Student Worksheet

A Dog's Point Of View - Activity Instructions

Usually we follow the main character/s through a story, seeing what they see and feeling what they feel. But what if we followed a different character? Would they see and feel different things? Change the point of view of the story in Where Happiness Hides and see how that changes the author’s original message.

The main character of a story is called the protagonist. Often the type of person they are has an effect on how we read the book. We see things through their eyes, and sometimes we make up our own opinion based on how the protagonist thinks or feels.

Changing the protagonist can change how we view the events of a story. It might turn out that the bad guys aren’t all that bad if we hear their side of the story, or it may be that the protagonist misinterpreted everything.

Always think about what the author of the book is trying to make you feel when you’re reading. Is it the truth? Look for clues in the words and pictures that might support your interpretation, or tell you that something different might be going on.

Step 1.

Read Where Happiness Hides.

Step 2.

Who is the main character of this story? How can you tell?

Step 3.

Re-read the story, this time focusing on the kids’ pet dog. Keep these questions in mind as you read:

How is the dog feeling?
What is the dog thinking?
Does the dog seem to be enjoying the same things as the kids, in the same way, or do different things make a dog happy?
Does a dog ever feel sad? What makes a dog sad?

Step 4.

Imagine you’re a dog. If you have a dog or cat, it will be easy to think about your interactions with your pet, but if not, you can just make one up.

Make a quick list of things your dog likes to do. Playing with its owners is probably in there. Maybe chasing a ball. Sniffing the bottom of another dog.

Make another list of things dogs don’t like, such as the sound of fireworks, maybe baths, and being left at home alone when you go to school.

Step 5.

Rewrite Where Happiness Hides from the perspective of the dog character. How does this change the story?

Try to copy the way authors Anthony Bertini and Jennifer Goldsmith write. Think about the kinds of words they use, where they put full stops and commas, and how they have spaced the story out over the pages.

Step 6.

Don’t forget to edit your writing, checking for spelling mistakes and whether sentences make sense when you read them out loud.

Step 7.

Has the message of the story changed now that you’re following the dog’s point of view? Write a short paragraph reflecting on the differences between your story and the original Where Happiness Hides.

Taking It Further

You might like to turn your dog’s story into a fully fledged book. Type your narrative up on your computer, making sure to space it out over multiple pages. Print them out and add your illustrations, then staple everything together. You’re now a real, published author!

A Dog's Point Of View

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