Summary

Zeke learns to play a harmonica that he found in the street. When he plays for his family, they seem to like it, but fall asleep. This angers Zeke so he runs away from home. He discovers that whatever creature hears him play will fall asleep.
Zeke realizes how his family must miss him so determines to return home. When a pacK of dogs and then a coyote attack him, he outwits them with his special harmonica. An exhausted Zeke finds his way home and uses his harmonica skills for the good of the townspeople.

Activities

1. Listen to a harmonica; solo and featured with other instruments. (requires Quicktime).

2. How does a harmonica work? (simple sentence explanation for early elementary)

3. Research the history of the harmonica.

4. Explore the Hohner harmonica online catalog. If Hohner offered to give you one of their harmonicas, which one would you want?

5. Zeke is short for what name?

6. Compare William Steig's drawing of an egret to a photograph of an egret.

7. Add another scene of your own to Zeke's adventure away from home by having him encounter another animal.

8. Zeke helps the townspeople by using his music to put babies to sleep and replace patients' sleeping pills. Brainstorm other ways his magical music could help different people.

9. Define the words in the Word Study section below.

10. Rewrite the phrases in the Word Study section below.

Word Study

William Steig makes his story more interesting by using uncommon words or using words in an unusual way.
Define the following words:

1. solitude
2. regaling
3. rudeness
4. independent
5. excursion boat
6. reviling
7. obliged
8. unanimously
9. serenading
10. enraptured

The following phrases are listed in the order that you find them in the book. Rewrite each of these phrases using simple words. Read the book to a partner substituting your simpler phrases. How does Steig's choice of words add to the story?

1. Moseying down his street
2. using his father's schnapps as a disinfectant
3. the family was lazing around the living room
4. His father crowed, "Isn't that boy a Pippin."
5. at the brink of dawn
6. made sure it was shipshape then shoved and shimmied it into the river
7. Hickaholly River
8. face-to-face with the wide-open sky
9. a slew of bagels plastered with peanut butter
10. he zeezled and zoozled on his harmonica
11. Zeke nodded off. Nodding back on...
12. upernatural mouth organ
13. pondering this remarkable piece of garbage
14. surcease of their sorrow
15. fortify himself with some licorice
16. the Samaritans began researching his baggage
17. Zeke commenced to play and the villains conked out
18. the criminals he'd so cleverly bamboozled
19. with the half-moon half helping
20. two nanoseconds later a death-dealing coyote had him pinned to the ground
21. the coyote keeled over
22. the wretched carmivore was unconscious
23. bushed and bleary
24. his harrowing tale
25. he kept the garbage harmonica on his person

About the Author

• About William Steig, photo

• KidsReads, author William Steig

• Horn Book, William Steig

• William Steig at 95, photo

• William Steig

• NNDB William Steig

Awards

• Reading Magic Awards Winner, 1994 United States

• Listed in School Library Journal’s Best Books, 1994

• Listed in New York Times Best Picture Books of the Year, 1994

• Listed in Parenting magazine Best Children's Books of the Year, 1994

Related books

• Steig, W. (1970). Sylvester and the magic pebble. Simon & Schuster. grades preschool-3

• Steig, W. (1976). The amazing bone. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. grades preschool-3

• McCloskey, R. (1978). Lentil. Puffin. grades Preschool-3

More for the teacher

• William Steig Website

• Want to play the harmonica? The Harmonica SuperStart site is just one of many sources of online harmonica lessons.

Assessment

Zeke Pippin. Accelerated Reader: Quiz #44383 EN; Book Level 4.5; Points= 0.5
Book Adventure (Sylvan): Quiz Level 1
Reading Counts: Reading Level 4.8; Points= 2.0
Lexile Level 830
Guided Reading Level O

Other related books:

• Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by Steig, William. AR Quiz #5494 EN; Book Level 4.0; Points= 0.5. Book Adventure Level 2.4. Reading Counts Level 3.8; Points 2. Lexile Level 700. Guided Reading Level N.
• Lentil by McCloskey, Robert. AR Quiz #79106 EN; Book Level 4.8; Points= 0.5. Book Adventure Level 3.0. Reading Counts Level 3.8; Points 2. Lexile Level 890.