The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter

Prompts and vocabulary

Prompts

Ask the child questions after the second and third readings of The Tale of Peter Rabbit , to start a conversation about the book. You can prompt the child on every page, using the questions below. If the child says something spontaneously about a picture, expand on it and ask the child to repeat it. There are questions for every one or two pages of the story.

1. What are the names of these rabbits? (The rabbits are Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail, Peter, and Mrs. Rabbit.)
2. What is Mrs. Rabbit doing here? (She is buttoning Peter's little blue coat.)
3. Where is Mrs. Rabbit going? (She is going to the baker's.)
4. What is happening in this picture? (Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail are picking blackberries.)
5. What is Peter doing? (He is squeezing under the gate and getting into the garden.)
6. What is Peter eating? (He is eating radishes.)
7. What do you see here? (Mr. McGregor is chasing Peter.)
8. What does Peter lose in the garden? (He loses his shoes.)
9. What happens next? (Mr. McGregor tries to catch Peter, but Peter jumps into a watering can.)
10. What does Peter lose here? (He loses his blue jacket.)
11. Can you point to Peter? Where is he? (He is hiding in the watering can.)
12. What is Peter doing here? (Peter is crying because he is lost.)
13. What is the cat looking at? (She is looking at the fish in the pond.)
14. Can you point to the gate? How can Peter get to the gate? (He needs to get down off the wheelbarrow and run past Mr. McGregor.)
15. What is happening in this picture? (Peter is going under the gate.)
16. What is happening in this picture? (Peter is lying on the floor at home. Mrs. Rabbit is cooking.)
17. Can you point to Peter now? Where is he? (He is in bed.)
18. What are these bunnies doing? (They are eating blackberries, bread, and milk.)

Vocabulary

The words listed below come from the story and its pictures. As you page through the book, point to the pictures and ask the child to name the object or the action shown. This will help the child learn new words. You can use the words below, or you can choose words you think will interest your child. Below are words for every one or two pages of the story.

• baby rabbits, mother rabbit
• blue jacket, umbrella, basket
• blackberries, blackbirds, squeezing, gate
• radishes, garden, robin
• planting, chasing, rake
• shoe, button, net, sparrows
• sieve, watering can
• flower pots, plants
• crying, mouse
• cat, pond, fish
• wheelbarrow, hoeing, gate
• running, scarecrow
• sleeping, cooking, turnips
• cup of tea
• bowl, pitcher, spoons, eating