The Truck Cat Character Profile: National Simultaneous Storytime Activity is a rich, reflective task that invites students to explore the personalities, backgrounds and development of key characters in The Truck Cat by Deborah Frenkel and Danny Snell. This activity supports narrative comprehension, descriptive writing and emotional literacy as students learn to analyse characters as complex individuals with strengths, challenges and stories of their own.

After reading The Truck Cat as a class, students will select one of the main characters—Tinka, Yacoub or Mari—and complete a detailed profile based on what they’ve learned throughout the text. This process helps students consider both explicit and inferred details, while encouraging a deeper connection to the emotional and narrative elements of the story.

• The profile is structured around six key sections, prompting students to think about:
• Personal History: Where the character came from and their backstory
• Physical Appearance: Descriptive details that hint at lifestyle or personality
• Personality Traits: How the character behaves and reacts in different situations
• Strengths: Skills or qualities that make the character stand out
• Weaknesses: Challenges the character faces or areas for growth
• Interesting Facts: Unique or fun details revealed through the story

Two versions of the worksheet are included to support differentiated learning. One includes all six headings to guide students, while the second provides blank spaces for open-ended responses. Both are available in 12mm and 9mm line widths. The profiles can be completed independently, in pairs, or as part of a guided group discussion to support varying levels of literacy development.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• ✅ Analyse and describe key characters using evidence from a narrative
• ✅ Use descriptive language to reflect on character traits and development
• ✅ Explore themes of identity, growth and empathy through character study
• ✅ Organise information clearly in a structured profile format

What’s Included:

• Character profile worksheets with and without section headings
• Templates in 12mm and 9mm line widths

Materials Needed:

• Printed worksheet templates
• Pencils or pens
• Copy of The Truck Cat for reference
• Optional coloured cardstock for backing

How to Use:

• Read The Truck Cat as a class, discussing each character’s role and personality.
• Choose a character to model as a whole-class example using the template.
• Allow students to select a character and complete the profile individually or in pairs.
• Support with a displayed word bank of character traits and descriptive vocabulary.
• Display finished profiles as part of a classroom wall or literature display.

Ideas for Classroom Use:

• 💡 Use after reading The Truck Cat to reinforce comprehension and character insight
• 💡 Integrate into a literacy unit on characterisation or descriptive writing
• 💡 Pair with other reflection tasks to build a complete reader response portfolio
• 💡 Use in conjunction with the other resources in our The Truck Cat: Book PACKAGE

Top Teacher Tips:

• 💛 Enlarge templates to A3 for younger students or detailed displays
• 💛 Trim and mount completed profiles to create a colourful class character gallery
• 💛 Encourage students to present their profiles to practise oral expression

The Truck Cat Character Profile: National Simultaneous Storytime Activity is a thoughtful and engaging way to explore the rich personalities in the story while supporting students in developing essential comprehension and writing skills.