"Octopus Stew" Book Companion Activities

Looking for a NEW, funny, and light-hearted picture book to read aloud for Hispanic Heritage Month? I’ve got you covered! Octopus Stew, by Eric Velasquez, is just what you’re looking for. Students will be hooked from page one. This is a delightful tall tale that celebrates Latino culture and an adventurous spirit.

Students will: write a story of their own as a comic; dig into characterization; write a book review; retell the story; identify story elements; compare and contrast the text to the author’s note; research sharks and octopuses, and more! The reader response questions lend themselves to in-depth class or peer discussions and were designed to encourage students to use higher-level thinking skills, require students to provide text evidence to support their thinking, and challenge them to provide their own opinions and/or perspectives.

This Resource Includes:

• Reader Response Questions (1 page) – short-answer response questions
• Story Elements Graphic Organizer (1 page) – Students will fill in each box with words and pictures to represent each story element.
• Character Traits Graphic Organizer (2 pages) - Students will analyze the boy and/or grandmother in the story by identifying their dialogue, thoughts, actions, and feelings.
• Character Trait Showcase (1 page) - Students will choose the most important character trait that describes each of the characters in the story. Then, for each character, they will give 1-2 examples of why they picked that trait.
• Character Summary (1 page) - Students will summarize a character of their choice, focusing on challenges, responses to challenges, flaws, positive characteristics, and completing a timeline of 5 events that showcase their character’s behavior.
• Retell the Story - BME (1 page) – Students will retell the beginning, middle, and end of the story Octopus Stew with text and illustrations.
• Create a Comic (1 pages) - Students will create or retell a favorite story as a comic, with speech bubbles, words, and illustrations.
• Story vs Author’s Note (1 page) - Students will compare and contrast the author’s note to the story using a graphic organizer.
• Book Review (1 page) – Students will rate and write a review for the book Octopus Stew.
• My Family Memory (2 pages) – Students will choose a family memory or story and write it as a fantasy story with illustrations.
• Long Research Project on Sharks or Octopuses (8 pages each) - Students will choose to research either sharks or octopuses. They will complete graphic organizers, answer questions, draw and label an illustration, record fun facts, define and illustrate new vocabulary, and complete a summary report.
• One-Page Research Project on Sharks or Octopuses (1 page each) - Students will choose to research either sharks or octopuses. They will complete a one-page report with facts regarding their animal’s habitat, features, diet, movement, and interesting facts.