Amos and Boris

What is the theme of Amos & Boris?

•  Look for the good in people to find new friends.

• Always try to experience new things.

• Being kind and helping others can create new friendships.

• Home is where a person feels the most safe and secure.

What line from the text best supports that being kind and helping others can create new friendships is the theme of Amos and Boris?

• “Amos gazed at Boris in an agony of pity. He realized he had to do something very fast and had to think very fast about what it was he had to do. Suddenly he was gone . . . just as he (Boris) was preparing to die, Amos came racing back with two of the biggest elephants he could find.”

• “Boris went to the conference off the Ivory Coast of Africa and then back to a life of whaling about, while Amos returned to his life of mousing around. And they were both happy.”

  D.  “Boris went to the conference off the Ivory Coast of Africa and then back to a life of whaling about, while Amos returned to his life of mousing around. And they were both happy.”

•  “. . . then, using his most savage strength, he just managed to push the boat into the water, climb on board, and set sail.”

•  “Crazy with rage, Amos screamed and punched at Boris until he remembered he owed his life to the whale and quietly climbed on his back.”

Match Amos’ personality trait with the event it caused. Amos is distracted by the beauty of the things he sees at sea. 

• Amos treads water, hoping something will rescue him. 

• Amos falls off the ship, loses it, and gets stranded in the middle of the sea.

• Amos rushes to help Boris when he is stranded on the beach. 

• Amos builds a boat and learns navigation.

Match Amos’ personality trait with the event it caused. Amos is optimistic and patient.

• Amos builds a boat and learns navigation.

• mos rushes to help Boris when he is stranded on the beach. 

• • Amos falls off the ship, loses it, and gets stranded in the middle of the sea.

• Amos treads water, hoping something will rescue him. 

Match Amos’ personality trait with the event it caused. Amos is kind.

• Amos builds a boat and learns navigation.

• Amos treads water, hoping something will rescue him. 

• Amos rushes to help Boris when he is stranded on the beach.

• Amos falls off the ship, loses it, and gets stranded in the middle of the sea.

Match Amos’ personality trait with the event it caused. Amos is curious about the sea.

• Amos builds a boat and learns navigation.

• Amos falls off the ship, loses it, and gets stranded in the middle of the sea.

• Amos rushes to help Boris when he is stranded on the beach. 

• Amos treads water, hoping something will rescue him. 

Which statement best shows one of Boris’ character traits?

• Boris is adventurous.

• Boris is fearless.

• Boris is forgetful. 

• Boris is selfish. 

Which detail from the text best supports that Boris is adventurous?

•  “The whale said he would be happy to take Amos to the Ivory Coast of Africa, where he happened to be headed anyway, to attend a meeting of whales from all the seven seas.”

• “Boris laughed to himself. ‘How could that little mouse ever help me?’”

• Boris had forgotten for a moment that he had a passenger on his back and had sounded.”

• “He wanted only to get back home and hoped the whale wouldn’t mind going out of his way to him there. ‘Not only would I not mind,’ said Boris, ‘I would consider it a privilege.’”

“On the sixth of September, with a very calm sea, he waiting till the high tide had almost reached his boat; then, using his most savage strength, he just managed to push the boat into the water, climb on board, and set sail.” 

_{Amos & Boris, William Steig}

What is the meaning of the word savage as it is used in the excerpt? 

•  wild or extreme

• rude or cruel

• tame or under control

•   enraged or furiously angry