BWhy something in nature is the way it is, using an imaginative story
CThe true history of a famous king
DHow to build a house step by step
Pourquoi means 'why' in French. These tales answer 'why' questions about nature, like why the sun and moon live in the sky, with a story instead of a science lesson.
Question 2 True / False
A pourquoi tale gives the scientific explanation for an animal's features.
TTrue
FFalse
Answer: False
Pourquoi tales are imaginative. They tell a made-up event, like a camel being punished with a hump, to explain a feature. Scientists explain the same features with evidence.
Question 3 Multiple Choice
Which title most likely belongs to a pourquoi tale?
AThe Day I Lost My Lunchbox
BHow the Camel Got His Hump
CTen Facts About Camels
DThe Camel Who Learned to Share
'How the Camel Got His Hump' is one of Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories (1902) and explains an animal feature. 'Ten Facts About Camels' is nonfiction, and 'The Camel Who Learned to Share' sounds like a fable with a lesson.
Question 4 Short Answer
In the West African tale 'Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears,' a mosquito's silly lie starts a chain of trouble among the animals. Why is cause and effect so important in this kind of story?
Think about your answer, then reveal below.
Model answer: Each event causes the next one, and the chain leads to the final result that explains something we still see today, like mosquitoes buzzing in people's ears.
A pourquoi tale needs a clear chain of causes so that the ending feels earned. Verna Aardema's retelling, illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon, won the Caldecott Medal in 1976.