tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38744088075536363902024-03-08T11:33:44.048+00:00Picturebooks in ELTPicturebooks that help make the world a better placeSandie Mourãohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05937320913931497159noreply@blogger.comBlogger117125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874408807553636390.post-18351412152117524642021-01-30T20:55:00.000+00:002021-01-30T20:55:02.735+00:00Red. A Crayon's Story: about being labeled and self-discovery<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9P5Ht-njtY8yvJ2G5Tl9R7LZkuo8kaTorD9jmTForspFrOSmEP0lByIDoYWvHVeNPYxX5uY9up-MkfeEgbsg7jQZGo4bxJrkmtgMl6WrbjjNMYSmPqSt-hp2ZoAVS1xs5KB2cOnOh-M/s2048/IMG_8346.jpg" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: small; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1510" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9P5Ht-njtY8yvJ2G5Tl9R7LZkuo8kaTorD9jmTForspFrOSmEP0lByIDoYWvHVeNPYxX5uY9up-MkfeEgbsg7jQZGo4bxJrkmtgMl6WrbjjNMYSmPqSt-hp2ZoAVS1xs5KB2cOnOh-M/w295-h400/IMG_8346.jpg" width="295" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greenwillow Books (2015)</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I just love it when I discover an author illustrator with humour … Michael Hall is exactly that – a picturebook creator who believes he learned 80% of what he knows as an author illustrator through his work as a designer. A designer-turned-picturebook-creator ... perfect! Pop along to his <a href="https://www.michaelhallstudio.com/index.html" target="_blank">website</a> and check out his interviews. He has a wonderful way of talking about his work.
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The book I’m blogging about today is called <i><a href="https://www.michaelhallstudio.com/books/bk_red.html" target="_blank">Red. A crayon’s story</a></i>, published by <a href="https://www.greenwillowbooks.com/" target="_blank">Greenwillow Books</a> in 2015. This is a story about a crayon, a wax crayon that is labelled red, but is in fact blue. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtgm7DZr_HeuPuateFNYjtppP2Q7I8O39CQja1jbUBgYzV-rMnueUwl_d-mWSquYRT40kXItkX-2nScOgMY39GcwERLpFVNveW3y9y1togRWS4c-tf8-IsmdOgta_PVl0mloLlblOJMz4/s2048/IMG_8347.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1494" data-original-width="2048" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtgm7DZr_HeuPuateFNYjtppP2Q7I8O39CQja1jbUBgYzV-rMnueUwl_d-mWSquYRT40kXItkX-2nScOgMY39GcwERLpFVNveW3y9y1togRWS4c-tf8-IsmdOgta_PVl0mloLlblOJMz4/w640-h466/IMG_8347.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front and back covers</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The front and back covers create one whole illustration, the crayon labelled red is colouring the top half of the covers blue, rather like the sky. The title sits embossed in the sky-like blue on the front cover. The use of white in the lower parts of the covers is calculated, deliberate for Hall is a designer and white space is as important as colour. There are two crayons reacting on each cover – with surprise on the front cover and in admiration on the back cover. Are your learners surprised when they see this front cover? A crayon labelled red, colouring a blue sky. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I have the plush, hard cover, and if I take the dust jacket off, the book covers are scribbled in blue. The front flap on the dust jacket has written in pencil, “This is the story of crayon I know. I wrote it for you …” This is Hall throwing his book out to each and every one of us and in particular those who are labelled erroneously. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdddTCQ7SdhY9RoqUQ1qS-wXODnzdp5BRhCGJYaP0ynlbAczONaqCwI_F9cfwnH32o0uVZ5TA59MGM5SqkiFlidQvls-tECqLQbqMI7PPi94s29qDCUbnL0LQEFYBLKFtuc5cuaUn3-Ss/s2048/IMG_8370.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1450" data-original-width="2048" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdddTCQ7SdhY9RoqUQ1qS-wXODnzdp5BRhCGJYaP0ynlbAczONaqCwI_F9cfwnH32o0uVZ5TA59MGM5SqkiFlidQvls-tECqLQbqMI7PPi94s29qDCUbnL0LQEFYBLKFtuc5cuaUn3-Ss/w640-h454/IMG_8370.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front endpapers</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The front endpapers are a deep red. You might want to return to these after the read-aloud and ask the children why Hall chose red front endpapers. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79xITray6FsmPT_UMknoL0a1W6wVudiw6YyjcwnV5CrJIQz2cDvTDx3Klri_NDkGyDPMGUgsTmnsipP_TfTDZbmjMeaxWRA-302WpvQeY15WQNe5OOGsIf0zrywxyvJM7iJhfoTMsbQk/s2048/IMG_8348.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1393" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79xITray6FsmPT_UMknoL0a1W6wVudiw6YyjcwnV5CrJIQz2cDvTDx3Klri_NDkGyDPMGUgsTmnsipP_TfTDZbmjMeaxWRA-302WpvQeY15WQNe5OOGsIf0zrywxyvJM7iJhfoTMsbQk/w273-h400/IMG_8348.jpg" width="273" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Title page</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The title page lets us know that the pencil we met, on the front dust jacket, is actually the narrator. The title remains in blue… </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjglBR7JgwwPD-lEqopEScha36XOLyA6tfNsTyx9NwEeWspDgbf68rLM8AcWp84I50qj5GUa218-qBflQUg_vBgurPG9T1hi_UxrsQFv2yYYjmaqrIw8IrnDiZK38-o14_CjiaZMFzXukU/s2048/IMG_8349.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1497" data-original-width="2048" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjglBR7JgwwPD-lEqopEScha36XOLyA6tfNsTyx9NwEeWspDgbf68rLM8AcWp84I50qj5GUa218-qBflQUg_vBgurPG9T1hi_UxrsQFv2yYYjmaqrIw8IrnDiZK38-o14_CjiaZMFzXukU/w640-h468/IMG_8349.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 1</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hall uses space as a colour in his work, and this picturebook alternates between black or white pages, each creating space in their own ways. Opening 1 is black on the recto and shiny red on the verso. The red crayon sits isolated in the middle of the black recto page and the pencil tells us “He was red” … note the use of the past tense. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vIs_ZQWveMjnF24Pcqr_GjJNJJci85wMORP3ykPZompd7XLHHxOqf5g3heOAlOErGeJAWBmZhjt4X-C-mPEtCTVGcwdmbqZxEEyYqlbuTM_ILYOPZh50wkdEWL2GcYOTNwcEoqpZv04/s2048/IMG_8350.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1523" data-original-width="2048" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vIs_ZQWveMjnF24Pcqr_GjJNJJci85wMORP3ykPZompd7XLHHxOqf5g3heOAlOErGeJAWBmZhjt4X-C-mPEtCTVGcwdmbqZxEEyYqlbuTM_ILYOPZh50wkdEWL2GcYOTNwcEoqpZv04/w640-h476/IMG_8350.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 2</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In O</span><span style="font-family: arial;">pening 2, Red is trying to draw a fire engine. We are told “But he wasn’t very good at it.” This playoff between pictures and words, each giving a part of the information is very common in Hall’s work. It’s is perfectly done in this picturebook. There's also a pattern here, i</span><span style="font-family: arial;">n all black openings, the pencil narrates an opinion, in the white openings that follow, we are shown the problem with the opinion.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwAkuHPd1gqRDYeBmDlKeqCfLbxoD4ji3AWjk89P9McuR-BIcwg8_831Dr8EI8vIdi2dKRoubcLOj77KddMLYi_xAteAQWiaSDM9gzZ4mBtyQCWgrt_PSxBI0-3_mlGYxzXz0SVyGaOew/s2048/IMG_8353.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1452" data-original-width="2048" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwAkuHPd1gqRDYeBmDlKeqCfLbxoD4ji3AWjk89P9McuR-BIcwg8_831Dr8EI8vIdi2dKRoubcLOj77KddMLYi_xAteAQWiaSDM9gzZ4mBtyQCWgrt_PSxBI0-3_mlGYxzXz0SVyGaOew/w640-h454/IMG_8353.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 5</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In Opening 5, his mother, Olive, encourages him to mix with others. “Why don’t you two go out and draw a nice round orange.” The play on the word 'mix' is subtle, and we see a yellow crayon next to red. So what colour will they make if they mix? </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDCvl-KcyCVdbley1Nmvn-W9ZbKdXMkJQbmTGHC0-1YhRDNv8HzGfo5v4NX5CHAzZJIkptGkvCsmmKJn1rikoVYhjrhsCnjGTgZMGpsl006wa4Ft5lHUWHvT-USM8Kr0xBDqjh9kT6fWU/s2048/IMG_8354.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1468" data-original-width="2048" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDCvl-KcyCVdbley1Nmvn-W9ZbKdXMkJQbmTGHC0-1YhRDNv8HzGfo5v4NX5CHAzZJIkptGkvCsmmKJn1rikoVYhjrhsCnjGTgZMGpsl006wa4Ft5lHUWHvT-USM8Kr0xBDqjh9kT6fWU/w640-h458/IMG_8354.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 6</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Why green of course! “Yuck” says yellow and “Oops” says Red. Red’s grandparents, labelled Silver and Gray, get him a warm red scarf, but that didn’t work either. Everyone thought they knew what the problem was, some thought he’d “catch on”, but he didn’t. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLfcp00HQEbbI9mhmCVsg628X7AhbIpQ7lUCBmiWJP_aNfRPbF3u0FkR0wuUDwRZYLXMiGD5zbbxmfg_6CKCESRCsJUJZSXzxsLc6YOCqh3Jm_J6oiwnYz2ES5tqR9pmhmRRDDAtWClN4/s2048/IMG_8359.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1501" data-original-width="2048" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLfcp00HQEbbI9mhmCVsg628X7AhbIpQ7lUCBmiWJP_aNfRPbF3u0FkR0wuUDwRZYLXMiGD5zbbxmfg_6CKCESRCsJUJZSXzxsLc6YOCqh3Jm_J6oiwnYz2ES5tqR9pmhmRRDDAtWClN4/w640-h470/IMG_8359.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 11</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Even the art supplies tried to help. The masking tape thought he was broken inside; The scissors thought his label was too tight and the sharpener thought he wasn’t sharp enough. Here in Opening 11 we are shown how the art supplies try to help. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb-GLxRBVWZWFrAEGwgSi8wWpq1NWtrI49zynoXG0U6bH-CFLZvGmOF0cM1-1KDxqcQmSYXi5qXL5oWtr9l_FNTDqcB1BLNNI2aPxkpQWnmXCxFJ-gJD8RmJwp9YgxdXGWx6YIIQA6Jz8/s2048/IMG_8360.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1462" data-original-width="2048" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb-GLxRBVWZWFrAEGwgSi8wWpq1NWtrI49zynoXG0U6bH-CFLZvGmOF0cM1-1KDxqcQmSYXi5qXL5oWtr9l_FNTDqcB1BLNNI2aPxkpQWnmXCxFJ-gJD8RmJwp9YgxdXGWx6YIIQA6Jz8/w640-h456/IMG_8360.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 12</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">But he still couldn’t get the hang of being red. Bless him. I like this opening ... we need to know that each of those objects should be red, red cherries, red foxes and red nails. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBYl8L-Es2HAXnMKF-Ueup_NTE3I1mQ4HxZMZ1nGPgslktaeAXJSBV5TL9FXwE2uC3P6tPR80Dy0CU1z7mPLdRp4kkHsG9JdlVPYa7g4bWxPAYm1xVxIoyA-K_PfmRewmIpcbwAsETf84/s2048/IMG_8363.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1456" data-original-width="2048" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBYl8L-Es2HAXnMKF-Ueup_NTE3I1mQ4HxZMZ1nGPgslktaeAXJSBV5TL9FXwE2uC3P6tPR80Dy0CU1z7mPLdRp4kkHsG9JdlVPYa7g4bWxPAYm1xVxIoyA-K_PfmRewmIpcbwAsETf84/w640-h456/IMG_8363.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 15</td></tr></tbody></table><br />It wasn’t until Red met Berry that things changed. Berry wanted a blue ocean for their boat.
“I can’t. I’m red” says Red, but Berry encourages Red to try. In Opening 15 we see the crayons close up on this double spread, they fill the page. It’s an important moment, they have no faces, yet it is charged with emotion. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Red drew the blue ocean and it was perfect. But most of all, “It was easy.” </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1aUrqCsA0FZfNJOMeUJpHE9h4IK2WE4n9vCxFzNJ3PKiUr3DS5TEt0lG3Mj-yZ9tkWg2o1RxUaVdBeZIrC4T4tQBG84q672EwT0C7CkJnAbPr-B8IvTxYzljX9Q1PpFveBaKfa1T5Uc/s2048/IMG_8365.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1436" data-original-width="2048" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1aUrqCsA0FZfNJOMeUJpHE9h4IK2WE4n9vCxFzNJ3PKiUr3DS5TEt0lG3Mj-yZ9tkWg2o1RxUaVdBeZIrC4T4tQBG84q672EwT0C7CkJnAbPr-B8IvTxYzljX9Q1PpFveBaKfa1T5Uc/w640-h448/IMG_8365.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 17</td></tr></tbody></table><br />And he just kept drawing … what else could he have drawn? I’m sure your children would have some great suggestions. Of course, all the crayons are excited, his Mum, Olive thinks he’s brilliant, Yellow dreams of making a really big green lizard with him, and his teacher, Scarlet, suggests he’s reaching for the sky. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSa27GaKpSDkKxtDwqzRc3gbvjCWWHKooCX7nJRkKecqR3nJhbGXhiDYFc2WD28GeiUZ244_NUkKYCIP-JFctM7iitYC3i2LPu19seiHC9-1a3r9bEH2j6WgtQWBUotq3J0ri5PCvvOdU/s2048/IMG_8367.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1504" data-original-width="2048" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSa27GaKpSDkKxtDwqzRc3gbvjCWWHKooCX7nJRkKecqR3nJhbGXhiDYFc2WD28GeiUZ244_NUkKYCIP-JFctM7iitYC3i2LPu19seiHC9-1a3r9bEH2j6WgtQWBUotq3J0ri5PCvvOdU/w640-h470/IMG_8367.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 19</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“And he really was!” Well why not, he’s the only crayon who can. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDo5z4ckY7nziibCQwHC3D8i42imc-zrcxyK6rkfqIRQgxaqOqAp3dZG-HyFSIrqYYCHULVuq_JATOn1HhuAGeto0x74lWpkay1iCFNOKEPJg6azJL4jmwPXmKfS0y8WKbRcywTHDSLcQ/s2048/IMG_8371.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1438" data-original-width="2048" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDo5z4ckY7nziibCQwHC3D8i42imc-zrcxyK6rkfqIRQgxaqOqAp3dZG-HyFSIrqYYCHULVuq_JATOn1HhuAGeto0x74lWpkay1iCFNOKEPJg6azJL4jmwPXmKfS0y8WKbRcywTHDSLcQ/w640-h450/IMG_8371.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back endpapers</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> But don’t stop there, turn the page and you’ll see the copyright page with a dedication and information about the illustrative style, and it’s facing a blue page … the back endpapers – they are blue. Turn back to the front ones, what colour were they? RED! Oooo that’s clever, so simple but so clever. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This is a magical picturebook, which could open up space to talk and converse about all sorts of issues, including being true to yourself, identity, appreciating difference and friendship. <i>Red. A Crayon's Story</i> is about self-discovery: <i>Who am I? What am I good at?</i> <i>How am I unique? </i></span><span style="font-family: arial;">These are important questions and ones children can be helped to answer about themselves. And of course, t</span><span style="font-family: arial;">here’s also the opportunity to discover colours: primary colour mixing, or colours and their hues e.g. red, scarlet, crimson etc. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> There are some very useful resources available online, which will help you with prompts for taking and conversing about some of the topics that might emerge in the picturebook: </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">The <a href="https://www.prindleinstitute.org/books/red-a-crayons-story/" target="_blank">Prindle Institute for Ethics</a> has some excellent resources following a Philosophy for Children approach and can help you and the children ask and answer those difficult questions.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://4edd9444c072ad07aff7-11d966b2703d5a5467932b6516b2610f.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/teaching-guides/TG-9780062371805.pdf" target="_blank">Harper Collins </a>has some detailed teachers’ notes. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://b0f646cfbd7462424f7a-f9758a43fb7c33cc8adda0fd36101899.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/teaching-guides/TG-9780062252074.pdf" target="_blank">Greenwillow Books</a> has some detailed teachers’ notes. </span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I’d also recommend using the Vimeo <a href="https://vimeo.com/166212678" target="_blank">trailer</a>. Short and to the point, and useful to show the children before they hear the picturebook read aloud. What does it tell them about the story they are about to hear?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cz8UhbmnPIs" width="320" youtube-src-id="cz8UhbmnPIs"></iframe></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And if you want to know a little more about the Michael Hall and how he creates his picturebooks watch this film ... if your children are old enough they might enjoy it too. Michael is dyslexic and so he is a great role model for children. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Red: A crayon's story</i> is brilliant all round, it could be a window or a mirror for the children you teach, so think carefully how it might be used, to ensure they get as much as possible out of experiencing this picturebook. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>My work on this blog is </span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: right;"><span style="background: white; text-align: center;">part of CETAPS' project </span><span style="background: white; text-align: center;">UIDB/04097/2020, funded by FCT<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></span></span></div>Sandie Mourãohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05937320913931497159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874408807553636390.post-20415288815965173302021-01-15T21:55:00.000+00:002021-01-15T21:56:34.446+00:00The Smeds and the Smoos: for all the children in Europe<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQIGoCzolFJDFNMcYE9XhAgian9E3lHWFnvkbS7ezQoEjWJ-O-_YkFcrJm5p4lUTF6laxqBgCdCcmwbsCDAV742cxPErVcB7pNHG6x98G7oijIomb08ZZj0r6Nu3QxDsBwziZhZ-a9YE/s1941/DSC_0145.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1700" data-original-width="1941" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQIGoCzolFJDFNMcYE9XhAgian9E3lHWFnvkbS7ezQoEjWJ-O-_YkFcrJm5p4lUTF6laxqBgCdCcmwbsCDAV742cxPErVcB7pNHG6x98G7oijIomb08ZZj0r6Nu3QxDsBwziZhZ-a9YE/w400-h350/DSC_0145.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: justify;">Alison Green Books (2019)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I was alerted to a great article in <i><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/2020/dec/17/julia-donaldson-conquered-world-one-rhyme-at-a-time-childrens-literature-gruffalo?CMP=share_btn_fb&fbclid=IwAR1mYuS7R42nn6MReK7bwUvNplS4LHNd7fGlpAW3UHs4xudcOYELQOCjzeA" target="_blank">The Guardian</a></i> about <a href="https://www.juliadonaldson.co.uk/" target="_blank">Julia Donaldson </a>… did you know a Julia Donaldson book is sold about every 11 seconds in the UK? She is prolific, having written over 200 books, nevertheless, <i>The Gruffalo</i> (illustrated by <a href="https://axelscheffler.com/" target="_blank">Axel Scheffler)</a> is probably what comes to mind when you read her name … many FL teachers use this picturebook for a unit of work around parts of the body. But Donaldson has written picturebooks that cover rather more interesting topics, for example: sharing in <i>The Smartest Giant in Town </i>(illustrated by Axel Scheffler), hearing impairments in <i>Freddie and the Fairy</i> (illustrated by Karen George), and the picturebook I will write about today, respect for difference in <i>The Smeds and the Smoos</i>, illustrated by Axel Scheffler and published by Alison Green Books (2019). </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"> <i>The Smeds and the Smoos </i>is a sort of Romeo and Juliet story with a happy ending, no-one dies, instead everyone realises that just because we are different it doesn’t mean we can’t be together, play with each other, be friends ... fall in love even. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"> Donaldson’s characteristic rhyme contains made-up words for places and plants… a lobular lake, a humplety hill, the Wurplar Wood, trockles, glompoms and jerberrycoot. The Planet Vumjum, Planet Glurch and Lurgleestorp, Grimbletosh, Scloop and Klaboo … wonderfully silly words, all made up and delicious to say. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"> What makes a good picturebook though, is the way pictures and words come together, showing and telling in their unique ways. Pictures often expand on the words, with opportunities for interpreting their juxtaposition resulting in opportunities for discovering meaning. <i>The Smeds and the Smoos</i> does this with humour, so it’s well worth looking carefully at Axel Scheffler’s characteristic illustrations alongside Donaldson’s rhyming verbal inventions. </span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">The front cover presents the enamoured couple, although we don’t know it yet. It also provides the setting, a planet with strange creatures and plants. Showing the cover and asking children to predict what the picturebook might be about can be prompted by reading the blurb on the back: ‘Far way on a distant planet, two young aliens meet – and fall in love.’ You could also ask the children to compare these aliens, their colours, features etc. Some children may recognise the illustrative style of Axel Scheffler, especially if you have shared other picturebooks he has illustrated. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDP8M628CXnJh99stXRbS5gdJL5s4RZ4hr8Dh_8EZiKW5lSUnN2lpFp8AyleSc4bgWTFgVM0f4JF4zjGylRkB7hoH3C3MvKETeUPH8gYdjthoyvaYLT_xAP2JzivOSgyQ6Aaxh7Ca4Y1Q/s2639/DSC_0146.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1192" data-original-width="2639" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDP8M628CXnJh99stXRbS5gdJL5s4RZ4hr8Dh_8EZiKW5lSUnN2lpFp8AyleSc4bgWTFgVM0f4JF4zjGylRkB7hoH3C3MvKETeUPH8gYdjthoyvaYLT_xAP2JzivOSgyQ6Aaxh7Ca4Y1Q/w640-h290/DSC_0146.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Title page</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> I have the paperback version, which opens straight onto the title page. The same aliens are sitting on a rock, looking lovingly at each other. Read out “Written by Julia Donaldson” and “Illustrated by Axel Scheffler” and remind children that this book was created by two talented people. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBzqKMMpBamiiEyUAeEjNiNZ0YtbPN9-TTkl1ClR2_IOPCvIBw5ad9D_Y9Bporao37koBghzc4VWZ1PvP_e6QViRgVDszF_eTMrH5deAJq7ajWQDire_pfCrIiHs49uG2aK2_hll6rvYQ/s2603/DSC_0147.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1208" data-original-width="2603" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBzqKMMpBamiiEyUAeEjNiNZ0YtbPN9-TTkl1ClR2_IOPCvIBw5ad9D_Y9Bporao37koBghzc4VWZ1PvP_e6QViRgVDszF_eTMrH5deAJq7ajWQDire_pfCrIiHs49uG2aK2_hll6rvYQ/w640-h298/DSC_0147.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 1</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Opening 1 provides a wide-shot of the planet these two aliens live on. It presents them too. We learn that the young Smed is Janet and she lives by ‘<i>a loobalar lake</i>’, and the young Smoo is Bill and he lives ‘<i>on a humpelty hill</i>’. Lots to talk about here… the made-up words might be a start. But the visuals are showing lots too: can the children spot Janet and Bill? The Smeds are on the verso and the Smoos on the recto and if you look closely there is a line of coloured pebbles separating the two Alien families. Janet looks different to her family, she has green hair. Bill also looks different to his, he’s blue, but he has spots. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggSiMApOrz3G-WNHCseiW7FcBPQTqdS8_5cykhc1_-e3G158T4iUk13foCTyb5Ur8WdULGSUzpbBH1jA3Qyf4aoONdxllcxF0W36PrkIGHXGPqgfV6ZDRiEVRwhF948ls1dMY2tuCLmpg/s2650/DSC_0148.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1186" data-original-width="2650" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggSiMApOrz3G-WNHCseiW7FcBPQTqdS8_5cykhc1_-e3G158T4iUk13foCTyb5Ur8WdULGSUzpbBH1jA3Qyf4aoONdxllcxF0W36PrkIGHXGPqgfV6ZDRiEVRwhF948ls1dMY2tuCLmpg/w640-h286/DSC_0148.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 2</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> In the next opening we are presented with the problem, again on two separate sides of the spread the families are separated. On the verso, grandfather Smed is tucking Janet into her bed:
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Never, never play with the Smoos. </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>They sleep in holes. </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>They wear strange shoes. </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>They jump about like kangaroos </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Never, never play with the Smoos. </i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> On the recto, grandmother Smoo is saying goodnight to Bill: </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Never, never play with the Smeds. </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>They have strange hair upon their heads. </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>They sleep in funny things called beds. </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Never, never play with the Smeds. </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> As you read these rhyming words children might be surprised, or nod, as they too noticed these differences. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg-m57yS6CmVT6nRrFjqF8s0mEQZe9D65yPb6cAR-rckYpIx7Wo61jO5qrVz2JE2IROxEbJJZus2XbekttkICEpq32XOtB0r7PQ5jtbbekS5gdvS12f_FRrk6Jh9B9PyVXQwJSime1Tk4/s2619/DSC_0150.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="2619" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg-m57yS6CmVT6nRrFjqF8s0mEQZe9D65yPb6cAR-rckYpIx7Wo61jO5qrVz2JE2IROxEbJJZus2XbekttkICEpq32XOtB0r7PQ5jtbbekS5gdvS12f_FRrk6Jh9B9PyVXQwJSime1Tk4/w640-h294/DSC_0150.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 4</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The two aliens were bored by the activities their families loved, splashing in the lake and bouncing up and down on the hill, and so they tiptoed off, or went exploring, and met in the Wurpular Wood, where they ate the the '<i>jellyful fruit</i>' of the jerberrycoot. Here, on Opening 4 ,both aliens are on the same page, together rather than separated by the gutter. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">But they got caught. Once again on either side of the spread, grandfather Smoo complains of the '<i>... nasty shade of blue'</i> and grandmother Smed protested at the '.<i>.. </i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>dreadful shade of red'</i>. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmFf-XuJZn4mQr_PJfBDAJ71qjnrHZMfnThBG1gKM4PDChU0FG0ZvqdQ5UBAUftlYt-r_6MLeOLVqrOzRgFPL9JXnZnAv27SBgCghB5zuzH5G3XxXNv0Ublbx1BHUPH114PcUhTn4UUOY/s2608/DSC_0152.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1205" data-original-width="2608" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmFf-XuJZn4mQr_PJfBDAJ71qjnrHZMfnThBG1gKM4PDChU0FG0ZvqdQ5UBAUftlYt-r_6MLeOLVqrOzRgFPL9JXnZnAv27SBgCghB5zuzH5G3XxXNv0Ublbx1BHUPH114PcUhTn4UUOY/w640-h296/DSC_0152.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 6</td></tr></tbody></table><br />For years Janet and Bill were separated, but meeting secretly whenever the could, until one day they decided to marry. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Never, never marry a Smoo </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>They’re a beastly bunch! </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>They’re a crazy crew! </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>They drink black tea! </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>They eat green stew! </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Never, never marry a Smoo </i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Never, never marry a Smed.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>My dearest child, are you off your head? </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>They drink pink milk! </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>They eat brown bread.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Never, never marry a Smed </i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> And so Janet and Bill elope,'… <i>in the Smed’s red rocket (Grandfather Smed ahd forgotten to lockit.)'</i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> When their families discovered, they each blamed the other, but soon realized that they had to look for Janet and Bill together. So off they go in the Smoos’ '<i>rocket of blue</i>' and they invited the Smeds '<i>You had better come, too.</i>' </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBkYk30_YqD37o0kH4LeIuAE7OmmEBDPDg033KbfSM612v3mFe0FWbi4T6jpDvIoEZHhqYaF9929Cyfj9saJyvi5bHfjuRseGqdo0YGSoOqonLoKjmZDd8ATDLHp0k86bb6Nevh8_e9LY/s2627/DSC_0155.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1197" data-original-width="2627" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBkYk30_YqD37o0kH4LeIuAE7OmmEBDPDg033KbfSM612v3mFe0FWbi4T6jpDvIoEZHhqYaF9929Cyfj9saJyvi5bHfjuRseGqdo0YGSoOqonLoKjmZDd8ATDLHp0k86bb6Nevh8_e9LY/w640-h292/DSC_0155.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 9</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> This begins a journey of planet hopping, where we see and read about strange places with even stranger creatures… and this way the Smeds and the Smoos got closer and friendlier, sharing pink milk and cutting each-others’ hair. They no longer stay on separate spreads, but appear alongside each other, examining these strange planets. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5-m4xqKGfsAemvut7Vp5elqRI6_f1_JwvDvO6lQa6J3nM8SLrutgHflnC2ZsKVzlT9Grkn-YUoLdEJmiRmGemjZE1-clJXuKkRI5A09uXNtwJBXSJVi7uZnuJByDIKWUo1u4tcGI_vU/s2616/DSC_0158.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="2616" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5-m4xqKGfsAemvut7Vp5elqRI6_f1_JwvDvO6lQa6J3nM8SLrutgHflnC2ZsKVzlT9Grkn-YUoLdEJmiRmGemjZE1-clJXuKkRI5A09uXNtwJBXSJVi7uZnuJByDIKWUo1u4tcGI_vU/w640-h294/DSC_0158.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 12</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">The Smeds and the Smoos spent a year and more together and finally decided to return home, and who did they find? </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpDr8iCpPXMc7mjRGeTJ6n96kHNrBdttl5Sj_ibvyCPG8E-xez8mYZeaORFkhkeeJcbi9Ytr7JF1yp-pYxxLuyiNp8PteedeYbJtE_yuA4wETFMTf_5sN2RBxd0x-jI47xD1Y-yu27REQ/s2633/DSC_0160.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1195" data-original-width="2633" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpDr8iCpPXMc7mjRGeTJ6n96kHNrBdttl5Sj_ibvyCPG8E-xez8mYZeaORFkhkeeJcbi9Ytr7JF1yp-pYxxLuyiNp8PteedeYbJtE_yuA4wETFMTf_5sN2RBxd0x-jI47xD1Y-yu27REQ/w640-h290/DSC_0160.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 14</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">…. Bill and Janet! '<i>There was joy, jam and jumping.</i>' And something quite different… a baby. Can you imagine what colour it was? Of course, red and blue makes purple.
