for
younger students to use as inspiration, while
older students can find inspiration from the
world around them.
C orrelates to Common Core Language Arts Anchor
Standards for Language 5
C orrelates to Common Core Language Arts Anchor
Standards for Informational Text 1
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Guide prepared by Jamie Simon, an educational consultant in the Washington, DC, area who has been involved in education for 15 years as both a teacher and an administrator.
E mily J enkins, illustrated by P aul O. Z elinsky
by
E mily J enkins, illustrated by P aul O. Z elinsky
Mixed-Up Snow Prints
Add a Page to the Book
Have some fun in the snow! Match the items listed
with their correct snow imprint in the circles.
Instructions: Think of something you like to do in the snow.
Create a page for the book that illustrates the characters
doing your favorite snow activity.
Name
.
Name
.
Lumphy, StingRay, and Plastic like to
StingRay
.
(your favorite snow activity)
Hat
Rabbit
Boot
Glove
Educators: Reproduce this sheet for your students.
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Art © 2015 by Paul O. Zelinsky
Art © 2015 by Paul O. Zelinsky
Mitten
Educators: Reproduce this sheet for your students.
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