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Puss in Boots: a book club kit
Where it comes from. Charles Perrault wrote this down in France in 1697, in the same little book as Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty.
In short (for the leader; it gives the ending away). A miller's youngest son inherits only a cat. The cat asks for a bag and a pair of boots, and uses clever tricks to make the king and princess think his master is a rich lord, the Marquis of Carabas. At the end he tricks an ogre into becoming a mouse, and the young man gets a castle and marries the princess.
The lesson, in one line. Being clever can be worth more than riches.
Reading plan, by the story's parts. Meeting 1: Part One, “A Cat for a Fortune” and Part Two, “The Marquis of Carabas”, pages 1–10 (about 5 minutes aloud); Meeting 2: Part Three, “The Ogre's Castle”, pages 11–16 (about 3 minutes aloud). Each stop's own questions, which never give away what comes next: Puss in Boots by chapter.
Questions to talk about
- What is the moral of Puss in Boots?
The story's answer: Being clever can be worth more than riches. The youngest son gets only a cat, and the cat's wits win him a castle and a princess. - Who wrote Puss in Boots?
The story's answer: Charles Perrault wrote it down in France in 1697, in a book that also had Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. - Why is the miller's son called the Marquis of Carabas?
The story's answer: The cat invents the name to make the king think his master is a rich lord. The young man is only a miller's son. - How does Puss in Boots beat the ogre?
The story's answer: He asks the ogre to show off by turning into a mouse. As soon as he becomes one, the cat catches him. - Who in the story was kind, and who was not? How do you know?
Listen for: Ask for the moment in the story that shows it. - Which part would you change, and how would the story end then?
Listen for: There is no wrong ending; ask what else would have to change.
Did you know?
- Charles Perrault wrote it down in France in 1697, in the same little book as Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty.
- The cat gets the miller's son a fancy name: the Marquis of Carabas.
- The clever cat tricks an ogre into turning himself into a mouse.
Activity: Draw the story as a map
On one big sheet, draw every place the story happens and the path between them. Mark the spot where things go wrong and the spot where they come right.
More to talk about
More facts for the leader
- The cat also appears in the movie Shrek.
Words to teach before you start
- brambles: prickly bushes
- invented: made up
- partridges: plump wild birds
- reapers: crop cutters
- impressed: amazed
- ogre: big, mean giant
Questions leaders ask
How long does a Puss in Boots book club meeting take?
Reading it aloud takes about 9 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 Puss in Boots for?
It is written at Peabody level 9, a grade 4 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
- Cinderella (level 9)
- Hansel and Gretel (level 9)
- Rumpelstiltskin (level 9)
- The Brave Little Tailor (level 9)
- The Emperor's New Clothes (level 9)
- The Frog Prince (level 9)
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.