The Smeds and the Smoos are hugging each other and everyone is happy. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8beAFKRCXxv-z9akgUYP5JRbE9a-KD36cdESB0k7yGFV8UzcfAjp_C0A70J_NXbgotSyOf5Dh-gRjabjzD1DcPaV60IX7llIzX7TmUxUOyO9OmNLQX0eF9gW34ZWHfmEtfxjzGKL_168/s2638/DSC_0161.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1192" data-original-width="2638" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8beAFKRCXxv-z9akgUYP5JRbE9a-KD36cdESB0k7yGFV8UzcfAjp_C0A70J_NXbgotSyOf5Dh-gRjabjzD1DcPaV60IX7llIzX7TmUxUOyO9OmNLQX0eF9gW34ZWHfmEtfxjzGKL_168/w640-h290/DSC_0161.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 15</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Look at how they are no longer separated by the gutter on the page. All mixed, talking to each other and interacting, brought together by their Janet and Bill. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Then they sang by the light of the silvery moon, </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>And you can sing too, if you make up a tune. </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i> Play with the Smeds and play with the Smoos. </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Play with whichever friends you choose. </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Then close your eyes and while you snooze, </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Dream of the Smeds and dream of the Smoos. </i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The message is clear, it doesn’t matter how different we are, we can still get along. The dedication comes at the back and Axel Scheffler's dedication says: '<i><b>To all the children of Europe</b></i>'. Share this at the end of your read-aloud and ask the children why Scheffler has done this. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The Smeds and the Smoos</i> is an entertaining picturebook with a message, which is easy to share, along with all the rhythm and rhyme. Children will enjoy the made-up words and might even try making more of their own. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">They can also learn the last rhyming verse and chant it as a playground game … maybe with a skipping rope, jumping on the beat.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Some resources for developing language and literacy with a cross curricular approach can be found <a href="https://primarysite-prod-sorted.s3.amazonaws.com/meadow-view-farm-school/UploadedDocument/14a8a68820364e8ca576d8c0bd27fc6f/the-smeds-and-the-smoos-ks1.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>, developed for children who speak English as their L1, but they might give you some ideas!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>My work on this blog is </span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: right;"><span style="background: white; text-align: center;">part of CETAPS' project </span><span style="background: white; text-align: center;">UIDB/04097/2020, funded by FCT</span></span></div>Sandie Mourãohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05937320913931497159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874408807553636390.post-54571815193296220262021-01-01T20:24:00.002+00:002021-01-15T22:10:01.933+00:00Refugees: a powerful, palindrome message prompting discomfort, then relief<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Pznw_OMUGVzX0tuppJjREnuliF33HxipqkkZhlOGqTJZgMjSD3707YFkblepwy2ttMaAtwfYXIZYRMyBYgQwW67RPvk9Wj9DfY_INeLC2a5IKm14QNDPmx_ToxPB4fBnF2z0-dIYrq0/s2048/IMG_7905.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1717" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Pznw_OMUGVzX0tuppJjREnuliF33HxipqkkZhlOGqTJZgMjSD3707YFkblepwy2ttMaAtwfYXIZYRMyBYgQwW67RPvk9Wj9DfY_INeLC2a5IKm14QNDPmx_ToxPB4fBnF2z0-dIYrq0/w335-h400/IMG_7905.jpg" width="335" /></i></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Refugees</i> by Brian Bilston & José Sanabria (Palazzo, 2019)</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />The picturebook I share today, to begin 2021, is categorised as a non-fiction picturebook. It is an illustrated poem, written by the poet <a href="https://brianbilston.com/" target="_blank">Brian Bilston</a> and illustrated by the Argentinian illustrator, <a href="https://josesanabriailustracion.blogspot.com/ " target="_blank">José Sanabria</a> - </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Refugees </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(published by Palazzo, 2019).</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Brian Bilston’s poem, <i>Refugees,</i> was first shared through social media in <a href="https://brianbilston.com/2016/03/23/refugees/" target="_blank">2016</a>. Its unique </span><span style="font-family: arial;">palindrome message prompts discomfort and then surprise as the two readings, forwards and then backwards, convey conflicting views about refugees. A great reading by a group of University students can be found </span><a href="https://youtu.be/eaMXn6Fkx2c" style="font-family: arial;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: arial;">. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Bilston’s words seen alongside Sanabria’s illustrations produce a very powerful interanimation, resulting in a mortifying beginning and a joyful ending … Sanabria’s work has been considered dystopian and in <i>Refugees</i> his style is a mix of collage and paint - they challenge our emotions as we see them in interaction with the words. It’s a picturebook for slightly older language learners, as it is best used as a prompt for discussion. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinnt5HZTtjgihtsH_aNKNHxeJiSPuKqMhd0BXpPPTrmTAN58pZBixvfu6llTCd18DRGY3wY3kNNJtEKSSRbSgpFTyawEtdQC4Hy88EPfKyLyNWAW5ovRk9GmWMjjVYOQgdGhYW33Ceccs/s2048/IMG_7906.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1290" data-original-width="2048" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinnt5HZTtjgihtsH_aNKNHxeJiSPuKqMhd0BXpPPTrmTAN58pZBixvfu6llTCd18DRGY3wY3kNNJtEKSSRbSgpFTyawEtdQC4Hy88EPfKyLyNWAW5ovRk9GmWMjjVYOQgdGhYW33Ceccs/w640-h404/IMG_7906.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front and back covers</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Like all good picturebooks, the front and back covers make one whole image, and what an image. We first see the front cover, which is the busy scene of a large patchwork hot-air balloon dropping down into a town. The colours are light and so it gives us a feeling of positive satisfaction. The title ‘Refugees’ fits nicely into the balloon, its letters are from different sources and collaged together… it suggests making the most of what we have or being thrifty, maybe. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Open up the book and, to complete the image, the back cover adds a whole new dimension to the illustration … creatures that look like flying crows with capes are coming in from the left and there is a large grey wall with barbed wire, which contrasts with the yellow flowers in the park-like space around the town. This combined image is difficult to decipher until you’ve read the picturebook, so return to it once you’ve shared the picturebook with your learners. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQX1kkTf8BI2yDIKWHl0spl6ise5d1Vu7TEIfOuoKgd95ql1jBJn1xM6N7MBxIBpLyBSxHCN4gOWfbPj5nLlDfyRpZw330RVUVY8zPXiC4r7KK9bfukrKYKfUUNiGGaXQTZ3S_nyw8RfU/s2048/IMG_7907.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQX1kkTf8BI2yDIKWHl0spl6ise5d1Vu7TEIfOuoKgd95ql1jBJn1xM6N7MBxIBpLyBSxHCN4gOWfbPj5nLlDfyRpZw330RVUVY8zPXiC4r7KK9bfukrKYKfUUNiGGaXQTZ3S_nyw8RfU/w640-h400/IMG_7907.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front endpapers</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The endpapers are a closeup of a roughly-sewn together patchwork … quite different from those at the back, so you can return to these too! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyEuPKZBiBT9cuE1BMW-DN94hGsr1RWUFksDWMU7XxjgRqWMKot14SfytjsEGu5RJ0oE2GMF2UkXvkN7warLEMfzAX9_zqvyem4TkldpVVH3nCskwGNgWBIt-DQJrKYx_19SdXPxrrcv8/s2048/IMG_7908.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1305" data-original-width="2048" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyEuPKZBiBT9cuE1BMW-DN94hGsr1RWUFksDWMU7XxjgRqWMKot14SfytjsEGu5RJ0oE2GMF2UkXvkN7warLEMfzAX9_zqvyem4TkldpVVH3nCskwGNgWBIt-DQJrKYx_19SdXPxrrcv8/w640-h408/IMG_7908.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copyright and title page</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The copyright and title page can be seen as a double spread, the hot air balloon floating from far away on the verso gets closer in the recto title page. We might connect this balloon to the one on the front cover, we might not … but the title is once again placed on the balloon and telling us plainly the people in the balloon are refugees. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2DxI3dJv7vfaXiDeTmgrN9nWbBOmdOD_LeByH-3bLXE3Iaf5EaOnmfVcXpTlIKGI6yu6y_amyLTGGO-kLImiUq2uvVpP_kPuKcIcfD9n2nNMbJcoNJajbLa2qYgZT1Pt9kJcLjUg_Ng/s2048/IMG_7909.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1304" data-original-width="2048" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2DxI3dJv7vfaXiDeTmgrN9nWbBOmdOD_LeByH-3bLXE3Iaf5EaOnmfVcXpTlIKGI6yu6y_amyLTGGO-kLImiUq2uvVpP_kPuKcIcfD9n2nNMbJcoNJajbLa2qYgZT1Pt9kJcLjUg_Ng/w640-h408/IMG_7909.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 1</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Opening 1 is dominated by two worried faces, a man and a child, looking backwards, at something we can’t see. The illustration bleeds to the very edges of the pages, drawing us into their experience, we can feel their fear. The words are harsh and it’s an uncomfortable first read </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“They have no need of our help </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">So do not tell me
these haggard faces should belong to you or me </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Should life have dealt a different hand.” </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH8V23I7pjabTj4RlWYBd-G4cVtKs1311RgCGOFYrEqRR-TwCVVJHGmoaqWdgT1l6E506iFLsD3F-S-PFsmxPs9qT4oMd5DnvmiG29oVdoEZdAkzRe00L5pq2C0WydY9pZUB3Xll8Q4jw/s2048/IMG_7910.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1342" data-original-width="2048" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH8V23I7pjabTj4RlWYBd-G4cVtKs1311RgCGOFYrEqRR-TwCVVJHGmoaqWdgT1l6E506iFLsD3F-S-PFsmxPs9qT4oMd5DnvmiG29oVdoEZdAkzRe00L5pq2C0WydY9pZUB3Xll8Q4jw/w640-h420/IMG_7910.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 2</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The next opening shows us why the man and child might be worried… three crows wearing long white coats are watching them from the verso page. Crows can symbolise ill omens and are often used as intermediaries for the devil or evil forces, so their presence here is foreboding. The words are cruel: </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“We need to see them for who they really are </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Chancers and scroungers </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Layabouts and loungers </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> With bombs up their sleeves </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Cut-throats and thieves.” </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Dark spreads follow, reinforcing the negative feelings of fear and hate, mooting the need “to build walls to keep them out” … “A place should belong to those who are born there”. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaeLIzDcTiz0tp_k6si45SHchQKqgo2VjK59AreVMzra3tWn16aodOoobDJrOxqlN6eVck_V24cwbrYvR_rDHiHKB5Kw-O2Nes74XkX9nbjxwyeL4WmNvYCmZpLycl8NejmM9LshAy88U/s2048/IMG_7914.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1309" data-original-width="2048" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaeLIzDcTiz0tp_k6si45SHchQKqgo2VjK59AreVMzra3tWn16aodOoobDJrOxqlN6eVck_V24cwbrYvR_rDHiHKB5Kw-O2Nes74XkX9nbjxwyeL4WmNvYCmZpLycl8NejmM9LshAy88U/w640-h410/IMG_7914.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 6</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The illustrations in Opening 6 show three balloons trying to fly over the barbed-wired walls with the crows flying around them - attacking maybe… it is a frightening image and the words reinforce the terror of what we see: </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> “Do not be so stupid to think that </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The world can be looked at another way.” </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> If you stop here, you can probably feel your heart beating rather faster than it should… the words and images seen together are more than distressing, my colleague Ana Matos refers to a 'disquietening', a feeling of unease, worry or concern which can be especially important to prompt discussion and subsequent civic action. Stopping here in the read-aloud, and asking learners how they feel about what they have seen, and heard, so far will provide space for what has been referred to as ‘<a href="https://www.edutopia.org/article/going-beyond-diverse-classroom-library?fbclid=IwAR3K24AUPWmfp_NLWA9c8koa-lHhIf6VAlcOX3gMB_UUTI68nJ0XsAZzxZw" target="_blank">courageous conversations</a>’ … ‘that ultimately help us make sense of the world around us.’ </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> And once you’ve had those conversations, you can continue with the read-aloud, and share the rest of the picturebook and the poem… and show the other side of the issue. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxTGdNCmJV2CiIxrvqQxYECAvh8ctQoIzlmU91Bai3g6AdN27YNoAKwG7iH2_u_iK4oiDNSy9VMuMTm62ZZk3cz3qq80Tj6uUHNgOeBCN7wJqoCuMuBJ4n3azeUhwVqQHgg64WOU5MQUE/s2048/IMG_7915.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1283" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxTGdNCmJV2CiIxrvqQxYECAvh8ctQoIzlmU91Bai3g6AdN27YNoAKwG7iH2_u_iK4oiDNSy9VMuMTm62ZZk3cz3qq80Tj6uUHNgOeBCN7wJqoCuMuBJ4n3azeUhwVqQHgg64WOU5MQUE/w640-h400/IMG_7915.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 7</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It starts with:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“The world can be looked at in another way
… </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">These are people just like us. (Opening 7)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It is not Ok to say </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Build a wall to keep them out
Instead let us </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Share our countries </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Share our homes </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Share our food” </span><span style="font-family: arial;">(Opening 8)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The illustrations no longer include the sinister crows in white coats, and the colours are lighter and happier. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik4BeVqmNkAakTt_05M1JKZVFmZYWe_13uZQZIBNmHZnnuHJ9NOY40orBIhP6oqML5eSIUS-NUI_phf94Y-oMAMdv5R4FB6QKw6uJ6uTEeiYt1Na___jY2xxAbdG2Yi2W0XrsjwJliPzQ/s2048/IMG_7917.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1321" data-original-width="2048" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik4BeVqmNkAakTt_05M1JKZVFmZYWe_13uZQZIBNmHZnnuHJ9NOY40orBIhP6oqML5eSIUS-NUI_phf94Y-oMAMdv5R4FB6QKw6uJ6uTEeiYt1Na___jY2xxAbdG2Yi2W0XrsjwJliPzQ/w640-h412/IMG_7917.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 9</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The hot-air balloons are welcomed by the town’s people, with gifts of food, flowers and toys. A secondary visual narrative emerges over these last spreads, which follows two children exchanging greetings and gifts, becoming friends at school and joining their single parents to create a family of four. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglyeWX30lULi2GTtxXp8pbFzsGOI_hk9e34kyu6zn5b_1rHpeV_75GOnDOvUoN9vX_kG6h9AnH7DyUVv5-iuwD8gU3CtOs6rfJoRVhluclJ206rdnE35cfcwXQX6VKNdgHh4f9dlbdutQ/s2048/IMG_7918.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1290" data-original-width="2048" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglyeWX30lULi2GTtxXp8pbFzsGOI_hk9e34kyu6zn5b_1rHpeV_75GOnDOvUoN9vX_kG6h9AnH7DyUVv5-iuwD8gU3CtOs6rfJoRVhluclJ206rdnE35cfcwXQX6VKNdgHh4f9dlbdutQ/w640-h404/IMG_7918.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 10</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The derogatory words in the first half of the poem are challenged: </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> “They are not </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Cut-throughts and thieves </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">With bombs up their sleeves </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Layouts and loungers </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Chancers and scroungers” </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The illustrations show the new arrivals closeup, so much so we can see their wrinkles and fearful faces. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzGBxdBbnTErcbpk0MvsMztZRWyYqMHSDCWVocNBTQKREAUcsmv1zqGWbx4wqMC5WzAYGHaBhYPpLofgOHV8gZkvwuxm0J5X_1yZ6iLrBPs9LH-pwioFl9cKwSUE7Wq81XmO_yMCgs68g/s2048/IMG_7920.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="2048" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzGBxdBbnTErcbpk0MvsMztZRWyYqMHSDCWVocNBTQKREAUcsmv1zqGWbx4wqMC5WzAYGHaBhYPpLofgOHV8gZkvwuxm0J5X_1yZ6iLrBPs9LH-pwioFl9cKwSUE7Wq81XmO_yMCgs68g/w640-h406/IMG_7920.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 12</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The spreads are different now and we see people living and working together. We can no longer discern who is a new arrival and who is not. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">The final spread suggests that the two children and their (single) parents come together as a family, they are smiling out at the reader. The hot air balloons are flying above, but there are no walls and they appear to be more for entertainment than transportation. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The poem ends: </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“So do not tell me </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They have no need of our help.” </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wBxfGZ0obh3C9zX4yBMsmNZOUcorLq1_FUfO0YONP49o_0y7z4CW6TFqpVl_q8ZVRnjEdVfiO9aeG1ebzwOFGVuj_CVi3AAkkUDFcGvZlN39zRaw-Ucn6P07Wl11ccKkLO_M_a-lQ78/s2048/IMG_7921.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1303" data-original-width="2048" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wBxfGZ0obh3C9zX4yBMsmNZOUcorLq1_FUfO0YONP49o_0y7z4CW6TFqpVl_q8ZVRnjEdVfiO9aeG1ebzwOFGVuj_CVi3AAkkUDFcGvZlN39zRaw-Ucn6P07Wl11ccKkLO_M_a-lQ78/w640-h408/IMG_7921.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back endpapers</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The back endpapers show a neat, machine-sewn piece of patchwork, combining richer, shinier cloths. And the poem is printed in full, for readers to see its magical turn around. Return to the beginning of the picturebook, look at the difference between the two endpapers and talk about what they signify. No right answers, anything goes!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> This is a picturebook to use with older learners, late primary and secondary. They can pour over the illustrations and discuss their interpretations, as well as their feelings related to the clear message.
A realistic follow up activity is for the students to record a reading of the poem, or maybe even a cross-curricular project with the art teacher, where they look at colour, shape and design to represent the two very different readings.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">My work on this blog is </span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: right;"><span style="background: white; text-align: center;">part of CETAPS' project </span><span style="background: white; text-align: center;">UIDB/04097/2020, funded by FCT</span></span></div>Sandie Mourãohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05937320913931497159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874408807553636390.post-64968419473856056422020-12-13T21:31:00.000+00:002020-12-13T21:31:04.543+00:00Be a Friend: celebrating individuality and friendship<div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR1IxfdJD_oTeJdNMPsFNeha6DZkmp5z6fJnNDeoYd5JBB_C1KVmaEF7w6c9-iBHUckQ1u_eNdIW6YERstLFLDnxnjDGI2W6xovpgADn2mE1EL5QAJj-YgeKtvoASD-cXfr7GyRuzU4e8/s2048/IMG_7275.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1584" data-original-width="2048" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR1IxfdJD_oTeJdNMPsFNeha6DZkmp5z6fJnNDeoYd5JBB_C1KVmaEF7w6c9-iBHUckQ1u_eNdIW6YERstLFLDnxnjDGI2W6xovpgADn2mE1EL5QAJj-YgeKtvoASD-cXfr7GyRuzU4e8/w400-h310/IMG_7275.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The picturebook I am writing about this week is called <i><a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/be-a-friend-9781619639515/" target="_blank">Be a Friend</a></i> by <a href="http://www.salinayoon.com/HOME.html" target="_blank">Salina Yoon </a>(Bloomsbury, 2016). It’s a story about Dennis who doesn’t communicate with the world through speech, but instead uses mime. The blurb on the back of the book says, “Dennis has his own way of expressing himself. It takes imagination to understand him, but not everyone wants to bother, which makes Dennis a bit sad. But then he meets Joy. When she looks at Dennis she sees a friend.” </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Salina Yoon arrived in the US from Korea at the age of 4. She couldn’t speak English and remained silent and introvert in school until finally she met another child who spoke Korean and English… Yoon explains how important it was for her to have a friend she could communicate with and this is a very clear message in the picturebook. If you look closely at the front cover you will see a sub-title, “Everyone needs someone”. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Be a Friend celebrates difference and individuality. But it’s not just a story about Dennis, it’s also about Joy who is the one that reaches out and embraces Dennis’ uniqueness.
As you can see on the front cover, the two main characters are presented together, Dennis and Joy. Dennis has a white painted face and is wearing a black top hat and a striped shirt. As adult readers, we will immediately recognize the intertextual references to the famous French mime artist, Marcel Marceau. The dashed outline of a flower introduces the visual representation of Dennis’ mimes and this continues as a visual theme through the picturebook. Questions to ask here would include predications around the characters relationship and what the picturebook might be about. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4qZyZwIHwaRGJhj2O5xG41CkIF_IsD1WxAyGC32OMTxiJUMcbvZ5gfDg4eISA2Aht9sRJIeHlOhZLYgD5NeZfaRMS5BRNFkTX28-ZGPysGrDLigvZTD8YmUvS-29oaX-vdWDshWX-R84/s2778/IMG_7277.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1132" data-original-width="2778" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4qZyZwIHwaRGJhj2O5xG41CkIF_IsD1WxAyGC32OMTxiJUMcbvZ5gfDg4eISA2Aht9sRJIeHlOhZLYgD5NeZfaRMS5BRNFkTX28-ZGPysGrDLigvZTD8YmUvS-29oaX-vdWDshWX-R84/w640-h260/IMG_7277.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front and back endpapers</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> My copy is a paperback version, but the front and back endpapers are there. They are the same, images of Dennis miming different objects and activities, the dashed red line helping us to decipher the mimes. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUoxyTDApWEHXMQyl4h_y61CUXOh6aHWgxQtvxQVnmXyydgPn2OVgbjU5pL6_koNnP3YUAilI3qwi7NGZAdUxZaoCskO92C3AjZzqSsvfARNVk9Rk8u_rOSfCTNVf7SqrXslvIkTKWyl8/s2752/IMG_7278.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="2752" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUoxyTDApWEHXMQyl4h_y61CUXOh6aHWgxQtvxQVnmXyydgPn2OVgbjU5pL6_koNnP3YUAilI3qwi7NGZAdUxZaoCskO92C3AjZzqSsvfARNVk9Rk8u_rOSfCTNVf7SqrXslvIkTKWyl8/w640-h266/IMG_7278.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copyright and title page</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The title page repeats one of the endpaper images, with Dennis miming a square. The dedication is simple “For Ben and Sammi”, there’s not a lot we can do here but make wild guesses about who Ben and Sammi are! But there is a nice cameo image of a heart badge, the same one Dennis wears on his own chest. Children will notice this and it’s also something that they can make for each other once they’ve experienced the picturebook. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTMyLF-Q5eGjZKr1l1hQYIwPOiWhYIWSx4e17PYOKYrZk6SOUP74K7MkaskNKfQQ0W6DzjkZ77NCn5A1opxUPA9M_kBquCYxxmmR8t27VsayjmLHDaGExYvYvTVfzSll8HWclgp5OGQs/s2778/IMG_7280.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1132" data-original-width="2778" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTMyLF-Q5eGjZKr1l1hQYIwPOiWhYIWSx4e17PYOKYrZk6SOUP74K7MkaskNKfQQ0W6DzjkZ77NCn5A1opxUPA9M_kBquCYxxmmR8t27VsayjmLHDaGExYvYvTVfzSll8HWclgp5OGQs/w640-h260/IMG_7280.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 2</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The first opening tells us that “Dennis was an ordinary boy …” we don’t see Dennis in this opening, or the second, instead the images are of a closed and opened wardrobe. The open wardrobe on opening 2 gives us a clue about how Dennis is “EXTRAORDINARY” - the Marcel Marceau shirts, gloves, shoes and hat, as well as the Eiffel Tower poster. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">It’s unlikely that children will know who Marcel Marceau was, but this will not spoil the experience for them and it is an excellent post-read-aloud activity to find out who Marcel Marceau was. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6JZUwoaEfSkesI9b4x_IB6gI4SWUefWZMX9shszb6nwmRjKl0OyueTIUPnfVKusp7EpxBThUqyjyzCZV0jNfB4Qjhr5KDclYttWlQNy2eOLJN8xi2RQDnU5GHqFI6MiQTxKK7F_gRw9U/s2746/IMG_7281.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1145" data-original-width="2746" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6JZUwoaEfSkesI9b4x_IB6gI4SWUefWZMX9shszb6nwmRjKl0OyueTIUPnfVKusp7EpxBThUqyjyzCZV0jNfB4Qjhr5KDclYttWlQNy2eOLJN8xi2RQDnU5GHqFI6MiQTxKK7F_gRw9U/w640-h266/IMG_7281.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 3</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> What I like about this sequence, is that we are only officially presented to Dennis on Opening 3 and he’s under the spotlight suggesting he’s a performer. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> On each opening the verbal text has one word which is in bold and upper case. These are key words and something to look out for all through the picturebook. So far, we’ve had DENNIS, EXTRAORDINARY, and MIME BOY. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">As miming actions and objects is quite typical in ELT contexts, children should know what mime is, but if not take time to explain this. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXmkOE_YEJRw6CXL0AwLAeYnUYdvU-Xcyt6lnyd57Iw_4VTkDH38ylikDt4BGx_CdMUFyBs3IIF52gEy02mJlcvbEDxH5mz9Ghm5WegqFj-Yg34-jptfZCbdO3p9WrOyHsapZb81YuDJA/s2745/IMG_7282.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1146" data-original-width="2745" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXmkOE_YEJRw6CXL0AwLAeYnUYdvU-Xcyt6lnyd57Iw_4VTkDH38ylikDt4BGx_CdMUFyBs3IIF52gEy02mJlcvbEDxH5mz9Ghm5WegqFj-Yg34-jptfZCbdO3p9WrOyHsapZb81YuDJA/w640-h268/IMG_7282.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 4</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> On Opening 4 Dennis is on the verso page, looking out at us and we are told “Dennis didn’t speak a word. He would only ACT - in scenes.” And the scenes are shown in a wordless double spread … the same images we have seen on the endpapers. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Other children show and tell, but Dennis mimes. Other children climb trees, “Dennis was happy to BE a tree.” And this was the problem, it was lonely being a tree when children didn’t play with him. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFmRBUqb6YFc-WYA_tUJAylV61YVm5Yzm3lde5G_kKIotkfyaupJd8AYIfOs3Xfbq7nne6ZoQ2Bzl-rk9DXt-C0fgjqm5rkadIvPP28GuDCvBGqQYz6ZjSW0x2plazEgYew4qi9IUn7E/s2793/IMG_7287.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="2793" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFmRBUqb6YFc-WYA_tUJAylV61YVm5Yzm3lde5G_kKIotkfyaupJd8AYIfOs3Xfbq7nne6ZoQ2Bzl-rk9DXt-C0fgjqm5rkadIvPP28GuDCvBGqQYz6ZjSW0x2plazEgYew4qi9IUn7E/w640-h258/IMG_7287.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 9</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Opening 9 describes the problem: Dennis is now inside the square he created on the title page. “Dennis felt INVISIBLE.” In the facing page we can see Joy, but that invisible wall is in the way. Until the day that Dennis kicked an imaginary ball and Joy caught it. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOuaxHM18zcOLdMOIC1Zy0IcuUBwkFTH8ohSba54Lcb_L9BFOM0qsmvdJfxeQzPt6zjWQGrCBJF2HvRZxyCwBgjf8i0iE_MxdfF8uB9pUxG2AfphMEANjoiT9uFJRblgZGocE7c5lYJbE/s2782/IMG_7290.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1131" data-original-width="2782" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOuaxHM18zcOLdMOIC1Zy0IcuUBwkFTH8ohSba54Lcb_L9BFOM0qsmvdJfxeQzPt6zjWQGrCBJF2HvRZxyCwBgjf8i0iE_MxdfF8uB9pUxG2AfphMEANjoiT9uFJRblgZGocE7c5lYJbE/w640-h260/IMG_7290.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 12</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The wall has disappeared, and Dennis and Joy are shown facing each other, responding to each other and the words tell us “It was more like a mirror.” </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLQwiaajRvNX6dEwpyOJ8BLDEQlUs9zk-iWEr6x6zen-UYHi9K4ZII7bb7yGW8_CIIkOIXPGJenTzizMbEjJh0tUEIwDWdR0wVQWUGq1mJ9WkGig8r3UKUby0HVgVNAgEZRXfUFsrOilI/s2791/IMG_7292.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1127" data-original-width="2791" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLQwiaajRvNX6dEwpyOJ8BLDEQlUs9zk-iWEr6x6zen-UYHi9K4ZII7bb7yGW8_CIIkOIXPGJenTzizMbEjJh0tUEIwDWdR0wVQWUGq1mJ9WkGig8r3UKUby0HVgVNAgEZRXfUFsrOilI/w640-h258/IMG_7292.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 14</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">A mirror implies sameness, and indeed Dennis and Joy saw the world in the SAME way… they “didn’t speak a WORD because FRIENDS don’t have to.” </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUWtfZSTLodVSnH3wGtChEMo0pS4CeFIsXI5j837H4SHzOiS-pFw1GpcYGQb7eJ4-V161LuOlUoBbRUvu75xcaX2CxgtMFpb0mhGQgG3CK0TxFif15VTy-crqrG2tsNdY7frNY3JwUP98/s2761/IMG_7294.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1139" data-original-width="2761" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUWtfZSTLodVSnH3wGtChEMo0pS4CeFIsXI5j837H4SHzOiS-pFw1GpcYGQb7eJ4-V161LuOlUoBbRUvu75xcaX2CxgtMFpb0mhGQgG3CK0TxFif15VTy-crqrG2tsNdY7frNY3JwUP98/w640-h264/IMG_7294.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 16</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> They used JAZZ HANDS to clap… and the final opening shows other children joining in the mime game, because now everyone was able to "SEE" what Dennis was doing. As readers we have always seen what Dennis was doing, because of the dotted red line. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> I’ve already suggested that children can research Marcel Marceau and discover who he was, where he was born and what he did. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XEsfpRrfXf4" width="320" youtube-src-id="XEsfpRrfXf4"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A magical film could be shared which shows Marcel Marceau doing a medley of mimes. This will prompt imitation and some exciting mime activities. Have children copy either copy the mime artist or some of Dennis’ mimes. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">However, don’t stop there. Joy, as a character, is key to the resolution of this story. She responded to Dennis in a way he understood and in doing so respected the way he communicates. Talk to the children about this, asking questions like: 'Who is the main character in this story?' 'Why?' Help them consider both Dennis and Joy as the main characters and the relevance of Joy's inclusive actions.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Discuss the importance of respecting how we are all different and accepting these differences.
You could ask older primary children to think about how they think they are different from others, and either draw a picture or write a short description with this information. It would make a good display entitled 'We are all different but we are friends'.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>My work on this blog is </span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: right;"><span style="background: white; text-align: center;">part of CETAPS' project </span><span style="background: white; text-align: center;">UIDB/04097/2020, funded by FCT</span></span></div>Sandie Mourãohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05937320913931497159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874408807553636390.post-87393757894472851842020-11-24T21:29:00.002+00:002020-11-24T21:29:33.470+00:00Leaf: a beautiful picturebook about displacement, xenophobia and climate change <div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFWo6OUDSIsv6UbKsxTmouW5Ut9rsHY5mag1t3-bw_fSUKc14aVlMmUXOpw2P2CrQ9kf9lzhYvXAuU2ragxUkhQsAeWoyWrDXv-hxA150_sVe2b-__rOwjpFY2c-XUCfgSkPsmSAaNJ4A/s1659/DSC_001.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1430" data-original-width="1659" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFWo6OUDSIsv6UbKsxTmouW5Ut9rsHY5mag1t3-bw_fSUKc14aVlMmUXOpw2P2CrQ9kf9lzhYvXAuU2ragxUkhQsAeWoyWrDXv-hxA150_sVe2b-__rOwjpFY2c-XUCfgSkPsmSAaNJ4A/w400-h345/DSC_001.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front cover<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">My blogpost this week features a truly beautiful picturebook, <i><a href="https://flyingeyebooks.com/shop/leaf/" target="_blank">Leaf</a></i> by <a href="http://www.sandradieckmann.com/" target="_blank">Sandra Dieckmann</a> published by <a href="https://flyingeyebooks.com/" target="_blank">Flying Eye Books</a> (2017). <i>Leaf </i>was Sandra’s debut picturebook and touches on three important themes: displacement, fear of the unknown other and climate change. What makes this picturebook so special is the way Dieckmann brings these challenging topics within our reach through her incredibly intricate illustrations and delightful sense of pattern and design. It’s one of those gasp-out-loud-books - I’ve looked at it many times, every time I come back to it, I see something I’d not noticed before and gasp again. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The front cover is glossy, and some of the illustration around the bear’s head as well as the hand lettered title is embossed. The light catches on these parts of the cover and makes it twinkle and shine, bringing a magical feel to the book. The front cover presents the protagonist, a white bear in surroundings which we might consider fantastical… a white bear must be a polar bear, so what’s it doing surrounded by leaves? And what does the title mean? These are questions you can use to prompt predication and discussion about what the picturebook might be about. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The back cover is stark in comparison with a cameo illustration of a crow holding some flowers. The blurb reads: “When a polar bear washes up on the edge of the wild wood, the other animals fear and avoid him. Then one day they watch as he attempts something incredible.” This will confirm some of the children’s predictions and prompt others … so it is a polar near and he’s not in the arctic, I wonder why? And what did he try to do that was so incredible?
It’s not by accident that the crow is on the back cover, as crows play a really important role in this story. Accident? Nothing an illustrator includes in any part of their picturebook is on accident! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-xUqHNc-YsVvl1h8gdapXE2DCMiVALV_v4Mu1G0J2uCt5XXTwzp28mGW6gQiI2uDhs_y1eH2UBVKhdvEdAjshPDK5WX2tdhnGkzgkBCLEPsjSl3D4P_Jir72mAxojPi1KdNMUNCpldTw/s2604/DSC_002.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1207" data-original-width="2604" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-xUqHNc-YsVvl1h8gdapXE2DCMiVALV_v4Mu1G0J2uCt5XXTwzp28mGW6gQiI2uDhs_y1eH2UBVKhdvEdAjshPDK5WX2tdhnGkzgkBCLEPsjSl3D4P_Jir72mAxojPi1KdNMUNCpldTw/w640-h296/DSC_002.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front endpapers<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The front endpapers are a warm orange, and the crow is there again … seen from different positions and angles – not one crow is the same. Orange connects the book’s spine and the title on the following page, which are also orange. After sharing the picturebook with children you might want to ask them why Dieckmann chose to draw crows here. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZsM5m1YkrGNguD3UxrwfMz1ldz4E6jK8hepy9aHhqud9SFJwZOPb3a0RAKe3Au9Ie2OSs5PFpfob_CqcxTocDDQVTh0RQfurQYXIDuyqrhOfRg2YCp-ijztjwY2LwB52kQJxCVRd3fg/s2613/DSC_003.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="2613" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZsM5m1YkrGNguD3UxrwfMz1ldz4E6jK8hepy9aHhqud9SFJwZOPb3a0RAKe3Au9Ie2OSs5PFpfob_CqcxTocDDQVTh0RQfurQYXIDuyqrhOfRg2YCp-ijztjwY2LwB52kQJxCVRd3fg/w640-h294/DSC_003.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copyright and title page<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The title page is simple, a bi-pinnate leaf under the orange, hand-lettered title. It gives little away. The copywrite page has a dedication, "For Doris, who couldn’t stay. I still see your green eyes in all the leaves." Curious, and worth sharing. What does this have to do with the narrative? The children you share this picturebook with will want to return to this dedication and share their ideas about it. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The illustrations are created using an array of mixed media. <a href="https://theaoi.com/wia/sandra-dieckmann/" target="_blank">Dieckmann </a>explains that she uses “pencil, pen, watercolour and gouache as well as ink. After I paint and draw all my elements the spreads were composed in Photoshop and cleaned up there. I really enjoy working in this collage way as it allows my maximum freedom and it's easy to make changes to colour and composition any time”. The double spreads are beautiful and those that feature the sea always fill the pages till the very edges… </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPkJHlebVTZdU-TjrqRcEbhm_d3vgvlLz3AHWL2sgACiBWYP3SQvtYG3FW42Q-L9GjcLJysLrJwYzgZBPwDYnZKknZNjqkVNjAoNCqGEr5jkAvzA0hryP2zWu3uZKSLZRtLoD_PhRmg7I/s2621/DSC_004.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="2621" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPkJHlebVTZdU-TjrqRcEbhm_d3vgvlLz3AHWL2sgACiBWYP3SQvtYG3FW42Q-L9GjcLJysLrJwYzgZBPwDYnZKknZNjqkVNjAoNCqGEr5jkAvzA0hryP2zWu3uZKSLZRtLoD_PhRmg7I/w640-h294/DSC_004.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 1<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 1 is such a spread. The sea reaches the edges of the page, engulfing us, drawing us into the picturebook. Far away we can see the bear, lookng mournful and dejected. The crow is large and in the foreground - visual theory tells us that the left page, the verso, is the protagonist’s page - the crow is an important character in this picturebook. “The crow saw it first. The strange white creature carried upon the dark waves towards the shore.” </span><span style="font-family: arial;">And so ‘the creature’, as he is initially called, installs himself in a cave where no one had lived for a very long time, and no one dared to visit.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYlLCSgEGzVmLetDIeAeKiVcJMz9pSCiiwsX2S1M0nq1IdN-G8XCmwgz3sTs7XyNpH1jpks2iNO_memnAXEZ5mqwTlogNIgr5JLhia0zsUpma81kiKe2AR_CwqB_iexaef-oYDnYUaRmw/s2592/DSC_006.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1213" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYlLCSgEGzVmLetDIeAeKiVcJMz9pSCiiwsX2S1M0nq1IdN-G8XCmwgz3sTs7XyNpH1jpks2iNO_memnAXEZ5mqwTlogNIgr5JLhia0zsUpma81kiKe2AR_CwqB_iexaef-oYDnYUaRmw/w640-h300/DSC_006.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 3<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Dieckmann plays with perspective in many of her illustrations, in opening 3, where we are told and shown what the creature’s odd habit is, we see the bear close up, his eye is looking out at us as he gathers leaves and flowers. The forest animals are fleeing in the background afraid of his strangeness. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMynmuFGWgyuBpmcQMdEmVF6PcfXT8ALnepcJHeADQ1YPwlzNd1fhs6H7N8cx8DoqrpWJdKQcTub9YU7pZ0EpYBTOdfKrhJyMcXC_7z76B3_kYw-fC50Z4qENmAVFw7Ii6BS0lNYXdmCo/s2585/DSC_007.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1216" data-original-width="2585" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMynmuFGWgyuBpmcQMdEmVF6PcfXT8ALnepcJHeADQ1YPwlzNd1fhs6H7N8cx8DoqrpWJdKQcTub9YU7pZ0EpYBTOdfKrhJyMcXC_7z76B3_kYw-fC50Z4qENmAVFw7Ii6BS0lNYXdmCo/w640-h302/DSC_007.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Opening 4</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Later, the words tell us why the forest animals call him Leaf, after his odd habit, “… but also because they wanted him to leave.” We see the creatures talking to each other, mutterings like “A ghost”, “Needs to go”, “HUGE” emanate in hand-lettered comments. “… but no one was brave enough to talk to him.” Fear of the other and the unknown is common, and this is an excellent place to pause and the ask the children what they would do. Should they ask the bear what he is doing? Ask if he needs help? Why are the animals afraid of the bear? Have they noticed the crows? What are they saying? “Hmmm…”. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8riivJ-JX009iRqpXG2mKhjPPQStjlD3291za2kILXoO6Wrx39N9qAdBq2vjbCDCdCP7qaf0zW1MXNooqoWK7QnaOATA1-8KVIczo8UNVKnCAtlFTzAL4gaTRSnThbVhGVt3hlzs6KkE/s2623/DSC_009.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1198" data-original-width="2623" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8riivJ-JX009iRqpXG2mKhjPPQStjlD3291za2kILXoO6Wrx39N9qAdBq2vjbCDCdCP7qaf0zW1MXNooqoWK7QnaOATA1-8KVIczo8UNVKnCAtlFTzAL4gaTRSnThbVhGVt3hlzs6KkE/w640-h292/DSC_009.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 6<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> As we turn the pages we see Leaf running from his cave “covered in hundreds of leaves”. He roars and tries to fly … unsuccessfully. In Opening 5, the recto page is one whole illustration showing us a close up of leaf, despondent as he lies alone in his cave. But is he alone? The crows are looking over him and light emanates from behind the cave too… that at least brings feeling of hope. Could this be be the turning of the story? </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNhzmStu-iKf5uySryjFpGH8n0IcjlvHF7dA3LMGhpBE9LYZc76Gy3ZVnf30dr4gX8PHOvhO7zoPwSNC_NHRvfftgruj2S1f_Lq6toT8Fys2YV0PLS_5QCo1V27NX_iPY8XdBhmZ7nlGM/s2630/DSC_0010.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1195" data-original-width="2630" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNhzmStu-iKf5uySryjFpGH8n0IcjlvHF7dA3LMGhpBE9LYZc76Gy3ZVnf30dr4gX8PHOvhO7zoPwSNC_NHRvfftgruj2S1f_Lq6toT8Fys2YV0PLS_5QCo1V27NX_iPY8XdBhmZ7nlGM/w640-h290/DSC_0010.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 7<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Opening 7 is a meeting between the forest animals, but it is divided by the gutter. The crows on the verso, feel sorry for the bear and their comments include “He is lost!”, “Let’s help!”, “I think he’s beautiful”. The forest animals, on the recto page, aren’t convinced … “He is dangerous!”, Have you seen his teeth?”, “Destructive”… The animals could not agree on what to do. So they do nothing. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcDye84vmuIQ0w7lUpbu30g25BYH4Knt9_zZ5gFL_i2_YBXqKzxmGsn6jBncfHxs-ShhM6_qu-nyiNuspVenk3kof51UAq1WeZUh1_D_G83nVRk0ZuG2xYM1CEaS4naHzhc5yHM-yMMe8/s2614/DSC_0012.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="2614" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcDye84vmuIQ0w7lUpbu30g25BYH4Knt9_zZ5gFL_i2_YBXqKzxmGsn6jBncfHxs-ShhM6_qu-nyiNuspVenk3kof51UAq1WeZUh1_D_G83nVRk0ZuG2xYM1CEaS4naHzhc5yHM-yMMe8/w640-h294/DSC_0012.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 9<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> After some days the bear tried again … covered in leaves, he ran “… through the wild wood to the edge of the great cliff. He jumped off and flew.”
And the only words we read are the calls from the crows, “Wait!”, as the bear splashes into the sea, his paw held up for help. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1s3U2PPTR3YHlcVJtpOzWjIFxYRMcC7qArza_tbD3Rq7wy5AbTBOEtFN1yKDanUPqdBW_DkdB5i67t9lrMxOZiTFFpNZB8ofgDktBoaYrNwLY5Mhr8sEp54XPV9cE1phZ-Pb0y_AXzb4/s2604/DSC_0014.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1208" data-original-width="2604" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1s3U2PPTR3YHlcVJtpOzWjIFxYRMcC7qArza_tbD3Rq7wy5AbTBOEtFN1yKDanUPqdBW_DkdB5i67t9lrMxOZiTFFpNZB8ofgDktBoaYrNwLY5Mhr8sEp54XPV9cE1phZ-Pb0y_AXzb4/w640-h296/DSC_0014.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 11<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It is “the clever crows” who decide “… it was time to talk to the very sad and lonely Leaf. They let him speak and at last they all listened”. Leaf tells them that he is a lost polar bear trying to get back to his family.
