Book Club › For club leaders › Club kits › The Little Red Hen
The Little Red Hen: a book club kit
Where it comes from. Mary Mapes Dodge heard this from her mother and wrote it down in America in 1874, about 150 years ago.
In short (for the leader; it gives the ending away). A little red hen finds a seed and asks Dog, Cat and Pig who will help her plant it, cut it and bake it. Each time they answer “Not I,” so she does every job herself. When the bread is ready, all three want a share, but the hen says no and gives it to her chicks.
The lesson, in one line. If you want to share the bread, share the work.
Reading plan. Read it together at the meeting: about 2 minutes aloud, or ahead of time at home.
Questions to talk about
- Who wrote The Little Red Hen?
The story's answer: No one knows who first told it. The first printing we found is by Mary Mapes Dodge, an American author and magazine editor, who collected it in St. Nicholas magazine in 1874. She based it on a story her mother often told her. This page is a retelling in Peabody's own words for the youngest readers. - What is the moral of The Little Red Hen?
The story's answer: The hen asks for help at every step, and when nobody will give it, she does the work herself. At the end, the animals who did nothing do not get to share the bread. The story is usually read as a lesson about hard work and taking the first step yourself. - Which animals won't help the Little Red Hen?
The story's answer: In this telling they are Dog, Cat and Pig, and each says “Not I” when the hen asks who will plant, cut and bake. Other tellings use other animals, and Dodge's printing in 1874 had more than three. - 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. - Is there a rule of three in this story (three tries, three wishes, three visitors)? Why do you think fairy tales like threes?
Listen for: Many do; a third time is where the change happens.
Did you know?
- First collected in print by Mary Mapes Dodge, an American author and editor, in St. Nicholas magazine in 1874.
- Dodge based it on a story her mother often told her.
- In this telling the helpers who refuse are Dog, Cat and Pig. Dodge's printing had more animals than three.
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
Words to teach before you start
- hen: mother chicken
- seed: tiny plant start
- plant: put in dirt
- bake: cook in oven
- chicks: baby hens
Questions leaders ask
How long does a The Little Red Hen book club meeting take?
Reading it aloud takes about 2 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 The Little Red Hen for?
It is written at Peabody level 4, a grade 1 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
- Goldilocks and the Three Bears (level 5)
- Henny Penny (level 5)
- The Enormous Turnip (level 5)
- The Gingerbread Man (level 5)
- The Three Little Pigs (level 5)
- Little Red Riding Hood (level 7)
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.