Friday Reconnect - Week Two!

By Oliver Perry & Chloe Grant, Read to Them Staff

This week we leave Rump in quite a painful situation, literally and metaphorically. He’s just finished spinning straw to gold for Opal in return for their latest bargain, her first born child. That sounds like trouble. Now, as he recovers from his tumble out of the tower, we are left to wonder what will come next for our dearest Rump. We’ve covered a lot this week, and are about halfway through our time with Rump. Between getting to know Red’s grandma, the Witch of the Woods, and learning more about Liesl, we’re heading into the weekend with a lot on our minds. And a head full of thoughts is the perfect spark for the imagination. We hope you take some time over the next few days to explore your imagination, and to follow the journeys your creativity takes you on.

While most of the time we don’t notice the lack of pictures in Rump because Liesl Shurtliff has done such an amazing job at creating them with her words, we thought it’d be fun to think about what the world in Rump would really look like. Take a scene or passage from the book that stood out to you so far. Then, with whatever utensils you have at your disposal, create an illustration of that scene. Be as colorful, creative, and imaginative as you wish! This activity can be repeated all throughout your reading to help visualize the realm of the text. We can’t wait to see what you dream up, and don’t forget to share your illustrations with your peers on the Flipgrid page!

Another way to channel that creativity is to write! If you’re looking for elements to add to your fairy tale, try a few of these writing prompts and see if they bring anything to light that would strengthen your story!

• Rump is in a lot of pain after toppling out of the tower. We’ve all had our fair share of bumps and bruises, write about a time you got hurt. What did it feel like? How did it happen?

• King Barf is a mean old king. Is this how a king should be? Write about how a king (or a leader) should act. Should they be greedy, like King Barf? How should they provide for their people?

• Red’s granny, also known as the Witch of the Woods, is cooking a delicious stew. Write about your favorite food that a relative makes. Is it stew, or is it something else, like chicken or spaghetti?

• Have you ever traveled somewhere new before? Where did you go? What was it like? Were you scared to be away from home, or excited to see a new place?

• Have you ever made a mistake that got someone else in trouble? Write about what happened, and who took the blame. What did you do to fix the situation?

We hope your weekend is full of creative magic and exploration. Stay safe and stay kind. We'll see you next time!