Opening 11 shows the bear lying down, his tummy up, as the animals, young and old, listen carefully to his story. The wolf howls his empathetic response in the background. They all realise “How silly they had been for not talking to him sooner!”. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9OTIvxt1PvX9oRCBq_442Gm58ccyQRL3hfg-i1EDnPcxYhsnVOKEkRrGdl2lcDae1MkiKcA649v5esPo5P33CMnUE5ywpOWobiXPtFIMQ6Xl208VIZulC4IFkBZ52B72fH7rYX9nN5X8/s2620/DSC_0015.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="2620" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9OTIvxt1PvX9oRCBq_442Gm58ccyQRL3hfg-i1EDnPcxYhsnVOKEkRrGdl2lcDae1MkiKcA649v5esPo5P33CMnUE5ywpOWobiXPtFIMQ6Xl208VIZulC4IFkBZ52B72fH7rYX9nN5X8/w640-h294/DSC_0015.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 12<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And of course, it is the crows who will help Leaf get home…
They carry him across the sea … Leaf is smiling, with his eyes closed as he lies back, and enjoys the journey. The forest animals have “promised to tell leaf’s story to everyone who would listen, so no polar bear would ever get lost again.” All ends well.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiboG2YJT8O9IO0gozyfkLtTo8gv7ANeCoLIMm6n_2AEQtg_VexOc4ARDG7-_hGgY-QohjTzqYoFSjGz4YpbEHmQkgBHY5vP8anZsQFwHyt_2MJyxJN8eXiQukahhF3GMBOQMXw2eYk7jU/s2633/DSC_0016.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1194" data-original-width="2633" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiboG2YJT8O9IO0gozyfkLtTo8gv7ANeCoLIMm6n_2AEQtg_VexOc4ARDG7-_hGgY-QohjTzqYoFSjGz4YpbEHmQkgBHY5vP8anZsQFwHyt_2MJyxJN8eXiQukahhF3GMBOQMXw2eYk7jU/w640-h290/DSC_0016.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back endpapers<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The back endpapers replicate those at the front, orange with crows, but there is a cameo illustration of Leaf reunited with his family … wearing flowers on his head and smiling happily. His posture and mouth show us he is happy to be back home – quite a different polar bear to the one we saw in opening 1. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Children may notice that the number of crows increases on each page. In fact, on each spread there is always one more crow, and this is an excellent reason to re-read the picturebook and look for, and count, the crows. They play such an important role in the story and something you might also like to do is consider with the children why crows were chosen as the saviours, the creatures that stood by the polar bear and managed to persuade the other woodland animals to accept Leaf. Crows are extremely intelligent birds and are known for their problem-solving skills, they are also commonly included in myths and fables … could this be why Dieckmann included crows in her story? </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> I began this blog post by saying this was a beautiful picturebook about displacement, fear of the unknown other and climate change. Its beauty makes it quite easy to ask questions at key moments in the story, to pause and look closely and to help children talk about their ideas and to go deeper. How would they feel if they were separated from their families? How do they think that Leaf was separated, and why? And then lastly, to try to understand the mistrust and fear of the forest animals towards the Leaf... what will they think about that? Have they ever been afraid of a stranger? </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Do leave the picturebook in the children's classroom if you can, so they can look closely, count the crows and examine the intricate, detailed illustrations. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">My work on this blog is </span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: right;"><span style="background: white; text-align: center;">part of CETAPS' project </span><span style="background: white; text-align: center;">UIDB/04097/2020, funded by FCT</span></span></span></div></div></blockquote>Sandie Mourãohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05937320913931497159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874408807553636390.post-32729521786686692362020-11-08T21:45:00.003+00:002020-11-08T21:45:52.932+00:00Reposting Rabbityness: a picturebook about death and happy memories<p><span style="font-family: arial;">I am reposting a blog post about a picturebook I've always loved, but which has not had a lot of visits ... I'm wondering, is it because it's a book about death and loss? Take another look!</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYNi4E8DtXFb7eo7IOi65lQKnpoxkToe1SLTv1PoXTqeC0Gg5NMa4BU4qv97-h8ITTzZqa96HL5w1cz1W7DdKxME7Z-PX754KczPLBHBCiXoBBBu8fINDa1aMCdJCnd4jg9gtf5g4YbXd/s1600/DSC_0146.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYNi4E8DtXFb7eo7IOi65lQKnpoxkToe1SLTv1PoXTqeC0Gg5NMa4BU4qv97-h8ITTzZqa96HL5w1cz1W7DdKxME7Z-PX754KczPLBHBCiXoBBBu8fINDa1aMCdJCnd4jg9gtf5g4YbXd/s320/DSC_0146.JPG" width="312" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Front cover</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span">With a cover like this, a picturebook can't fail ... <a href="http://www.childs-play.com/bookshop/9781846434822.html" target="_blank"><i>Rabbityness</i> </a>was <a href="https://belllomaxmoreton.co.uk/picture-books/jo-empson" target="_blank">Jo Empson'</a>s debut picture, she was fresh out of the Cambridge University MA for children's literature when it was published by Child's Play in 2012. It was nominated </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">for multiple awards including the Kate Greenaway Award.<span style="color: #4b5055;"> I</span></span><span>t is a beautiful picturebook that touches on the difficult subject of death and the loss of something precious.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">The front cover shows Rabbit, our character, very happy and surrounded by paint splodges giving the reader a clue to the special talents our rabbit hero brings to the rabbit community.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggO2hVDMx7A8LTEEMHE-CPsvWkAhw1CWeSp68b60WJqCAmsMWvICbeAc7hIsafpgg2IFNFdT4_TycAVUsfXCi0FrKDMEiQl7x7Dzp56TOl4ktB0FSzYCm6NSMliQHeJOefAAqqPUG4qsQG/s1600/DSC_0148.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggO2hVDMx7A8LTEEMHE-CPsvWkAhw1CWeSp68b60WJqCAmsMWvICbeAc7hIsafpgg2IFNFdT4_TycAVUsfXCi0FrKDMEiQl7x7Dzp56TOl4ktB0FSzYCm6NSMliQHeJOefAAqqPUG4qsQG/w640-h323/DSC_0148.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Front endpapers</span><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br />The endpapers are delightful, Rabbit in various positions, black shadows against an olive green, showing us all the different activities rabbit enjoys doing... </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSOAtb5xo1SMroTnWvMg2z4ykEKws2r-6l12UR-7xFTYmCRmVt2g4Q8GkTgdQzXzjOjlX1b02hDkVq5-UKEGuHM8b53zKETxCNC4vbjkZ3RRUx-x1-8nPuI8gE6eKAp9dbsi4s9NXeKW5b/s1600/DSC_0151.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSOAtb5xo1SMroTnWvMg2z4ykEKws2r-6l12UR-7xFTYmCRmVt2g4Q8GkTgdQzXzjOjlX1b02hDkVq5-UKEGuHM8b53zKETxCNC4vbjkZ3RRUx-x1-8nPuI8gE6eKAp9dbsi4s9NXeKW5b/w400-h325/DSC_0151.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Close up of title page</span><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br />The title page, opposite the copyright page with a dedication to "... my big brother who liked doing unrabbity things too", shows three rabbits looking in wonder at the title, if we return to this page after sharing the picturebook, we might understand a little better why they are wondering at the word "Rabbityness". </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDIeCsFyx8AUkRTzCw30Gf_2bts7_7RAcs_C8VB-J0xIhj8bBP2tc2wCsWwwv2Ipea3KLGVuXwa-LRCbtLhHArem9tiYKC36yksvO67OScHTa9uzMIgJhGEojRjLVfjlNvsPvPOh1Z7atq/s1600/DSC_0152.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDIeCsFyx8AUkRTzCw30Gf_2bts7_7RAcs_C8VB-J0xIhj8bBP2tc2wCsWwwv2Ipea3KLGVuXwa-LRCbtLhHArem9tiYKC36yksvO67OScHTa9uzMIgJhGEojRjLVfjlNvsPvPOh1Z7atq/w640-h325/DSC_0152.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Opening 1</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br />The picturebook continues with openings showing Rabbit doing rabbity things, all in Empson's singular watercolour of black and green. The illustrations are placed against a white background, using the grass to anchor the black rabbit figures to a non-existent ground. This reduced, minimal setting, helps us focus upon the character showing us Rabbit's rabbityness. In Opening 1 he is hopping and jumping ... </span><span style="font-family: arial;">On subsequent spreads he is twirling his whiskers, washing his ears, burrowing and sleeping. The verbal text follows rabbit, undulating behind him, over him, through him and under him: it's quite lovely. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUW8Xo6iLYuheZAQ_6-RjEjqnLk-d68apu_ScaTbnDkHp36tlCyhyphenhyphenJ1DjkoYNIkmANF34Oy7OaAv5Uia-TclD53qrOCYGnC6GXOV8zbo4mO5WUUZACpZRFFFyYRUB0R5WQvYOivMGSzpFB/s1600/DSC_0154.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUW8Xo6iLYuheZAQ_6-RjEjqnLk-d68apu_ScaTbnDkHp36tlCyhyphenhyphenJ1DjkoYNIkmANF34Oy7OaAv5Uia-TclD53qrOCYGnC6GXOV8zbo4mO5WUUZACpZRFFFyYRUB0R5WQvYOivMGSzpFB/w640-h314/DSC_0154.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Opening 3</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Notice here on Opening 3 how the font actually slopes downwards in the verso, as "Rabbit likes burrowing". As Rabbit slows down and we are shown him sleeping the verbal text tells us, "Rabbit also liked doing unrabbity things." Upon the page turn we are shown what he likes doing...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVuDfJANRnDHi7Yj2UrOLKJakodafoo-83pUKYXaYI1VU9sbid57VrNe5X73_pO_viS9KSIAbHFJyFWKDL7EuEp5Acw_Do3Cp-5P4j8GULnTKKV82rzJM7hedR5rd_LkXzS-ZMT4nz7Jap/s1600/DSC_0155.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVuDfJANRnDHi7Yj2UrOLKJakodafoo-83pUKYXaYI1VU9sbid57VrNe5X73_pO_viS9KSIAbHFJyFWKDL7EuEp5Acw_Do3Cp-5P4j8GULnTKKV82rzJM7hedR5rd_LkXzS-ZMT4nz7Jap/w640-h331/DSC_0155.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Opening 4</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Wow! A page covered in splashes of colour and you almost miss the verbal text, which could be redundant anyway, "He liked painting..." Rabbit is holding a paintbrush skillfully between his ears and front paws, leaving splodges and splashes in his wake ... lovely! But this colourful life Rabbit leads doesn't stop here...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcLRut2gMkc7jgwxplCiz-Pnh2x14klcN8XI_9bHTqOSBWEzoj0hWopMlUTUa-KHkCAnzptoFDe5DPhGriwj1ey4UdNo3dLD8R9Gq3X1x2HXwrEHIgOz9-fbVMnp0xW_r7k3y0xmqV7rWt/s1600/DSC_0156.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcLRut2gMkc7jgwxplCiz-Pnh2x14klcN8XI_9bHTqOSBWEzoj0hWopMlUTUa-KHkCAnzptoFDe5DPhGriwj1ey4UdNo3dLD8R9Gq3X1x2HXwrEHIgOz9-fbVMnp0xW_r7k3y0xmqV7rWt/w640-h315/DSC_0156.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Opening 5</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Musical notes hang in the air like bunting as Rabbit blows skillfully into a didgeridoo. All this makes Rabbit very happy, and we are shown a close-up of his smiling face, just like the one on the front cover. His happiness was catchy and he made all the other rabbits happy too as he "filled the woods with colour and music". We are seeing spreads full of colour, delicate, but happy colour, then we turn the page and ...</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizC9EI2U_JXV5E4VlRJkhN3S_P-NwrJLP9KvQeg01ygBn25wEpN8_LyseRht80e5pHFydYK0jL50OvjQg7y60UUl5S_uYXPvKynvbfWUukSgE57kdGi6LSDfy6lW_8g7loDrhbJhnn8yI/s1600/DSC_0158.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizC9EI2U_JXV5E4VlRJkhN3S_P-NwrJLP9KvQeg01ygBn25wEpN8_LyseRht80e5pHFydYK0jL50OvjQg7y60UUl5S_uYXPvKynvbfWUukSgE57kdGi6LSDfy6lW_8g7loDrhbJhnn8yI/w640-h341/DSC_0158.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Opening 7</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">We are told Rabbit disappeared and shown a bare spread, with grey leaves falling, a stark contrast to the earlier colourful spreads. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtyFtrMBxyC3v-pnbMKHFjq6VBUyqlJoCxb6b8WKToFqKY9lwDA1Yu9R_MZPg9tKdFW1vQWA5aP_QA7novSrg5afK4szl8Qo3fUg1JGxa04f2YyzW0OrClK96Uwm1NYIM_veSYoxkF8Q/s1600/DSC_0159.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtyFtrMBxyC3v-pnbMKHFjq6VBUyqlJoCxb6b8WKToFqKY9lwDA1Yu9R_MZPg9tKdFW1vQWA5aP_QA7novSrg5afK4szl8Qo3fUg1JGxa04f2YyzW0OrClK96Uwm1NYIM_veSYoxkF8Q/w640-h336/DSC_0159.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Opening 8</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The woods are grey and the other rabbits are sad - the spread oozes sadness. But then the rabbits discover "a DEEP dark hole", left by Rabbit. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOigJkCsvoR2Fj0-YKrN7zY9wCsAg5Iw0Q-jLJkVdrmOzojyqld-c0jyXD4YuajsFQRybvyF7Lt4jvMTbEF4CmgOBi3PCMpYwj0lv0yQX20wbGeO1FRxB8Sy1H9oXJVtXEgIjaxOmFCf0/s1600/DSC_0161.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOigJkCsvoR2Fj0-YKrN7zY9wCsAg5Iw0Q-jLJkVdrmOzojyqld-c0jyXD4YuajsFQRybvyF7Lt4jvMTbEF4CmgOBi3PCMpYwj0lv0yQX20wbGeO1FRxB8Sy1H9oXJVtXEgIjaxOmFCf0/w640-h320/DSC_0161.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Opening 10</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Down in the hole, (the words follow the hole downwards) the other rabbits discover that "Rabbit had left them some gifts" ... "things to make colours and music". We can see drums, didgeridoos, paint brushes, and bright bunting, and though it took time these "rabbits discovered they enjoyed doing unrabbity things too". This reminded them of Rabbit and made them happy ... </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEOf2RJlmHiqBmcszeEYGv6C7y37-6j4q5Ctnv2R0xuI6GJmR5_ukb_WlRwnwWtXmOTB43fH0ynBvr6_-PzsZtpyyY5Wzwy5U7x2m0MXh05sV9OwNnkP-KeX3k0pVeKw2AsbwZDCCwKbc/s1600/DSC_0164.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEOf2RJlmHiqBmcszeEYGv6C7y37-6j4q5Ctnv2R0xuI6GJmR5_ukb_WlRwnwWtXmOTB43fH0ynBvr6_-PzsZtpyyY5Wzwy5U7x2m0MXh05sV9OwNnkP-KeX3k0pVeKw2AsbwZDCCwKbc/w640-h328/DSC_0164.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Opening 13</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">... and they filled the woods with colour and music again. Rabbit has left these rabbits with a gift to discover their own creativeness. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Just look at them all enjoying themselves. </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">The final spread shows us Rabbit ... his back turned as though he's hopping away. He can leave now he knows his friends have successfully discovered their different talents. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJRN9ww1ygENU2bISUbVt2YAwQhMY6gvZ-g2LgOOtG17ndvg1U8pHLye3Gevy9Hpr4Vs7YFlGJMzV3j4qhk3ES529-Ekmk24V7Dr55an7w3ZN_g68y0CCyjdfPsDSpGYcFi2LrUVBtgBU/s1600/DSC_0165.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJRN9ww1ygENU2bISUbVt2YAwQhMY6gvZ-g2LgOOtG17ndvg1U8pHLye3Gevy9Hpr4Vs7YFlGJMzV3j4qhk3ES529-Ekmk24V7Dr55an7w3ZN_g68y0CCyjdfPsDSpGYcFi2LrUVBtgBU/w640-h330/DSC_0165.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Opening 14</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><i>Rabbityness</i> looks at individuality and creativity and, as it does so, the reader is shown how they can deal with the loss of something precious. It's a special picturebook, simple and beautiful and very suitable for younger learners. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">My work on this blog is </span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: right;"><span style="background: white; text-align: center;">part of CETAPS' project </span><span style="background: white; text-align: center;">UIDB/04097/2020, funded by FCT</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div></div>Sandie Mourãohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05937320913931497159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874408807553636390.post-29042260800195766242020-11-03T22:44:00.004+00:002020-11-03T22:57:43.130+00:00The president of the jungle: a picturebook for talking about politics with children<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicmVwrJ2QE5jL7JSKqBrVF3yCgo8VT8C-2G7MouPNgkR86yr9ZIIdM9Vv6h5YfjNVEg3PS5syWqCIP_k9bXEpK5uBbff1ycJXf_esQoyAXOa_IzIVzNo97vAI3oaQrjxnctPKZhYUK5Hg/s2048/IMG_6725.heic" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2042" data-original-width="2048" height="399" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicmVwrJ2QE5jL7JSKqBrVF3yCgo8VT8C-2G7MouPNgkR86yr9ZIIdM9Vv6h5YfjNVEg3PS5syWqCIP_k9bXEpK5uBbff1ycJXf_esQoyAXOa_IzIVzNo97vAI3oaQrjxnctPKZhYUK5Hg/w400-h399/IMG_6725.heic" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front cover<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">What is a democracy? What’s an election? What’s a candidate? What’s a campaign? Do your learners know? “Talking about politics is a way of connecting with the common place. To understand that you are part of something bigger, a society that has rules and formats that don't appear out of nowhere, on the contrary - they are defined by that society itself. Understanding this mechanism is a key to autonomy and critical thinking, values that we think are super important to work with children” (<a href="https://lunetas.com.br/a-eleicao-dos-bichos/" target="_blank">Peter Markun</a>, 2018, translated from Portuguese). </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJASo2xkdlQJjBEmtHD5oADyy774EUf38ed73PnxmsyjUdAcOkCkwT_1SjjBbUVWSh4CLpeko7-l71Spi3io5kRcc6TxJ2DsVhzLPHL0Mn4ikEshBOCj4BjMe9_TMoTGePhyphenhyphenbK4QJ0hfg/s694/Screenshot+2020-11-01+at+18.48.52.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="694" data-original-width="692" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJASo2xkdlQJjBEmtHD5oADyy774EUf38ed73PnxmsyjUdAcOkCkwT_1SjjBbUVWSh4CLpeko7-l71Spi3io5kRcc6TxJ2DsVhzLPHL0Mn4ikEshBOCj4BjMe9_TMoTGePhyphenhyphenbK4QJ0hfg/s320/Screenshot+2020-11-01+at+18.48.52.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front cover of Brazilian edition (2018) </td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> The picturebook I will share this week is called <i><a href=": https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/608935/the-president-of-the-jungle-by-andre-rodrigues-larissa-ribeiro-paula-desgualdo-and-pedro-markun/" target="_blank">The President of the Jungle</a></i>. It’s by an incredibly creative four-person team: André Rodrigues (graphic designer), <a href="https://larissaribeiro.com/work" target="_blank">Larissa Ribeiro</a> (illustrator), Paula Desgualdo (writer and editor) and Pedro Markun (hacker and political activist). It was published originally in Brazilian Portuguese, <i>Eleição dos Bichos</i> (Companhia das Letrinhas, 2018), and recently translated into English by Lyn Miller-Lachmann (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2020). It’s part of an exciting <a href="https://livroquemmandaaqui.wordpress.com/o-projeto/" target="_blank">project</a> which involved five workshops with children in São Paulo and Florianópolis, where they participated in an election amongst animals from the forest. Everything that happened during these workshops served as inspiration for a crowd-sourced picturebook in Portuguese which is also freely available as a <a href="https://livroquemmandaaqui.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/edb_web.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>. A postscript in the picturebook says “ … it’s an invitation for reflection and constructive dialogue between children and adults”. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> The front cover if the English translation shows a fairly rowdy group of jungle creatures holding banners with ‘Vote’ and moving noisily together into the book. If you look carefully you can see an owl and three of the main characters, a snake, a monkey and a sloth, who are strategically positioned leading the group. A lion, also key to the narrative, sits calmly in the background. None of this will be evident upon first reading, but return to this picturebook and reread it, and children will comment on the different animals and talk about this when seeing the front cover. If you want to go further you could show the Brazilian Portuguese version and compare the two covers! They are quite different! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcAZDaXoMLJ0IUSdOi4h05eLa6hAgRConocN0RZBBGXo71oA85hqayCql8onzYPa-VDOD4LaPxrePDXHFq9aPrIwBuYg-FFCW-JAPZKgTN3Yqv8NknQHKolYWAWiYrbLsjEY4DH7E_Oww/s2048/IMG_6726.heic" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1986" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcAZDaXoMLJ0IUSdOi4h05eLa6hAgRConocN0RZBBGXo71oA85hqayCql8onzYPa-VDOD4LaPxrePDXHFq9aPrIwBuYg-FFCW-JAPZKgTN3Yqv8NknQHKolYWAWiYrbLsjEY4DH7E_Oww/w388-h400/IMG_6726.heic" width="388" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back cover<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Read the blurb on the back cover before opening the picturebook: 'It’s a new day in the jungle. The animals have HADIT with their king and are going to hold their FIRST ELECTION'. You might want to return to the front cover and ask who the King might be… children might guess it’s the lion. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKQp8F2O7Iw5xtAwl7IMikWsUtYp-86RC2n2u2t669ILv-_KDBrptZgTuemqTtN54tRGApmjKSCZ1-MGwVQdztf0VPHgloJYQhu4SL0fiC3gQKBPTpDEqIXNDVzqEt5LHGVyMFbqy6_tM/s2048/IMG_6727.heic" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2008" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKQp8F2O7Iw5xtAwl7IMikWsUtYp-86RC2n2u2t669ILv-_KDBrptZgTuemqTtN54tRGApmjKSCZ1-MGwVQdztf0VPHgloJYQhu4SL0fiC3gQKBPTpDEqIXNDVzqEt5LHGVyMFbqy6_tM/w393-h400/IMG_6727.heic" width="393" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Title page<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> The title page presents the four candidates for president, but of course we don’t know this yet. Another reason why we need to return to this page when rereading the picturebook … the animal’s expressions are relevant and will also prompt comments from your learners – a relaxed sloth, a nervous king, and an angry-looking monkey. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikdXUwEf0ueYCFjG45WyWmi7pGYpJfzrOC_hbdP-3VcqQ4qDW111SHJ4BJfVHtReHgBG1Jj_BFiU6caNTI-ASp9TFyRXcvZyo6NmWCsipi_Wczl8mX2FdJS2AzjlknHdM4-_8j-QBLDZI/s2048/IMG_6728.heic" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="2048" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikdXUwEf0ueYCFjG45WyWmi7pGYpJfzrOC_hbdP-3VcqQ4qDW111SHJ4BJfVHtReHgBG1Jj_BFiU6caNTI-ASp9TFyRXcvZyo6NmWCsipi_Wczl8mX2FdJS2AzjlknHdM4-_8j-QBLDZI/w640-h332/IMG_6728.heic" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 1<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Opening 1 integrates the copyright page and tells us in the small print that ‘The illustrations are made by mixing hundreds of paper cutouts and loose pencil and charcoal doodles and then colouring them digitally’. You might want to look at this once you’ve shared the picturebook, it could be a prompt for developing a visual arts project later. That aside this opening presents the starting point for the narrative … What has happened to the river? Can you guess?
We are told that Lion has rerouted the water for his private pool, we are shown the lion on a large boat overlooking other animals enjoying his pool. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO_7YCORGpDE5U3j8Z3fro1vcmTKUcI0mp2UFKySgVpjroNoak3-PrZzvWsRiwhlfzQ2-JIgI1ajNMxIbDQruk5THS7dRdKUDFM325SuAJv8I2yNFI09NSBKKWhK24QF0uWB64dMG63E0/s2048/IMG_6730.heic" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1059" data-original-width="2048" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO_7YCORGpDE5U3j8Z3fro1vcmTKUcI0mp2UFKySgVpjroNoak3-PrZzvWsRiwhlfzQ2-JIgI1ajNMxIbDQruk5THS7dRdKUDFM325SuAJv8I2yNFI09NSBKKWhK24QF0uWB64dMG63E0/w640-h330/IMG_6730.heic" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 3<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We realize these are a select few, when we turn to opening 3 where a variety of animals along the dry river are complaining. The narrative suggests that Lion has gone too far … ‘Maybe he should not be the King of the Jungle’. Comments from the different animals expand on this, ‘It’s ridiculous!’, ‘Lion only thinks of himself’ … Sloth asks them all, ‘What if we had a new leader?’
This mix of narrative and dialogue continues through the book and some of the animals have a clear character, and their comments reflect this. The crocodile, for example, suggesting ‘Let’s protest!’, ‘This king needs to go!’ and ‘No more kings!’… if you can read these comments out in different voices, it will make all the difference and children will notice the characters and their characteristics . </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEiCUEcZ_MCblOKp8UBWa5QGQJpGnWxUpfGEfK9_-ZKyNrYXnIPsb40urIkxtSveaN8DoBZuoxiFFiMGxn2Tw89LFc3sG_dNy4Z39MJ_la4YjQn3cSNu9tyLEr2EYD_PiN68SZsDWeK8/s2048/IMG_6733.heic" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="2048" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEiCUEcZ_MCblOKp8UBWa5QGQJpGnWxUpfGEfK9_-ZKyNrYXnIPsb40urIkxtSveaN8DoBZuoxiFFiMGxn2Tw89LFc3sG_dNy4Z39MJ_la4YjQn3cSNu9tyLEr2EYD_PiN68SZsDWeK8/w640-h332/IMG_6733.heic" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 6<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> The animals have a <b>demonstration</b> – key words are in bold and appear at a glossary at the end of the book – ‘Say no to Lion’s pool’, but Lion is not bothered, so everyone decided ‘…it was time for a new leader’. Owl, a typically wise character in most stories, suggests ‘Let’s be a democracy! Let’s hold an election!’. Sloth is brave enough to ask ‘What’s an election?’. Do the children know? Can they explain to sloth? In Opening 6, Owl manages to explain nicely and together the animals agree on some rules for their election … rule 7 is especially pertinent: ‘Candidates cannot eat their opponents’. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQsvewAbRe-wu7s0cgdS2v1JavifFNhSEfb7s0rsFJswEbZ1zN78zjX6_K74D3EVqgLvazacsPHj-FXQr36uiSKFvzI8oiTVpKnDDCafhUCFjSCuIEfrN8rZ4KeGOUjKPp9cNleYdi7U/s2048/IMG_6735.heic" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1043" data-original-width="2048" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQsvewAbRe-wu7s0cgdS2v1JavifFNhSEfb7s0rsFJswEbZ1zN78zjX6_K74D3EVqgLvazacsPHj-FXQr36uiSKFvzI8oiTVpKnDDCafhUCFjSCuIEfrN8rZ4KeGOUjKPp9cNleYdi7U/w640-h326/IMG_6735.heic" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 8<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Monkey, Sloth and Snake become candidates and so does Lion. We are shown the campaign posters and the animals’ statements, one after the other. Each is quite different and these are worth pausing over and discussing. Who are the vice-presidents (VP), are they surprising supporters? The lioness as the Lion’s VP, or a mouse as the snake’s VP? How do the describe themselves? Snake tells us ‘I’ve crawled through burrows and nests getting to know you’, what might that suggest? What is each animal promising? Monkey promises not to tell lies… Sloth wants everyone to work together. How do these desires reflect the animal and their maybe stereotypical characteristics. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzJZ38BIuIdAMxQgsxdMV38hfyXUJzeg230lXC7J8Zg7U_L9tUvwUCbIlhAeFCjDqWiWa1FndSDAMEZ4ROmz0SJ6mI-fouafttqxLStY9dvRu1rltTKOmNyziLZTgsnr-1ZdVcEzAwCkI/s2048/IMG_6740.heic" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1101" data-original-width="2048" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzJZ38BIuIdAMxQgsxdMV38hfyXUJzeg230lXC7J8Zg7U_L9tUvwUCbIlhAeFCjDqWiWa1FndSDAMEZ4ROmz0SJ6mI-fouafttqxLStY9dvRu1rltTKOmNyziLZTgsnr-1ZdVcEzAwCkI/w640-h344/IMG_6740.heic" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 13<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> The different activities associated with campaigning are described in the words and the pictures and suit each of the animal characters. The Lion goes on TV, the sloth discusses issues… In Opening 13, ‘Some said wild things about the other candidates’ – that’s Snake and Monkey with scribbles in between them, clearly saying stuff that can’t be written down! The spread that illustrates the debates is novel, with illustrations in comic-like boxes, and children will enjoy pouring over these and deciphering who is saying what, it’s not immediately clear! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioeK8z7PMkUNpNeJ9a_meo86WbkoxJaqbd-X6kPEaP9smLN-eW7390hT14eSJzwumrZXG7x5ietQ6P34KBOILpohg43pNfJHf2eNkSxV0ISsHUrj-h_ZMrSsqZzD8_gvMLSOcfQl29ISQ/s2048/IMG_6743.heic" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1058" data-original-width="2048" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioeK8z7PMkUNpNeJ9a_meo86WbkoxJaqbd-X6kPEaP9smLN-eW7390hT14eSJzwumrZXG7x5ietQ6P34KBOILpohg43pNfJHf2eNkSxV0ISsHUrj-h_ZMrSsqZzD8_gvMLSOcfQl29ISQ/w640-h330/IMG_6743.heic" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 16<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Finally, election day comes, as it always does, and everyone voted, as was their right. We are told ‘When the votes were added up, the new president was announced. It was …’ In Opening 16, the illustrations show us how many votes each animal got, and Lion has a huge cross over his name… Can the children guess why? What were the rules? Which one might the Lion have broken? </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnXlnmFBo84TxwqAVrSmtaM6FDAbTqs93BmVPZ-q9uki6pQpOZNJzl3GWzfWc391wRFQeuIdbmdnydIbemsrN92C68acFBxIAZH7LhIKppOnWHuAKX-6CP1lrOO2MJ6qzGpxZ-9oo8p6A/s2048/IMG_6744.heic" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1049" data-original-width="2048" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnXlnmFBo84TxwqAVrSmtaM6FDAbTqs93BmVPZ-q9uki6pQpOZNJzl3GWzfWc391wRFQeuIdbmdnydIbemsrN92C68acFBxIAZH7LhIKppOnWHuAKX-6CP1lrOO2MJ6qzGpxZ-9oo8p6A/w640-h328/IMG_6744.heic" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 17<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> We can all see who has won from Opening 16, but it’s still exciting to turn the page and see ‘SLOTH’ in big bold letters and the happy creature swinging across the spread! (Opening 17). Yeah! The different paws are clapping and cheering!
Everyone gathered together to hear Sloth’s speech, which begins “In this election I learned so much from everybody …” and explains how each of the candidates wishes has helped him conclude that they all need to work as a team ‘to make the jungle a great place for every animal’. Sounds like he’ll be a good president! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2K9TZTorsWS2REqYCwwZtjpUCq9LJ-4OqTeA4Ty4vQfI0-5SoaxfcSLSTpuDAaj3Pq6IHwZZbBqEP8zIH2WDBHyDuTNqiDtw5wTi-IG8lJ3bJ-byp_Az81wD6kqNaTcM_F471wEAIXIA/s2048/IMG_6747.heic" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1969" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2K9TZTorsWS2REqYCwwZtjpUCq9LJ-4OqTeA4Ty4vQfI0-5SoaxfcSLSTpuDAaj3Pq6IHwZZbBqEP8zIH2WDBHyDuTNqiDtw5wTi-IG8lJ3bJ-byp_Az81wD6kqNaTcM_F471wEAIXIA/w385-h400/IMG_6747.heic" width="385" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 20 (verso)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> The last spread reminds us that not everyone likes Sloth or agrees with the election results, but that’s Ok, as there will be another election next year and things might change. That’s what a democracy is all about! The last page (opening 20, verso) is the glossary, with key terms defined with the help of the wise owl. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> The process shown in this picturebook is a perfect model for children to imitate. They could have an election of their own, with candidates and a campaign, where they make posters, create statements of intent and hold debates. Then they all vote.
Bringing politics into the English classroom sits within citizenship education, which often runs transversally through a whole school curriculum - this is definitely the case for Portugal where I am based. <i>The President of the Jungle</i> could be used with upper primary learners quite easily… the language associated with elections is clearly highlighted, both on the pages (in bold) and via a clear glossary. The illustrations are unusual and at times require time to decipher, but that’s not a problem… read this picturebook slowly, include questions and give time for comments and discussion. Reread it, make connections between the different parts… go on, I dare you to give it a try!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> My work on this blog is </span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: right;"><span style="background: white; text-align: center;">part of CETAPS' project </span><span style="background: white; text-align: center;">UIDB/04097/2020, funded by FCT</span></span></div>Sandie Mourãohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05937320913931497159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874408807553636390.post-84549797112343070722020-10-25T17:17:00.005+00:002020-10-26T21:05:46.809+00:00Last. The story of a white rhino: a picturebook that prompts taking action<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcE5aWXLbYpyH9Ggt3DjWiuh4HgvrA8t-Vc2QyzOjF_Ymhf2pD7nDQxeMQybSkx89pT-NuIoSneh4wBYZh_QdPVd4q-T-NAOgvSphbCfVTnQraDHO8xY8ADWXIF5Tp5czN76Jbaq4XegQ/s2048/IMG_6590.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2033" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcE5aWXLbYpyH9Ggt3DjWiuh4HgvrA8t-Vc2QyzOjF_Ymhf2pD7nDQxeMQybSkx89pT-NuIoSneh4wBYZh_QdPVd4q-T-NAOgvSphbCfVTnQraDHO8xY8ADWXIF5Tp5czN76Jbaq4XegQ/w398-h400/IMG_6590.jpg" width="398" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">How would you feel if you were the last of your kind on this planet?
This is the premise for the picturebook <i><a href="https://tinyowl.co.uk/last/" target="_blank">Last, the story of a white rhino</a></i>, written and illustrated by <a href="https://www.nicola-davies.com/index.php" target="_blank">Nicola Davies</a> and published by <a href="https://tinyowl.co.uk/" target="_blank">Tiny Owl</a> (2020). It is inspired by the life of a real rhino, Sudan, the last male Northern White Rhino on our planet. In 1985 he was brought to a zoo in the Czech Republic in an attempt to save Northern White Rhinos from extinction. He fathered some baby rhinos, but few survived. In 2009 he was taken back to the wild in the hope that breeding might be more successful. Watched by armed guards around the clock, Sudan lived for nine more years, but no more baby rhinos were born. Sudan died in March 2018, leaving just two elderly females of his species in our world. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> If this story doesn’t jolt you, then I don’t know what will … my copy of <i>Last</i> was delivered this week and my stomach lurched as I paged through it, again and again, looking at the unusual illustrations and reading the sparse verbal text and learning of Sudan and his life. The next day, I sat down and watched David Attenborough’s latest film: <i><a href="https://www.attenboroughfilm.com" target="_blank">A life on our planet,</a></i> which premiered at the end of September. The film is his ‘witness statement’ to how ’human beings have overrun the world’. He shows us very clearly how our planet is heading for disaster. It is a depressing and sobering film, despite his very positive ideas for how we can still stop our headlong, careering course towards extinction. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> None of what I have told you about the damage humans have done to the planet earth is new … but I was ignorant of the plaintive story of Sudan and the five other species of rhino that live on our planet. This is the magic of picturebooks, they touch children and adults in their different ways. I am blogging about about <i>Last</i> today, not just because it is a brilliantly conceptualised picturebook and it can fit very nicely into a sequence of primary English lessons, but because by sharing it I hope I can touch others with the story of Sudan. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Nicola Davies is a multi-award-winning author, with around 50 children’s books to her name. I’ve already blogged about <i><a href="https://picturebooksinelt.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-day-war-came-visual-poem-for-child.html" target="_blank">The day the war came</a></i>. She trained as a zoologist and began her career as a Children’s TV presenter on <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K5CKrK6JHg&ab_channel=PutTheTellyOn" target="_blank">The really wild show.</a></i> She’s written many children’s books about animals, nature and biodiversity. Usually her books are illustrated by others, but <i>Last</i> is a picturebook she is solely responsible for, it is her debut picturebook as an illustrator. She has chosen to publish with a small independent publisher, Tiny Owl, who are doing an incredible job at creating picturebooks with a difference. The book was launched on 22 September to coincide with <a href="https://www.worldrhinoday.org/" target="_blank">World Rhino Day</a>. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeVNxyYd1xrFr9Gh4-5co98Es5aBiUtI7U2__9C9c5278tWUyJzqmupj4jNG0OLIUiwObrb0nZ5uBsiVTAnEpuP8PuNgKNjmLrQbVcR2zNrGwmY56GhE0hjLF8_c8NKq3gQz03Jl5idEo/s2048/IMG_6591.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1099" data-original-width="2048" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeVNxyYd1xrFr9Gh4-5co98Es5aBiUtI7U2__9C9c5278tWUyJzqmupj4jNG0OLIUiwObrb0nZ5uBsiVTAnEpuP8PuNgKNjmLrQbVcR2zNrGwmY56GhE0hjLF8_c8NKq3gQz03Jl5idEo/w640-h344/IMG_6591.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front and back covers<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The front cover of <i>Last </i>is a bird’s eye view of a rhino walking in a grey cityscape. It’s a surreal image and difficult to decipher at first glance. The large lettering of the title hangs under the rhino, almost holding it up. It’s not until you open out the back cover that you see it’s actually a suspension bridge, and the rhino is walking away from the city. There’s a large sign with a dollar symbol and an exclamation mark on it … and the strange car with a tree sticking out of its windscreen is still puzzling me. I am certain that children will have lots of ideas for what it symbolises, once they’ve experienced the picturebook. If you look closely, which you might do upon returning to the cover, you can make out words in different languages stamped on the grey buildings. Davies has included a note about these, telling us that they are random snippets from advertising slogans and short phrases from famous environmental speeches, as well as some of her own words translated into different languages. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I have the paperback version, so the endpapers aren’t included, but the inside of the front and back covers do have images on them, which seem to be connected… The dedication is worth reading out to children if you do an author study, it hints at this being a debut picturebook. The title page has the rhino on the suspension bridge again, but against a white background, which is even more surreal than a cityscape. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPHS0Nu0oAt66tkPfD96CWhcdNi9Cn_Y7jYbhArMwpPYWR69nUIfRwSieozBP8_JE0P95G8-ZSt2LA57CX2QIDaIJGNHLf4fqAbbOmJo6LNxPE36Ex6lN8VjzskDqDXl8j_VUrRhOmwuU/s2048/IMG_6594.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1078" data-original-width="2048" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPHS0Nu0oAt66tkPfD96CWhcdNi9Cn_Y7jYbhArMwpPYWR69nUIfRwSieozBP8_JE0P95G8-ZSt2LA57CX2QIDaIJGNHLf4fqAbbOmJo6LNxPE36Ex6lN8VjzskDqDXl8j_VUrRhOmwuU/w640-h336/IMG_6594.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 1<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Opening 1 is a closeup of the rhino looking out at the reader, we could reach out and touch his horn if we wished… his tiny eye looks at us and we read the statement, <i>I am the last.</i> Told in the first person, makes this story more real and significant. There is a figure dressed in bright cloths with a green and white spotted scarf on the verso, looking across at the rhino which we will notice in other illustrations as we move through the picturebook. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdvZQtqlJVhE7_4WOVaNmoksRURCOA-n85tht7ECbnBg7I2G39i-zXvXpeBt1IvDB7YPG2JJWSRbsBwr07Lqs7SLHNlr7hfOQS9LpQKcMEgw2FRwThAG4_VdU2K5y7ueYZLsLL8oz73ac/s2048/IMG_6595.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1110" data-original-width="2048" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdvZQtqlJVhE7_4WOVaNmoksRURCOA-n85tht7ECbnBg7I2G39i-zXvXpeBt1IvDB7YPG2JJWSRbsBwr07Lqs7SLHNlr7hfOQS9LpQKcMEgw2FRwThAG4_VdU2K5y7ueYZLsLL8oz73ac/w640-h346/IMG_6595.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 2<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> A bird’s eye view on Opening 2 situates the rhino in a city zoo, surrounded by buildings and cars. The street lamp casts eerie shadows, contributing the unnaturalness of these animals in their concrete habitats. The words, <i>I’ve looked and looked, but I’ve never found another like me.</i> emphasise the single animals in their closures. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT73cgL_qBWSQowOYTdDLIs7TkY7ic4StnlGD5OwRBiRPCRFK213LTcQau9gv0B6Ip5szncL0AImj0n91CcaEnmQZuGxg1VoNFmcDpaOZ_tzj2_oOe34w413QkGV0-94TDjX8_I30IEcs/s2048/IMG_6596.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1093" data-original-width="2048" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT73cgL_qBWSQowOYTdDLIs7TkY7ic4StnlGD5OwRBiRPCRFK213LTcQau9gv0B6Ip5szncL0AImj0n91CcaEnmQZuGxg1VoNFmcDpaOZ_tzj2_oOe34w413QkGV0-94TDjX8_I30IEcs/w640-h342/IMG_6596.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 3<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Upon turning the page, the contrasting brightness and vibrancy of the colours in this opening is surprising. We are taken back in time and told of the ‘old place’ where the rhino lived with others like him. <i>Big ones fighting, little ones playing. And there was Mama! </i> The little rhino followed his mother through the tall grasses And stayed close in the darkness, to keep safe from the hyenas which we see in the illustrations only. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA3yWjWs9aGyv1iK4MTUuOw4IVyvoKs-_Q0rMuQ3gb7HajMwsWKWDmHcjxyl3JMdDXaA9zuOvuBb29onDxlVGHU4lTooyhnWfCCFTjgMd5md1dIynUwZM8DQWRTiatTRHeTU6E-Ufht1U/s2048/IMG_6598.jpg" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1128" data-original-width="2048" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA3yWjWs9aGyv1iK4MTUuOw4IVyvoKs-_Q0rMuQ3gb7HajMwsWKWDmHcjxyl3JMdDXaA9zuOvuBb29onDxlVGHU4lTooyhnWfCCFTjgMd5md1dIynUwZM8DQWRTiatTRHeTU6E-Ufht1U/w640-h352/IMG_6598.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 5 <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 5 </span><span style="font-family: arial;">is my favourite illustration, mama rhino, with her huge horn, and baby rhino together with the words, </span><i style="font-family: arial;">She smelled beautiful</i><span style="font-family: arial;">. All mothers have a smell that is unique, even to animals, this is a discovery for children. Looking carefully now for the umpteenth time, I realise that the illustrations in the 'old world' have no words stamped on them … a truly natural place. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9qq1FEyFrsMXLn1MAx335kMVBvBPrfFFBqVMFrIuPTw9IEXYryFy5PdAMLsGmre8Otl6ZYrI7jbj7oAM5-aTKmNRRP3huwlP8oOZiRK5pqcBLRH-NTRPrWaQ-EY6YkbW_ohl8fBs0UA/s2048/IMG_6599.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1094" data-original-width="2048" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9qq1FEyFrsMXLn1MAx335kMVBvBPrfFFBqVMFrIuPTw9IEXYryFy5PdAMLsGmre8Otl6ZYrI7jbj7oAM5-aTKmNRRP3huwlP8oOZiRK5pqcBLRH-NTRPrWaQ-EY6YkbW_ohl8fBs0UA/w640-h342/IMG_6599.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 6<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Turn the page and we are told <i>But one day she fell down and lay still, so still.</i> The illustration shows us that mama has been killed by a poacher for her horn. And the baby rhino is taken away in a box. The printed words return to the illustrations and so does the greyness associated with the city.
