Cress Watercress Discussion Questions written by the Hobbit on August 23rd, 2022. This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.
Know Before You Read
Book: Cress Watercress
Author: Gregory Maguire
Illustrator: David Litchfield
Genre: Animal stories; Coming of age
Length: 224 pages
Age suggested: 8 and up
Release Date: March 29, 2022
Warnings: Parent death is the source of grief. While this is a great book about grieving, this could be triggering.
Quick Summary of Cress Watercress
Cress watercress, a young rabbit, is moving with her mother and younger brother. They are leaving their comfortable warren and are going to live at the base of an old tree, which also houses other animal families. This is after Cress’s father does not return home one night. Cress must learn to live with her grief as she adjusts to the new surroundings, and as she finds friends and community at the tree.
Cress Watercress Review:
At the beginning of the story Cress and her family are leaving their warren. Papa did not come home after a nighttime trip to gather honey. It is a dangerous world for rabbits – foxes, snakes, and others – and Mama assumes Papa is gone. She needs someone to watch Cress and her younger brother when she is out, so she moves them to the Broken Arms, an oak tree with apartments.
It has an owl for a landlord, the super is a mouse, there is a loud family of squirrels, and some songbirds. No rabbits for Cress to know and develop friendships. Cress is not happy – and she thinks papa will come back eventually. Through a series of adventures, Cress is going to grow up, with the help of her neighbors, a surprising bear, and another rabbit.
–Why Read Cress Watercress-
I’m not ready to put it in the same class as Wind in the Willows yet, but it is close (and time will tell). Cress Watercress is a well-drawn portrait of coming to terms with grief, growing up, and finding and loving the communities we are given.
The illustrations by David Litchfield are superb and bring the diverse cast of characters to life. The story is told in short chapters, suitable for reading aloud and for younger readers, but the story will appeal to a broad age range. All of the characters, from primary to incidental, are well drawn and come to life in the pages of the book. While this can be read (and read to) younger kids, I think the tween years (11-12) will especially benefit from this tale. Just wonderful writing.
Continue reading for our Cress Watercress Discussion Questions
Favorite Cress Watercress Quotes
When she could speak. Cress said, “The moon is gone.” “Shhh. You’ll wake up Kip. What do you mean?” Cress told her mother that the moon, which had been changing its shape every night, had finally melted away. It was gone, as gone as Papa.
“Ah, “Ah,” said Mama. “I see. But, my darling Cress, the moon will grow back. It comes and goes. Just like sorrow. I mean it. Sorrow goes and comes. It waxes and wanes- those are words for how the moon grows and gets full and then diminishes, melts away. Over and over. It always comes back. It’s part of life. You get used to it. You learn you can live through the moonless nights.”
Cress felt as if she were becoming someone different. She wondered who. Maybe that is what growing up was all about-not knowing yourself, over and over again. How tiresome. What if you grew up to be someone you actually didn’t like?
“What did you do about your temper?” Finny asked the hen. “I taught myself to lay eggs? I always say” added Fricassee, “there’s nothing like self-expression to help you get over yourself”
Everyone’s life was a story…Stories everywhere. They grew thick as leaves.
Cress replied, “The rules are already made up. Pretty basic. Friends take care of each other. They don’t run away. They don’t make fun of each other. That’s about it. It’s not a tricky concept.”
Mr. Owl had his pride, as Mama had predicted. But pride can also mean knowing how to accept a brave gift. Maybe one you don’t even want.
Quotes from Cress Watercress by Gregory Maguire
Cress Watercress Discussion Questions
Themes to Discuss: Grief, loss, community
- Have you ever been in a situation where you had to make new friends? How hard was it?
- If you could be one of the residents of the Broken Arms, which would you be?
- What was the funniest part of the story? The scariest?
- Tunk is a lot smarter than Cress (and most of the other animals) think he is. What are some times people have underestimated you?
- Which of the pictures did you like the best?
- What memories did this book make you remember from your life?
- If you are dealing with grief, or are reading to someone dealing with grief, how did Cress and her mother handle grief? What changed over the course of the book?
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