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How the Camel Got His Hump: a book club kit
Where it comes from. Rudyard Kipling first printed this in 1897. In 1902 it went into his book Just So Stories, which began as bedtime stories for his own little girl.
In short (for the leader; it gives the ending away). At the beginning of the world the Horse, Dog and Ox work for Man, but the lazy Camel only says “Humph!” and will not work. The others have to do his share, so they complain to a Djinn, a magical spirit. The Djinn gives the Camel a hump so that he can work for three days without eating.
The lesson, in one line. Everyone should do their share of the work.
Reading plan. Read it together at the meeting: about 7 minutes aloud, or ahead of time at home.
Questions to talk about
- What is the moral of How the Camel Got His Hump?
The story's answer: Everyone should do their share of the work. The Camel's laziness means that the Horse, Dog and Ox have to do double work. - Who wrote How the Camel Got His Hump?
The story's answer: Rudyard Kipling first printed it in 1897. In 1902 it went into his book Just So Stories, which began as bedtime stories for his own little girl. - Why does the camel have a hump, according to the story?
The story's answer: A Djinn gave him one as a punishment for being lazy. The hump lets him work for three days without eating. - Is How the Camel Got His Hump a true story?
The story's answer: No. It is a made-up “just so” story about how things came to be. A real camel's hump stores fat. - Which character changed the most from the beginning to the end?
Listen for: Ask what changed them. - Which scene would you put on the poster if this were a film?
Listen for: A way to find the scene that mattered most to each reader.
Did you know?
- Rudyard Kipling first printed it in 1897. In 1902 it went into his book Just So Stories, which began as bedtime stories for his own little girl.
- The camel's only word is “Humph!”
- A Djinn, a magical spirit, gives the camel his hump.
Activity: Cast the film
Choose who would play each character, draw the poster with your scene on it, and give the film a one-line tagline.
More to talk about
More facts for the leader
- It is also called How the Camel Got a Hump and The Camel's Hump.
Words to teach before you start
- Djinn: magic spirit
- yoke: ox's harness
- plow: dig up soil
- howling: wild and empty
- reflection: picture in water
- behave: act properly
Questions leaders ask
How long does a How the Camel Got His Hump book club meeting take?
Reading it aloud takes about 7 minutes in all, so plan one meeting of 30 to 45 minutes, with time left for the questions. The reading plan on the sheet says where to stop.
What age is How the Camel Got His Hump for?
It is written at Peabody level 8, a grade 3 reading level, so most children at that level can read it alone. Younger children can listen to it read aloud.
Do the children need to read it before the meeting?
No. Each child can read it free on Peabody, before the meeting or together at it, and the questions work either way. The sheet's short version gives the ending away, so keep it for the leader.
How do I use the questions?
Start with the story's own questions, which have answers in the leader's notes, then move to the open ones and listen for reasons. There is no wrong answer to an open question. Stop when the group runs out of things to say.
Club kits for stories like this
- The Elephant's Child (level 8)
- The Little Blue Engine (level 7)
- The Tale of Peter Rabbit (level 7)
- Peter Pan (level 10)
- The Case of the Missing Mangoes (level 10)
- The Wizard of Oz (level 10)
How this kit is made
The short version, the facts and the first questions with their answers are the story's own, written for its page in Peabody's library and checked against the sources named there. The open questions, the activity and the plan are Peabody's, written for this kind of story. No part of it is written by a computer model.
Running the meeting: the meeting plans (30, 45 and 60 minutes) and the sign-up sheet.