The Horned Toad Prince

By Jackie Mims HopkinsIllustrated by Michael Austin

Study Skills• Genre: Modern Fairy Tale• Comprehension Skill: Author’s

purpose • Comprehension Strategy: Story

Structure• Comprehension Review Skill:Sequence• Vocabulary: Context clues

Genre: Modern Fairy Tales• In modern fairy tales the

characters and events are magical.

• Modern fairy tales are set in modern or present day times .

• Modern fairy tales are similar to regular fairy tales but are set in the present.

SummaryOn the windy prairies of the Southwest, Reba Jo meets a horned toad who makes a deal with her. When Reba Jo doesn’t hold up to her end of the bargain, the horned toad is offended and asks for a simple kiss. That kiss unlocks a magical spell and the ugly toad becomes a prince!

Comprehension Skill• Author’s Purpose is the

author’s reason or reasons for writing this story.

• Authors don’t usually tell you this. You have to figure the reasons out.

• It might be to inform or teach, to entertain, to express their feelings, and to persuade or convince you.

Comprehension Review Skill Sequence

• Sequence is the order of the events that occur in a story.

• You can determine the order of events by clue words such as first and next, in the beginning, then, following, after, and finally.

• Some story events may occur at the same time.

• Other clue words to indicate sequence might be in the beginning, then, following, after, and finally.

• Other story events, such as flashbacks, are told out of order.

Vocabulary Skill – Context Clues

• When you see unfamiliar words, use context clues, or words around the unfamiliar word, to figure out its meaning.

• The context may give a definition or an explanation. Example: Animals that eat other animals are

called predatorsSometimes a synonym is used as a

context clue.Example: Komodo dragons are carnivores, or

meat-eaters.

Vocabulary - Say It

•bargain •favor•lassoed

•offended•prairie•riverbed

More Words to Know

•sassy •twang•corral•suspiciously

•frontier•rodeo

Fun Stuff

• More on The Toad and the Prince

• Quiz - Online• More Information• Vocabulary Quiz

bargain•An agreement to trade or exchange: deal

favor•act of kindness

lassoed• roped; caught with a long rope with a loop on the end

offended•hurt the feelings of someone: made angry

prairie

•large area of level or rolling land with grass but few or no trees

riverbed•channel in which a river flows or used to flow

shrieked•made a loud, sharp, shrill sound

sassy•rude; lively; spirited

twang•to make a sharp, ringing, sound

suspiciously•without trust, doubtfully

corral•pen for horses, cattle, and so on

frontier•the farthest part of a settled country, where the wilds begin

rodeo• a contest or exhibition of skill in roping cattle, riding horses and bulls, and so on

The sassy little girl was rude.

The sassy little girl was rude.

The teacher shrieked when she saw the snake!

The teacher shrieked when she saw the snake!

The Dollar Tree has a lot of great bargains.

The Dollar Tree has a lot of great bargains.

Would you do me a favor?

Would you do me a favor?

We saw fish in the riverbed.

We saw fish in the riverbed.

The boy was offended because I did not like his shirt.

The boy was offended because I did not like his shirt.

What type of Native Americans would live on a prairie.

What type of Native Americans would live on a prairie?

The cowboy lassoed a calf.

The cowboy lassoed a calf.

The bell made a sharp twang sound.

The bell made a sharp twang sound.

The mad, foaming at the mouth dog was behaving very suspiciously.

The mad, foaming at the mouth dog was behaving very suspiciously.