The End

Written by David LaRochelle

Illustrated by Richard Egielski

Most enjoyed by Preschoolers through 3rd grade

Most stories stop with 'The End'. Everyone lives happily ever after and the story is ready to tell or read again. But in 'The End', David LaRochelle gives that happily ever after a different twist. Everyone lives happily ever after in this tale because the knight fell in love with the princess. The knight fell in love with the princess because she poured a big bowl of lemonade on his head. She poured the bowl of lemonade on his head because...

If you're starting the get the idea that this is a tale told backward, you're right. The end is really the beginning, while the beginning is really the end. Got it? It's a fun story to read out loud. Listeners can try to guess why something happened the way it did. When they turn the page, they discover if they were correct and what really happened. For young writers, 'The End' is a neat writing model. Instead of trying to tell a story from the beginning, try writing it backwards from the end. Does that give you a different perspective on your story?

There are lots of ways to use 'The End' at home or in the classroom. Make sure to read it yourself and see if you can come up with a different beginning for why everyone lived happily ever after!