Original URL: http://school.familyeducation.com/reading-instruction/resource/30297.html

The Wolf's Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza

Summary of the Story

A wolf with a craving for chicken stew sees a chicken and is about to grab her when he decides that there would be more stew if the chicken were fatter. He makes pancakes, doughnuts, and cake, and leaves them at the chicken's front door. One night he peeks through the keyhole of her front door. Mrs. Chicken opens the door, and Mr. Wolf sees her and her many baby chicks. They thank him for all the wonderful treats. Mrs. Chicken fixes the wolf a nice dinner, and he goes home planning what he will make for the little chicks tomorrow.

Introducing the Story

• Read the title of the book on the cover, while pointing to each word. Say the title together as you point to each word. Ask: Do you know what chicken stew is? (Stew is a hot dish made with chicken and vegetables.)

Reading the Story for the First Time

• Read the words to the story on each page, moving your finger under the words as you read.
• As you go through the book, ask the child to name each of the treats the wolf makes. Ask the child whether he or she has ever tasted any of the things the wolf makes. How do they taste?

Reading the Book Again and Again

• Each time you read The Wolf's Chicken Stew, leave more of the "reading" or retelling to the child. Give open-ended prompts on each page. For example, ask: What is happening in this picture? What is he doing now?
• Give prompts about objects or activities in the pictures. Use your finger to point to what you are asking about. Evaluate the child's response. Expand it by giving more information. Ask the child to repeat the answer. If he or she needs help in answering a question, ask that question again the next time you read the book. Good words to ask about are listed in the vocabulary section below. Be sure to talk about objects and actions the child brings up, too.
• You may wish to discuss the prompts shown below.

Building Literacy

• Talk with your child about his or her favorite foods. Name the foods you eat together.

Prompts

Ask the child questions after the second and third readings of The Wolf's Chicken Stew, to start a conversation about the book. You can prompt the child on every page, using the questions below. If the child says something spontaneously about a picture, expand on it and ask the child to repeat it. There are questions for every one or two pages of the story.

1. What's happening on the first page of the story? (The wolf is eating dinner.)
2. What did the wolf eat for dinner? (He ate a fish.)
3. What else do you see on the wolf's table? (There are plates, bowls, a cup and saucer, and a glass with a straw on the table.)
4. Who is the wolf following? (He is following Mrs. Chicken.)
5. What does she wear on her head? (She wears a scarf tied under her chin.)
6. Who is bigger, the wolf or the chicken? (The wolf is bigger.)
7. What do you call the sharp points on the end of the wolf's paws? (They are claws.)
8. Where is Mrs. Chicken going? (She is going to her little house.)
9. Where does the wolf go? (He goes home to his kitchen.)
10. What is hanging on the wall of the wolf's kitchen? (There are pans, a colander, big spoons, oven mitts, a rolling pin, and a cutting board.)
11. What is the wolf doing? (He is stirring something in a big bowl.)
12. What does the wolf make? (He makes pancakes.)
13. What time of day is it when the wolf leaves the pancakes for the chickens? (It is nighttime.)
14. What does the wolf bring the next night? (He brings doughnuts.)
15. What does he bring the next night? (He brings a layer cake.)
16. What do you see in the sky over Mrs. Chicken's house? (the moon and stars)
17. What is happening? (The wolf is sneaking up to Mrs. Chicken's house.)
18. What does the wolf look through to see inside the chicken's house? (He looks through the keyhole.)
19. What is Mrs. Chicken wearing when she opens the door? (She is wearing an apron.)
20. Who lives with Mrs. Chicken? (Lots of baby chicks live with Mrs. Chicken.)
21. What is happening here? (The baby chicks are giving the wolf kisses and saying "thank you.")
22. What will the wolf do next? (He will make more treats for the chicks.)

Vocabulary

The words listed below come from the story and its pictures. As you page through the book, point to the pictures and ask the child to name the object or the action shown. This will help the child learn new words. You can use the words below or you can choose words you think will interest your child. Below are words for every one or two pages of the story.

• eating, knife and fork, bowls, plates, fish bones
• hiding, walking, following, scarf
• creeping, getting ready to pounce, paws, claws
• hiding, house
• stirring, pans, big spoons
• pancakes, syrup, butter, stars, moon, nighttime
• doughnuts, platter
• layer cake, frosting
• moon, stars, windows
• peeking through the keyhole, door
• apron, surprised
• baby chicks
• kissing, flying
• going home, cookies