Stick and Stone by Beth Ferry

This is a story about
friendship. Stick and Stone
become good friends,
especially after Stick stands
up for Stone when Pinecone
bullies him. An unexpected
twist comes in the form of
a hurricane, which blows
Stick away and leads Stone
to search high and low for
his buddy. The picture book
lends itself to lessons on
friendship and bullying. The
illustrations are wonderful – simple and expressive.

Discussion questions:

  1. Who are the main characters in this story? What problem do both Stick
    and Stone have?
  2. How did Stick stand up for Stone? How did Stone feel when he couldn’t
    find his friend?
  3. What is the moral/lesson of this story? (be a good friend, be kind to
    everyone)

Activities:

  1. Divide a piece of paper into three sections. Students are asked to think
    of three ways they can be a friend. Depending on ability, students may
    complete this on their own, with a buddy or can dictate their response
    and do their own illustrations. Allow time for students to share their
    ideas with the class.
  2. Take class outside to look for their own Stick and Stone. Use markers
    to draw a simple face on a rock and a stick. Encourage pairs to act out
    parts of the story, using their Sticks/Stones.