Toys Go Out

IMPORTANT: Comprehension questions will be in chronological order as you read through the story. Page numbers are approximate, and will vary with different editions of the book.

Section 1: Chapters 1

Vocabulary
  1. admire: to regard with respect
  2. barrette: a clip for the hair
  3. contraption: a strange device
  4. enormous: huge
  5. panic: sudden fear or anxiety
  6. unfamiliar: not known
Vocabulary Usage in the Book
  1. Plastic is held up for all to admire. (Ch. 1, pg. 11)
  2. She pictures the Little Girl with the blue barrette, who scratches where the ears would be if StingRay had ears. (Ch. 1, pg. 3)
  3. “The vet is a big human dressed in a white coat who puts animals in a contraption made from rubber bands, in order to see what’s wrong with them,” answers StingRay… (Ch. 1, pg. 3)
  4. “…The vet is going to X-ray us one by one/and look into our insides with an enormous/magnifying glass/and them poke us with the giant carrot!” (Ch. 1, pg. 8)
  5. “The Girl doesn’t love us and she’s trying to get rid of us!” cries StingRay in a panic. (Ch. 1, pg. 9)
  6. Sticky, unfamiliar finger pat Lumphy’s head and StingRay’s plush tail. (Ch. 1, pg. 11)
Comprehension Questions
  1. The backpack smells like a wet bathing suit. (Ch. 1.pg. 1)
  2. While Stingray is in the backpack she tries to calm herself by thinking about the bed with fluffy pillows that she usually sits on and the Little Girl who scratches her ears. (Ch. 1, pg. 3)
  3. The oldest of the Little Girl’s toys is the one-eared sheep. (Ch. 1, pg. 4)
  4. The three places that Stingray thinks they are going to are the vet the zoo, or the dump. (Ch. 1, pg. 3, 4, 7)
  5. The Little Girl’s best friends in the entire world are her toys, Stingray, Lumpy, Plastic. (Ch. 1, pg. 10, 11)
  6. The Little girl brings the toys to school for show and tell. (Pg. 10)
  7. On the ride back home the toys feel cozy, comfortable and loved. (Ch. 1, pgs. 11, 12)

Section Section 2: Chapter 2

Vocabulary
  1. fact: a truth
  2. habitat: the natural environment of an animal
  3. natural: caused by nature
  4. obvious: easily understood
  5. thorough: detailed
  6. tundra: a large, permanently frozen Artic region
Vocabulary Usage in the Book
  1. “Okay, a fact, then…” (Ch. 2, pg. 15)
  2. “Their natural habitat,” says Plastic. (Ch. 2, pg. 24)
  3. “Not natural.” (Ch. 2, pg. 20)
  4. “It’s obvious, to anyone who knows anything, precisely what you are.” (Ch. 2, pg. 29)
  5. “…I think it’s a pretty thorough answer.” (Ch. 2, pg. 25)
  6. “…And their natural habitat is the frozen tundra…” (Ch. 2, pg. 24)
Comprehension Questions
  1. Stingray says books are a place to find truths. (Ch. 2, pg. 14)
  2. Lumpy likes to visit Tuk Tuk because she always has interesting things to talk about. (Ch. 2, pg. 16)
  3. Artificial means fake or not natural. (Ch. 2, pg. 20)
  4. Plastic becomes angry at Lumpy because he wants to go sleep when she wants to talk about her discovery about plastic. (Ch. 2, pg. 23)
  5. Plasitc visits Tuk Tuk because she knows all about dental floss and nail clippers and so may know about plastics. (Ch. 2, pg. 27)
  6. Tuk Tuk is a towel. (Ch. 2, pg. 28)
  7. Plastic is a rubber ball. (Ch. 2, pg. 30)

Section 3: Chapters 3-4

Vocabulary
  1. anxious: worried
  2. dim: not clear and badly lit
  3. jounced:j olted or bounced
  4. popular: well-liked and admired
  5. portable: able to be easily moved
  6. puncture: a small hole in something
Vocabulary Usage in the Book
  1. “Frank!” yells Lumphy, anxious to be heard above the din. (Ch. 3, pg. 52)
  2. The basement is dark, except for a single dim lightbulb shining in the ceiling. (Ch.3, pg. 47)
  3. Lumphy jounced and joggled and got goo all across his face and front legs. (Ch. 3, pg. 51)
  4. “It’s like they think they’re so popular.” (Ch. 3, pg. 51)
  5. They have paperback novels and a portable radio, too. (Ch. 4, pg. 65)
  6. The possible shark licks its hops – but as it swoops in for another chomp, Plastic turns her body so her puncture hole is pointing right at its face. (Ch. 4, pg. 69)
Comprehension Questions
  1. Lumpy hides from the Little Girl because he doesn’t want to be washed in the washing machine. (Ch. 3, pg. 39)
  2. The Little Girl begins to cry because she can’t find Lumpy and she needs him. (Ch. 3, pg. 45)
  3. Frank is lonely because he and the dryer are the only ones in the basement and the dryer never has anything interesting to say. (Ch. 3, pg. 50)
  4. Stingray is jealous of Plastic because she is going to the beach with the Little Girl. (Ch. 4, pgs. 58, 59)
  5. Stingray gets into the bathtub to float. (Ch. 4, pg. 64)
  6. The Possible Shark is a dog. (Ch. 4, pgs. 66, 67)
  7. Stingray is saved from the tub by Lumpy and Sheep. (Ch. 4, pg. 73)

Section : Chapters 5-6

Vocabulary
  1. examine: inspect in detail
  2. frantic: wild with panic
  3. gentle: kind and tender
  4. private: personal and secret
  5. smug: showing excessive pride in oneself
  6. thrill: excitement
Vocabulary Usage in the Book
  1. “You look tougher without it,” says Plastic kindly, rolling around to examine Lumphy’s bottom. (Ch. 5, pg. 98)
  2. Being tied up makes Lumphy feel frantic. (Ch. 5, pg. 94)
  3. “I think its you that likes blue,” says Plastic, with a gentle cough. (Ch. 6, pg. 109)
  4. “Private stuff,” says StingRay. (Ch. 5, pg. 81)
  5. Lunphy is smug. (Ch. 5, pg. 91)
  6. StingRay feels a thrill. (Ch. 5, pg. 86)
Comprehension Questions
  1. Every night Stingray sleeps on the high bed with the Little Girl. (Ch. 5, pg. 79)
  2. As the Little Girl sleeps Stingray whispers, “Bring Lumpy to bed,” in her ear. (Ch. 5, pg. 87)
  3. Nothing much happens on the bed. The girl’s father reads some stories, sings a lullaby and then the Little Girl kisses Stingray and lumpy and she goes to sleep. (Ch. 5, pg. 88)
  4. The Little Girl ties a ribbon on Lumpy’s tail and attaches the ribbon to the bed so that Lumpy won’t fall out of the bed. (Ch. 5, pgs. 92, 93)
  5. The Little Girl is turning seven years old. (Ch. 6, pg. 101)
  6. The Little Girl’s favorite color is blue. (Ch. 6, pg. 112)
  7. The Little Girl has had Stingray since she was four years old. (Ch. 6, pg. 116)