The Boy Who Cried Wolf is part of our Starts With a Story Collection, which includes more than 550 picture book companions based on high quality children’s literature that support you in delivering highly-engaging interactive read alouds with follow up activities. Learn more about this children’s book below! - Jodi and the Starts With a Story Team
SUMMARY
"The Boy Who Cried Wolf" by B.G. Hennessy is a timeless children's book that teaches an important lesson about honesty and the consequences of lying. The story follows a young shepherd boy who becomes bored while tending his sheep and decides to play a trick on the villagers by repeatedly shouting "Wolf!" even when there is no danger. The villagers, initially concerned for his safety, quickly realize that the boy is not being truthful and stop responding to his cries for help. When a real wolf finally appears, the boy's pleas for assistance go unanswered, and he learns the hard way the impact of his previous dishonesty. Through its engaging storytelling and vibrant illustrations, "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" emphasizes the value of credibility and the importance of trust. The book serves as a cautionary tale, teaching young readers about the consequences of lying and the significance of being truthful. It encourages integrity, responsibility, and the understanding that one's words hold weight and should be used with care.
USE THIS BOOK TO TEACH:
Our read aloud lesson plans for this picture book come with reading comprehension questions (with sample student responses), 30 writing prompts, teaching ideas for grammar skills, social emotional learning discussion ideas, and more. Check out our list below to get a sneak peek at some of the skills this resource teaches.
- Help students to analyze what the author’s purpose for writing the book might be.
- Cause and effect can be a difficult skill for students. This book is a perfect mentor text for teaching this skill.
- Identifying the theme, message, or moral is an important skill that takes a lot of practice. Use this story as an opportunity to help your students with this reading strategy.
- Practice making predictions throughout the book. Encourage students to check and see if their predictions were correct.
- Teach a lesson on verb tense and have students categorize examples from the book.
- Teach a lesson on the different types of sentences.
- Lead a group discussion on the role honesty plays in the story.
NO-PREP PRINTABLE ACTIVITIES:
If you are looking for “ready to go” activities for the first day of school, be sure to check out the book companion. With it you’ll receive all of the following resources to align with this specific book:
- comprehension questions
- 30 writing prompts with themed paper
- vocabulary activities
- word study print & go activities
- ideas for grammar lessons with focus sentence printables
- social emotional learning discussion topics
- graphic organizers to target specific comprehension skills and strategies
This book is a must have for your school or classroom library. Your students are going to love completing these activities for the book and you will be impressed with how much they learn. You will want to read this book to your class every year.
GET THE PRINTABLE ACTIVITIES
ADDITIONAL BOOK SUGGESTIONS
You and your students will love the similar books listed below, which can all be found in our free picture book list.
- Goldilocks and The Three Bears by James Marshall
- Grasshopper and the Ants by Jerry Pinkney
- Hansel and Gretel by James Marshall
- John Henry by Julius Lester
- Johnny Appleseed by Steven Kellogg
- Mike Fink by Steven Kellogg
- Paul Bunyan by Steven Kellogg
- Pecos Bill by Steven Kellogg
- Red Riding Hood by James Marshall
- The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Paul Galdone
- The Lion and The Mouse by Jerry Pinkney
- The Tortoise and The Hare by Janet Stevens
TRY OUT A SAMPLE COMPANION
It's hard to explain how amazing the Starts with a Story book companions are because there is just so much goodness included in each one. It's best if you experience using one for yourself. Sign up below & we'll send you an entire book companion to try out for FREE!
