Lost Cover

Lost

by Bob Staake (Author)

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Read-aloud Rating

5
(1)

How can we use illustrations to identify clues, make predictions, and sequence events in a story?

Age Range: 7 to 9
Activity Focus: Identifying clues through illustrations, sequencing, and making predictions
Objective: Children will enhance their literacy skills by using illustrations to gather story clues, practice sequencing events, and make predictions about the plot based on visual details.

Materials:

    • Lost by Bob Staake
    • Large chart paper or whiteboard
    • Index cards or small sticky notes
    • Drawing supplies (crayons, markers, pencils)
    • Sequencing worksheet or blank story map
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Question before reading:

Ask these questions prior to reading:
    • Have you ever lost something special to you? How did you feel, and how did you try to find it?
    • What do you think happens in a story without many words? How might pictures help us figure it out?
    • Look at the cover. What clues can you find about the story?

Explain that this book uses illustrations to tell most of the story, and readers need to act as detectives, looking for clues in the pictures to understand what is happening.

Read Aloud:

While reading, pause on key illustrations to ask:

    • Page 1: What does the girl’s expression tell you about how she’s feeling? What clues in the picture show us where she has already looked for her cat?
    • Midway through the book: Look at the crowd of people. Can you find any clues about their pets?
    • Near the end: What do you notice about the shadows in the illustrations? How might they help solve the mystery?
    • Last page: What finally happens? How did the illustrations help you figure it out?

Encourage children to make predictions and discuss how each new picture changes or confirms their ideas.

Discussion:

After the read-aloud, discuss the following:

    • How did the illustrations help you understand what was happening in the story?
    • What strategies did the girl and her neighbors use to find their lost pets?
    • Why do you think the author chose to tell this story mostly through pictures?
    • What lesson do you think the story teaches us about working together?

Activity:

Sequencing the Story

  1. Distribute the sequencing worksheet or a blank story map.
  2. Ask children to draw and label 4–6 key moments from the book in the correct order. Encourage them to include details from the illustrations, like facial expressions or objects in the background.
  3. Share and compare the sequences as a group. Highlight any differences in interpretation based on how children read the pictures.

Extension: 

Design Your Own Illustrated Story
Children create a short, wordless comic strip about losing and finding something important. Encourage them to use facial expressions, setting details, and other visual clues to tell their story. Once completed, they can share their comics with the group and explain how they added clues to guide their readers.

Tags: 

    • Age Range: Age 7–9
    • Competencies: Media/Information/Digital Literacy, Critical Thinking, Creativity and Innovation, Communication
    • Type of Activity: Art Activity, Storytelling and Presentation, Concept Mapping
    • Content Areas: ELA
    • Calendar: National Pet Month (May), Kindness Day (November)
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