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyrI82w-kQvb2QqWT16uNOTaCO4814wOE2xlEJIiAGOVqRpKRYVj9_QYrmmCBNj9kZc9U3WkONJ3CPcNc_JzX4CC-xdejsqI75LSaFfTiA1gPF_52XCAypPgmfUE3DiF6aFLfVfJC8rE/s2048/IMG_6600.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="2048" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyrI82w-kQvb2QqWT16uNOTaCO4814wOE2xlEJIiAGOVqRpKRYVj9_QYrmmCBNj9kZc9U3WkONJ3CPcNc_JzX4CC-xdejsqI75LSaFfTiA1gPF_52XCAypPgmfUE3DiF6aFLfVfJC8rE/w640-h352/IMG_6600.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 7<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 7 brings us back to the city zoo. In verso, a child is walking by the rhino’s enclosure, with her father. <i>There is no smell of grass of flowers </i>in this grey enclosure. The facing page shows the same child (she’s wearing green and white spotted scarf) looking down at the rhino. The dart-like rain seems even sharper as we read, <i>Even the rain smelled empty</i>. If we aren’t already sorry for the rhino, our view from a dominant position in the recto prompts us to feel so. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The rhino continues to tell us <i>I am not the only last. There are many last here.</i> We are shown closeups of different animals, looking out at us with their eyes wide open. <i>We look, we pace. We lie down and close our eyes.</i> The rhino asks the reader, <i>Where are the others for us? What has happened to the world?</i> Knowing the background to this picturebook, this is all the more poignant. We also continue to see shots of the young girl with the green and white spotted scarf. In one illustration she is at her computer in a high-rise flat overlooking the city zoo. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNjHIkNq5gUYstpb7CZ40x_u5s0wiur9jXNSTCLS5k8d3odrQnjYs-JrIUI3KJWQm_k_fVzBkq0SFFHwRcN7_6A_gMN6zU2sL__mOVwouXiPW92hmvqvViVr97ZBY6skWL_0vubH4WgT4/s2048/IMG_6604.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1091" data-original-width="2048" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNjHIkNq5gUYstpb7CZ40x_u5s0wiur9jXNSTCLS5k8d3odrQnjYs-JrIUI3KJWQm_k_fVzBkq0SFFHwRcN7_6A_gMN6zU2sL__mOVwouXiPW92hmvqvViVr97ZBY6skWL_0vubH4WgT4/w640-h340/IMG_6604.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 11<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> And that’s when things change … the rhino is put in a box again and taken back to Africa. He can <i>smell the grass and earth again and the real fat rain. </i>He’s back in the old place, the bright vibrancy of Opening 11 in sunny yellow oozes happiness, <i>It is the old place! And there is another … </i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHLXIp1APCbB6augT1MV_K8YqB3Sj349dZrjQtF6VyCpu5M9q-sC6_yQzI5Bvna_4ZYkHeZsC8hkFOtoJ3XQVKfuziIkCBQYy52maSWmYmjHEfvZQNNaYgDX3rysK0eiruLK6rldum8q4/s2048/IMG_6605.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1092" data-original-width="2048" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHLXIp1APCbB6augT1MV_K8YqB3Sj349dZrjQtF6VyCpu5M9q-sC6_yQzI5Bvna_4ZYkHeZsC8hkFOtoJ3XQVKfuziIkCBQYy52maSWmYmjHEfvZQNNaYgDX3rysK0eiruLK6rldum8q4/w640-h342/IMG_6605.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Opening 12</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i> She is not mama. But she smells beautiful. </i>The image is much like the one we saw before of mama and baby rhino, but this time, two large horns cross and the rhinos are adults together. <i>Perhaps we are not the last after all.</i> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMFMNjfImk4t9wOHHgCTrIzE_XU283_2SVQiZTXuv62EE6NDB4RsGXJpYnBcnYQCVyqXVrQwfVQYNNgrcTdFNlDeoDw3IviUOoMJnjn8ms-gCD2jBIf3-55WvyX3t_cbtCFxhrXL4Tgbo/s2048/IMG_6607.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1098" data-original-width="2048" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMFMNjfImk4t9wOHHgCTrIzE_XU283_2SVQiZTXuv62EE6NDB4RsGXJpYnBcnYQCVyqXVrQwfVQYNNgrcTdFNlDeoDw3IviUOoMJnjn8ms-gCD2jBIf3-55WvyX3t_cbtCFxhrXL4Tgbo/w640-h344/IMG_6607.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 13</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The closing spread is full of colour and the rhino is looking out at us from a lush grass land. The figure in the green and white spotted scarf is there too… she definitely had something to do with bringing the rhino home. Children can return to the different spreads and spot the girl and decide for themselves what she did and how she did it. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">The very last page in the picturebook tells us the story of Sudan the last Northern White Rhino.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There is a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v46eTv3k9Hw&ab_channel=TinyOwl" target="_blank">trailer</a> for the book on the publisher website. Nicola Davies is charismatic; her voice is deep and strong and her smile is wide. She tells us about Sudan and her passion for rhinos and her pledge to support the 'Help the Rhinos Organisation'. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="304" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iw60z3OWMks" width="366" youtube-src-id="iw60z3OWMks"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Nicola Davies telling<i> Last </i></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You can also watch her telling <i>Last </i>in the virtual launch on 22 September … on and around minute 13.30. You’ll also meet Simon Jones from the 'Help the Rhinos Organisation'. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Tiny Owl Publishing provide resources for most of their picturebooks, they aren’t quite ready for <i>Last</i>, but do keep popping back to their website and checking. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> This picturebook prompted me to watch films about rhinos and to learn more about the stellar work that conservationists are doing to keep them alive. Being at the far edge of Europe, rhinos in their natural habitats in the African and Asian continents are far away and out of mind. But World Rhino Day, on 22 September, gives a voice to these creatures through the activities organised by NGOs, zoos and organisations that help Rhinos. It can also bring the rhino into your classroom!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">My call to you all is to include this picturebook in your planning for primary English learners.
To follow on from the picturebook, ideas come easily … children can first find out about the different rhinos in the world, what they are like, what they eat, where they live and why is it they are in such danger. Then move into taking some form of action. This could include celebrating World Rhino Day with marches, speeches and presentations, visual posters around the school, fliers to take out into the neighbourhood. Children can tell everyone in their immediate worlds about rhinos… for sure many will be like me, ignorant of the constant threat rhinos are in. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> And if you are really interested in visual arts activities, take a close look at the picturebook and discuss the different perspectives Nicola Davies has used in her illustrations. Get children to consider how these perspectives make them feel as viewers. Have them try out creating scenes of their own using close up and bird’s eye views. They could find out about other animals in danger and draw them using these different perspectives too. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This picturebook is crying out to be used in our classrooms... it's just a small step towards helping the rhinos in our world. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> My work on this blog is </span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: white; text-align: center;">part of CETAPS' project </span><span style="background: white; text-align: center;">UIDB/04097/2020, funded by FCT</span></span></div>Sandie Mourãohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05937320913931497159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874408807553636390.post-31233763246608430732020-10-18T22:35:00.001+01:002020-10-18T22:50:06.587+01:00Cyril the lonely cloud taking learning beyond weather words<div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLETt3XqCEZ8b2Bmd9LJPTb8r3qcKql0tf7DoT0QGeHCN8H7_zJNsdX-g6PI4tDRFiKWM8Ce8YIAvxOXM_-7th4jxaBbXu3tzOoUKtE4LlWpAoijTBeyQOuXMqZcN2qDEnqKwhXCyvbds/s1699/DSC_0163.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1699" data-original-width="1457" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLETt3XqCEZ8b2Bmd9LJPTb8r3qcKql0tf7DoT0QGeHCN8H7_zJNsdX-g6PI4tDRFiKWM8Ce8YIAvxOXM_-7th4jxaBbXu3tzOoUKtE4LlWpAoijTBeyQOuXMqZcN2qDEnqKwhXCyvbds/w343-h400/DSC_0163.jpg" width="343" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front cover<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This week’s blog post is about <i><a href="https://global.oup.com/education/product/9780192767592/?region=uk" target="_blank">Cyril the lonely cloud</a></i> by one of my favourite picturebook creaters, <a href="https://www.timhopgood.com/" target="_blank">Tim Hopgood</a> (Oxford University Press, 2019). Hopgood trained as an illustrator, but spent the first twenty years of his career working as a designer. His design background makes a huge difference to the way he creates his picturebooks, as he is involved in the page layouts and typography. That’s the perfect combination - picturebooks created by illustrators with design experience have this wonderful wholeness to them … remember ‘A picturebook is text, illustrations, total design’ (Bader, 1976:1). </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> If you look at Tim Hopgood’s website you’ll learn a little about him … I was curious to read how he creates his picturebook illustrations and learned that he begins by drawing, using a soft pencil, scans these sketches onto the computer, then adds all the wonderful colour which makes his work so recognizable. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> <i>Cyril the lonely cloud </i>is a picturebook for younger children and can easily be part of a project about weather. But it goes beyond learning weather words, instead it helps children see how rain can be both a bother and a blessing.
The back cover tells us. ‘<i>No one is ever pleased to see Cyril the cloud. He is always being blamed for ruining the day.</i>’ His only wish is to see people smile, so <i>Cyril the lonely cloud</i> is the story of Cyril's search for happiness. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The front cover introduces us to Cyril, a sad looking cloud, looming big and greyish above the title, and his name. Tim Hopgood’s characteristic hand-written signature sits in the bottom right corner. </span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD7j4247JMqrjXbxz5JK1cvCwfiPHTQmv4J4EjN0HyH08lCk2rli3R4fmxUG9xEjQX4XnpUWQyCq07a1Xfu4U51pf2g-9bjOnBPS0sqXz20dAFfn07epVZ6ptwu8vIkkDo5GFQdeOlYBc/s2048/DSC_0164.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1304" data-original-width="2048" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD7j4247JMqrjXbxz5JK1cvCwfiPHTQmv4J4EjN0HyH08lCk2rli3R4fmxUG9xEjQX4XnpUWQyCq07a1Xfu4U51pf2g-9bjOnBPS0sqXz20dAFfn07epVZ6ptwu8vIkkDo5GFQdeOlYBc/w640-h408/DSC_0164.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside of front cover and page 1</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I have the paperback version, and so there are no endpapers, although there is a pattern of Cyril as a grey cloud raining and a sun on the back of the front and back covers. You might want to return to these once you’ve shared the picturebook and ask what happens when rain and sun happen at the same time. On the facing page, Page 1, you can see Cyril scuttling across the page into the picturebook. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlfYIEdnIOgv5AiomHmyAtF1AdFUzhcq6HbCPhuIkaETan0kfRaGB6X4h_IWSqR6qV6D7BAYDqTzn-aTma3FcYH0vu8P9Jr0ZNfbp03r3zKxKQ8baTov1DdOzwUCaSYcf1FBpXAu_ZrTk/s2048/DSC_0165.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1299" data-original-width="2048" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlfYIEdnIOgv5AiomHmyAtF1AdFUzhcq6HbCPhuIkaETan0kfRaGB6X4h_IWSqR6qV6D7BAYDqTzn-aTma3FcYH0vu8P9Jr0ZNfbp03r3zKxKQ8baTov1DdOzwUCaSYcf1FBpXAu_ZrTk/w640-h406/DSC_0165.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Title page and dedication with copyright<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The title page is a sky blue covering both recto and verso pages… Cyril is in the top left corner, looking rather sad for himself… there's a visual narrative there, connecting with the previous page. Nice hand written dedication, which children are bound to notice, so do read it out!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjnd9TPYAll4qGMrgiJ6KsnzzojMp1LzyPgXyaWmODKDE9ROB-GIxkp_R1-JV7iBKYZQqHjgQm2WC5UCcFcj12WFJioRRCPQdNTQmvmUUiMqkb6c2Uj3mPmSL9qiJjqNvzV_vafhGAhlE/s2048/DSC_0166.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1315" data-original-width="2048" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjnd9TPYAll4qGMrgiJ6KsnzzojMp1LzyPgXyaWmODKDE9ROB-GIxkp_R1-JV7iBKYZQqHjgQm2WC5UCcFcj12WFJioRRCPQdNTQmvmUUiMqkb6c2Uj3mPmSL9qiJjqNvzV_vafhGAhlE/w640-h410/DSC_0166.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 1<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Opening 1 shows us a sunny day, bright yellow and colourful butterflies... Sitting on a picnic blanket with picnic food scattered around, a family looks happy and relaxed ‘<i>… it was a perfect day for a picnic</i>’. Until Cyril arrived… he brought shade and rain and spoiled everyone’s day. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjezt4wc-hgT-ryd3ZU0o7unHupjdHGUz6ROM3IyYXSrT3_5o1ZTqOME9vmq7QDyBpkUWofvZa44Rm6f2AmPQK7GztMp8dXKPJm35KLexibGrcba34igBLcKR2bzavOLJhrIawBcALqWvo/s2048/DSC_0170.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1287" data-original-width="2048" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjezt4wc-hgT-ryd3ZU0o7unHupjdHGUz6ROM3IyYXSrT3_5o1ZTqOME9vmq7QDyBpkUWofvZa44Rm6f2AmPQK7GztMp8dXKPJm35KLexibGrcba34igBLcKR2bzavOLJhrIawBcALqWvo/w640-h402/DSC_0170.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 5<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Cyril wanted more than anything to see people smile, but all they wanted was for him to go away! So that’s what he did… ‘<i>Cyril floated over farm land, rivers and bridges… above towns and famous cities.</i>’ In each of these illustrations we are told and shown what Cyril is doing but we also see how people respond to his presence, always with sad faces, running for cover, putting up umbrellas and generally unhappy to see him in the sky. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio92fo5xoQZhhvhqnfDWVjmxJd_HNDBZyIW7Yxqif4dpUqZJyX33Ldz_xqLDk9EpaoB-Ln0HIDhb4l112gRo0-xLAsXoazQRxDO-qlSJTJcUJiT_lm7UuPQsZVL_53wONma0C4cl88dq4/s2048/DSC_0172.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1319" data-original-width="2048" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio92fo5xoQZhhvhqnfDWVjmxJd_HNDBZyIW7Yxqif4dpUqZJyX33Ldz_xqLDk9EpaoB-Ln0HIDhb4l112gRo0-xLAsXoazQRxDO-qlSJTJcUJiT_lm7UuPQsZVL_53wONma0C4cl88dq4/w640-h412/DSC_0172.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 7<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> As Cyril floated over the ocean he got bigger and bigger, until he came to somewhere quite new. A place that was glimmering with heat from a hot sun. A place with exotic animals and, guess what happened … </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2V7nuQVZZzRTBUXyntxLxsupdrOzlFx6DgGi0dzRO5Y25bpwZ91JUAurU-FtdQc_d2xS-qaVk-qqEyOGuwOfIaOvsOnAuLeES743cTJurbZtuBZzpsRnCzMykjqzjQik5nOGJ5cr2Lrk/s2048/DSC_0174.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1321" data-original-width="2048" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2V7nuQVZZzRTBUXyntxLxsupdrOzlFx6DgGi0dzRO5Y25bpwZ91JUAurU-FtdQc_d2xS-qaVk-qqEyOGuwOfIaOvsOnAuLeES743cTJurbZtuBZzpsRnCzMykjqzjQik5nOGJ5cr2Lrk/w640-h412/DSC_0174.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 9<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Cyril’s huge shadow cooled the earth … look at how Hopgood shows us the way Cyril manages this ...and it brought smiles all around. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeKx-KUg3Ar6k3QMmL1Pq1Xw-RjwhGNBHtMYkNOtwLyr3N3Mo1QptJftxW8hWddMCX_pd2x6zyMotQ-SfCuyuB4ezgNZ4UE7E2tFo_viNOgYlSPJ7L9fRjzU7wsKGvms6E7hwr14aPN_M/s2048/DSC_0177.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1302" data-original-width="2048" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeKx-KUg3Ar6k3QMmL1Pq1Xw-RjwhGNBHtMYkNOtwLyr3N3Mo1QptJftxW8hWddMCX_pd2x6zyMotQ-SfCuyuB4ezgNZ4UE7E2tFo_viNOgYlSPJ7L9fRjzU7wsKGvms6E7hwr14aPN_M/w640-h406/DSC_0177.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 12<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Cyril cried tears of joy, big, big tears of glorious joy. His tears soaked the land and made all the creatures smile. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0xSgEqsbIZi3f5rPZ9K9VWuuSwxMhrh0e9vVVGpBQEfiG85lsaUR2JaA2CWpZBMq-gwjsFXNYa3b0maMfVWs9IhuG6W5t42xkVSm7VGZAIzlPhoxnPLAwmh2AZovJX0GkwfQfVwB_LA4/s2048/DSC_0179.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="2048" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0xSgEqsbIZi3f5rPZ9K9VWuuSwxMhrh0e9vVVGpBQEfiG85lsaUR2JaA2CWpZBMq-gwjsFXNYa3b0maMfVWs9IhuG6W5t42xkVSm7VGZAIzlPhoxnPLAwmh2AZovJX0GkwfQfVwB_LA4/w640-h406/DSC_0179.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 14<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The last opening is a joyous image of Cyril and his rain creating a beautiful rainbow together with the sun. Children, animals and butterflies are dancing and Cyril is as happy as a cloud can be, because that’s all he’s ever wanted ‘<i>to look down on the world and see a happy smile</i>’. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> For children who live in countries where rain is taken for granted, it’s an opportunity to talk about the importance of rainwater in certain parts of our planet. They could find out where all the different animals can be found, look for the countries on a map and trace the journey Cyril takes over the oceans to arrive so full of water… and of course this is the perfect opportunity to look at the water cycle. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> But don’t stop there … talk about how precious water is and what we can all do to save the water that comes from the rain that Cyril brings. This last stage will contribute to taking action beyond the classroom.
A seemingly simple picturebook that provides multiple opportunities for children's learning. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Reference: </b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Bader, B. (1976). <i>American Picturebooks from Noah's Ark to The Beast Within</i>. New York: Macmillan Publishing Comapny. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">My work on this blog is </span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: white; text-align: center;">part of CETAPS' project </span><span style="background: white; text-align: center;">UIDB/04097/2020, funded by FCT</span></span></span></div>Sandie Mourãohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05937320913931497159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874408807553636390.post-72234995407649193302020-10-11T16:33:00.002+01:002020-10-12T06:50:05.319+01:00When I coloured in the world: A child empowering picturebook<div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRFWb9oVo5CLzInuWldYfx5G057cw4q-RzzZ_cxIbxor8jxsPI4iGRHioqeI-RNHWIb1Li2OmJJ7VYaZCW23o_04euW4DvckfKGS3JTiYPI9Zhob4xW9TmvXl6p4S7-Mw6nTLJ6t_NyOU/s1735/DSC_0129.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1715" data-original-width="1735" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRFWb9oVo5CLzInuWldYfx5G057cw4q-RzzZ_cxIbxor8jxsPI4iGRHioqeI-RNHWIb1Li2OmJJ7VYaZCW23o_04euW4DvckfKGS3JTiYPI9Zhob4xW9TmvXl6p4S7-Mw6nTLJ6t_NyOU/w400-h395/DSC_0129.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front cover<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This week’s blog post is about a picturebook which was first published in Persian, <i><a href="https://tinyowl.co.uk/buy-when-i-coloured-in-the-world/" target="_blank">When I coloured in the world</a>.</i> It’s rare that we share translated picturebooks in our English classes, but there’s no reason why we shouldn’t. <i>When I coloured in the world</i> is an illustrated poem, written by <a href="http://ahmadrezaahmadi.com/" target="_blank">Ahmadreza Ahmadi</a>, Iranian poet and playwright, and illustrated by <a href="https://tinyowl.co.uk/meet-our-fab-illustrator-ehsan-abdollahi/" target="_blank">Ehsan Abdollahi</a>, an Iranian illustrator and art teacher. It’s been translated into English by Azita Rassi and published by <a href="https://tinyowl.co.uk/" target="_blank">Tiny Owl Publishing</a>, (2017), an <a href="https://www.ibby.org.uk/tinyowlpublishing/" target="_blank">independent publisher</a> who believes that stories are bridges to new experiences and pledge to produce beautiful, original books for children. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This is a beautiful book and rather unusual.
Bringing illustrations from different cultures into our English classrooms, is important. Children need to see different interpretations of reality, as well as experience a variety of styles and techniques. Ehsan Abdollahi’s work is inspired by the environment and the patterned fabrics of South Iran. His figures are stylized and his colours bold, and there is a naivety to his work. His figures and style remind me a little of <a href="https://www.wikiart.org/en/egon-schiele" target="_blank">Egon Schiele</a> and <a href="https://www.klimtgallery.org/" target="_blank">Gustav Klimt </a>, artists from the early 1900s. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The front cover is a bright yellow, and replicates one of the illustrations later in the picturebook. You might want to ask the children to think about this illustration as you share the picturebook, then return to it and discuss why they think it has been chosen for the cover. No right answer here! They might decide another illustration is more appropriate. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5R2fWXaJ9dJSFX84eWHE31N02KUc7miLpdNQTWK7coRYR1UmQ4FMJ-VfnGe6yD9z7vbuY8Qbo0ExmOZn_x2yvQB5lUOAKr1bbnxGdqP4CeHLkkt6p4225gVW_LfkYjLXqIKaVfGs5CA8/s2516/DSC_0130.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="2516" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5R2fWXaJ9dJSFX84eWHE31N02KUc7miLpdNQTWK7coRYR1UmQ4FMJ-VfnGe6yD9z7vbuY8Qbo0ExmOZn_x2yvQB5lUOAKr1bbnxGdqP4CeHLkkt6p4225gVW_LfkYjLXqIKaVfGs5CA8/w640-h318/DSC_0130.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Title page<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The title page is patterned with colourful circles, which we see scattered across many of the illustrations later on. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The poem starts “<i>My mum gave me a box of crayons for colouring and an eraser to rub things out with. So guess what I did?</i>” You could pause here and ask the children what they think the child might do … </span><span style="font-family: arial;">The child is unnamed and there’s no indication of gender, this is interesting in itself, giving all children a sense that it could be any of them. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC9chDWCmWZ5LtAI10goi15W0qTmQUR7d6Ht-biXC0S0KPhO5941SMVEI8Zc0nIoQnz6uDHsshwyVlvxzjWKAXcYsd9nds0qw40iQCwM3eacAjoz4DaNFdRPICRvWNEulPSyC-17_46LI/s2048/DSC_0131.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1033" data-original-width="2048" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC9chDWCmWZ5LtAI10goi15W0qTmQUR7d6Ht-biXC0S0KPhO5941SMVEI8Zc0nIoQnz6uDHsshwyVlvxzjWKAXcYsd9nds0qw40iQCwM3eacAjoz4DaNFdRPICRvWNEulPSyC-17_46LI/w640-h322/DSC_0131.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 1<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> What does the child do with the rubber and crayons? </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">... <span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;">Transforms the world</span> … rubbing out words they don’t like, and replacing them with words that make the world a better place.
<b>Desert</b> is the first word the child doesn’t like: </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“<i>I rubbed out the word desert.
I wrote roses. With my crayon I made roses grow all over the world.
I gave the world red</i>” </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The verso page is a deep red with the roses taking centre stage… </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The poem includes lots of repetition which will</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> help children follow the poem and join in as you share this picturebook. It will also support follow up writing activities, where children can create their own book of words they want to rub out and replace with others. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAyNvHhKf5T5OsmdK2_Er1CXHfCkOny2Ju-keFuIeXAcDxkfYErOELUv-BnYq5ie9YO0n__WtxlQagcuHDjQG8nBMiGdRhZvBDkwUXHMu7JwGXv73hj6UhQ8rwoqtBR-F6DguQ1MG8S7Q/s2048/DSC_0132.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1044" data-original-width="2048" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAyNvHhKf5T5OsmdK2_Er1CXHfCkOny2Ju-keFuIeXAcDxkfYErOELUv-BnYq5ie9YO0n__WtxlQagcuHDjQG8nBMiGdRhZvBDkwUXHMu7JwGXv73hj6UhQ8rwoqtBR-F6DguQ1MG8S7Q/w640-h326/DSC_0132.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 2<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">“<i>I rubbed out the word darkness. I wrote the word light with my yellow crayon. With my yellow crayon I made lights come all over the world. I gave the world yellow</i>” </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">For each word the child associates a colour, and these pervade the verso, usually filling the page to the very edge creating an unframed illustration. Illustrations like this are supposed to engage the viewer as a participant, we become part of the visual action on these pages. The rhythm of these openings is comforting and I found myself always looking for the coloured words and finding satisfaction in the bright facing page. Sometimes the illustrations synchronise with the words, supporting the reader to understand. Other times they provide stylistic representations, or expand and leave gaps, which might require some puzzling and interpretation. The cameo images on the recto add further to the puzzles. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Here is a selection of spreads for you to see what the child rubs out: </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ563hDhpJhu0OK-reQdjNhT0WIR0VEdZVcu74FxBCd6MlVJAzeWrVUgCq8ZN1djVsSvTy2IFqKWToCnf1RYNVUo5VPGcQO4JxwO4BEROp-pGyniHWiOX2n69Wmo-CYlPETNr_7Pv62sE/s2508/DSC_0135.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1254" data-original-width="2508" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ563hDhpJhu0OK-reQdjNhT0WIR0VEdZVcu74FxBCd6MlVJAzeWrVUgCq8ZN1djVsSvTy2IFqKWToCnf1RYNVUo5VPGcQO4JxwO4BEROp-pGyniHWiOX2n69Wmo-CYlPETNr_7Pv62sE/w640-h320/DSC_0135.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 5</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Hunger </b>is replaced with <b>wheat </b>… </span><span style="font-family: arial;">“<i>I made wheat grow in fields all over the world. I gave the world green</i>.” </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEB_RB5YTTDzFEgA38XKHAfyI_ouOKLG39i0xuV-QYQT_2TBW4naNpE5HI6_f0O5oSPtN6neAGEU9NYdWaTfULMEF7MihS9arKIYiwT1H1flPlkdMBdNLwMJjOLmbUxzHEr2AAkuJAcX4/s2048/DSC_0136.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1029" data-original-width="2048" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEB_RB5YTTDzFEgA38XKHAfyI_ouOKLG39i0xuV-QYQT_2TBW4naNpE5HI6_f0O5oSPtN6neAGEU9NYdWaTfULMEF7MihS9arKIYiwT1H1flPlkdMBdNLwMJjOLmbUxzHEr2AAkuJAcX4/w640-h322/DSC_0136.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Opening 6</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b> War</b> is replaced with <b>peace</b> ...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“<i>All over the world news came from radios saying all the wars had stopped. After that news the radios played such lovely music that flowers bloomed in empty vases.
I gave light blue to the world.</i>” </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b> Illness</b> is replaced with <b>health </b>... </span><b style="font-family: arial;">Noise</b><span style="font-family: arial;"> is replaced with </span><b style="font-family: arial;">song</b><span style="font-family: arial;">... </span><b style="font-family: arial;">Boredom</b><span style="font-family: arial;"> with </span><b style="font-family: arial;">play</b><span style="font-family: arial;"> ... </span><b style="font-family: arial;">Winter</b><span style="font-family: arial;"> with </span><b style="font-family: arial;">Spring</b><span style="font-family: arial;"> ...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGG7aH8tOo9NptUJjgRzKgfJNEEJvzlNgKo-_jvayOnxocyPWLxD2Qjyuly4u8AjN7J0m19pQnsxMEQhxqe6zu7aDHCDr8Zsv4QYBluKRgpUTRTGAFiegws2ilN44VDMfJ3V1ouFVxfgI/s2048/DSC_0140.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1026" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGG7aH8tOo9NptUJjgRzKgfJNEEJvzlNgKo-_jvayOnxocyPWLxD2Qjyuly4u8AjN7J0m19pQnsxMEQhxqe6zu7aDHCDr8Zsv4QYBluKRgpUTRTGAFiegws2ilN44VDMfJ3V1ouFVxfgI/w640-h320/DSC_0140.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 10<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 10 is one of my favourites... s<b>torm</b> is replaced with <b>breeze ... </b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">"<i>Around the world people opened their doors . They went outside to chat to each other in the sunny breeze."</i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I particularly like the stylistic representation of the breeze, and how the image is full of people talking to each other. <br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA9TgkH2pMGESbmITpiUC36cyswKLA9kxNpNb8jRDd_6gJylUuW0YHWNxNRvemhctOikfrzGdecT79kkL3xJ548E5w9U44ixWjxMWL66-kM0XCi2QZTk4k-X2xJ_NfZSLX7qYSAfNmUSU/s2048/DSC_0142.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1026" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA9TgkH2pMGESbmITpiUC36cyswKLA9kxNpNb8jRDd_6gJylUuW0YHWNxNRvemhctOikfrzGdecT79kkL3xJ548E5w9U44ixWjxMWL66-kM0XCi2QZTk4k-X2xJ_NfZSLX7qYSAfNmUSU/w640-h320/DSC_0142.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 12</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Old</b> and <b>age</b> with <b>people</b>... </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“<i>And all over the world nobody minded at all whether someone was old or young.
They were just interested in each other.</i>” </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiegG753U8wKI5qtW4iyjO3xh5Oz5xvJdK3z8SkBLxvQy4aQcVUghoe6EfDc2bphlV_vwd94hnXJbgER_2PK_0gsBJg18isPhD_6LS_-L_IHCsHiEMfIlxwPp4e2QCL2V21igl3osuwEMw/s2513/DSC_0144.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1251" data-original-width="2513" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiegG753U8wKI5qtW4iyjO3xh5Oz5xvJdK3z8SkBLxvQy4aQcVUghoe6EfDc2bphlV_vwd94hnXJbgER_2PK_0gsBJg18isPhD_6LS_-L_IHCsHiEMfIlxwPp4e2QCL2V21igl3osuwEMw/w640-h318/DSC_0144.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 14<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The last word in this poem is <b>despair</b>, which is replaced with <b>hope,</b> using yellow. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> “<i>All over the world children smiled.
They ran into the fields and up the hills looking at the beautiful new life growing all around.
