Isla by Arthur Dorros

Prompts
Use the following questions after the second or third reading of Isla. There are questions for every one or two pages of the story.

1. What is happening in this picture? (Abuela is telling Rosalba a story about the island where she grew up.)
2. How do Abuela and Rosalba get to the island? (They fly.)
3. Where are they in this picture? (They are flying over the ocean.)
4. Who lives on the island? (Rosalba's aunt and uncle and cousin Elena live on la isla.)
5. Can you point to tio Fernando, tia Isabel, and Elena? (They are looking up to the sky with their arms raised.)
6. Have you ever gone to visit relatives? How did you get there?
7. Who is in the painting Rosalba and Abuela are looking at? (The painting is a picture of tio Fernando and a big fish he had as a pet for a while.)
8. What is happening in this picture? (Abuela, Rosalba, and Elena are playing in a fountain.)
9. What is happening in this picture? (Abuela and Rosalba are flying over the rain forest.)
10. What do they see? (a rainbow, parrots, and lots of trees)
11. What does Abuela show Rosalba? (a lizard)
12. Why are Abuela and Rosalba upside down? (They are flying like birds for the people in the town square below them.)
13. Where are Abuela and Rosalba now? (They are flying over the harbor.)
14. Can you count the big ships?
15. Is this New York City where Abuela and Rosalba live? (No, it is the city where Abuela and Abuelo used to shop for things for their store on the island.)
16. Where are they now? (They are in a country market.)
17. What else can you buy at this market? (You can buy pineapples, watermelon, clothes, plants, and other fruits and vegetables.)
18. Where are Abuela and Rosalba? (They are at the beach.)
19. Have you ever been to a beach? What did you do there?
20. Who are all the people in the picture? (The people in the picture are t?Fernando, Rosalba, Abuela, tia Isabel, and Elena.)
21. Where do Abuela and Rosalba get the mangoes? (They climb up the tree and pick them.)
22. How do you know it is nighttime in this picture? (The stars are out.)
23. Where are they going now? (They are going back home to New York City.)
24. What do you think of Abuela's bedtime story for Rosalba?

Vocabulary

The words listed below come from the story and its pictures. As you page through the book, ask the child to name the objects listed or talk about the actions portrayed. Words are listed for every two pages of story. Ask about other objects and actions shown in the pictures as you see fit.

• Abuela, Rosalba, rocking chair, doll, cat, rug
• flying, ships, island, New York City
• church, houses, horses, cows, chickens, waving
• hugging, roosters
• pointing, picture, fish, bathtub
• fountain, water, stones
• rain forest, parrots, trees, rainbow
• river, lizard, frog, snake, owl
• upside down, pointing, fountain, balcony
• harbor, ships, ice cream cart, juice stand, fruit stand
• city, skyscraper
• market, pineapple, watermelon, dresses, plants
• bathing suit, swimming, umbrella, tire
• floating, inner tube, raft, flippers, snorkel
• mango tree, picking, swing
• stars, fruit salad
• bridge
• bed