Kids explore the world and their place in it through play. The intricately imagined game that Zach, Poppy, and Alice have been playing after school in Doll Bones has given them a way to try on different identities, test boundaries, and build relationships. Through a weird series of twists and turns, that game spills out into the real world. Out in the wild, the trio finds that they've internalized many aspects of their favorite characters—or maybe those characters were inside them all along.
Questions About Exploration
- How does playing with toys prepare Zach, Alice, and Poppy for a real-life adventure? Does it actually, or do they just think it has?
- If you were the fourth person in Zach, Alice, and Poppy's gang, do you think you'd feel more excited or scared on this quest? Why?
- Who seems more closely connected to their toy persona, Zach or Alice? Explain your answer.
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Zach, Alice, and Poppy explore their personal identities through toys and role-playing.
Zach, Alice, and Poppy explore the external world through toys and role-playing.