Hugo and the Impossible Thing Book Activities : Home

Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd 

MO School Library Instructional Standards

K-2: Reading Engagement: Connect: Recognize connections through reading.

• Identify a connection between myself and what I am reading.

1-2 25 minute class periods 

This lesson was created by Marlana Howerton from Ezard Elementary. 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Hugo and the Impossible Thing (written by Renee Felice Smith and Chris Gabriel) is about a dog, Hugo, who encounters multiple animals that tell him they don't think he can go beyond the Impossible Thing because they have never tried. With the help of the other animals, Hugo sets out to discover what is beyond the Impossible Thing and he and his friends are pleasantly surprised. 

Activities included: printables for matching, labeling, making predictions, letter writing, retelling bookmarks, maze and page corner bookmarks. Some activities also have a digital option for students to respond digitally. 

• Book: Hugo and the Impossible Thing
• Online access to: www.hugoandtheimpossiblething.com
• Hugo and the Impossible Thing lesson activity printables

Objectives

• Students will be able to identify a connection between themselves and what they are reading. 

I Can Statements

• I can identify a connection to myself and what I am reading. 

Before Reading:

Show the cover of the book Hugo and the Impossible Thing to students. Allow students to make predictions about what they think the Impossible Thing will be in the story. Have students define the word impossible. (i.e. not able to occur, exist, or be done or very difficult to deal with)

Explain to students that as they listen to the story, they can think about how it connects to their own lives and what they already know. This helps them understand and enjoy the story even more. 

During Reading:

• Read pages 1-24 (stop right before Hugo and the animals venture into the Impossible Thing).
  • Students will draw or write what they predict is beyond the Impossible Thing on the making predictions worksheet.
  • After the story is over, students will use the second half to draw/write what actually was beyond the Impossible Thing

Discussion Questions: 

• Describe what was beyond the Impossible Thing. 
• Why do you think the animals were scared to go beyond the Impossible Thing? 
• Compare Hugo's feelings to the other animals when it came to going beyond the Impossible Thing. 
• Partner share: If you were a character in this story, which animal would you be and why? 
• What connections did you make to this story? 

 Additional activities included (choose whatever best fits the time frame for your class sessions: 

1. Go to www.hugoandtheimpossiblething.com to read about the real Hugo that inspired this story. There is also information about the authors of the story. 
2. Have students write or type a letter to Hugo telling about a time they were brave. (worksheet templates included)
3. Use the matching/labeling worksheet to match the words that describe each character and then label the animals by name. 
4. Use the retelling bookmarks to have students retell the story using character names and obstacles they encountered together. 
5. Complete the maze to help Hugo make it beyond the Impossible Thing. 
6. Just for fun: Students can create a page corner bookmark that says, "I can try impossible things!"

• Teacher will observe students as they are working.
• Student responses will be informally assessed based on the activity that is assigned. 

Activities include differentiation for digital or printable responses and are differentiated by grade level sections, for example Kindergarten/1st and 2nd/3rd to vary the difficulty level.