Picture books in winter
Passage Activities:

Words: 101-200

Skills: Figurative Language Theme

Grades: 1st 2nd 3rd

Topics: Realistic Fiction

Genres: Poetry

Lexile Range: —

Lexile Measure: —

CCSS: Reading: Literature

Themes: —

Picture-books in Winter

by Robert Louis Stevenson from A Child’s Garden of Verses

“A Child’s Garden of Verses” is Robert Louis Stevenson’s compilation of his charming poems for children. This poem celebrates the way a picture book can take the reader away to enchanting places on a cold winter’s day. Student’s will respond to questions on the language and the theme after reading the poem.

Reading Comprehension Passage

Picture-books in Winter

by Robert Louis Stevenson from A Child’s Garden of Verses

Summer fading, winter comes—
Frosty mornings, tingling thumbs,
Window robins, winter rooks,
And the picture story-books.

Water now is turned to stone
Nurse and I can walk upon;
Still we find the flowing brooks
In the picture story-books.

All the pretty things put by,
Wait upon the children's eye,
Sheep and shepherds, trees and crooks,
In the picture story-books.

We may see how all things are,
Seas and cities, near and far,
And the flying fairies' looks,
In the picture story-books.

How am I to sing your praise,
Happy chimney-corner days,
Sitting safe in nursery nooks,
Reading picture story-books?

Passage Only

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Reading Comprehension Questions

1. List three words in the poem that rhyme with “books.”



2. What does the poet mean when he says, “Water is now turned to stone”?



3. “Sheep and shepherds” is an example of alliteration. Find another one in the poem.



4. What is one thing the poet says he sees in the books?


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Vocabulary List

Vocabulary List

Each of the vocabulary words below are used in the reading passage. As you read the passage, pay attention to context clues that suggest the word’s meaning.


1. Fading

2. Frosty

3. Rooks

4. Pretty

5. Crooks

6. Praise

Context Clues

Context Clues

Using context clues from the sentences in the passage, underline the correct meaning of the word in boldface.


1. “Summer fading, winter comes…”

a. growing      b. weakening      c. graying       d. starting


2. “Frosty mornings, tingling thumbs…”

a. warm       b. hot      c. wet      d. chilly


3. “Window robins, winter rooks…”

a. birds      b. bugs      c. flakes      d. drifts


4. “All the pretty things put by…”

a. cold      b. soft      c. beautiful      d. small


5. “Sheep and shepherds, trees and crooks…”

a. thieves      b. streams      c. curves      d. plants


6. “How am I to sing your praise…”

a. approval      b. criticism      c. prayer      d. song