I gave the world hope.” </i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The last page in the picturebook asks the question: <i><b>Can you change the world?</b></i> It provides prompts for readers and mediators to help children think about what they want to change and what colour to associate with it. The questions lead us through reflection around the symbolism of colour and how it makes us feel. Finally, the prompts encourage children to write their own poems. Through this picturebook we touch on the power of colour and the potential we all have for making change. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The more I look at <i>When I coloured in the world, </i>the more potential I think it has for the English language classroom… as I’ve said it contains much repetition and provides a clear structure for learners to be able to create their own poems, giving them an opportunity to take action through their recreations and feel empowered. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> I couldn’t find any resources online, but did find a wonderful example of what a group of <a href="https://www.stbernardsprep.org/page/?title=When+I+coloured+the+world&pid=68" target="_blank">school children</a> in the UK were able to do. They were in grade 5, so that's upper primary. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There is also a film of the book, created by the publisher, Tiny Owl. This is very structured and might be a useful follow up to the picturebook read aloud and for self-access purposes. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/meGah-0IMbQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="meGah-0IMbQ"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The voice over in the <a href="https://tinyowl.co.uk/buy-when-i-coloured-in-the-world/" target="_blank">trailer</a> asks us, "If you could use colour to make the world better, what would you change?" </span><i style="font-family: arial;">When I coloured in the world</i><span style="font-family: arial;"> has</span><i style="font-family: arial;"> </i><span style="font-family: arial;">been called a "child-empowering book" and when asking questions like that, it's not surprising! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;"> My work on this blog is </span><span style="background: white; font-family: times; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;">part of CETAPS' project </span><span style="background: white; font-family: times; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;">UIDB/04097/2020, funded by FCT</span></span></div>Sandie Mourãohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05937320913931497159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874408807553636390.post-77899398209013310602020-10-06T07:14:00.002+01:002020-10-08T06:32:16.788+01:00Welcome by Barroux: a picturebook about climate change and refugees<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC2eRunsA6yyh0_tZ0RMv71LYv1TrP6PHKV971VEouDkHAKuOmkGoQ8ZDC84v6tGzHmFOV8r7pQoQNBM0YY0sDhogcQGgZA1D5dGVbVKB6_wjKsViKZua1PoZ5zrSioFcmbih6RDEpnAc/s1593/DSC_001.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1593" data-original-width="1395" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC2eRunsA6yyh0_tZ0RMv71LYv1TrP6PHKV971VEouDkHAKuOmkGoQ8ZDC84v6tGzHmFOV8r7pQoQNBM0YY0sDhogcQGgZA1D5dGVbVKB6_wjKsViKZua1PoZ5zrSioFcmbih6RDEpnAc/w350-h400/DSC_001.jpeg" width="350" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front cover<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />This week’s blogpost features polar bears, often referred to as ‘the face of climate change’. But here, polar bears are not only losing their home, as it melts around them, they are used as a metaphor for the refugee crisis. </span><i style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Welcome/Barroux/9781499804447" target="_blank">Welcome</a></i><span style="font-family: arial;"> by the French illustrator <a href="http://www.barroux.info/" target="_blank">Barroux</a> was published by Egmont in 2016 and has been described as ‘a highly poignant story about the plight of migrants, pitched at a younger audience, in words and images that they can relate to.’ </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The front cover presents the two unlikely friends who meet at the end of this picturebook, a monkey and a polar bear. The perfect question to ask the children you share this picturebook with is how they think these two animals met. They will know polar bears live in the arctic and monkeys are usually associated with warmer climates (although snow monkeys from Japan can tolerate snowy temperatures as low as -15ºC). How did they meet? It wasn’t at the zoo that’s for sure! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQC0ro0W4XmD7DID50PqO5ZwcV663dZOhroYAwJMPZ_IrOzGEoCz07sanzjcW3ZlFre5uh3kHQaRtQ3glsCrcIa86dGF9hS4PFvA-VZ-AtZ1DADxNKvH1MdJz_TqDgI9jtDPt5LRsyQ4/s2048/DSC_002.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1151" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQC0ro0W4XmD7DID50PqO5ZwcV663dZOhroYAwJMPZ_IrOzGEoCz07sanzjcW3ZlFre5uh3kHQaRtQ3glsCrcIa86dGF9hS4PFvA-VZ-AtZ1DADxNKvH1MdJz_TqDgI9jtDPt5LRsyQ4/w640-h360/DSC_002.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Front endpapers</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The front endpapers are a beautiful azure blue, with little black squiggles helping us to interpret the pages as water. The title page replicates the front cover, with the two unlikely friends dancing together happily. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsHn3zR7l1NZE6vJMpw8C7aOgeX2R3o9hafUG3oBEf_IL8J6AI9ZTAe_KPxIkaF-tixbV1eMTAUL0u0WAjD2ruZKmQ4w0IYfkavXEVv-A8W7lEcpDts4NGxs8P8YulTP-XFQLR1w0qp2Q/s2048/DSC_004.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1162" data-original-width="2048" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsHn3zR7l1NZE6vJMpw8C7aOgeX2R3o9hafUG3oBEf_IL8J6AI9ZTAe_KPxIkaF-tixbV1eMTAUL0u0WAjD2ruZKmQ4w0IYfkavXEVv-A8W7lEcpDts4NGxs8P8YulTP-XFQLR1w0qp2Q/w640-h364/DSC_004.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 1</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Using the first-person, talking directly to the reader, the polar bear introduces himself to us “<i>I am a polar bear. That’s me paddling in the water near my friends. Life is quiet and peaceful on the ice, but wait a minute – what’s that noise?</i>” </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The polar bears are anthropomorphized, carrying fishing rods, reading books and paddling. Our storyteller is wearing a red scarf, which distinguishes him from the other bears throughout the picturebook. Animals with human characteristics are an oft-used literary device to establish a sense of emotional connection, making it easier to get involved in a particular story. Upon the turning of the page our polar bear is separated from his friend… </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>“We are drifting away, my friends cry. Hold on, I reply.” </i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl7DaVKy1oLkVGZmSETOpbJw15Fo1-SIwrzOYaunbg5UbAvIa61AZFT3wIY8ognbZHc7AQscFC4P0M5nbmMyPnyF7zauXquXGNAIviWRRVF_xnCwvmfKD7gYhX30jcCHEMbpqgVTzYwNI/s2048/DSC_005.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1150" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl7DaVKy1oLkVGZmSETOpbJw15Fo1-SIwrzOYaunbg5UbAvIa61AZFT3wIY8ognbZHc7AQscFC4P0M5nbmMyPnyF7zauXquXGNAIviWRRVF_xnCwvmfKD7gYhX30jcCHEMbpqgVTzYwNI/w640-h360/DSC_005.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 2</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> You’ll notice that the lettering is incorporated into the illustrations, subsumed as part of the illustration – words and images become one. <b><i>Crack</i></b> is written in large lettering, it not only denotes a loud sound, but serves to separate the polar bears, one left on the solid ice the others on a floating iceboat. Notice also, how key words are written in larger bold lettering in each sentence. This is a recurring technique and one that will help early readers in their association between the spoken and written words. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Something else to look out for it the way the illustrations fill the pages to the very edge, these are referred to as unbound images or unframed illustrations, as such the illustrations bleed off the page, engaging the viewer as a participant of the events they can see, they become part of the visual action on the pages. As viewers we become the polar bears and experience their plight. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3HggY12sCscQ9msj4FGsmtBQqpU4XJYdeJGuACIH7DYItVGPdK_eQnzZMNPeL_VL_Yp60D2Z_Bbfo1jItGhCZqzwPhVc3iKKDjCQ2NbZkWmMdtSkf8M66vWuPwG5FtnrOLF1roRR5cM/s2048/DSC_006.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="2048" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3HggY12sCscQ9msj4FGsmtBQqpU4XJYdeJGuACIH7DYItVGPdK_eQnzZMNPeL_VL_Yp60D2Z_Bbfo1jItGhCZqzwPhVc3iKKDjCQ2NbZkWmMdtSkf8M66vWuPwG5FtnrOLF1roRR5cM/w640-h362/DSC_006.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 3</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 3 shows the polar bears as tiny in a large blue ocean, “<i>And then it’s just the three of us - Floating in the middle of the big blue ocean</i>.” Even the use of “us” in the verbal text includes the viewer! And not only do the bears have human-like characteristics, but they also play our games too! “<i>I spy with my little eye, something beginning with W …</i>” </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The polar bears face bad weather, storms and a choppy sea and become desperate to find a new home… And what luck, they come upon land where cows live… “<i>Hello cows! We are looking for a new home. May we live here please?</i>” The cows, with similar shaped noses, decide that the polar bears don’t fit the bill … too furry, too tall and too bear-ish. The cows say “<i>Sorry!</i>”, which is very polite, but they won’t let the polar bears stay. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> “</span><i style="font-family: arial;">So off we go again. Looking for a new home.</i><span style="font-family: arial;">” The repetition of “new home”, which we’ve heard three times now, begins to sink in. Their iceboat is getting smaller and smaller, and the bears fit themselves onto it by sleeping on top of each other. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFXAm_q-ZlzoYI1RVJZJo3PNPUWx0-q0c9ZETV29r5MfntyHDsqhyphenhyphenMXVCeI5p1uleK3Nx4mlhP6UGdSx7KgAChVUNnT1hpo5DWGsFbWV-RPRcUG52L8LGfV46rcKN4CwXaVlAFgMe7JVA/s2048/DSC_0010.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1175" data-original-width="2048" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFXAm_q-ZlzoYI1RVJZJo3PNPUWx0-q0c9ZETV29r5MfntyHDsqhyphenhyphenMXVCeI5p1uleK3Nx4mlhP6UGdSx7KgAChVUNnT1hpo5DWGsFbWV-RPRcUG52L8LGfV46rcKN4CwXaVlAFgMe7JVA/w640-h368/DSC_0010.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 7</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Another possible “new home” … but Panda is not interested. Three is too many, there just isn’t enough space. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2KTJvtoO1CPp_oWMg4ElSWgO_i-p2OsuK9gNGMQLNevlXriqDS9tnGjgnClezkvf4x41NKYQeaaCuMFBUnaC_7KOTzeeZBHqlVuu_En22J4bGMxCP1KIr4IxI2VW4r2r8OJz0L9BRh48/s2048/DSC_0011.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1167" data-original-width="2048" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2KTJvtoO1CPp_oWMg4ElSWgO_i-p2OsuK9gNGMQLNevlXriqDS9tnGjgnClezkvf4x41NKYQeaaCuMFBUnaC_7KOTzeeZBHqlVuu_En22J4bGMxCP1KIr4IxI2VW4r2r8OJz0L9BRh48/w640-h364/DSC_0011.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 8</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The polar bears are desperate, “<i>We don’t have much time. HELP US!</i>” they plead. But the giraffes feign ignorance as they drink their tea, and the polar bears are forced to move on. Balancing on the smallest piece of ice they drift across the ocean … until they find “<i>… an empty island.</i>” How lucky is that! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNPHrl9mid3lEAYW0CpVpLIOqM2t_fCgN5YlsipoqY7Objlf5k-oMA8udXcrasNQ5ctupQNBuBNg8A9g0e1MCMqitCN4Y3TNDX5AGO8xnkyXhbHQKEeEIcRiHLDEq3I-yiKGBlOJaPIh4/s2048/DSC_0014.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1153" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNPHrl9mid3lEAYW0CpVpLIOqM2t_fCgN5YlsipoqY7Objlf5k-oMA8udXcrasNQ5ctupQNBuBNg8A9g0e1MCMqitCN4Y3TNDX5AGO8xnkyXhbHQKEeEIcRiHLDEq3I-yiKGBlOJaPIh4/w640-h360/DSC_0014.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 11</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The first thing the polar bears do is set up a badminton game! So much space and so little to do … but they are interrupted by three monkeys “<i>... looking for a new home.</i>” What do you think the polar bears do? Let them stay? Make excuses that there’s not enough badminton rackets? It’s the perfect place to stop and talk to the children about the options these polar bears have. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6PdcMZ7dB5dDHzq7kNEFxjwdWhC-EDdZ8BHozS_-TZ3l5m0VzAt4I08OMgqHC_p0Hz1pd5qh0NRIACmT8RHk3RCHWOLyLD1c5pj9W7Q0XdWKswBsxv5yZLOiM-8ru8ZmT_WZQuxNGjw/s2048/DSC_0015.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="2048" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6PdcMZ7dB5dDHzq7kNEFxjwdWhC-EDdZ8BHozS_-TZ3l5m0VzAt4I08OMgqHC_p0Hz1pd5qh0NRIACmT8RHk3RCHWOLyLD1c5pj9W7Q0XdWKswBsxv5yZLOiM-8ru8ZmT_WZQuxNGjw/w640-h358/DSC_0015.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 12</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">... of course, they welcome the monkeys and everything is hunky dory. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">So now you see why the monkey and the polar ear are on the front cover… they are the twist in the story, the positive encounter after a sequence of rebuffs, <i>Welcome</i> is a story of friendship, inclusiveness and acceptance. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPtzOZ1dntYxsMPWdDfRaOls5hr5hc256jP4ilphfx1KcNkWgZYjN73oMQkk11BtcyE_RPaBTZtKmaVxGfeFu2NOuxaSvMDObW_3ooULZSPNKCc7gHvLanjQXgwfg42ZhxuCylkG86f0/s2048/DSC_0016.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPtzOZ1dntYxsMPWdDfRaOls5hr5hc256jP4ilphfx1KcNkWgZYjN73oMQkk11BtcyE_RPaBTZtKmaVxGfeFu2NOuxaSvMDObW_3ooULZSPNKCc7gHvLanjQXgwfg42ZhxuCylkG86f0/w640-h360/DSC_0016.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Back endpapers</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">The back endpapers denote a passing of time, a move from being adrift in open sea to arriving on land. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i> Welcome</i> pulls our empathy strings and can be used to bring both the topic of climate change and refugees easily into our classrooms. I’d say that it makes talking about both these global issues so much easier precisely because children empathise with the polar bears plight, first due to the ice melting but then as they experience rejection again and again. The tables are turned in the last opening, as Barroux challenges the viewer to make their own decisions about what to do. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> While researching this picturebook I came across the <a href="https://polarbearsinternational.org/" target="_blank">Polar Bears International</a> site and a wonderful film which describes how polar bears are so perfectly adapted to live in the arctic.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Xbx6bqCjT0E" width="320" youtube-src-id="Xbx6bqCjT0E"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Together with <i>Welcome,</i> this film is sure to entice your students to take action and create posters, write letters and protest to save the polar bear. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>My work on this blog is </span><span style="background: white; font-family: times; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;">part of CETAPS' project </span><span style="background: white; font-family: times; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;">UIDB/04097/2020, funded by FCT</span></div>Sandie Mourãohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05937320913931497159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874408807553636390.post-60050116743375135112020-09-27T18:21:00.008+01:002021-08-27T11:01:09.804+01:00Me and my Fear: a picturebook about a friend called Fear<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmDgg-T-wvmK9hGXG0H3hWR2c5LRsmOtrQgIq2NoJ8Op489bvGWMqWvVRwLyGbBgwjnDYbVGVZK5Gyi6LcZVLbffDJHsa_49yjJ6ikUs_H9a6p2VR8s4GQYezhM_6gzIZHF4phQQvsBM/s1880/DSC_0128.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1880" data-original-width="1686" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmDgg-T-wvmK9hGXG0H3hWR2c5LRsmOtrQgIq2NoJ8Op489bvGWMqWvVRwLyGbBgwjnDYbVGVZK5Gyi6LcZVLbffDJHsa_49yjJ6ikUs_H9a6p2VR8s4GQYezhM_6gzIZHF4phQQvsBM/w359-h400/DSC_0128.jpg" width="359" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This week’s blogpost shares a picturebook that I’ve had on my shelf for a while, <i><a href="https://flyingeyebooks.com/shop/me-and-my-fear/?" target="_blank">Me and my Fear</a> </i>by <a href="https://francescasanna.com/" target="_blank">Francesca Sanna</a> published by Flying Eye Books (2018). It is the companion book to <a href="https://blog.picturebookmakers.com/post/166740075476/francesca-sanna" target="_blank">The journey</a>, Sanna’s debut picturebook. Sanna is both a designer and an illustrator and this makes for a special kind of picturebook illustrator. <i>The journey</i> and <i>Me and my Fear</i> have both been endorsed by Amnesty International and make a beautiful set, with their striking design and characteristic illustrations. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoYNIy3TVQ0JwOWUb6dcUgPcfNQ6sjqblmNG7FjsM_BVbOjTsaxRNfqblTxb7FvTUNvWtNiHQPX3MBgVDUG40Tn08dukoO2tRfunRgAe_WvqkmKt57YQgkiiz31nLPMFKP0m8hZGlJNRA/s2048/IMG_6108.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1316" data-original-width="2048" height="413" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoYNIy3TVQ0JwOWUb6dcUgPcfNQ6sjqblmNG7FjsM_BVbOjTsaxRNfqblTxb7FvTUNvWtNiHQPX3MBgVDUG40Tn08dukoO2tRfunRgAe_WvqkmKt57YQgkiiz31nLPMFKP0m8hZGlJNRA/w640-h413/IMG_6108.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">I have decided to blog on the second picturebook because I think it suits the beginning of the academic year (here in the northern hemisphere). <i>The journey</i> is told in the first-person plural, ‘we’, through the eyes of the girl child, and relates the journey a widowed mother and her two children make as they flee from war. <i>Me and my fear</i> is also told in the first-person, but this time it is the child talking about her own feelings, her fear of starting again in a new country and in particular starting a new school. This move from <i>we</i> to <i>I</i> is distinctive, and highly relevant for an emotion like fear, which is often singular and private. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The front cover depicts a child engulfed in an anthropomorphic, white shape - both are happy, visibly comfortable with each other. Ask your students what they think the shape is, or what it represents. Looking closely, the white shape is also a hill, and the same child is walking, in the rain, on its back… Sanna is from Italy and I wonder if this has influenced the shapes of the buildings in the background? And in the foreground, there’s a school bag, children might notice this, especially when you retell the picturebook. On the back cover, the same child is sitting happily on a rock, in the rain, but here she is holding a smaller version of the smiling, white shape. You might want to show the back cover once you’ve shared the picturebook and talk with your children about the two images and their interpretations. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-DWDZx8IkBtutJVM_inmKchEVzLsJZG20mr5omwfDbYSSIuU8-htzenXqMhuYKtQnLfrKDtPLX8wfZwOPekcgLZThNn95Cc6Olj_qq5M4tNzXLDYgKEliGfyOnqdKtmuO-SURZ_huO5g/s2048/DSC_0129.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1197" data-original-width="2048" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-DWDZx8IkBtutJVM_inmKchEVzLsJZG20mr5omwfDbYSSIuU8-htzenXqMhuYKtQnLfrKDtPLX8wfZwOPekcgLZThNn95Cc6Olj_qq5M4tNzXLDYgKEliGfyOnqdKtmuO-SURZ_huO5g/w640-h374/DSC_0129.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front endpapers<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> The front endpapers are interesting, but at first glance not easy to decipher … blue splodges and scattered toys … things become clearer once you’ve shared the picturebook, no stress! But, the children might notice the little red book is called ‘The scariest book ever’! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhFgMj_E0zDSQNMJAZOSvbO5526959-aobrF3Z90Lb9GlMkBFdnBBuCb1Wa0Ay_EHKIJEseO5iieXm9yGft9-L5YgaCey2NGlTAg5rScNp_j9aOMdwcmVS38XWAuLikDjtxZEPqYYBiz0/s2048/DSC_0130.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1225" data-original-width="2048" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhFgMj_E0zDSQNMJAZOSvbO5526959-aobrF3Z90Lb9GlMkBFdnBBuCb1Wa0Ay_EHKIJEseO5iieXm9yGft9-L5YgaCey2NGlTAg5rScNp_j9aOMdwcmVS38XWAuLikDjtxZEPqYYBiz0/w640-h382/DSC_0130.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dedication and title page</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /> The dedication is to Sanna’s parents ‘To mum, who would encourage me to draw my fears, and to my dad, who would share some of his fears with me’. The title page is a contrast with the front cover, same child, same white shape holding and protecting her, but here the girl is thoughtful looking out at the reader. Something your children might notice and comment on. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxLrt3FmcVTq5krsGHKXcJGs7tBYSLUIXpwSvZidfoi5ITbh6ao4kUJImWweIXpOf2R2FBwwD0Z2CTeYX6aYowD107YbmYo2piMZ5Ah1vdNBm9vB2GOW6KV7PL1odxt4oLgiVfOvnrE4Y/s2048/DSC_0131.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1231" data-original-width="2048" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxLrt3FmcVTq5krsGHKXcJGs7tBYSLUIXpwSvZidfoi5ITbh6ao4kUJImWweIXpOf2R2FBwwD0Z2CTeYX6aYowD107YbmYo2piMZ5Ah1vdNBm9vB2GOW6KV7PL1odxt4oLgiVfOvnrE4Y/w640-h384/DSC_0131.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 1<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> ‘I have always had a secret. A tiny secret called Fear’. These are great opening words … so that’s the white shape, her fear. We are told and shown how Fear has kept her safe, how together they have ‘… explored new things and stuck by each other’. We see the girl, and her tiny Fear, looking out over a huge cliff, peeking under her bed and facing four barking dogs. Fear can be a good thing </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRaXAc7rLGwvqjADKwSP5eo4Hu_UMJT1L-Ca__Df-s9S_cPwrFEQxYDvaPj9vhKemy_siDu-KkK0dwvhMO_OTyDj82UrgjnhFHL8wtwjISSj7A3zWAN2oWg1d3C1BDCBsQ12-Tt0qB5-A/s2048/DSC_0133.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="2048" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRaXAc7rLGwvqjADKwSP5eo4Hu_UMJT1L-Ca__Df-s9S_cPwrFEQxYDvaPj9vhKemy_siDu-KkK0dwvhMO_OTyDj82UrgjnhFHL8wtwjISSj7A3zWAN2oWg1d3C1BDCBsQ12-Tt0qB5-A/w640-h386/DSC_0133.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 3<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />But that was before ‘… since we came to this new country, Fear isn’t so little anymore. She keeps growing and growing.’ Across the spread in Opening 3, fear is depicted from tiny to even bigger than the girl, represented in six different figures. One looks out at the rain through the window … something many of us take for granted. Is she afraid of rain? I turned back to Opening 1 and realize that it is warm and sunny there, everyone is wearing light clothes and the summer insects abound. Here in Opening 3 the girl is wearing thick winter clothes and it is dark outside. Everything is so different. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrXEdaDPgB5paglKYkSd7pH1Tg6hBJPn_efbk_Lq1yhwmHMSLs4dJ-lzJSolX1FqkmeUQc6OunoeWFLC0tG1NcD4-5MP0kHAchiKqIkILFeSuOjrHSDlpVNqrLamWZSNgaCyHdE-e7jJs/s2048/DSC_0135.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1249" data-original-width="2048" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrXEdaDPgB5paglKYkSd7pH1Tg6hBJPn_efbk_Lq1yhwmHMSLs4dJ-lzJSolX1FqkmeUQc6OunoeWFLC0tG1NcD4-5MP0kHAchiKqIkILFeSuOjrHSDlpVNqrLamWZSNgaCyHdE-e7jJs/w640-h390/DSC_0135.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 5<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Fear is enormous and fills the girl’s room. ‘…Fear won’t move’ smiling and comfy, she blocks the door and the window and the girl can’t get out, even though she tries.
And when it’s time to come to school, it’s raining again. In Opening 5 we discover that Fear doesn’t want the girl to go to school, she doesn’t like the rain, she doesn’t like it when the teacher can’t say the girl’s name either. As readers we are beginning to realise what it must be like for someone new, who comes from a different place. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTtap_2X9a3WFj0DEwYEM7nTEgjBu5TbJRiykhRr3WrwrSx4JbdRaeVc3qGantkkQlvDkPX6dmQYPSgYqGTd3JIsrtFPyhrTuvpj_9yfh5QZ5pu-1eoVFBwV0Ep5JA5IRGgRP74NUSsl8/s2048/DSC_0136.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1273" data-original-width="2048" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTtap_2X9a3WFj0DEwYEM7nTEgjBu5TbJRiykhRr3WrwrSx4JbdRaeVc3qGantkkQlvDkPX6dmQYPSgYqGTd3JIsrtFPyhrTuvpj_9yfh5QZ5pu-1eoVFBwV0Ep5JA5IRGgRP74NUSsl8/w640-h398/DSC_0136.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 6<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Fear sits hugging the child, happy to have her to herself, but the child is struggling, trying to get away, as everyone watches, showing interest and openness. Children are depicted throughout this picturebook as diverse in race and ethnicity, and so our main character is no different, but she doesn’t understand them. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdabowW0fH1HCECKo5iqTGC75xcfQfVu2FnLAQpaKZ0XmTVKRFzrCjc3wP9EXGpDyn1-OBQ_8Fimb39YI6AGhsDr4gQFQqgh1z7JesDFb5vjIQQkkifjU_zYQNDDFYFuAVUWVrBS1QzGg/s2048/DSC_0139.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1255" data-original-width="2048" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdabowW0fH1HCECKo5iqTGC75xcfQfVu2FnLAQpaKZ0XmTVKRFzrCjc3wP9EXGpDyn1-OBQ_8Fimb39YI6AGhsDr4gQFQqgh1z7JesDFb5vjIQQkkifjU_zYQNDDFYFuAVUWVrBS1QzGg/w640-h392/DSC_0139.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 9<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Fear wants to go home, where she feels safe. At home, Fear is depicted as happy alongside the child, who becomes visibly more uncomfortable. Fear stops her from sleeping... here in Opening 9 Fear's dreams are loud and keep the girl awake. Fear tells her that no-one likes her.
Until one day, a child approaches and that first connection is made and Fear quickly becomes smaller, holding tightly onto the girl as she plays with her new friend. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF7tz5-KXMkMfA-JMI7Uf41X2DNZErfPho-O4vitdBGvelBvC6BwxGFPHC1jDkFwiVH4XrsYqCGU5wTQlaziXHb8sVgZGyFEAzMm3NGlq2vG06rN0WfAyOge_W20gZHQh7OL4JSIsjQiQ/s2048/DSC_0143.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1228" data-original-width="2048" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF7tz5-KXMkMfA-JMI7Uf41X2DNZErfPho-O4vitdBGvelBvC6BwxGFPHC1jDkFwiVH4XrsYqCGU5wTQlaziXHb8sVgZGyFEAzMm3NGlq2vG06rN0WfAyOge_W20gZHQh7OL4JSIsjQiQ/w640-h384/DSC_0143.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 13<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Together, the girl and her Fear, discover that the boy has his own ‘something small and strange’, his own fear. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg69tFCTczu-buRO7k4cQ-TdsdDfZtfL4NcPx2JUKZycuop31afRrIHImF1XdKYcW2mj5zUk4nvxRy1QUA_Kt7NiGG4zfq9Zt5fHxtnWAPnGUYiENv5hLIAyzZTVQnHpoSxICseDb5xckI/s2048/DSC_0145.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1209" data-original-width="2048" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg69tFCTczu-buRO7k4cQ-TdsdDfZtfL4NcPx2JUKZycuop31afRrIHImF1XdKYcW2mj5zUk4nvxRy1QUA_Kt7NiGG4zfq9Zt5fHxtnWAPnGUYiENv5hLIAyzZTVQnHpoSxICseDb5xckI/w640-h378/DSC_0145.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 15<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />She doesn't understand everything, but now that she knows that everyone has a Fear, the girl’s life becomes bearable. Don’t miss those back endpapers which help us see that each of the objects we saw on the front endpapers were being used / held by different fears, we can see them now ... how symbolic!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLq89PPdb49FRSC23o0vVwBo2herzzAhq9u117xlZEfKyUkQUVgW71uGJ5BknWvez0TpiqKZ3midyMrJzLb383DXI7-EyyCeYDhKL9ALBptxwPdroG6nQTjdROlp3nkEHzzFtD8ISBlE/s2048/DSC_0147.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1231" data-original-width="2048" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLq89PPdb49FRSC23o0vVwBo2herzzAhq9u117xlZEfKyUkQUVgW71uGJ5BknWvez0TpiqKZ3midyMrJzLb383DXI7-EyyCeYDhKL9ALBptxwPdroG6nQTjdROlp3nkEHzzFtD8ISBlE/w640-h384/DSC_0147.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back endpapers<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There’s also a message there from Francesca Sanna, who tells us how afraid she was when creating this picturebook and another message from Amnesty International:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Endorsed by Amnesty International for reminding us that every child has the right to express their feelings, relax and play with friends.</i> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqXNCdbVBa7Rjo_b70Olrk6acN7utgAhIl7mCuIhGBMy6kAUok2gjvk3NIsDZiqTugCnbWYnDcTQG17zX3bvtw7CJdH_PgzHHnn_gh55VyWBaLu-fiOxOHKwD6F-VO1xHCDV7hyphenhyphenR6k0zM/s2048/IMG_6109.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqXNCdbVBa7Rjo_b70Olrk6acN7utgAhIl7mCuIhGBMy6kAUok2gjvk3NIsDZiqTugCnbWYnDcTQG17zX3bvtw7CJdH_PgzHHnn_gh55VyWBaLu-fiOxOHKwD6F-VO1xHCDV7hyphenhyphenR6k0zM/s320/IMG_6109.JPG" /></a></div><br />Don't forget to show the back cover and the image of the child holding Fear, the reverse of the front cover illustration. It's definitely something to get your children talking. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I’ve really enjoyed writing this blog post, as I’ve found so many connections as I’ve looked more closely through the spreads. Do leave a copy of this picturebook in the classroom, so children can book browse, they too will find symbolism in the illustrations and enjoy making their own connections. And of course retell this picturebook, and give time and space for comments and discussion as well as plan for extension activities which allow for children to share own fears. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Flying Eye Books have a <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/sh/b3hsf1ps7uozsim/AADOqRr4FuGJEjJoI4SPwdV0a?dl=0" target="_blank">classroom kit</a> for you to download, with ideas for discussion prompts and writing and drawing prompts with templates. There’s also a poster which can be used to remind children of the importance of welcoming others, as well as respecting each other’s fears.
What better way to help children empathise with newcomers and reflect on how to help them become a welcome and loved part of their school community. Magical!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 13.3333px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 13.3333px;">My work on this blog is </span><span style="background: white; font-family: times; font-size: 13.3333px;">part of CETAPS' project </span><span style="background: white; font-family: times; font-size: 13.3333px;">UIDB/04097/2020, funded by FCT</span></div></div></div>Sandie Mourãohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05937320913931497159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874408807553636390.post-70027160879317595382020-09-20T22:31:00.004+01:002020-09-27T17:55:46.491+01:00EGG: an entertaining picturebook about difference<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1805" data-original-width="1812" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhudCkXcwV6wrRAe-2Q0InCrQHXkv8ELgLX6Iq3gt6RdIsV4BxOoIHetTGUy0Z4dWmYi1oxdWvl1x8YMJjTFNZ5zR5r75cjKORDZQSvGjtW7mMNG9ogOcNwtatMD4l3uB65AAXyyh-birI/w320-h319/DSC_0112+%25281%2529.jpg" title="Front cover" width="320" /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Front cover</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When is an egg not an egg? </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">That is the question this very simple, but skilfully created picturebook tries to answer. <i>EGG</i> is by <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/authors/Sue-Hendra/65784677" target="_blank">Sue Hendra </a>and <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/authors/Paul-Linnet/576584528" target="_blank">Paul Linnet</a> and published by Macmillan Children’s Books (2020). Hendra and Linnet are an interesting author-illustrator pair, as they both write and they both draw. Together they have created a long list of picturebooks … one of my favourites is <i>No Bot, the robot with no bottom</i>, and another is <i>Barry the fish with fingers</i>. But <i>EGG</i> is a little different – it’s funny, like all their creations, but the underlying message is why it is worthy of a blog post. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Blurb on the back of the book says: </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"Everyone knows that eggs have pointy tops and big bottoms – but what happens when an upside down egg turns up? Will this egg ever be accepted by the others?" </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The shape of the book itself is unusual, an egg-shape. An egg is presented on the cover… standing proudly, holding the title like a label, ‘EGG’. Did you even notice that it was upside down? Those big circular eyes look innocently out at the reader urging us all to believe, ‘I am an egg!’. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gRj3nnbmqVKayC7eM2G-38IKFgdGnuhgD-xfmpWbYstZDYHzLNbdhsTehE0S2v8RsXiion_yd5gSLlXaGAULy-F2uHIfz4XM6bLg8cgeOeNRgYBH4JS_wPHZPTGKyuQ-6j4La7NQYNs/s2048/DSC_0113+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1122" data-original-width="2048" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gRj3nnbmqVKayC7eM2G-38IKFgdGnuhgD-xfmpWbYstZDYHzLNbdhsTehE0S2v8RsXiion_yd5gSLlXaGAULy-F2uHIfz4XM6bLg8cgeOeNRgYBH4JS_wPHZPTGKyuQ-6j4La7NQYNs/w640-h350/DSC_0113+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">End papers</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> I have the paperback version so page 1 has a cute prologue illustration of two eggs looking a little dubious about what’s to come. It opens onto a brightly coloured set of endpapers … replicating the eggs’ Easter egg-like colours! In fact, <i>EGG</i> was published just in time for Easter this year. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWYOiJBEmA2kwdnaB0DqlC5SKn4WVilrpgPEXgL9VBv3FSKcai7R-KVZe9Sa2iCKX9A0P0zu_XZze9EC3eIhnMpH1iXkakqxN9UPv0yNIokxnzgqTX6H0BW3DfYgf-oTpIAUsNOtCGE_w/s2048/DSC_0114+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="2048" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWYOiJBEmA2kwdnaB0DqlC5SKn4WVilrpgPEXgL9VBv3FSKcai7R-KVZe9Sa2iCKX9A0P0zu_XZze9EC3eIhnMpH1iXkakqxN9UPv0yNIokxnzgqTX6H0BW3DfYgf-oTpIAUsNOtCGE_w/w640-h344/DSC_0114+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: center;">Dedication and title pages</div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">The dedication has another similar egg character doing a flip under ‘For Hannah’. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">The title page presents the upside-down egg again, waving out at us… the title in big bold capital letters telling us ‘This is an egg’. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmu9xuk_VQZojvGMcsRfIGlju_xHafi15V-4KDP_xkBJz1gnWTpy2O2YKbyrOVpbjtZC5ZMZL2dBKPELJ9cosZv_6WUc2dEutTxx6p6n55nuHKPMBne7IFdCjiVFgNn7lTTc0HMuM7WEw/s2048/DSC_0115+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1116" data-original-width="2048" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmu9xuk_VQZojvGMcsRfIGlju_xHafi15V-4KDP_xkBJz1gnWTpy2O2YKbyrOVpbjtZC5ZMZL2dBKPELJ9cosZv_6WUc2dEutTxx6p6n55nuHKPMBne7IFdCjiVFgNn7lTTc0HMuM7WEw/w640-h348/DSC_0115+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Opening 1</div><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 1 is a row of eggs, just like our main character …well almost. They all have pointy heads and round bottoms. Each is <i>an egg</i>. Notice how there are no capital letters, this is something which runs through the picturebook, not once do we see the word 'egg' with a capital E, despite the punctuation which follows it. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyXLxM7WOlGzTfCFBArgoTMTNrIHQgm4XVRjGy0yFpBAn8mgJvinXYhxqxSddUdazlilQxN6BO8q1LEImPzkWapMwhoZutUo-EsiPIqflVrRONWXFLBUQUj6eb-jOO9Ug1TXxH7uYC518/s2048/DSC_0117+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="2048" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyXLxM7WOlGzTfCFBArgoTMTNrIHQgm4XVRjGy0yFpBAn8mgJvinXYhxqxSddUdazlilQxN6BO8q1LEImPzkWapMwhoZutUo-EsiPIqflVrRONWXFLBUQUj6eb-jOO9Ug1TXxH7uYC518/w640-h344/DSC_0117+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Opening 3</div><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And so upside-down egg appears, and the neat line of eggs cluster together and ask, ‘egg?’. In opening 3, they draw a picture to explain why they are unsure. Poor upside-down egg is a little confused.
