Mary Allen
Introduction: “Eleventh Hour” by Graeme Base
“Eleventh Hour” is a children’s book written and illustrated by Graeme Base. The book tells the story of a young elephant named Horace who celebrates his eleventh birthday with a grand banquet. As the guests arrive, they discover that someone has eaten all of the food for the feast. The mystery of who ate the food is solved with the help of clues hidden throughout the book.
The Mice’s Feast
The mice were the first to arrive at Horace’s banquet, and they found a table full of delicious cheese. They quickly began to eat, but as they were finishing up, they heard a noise and scurried away. It was later revealed that the noise came from the bats, who had flown into the room.
The Frogs’ Feast
The frogs arrived next and found a table full of flies. They hopped around, catching the flies with their long tongues. They were having a great time until the spiders arrived and chased them away.
The Lizards’ Feast
The lizards found a table full of juicy insects, which they eagerly devoured. They were enjoying their meal when the snakes appeared and began to chase them.
The Snakes’ Feast
The snakes found a table full of small animals, which they quickly ate. They were just finishing up when the spiders arrived and scared them away.
The Spiders’ Feast
The spiders found a table full of delicious insects and began to spin webs to catch them. They were having a great time until the ants arrived and started to carry the insects away.
The Ants’ Feast
The ants found a table full of crumbs and scraps of food, which they quickly gathered up and brought back to their colony.
The Beetles’ Feast
The beetles found a table full of tasty leaves and began to munch away. They were having a great time until the moths arrived and started to flutter around them.
The Moths’ Feast
The moths found a table full of nectar and began to sip it up. They were enjoying their meal when the flies buzzed in and chased them away.
Who Enjoyed the Feast the Most?
Although all of the animals had a feast to enjoy, it can be argued that the ants enjoyed it the most. While the other animals were fighting and chasing each other, the ants were quietly gathering up the scraps of food and bringing them back to their colony. They were able to enjoy the feast without any of the chaos and drama that the other animals experienced.
Conclusion: The Moral of the Story
The moral of the story in “Eleventh Hour” is that there is enough food for everyone if it is shared equally. The animals in the book were all fighting over the food, but if they had worked together and shared, everyone could have enjoyed the feast. This is an important lesson for children to learn about sharing and cooperation.