To allow the brain to focus on the information in the illustrations this reading will look only at the illustrations and the information they provide the young reader. There are no right or wrong answers in this reading. Please note, page 1 is the first page with text
The illustrations serve a dual purpose of portraying the action in the story and giving information about bats. The discussions that you’ll have with your listener will be about both the action in the story and how bats really live, moving back and forth between fiction and nonfiction.
Pages 1 – 5:
~What do you see in the illustrations?
~On page 5, how does the bat seem to be feeling? Why do you think the bat might be feeling this way?
~What in the illustrations is true information about bats? (fly at night, hang upside down)
Pages 6 – 13:
~On page 7, where is the bat?
~Notice the difference in the body covering between the bat and the birds. (The birds are covered in feathers. The bat is covered in fur.)
~On pages 9 and 11, talk about what the little bat is doing. Everything seems to be going along well.
~On page 13, a large bird seems very upset. Who might the large bird be? Why might the bird be upset?
~How does Stellaluna seem to be feeling?
Pages 14 – 23:
~Bats fly. Some pages show the bat flying with skill and ease. However, in some illustrations, the bat seems to be struggling. Why might the bat be struggling?
~On page 21, notice a single claw on each of the bat’s wings. How does the bat use the claws?
~On page 23, the birds are watching Stellaluna. What might the birds be thinking?
Pages 24 – 29:
~On page 25, is the bat behaving as a bat? (No. Bats sleep upside down and fly at night.)
~On page 27, what might the bats be saying to each other?
~On page 29, which bat is Stellaluna? What makes you think so?
Pages 30 – 31:
~Who are these two bats? What might they be saying to each other?
Pages 32 – 35:
~What’s happening in these illustrations?
Pages 36 – END:
~Stellaluna is back with the birds. What’s happening?
~Are the birds successful hanging upside down?
~How are Stellaluna and the birds feeling in the last illustration?