The following spreads show us the different ways the eggs try to help upside-down egg look like them. They turn it upside down and decide ‘egg!’. Upside-down egg looks uncomfortable and moves its legs ... that confuses all the other eggs again!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_5ccsyp8QLly5U1iT00mPgGrzBp-Q7WgR4cQ2QtmMyROIO8U4a8VOqSVizowxgy2xEALncDRy-LVW9F6pJ2MiSHLr-H1-ZVaEc8hTwz9UcVoY-Ywx4P6tDlea6HJsV5pz_heq-eDzoRw/s2048/DSC_0121+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1092" data-original-width="2048" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_5ccsyp8QLly5U1iT00mPgGrzBp-Q7WgR4cQ2QtmMyROIO8U4a8VOqSVizowxgy2xEALncDRy-LVW9F6pJ2MiSHLr-H1-ZVaEc8hTwz9UcVoY-Ywx4P6tDlea6HJsV5pz_heq-eDzoRw/w640-h342/DSC_0121+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 7</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Next the eggs cover upside-down egg’s legs with a hat, then boots and a skirt for its arms, then glasses to make it look like it has eyes. Poor upside-down egg. The different punctuation here works really nicely with the illustrations. But of course, it doesn’t work, and the poor upside-down egg gets dizzy and falls down. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjf47JKOsyCjZJTkwAMA4bFSDj6lPbqc-jeaGY_JerY8-yam0MZGfvmqr15aQozyOCuHahxOsnyX8SW9Rh9i2lbGgwFVdL9yjlOQnjjR5a-89fEXwR-VSxNaqk4hFGTD5H2V_6sX1FydU/s2048/DSC_0123+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1097" data-original-width="2048" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjf47JKOsyCjZJTkwAMA4bFSDj6lPbqc-jeaGY_JerY8-yam0MZGfvmqr15aQozyOCuHahxOsnyX8SW9Rh9i2lbGgwFVdL9yjlOQnjjR5a-89fEXwR-VSxNaqk4hFGTD5H2V_6sX1FydU/w640-h342/DSC_0123+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Opening 9</div><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This is where the narrative turns. The upside-down egg takes control. ‘EGG!’, it says. And beckons the other eggs to a trampoline, where they all bounce around and all look the same, some with pointy ends up and others with pointy ends down. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX6DuoA14QPu0SzK1lfJ2Go6VqkNDvsLCjcsGdbyc6Xk0s1r6mfdPhQMJas9SMXWQrJlv1_0qi5HY9lNocerXPx305Re8DMWXM6sauHzVqpihizQwiFQcO19OET4aIbIGXT7_pf8qbdLE/s2048/DSC_0126+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1105" data-original-width="2048" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX6DuoA14QPu0SzK1lfJ2Go6VqkNDvsLCjcsGdbyc6Xk0s1r6mfdPhQMJas9SMXWQrJlv1_0qi5HY9lNocerXPx305Re8DMWXM6sauHzVqpihizQwiFQcO19OET4aIbIGXT7_pf8qbdLE/w640-h346/DSC_0126+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Opening 11</div><br />The eggs are convinced, at last, that the upside-down egg <i>is</i> an egg. See how ‘eggs.’ has a full-stop after it, as confirmation! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbcPmu4AMZ21RJjct0mkTIo_H1P7gve2JjqMLQUxwbswhq8AgWawI1POqk_3ShyX-kXYuCtOeiTQVnW_2c-UFVRIPgsjDAobTOvw3liBixJT_XWgXWUQnM8Qp3UlZHL_WGWU0c4nSoldU/s2048/DSC_0127+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1109" data-original-width="2048" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbcPmu4AMZ21RJjct0mkTIo_H1P7gve2JjqMLQUxwbswhq8AgWawI1POqk_3ShyX-kXYuCtOeiTQVnW_2c-UFVRIPgsjDAobTOvw3liBixJT_XWgXWUQnM8Qp3UlZHL_WGWU0c4nSoldU/w640-h346/DSC_0127+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Opening 12</div><br />But wait! That’s not the end… along comes a side-ways egg. What are those three eggs thinking? Not the same thing for sure! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Using just one word, ‘egg’ (in both singular and plural) and an array of punctuation marks, Hendra and Linnet juxtapose word and illustration very cleverly. Returning to spreads you keep finding little details, connections between the look on an egg’s face or the position of a leg, arm or mouth. Simple lines which result in a witty, entertaining picturebook which can be introduced to children from pre-primary through to upper-primary, depending on how you decide to develop the post-picturebook activities. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">One post-picturebook extension activity might be having children role-play the different scenes, getting the feel for saying ‘egg’ in different ways. You could also ask children to consider how the eggs feel on the different spreads. Older children might enjoy writing short scripts for some of the conversation or thoughts the eggs might be having in some of the illustrations. But what must not be overlooked is the opportunity for talk and interpretation around <i>EGG</i>, o</span><span style="font-family: arial;">lder children will be able to talk more around their interpretations of the underlying message, while younger children will be able to do this in their L1. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>EGG</i> is a picturebook about acceptance, difference, belonging, perseverance … amazing that something so simple can be so rich.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y73kXc4UiKM" width="320" youtube-src-id="Y73kXc4UiKM"></iframe></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> I couldn’t find any resources for <i>EGG</i>, except a short film of Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet telling <i>EGG </i>on <a href="https://www.booktrust.org.uk/hometime" target="_blank">BookTrust Home time</a>. Watching it might give teachers some ideas for how to tell this picturebook, which is surprisingly difficult, considering it only has one word, so do practice well before sharing it! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;">My work on this blog is </span><span style="background: white; font-family: times; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;">part of CETAPS' project </span><span style="background: white; font-family: times; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;">UIDB/04097/2020, funded by FCT</span></div>Sandie Mourãohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05937320913931497159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874408807553636390.post-39659596130943372772020-09-14T23:04:00.003+01:002020-09-14T23:15:36.950+01:00While we can't hug ... "Tutto andrà bene"<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEits1SVL00zC2uagj9VLENEY0MFj2xuVXthMu_XKZ7gNwZ3CDp-4qvPyiumx9KNWNPogzausXgn6aYm_nxGp64YKoC-vhAtz9yjhFd2vuje8FPOxVJ4ztPZt8TMwjmjJgHO-SnDtaiDXpY/s1664/DSC_0113.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1644" data-original-width="1664" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEits1SVL00zC2uagj9VLENEY0MFj2xuVXthMu_XKZ7gNwZ3CDp-4qvPyiumx9KNWNPogzausXgn6aYm_nxGp64YKoC-vhAtz9yjhFd2vuje8FPOxVJ4ztPZt8TMwjmjJgHO-SnDtaiDXpY/s320/DSC_0113.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Front cover, paperback</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Last week I spoke to a teacher friend who described her students wanting to hug her during lessons, yet she had been given clear instructions to keep her distance and not touch the children. She was visibly unhappy, not because she didn’t like beginning hugged, but because she didn’t know how to help children understand something which is so alien to them. I told her all about the picturebook </span><i style="font-family: arial;">While we can’t hug, </i><span style="font-family: arial;">written by Eoin McLaughlin and illustrated </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://www.pollydunbar.com/" target="_blank">Polly Dunbar</a>, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">published by Faber & Faber (2020).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Some of you may have discovered <i>The hug, </i>the prequel to <i>While we can’t hug, </i>which introduces two rather unhuggable creatures, Hedgehog and Tortoise, who are desperate for some physical contact, finally they meet and hug, and become ‘As happy as a hug can make you …’ </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>While we can’t hug </i>is about finding alternative ways to show someone you love them. You can read an <a href="https://www.booktrust.org.uk/news-and-features/features/2020/june/while-we-cant-hug-eoin-mclaughlin-on-writing-a-physical-distancing-picture-book/" target="_blank">interview</a> by Eoin McLaughlin, which explains why he wanted to write <i>While we can’t hug</i>. It targets younger children, and is perfect for pre-primary and early primary children learning English.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0zZ7tPd9ge2cUYkm8NCyu0sztKQLVGfimmdS_ZFClzuhIAfPV7Ej2VYBldsgXwfvPlQJBt8M5XHaIfGiyBNGHanTTB0B6MH5eXZgRMEEBPyGtEvLl1FggcgfBq9hysJyGxTSYVIE9nZc/s2048/DSC_0114.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1121" data-original-width="2048" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0zZ7tPd9ge2cUYkm8NCyu0sztKQLVGfimmdS_ZFClzuhIAfPV7Ej2VYBldsgXwfvPlQJBt8M5XHaIfGiyBNGHanTTB0B6MH5eXZgRMEEBPyGtEvLl1FggcgfBq9hysJyGxTSYVIE9nZc/w500-h274/DSC_0114.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front and back covers<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The front and back covers make one whole image, and show Tortoise and Hedgehog dancing, happily facing each other, with stars twinkling around them and united by a rainbow, the COVID19 rainbow, representing hope. T</span><span style="font-family: arial;">his is the rainbow we have seen in windows around the world, along with the Italian message, "Tutto andrà bene".</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> Children will recognise this symbol and want to talk about it. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">The cover oozes happiness and it’s the perfect opportunity to ask children what they think they might do instead of hugging their loved ones. </span></div></span><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">My paperback version doesn’t have any endpapers and opens onto the dedication, ‘For all children who can’t hug the ones they love’. The title page covers a double spread and replicates the front cover. However here, as we are opening the book, we experience the gutter as dividing line between the facing pages. Hedgehog and Tortoise are always shown in the same place on each facing page, Hedgehog on the verso and Tortoise on recto, separated.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlWzKUn3eQ_xHc8Llq5dNB8HzSQW_pxvc-PkTuaVhkSO0MhSEVRl2sae9ErMtu_8nHLJs9U81F30xW8oxrEB0M35l6CXGiApwsl5H2F3V2tLbK4z0kB-_k34kPGAf7WLlfi8zjFB6LmTs/s2048/DSC_0117.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1043" data-original-width="2048" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlWzKUn3eQ_xHc8Llq5dNB8HzSQW_pxvc-PkTuaVhkSO0MhSEVRl2sae9ErMtu_8nHLJs9U81F30xW8oxrEB0M35l6CXGiApwsl5H2F3V2tLbK4z0kB-_k34kPGAf7WLlfi8zjFB6LmTs/w500-h255/DSC_0117.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 1<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We are reminded that Hedgehog and Tortoise are “… the best of friends”. But, as we all know, “…they aren’t allowed to touch”. They look over at each other, from recto to verso, dismayed. It is owl who jumps into the empty space between them and explains “There are lots of ways to show someone you love them.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">What follows is a sequence of different actions, getting gradually more animated …<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOe4LAJVt4eCEKeOhvzwsYdJdmuXb2nXZRqP7zEMsF_PSjLex_KAyinqt5fZYNJoV02eGqdX6P-xiQ7-Fp_hyphenhyphen-OhSNGLxKYoTJWdG0xhpri0oxtucvMvNkhNokIeYLnPlmh5zKH-oeKRo/s2523/DSC_0120.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1247" data-original-width="2523" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOe4LAJVt4eCEKeOhvzwsYdJdmuXb2nXZRqP7zEMsF_PSjLex_KAyinqt5fZYNJoV02eGqdX6P-xiQ7-Fp_hyphenhyphen-OhSNGLxKYoTJWdG0xhpri0oxtucvMvNkhNokIeYLnPlmh5zKH-oeKRo/w500-h248/DSC_0120.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 4</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A wave from Hedgehog makes Tortoise smile. Tortoise makes a funny face and Hedgehog laughs. They write letters to each other. They dance for each other.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKkf_ZQm_4PnSOf_oBlbLtdyW3IgLanyFUrPwnuuPIQUlw02f8-MrYjAdsezwhiZ2G9gFVI3Ma9umRrE5FTKFDofkEKWg42tZFHQjKJc-Sul8kQbk-P39Z8EXjPFRLhuk7pmcuFxgaANw/s2538/DSC_0124.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1239" data-original-width="2538" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKkf_ZQm_4PnSOf_oBlbLtdyW3IgLanyFUrPwnuuPIQUlw02f8-MrYjAdsezwhiZ2G9gFVI3Ma9umRrE5FTKFDofkEKWg42tZFHQjKJc-Sul8kQbk-P39Z8EXjPFRLhuk7pmcuFxgaANw/w500-h244/DSC_0124.jpg" width="500" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 8<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They blow kisses, Hedgehog blows one and Tortoise blows three in return … In opening 8, Hedgehog is leaping high as tries to catch the wafting kisses.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They make music, as Tortoise sings, Hedgehog plays the guitar.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsSphRYkGAmhSIPiVdBbK_X1Z3zGBcqzpCSzzlAFG8jSWgxyaiC1hFYghCTdfXBkoLpAEMDBuci51wVXzl2oJb7UiMqqEFI2KSN0APv4mYPfdZ4tjhPF6x0cxtoOtMSmyCxXCQK6N-B2g/s2048/DSC_0126.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1047" data-original-width="2048" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsSphRYkGAmhSIPiVdBbK_X1Z3zGBcqzpCSzzlAFG8jSWgxyaiC1hFYghCTdfXBkoLpAEMDBuci51wVXzl2oJb7UiMqqEFI2KSN0APv4mYPfdZ4tjhPF6x0cxtoOtMSmyCxXCQK6N-B2g/w500-h256/DSC_0126.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 10</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />They paint pictures, and the illustrations show us they each create a rainbow – that rainbow of hope. Many of your children will have drawn or painted rainbows for their windows at home, they are likely to want to talk about this here too. </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVsskmXU0KJ-TkFI4kgk7y7SwMSvIw6ZpaAUQZ0SbwFa8KD6haRZOBzVVorPytPnLM3pJtFM0m2YapsvZdrGspxAGAAeJ6a1QT6QSO7WQxUD4WGdJyMrcI1Oaaf85SY2YOmVm6PNfzYbE/s2048/DSC_0129.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="2048" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVsskmXU0KJ-TkFI4kgk7y7SwMSvIw6ZpaAUQZ0SbwFa8KD6haRZOBzVVorPytPnLM3pJtFM0m2YapsvZdrGspxAGAAeJ6a1QT6QSO7WQxUD4WGdJyMrcI1Oaaf85SY2YOmVm6PNfzYbE/w500-h254/DSC_0129.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 14</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />It rains and it is sunny … perfect rainbow weather. As the rainbow starts at their feet, we turn the page to see it cross the gutter, uniting the two unlikely friends. Their friendship remains for even though they cannot hug, ‘…they both knew that they were loved’.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAMFrYSA3dUu0LjBbYaSMCc1LUKleY6DqnZcev-NxzI3XjjkHVuFNGkAyOmE2XFJL5ljkRGqYrpEsOjRA8vc_hQRpaeHgZa_Jfar9jEYLUdzoCk6dUN46as71NUXVXIQzg4HDGM4qGuQA/s2048/DSC_0130.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="2048" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAMFrYSA3dUu0LjBbYaSMCc1LUKleY6DqnZcev-NxzI3XjjkHVuFNGkAyOmE2XFJL5ljkRGqYrpEsOjRA8vc_hQRpaeHgZa_Jfar9jEYLUdzoCk6dUN46as71NUXVXIQzg4HDGM4qGuQA/w500-h254/DSC_0130.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 15</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Picturebooks are excellent for modelling behaviour, and this is one of the many reasons we incorporate them into our ELT classes, for children to see how to behave and how to relate to others. Hedgehog and Tortoise never tell us why they can’t touch, it isn’t necessary, the rainbow and this historic moment are all that is needed. Picturebooks are never experienced in a vacuum, children bring their knowledge of the world with them, and as simple as this picturebook might seem, it is teaming with meaning.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Many teachers will have started their lessons already … and there’s no time to buy the picturebook. There is a solution … the publishers launched this picturebook with its very own animated version.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2PnnFrPaRgY" width="320" youtube-src-id="2PnnFrPaRgY"></iframe></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Youtube film by Faber & Faber is easy to share, and though second best to the picturebook, it can be followed up with a real picturebook read-aloud when your post man delivers.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>My work on this blog is </span><span style="background: white; font-family: times; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;">part of CETAPS' project </span><span style="background: white; font-family: times; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;">UIDB/04097/2020, funded by FCT</span></p><div><div><div class="msocomtxt" id="_com_3" language="JavaScript"><p class="MsoCommentText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p></div></div></div></div>Sandie Mourãohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05937320913931497159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874408807553636390.post-33598099350019003982020-09-06T21:58:00.003+01:002021-05-31T08:56:41.178+01:00The day war came: A visual poem for child refugees <p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4srPLgN3vGsFtp2e_Kp54P-naaVUzCnQbs66keOSzwaip_VXgmyM0-hTWRo3g4X7tfB0JxmAdtcq_2CgGKAI4mBuK7xxZ6o6mNsGwqmlg8KaZ3B0fSW3k0pUPvTkCS7sMjV4fNY2M5Xw/s2048/DSC_0093.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1721" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4srPLgN3vGsFtp2e_Kp54P-naaVUzCnQbs66keOSzwaip_VXgmyM0-hTWRo3g4X7tfB0JxmAdtcq_2CgGKAI4mBuK7xxZ6o6mNsGwqmlg8KaZ3B0fSW3k0pUPvTkCS7sMjV4fNY2M5Xw/s320/DSC_0093.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Front cover, hard back</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It’s April 2016, and children’s author <a href="https://www.nicola-davies.com/index.php" target="_blank">Nicola Davies</a><span class="MsoCommentReference"> </span>has ‘a story bubbling in her veins’ … it’s been prompted by news of a refugee child being turned away from school, as there was no chair for her, together with news that 3000 refugee children from Syria had been turned away from the UK due to a law which prevented unaccompanied child refugees from entering the country. Her bubbling story became a poem, first published in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2016/apr/28/the-day-the-war-came-poem-about-unaccompanied-child-refugees" target="_blank"><i>The Guardian</i></a><span class="MsoCommentReference"> </span>it went on to motivate the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2016/may/11/your-3000-chairs-for-child-refugees-in-pictures" target="_blank">3000 chairs movement</a>, where artists all over the world drew chairs and tweeted them. The poem eventually became the picturebook, <b><i>The day war came</i>,</b> illustrated by <a href="https://www.booktrust.org.uk/authors/c/cobb-rebecca/" target="_blank">Rebecca Cobb </a>and published by Walker Books (2018) and endorsed by Amnesty International. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I clearly remember the day I first heard of this picturebook and the story behind its story. Had I been blogging then, it would have been a blog post … now four years later, it is no less relevant - it is a beautiful picturebook which shows and tells a very important message. The words are poetic, emotive, heart wrenching at time; the illustrations are fabulous, bringing the feelings and emotions we hear in the words to our eyes and hearts. It is a powerful, moving picturebook and one that can support the development of empathy as well as help bring the difficult, troubling topic of war into the classroom.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDUWreqRYbyZDS34-oefBBhx3ZK5tHrlNVmCJONMhSYUheQKzqhL4OQ9Xljh3ZbY2oyv41JXVfRIUnY9ct2-1DusheabLe8WPQvxRhTI8axhEw7GKbuCWwlHBL0mSBOc5UJez54KX87yM/s2668/DSC_0094.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1178" data-original-width="2668" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDUWreqRYbyZDS34-oefBBhx3ZK5tHrlNVmCJONMhSYUheQKzqhL4OQ9Xljh3ZbY2oyv41JXVfRIUnY9ct2-1DusheabLe8WPQvxRhTI8axhEw7GKbuCWwlHBL0mSBOc5UJez54KX87yM/w500-h220/DSC_0094.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Front and back covers</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />The front and back cover are that magical, ‘one image’, black smoke chasing a child from a wall-less room; just the chair to suggest it might have been a classroom. We see variations of this image inside the picturebook, but here as a cover it is strong and evocative. The blurb on the back cover reads:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Imagine if, on an ordinary day, war came and turned your town to rubble. Imagine if you had to make a dangerous journey all alone, with no one to welcome you at the end. Imagine you had lost everything and everyone, and then a child, just like you, gave you something small but very, very precious…</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.walker.co.uk/UserFiles/file/The_Day_War_Came_Teachers_Notes(1).pdf" target="_blank">Walker Books</a> have created a top notch set of resources for helping teachers and librarians to bring <i>The day war came</i> into the classroom or library. They suggest these prediction questions for the front cover:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: arial;">Why do you think it was decided to design the title words in that way?<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: arial;">Describe the little girl on the cover.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: arial;">How do you think she is feeling?<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: arial;">Why do you think she has her hands over her ears?<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Look at the front and back covers and ask, <i>How does this illustration make you feel?</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-subUgbF2wISgtp3NswWK-e9LVRU96q-M7lwzYro9_IkHANDC_yyMbk1x2niKHAIYScQBSQAz6T5o7A0SeswU9LTkQ8X9352u_LrcG_mRCPPH58uxbsfZOPq0lC6mOvIXimTDDOPjTU/s2649/DSC_0095.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1187" data-original-width="2649" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-subUgbF2wISgtp3NswWK-e9LVRU96q-M7lwzYro9_IkHANDC_yyMbk1x2niKHAIYScQBSQAz6T5o7A0SeswU9LTkQ8X9352u_LrcG_mRCPPH58uxbsfZOPq0lC6mOvIXimTDDOPjTU/w500-h224/DSC_0095.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Front endpapers</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />The front endpapers are random scattered chairs, empty. You’ll see the back endpapers are different, and so prompt speculation and discussion (I’ll come to that!). The dedication is on its own page, a small sketched chair sits alone in the middle of the page as a prologue illustration, with the dedication underneath, ‘This book is dedicated to children who are lost and alone and to those who help them.’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8KG7zifV-zwmUXcHq0nSMTY5xz-yvK3uUjZqaVB_IYj5-Va3DtfYi5bBUBhfE2HPbkIgf6FgS5offW1whUHrFMzP4d4Kpy3V3O48biOvBhPKuRRKZDq9GQNA5ZST-yOhmuaFtERxpHF4/s2637/DSC_0096.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1193" data-original-width="2637" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8KG7zifV-zwmUXcHq0nSMTY5xz-yvK3uUjZqaVB_IYj5-Va3DtfYi5bBUBhfE2HPbkIgf6FgS5offW1whUHrFMzP4d4Kpy3V3O48biOvBhPKuRRKZDq9GQNA5ZST-yOhmuaFtERxpHF4/w500-h226/DSC_0096.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Title page</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The title page replicates the cover, but without the child… you could ask the children what they think the dark smoke is.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwzbDmAK-BVwbVIN9G3zg5XnJt6Jn-fN7LQNlAXE4BQg2HEHxGfP4yNQYkU1M2W1NMDR6yHyYELxoP9Pkgq0JEXFmu9AV8cfcoizqroceKv_PX41kPMTU4LviImZnJmZQn8GhDIO_tH8/s2654/DSC_0097.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1184" data-original-width="2654" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwzbDmAK-BVwbVIN9G3zg5XnJt6Jn-fN7LQNlAXE4BQg2HEHxGfP4yNQYkU1M2W1NMDR6yHyYELxoP9Pkgq0JEXFmu9AV8cfcoizqroceKv_PX41kPMTU4LviImZnJmZQn8GhDIO_tH8/w500-h224/DSC_0097.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 1</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />The story begins by showing and telling us about the day war came, which began like all others ‘… there were flowers on the window sill and my father sang my baby brother back to sleep.’ The child, a nameless child, goes to school and learns about volcanoes, tadpoles and birds. In opening 2 she is daydreaming, unaware of what is about to happen. The words tell us in a matter of fact way: ‘Then, after lunch, war came.’</span><div><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: justify;"> </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU3aws6JlGVk_szEIxXXBwIt45fdbk8M54BZ1xEWacmvAgv0nGdGnDs1REk-tO-rZqq_u8Bs-5UazlEZogbihNFCZgR2bWafh9fuYM0U3WzzuUNimuHeDueXluvpWx7U0QhJOpXkX5VSs/s2675/DSC_0099.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1176" data-original-width="2675" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU3aws6JlGVk_szEIxXXBwIt45fdbk8M54BZ1xEWacmvAgv0nGdGnDs1REk-tO-rZqq_u8Bs-5UazlEZogbihNFCZgR2bWafh9fuYM0U3WzzuUNimuHeDueXluvpWx7U0QhJOpXkX5VSs/w500-h220/DSC_0099.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 3</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Upon turning the page, we are literally hit by the blackness as it rushes into the child’s classroom, at the same pace as we turn the page … ‘At first, just like a spattering of hail, a voice of thunder … then all smoke and fire and noise that I didn’t understand.’ The blackness invades her life.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQk5la4VAx_yL_6lMLc610lkC5bRuaHrDlUmQa3VfaKDaW7ddCP3q1xJMf53O8FbtHnQWXoIRQcSG0GcN6QlXKm06y8RsUU5sLHoY0boKsiKygGmC5x4BMcb-DpQ4EK8idyv6XFSyZnM/s2663/DSC_0101.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1181" data-original-width="2663" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQk5la4VAx_yL_6lMLc610lkC5bRuaHrDlUmQa3VfaKDaW7ddCP3q1xJMf53O8FbtHnQWXoIRQcSG0GcN6QlXKm06y8RsUU5sLHoY0boKsiKygGmC5x4BMcb-DpQ4EK8idyv6XFSyZnM/w500-h223/DSC_0101.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 5</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Opening 5 shows us her town in rubble and ‘the blackened hole that had been my home’. The orangey yellow flames are reminiscent of the volcano she learned about erupting and resemble the flowers no longer on her window sill, no longer in her home. ‘War took everything, war took everyone. I was rugged, bloody, all alone.’ The illustrations show us the pitiful reality the words tell us. Ask the children what they think has happened and help them talk about this double spread, noticing details and colours.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ5UxhjIfk_SbiD-0HOTwnxCRKx13UhLvGbeZTrapYd0eWlaDsQ5bX0KiI9xUKZbKgEWmUNDAmNcJDEtv5E0ExlFJGwDKbp51UBj9v2b3iqt4-laHmClYH5pmbMUqMeE2rRTdA9D7GPsI/s2652/DSC_0102.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1186" data-original-width="2652" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ5UxhjIfk_SbiD-0HOTwnxCRKx13UhLvGbeZTrapYd0eWlaDsQ5bX0KiI9xUKZbKgEWmUNDAmNcJDEtv5E0ExlFJGwDKbp51UBj9v2b3iqt4-laHmClYH5pmbMUqMeE2rRTdA9D7GPsI/w500-h224/DSC_0102.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 6</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And so, she ran… Opening 6 depicts the different ways she fled the war and the people she fled with. Ask the children why they think she ran, why everyone ran. Would they have run?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And she arrives at a refugee camp, rows of huts and no electricity, on the outskirts of a city, whose lights we can see in the distance. ‘But war had followed me. It was underneath my skin, behind my eyes and in my dreams. It had taken possession of my heart.’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiweOeBTMKUL0T0ujD2dcYkPnR6VDLBsgJBEoeKhVeJ-MTcqBS3e9mJ9tWKZVp9bdvxooPRsHTaXETh1z3jqoiPTUW5uul4Y-7LUE1VQyQrl6yAkYeM6lgQaaIDgjrJA9YUii3pOCyAgNg/s2657/DSC_0104.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1183" data-original-width="2657" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiweOeBTMKUL0T0ujD2dcYkPnR6VDLBsgJBEoeKhVeJ-MTcqBS3e9mJ9tWKZVp9bdvxooPRsHTaXETh1z3jqoiPTUW5uul4Y-7LUE1VQyQrl6yAkYeM6lgQaaIDgjrJA9YUii3pOCyAgNg/w500-h223/DSC_0104.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 8</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />In Opening 8, the refugee camp can be seen behind the brightly-coloured rows of houses as the girls walks desolate through the empty streets. She can</span><span style="font-family: arial;">’t escape the war, it ‘… was in the way the doors shut when I came down the street. It was in the way that people didn’t smile, and turned away.’</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She finds a school and peers through the window at the happy children. She is on the outside, looking in ... the children are all different, blond and blue-eyed, dark-skinned with brown eyes, curly hair and straight hair… they are ‘learning about volcanos, singing and drawing birds.’ And so she goes inside but is told, ‘There is no chair for you to sit on. You have to go away.’ We can’t see the child’s face, ‘And then I understood that war had got there too.’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyNCGd4HGMM7ZZz6J_2DdG1ZxBBHy_nE_T9-izf2qFywY3jKaefghFYt3P6pqSbmJP_GDy04dNK6KJmfCwCAv6uFNFeO4Jw-jylsIBbXZtzItCLK_QqLJXs3qi0DmJfAzttyGinJgZ95s/s2665/DSC_0107.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1180" data-original-width="2665" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyNCGd4HGMM7ZZz6J_2DdG1ZxBBHy_nE_T9-izf2qFywY3jKaefghFYt3P6pqSbmJP_GDy04dNK6KJmfCwCAv6uFNFeO4Jw-jylsIBbXZtzItCLK_QqLJXs3qi0DmJfAzttyGinJgZ95s/w500-h223/DSC_0107.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 11</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Back at the hut she crawls under a blanket. The blackness of the page oozes with sadness, as the illustrations bleed to the edge of the page, dragging us inwards, towards the child. We feel as she feels, curled up covering her face, underneath the blanket. You could ask the children to describe their feeling while looking at this page and why. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It is another child who changes everything. He comes with a chair, ‘I brought you this, so you can come to school.’ A chair… I fact not just one, each child in the school had brought a chair, ‘so all the children here can come to school.’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQeZ7pjcY_vr7SM-y5oaE1BeuOWQqn76WxZr6YXeGTyRkOkAz6_7vMnEHawKs_NyuMR1W6nzoOUCk5fXYjBvBVrKcfLUZe67Y3AHnJRhIiglhbCK9X7ssNVixCkEHGY6Y79UoSEL7RUNU/s2656/DSC_0109.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1184" data-original-width="2656" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQeZ7pjcY_vr7SM-y5oaE1BeuOWQqn76WxZr6YXeGTyRkOkAz6_7vMnEHawKs_NyuMR1W6nzoOUCk5fXYjBvBVrKcfLUZe67Y3AHnJRhIiglhbCK9X7ssNVixCkEHGY6Y79UoSEL7RUNU/w500-h224/DSC_0109.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 13</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Like the happy ending of a Hollywood movie, though far more meaningful, the children walk down a corridor of chairs, ‘… and we walked together, on a road all lined with chairs. Pushing back the war with every step.’ It is the first time, since before the war came, that we see the child smile, as she reaches out to hold the another child’s hand.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The postscript at the end of this picturebook, by Nicola Davies, explains the background to the story and shares her hope ‘I want this story to remind us all about the power of kindness and its ability to give hope for a better future.’ She encourages readers to support charities like <a href="https://helprefugees.org/" target="_blank">Help Refugees</a> in the UK.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrDKSVGmpZxyhx_A1IlmSkm1loOWXom-P9FIBEEcymkvg71k3_zCcrnpePBlRgKJiZviThUkiFTzEwDLaZ_SygVG4VcF3amVt8gLOTOOWrPhcr-WGrSaUGZah-WvrBic0YfMqEJF9IcUg/s2654/DSC_0111.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1185" data-original-width="2654" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrDKSVGmpZxyhx_A1IlmSkm1loOWXom-P9FIBEEcymkvg71k3_zCcrnpePBlRgKJiZviThUkiFTzEwDLaZ_SygVG4VcF3amVt8gLOTOOWrPhcr-WGrSaUGZah-WvrBic0YfMqEJF9IcUg/w500-h224/DSC_0111.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Back endpapers</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />But don’t stop there, remember that empty chair on the dedication page? The epilogue illustration is of that same sketched chair, but now with the child sitting in it. And the chairs on the back endpapers are now all filled with children smiling out at us.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Picturebooks really are <span style="background: white;">social, cultural and historic documents (Bader 1976) and as we share them with children, it is our role to mediate their interaction with the book and help them talk through their ideas and discoveries and when relevant plan to take action. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">If you want ideas to help you plan using this picturebook in class there are some excellent support materials at <a href="https://www.candlewick.com/book_files/1536201731.bdg.1.pdf" target="_blank">Candlewick Press</a>, <a href="https://www.walker.co.uk/UserFiles/file/The_Day_War_Came_Teachers_Notes(1).pdf" target="_blank">Walker Books</a> and <a href="https://clpe.org.uk/sites/default/files/The%20Day%20War%20Came%20Sequence%20of%20Ideas%202019.pdf" target="_blank">The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education</a>. These include suggestions for questioning and activities such as researching refugees, drama and visual arts activities and taking civic action. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-size: 18px; max-width: unset; text-align: left;"><b>Reference</b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; max-width: unset; text-align: left;">Bader, B. (1976). <i>American Picturebooks from Noah’s Ark to The Beast Within</i>. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>My work on this blog is </span><span style="background: white; font-family: times; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;">part of CETAPS' project </span><span style="background: white; font-family: times; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;">UIDB/04097/2020, funded by FCT</span></p></div>Sandie Mourãohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05937320913931497159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874408807553636390.post-58370639689731752692020-08-30T22:36:00.006+01:002020-09-13T21:04:17.897+01:00Bully by Laura Vaccaro Seeger<p><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3kMzYi83efP5ka_1VQZ6Ey-UcW9Hofkd6gesqVwxtMt_ngWl4L7f79iUDyJm1gTP2HSHjXfuAK3FEIpacN5SdqljtGDs5oCVNG_aenAwzNDBNAEImUqPnROuU2KomaK1VA4ogCq4cx_Y/s2048/IMG_8652.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: times;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1643" data-original-width="2048" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3kMzYi83efP5ka_1VQZ6Ey-UcW9Hofkd6gesqVwxtMt_ngWl4L7f79iUDyJm1gTP2HSHjXfuAK3FEIpacN5SdqljtGDs5oCVNG_aenAwzNDBNAEImUqPnROuU2KomaK1VA4ogCq4cx_Y/w410-h328/IMG_8652.jpg" width="410" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Front cover (Hardback)<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt;">My blog post this week is about </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mz7X3WGMGRk" target="_blank">Bully</a></i><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt;"> by Laura Vaccaro Seeger (Roaring Brook Press, 2013). </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Children need to understand why bullies bully and how to stand up for them-selves against bullies. This picturebook does just that, through its skilful design, apparent simplicity and using just 22 words (18 if you discount repeats!). It is the perfect choice if you want to approach bullying in the classroom and contribute to citizenship education through English. For those of you who follow my work,</span><i style="font-size: 12pt;"> Bully</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> will be familiar to you. I’ve talked about it to teachers in training and at conferences, and it has been featured in the </span><a href="https://pepelt21.com/" style="font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank">PEPELT</a><span style="font-size: 10.6667px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">project.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><a href="https://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/seeger" target="_blank">Laura Vaccaro Seeger </a>went to art school and studied fine art and graphic design and at the beginning of her career worked in television and was responsible for storyboarding animations. Put all this together and you have the perfect picturebook creator! She has won multiple awards and is based in the US. If you’d like to watch a film of Laura talking about how she created <i>Bully</i> and why, take a look <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QU_lRytwREs" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">The r<span style="font-size: 12pt;">ed</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">-for-warning-cover of </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Bully</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> sets us up nice and clearly. An angry-looking bull, standing </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">on </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">t</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">he </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">tit</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">le, looks out at the reader scowling, challenging even… The word ‘BULLY’ is clearly associated with the bull, and there’s no doubt in our minds that he is going to be a bully when we open the book. Children may make the connection between the words ‘bull’ and ‘bully’, if not you can help them here. This play with words, which often results in name-calling, is something which runs throughout the picturebook and you can help children notice and understand this as you share the picturebook.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjeEEjwbCwmWBEKqZ_SRive9EtRLV7XIp5KwLdq6WkoP8wiD9ym1Vbq4ab7nve4_YyjwuWKEjdFoiTe9ld1KXjtsvseb4N7kgCVoYtz1qKszhxqiNJ1XRQ4ymfQPUgiM32oiYaYgmIYRs/s2964/IMG_8652.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: times;"><img border="0" data-original-height="980" data-original-width="2964" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjeEEjwbCwmWBEKqZ_SRive9EtRLV7XIp5KwLdq6WkoP8wiD9ym1Vbq4ab7nve4_YyjwuWKEjdFoiTe9ld1KXjtsvseb4N7kgCVoYtz1qKszhxqiNJ1XRQ4ymfQPUgiM32oiYaYgmIYRs/w410-h136/IMG_8652.jpg" width="410" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Close up of title on front cover</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 12pt;">The background to the illustrations looks like hand-made paper, and the endpapers are sheets of this paper. They form a bridge between the cover and the rest of the book. You may notice that the letters of ‘Bully’ on the cover, are made of this paper too. </span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-DJ70Q9dYI8_9JUiCESogMx43y-vNeKWB083JgcZihzAFeC4RASm8Oz-FOUVz8YpYzD-ALkbYxloVkEN4ujRrBfE7j5lZvMv0yQ3cPKV8dgC6WMxM_mkkdAt-wBDkXGF06FLtC7jKFAk/s2840/IMG_8653.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: times;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1107" data-original-width="2840" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-DJ70Q9dYI8_9JUiCESogMx43y-vNeKWB083JgcZihzAFeC4RASm8Oz-FOUVz8YpYzD-ALkbYxloVkEN4ujRrBfE7j5lZvMv0yQ3cPKV8dgC6WMxM_mkkdAt-wBDkXGF06FLtC7jKFAk/s640/IMG_8653.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Prologue illustration<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: times;">The first double spread is a prologue illustration. A big bull is telling a little bull – the bull on the front cover – to ‘GO AWAY!’. Don’t miss this double spread whatever you do, it’s an important part of the visual narrative, setting the scene: a child bullied at home is often the bully at school. You might want to ask the children who they think the two bulls are, and how the not-so-big bull is feeling. Returning to this spread during repeated read alouds will help children make connections. Laura V.S. suggests that when children understand why a bully is a bully it can be empowering.</span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlCbdbg2QGsJ9Vg9XrcOhwtOCkrOU-Bfrmas4DYfB_vVVYF4HQjJ9QXYLEwSrZ_-Pifv30fVPCMBTKO2Toctuget7CZEBxGpGEg_piYCzEfAmnbJgrxnfiQORhoPZ7KN_wustZi35kQI/s2838/IMG_8654.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: times;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1108" data-original-width="2838" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlCbdbg2QGsJ9Vg9XrcOhwtOCkrOU-Bfrmas4DYfB_vVVYF4HQjJ9QXYLEwSrZ_-Pifv30fVPCMBTKO2Toctuget7CZEBxGpGEg_piYCzEfAmnbJgrxnfiQORhoPZ7KN_wustZi35kQI/s640/IMG_8654.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Title page<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 12pt;">As you turn to the title page, the visual narrative is reinforced by the permanence of the fence in the background. Big red words for the title ‘BULLY’ continue the red-for-danger warning, which almost contrasts with the sad looking little bull. Do you feel sorry for him?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWWv36pAs5ko3euw1PH9S7lnXOWXpkB_X4hKv-v9DHSIUNdlAGBX8XuJYAD-hcmW-GeMcgSBC1UwKth-LD11mxHxQA3F5vCbvBaYuhUAVPTpR3zhvGB1zk4W8ZdxTwvkMyKB2AbKqwtFk/s2851/IMG_8655.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: times;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1103" data-original-width="2851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWWv36pAs5ko3euw1PH9S7lnXOWXpkB_X4hKv-v9DHSIUNdlAGBX8XuJYAD-hcmW-GeMcgSBC1UwKth-LD11mxHxQA3F5vCbvBaYuhUAVPTpR3zhvGB1zk4W8ZdxTwvkMyKB2AbKqwtFk/s640/IMG_8655.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Opening 1<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">Opening 1 presents the farmyard characters, smaller creatures, so the bull looks, and is, bigger again. We’ve already seen several emotions represented in the illustrations (anger and sadness) and here come two more, happiness (eagerness even) and surprise.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjacl7bet0X83CC7YQQcHwnlXV2ECyCIcO5mkCvsrVs5WAk82Sgr0KHZmiCK3fkCiVtQZ8QWwIsy8m6FAMg1u1zdxaAVs48i5LS2IHrrW9Y2Q5YaNCfiKGrKfyOpcenbz1YJ0xDi-8Hm9U/s2842/IMG_8656.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: times;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1107" data-original-width="2842" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjacl7bet0X83CC7YQQcHwnlXV2ECyCIcO5mkCvsrVs5WAk82Sgr0KHZmiCK3fkCiVtQZ8QWwIsy8m6FAMg1u1zdxaAVs48i5LS2IHrrW9Y2Q5YaNCfiKGrKfyOpcenbz1YJ0xDi-8Hm9U/s640/IMG_8656.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span>Opening 2</span><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 12pt;">Opening 2 is a surprise for us all … that big capital-letter ‘NO!’ to the kind question ‘Wanna play?’. The rabbit is the first to leave, terrified. The tortoise’s head is disappearing inside its shell. And so begins the tale of bullying. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitU-w-HQJ623AgX6QCc2hQEWG4FNU8vcA5mSs5JoWixW4zTGkbZKAPtKSGk5J6f1ppKEHD6E0h5gVUrWbNa1HtTFYNdDxQiOTwRcBreexc2te0aEj1evMzEUeSEcS7A-Q7eKGStFXdn_U/s2847/IMG_8657.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: times;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1105" data-original-width="2847" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitU-w-HQJ623AgX6QCc2hQEWG4FNU8vcA5mSs5JoWixW4zTGkbZKAPtKSGk5J6f1ppKEHD6E0h5gVUrWbNa1HtTFYNdDxQiOTwRcBreexc2te0aEj1evMzEUeSEcS7A-Q7eKGStFXdn_U/s640/IMG_8657.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Opening 3</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 12pt;">Opening 3 introduces the name-calling. We know that that yellow, feathery creature is called a chicken, but when you call someone ‘CHICKEN’ as loudly as that, and as gruffly as that, it’s not nice. Children will get this, even if they haven’t learned how to use this word destructively.</span></div><span style="font-family: times;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">The tortoise is a ‘SLOW POKE’ (a not nice word for someone who is slow); pig is ‘PIG’ (an offensive name for someone suggesting they are greedy, dirty and altogether not unpleasant), and bee is told to ‘BUZZ OFF’ (a nasty way to tell someone to go away). In each opening the bull gets bigger in size and so do his words on the page. Laura V.<span style="font-size: 12pt;">S. tells us she uses the fence as a point of reference, to show that it’s not a change of perspective, the bull really is getting bigger.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE1sN_dCV1WxezCK3TYHzQ5NFLABmvPKzi7IH7fleG09bjcodVuhhfZOjILmAvjh-SIV8lJrUIbUKoMPX5KKdENISVjh3awQPQnvBAIMrAPnrn1a3NHT0SRH2HHh1eZ5BFDdbIQpwLQiA/s2816/IMG_8661.