Teachable Texts

129. Amos & Boris by William Steig

November 8, 2009 at 5:02 pm 1 comment

Retell: A mouse named Amos and a whale named Boris become friends after Boris saves Amos from drowning.  When he is returned to land Amos vows to help Boris if he’s ever in need.  Many years later Boris finds himself washed up on the very beach where Amos lives.  Though he is but a tiny mouse, Amos makes good on his promise.

Topics: ocean, adventures, survival, help, mammals, friendship, goodbyes, relationships

Units of Study: Character, Talking and Writing About Texts

Tribes: mutual respect, personal best

Reading Skills: interpretation, prediction, monitoring for sense, envisionment

My Thoughts: This story is so heartwarming that you may have to have a box of tissues ready for the end of the read aloud.  Steig’s illustrations are so simple, yet he has a great way of expressing emotion.  Often there is a lot more going on in the text than in the illustrations.  When reading this book aloud, it’s important to show how readers must envision even when illustrations are present.

Entry filed under: Uncategorized. Tags: adventures, character, envisionment, friendship, goodbyes, help, mammals, monitoring for sense, mutual respect, ocean, prediction, relationships, survival, talking and writing about texts.