Pip Q&A

Before You Read:

1. Imagine you live in a cave your whole life. What do you think your world would look like?
2. Do you think shadows can be real? Why or why not?
3. Imagine you could only see the world through shadows. What would your favorite things, like a pet or a pizza, look like?

While You Read:

1. Who is Pip? (A glowworm or a bunny?)
2. What is Pip’s world like inside the cave? What provides the light?
3. How does Pip learn about the outside world? Who is their guide? (Barnaby the bat, Buzz the beetle, or Luna the bunny?)
4. What is one surprising thing Pip learns or feels when they first go outside?
5. Why is Pip scared to go outside the cave at first?
6. How does Pip’s family react when they first hear about the real world?
7. How does Pip’s understanding of what is “real” change throughout the story?
8. If you were Pip, how would you describe the feeling of seeing the sun for the first time to someone who has only ever seen a fire or a glowing crystal?

After You Read:

1. Why do you think it was so hard for Pip’s family to believe in the outside world?
2. Why is it important to explore things that are outside of our “comfort zone”?
3. The stories talk about experiencing the world with more than just sight. What are our five senses, and how can they help us understand what is real?
4. Can you think of a time when you learned something new that changed the way you thought about things?
5. In your opinion, what makes something “real”?
6. Do you think it’s important to question what we see and learn? Why or why not?
7. If Pip’s family had never ventured outside the cave, what do you think their lives would have been like?

Bonus Activities:

1. Draw It! On one side of a piece of paper, draw Pip’s world inside the cave. On the other side, draw the real world Pip discovers outside.
2. Write It! Write a short story from the perspective of one of Pip’s siblings or friends who was afraid to go outside. What were they thinking? How did they feel when they finally saw the real world?
3. Create It! Design a new creature that might live in Pip’s world, either inside or outside the cave. What does it look like? What does it eat? What is its name?