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The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing: a book club kit
Where it comes from. Aesop, a storyteller in Greece, told this about 2,600 years ago. People still say "a wolf in sheep's clothing" about someone who hides who they are.
In short (for the leader; it gives the ending away). A hungry wolf puts on a sheepskin fleece so the sheep and dogs will not notice him, and walks into the pen with the flock. His fake “baa” sounds wrong, and his bushy tail pops out of the fleece. A lamb spots it, the flock panics, and the dogs chase the wolf away.
The lesson, in one line. A disguise can fool you for a while, but what someone does shows who they are.
Reading plan. Read it together at the meeting: about 4 minutes aloud, or ahead of time at home.
Questions to talk about
- What is the moral of The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing?
The story's answer: A disguise can fool you for a while, but what someone does shows who they are. The wolf cannot act like a sheep for long. - What does “a wolf in sheep's clothing” mean?
The story's answer: It means someone who looks friendly or harmless but is not. The saying comes from this fable. - How do the sheep find out the wolf is a wolf?
The story's answer: His tail wriggles out of the fleece, long and gray and bushy. A little lamb sees that a sheep's tail is short and woolly. - Who wrote The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing?
The story's answer: It is credited to Aesop, a storyteller from ancient Greece who lived about 2,600 years ago. - Do you agree with the lesson? Can you think of a time it would not be true?
Listen for: Any answer with a reason is a good one; listen for a real example from their own lives. - Which animal would you rather be in this story, and why?
Listen for: Children often pick the winner; ask what the other animal could have done differently.
Did you know?
- It is an Aesop fable, told in Greece about 2,600 years ago.
- The saying “a wolf in sheep's clothing” means someone who hides unkind plans behind a friendly face.
- Here a lamb notices that a sheep's tail is short and woolly, and the wolf's is long and gray.
Activity: Act it out, then swap the ending
Two readers play the animals and the rest are the narrator. Then play it again where the other animal wins: what is the lesson now?
More to talk about
More facts for the leader
- The shepherd laughs so hard that he sits down on a bucket.
Words to teach before you start
- fleece: sheep's wool coat
- disguise: pretend look
- dozing: napping lightly
- bleated: cried like sheep
- tangled: twisted up
Questions leaders ask
How long does a The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing book club meeting take?
Reading it aloud takes about 4 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 in Sheep's Clothing 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 Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs (level 8)
- The North Wind and the Sun (level 8)
- The Ant and the Grasshopper (level 7)
- The Boy Who Cried Wolf (level 7)
- The Dog in the Manger (level 7)
- The Fox and the Crow (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.