Summary

The ticky-tacky doll has been one little girl's best friend ever since Grandmama sewed it for her. They do everything together--eat, sleep, play, even dream.
Then school starts, and for the first time the little girl has to leave her beloved companion behind at home. Without the ticky-tacky doll by her side, she grows more sad-eyed and lonely each day.
Luckily, Grandmama knows just what to do. . . .

Harcourt Trade Publishers

Harvey Stevenson is the illustrator of Bye, Mis' Lela by Dorothy Carter and As the Crow Flies:  A First Book of Maps by Gail Hartman and many other books.  Harvey Stevenson attended Trinity College in Connecticut and the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where he later worked as an art director in advertising. He now lives in Paris, France with his wife and son.

Harper Teacher.com

Depending on the grade level you may want to model some of your own connections and/or questions you have about to the book to get the students started.  Also dependent on the grade you can record connections/questions on a chart similar to the example below. 

Before You Read:
·      Making Connections -  Look at the cover, read caption and have students tell you if what they see or heard reminds them of anything they have or another book they have read.
·      Questioning - Ask the students if they have any questions about the story, characters, etc. based on looking at the cover and reading the caption.

During the Reading:
·      Either stop to model connections you have with the story or ask students to share their connections. Ask:  “Does this story remind you of anything that has happened to you?”
·      Model your questions or  ask students if they have any questions as you read the story.

After the Reading

·      Ask for any other connections they have made now that they story is over.

·      Share/ask for any other questions now that they story is over.  Review the chart to see if any of the questions were answered as you read the book.
 

 You can make this table on chart paper for the younger grades or even have older kids create one and write their own connections and questions as they go.

Use Cynthia Rylant’s The Ticky-Tacky Doll as an example of the following writing traits…

·             Ideas – the author selects a topic that everyone can relate to – old or young!  As writers, we should also consider our audience when selecting a topic, and make sure that our audience can understand and relate to our stories!

·             Word Choice – According to Ruth Culham, word choice “…is about beautiful language that communicates not just in a functional way, but in a way that moves and enlightens the reader (6+1 Traits, page 142).  As you reread the story, use the following examples to highlight the author’s wonderful choice of words for her story, and encourage your students to select their words very carefully when they are writing their own stories.

“The little girl loved her ticky-tacky doll and did not mind its being made from scratch like a buttermilk biscuit.” 

“…and the two rested under quilts that reminded them of themselves.” 

“Grandmama has lived a long time and knew about loneliness and missing someone.”

Notable Words, Phrases, & Quotes

Listed below are some words and phrases that you may want to discuss with your students before you begin to read the story.

“made from scratch”
sewing baskets
invisible
“the way of the world”

And an interesting quote that could lead to some great discussion:

“When children go to school, toys are left behind.”

• Complete a Scavenger Hunt on Cynthia Rylant's website.  Click here for the questions.

• Make your own Ticky-Tacky doll.  Cut a doll shape out of tag board.  Glue on scraps of fabric for her clothes and hair.  Make sure you draw a great big smile and big X eyes with a black marker.  Add rosy round cheeks and a line for her nose.  You might even want to make a smaller version so your Ticky-Tacky doll has her very own doll!

• Raggedy Ann is another famous "ticky-tacky" doll of storybook fame.  Click here to put together a jigsaw puzzle of her.

• The little girl and her doll rested under a "quilts that reminded them of themselves".  Quilts are not only blankets that keep you warm, but also beautiful works of art.  To find other books and activities about quilts, click here.

• Use KidPix to create your own quilt square.