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The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats: a book club kit
Where it comes from. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, two brothers in Germany, wrote this down in 1812. It was in the first book of their tales.
In short (for the leader; it gives the ending away). Mother Goat warns her seven kids not to open the door to the wolf, who has a rough voice and black paws. The wolf fools them by changing his voice and covering his paw with white flour. He gets in and swallows six of them. Mother Goat frees them, fills the wolf with stones, and he falls into a pond.
The lesson, in one line. A sweet voice can hide a trick, so listen to a grown-up's warning.
Reading plan. Read it together at the meeting: about 5 minutes aloud, or ahead of time at home.
Questions to talk about
- What is the moral of The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats?
The story's answer: A sweet voice can hide a trick, so listen to a grown-up's warning. The kids who open the door learn it the hard way. - Who wrote The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats?
The story's answer: The Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm, wrote it down in Germany in 1812. - How does the wolf trick the little goats?
The story's answer: He makes his voice sound like their mother's and has flour put on his black paw to make it white. Then they think he is their mother. - Which little goat is not found by the wolf?
The story's answer: The littlest one, who hides inside the case of the tall clock. He tells his mother everything when she comes home. - 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?
- The Brothers Grimm wrote it down in Germany in 1812, in the first book of their tales.
- It is also called The Wolf and the Seven Young Kids.
- The littlest goat hides in the clock case, and the wolf never finds him.
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
- A kid is a young goat.
Words to teach before you start
- wicked: very bad
- chalk: soft white stick
- dough: bread mix
- flour: ground wheat
- cupboard: kitchen cabinet
Questions leaders ask
How long does a The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats book club meeting take?
Reading it aloud takes about 5 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 Wolf and the Seven Little Goats 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
- Jack and the Beanstalk (level 8)
- Stone Soup (level 8)
- The Bremen Town Musicians (level 8)
- The Elves and the Shoemaker (level 8)
- The Ugly Duckling (level 8)
- Tom Thumb (level 8)
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.