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: times;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1116" data-original-width="2816" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE1sN_dCV1WxezCK3TYHzQ5NFLABmvPKzi7IH7fleG09bjcodVuhhfZOjILmAvjh-SIV8lJrUIbUKoMPX5KKdENISVjh3awQPQnvBAIMrAPnrn1a3NHT0SRH2HHh1eZ5BFDdbIQpwLQiA/s640/IMG_8661.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span>Opening 7</span><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 12pt;">In Opening 7, Bully is so big that we can only see his hooves as a small skunk shivers with fear under him. His words take up most of the verso page, ‘YOU STINK!’ (a nasty way to tell someone they don’t smell so good). The goat doesn’t seem too scared, does he?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_O6pvjGG8Fpdk4ERcA2slGEB2ac1zbB_KjzBastuDcZ1dMnqi21nmKpsZibnkxPN4xaVXWKiAEkTYnEK3BPavLBkrJILR-N80srLbeom36BvMJfCVWsXJC15okvTM2HuhyOUvm2VLbk/s2824/IMG_8663.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: times;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1114" data-original-width="2824" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_O6pvjGG8Fpdk4ERcA2slGEB2ac1zbB_KjzBastuDcZ1dMnqi21nmKpsZibnkxPN4xaVXWKiAEkTYnEK3BPavLBkrJILR-N80srLbeom36BvMJfCVWsXJC15okvTM2HuhyOUvm2VLbk/s640/IMG_8663.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span>Opening 9</span><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">Goat isn't scared, he tells the bull he's a 'BULLY!'. He's not scared, even when Bully looks him in the eye in opening 9 and tells him to ‘BUTT OUT!’ (a nasty way to tell someone to mind their own business). Now, there’s a strategy, look the bully in the eye … </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">And it is goat who manages to save the day. He calls him ‘BULLY!’ again in an even louder voice! That gets the message across ...</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: 12pt; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi64EsXC9Urv1ag6ywrOE-cC8bwdUAaLJsDBGIoeuNcgvqrWT0Sv00vedrc_SqLScxJNnwUQZw6DLHyMuYGQFalSBq7jO47LpXJkqhjnONsnp8vUoPjml1vmkmK9KOegzVQ8nlfVFZAGz8/s2833/IMG_8665.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: times;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1110" data-original-width="2833" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi64EsXC9Urv1ag6ywrOE-cC8bwdUAaLJsDBGIoeuNcgvqrWT0Sv00vedrc_SqLScxJNnwUQZw6DLHyMuYGQFalSBq7jO47LpXJkqhjnONsnp8vUoPjml1vmkmK9KOegzVQ8nlfVFZAGz8/s640/IMG_8665.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Opening 11<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 12pt;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">‘Bully?’ asks the bull, in Opening 10. He’s looking out at us readers… is that what we think he is? A bully? You could ask the children how he's feeling... could he be feeling ashamed?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVyQ4QYgThUTHv1Um4pYw7oOwZojWxlpu79HWWPZ4_z-3dL6oZ_m-nEBtTBxNxzZJACGk3cHRAKfuIV18u15naMvSXaaGqdk8FCgCaxsClKMTXgS6hkGLd36tH5FhrPWG6VC5lbEZzghk/s2813/IMG_8666.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: times;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1118" data-original-width="2813" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVyQ4QYgThUTHv1Um4pYw7oOwZojWxlpu79HWWPZ4_z-3dL6oZ_m-nEBtTBxNxzZJACGk3cHRAKfuIV18u15naMvSXaaGqdk8FCgCaxsClKMTXgS6hkGLd36tH5FhrPWG6VC5lbEZzghk/s640/IMG_8666.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span>Opening 12</span><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 12pt;">In Opening 12 Bully deflates like a balloon as the air rushes out… and with much remorse he apologises ‘Sorry …’ and asks the farm animals, ‘Wanna play?’ - maybe pleads even (we see a tear falling from his eye). Would you want to play with this bull? You could ask the children what they would do.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLl5XP6cyqs5LGS3wtrK1hX1svxVCKSe1XUoX6UB1vhy9jc7ibw4VEGTXqst2IfchyphenhyphenPfITc5pPIXS5jsX811fHk3VSToDsCbKbdnPRgACoeucimT9a_3oRugjpLDv0PS5kjSsqK8rNMuk/s2845/IMG_8669.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: times;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1105" data-original-width="2845" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLl5XP6cyqs5LGS3wtrK1hX1svxVCKSe1XUoX6UB1vhy9jc7ibw4VEGTXqst2IfchyphenhyphenPfITc5pPIXS5jsX811fHk3VSToDsCbKbdnPRgACoeucimT9a_3oRugjpLDv0PS5kjSsqK8rNMuk/s640/IMG_8669.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span>Opening 15</span><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 12pt;">The final opening shows us that forgiveness is possible. The tortoise, the chicken and the rabbit are walking (and hopping) together towards a gap in the fence. ‘Okay’ they say …</span></div><span style="font-family: times;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">In her film about making the picturebook, Laura V.S. tells us that the fence is also symbolic, it suggests the farm creatures ‘are fenced in by the actions of this bully’ and here in opening 15, a resolution has been found for the animals are walking towards a gap in the fence. She finishes with ‘We need the empowerment of understanding - understanding the origin, the motives and frustration of misguided behavior, so children can come from a place of self-confidence perhaps even forgiveness’. This picturebook, with careful mediation from a teacher, can help children confront and challenge bullies, as well as understand them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">Laura V.S.’s dedication to her niece and nephews is at the back of the book. It’s nice to read this out to the children and ask why they think she dedicated it to them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">I’ve already mentioned the PEPELT project, where you can find <a href="https://pepelt21.com/against-bullying/" target="_blank">four short films about <i>Bully</i></a>, which we featured in November 2018 and some additional ideas. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">There are some downloadable resources from the publisher, Roaring Brook Press, <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/519bc738e4b057d5f788d8c1/t/5e7cf8b96ea60f479551cf2e/1585248477792/Bully.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>. These include an eye-catching poster and an ant-bullying pledge.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">One of my MA students, Paula Carvalho, included <i>Bully</i> in a small piece of action research during her practicum. She used <i>Bully</i> over a sequence of five lessons, and was able to integrate language and citizenship education through the picturebook and the activities she planned around it. You can read the report on her research <a href="https://run.unl.pt/handle/10362/101454" target="_blank">here</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">One final suggestion is a sequence of retellings of <i>Bully</i> with children who have hearing impairments - nothing to do with ELT, but fascinating all the same. The way they use sign language to retell and communicate their enthusiasm and understanding of the picturebook is magical. The film can be found <a href="https://vimeo.com/223348079" target="_blank">here</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>My work on this blog is </span><span style="background: white; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;">part of CETAPS' project </span><span style="background: white; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;">UIDB/04097/2020, funded by FCT</span></span></o:p></p><div><div class="msocomtxt" id="_com_8" language="JavaScript"><p class="MsoCommentText" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></o:p></p></div></div></div>Sandie Mourãohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05937320913931497159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874408807553636390.post-70563495776661538662020-08-23T18:32:00.002+01:002022-04-08T10:36:27.262+01:00Desert Girl, Monsoon Boy by Tara Dairman and Archana Sreenivasan<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang=""></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhWq4CfeZda3_dHyVCmvPzktFvy4DTPJvRGnG0x6Liyie7TfXkOZPGbVmXy0tsPsDpFKWxz4olcfnR2ni36pnOgIcS7Tqkh8EGLViFI6fmx9tWzikF8iw9ZQqbWL4Ly3ENGHHDYwRGRM/s2023/DSC_0093.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1755" data-original-width="2023" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhWq4CfeZda3_dHyVCmvPzktFvy4DTPJvRGnG0x6Liyie7TfXkOZPGbVmXy0tsPsDpFKWxz4olcfnR2ni36pnOgIcS7Tqkh8EGLViFI6fmx9tWzikF8iw9ZQqbWL4Ly3ENGHHDYwRGRM/w410-h355/DSC_0093.jpg" width="410" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Front cover (hard back version)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">This week’s blog post is about a picturebook called <i>Desert Girl, Monsoon Boy</i>, written by <a href="https://archanasreenivasan.com/" target="_blank">Tara Dairman</a> and illustrated by <a href="https://archanasreenivasan.com/" target="_blank">Archana Sreenivasan</a> (published by G.P.Putnam’s Sons, 2020). It </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;">is Tara Dairman’s first picturebook and in the author’s note, she tells us how the book was inspired by ‘people who live and care for their animals in places with extreme dry and wet weather’. The people featured in the picturebook are the </span><a href="https://www.atlasofhumanity.com/rabari" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank">Rabari</a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;"> of northwest India, a nomadic people who move through the desert in search of food and water for their herds of camels. </span><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="" style="font-family: arial;"><a><br /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="" style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://www.pastoralpeoples.org/" target="_blank">The league for pastoral peoples </a>tells us that “Pastoralists keep livestock in tune with nature and in an ethical way”, however Rabari are being denied access to their ancestral pastures and their sustainable approach to making a livelihood is being taken away from them by industrial animal production. Many Rabari are now living in permanent settlements, which sit on the outskirts of large cities.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="">The picturebook depicts the lives of two quite different Rabari children, the Desert girl who remains a nomad with her family and the Monsoon boy whose family now lives in a settlement. The weather is harsh for both families, and as the Desert girl and her family move in search for water, the Monsoon boy and his family move to escape water. They meet in a fictional encounter, but one which allows us all to see that they are not as different as they appear. The picturebook has been heralded as “</span><span style="background: white;">A beautiful and important book about climate change featuring those who are most affected by it”</span><span style="background: white; color: #474646;"> (<a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/tara-dairman/desert-girl-monsoon-boy/" target="_blank">Kirkus Review</a><a>).</a></span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a><span lang="">Archana Sreenivasan</span></a><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span lang=""> </span></span><span lang="">is a well-established illustrator from Bombay, India. She did lots of research into the two nomadic groups of Rabari to help her portray them as faithfully as possible, and if you do an internet search of your own for the Rabari, you will recognise the many visual references to their ways of life in the illustrations.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQF5VUZ69kKISN46RuHa6AJ3PAZk0oPneiMIMzft6hHreCpS6ueibzct__Yb5EgUZ8K6kzaeK_l_uemC5w4nldHI9sjluWSemkF9oRoLLonNHw0Wrd_NISi8QPsdOkO_whZ7Vb7ybu10I/s2638/DSC_0094.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1192" data-original-width="2638" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQF5VUZ69kKISN46RuHa6AJ3PAZk0oPneiMIMzft6hHreCpS6ueibzct__Yb5EgUZ8K6kzaeK_l_uemC5w4nldHI9sjluWSemkF9oRoLLonNHw0Wrd_NISi8QPsdOkO_whZ7Vb7ybu10I/w512-h231/DSC_0094.jpg" width="512" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Front and back covers</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="">The front cover presents the Desert girl and the Monsoon boy. The colours depict the weather and the landscapes they live in - it is a colour scheme that runs consistently through the picturebook, yellows and ochres of a dry desert and lush blues and greens of </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">rain-filled lands</span><span lang="" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;">. </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;">The front cover provides opportunities for prediction: <i>Do you think these children live in the same country? Where do you think they live? Why do you think the girl has a jug on her head and the boy has a lamb over his shoulders? </i></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;">The front and back covers create one image and add further to the visual details which contribute to helping us predict a little more about what we will encounter in the picturebook. Read out the blurb, ‘One girl. One boy. Two journeys. One world.’ How has this helped the children with their predictions? </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="" style="font-family: arial;">Before sharing the picturebook, you could show a map of India and together find the Thar Desert and the Himalaya Mountains, this will help your children situate the story. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPA-bbmyL0_PmjxaoetyvSlovX7T0lblDWx_7aVBuO7VzEgHehEk6Ot4ar1lAulSypqxjDY6SWN6xVqI9kA0qMDlIZMUXmhKi8SkqD7UylLsLrxvhp6UsEc3B3leUz87fuIC5rNAmQqZY/s2603/DSC_0095.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1208" data-original-width="2603" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPA-bbmyL0_PmjxaoetyvSlovX7T0lblDWx_7aVBuO7VzEgHehEk6Ot4ar1lAulSypqxjDY6SWN6xVqI9kA0qMDlIZMUXmhKi8SkqD7UylLsLrxvhp6UsEc3B3leUz87fuIC5rNAmQqZY/w512-h238/DSC_0095.jpg" width="512" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Front endpapers</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="" style="font-family: arial;">The endpapers are the same, front and back, decorated with patterned details. My take on this is that they represent the embroidery work which Rabari women are known for. The title page also has a patterned detail. Show these pages to the children, and after they have experienced the book they may make connections. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="" style="font-family: arial;">The verbal text throughout is made of brief, four-sentence, rhyming stanzas, of rarely more than three words. This doesn’t mean it’s a picturebook for very young children, on the contrary, the words are rich and descriptive and expose children to concepts and sounds they would not usually encounter. This may mean that during read alouds you might have to expand after reading by rephrasing some of the words or even give a quick translation, but this will not be necessary upon repeated read alouds. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIbZchGJK0nh6NwVHAYmHbq2mMqMCv1Cz3NQ5n6zgK3i3s61KmvBRBiW4KCTcUSS8neZ2MY96OzaivvGXTO3ooPlO4EdALAYvOrDA4YZHrf12BkkSVQKoSseFwcrrtaZhnQMu-HCtINVk/s2629/DSC_0097.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="2629" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIbZchGJK0nh6NwVHAYmHbq2mMqMCv1Cz3NQ5n6zgK3i3s61KmvBRBiW4KCTcUSS8neZ2MY96OzaivvGXTO3ooPlO4EdALAYvOrDA4YZHrf12BkkSVQKoSseFwcrrtaZhnQMu-HCtINVk/w512-h233/DSC_0097.jpg" width="512" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 1</span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="" style="font-family: arial;">The first opening is divided into two halves, top and bottom, and the sparse verbal text, reads <i>White sand. Green field</i>. Details in diagonal corners present information about the characters' livelihoods and ways of living. Each spread, for most of the picturebook, splits the facing pages to show the two settings using vertical, horizontal or diagonal panels. It brings a dynamism to the whole book emphasising separation and difference. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitnbQgxB6o6vZNuZhJsBMJl_xHv0CBMAUjFD4T7myHMIxBVMfiLkndki3iMVeJBOPvrUiTDEDgNwju3UhPbTuarqgZLRq3rHxrTmIjdR8wsBNgSqoZ9FsumKRx4y4sGhtY7wIzD1BcsD4/s2602/DSC_0100.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1208" data-original-width="2602" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitnbQgxB6o6vZNuZhJsBMJl_xHv0CBMAUjFD4T7myHMIxBVMfiLkndki3iMVeJBOPvrUiTDEDgNwju3UhPbTuarqgZLRq3rHxrTmIjdR8wsBNgSqoZ9FsumKRx4y4sGhtY7wIzD1BcsD4/w512-h238/DSC_0100.jpg" width="512" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 4</span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="" style="font-family: arial;">With each spread we learn a little more about the children’s lives, the kinds of clothes they wear, the family structures which include grandparents, their animals and their homes. Opening 4 covers one whole stanza, <i>Treck for water. Head to school. Stitch, embroider. Learn new rules.</i> This double spread hints at some of the opportunities living in a settlement might bring to the Monsoon boy, like going to school and what activities the Desert girl takes part in ... embroidery is an important part of the Rabari’s culture. Note how the stanza lines alternate as they make reference to the two children in the story.</span></p><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzZ6pWJJO2rjP8eJBxy-MqAcPMYD_UbQtPdSn8K_dHdpEl3A_fjnN0ylY_HARZ4ASIr4k_svJHBLPuc1V2XOCaWbF4A9i_I2nEeSJMBg_Qp_o9mTO5ZbIDiwTFtaAGmVHGCQXrKRduE2E/s2627/DSC_0104.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1197" data-original-width="2627" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzZ6pWJJO2rjP8eJBxy-MqAcPMYD_UbQtPdSn8K_dHdpEl3A_fjnN0ylY_HARZ4ASIr4k_svJHBLPuc1V2XOCaWbF4A9i_I2nEeSJMBg_Qp_o9mTO5ZbIDiwTFtaAGmVHGCQXrKRduE2E/w512-h234/DSC_0104.jpg" width="512" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 8</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlat-hQzgC_MjdAf8Cmg52O_fJkXO_XXdvsLS0IAlNjw0cZdPZCyndtrGDGJlRRPddeQqxzvLaECIoE09zYJahlVfIsAZuujNopCjdd8mVpSnFjIA8ZLzFEd1VTlHHVFUO96Dk4i5uYJE/s2641/DSC_0105.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1190" data-original-width="2641" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlat-hQzgC_MjdAf8Cmg52O_fJkXO_XXdvsLS0IAlNjw0cZdPZCyndtrGDGJlRRPddeQqxzvLaECIoE09zYJahlVfIsAZuujNopCjdd8mVpSnFjIA8ZLzFEd1VTlHHVFUO96Dk4i5uYJE/w512-h230/DSC_0105.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Opening 9</div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="" style="font-family: arial;">... <i>Gritty sand. Rising storm. ... </i>As trouble arrives, the illustrations get gradually darker In opening 8, <i>Sand blows in. Flooding floor., </i>you can almost feel the sand as it whips around the women's shawls. And opening 9, </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Tie the flap! Seal the door! </i><span style="font-family: arial;">is </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;">dark and frightening in the tent for Desert girl, and Monsoon boy looks after his sister as his parents work hard to stop the water coming in and to save their personal possessions. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoqfSkX0g1nzeesXO_NLs2FaGVQnxO3ZdDhis_WfdlcpFxG7U1t_EGmItFyOtZ1Ir29CfdmOcX1CrJ-LpJcCYsLc_liOAwXU6FLgpU7RMA8GpCqbHEAgrUKR4UV8dq_fXTBExqwU3BZgI/s2627/DSC_0106.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1197" data-original-width="2627" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoqfSkX0g1nzeesXO_NLs2FaGVQnxO3ZdDhis_WfdlcpFxG7U1t_EGmItFyOtZ1Ir29CfdmOcX1CrJ-LpJcCYsLc_liOAwXU6FLgpU7RMA8GpCqbHEAgrUKR4UV8dq_fXTBExqwU3BZgI/w512-h234/DSC_0106.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Opening 10</div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;">But to no avail, they are all forced to move on. </span><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;">Pack the tents. Fill the boats. Load the camels. Lead the goats.</i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;"> In opening 10 not only do the families take their food and clothes but their animals too, their livelihood.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmxndKNvXx4FuGRMY6_0zV9r68Dor9oD3HSsd1VLXb2lwKrF4RtEu-MZeYaDrQ6qpKLRDR_DBqxqSCRHXonDqAJzG4Td0XjXbfRY9vbFzV4mF2QJ_n6FGWBN30HuvdVNGh9LMbHpbAjI/s2650/DSC_0108.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1186" data-original-width="2650" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmxndKNvXx4FuGRMY6_0zV9r68Dor9oD3HSsd1VLXb2lwKrF4RtEu-MZeYaDrQ6qpKLRDR_DBqxqSCRHXonDqAJzG4Td0XjXbfRY9vbFzV4mF2QJ_n6FGWBN30HuvdVNGh9LMbHpbAjI/w512-h229/DSC_0108.jpg" width="512" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 12</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="" style="font-family: arial;">The visual dynamics of two separate settings, different lives, suddenly disappears in opening 12 as a luscious green mountain with a </span><span style="font-family: arial;">a running river </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;">base fills the double spread. </span><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;">River trickles. Higher ground. Thirst quenched. Dry and sound. </i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;">The two families are suddenly in the same physical space, climbing from different sides. Will they meet in the middle? </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="" style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYnbAK4GCaQPyz04Xx6TI-8X7M75uyZf34onzZETKFWmw1JcwBSQ3fLnNu6mVGZxoq3moWn-O8YP3mk8QgO4MsDd2PV6aJhTXk4aIDnoC_a0aAPHRqqxXIFcy8LI9Hmy0EhjUSvCP6ql8/s2626/DSC_0109.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1197" data-original-width="2626" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYnbAK4GCaQPyz04Xx6TI-8X7M75uyZf34onzZETKFWmw1JcwBSQ3fLnNu6mVGZxoq3moWn-O8YP3mk8QgO4MsDd2PV6aJhTXk4aIDnoC_a0aAPHRqqxXIFcy8LI9Hmy0EhjUSvCP6ql8/w512-h234/DSC_0109.jpg" width="512" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 13</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Using rosy, orange colours, opening 13 depicts a warm sunset and the two families together around a camp fire. They are singing and sharing stories. Different but together in their similarities. <i>Round the fire, songs of joy. Desert girl and monsoon boy. </i>You might notice in the illustrations here that the Desert girl’s mother has bangles on her arms and wears a ring in her nose, and the Monsoon Boy’s mother, and grandmother, have tattoos on their arms and hands. Archana Sreenivasan, the illustrator, attests to her focus on detail in the illustrator’s note at the end of the picturebook, where she explains that ‘each Rabari group follows its own distinct practices with regard to living spaces, apparel, textiles, jewellery and other details.’ <i style="font-size: 12pt;"><span lang=""> </span></i></span><div><i><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="" style="font-family: arial;">There are a number of picturebooks which compare children in different countries (see for e.g. <a href="http://jennysuekosteckishaw.com/books-2/same-same-but-different/" target="_blank"><i>Same, Same, but Different</i> by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw</a> or <a href="https://www.jeanniebaker.com/book/mirror/" target="_blank"><i>Mirror</i> by Jeannie Baker</a>), but it is unusual to see two children from the same country depicted as different. One of the strengths of sharing this picturebook is precisely that. </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;">The other strength comes from the picturebook’s portrayal of two extreme climates. Through discussion around the reasons for this we can help children see more clearly how each one of us is responsible for what happens elsewhere in the world and global </span><span style="font-family: arial;">climate changes</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;">. There are lots of opportunities here for children to look at socially responsible behaviour and our interaction with the environment.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>My work on this blog is </span><span style="background: white; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;">part of CETAPS' project </span><span style="background: white; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;">UIDB/04097/2020, funded by FCT</span></span></p></div></div></div>Sandie Mourãohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05937320913931497159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874408807553636390.post-27432968986021002332020-08-16T17:52:00.001+01:002020-08-16T17:55:53.024+01:00The wall in the middle of the book - a book about preconceived notions<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJTSfQoyYxZ4FRiRC37X7TYBq4ZlR1HHh9-QBgT43F5fuQs0JMTFt8I27WBf2ap8iYLNztrFkH6-IgDE2uQlUWjsipCwvPyQimQaL6IxK2uMap49S_Hbofr_EOLpJwgpxGU4loDyc70-0/s1612/DSC_001.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1612" data-original-width="1185" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJTSfQoyYxZ4FRiRC37X7TYBq4ZlR1HHh9-QBgT43F5fuQs0JMTFt8I27WBf2ap8iYLNztrFkH6-IgDE2uQlUWjsipCwvPyQimQaL6IxK2uMap49S_Hbofr_EOLpJwgpxGU4loDyc70-0/w296-h400/DSC_001.jpeg" title="Front cover" width="296" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">The front cover (paperback)</span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><span style="font-family: arial;">This week, I’ve chosen to blog about <i>The wall in the middle of the book</i> by <a href="http://jonagee.com/" target="_blank">Jon Agee</a> (published by Scallywag Press, 2018). It’s one of a number of picturebooks that’s been endorsed by <a href="https://www.amnesty.org.uk/amnesty-endorsed-books-2019" target="_blank">Amnesty International</a>, so it's a good choice! I've also chosen it because it cleverly makes use of the gutter – the groove down the middle of any book made by the pages as they are brought together during the book binding process. <a href="http://jonagee.com/html/20questions.php?nav=2&sub=2" target="_blank">Jon Agee </a>admits to the gutter being one of his biggest headaches when creating picturebooks, it’s where ‘beautiful double page spreads get swallowed up in the middle’. In an <a href="https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/78218-q-a-with-jon-agee.html" target="_blank">interview</a> he describes his ideas for this picturebook beginning with the thought ‘… what if I treated it [the gutter] as if you couldn’t get across it?’. It only became an idea worth pursuing when he realised: ‘…what if she [a child] doesn’t <i>want</i> to leave her side of the barrier? She’d think, “I’m on the safe side.” And then something happens on her side of the book.’ That’s the premise for this picturebook, I’m safe and protected from that which I don’t know. It's a longer than usual picturebook with 48, well-paced pages.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There is a</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGQfMIxTFsQ" style="font-family: arial;" target="_blank"> trailer </a><span style="font-family: arial;">for </span><i style="font-family: arial;">The wall in the middle of the book</i><span style="font-family: arial;"> which you might want to show to the children first. It sets the scene for the narrative, showing what it was like before the wall was built, it makes a great introduction, and will certainly support the children in making connections and deciphering some of the openings. You could also show this after you've shared the picturebook.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The front and back covers are one whole illustration. I love it when that happens! Open them out for the children to see. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNx6iOAxfjw9J0Thed2qc3SCkjkdx3fB5UwmGUtOa73T7WrZdrOOFfDv93qJ55paW2I-IHxm992uqXva7p6UDXeXMv_X5GXOulbogtPQ8F3sI8rqoZQ-a9WkaISTAdWOyFABh8F8H7kzE/s2048/IMG_5731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1449" data-original-width="2048" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNx6iOAxfjw9J0Thed2qc3SCkjkdx3fB5UwmGUtOa73T7WrZdrOOFfDv93qJ55paW2I-IHxm992uqXva7p6UDXeXMv_X5GXOulbogtPQ8F3sI8rqoZQ-a9WkaISTAdWOyFABh8F8H7kzE/w410-h290/IMG_5731.jpg" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Front and back covers</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The front cover introduces the main characters, a short, stumpy, child-like knight and a large green ogre. Oh, and don’t forget the duck, who stays with us for quite a while (children might comment on his rather annoyed look). The knight is carrying a banner with the book’s title on it – it gives him agency, it’s his story… and he’s walking from left to right, into the book. You can ask the children to predict what might happen in this story and why the wall is there. Nine out of ten, they will think the wall is up to protect the knight from the ogre. They are sure to suggest that one side of the wall is good and the other is bad. If you show the back cover, you can read the blurb, ‘<i>The wall in the middle of this book is supposed to protect one side of the book from the other side. Supposed to</i>.’ The children might notice the mouse on the grass, running away from some flooding water… if they don’t you can point him out, or return to looking closely at the covers after you’ve shared the book. Children will make connections once they’ve seen the picturebook. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhnpJCJ4ZzPAlMbFDgsqvJivzVyrWgusiFSs04lQH54I5OX4ZwcyTNv36JpjaI-P9coSZ2ic-L0CpPkXoaufdTHSUMdN0VnnI71uCwD74aS9uqQ734kMX_l2SYNs1jpb6e4OtaM5IkXsw/s2048/DSC_002.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1412" data-original-width="2048" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhnpJCJ4ZzPAlMbFDgsqvJivzVyrWgusiFSs04lQH54I5OX4ZwcyTNv36JpjaI-P9coSZ2ic-L0CpPkXoaufdTHSUMdN0VnnI71uCwD74aS9uqQ734kMX_l2SYNs1jpb6e4OtaM5IkXsw/w410-h282/DSC_002.jpeg" width="410" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">Front end papers</span><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The front endpapers show the wall, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">in cross-section, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">dividing the two sides of the book. Each side of the wall looks exactly the same, but for a fallen brick on the verso. In my paperback version there is a quote from Amnesty International, which you might want to read to the children ‘A book that celebrates freedom of movement and thought’, it is also a very good start for discussion once the picturebook has been shared.</span></p><div><div class="msocomtxt" id="_com_2" language="JavaScript"><p class="MsoCommentText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoCommentText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-GB"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi25TZToSdlHvX_DGuZGV7ggiIukdHR3y9U9gb9dLYHforAwofabrnMNZyrduJe3q-dgG0IOfkR2t2Dp6m2YWmjf6Kp8teLaSvnk-wSzdApavQUL01uibR7kVOeyconim5dZY6XSz5xoGU/s2048/DSC_003.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1450" data-original-width="2048" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi25TZToSdlHvX_DGuZGV7ggiIukdHR3y9U9gb9dLYHforAwofabrnMNZyrduJe3q-dgG0IOfkR2t2Dp6m2YWmjf6Kp8teLaSvnk-wSzdApavQUL01uibR7kVOeyconim5dZY6XSz5xoGU/w410-h290/DSC_003.jpeg" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Title page</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The title page covers the double spread, and follows on from the front endpapers. A large rhino stands on the recto page, looking disgruntled. Again, there’s an opportunity here for prediction, but there’s no right answer… let the children come up with ideas as they discover the picturebook.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: arial;">Agee has created a feeling of flow from the covers through to the endpapers and title page, which continues uninterrupted into the rest of the picturebook, where we discover the knight is the narrator (for most of the book, at least!).<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-GB"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimP5pivqYYn0XRH1J1D9cj9sh7gzf1eCzmSEelQM-P5yKPA6aZNFhKDCTNe8dK5iAFhUU-VXD1lHEy4l6IQr8uv6Gwo11itBMmoWAXds4FbNBCjdVcgkfPfOr8vSV4U1HbsNR2C2SDEv4/s2048/DSC_004.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="2048" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimP5pivqYYn0XRH1J1D9cj9sh7gzf1eCzmSEelQM-P5yKPA6aZNFhKDCTNe8dK5iAFhUU-VXD1lHEy4l6IQr8uv6Gwo11itBMmoWAXds4FbNBCjdVcgkfPfOr8vSV4U1HbsNR2C2SDEv4/w410-h283/DSC_004.jpeg" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Opening 1</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-GB"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: arial;">The two sides of the wall tell two different stories, which appear unconnected for a while. The knight, who appears on the left, as the protagonist, seems focussed on climbing the ladder and repairing his side of the wall, telling us clearly ‘<i>The wall protects this side of the book from the other side of the book. This side of the book is safe.</i>’ Water gradually builds up over the following double spreads, slowing rising after him as he climbs the ladder. This might go un-noticed, as, at the same time, we try to figure out what the three fierce animals, all looking disgruntled, are doing on the other side of the wall. Maybe they are trying to push down the wall? But then, a mouse comes along and frightens them away!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-VHzQsu_JuLJ6VN-3c4xm6n1RHp0gFOnmLFwyldYVT0MYiAWTsbLvODHTKW7aSY-c9k7FQLlr6XNDqMX2Ql_gHCiMNrcHv9uFPrXxqJ4F8rWGQIQ3-HgtgaeIe2uUv05N9HRhkVEsp0/s2048/DSC_009.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1443" data-original-width="2048" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-VHzQsu_JuLJ6VN-3c4xm6n1RHp0gFOnmLFwyldYVT0MYiAWTsbLvODHTKW7aSY-c9k7FQLlr6XNDqMX2Ql_gHCiMNrcHv9uFPrXxqJ4F8rWGQIQ3-HgtgaeIe2uUv05N9HRhkVEsp0/w410-h289/DSC_009.jpeg" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 6<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-GB"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The word picture dynamics in most openings is perfect. Here in opening 6 we see the irony in the knight telling us 'This side of the book is safe' (opening 5) and 'The other side is not', as the three wild animals are frightened away by a mouse. <o:p></o:p>This visual verbal irony continues with the knight telling us that the ogre is the most dangerous thing on the other side of the book, yet we can see what the knight can’t see … on his side of the book a large crocodile creature is swimming towards him (the duck sees it and manages to fly away) and on the other side the ogre actually doesn’t seem that dangerous at all – he lets the mouse walk away unharmed as the knight continues with his narrative about being on the safest side of the book (opening 8).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYOW3zuxYY_EdpPXyY2iHstEZXd1jM824EIJ89kOAa_OC7P_Tq8Zh4UBcvpc0tlNQWyFvWbcVi5XzPfw3dmpq3X3_1FVv0Qz8BD5xJEKsaVVByzU-KJyKYdrbMfTKjaNrCOnTIplZnXno/s2048/DSC_0011.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1422" data-original-width="2048" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYOW3zuxYY_EdpPXyY2iHstEZXd1jM824EIJ89kOAa_OC7P_Tq8Zh4UBcvpc0tlNQWyFvWbcVi5XzPfw3dmpq3X3_1FVv0Qz8BD5xJEKsaVVByzU-KJyKYdrbMfTKjaNrCOnTIplZnXno/w410-h284/DSC_0011.jpeg" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Opening 8</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 10 ingeniously brings the two characters together. It’s the knight talking, but both he and the ogre are responding to the noise they can hear. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvHMPYRGG5kIaPhuqQPs3Jabhm0Dnj_Vf4lyvqm8g2DzldvNUKONuOMTnyqTIK7PAwIOSfGlVvZDTNt1iwGLvcmYGe-1W6FSWYZ8cESMeYmpEIKngzw5F3xyMoOaYnOeKg7PmQCEhQcY/s2048/DSC_0013.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1418" data-original-width="2048" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvHMPYRGG5kIaPhuqQPs3Jabhm0Dnj_Vf4lyvqm8g2DzldvNUKONuOMTnyqTIK7PAwIOSfGlVvZDTNt1iwGLvcmYGe-1W6FSWYZ8cESMeYmpEIKngzw5F3xyMoOaYnOeKg7PmQCEhQcY/w410-h283/DSC_0013.jpeg" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Opening 10</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The knight is flabbergasted, ‘This isn’t supposed to happen on this side of the wall’ as the water pushes him off the ladder and drags him down into its depths. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 12 is wordless and suddenly the wall is no longer a barrier. The ogre plucks the knight from the water. Is he going to eat him? Is he going to save him? You might want to ask the children what they think will happen…<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJL__z19q9nm0RVMtblyTVrxYdKYSL3X1NOlGnQ4KMUnp4s5IldZldGXfnG9dI_8SNMz7fl2qT-NPI6k5Fu1ig_k_WE5sH9CeblMndpxPfKm150qvERE5zPbod6bzbbsJpT63h87jC1X0/s2048/DSC_0015.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1427" data-original-width="2048" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJL__z19q9nm0RVMtblyTVrxYdKYSL3X1NOlGnQ4KMUnp4s5IldZldGXfnG9dI_8SNMz7fl2qT-NPI6k5Fu1ig_k_WE5sH9CeblMndpxPfKm150qvERE5zPbod6bzbbsJpT63h87jC1X0/w410-h286/DSC_0015.jpeg" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Opening 12</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And suddenly the knight is on the other side. Tension is high. On the verso we see a sequence of images showing a large fish about to eat (and then eat) a shoal of smaller fish and on recto the ogre might also be about to do the same thing… the visual-verbal interplay is perfect. Do you think the ogre is going to eat the knight?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtZ2yUKeSc0E_p7RcQDXxP6WXkD8axi_A9tLXqrqmhx9pKBu0JORwG0xjmXlxOff4JLQTq4HTKi9epj7vZcjVmTuefqelKF155ZDSOW4OoDzGH4o-U3Evp6vzZ_Chbr-jYleCjBvWNFrg/s2048/DSC_0018.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1461" data-original-width="2048" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtZ2yUKeSc0E_p7RcQDXxP6WXkD8axi_A9tLXqrqmhx9pKBu0JORwG0xjmXlxOff4JLQTq4HTKi9epj7vZcjVmTuefqelKF155ZDSOW4OoDzGH4o-U3Evp6vzZ_Chbr-jYleCjBvWNFrg/w410-h293/DSC_0018.jpeg" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Opening 15</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 16 answers the question … of course not! Because the ogre is ‘<i>actually a nice ogre. And this side of the book is fantastic!</i>’. And on the verso side of the book we see an even bigger fish arrive and we can all predict what’s going to happen next!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBtxsH9hfgawfdYOWNgjoCoYJI6o61k6H1mMuPbD0nqc6JXFZhJdh5RzTB8QpRKLDdHbDVElEBOcZN3jA-7ghE-MVrVkGRetBAy8ndJQ1_5_OemyMuLdEpRreerAlEXhY4Vxsdi1H3CSU/s2048/DSC_0019.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1436" data-original-width="2048" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBtxsH9hfgawfdYOWNgjoCoYJI6o61k6H1mMuPbD0nqc6JXFZhJdh5RzTB8QpRKLDdHbDVElEBOcZN3jA-7ghE-MVrVkGRetBAy8ndJQ1_5_OemyMuLdEpRreerAlEXhY4Vxsdi1H3CSU/w410-h287/DSC_0019.jpeg" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Opening 17</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And so, the ogre offers to show the knight around. In opening 19 we can see the knight contemplating this. Before you turn the page, you might want to ask the children what they think the knight will do. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEyVE1hHj9RKGY2TR4oe4Jn1TbhQNomMoT9KuS5EnaQ9tPwtItCLi9GW7e0wb3ha0Y5HqwDS_pifmxZHKygElnu99KlzBwHeQNooT9z74YZE0eIXaZB5FTYJxVwDzGwIFmqIiFD55PYAI/s2048/DSC_0021.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1460" data-original-width="2048" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEyVE1hHj9RKGY2TR4oe4Jn1TbhQNomMoT9KuS5EnaQ9tPwtItCLi9GW7e0wb3ha0Y5HqwDS_pifmxZHKygElnu99KlzBwHeQNooT9z74YZE0eIXaZB5FTYJxVwDzGwIFmqIiFD55PYAI/w410-h292/DSC_0021.jpeg" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Opening 19</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Opening 21 is wordless… all the characters are running, with big smiles on their faces, from left to right … no wall, but instead leafy freedom. The duck’s back too! Maybe he flew over the wall?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZ9NtU4vVyQUAerhU_GPULvkENXVH_RZKCDnMl9GadgBDsJ2-ScWio-AvSt6Mv2DNsHcehWH7qrkoUKeQt8tLwTY6847jFAeGjWAz5ncbyFxKxgBam09owrJDqRx8KgkN2y0GPkte7y0/s2048/DSC_0023.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1444" data-original-width="2048" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZ9NtU4vVyQUAerhU_GPULvkENXVH_RZKCDnMl9GadgBDsJ2-ScWio-AvSt6Mv2DNsHcehWH7qrkoUKeQt8tLwTY6847jFAeGjWAz5ncbyFxKxgBam09owrJDqRx8KgkN2y0GPkte7y0/w410-h289/DSC_0023.jpeg" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 21<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The back endpapers remind us that there is one more character in the story we may have forgotten… the mouse. Is he running from the others or after them? Ask the children what they think and why.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-fcGDNt9sPKl9jnWDo0omcbyHcuIlryGs0-wmP94lp2j5K0wYrTkpUYzfxE1xknnzCZwaQJEMKQe72WgsM4dS85cU5fZdnbgWDeBqnR-JP5RsJs1detbcDQ5KRFpy-ACD5SO5SDLqkXI/s2048/DSC_0024.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1422" data-original-width="2048" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-fcGDNt9sPKl9jnWDo0omcbyHcuIlryGs0-wmP94lp2j5K0wYrTkpUYzfxE1xknnzCZwaQJEMKQe72WgsM4dS85cU5fZdnbgWDeBqnR-JP5RsJs1detbcDQ5KRFpy-ACD5SO5SDLqkXI/w410-h284/DSC_0024.jpeg" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Back end papers</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The wall in the middle of the book</i> has won countless awards and accolades. The book’s message is clear – ‘Walls don’t help us understand our neighbours’ (<i>Booklist</i>), or ‘Too much attention towards outward threats means we neglect those within’ (<i>Kirkus</i>). Helping children come to their own conclusions about walls and otherness is the best way to use this picturebook. Reread together and allow for discussion around key openings. Use ‘Why’ questions as much as possible. 'Why do you think the wall is there?', 'Why do you think the knight feels safe?', 'Why do you think the knight is frightened of the ogre?'.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A follow up project for older primary children could focus on researching famous walls, where they were / are and what they separated. Since the Berlin Wall was brought down, surprisingly, even more walls have been built, so another project might involve children finding out which countries still have border walls or where they are planned. A meaningful dramatisation could involve children deciding on two groups of students according to an agreed categorisation (e.g. boys or girls; light hair or dark hair; favourite colours), then building a wall of cardboard boxes to separate the two groups, then knocking it down and celebrating being together. This will help them really understand the symbolism of the wall, as well as experience the sadness of separation and the joy of freedom.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;">My work on this blog is </span><span style="background: white; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;">part of CETAPS' project </span><span style="background: white; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;">UIDB/04097/2020, funded by FCT</span></p></div></div>Sandie Mourãohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05937320913931497159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874408807553636390.post-61180127970788304142020-07-26T17:38:00.003+01:002020-07-27T10:10:16.207+01:00MIXED - an inspiring story about colour<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><i></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><b><i>Mixed</i></b> by Arree Chung (2018) is ‘An inspiring story about colour’, published by Macmillan Children’s Books in the UK. The US version has a slightly different title, <b><i>Mixed, a colorful story</i></b> (Henry Holt, 2018). <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><font color="#000000"><a href="https://arree.com/" target="_blank">Arree Chung </a>is American-born Chinese and introduces himself as “children’s book author and illustrator and creative entrepreneur.” He has a background in gaming and animation and brings this experience to his picturebook creations. <b><i>Mixed</i>,</b> is a little different to his previous picturebooks (see <a href="https://arree.com/books/" target="_blank">Ninja</a>), and won him the 2019 <a href="http://www.childrensbookaward.org.uk/" target="_blank"><span lang="" style="background: white;">Children’ Book Award</span></a><span lang="" style="background: white;">, the only British award for children’s books that is voted for entirely by children. On the award body’s website <i>Mixed</i> is described as “</span><span style="background: white;">a wonderful picture book about tolerance, diversity and embracing difference.