Dory Fantasmagory

How do the illustrations interact with Dory’s narration? Do they support her point of view or offer alternate takes on the story?

Compare and contrast Dory’s style of play to that of her siblings.

Discuss what point the author is trying to make about the relationship between imagination and maturity.

What role does gender play in this novel? How does Dory interact with conventional ideas of “girlhood”?

Analyze the author’s use of humor in the novel. What kind of humor does Dory use in her narration? How does it contribute to her characterization?

Why did the author divide this story into six chapters? How do the chapter divides impact the structure of the story?

Discuss how Mr. Nuggy and Mrs. Gobble Gracker both represent and subvert character tropes from familiar children’s literature.

Throughout the novel, Dory has strong positive and negative reactions to the clothing she wears. Discuss the role of clothing in this novel and its impact on identity and play.