The Paper Bag Princess Activities and Comprehension Questions
The Paper Bag Princess flips the traditional notion of the prince saving the princess on its head. Read on to find The Paper Bag Princess activities and comprehension questions that challenge gender roles.
In The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch Princess, Elizabeth uses creative thinking to rescue Prince Ronald but happily skips into the sunset alone when he criticises her appearance. The themes of the book include:
– Happy ever after is different for everyone.
– Beauty is only skin deep, and appearances can be misleading.
– Thinking outside the box leads to creative decision making.
The Paper Bag Princess gives you the opportunity to teach:
- Determination and resilience
- Independence and courage
- Gender roles and deconstructing gender stereotypes
- Self-esteem and self-confidence
- Character traits
- Problem and solution
- Making connections
- Cause and effect
Scroll down for The Paper Bag Princess activities, discussion questions and videos.
The Paper Bag Princess Sumaary
Princess Elizabeth has everything. She lives in an enormous castle, has beautiful clothes and a perfect fiancé, Prince Ronald. Her perfect life changes when “a dragon smashed her castle, burned all her clothes with his fiery breath and carried off Prince Ronald.”
Determined to save her prince, she sets out, wearing only a paper bag, to follow the trail of destruction left by the dragon.
Tracking it down to his cave, Elizabeth asks the dragon to prove it is the “smartest and fiercest dragon in the world.” After burning down 150 forests, it loses its fire. She tricks it again when she asks the dragon how quickly it can fly around the world. Ten seconds later, it passes out and falls asleep.
Princess Elizabeth enters the cave and rescues Prince Ronald. She doesn’t have the reaction she hoped for when he doesn’t even say thank you. He tells her to come back and save him when she has cleaned herself up and looks like a princess. Elizabeth takes control of her own destiny and happily skips into the sunset by herself.
Related Books
- Princess Smartypants by Babette Cole
- Mary Wears What She Wants by Keith Negley
- Not All Princesses Dress in
- Pink by Jane Yolen
- Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty
- Drum Dream Girl by Margarita Engle
- Princess Grace by Mary Hoffman
The Paper Bag Princess Activities & Resources
I have created literacy graphic organizers for The Paper Bag Princess. You can find them at my Teachers Pay Teachers store. There are many activities for each literacy area to differentiate depending on your student’s ability/age. They include activities for:
- Cause & Effect
- Character Traits and Analysis
- Comprehension Questions and Writing Prompts
- Inferring and Predicting
- Main Idea and Theme
- Making Connections
- Point of View
- Problem and Solution
*Click on these links to discover book recommendations on these topics.
The Paper Bag Princess Activities & Links
- Bright Hub Education: A Lesson Plan on The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch
- The Hanen Centre: Developing Story Comprehension with The Paper Bag Princess
- The Highland Council: Equality and Diversity Lesson Plan ‘The Paper Bag Princess’
- Nipissingu University: Lesson Plan Grades 1 -12
- The Prindle Institute for Ethics: Guidelines for Philosophical Discussion
- Robert Munsch Website: Listen to The Paper Bag Princess
- Teaching Ideas: Teaching Ideas and Resources
FREE The Paper Bag Princess Activities
Would you like free graphic organisers for The Paper Bag Princess?
I have a freebie that is part of a larger resource so you can try it out before buying anything!
Fill in the form below to get access to the FREE pack. Click on the image to see the full pack on Teachers Pay Teachers.
The Paper Bag Princess Read-Aloud Questions
Read aloud sessions are a wonderful way for children to understand the connection between written text and spoken language. You can model reading habits and strategies, reading fluency, tone and eye contact. You can also introduce different genres, authors and illustrators.
- What do you think Robert Munsch wants us to learn from reading The Paper Bag Princess?
- What did you learn from reading The Paper Bag Princess?
- Why did Robert Munsch make Elizabeth a strong, independent, clever princess?
- Describe the problem faced by Elizabeth and how she solved it.
- How would you describe the character of Elizabeth/Ronald/the dragon?
- Why do you think Ronald reacted ungraciously towards Elizabeth after she rescued him?
- How does Robert Munsch make it clear Elizabeth is brave/Ronald is inconsiderate/the dragon is gullible?
- Describe how Ronald could have handled his reunion with Elizabeth differently.
- Do you think Elizabeth is happier at the end or beginning of the story? Explain your answer.
- How did Elizabeth beat the dragon even though he was stronger, meaner, and fiercer than her?
- Does Ronald act like a prince? Does Elizabeth act like a princess?
- Compare The Paper Bag Princess to other fairy tales? How is it different from more traditional stories?
- Compare Princess Elizabeth to other princesses? How is she different?
You can find a full set of discussion cards in The Paper Bag Princess Literacy Bundle or as a separate pack.
The Paper Bag Princess Book Videos
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