Literary Element: Foreshadowing
Name ____________________________________________________________________
Sometimes authors give us hints or clues about what is coming later in the book. This is called
foreshadowing. The author is giving us a shadowy hint about what’s going to happen before it
happens. Foreshadow. Foreshadowing helps readers predict what will happen. Sometimes these
hints are obvious, but sometimes they are not. So, be careful because it can be easy to miss the hints
if you aren’t reading carefully.
Look for some of these hints in The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and make predictions from
them. The first one is done for you.
Hint from Kate DiCamillo
What it Foreshadows
In the last paragraph of chapter 2: The Rosie
Abilene and Edward will be traveling on a ship.
Affair and The Vacuum-Cleaner Incident – those
Something big or dramatic is going to happen to
were the great dramas of Edward’s life until
the night of Abilene’s eleventh birthday when, at Edward on the ship.
the dinner table, as the cake was being served,
the ship was mentioned.
1. At the end of chapter 1: Pellegrina tucks
Abilene and Edward into bed. Abilene asks
for a story. Pellegrina says, “Soon. Soon
there will be a story.”
2. At the end of chapter 9: “Life, for a very long
time, was sweet. And then Lawrence and
Nellie’s daughter came for a visit.”
3. In chapter 26 and 27 Edward believes,
“Someone will come.”
Now try two of your own.
Hint from Kate DiCamillo
What it Foreshadows
4.
5.
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
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