Friday Reconnect: Trumpet Week One

By Oliver Perry, Read to Them Staff

Happy Friday friends! Congratulations on finishing the first week of your read of The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White! We hope you’ve enjoyed the first third of this wonderful novel. What do you think of the characters we’ve been introduced to? We’ve met the curious Sam Beaver, the confident cob, the caring swan, and their five little cygnets. Louis, our main character, can’t speak or trumpet, but he’s got a lot of heart. Do you like him as a character so far? Where do you predict this story will take him?

In today’s activity, you’ll be having cygnets of your own! To accompany us on the rest of our read, we’ll be making our very own paper swans. You can join us live for a tutorial on how to make your own paper swan! If you choose to make a swan, it can be your buddy, or you could use it as a bookmark. You could even make multiple swans and hang them around your home. Have fun with your creations; be colorful, creative, and use your imagination as much as you please.

To trumpet us in to the weekend, spend some time with these writing prompts we’ve compiled for your writing enjoyment!

• If you could take a “safari” in a remote place, like Sam Beaver does, where would you go? Why? What kind of animals would you hope to see? If you had to befriend one of them, which one would it be?

• Write a story from the perspective of a swan. Are you a confident cob, or a motherly swan, or something else? Where would you live? Where would you build your nest? How many cygnets would you have? What would you name them?

• Write about one thing you feel you aren’t very good at. What is it? In what ways do you think you could improve? Now, write about two things you are good at. What are they?

• Write a short paragraph (or two, or three) from the perspective of Sam Beaver’s father. He is largely kept out of the loop in these beginning chapters. What is he thinking? What is he doing while Sam is off? Be as creative as you wish!

• Create a new, musically inclined animal, like Trumpet of the Swan. Banjo of the Bear? Flute of the Frog? Give your animal a name, and write a short story about their life.

We’ll be back on Monday with our next Character Spotlight. Until then, stay kind and happy reading!