</span><o:p></o:p></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="">While attending art school Chung discovered colour theory and, in an <a href="https://bookpage.com/interviews/22910-icebreaker-arree-chung-childrens#.Xx2KRPhKgXo" target="_blank">interview</a></span><span lang=""><a href="https://bookpage.com/interviews/22910-icebreaker-arree-chung-childrens#.Xx2KRPhKgXo" target="_blank">,</a> he describes how his ideas developed for <b><i>Mixed</i>:</b> </span><span style="background: white;"><i>I just found so many analogies that worked so well in terms of color theory: the way that colors look different with each other and feel different with each other and had so many different personalities. I think the most poignant point was thinking about the message—as the world mixes in culture, we create new colors. They’re their own color. It opens a lot of interesting conversations with kids. </i></span><span style="background-color: white;">Chung also described Roger Hargreaves’ </span><i style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Men" target="_blank">Mr Men</a></i><span style="background-color: white;"> books as being inspirational – the simplicity of the coloured blobs, easily copied by children, against line-drawn backgrounds in black and white.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgndspnPyFPRZ4oJpRBF3gpvP4U89lZVgievBMMqR_UqNCc5sN1zFnieO2p1_nQYs8ypKCM-HFkQYneHKyMLneKAM0RErlnn7cArSuqfv-lCO5LC3fZJfEKGToaAHBgrWZbILVIf4IhCqI/s2048/DSC_0093.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1585" data-original-width="2048" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgndspnPyFPRZ4oJpRBF3gpvP4U89lZVgievBMMqR_UqNCc5sN1zFnieO2p1_nQYs8ypKCM-HFkQYneHKyMLneKAM0RErlnn7cArSuqfv-lCO5LC3fZJfEKGToaAHBgrWZbILVIf4IhCqI/w400-h310/DSC_0093.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front cover, paperback<i style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;"> </i></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="">The cover presents the main characters, the three primary colours. The reds, yellows and blues. You might want to ask children what they think these characters will be like, they may come up with some of the adjectives used to describe them. The title lettering is a clever combination of coloured letters which magically show and tell what “mixed” actually looks like.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><div><div class="msocomtxt" id="_com_1" language="JavaScript"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8bMh_7ZSSC_44rMyOSxstZ3gYiXj8QHnkygRJm4-Hehyphenhyphen6x-gWFykSDfDSvrLbqA_u4-bIRfcIp-D-N0RvZXyD01exUblNSuudEobuF4E_spxiC2m6yf5t0p7TZ55elCyu3LvEyfYvYFU/s2688/DSC_0094.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1170" data-original-width="2688" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8bMh_7ZSSC_44rMyOSxstZ3gYiXj8QHnkygRJm4-Hehyphenhyphen6x-gWFykSDfDSvrLbqA_u4-bIRfcIp-D-N0RvZXyD01exUblNSuudEobuF4E_spxiC2m6yf5t0p7TZ55elCyu3LvEyfYvYFU/w500-h218/DSC_0094.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front endpapers<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="" style="color: #1d1d23;">The front endpapers are covered in regimental lines of the three primary-coloured characters. If you look closely you’ll see that they are actually all different. There’s one grumpy character, can you see it? The title page is a repeat of the front cover, again presenting the characters and the dedication lists lots of names followed by “…and every new hue mixed into the spectrum”. In the interview I mention earlier, Chung says that while he was creating this picturebook, he wasn’t relating his own personal experience as a American-born Chinese, but instead, </span><span style="background: white; color: #1c1c1c;"><i>I thought more about my nieces and my friends who have mixed kids than my own personal experiences</i>… the dedication may be for all those children. </span><span style="color: #1d1d23;"><span lang=""><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="" style="color: #1d1d23;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="" style="color: #1d1d23;">And so it starts, in a biblical tone …<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="" style="color: #1d1d23;">"In the beginning there were three colours: Yellows, Reds and Blues." <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #1d1d23; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #1d1d23; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiohihdsdZghDmUwYGNR1ETvw8xMeTK2Gd9SlR9Pqy765dA_l6UUwEA3c332bcB4VVbNTT5hlndQWywAV8q3bU4nHa9RXC5FYmHzykiNQfv-xGLCMVne1OQMYWkEez9qx4KW7psGorSbxE/s2714/DSC_0096.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1159" data-original-width="2714" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiohihdsdZghDmUwYGNR1ETvw8xMeTK2Gd9SlR9Pqy765dA_l6UUwEA3c332bcB4VVbNTT5hlndQWywAV8q3bU4nHa9RXC5FYmHzykiNQfv-xGLCMVne1OQMYWkEez9qx4KW7psGorSbxE/w500-h214/DSC_0096.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 1</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #1d1d23; font-size: 12pt;">"Reds were the loudest ...Y</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">ellows were the brightest … </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">and Blues were the coolest." </span><span lang="" style="color: #1d1d23; font-size: 12pt;">This play with colour psychology works well … red is</span><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;"> the colour of energy, action, ambition and determination. Yellow is the colour of the mind and the intellect - the round, studious glasses help us see this, as well as the adjective “bright” meaning both shining and clever. Blue is with coolness in temperature, but here used to suggest fashionable and trendy.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d1d23; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigPpeAY5jzYguWCmQv4W8yupDkD8REqNvqmzWiLMpkVKy__XAvvvGz1IwOaYLOVdvTGY1E-YJo_a5M7xaD6PyZPGVICUgQUwI_RqOdT6nV0xR0-8Ob0dZv3mo3_N160T_Q4sVcHkZMHgA/s2710/DSC_0100.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1160" data-original-width="2710" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigPpeAY5jzYguWCmQv4W8yupDkD8REqNvqmzWiLMpkVKy__XAvvvGz1IwOaYLOVdvTGY1E-YJo_a5M7xaD6PyZPGVICUgQUwI_RqOdT6nV0xR0-8Ob0dZv3mo3_N160T_Q4sVcHkZMHgA/w500-h214/DSC_0100.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 5<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d1d23; font-size: 12pt;">They all lived happily in “colour harmony”, until the Reds begin to tell the world “REDS are the BEST!” Can you see the Reds setting up to tell everyone what they think? Of course, they would start the fracas, they are the hot headed ones!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d1d23; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d1d23; font-size: 12pt;">Each colour responds in its own particular way but they all agreed that they should live in separate parts of the city, walled off from each other: Redville, Blue Town and Yellow Heights. This is quite a disturbing opening (see Opening 8 below) and one you can pause at, and let children share their thoughts about the idea of keeping everything, everyone, separate.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d1d23; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNI9Xzlguhq7YPop0ai-AxESt-SSnMBXyJDgIhbPQZOlwpsiEBM1NRMkF3TZXWpl7yCjqkoGAPYGdDlzsiLLAOmMQJ-DtivPUANE7eNMihBqrTgmS8YBhbU91YaJ7b8QzTDj9JPi0Z90/s2638/DSC_0103.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1135" data-original-width="2638" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNI9Xzlguhq7YPop0ai-AxESt-SSnMBXyJDgIhbPQZOlwpsiEBM1NRMkF3TZXWpl7yCjqkoGAPYGdDlzsiLLAOmMQJ-DtivPUANE7eNMihBqrTgmS8YBhbU91YaJ7b8QzTDj9JPi0Z90/w500-h216/DSC_0103.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 8<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d1d23; font-size: 12pt;">The change begins when “… a Yellow notices a Blue”. They have an effect on each other, “I feel so happy when I’m with you!” says Blue. “And I feel so calm when I’m with you” say Yellow… again colour psychology at work. Naturally, “Yellow and Blue become inseparable”. But the other colours are against their relationship. “Colours shouldn’t mix!” “Blue isn’t bright enough for Yellow”. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKNMgP3JopcQ4yLa6yogtcnZMTv-FmGMLPatJsDzoTqoAQ04txvHoNHHAalldw1mVzcoDhjJ-R94v_B5remznP0GD3ZPKxPtKaUk7msrPfZPUUuv-yx8l7ayQcBY5UIyVzn3uPwTAdpk8/s2717/DSC_0105.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="2717" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKNMgP3JopcQ4yLa6yogtcnZMTv-FmGMLPatJsDzoTqoAQ04txvHoNHHAalldw1mVzcoDhjJ-R94v_B5remznP0GD3ZPKxPtKaUk7msrPfZPUUuv-yx8l7ayQcBY5UIyVzn3uPwTAdpk8/w500-h213/DSC_0105.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 10<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #1d1d23; font-size: 12pt;">Yellow and Blue take no notice and decide to <b>MIX</b>. If you know anything about colour mixing, you’ll know that yellow and blue make green. And that’s what happened. “Green was bright like Yellow and calm like blue, but really she was a colour all of her own.” This is a powerful message for children who come from mixed race families.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjROATCUQob3zMcVS9P5rE7HIdNa_AqTjc5by5av39yAdUfYOUOhyGbQBtmRPOHs_Bgp5oaNSlNKZd6zmlRIjQVAAiqAggoIy9-CYlQc13JhvX7VwMJXoFHPuFcAdRncnCUeitJauMGGkk/s2711/DSC_0107.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1160" data-original-width="2711" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjROATCUQob3zMcVS9P5rE7HIdNa_AqTjc5by5av39yAdUfYOUOhyGbQBtmRPOHs_Bgp5oaNSlNKZd6zmlRIjQVAAiqAggoIy9-CYlQc13JhvX7VwMJXoFHPuFcAdRncnCUeitJauMGGkk/w500-h214/DSC_0107.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 12<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="" style="color: #1d1d23;">Green won over everyone’s hearts and … “The colours began to see the new possibilities.” The words tell us that “Soon the others colours mixed and mixed and mixed!” and the images show us what happens… brightly colours blobs, of all tones and hues emerge. And all with different names. A yellowy orange is Amber, a bluey green is Jade. But best of all the city was rebuilt and everyone lived together again.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGCvnUNywrng6Ez4Lf_wiho4atp7PIGMf0SloF_beSGQ0N8V5IVv_GAPdAba9PDirH2N9AKyKwIulVnZUc5YeXzXLhzJH8MuCOMcilbhBkiyFdP0gfn7lDVbMbpisYbrZdaROdn31I2c0/s2684/DSC_0111.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1172" data-original-width="2684" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGCvnUNywrng6Ez4Lf_wiho4atp7PIGMf0SloF_beSGQ0N8V5IVv_GAPdAba9PDirH2N9AKyKwIulVnZUc5YeXzXLhzJH8MuCOMcilbhBkiyFdP0gfn7lDVbMbpisYbrZdaROdn31I2c0/w500-h219/DSC_0111.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 16<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="" style="color: #1d1d23;">The last line, “It wasn’t perfect, but it was home” pushes us to consider what perfection might be. What do we gain by mixing and what might we lose? This is something you can ask older primary children, they will have something to say, although they might need to use their L1. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="" style="color: #1d1d23;">Chung is actually creating a sequel which looks at the concept of preserving heritage cultures. He writes, </span><span lang="" style="color: #1c1c1c;"><i>It’s called Mixed Up [...] There are folks that are older and are afraid of losing Chinese culture or African culture or America, whatever that means. So, they’re a little mixed up. They want to be forward thinking but they also want to find that line. </i>This will probably also be based around his own family’s experiences. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="" style="color: #1d1d23;">Don’t forget to show the back endpapers! A multitude of different coloured blobs, representing the end of the story, <b><i>Mixed</i>!</b> The endpaper set in this picturebook represent the beginning and the end of the story, and a passing of time. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBaKvaZfx8QS3VoSM8MM2JueyDmhTZ7GQtq2ASe6kt3LdIceYGdO9wZQPIABxHlKWgeqIqITf7njLehAKfCkZ38KLHLeTPi_EMr1rke6dvyiezlZN4PR4OLw-PNJu6QA_Yggx6j_DabjE/s2679/DSC_0112.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1174" data-original-width="2679" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBaKvaZfx8QS3VoSM8MM2JueyDmhTZ7GQtq2ASe6kt3LdIceYGdO9wZQPIABxHlKWgeqIqITf7njLehAKfCkZ38KLHLeTPi_EMr1rke6dvyiezlZN4PR4OLw-PNJu6QA_Yggx6j_DabjE/w500-h219/DSC_0112.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back endpapers<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoCommentText" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang=""><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d1d23; font-size: 12pt;">Upon revisiting the picturebook, </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d1d23; font-size: 16px;">on the front cover and title page, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d1d23; font-size: 12pt;">you might find that children comment on Red using a megaphone, and that Blue and Yellow are already noticing each other here. These illustrations are very relevant for what happens next, although we don’t know this when we see the book for the first time. But do encourage children to make connections.</span></p><p class="MsoCommentText" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang=""><i style="font-size: 16px;"><span lang=""><b><br /></b></span></i></span></p><p class="MsoCommentText" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang=""><i style="font-size: 16px;"><span lang=""><b>Mixed</b></span></i><span lang="" style="font-size: 16px;"><b> </b>plays with the concept of race on multiple levels, it's simple, yet deep. Published in 2018 it coincided, albeit by chance, with the moves made by the Trump Administration in the US for new and replacement walls between the US and Mexico. Children may not be familiar with this, but nonetheless <b><i>Mixed</i></b> will prompt</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"> questions and there should be multiple opportunities to share ideas if you give children the opportunity. </span></span></p></div></div><div><div class="msocomtxt" id="_com_2" language="JavaScript"><p class="MsoCommentText" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang=""> </span></p></div></div><div><div class="msocomtxt" id="_com_3" language="JavaScript"><p class="MsoCommentText" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="" style="color: #1d1d23; font-size: 12pt;">Arree Chung has created a set of resources to use with <b>Mixed</b>, they can be found <a href="https://arree6dae2c.clickfunnels.com/mixed-activity-guides" target="_blank">here.</a> </span><span lang="" style="color: #1d1d23; font-size: 12pt;">There’s a focus on understanding colour theory and the colour wheel, which is part of most primary curricula. I especially like the use of plasticine to create blobby characters of different tones and hues. He’s also created an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J09qKJaNCjg&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">animated </a></span><span lang="" style="color: #1d1d23; font-size: 12pt;">version of <i style="color: black;"><span lang=""><b>Mixed</b></span></i>, which is worth sharing once the children have seen the picturebook.</span></p><p class="MsoCommentText" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="" style="color: #1d1d23; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><div><div><div class="msocomtxt" id="_com_2" language="JavaScript"><p class="MsoCommentText" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span lang=""> </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet; text-align: center;">My work on this blog is </span><span style="background: white; font-family: trebuchet; text-align: center;">part of CETAPS' project </span><span style="background: white; font-family: trebuchet; text-align: center;">UIDB/04097/2020, funded by FCT</span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div>Sandie Mourãohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05937320913931497159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874408807553636390.post-38863586094804343642020-07-25T14:49:00.004+01:002020-07-27T07:51:16.861+01:00GREEN LIZARDS vs RED RECTANGLES - a book about war<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;">My first post of 2020 is about a picturebook that looks at war. A challenging topic for any classroom, but one that can be facilitated through picturebooks. <i>GREEN LIZARDS vs RED RECTANGLES</i> by <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/3874408807553636390/167292251881093441" style="color: #954f72;">Steve Antony</a> (Hodder Children's Books, 2016) is the picturebook I've chosen to start with.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"> </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXfwYhYBBNmpDp_4aLtfb_551dYt3A4oUTXdbSwVOBtYBF-TvHuLjh5AIzP0iLLGJa3YTu7zq-A2ZFumq2uDE0V5bPzDIlfz2M6sWLyj9kFpEr8Jz6jtySzDErOye2bf1tsBOTtuQeX0Y/s1752/DSC_0001.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1752" data-original-width="1724" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXfwYhYBBNmpDp_4aLtfb_551dYt3A4oUTXdbSwVOBtYBF-TvHuLjh5AIzP0iLLGJa3YTu7zq-A2ZFumq2uDE0V5bPzDIlfz2M6sWLyj9kFpEr8Jz6jtySzDErOye2bf1tsBOTtuQeX0Y/w315-h320/DSC_0001.jpeg" width="315" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front cover (paperback)</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><br /><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;">The Guardian review on the back cover suggests 'This book offers an easy, safe means to talk about the idea of war' and in a<a href="https://www.steveantony.com/blog/tag/Green+Lizards+Vs+Red+Rectangles" target="_blank"> blog post</a> Steve Antony writes: “My desire was to simplify to its core what is an anything but simple subject so that people can add their own interpretations and apply it to just about any kind of conflict.” He was inspired by the suprematist painting <a href="https://theartdaily.blogspot.com/2010/05/kazimir-malevich-suprematist-painting.html" target="_blank">'Eight Red Rectangles’ </a></span><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;">(1915) by the Russian avant-garde artist Kazimir Malevich.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">My copy is a paperback edition (2017) and on the front cover a (wounded) GREEN LIZARD is telling the reader 'A STORY ABOUT WAR AND PEACE'. Is it a coincidence that the title and this little explanation are in capital letters? Are they shouting at us?</span></div><o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;">The lettering represents the two warring characters... green and speedy for the GREEN LIZARDS; stiff and solid for the RED RECTANGLES. Both are in capitals, and throughout the picturebook capital letters are always used when referring to the GREEN LIZARDS and the RED RECTANGLES. In the <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/3874408807553636390/167292251881093441" style="color: #954f72;">traditional RYB colour model</a> (the one I grew up with), the colours red and green are opposite each other in the colour spectrum - red is a primary colour, and green is a secondary colour. They are complimentary ... green is the one secondary colour that is not made by mixing another primary colour with red. Steve Antony tells us in his blog that the GREEN LIZARDS are hand drawn and the RED RECTANGLES are digital. Everything about the words and the illustrations, the lumpy, dumpy GREEN LIZARDS and sharp, snappy RED RECTANGLES, show and tell the differences between the characters in this picturebook.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">At first glance it may not be apparent what the GREEN LIZARDS and RED RECTANGLES are actually doing as they tumble over the cover. But it's the anthropomorphic lumpy, dumpy GREEN LIZARDS that help us read this cover ... most have open mouths, some are kicking, others shying away, others are in a fighting pose, they are struggling to co-exist. <a href="https://www.steveantony.com/blog/tag/Green+Lizards+Vs+Red+Rectangles" target="_blank">Steve Antony</a>'s idea for the book was triggered by the fact that these characters were so different they couldn't possibly get on... all they had in common was the white page. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;">On the back cover the blurb tells us that "The RED RECTANGLES try their hardest to defeat the GREEN LIZARDS, but the GREEN LIZARDS are strong. Can they find a way to live peacefully together?" Positions have already been taken... it looks like it is the GREEN LIZARDS who are the underdogs. The wounded GREEN LIZARD is there again ... could he be the one hoping for peace? How did he get injured?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></p><div align="center"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable"><tbody><tr><td style="padding: 0cm;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNbxplHhRV5zYXk83GlPH3E82A96HCLUOpUr-oKSttKITvOMvwfrT8xISRZCdsDY1cL2Oiwr4xI3-5DIJgJfnRWJp2o7psn3cOd5lAPz4Nq6Pf8EuEmLd1aaTN3pxAmHsL7DxDWIHWiUM/s1494/DSC_0018.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1494" data-original-width="1458" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNbxplHhRV5zYXk83GlPH3E82A96HCLUOpUr-oKSttKITvOMvwfrT8xISRZCdsDY1cL2Oiwr4xI3-5DIJgJfnRWJp2o7psn3cOd5lAPz4Nq6Pf8EuEmLd1aaTN3pxAmHsL7DxDWIHWiUM/w312-h320/DSC_0018.jpeg" width="312" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back cover (paperback)</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;">The front endpapers are a mass of lumpy, dumpy GREEN LIZARDS. You can feel their energy, living creatures, all green, all different (if you look closely), yet one together. Strong together. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"> </span></p><div align="center"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable"><tbody><tr><td style="padding: 0cm;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_dKzOENMNxKUKg6jWO-oC8v5Jenh1FHdaCWbuI5o7lEkoa7JUEnP27UVUIR4qQXBwla3gLrqw1WAM1pu8h6yxZi1Dk7CaY-sdx_gY5l-5f6n46SqMMaBjUciUIUg0Q0RYbVchyphenhyphenxTp5w/s2048/DSC_0003.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1195" data-original-width="2048" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_dKzOENMNxKUKg6jWO-oC8v5Jenh1FHdaCWbuI5o7lEkoa7JUEnP27UVUIR4qQXBwla3gLrqw1WAM1pu8h6yxZi1Dk7CaY-sdx_gY5l-5f6n46SqMMaBjUciUIUg0Q0RYbVchyphenhyphenxTp5w/w400-h234/DSC_0003.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><font face="times">Front endpapers</font></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><br /></p></td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 0cm;"><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><br /></p></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;">The title page is on the recto, but the images overflow into the verso copyright page. I wonder whether the GREEN LIZARDS are trying to work out who these RED RECTANGLES are... so different, so un-lumpy dumpy, so un-green. If we look at <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/3874408807553636390/167292251881093441" style="color: #954f72;">colour symbolism</a>, in the western world red is a strong, passionate colour and is usually associated with warnings and with danger. Green is more harmonious, it denotes health and vitality, but it can also be related to envy and inexperience. The colours that Steve Antony has used for his main characters contribute to our understanding of what they might be like, and how they might behave. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"> </span></p><div align="center"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable"><tbody><tr><td style="padding: 0cm;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78GX7N6dMqr8AthjVWLh_1KvsME3zcl3dmODupNiUhnOsOne7-6Bw0A_4GAhHguQDwVPjUp2uvkoLDEsSMQebR1sDcn1J-sjhzrY3H_mUDxyTl2T8pZ-746yV4tUCS9Tft8rUFFuMAho/s2048/DSC_0004.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1115" data-original-width="2048" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78GX7N6dMqr8AthjVWLh_1KvsME3zcl3dmODupNiUhnOsOne7-6Bw0A_4GAhHguQDwVPjUp2uvkoLDEsSMQebR1sDcn1J-sjhzrY3H_mUDxyTl2T8pZ-746yV4tUCS9Tft8rUFFuMAho/w400-h218/DSC_0004.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><font face="times">Title page and copyright pages</font></span><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span></td></tr></tbody></table><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><br /></p></td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 0cm;"><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;">In visual grammar, the verso page is considered the page of the protagonist and the first opening of this picturebook, after the title page, shows the GREEN LIZARDS on the verso page - they are the main characters, looking at the RED RECTANGLE invaders on the other side of the the book. The gutter divides them, again every part of the book is used for significance. The words tell us they "... were at war". <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"> </span></p><div align="center"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable"><tbody><tr><td style="padding: 0cm;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0idjjAnAMWK1kQ0vBTk9qAeqCO6V0ymth4AyjWcyQyQ_2SBT1hko43R31289tn0ywONCI0w2CHvHnw2UT4TwrwZrTqN2gLxLbLVEPbaqYy70t84Jn1oucTE-AX8aaV1xUzwt9iDX4He8/s2048/DSC_0005.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1170" data-original-width="2048" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0idjjAnAMWK1kQ0vBTk9qAeqCO6V0ymth4AyjWcyQyQ_2SBT1hko43R31289tn0ywONCI0w2CHvHnw2UT4TwrwZrTqN2gLxLbLVEPbaqYy70t84Jn1oucTE-AX8aaV1xUzwt9iDX4He8/w400-h229/DSC_0005.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><font face="times">Opening 1</font></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><br /></p></td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 0cm;"><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><br /></p></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;">So the GREEN LIZARDS try to defeat the RED RECTANGLES, "but the RED RECTANGLES are too smart". </span><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The RED RECTANGLES fight back, pushing with all their might against the GREEN LIZARDS, "but the GREEN LIZARDS were strong." It is a GREEN LIZARD who asks the important question on opening 6. In large capitals, it fills the page, as much an illustration as a piece of verbal text. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 12pt 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 12pt 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFAGap13GlV59paXvW9FAdILZBbutoLiEEgFoQF-WEhWtF59ReJfGY7XDQ4rnVEBgXrLEbFFwyIwf19Xq5j79IFV3dsu2Atgrhzdq6_ytP9rKb1oic6njJY-Zw-BcqI2oMzu5EX29pOS0/s2048/DSC_0010.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1139" data-original-width="2048" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFAGap13GlV59paXvW9FAdILZBbutoLiEEgFoQF-WEhWtF59ReJfGY7XDQ4rnVEBgXrLEbFFwyIwf19Xq5j79IFV3dsu2Atgrhzdq6_ytP9rKb1oic6njJY-Zw-BcqI2oMzu5EX29pOS0/w400-h223/DSC_0010.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 6<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 12pt 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;">The following opening, Opening 7, is carefully left white space, emptyness, with the RED RECTANGLE lying horizontally along the bottom of the page and the brave GREEN LIZARD squashed beneath. Even the words press against the RED RECTANGLE increasing the weight of the image and the words. Steve Antony tells us it was ‘bold move’ to include death in this picturebook, but that we can decide for ourselves whether the GREEN LIZARD really did die. It’s a question to ask the children.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 12pt 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"> </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPaAKYyVUcCtp-qKZ5VQ8lH-3rK1jcly8BoVFHJQpbVHh8U4DAMDlPklCGfhyphenhyphenVfYJjaNITlxHUYsHDbWs57gI61PsQB90q4HvaPmdEWFmJw7-K_Iogn8SgXH1zlEojI6hmaO8KRjDCjrI/s2048/DSC_0011.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1096" data-original-width="2048" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPaAKYyVUcCtp-qKZ5VQ8lH-3rK1jcly8BoVFHJQpbVHh8U4DAMDlPklCGfhyphenhyphenVfYJjaNITlxHUYsHDbWs57gI61PsQB90q4HvaPmdEWFmJw7-K_Iogn8SgXH1zlEojI6hmaO8KRjDCjrI/w400-h214/DSC_0011.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 7<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 12pt 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 12pt 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The result, of course, is the "THE BIGGEST WAR EVER." The GREEN LIZARDS and the RED RECTANGLES fight over several openings and in each there is no respite. There’s a GREEN LIZARD with the plaster over his wound on each spread. Is it the squashed LIZARD? Is it another one? How will this end? </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 12pt 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 12pt 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">A little RED RECTANGLE saves the day. Standing as high as he can get, toppling on the corner of a larger RECTANGLE, a little RED RECTANGLE shouts "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!" And the GREEN LIZARDS and RED RECTANGLES come together for a truce, led by the little RED RECTANGLE. And they find a way to live together. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 12pt 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 12pt 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF0TYS6McILKrAE-AGxr3VOf7XVvawPuRcg7431l0hyphenhyphenKqEvyBfCgzg3j6qTVR8s_LEoTY9VI7f34MxUE8rIB6FnLpJNCzZqfZEzg1o8ikzhVM2t-12DvOQBINWvBzJnOlNRV9o2QWAprY/s2048/DSC_0015.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1097" data-original-width="2048" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF0TYS6McILKrAE-AGxr3VOf7XVvawPuRcg7431l0hyphenhyphenKqEvyBfCgzg3j6qTVR8s_LEoTY9VI7f34MxUE8rIB6FnLpJNCzZqfZEzg1o8ikzhVM2t-12DvOQBINWvBzJnOlNRV9o2QWAprY/w400-h214/DSC_0015.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 10<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 12pt 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">You could stop here and ask the children you are sharing this picturebook with, what they think the truce might be or what it might look like. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 12pt 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 12pt 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;">Upon turning the page everyone can see the ordered regimental RED RECTANGLES encasing the lumpy, bumpy GREEN LIZARDS. They have found a way "to live peacefully ..." The GREEN LIZARDS are smiling, waving, hugging, playing being GREEN in their tidy RED spaces. They are still separate but there's harmony. But look, coming out of the door is a GREEN LIZARD and a small RED RECTANGLE, "...together." They are breaking the mould.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 12pt 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"> </span></p><div align="center"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable"><tbody><tr><td style="padding: 0cm;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbKdllB0Px5dSMC-6915dA_OtHOiZlYXAKS_ge1asYRqG3TUFjA0QD6Jzw6oOH7NklpX5GiC39jGrN4gcZpuG4clHPHmppJKKibFN-Q2aO2O9a09tmidMMq5bBgqC1t00jGjwNjPBUH0k/s2048/DSC_0016.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1124" data-original-width="2048" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbKdllB0Px5dSMC-6915dA_OtHOiZlYXAKS_ge1asYRqG3TUFjA0QD6Jzw6oOH7NklpX5GiC39jGrN4gcZpuG4clHPHmppJKKibFN-Q2aO2O9a09tmidMMq5bBgqC1t00jGjwNjPBUH0k/w400-h220/DSC_0016.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 11<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><br /></p></td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 0cm;"><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><br /></p></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 12pt 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">On the back endpapers, it's the RED RECTANGLES that dominate, with just one GREEN LIZARD, the wounded one, falling in love. Notice how that large RED RECTANGLE is slightly tilted towards the GREEN LIZARD... it's going to be OK. </span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 12pt 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"> </span></p><div align="center"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable"><tbody><tr><td style="padding: 0cm;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxo2CidM4ZLtPrLTaHy5DNZ-MYhIYrMsbF01dWPAWvVLw8amOwTuL2gzH0cSQZ1GLwYEhnkQSb_xgl4DwoNjmI3y88w9x7lNcwRj_2iINhE8-jBRsUTaMMqZYCGicdVQ2ZbUTWLXJovzA/s2048/DSC_0017.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1116" data-original-width="2048" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxo2CidM4ZLtPrLTaHy5DNZ-MYhIYrMsbF01dWPAWvVLw8amOwTuL2gzH0cSQZ1GLwYEhnkQSb_xgl4DwoNjmI3y88w9x7lNcwRj_2iINhE8-jBRsUTaMMqZYCGicdVQ2ZbUTWLXJovzA/w400-h218/DSC_0017.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back endpapers <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><br /></p></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 12pt 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;">You can return to the back cover here too, and check out the bar code, where the little RED RECTANGLE is being seduced by a GREEN LIZARD. Then look through the openings again and notice that this little RED RECTANGLE is almost always visible, slightly different to the other RED RECTANGLES in his behaviour. You just need one to make a difference. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 12pt 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 12pt 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;">Steve Antony has created a fantastic picturebook, using three colours: red, green and white ... four if you include black for the words! The message is clear, difference is OK, let's acknowledge these differences and make the most of them to live together. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 12pt 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 12pt 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;">It is an easy picturebook to share, for the illustrations are clear and discernible. They work alongside the words to provide opportunities for children to think about and interpret what they see and hear as you read aloud. However, it will require careful mediation, with opportunities for quiet reflection, asking questions and sharing ideas. It is perfect for integrating citizenship into language classes with children from 8 to 12 years old by focusing on the positive outcomes that difference can generate. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 12pt 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 12pt 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;">And if you and your children enjoyed this picturebook, you might like to share the sequel, <i><font color="#954f72"><a href="https://www.steveantony.com/greenlizardsredrectangles" target="_blank">GREEN LIZARDS AND RED RECTANGLES AND the Blue Ball</a></font>, </i>which was published earlier this year. I'll be blogging about that picturebook later.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 12pt 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 12pt 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;">From my older blog posts there are a couple of other picturebooks which touch on the topic of war. Two of my favourites are by David McKee. Click on the picturebook covers below to (re)discover these picturebooks. They can also be shared to start discussion or plan a sequence of lessons around war and action for peace.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 12pt 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><a href="https://picturebooksinelt.blogspot.com/2013/01/who-conquered-who.html" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="400" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2TLoMV4yxb3QlAYJMNUeQWx8RjBl7OefxrYTBZeNh5m4rXj2n8df9boIqHlx9NS1SRx4QIJHbHoBJ_xys9tsRetKcasve_DM9u8t3J439FsJE55VocKW7HTAz1P3acX4gtY3MCOE7z0Y/w164-h143/9781842704684.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="164" /></a>. <a href="http://picturebooksinelt.blogspot.pt/2011/05/war-and-peace-with-elephants.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1356" data-original-width="1143" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcfXVkPK4zklv6nqctg6Q7ymUizOfUMppnPwxA-gqlqoNkZqNLuYczM2Z6WdY2tlgGkJ8I1EShign2bF9wbR7GcuKgXXdzNvglS_dHdFAHv3AMxiVFQL79__lfI7BhXEWAm0ZITn-a8E8/w138-h164/capa.jpg" width="138" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">My work on this blog is </span><span style="background: white; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">part of CETAPS' project </span><span style="background: white; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">UIDB/04097/2020, funded by FCT</span></p>Sandie Mourãohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05937320913931497159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874408807553636390.post-68452143789155834322020-07-25T14:47:00.000+01:002020-07-25T14:47:15.964+01:00Still passionate about picturebooks!<div style="text-align: center;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><font face="verdana"><span style="text-align: left;">As I return to my blog, after a 6-year break, I realise it is a decade old - launched in June 2010, while I was doing my PhD, it was a platform for sharing my discoveries, in particular around picturebook <a href="https://picturebooksinelt.blogspot.com/2013/01/picturebook-peritext-other-bits-repost.html" target="_blank">peritext.</a> Ten years later, I feel picturebooks really are better understood in English language education, yet there is still so much more to share. </span></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><font face="verdana"><br /></font></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><font face="verdana"><span style="text-align: left;">I resume in July 2020, with more discoveries ... I'm now a researcher at <a href="https://www.cetaps.com/sandie-mourao/">CETAPS Universidade Nova de Lisboa,</a> and I want to focus on picturebooks that can be conducive to helping the world be a better place - picturebooks for intercultural understanding and citizenship in early English language education - to help English language teachers</span><span style="text-align: left;"> take</span></font><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> learning beyond the mundane of a purely language focus. Over a decade ago, Michael Byram wrote:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><font face="verdana"><!--StartFragment--></font><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="color: #002060;"><font face="verdana"><br /></font></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><i><font face="georgia">If foreign language teaching in primary education is to contribute seriously to the international education of young people, it has to recognise the complexity of the task, to include intercultural competence among its aims, to seek relationships with other aspects of the curriculum in systematic ways and to demand properly trained teachers and appropriate teaching materials.</font></i></p><p style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: right; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"></p><p style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: right; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><font face="arial">(Byram, 2008 p. 87)</font></p><!--EndFragment--></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><font face="arial"><br /></font></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><font face="verdana">Intercultural understanding straddles foreign language education and citizenship education in the school curriculum, and picturebooks can be the teaching material <i>par exellence</i> to develop an intercultural competence, combining language and values education in one neat package. </font></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">I'm slowly putting together a database of picturebooks for this purpose, and this blog will accompany the database. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><i>S l o w l y</i> is the adjective here, but it's happening! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Uu0acWD0os7nZHBQSuIJ8-p4lCJNYO2trfVukgJUYJ-WXZxPeWIv3ZQJI9jMSOo9YgbynYTXm_41JdPfmXHhpwG6ATVkwpNE6KgVxQsn4fM7FnnZWJHOME1AFyXEZuUi2o2VM9mxOgI/s2001/Blog+image+Large.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1428" data-original-width="2001" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Uu0acWD0os7nZHBQSuIJ8-p4lCJNYO2trfVukgJUYJ-WXZxPeWIv3ZQJI9jMSOo9YgbynYTXm_41JdPfmXHhpwG6ATVkwpNE6KgVxQsn4fM7FnnZWJHOME1AFyXEZuUi2o2VM9mxOgI/w400-h285/Blog+image+Large.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">In the thumbnail here you can see just some of the picturebooks I'll be blogging about. Recognise any? I hope so, and if you already use these in your English classroom, fantastic! I hope you'll discover more by following my blog!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><div><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><font face="trebuchet">My work on this blog is <span style="background: white; text-align: start;">part of CETAPS' project </span><span style="background: white; text-align: start;">UIDB/04097/2020, funded by FCT</span></font></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Sandie Mourãohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05937320913931497159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874408807553636390.post-76961192302406685212015-07-01T12:29:00.001+01:002015-07-02T18:50:39.443+01:00Ten picturebooks for pre-primary language learners<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: left;">The reason for my recent flurry of activity is because </span><a href="http://www.deltapublishing.co.uk/" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: left;">DELTA Publishing</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: left;"> are doing a feature on ten picturebooks for pre-primary children - all ten now appear on my blog! </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: left;">They have also created a </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.deltapublishing.co.uk/content/pdf/say-hello-levels-1-2/BentheBear%27sTop10Picturebooks.pdf">flier</a></span> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: left;">outlining ten reasons for using stories with very young learners. </span></span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: left;">To learn more about the promotion, and maybe even win all ten picturebooks, follow this <a href="http://www.deltapublishing.co.uk/development/ben-the-bears-top-10-picturebooks">link.</a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: left;">Below you can see the </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: left;">ten books being featured in the DELTA promotion. Click on the picturebook covers to reach the posts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: left;">ENJOY!</span><br />
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<a href="http://picturebooksinelt.blogspot.pt/2015/06/good-old-brown-bear.html"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-TO6NRhoEMTaXLEACW9jORe2gK4CZhvyXtYpXxq1KYDahWGREtGgoIUA1UxI0rvLUAVyAHW9I9VoQcHApqagzw58z7NWwuiMEXs-vZq2aNoNpfiRZrURF3z2fR7VpX_EU7_NWUm8DPm8/s200/IMG_6665.jpg" width="155" /></a><span id="goog_693369903"></span><span id="goog_693369904"></span><span id="goog_693369916"></span><span id="goog_693369917"></span><span id="goog_693369955"></span><span id="goog_693369956"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_693369911"></span><span id="goog_693369912"></span><a href="http://picturebooksinelt.blogspot.pt/2011/07/fishy-exuberance.html"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2hUAG4Bc5LXjq5B8dYqYGWZehJAm2ppHhNoTnS6uN0cxU_sYJdGjq823oT6Uj88LNYnTAhUlbBsrVfksCit1ceIxW0Byp-eleW9ngBYIsCu7Dk5NunYYP432633AW98sCWvozjtDWjUCJ/s200/DSC_0009.JPG" width="171" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://picturebooksinelt.blogspot.pt/2015/06/we-all-go-traveling-by.html"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAaFLRrLmbCDcQFG4JuWa2rYdeDjHbchmm7eicX0ssVGI1_TpQ6nLPl_RsGrDBi2pgSQAeb436LsE318BnOOYIl0OamX6r95GZDULHl9Z_hr5qWz8Kd9NFHu_vLhKo73rS7RKlehHO2BQ/s200/IMG_6688.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHGOKAI84YK8IlWYfMg9oua2oLZh1ADMRZoa0qJiu0jPsQ3bfL63TRK_-VI95xzu5Kl0v6eDxOL7B0SYm2TkXipsRfCXB5S5nn4sqR9amfI16xyIJngLAk6HOvAuH8B3aO0IlkAqYgkBQ/s1600/DSC_0094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHGOKAI84YK8IlWYfMg9oua2oLZh1ADMRZoa0qJiu0jPsQ3bfL63TRK_-VI95xzu5Kl0v6eDxOL7B0SYm2TkXipsRfCXB5S5nn4sqR9amfI16xyIJngLAk6HOvAuH8B3aO0IlkAqYgkBQ/s200/DSC_0094.JPG" width="182" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://picturebooksinelt.blogspot.pt/2015/06/pardon-said-giraffe.html"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj__u_TwcJ3uAVHtGCCtJ81fqjpxKhuf1nugdtRNZvm3oUXBtHWcNwTFAws74Xnra8l0XNJ2t24bnvKpSKOR1n-INrMlqd_LxY6FzbsF4Aqf3ShnH5wuVum6odre-_EQD9R8U0gld1YTaM/s200/IMG_6637.jpg" width="161" /></a><a href="http://picturebooksinelt.blogspot.pt/2012/05/monkey-and-me-is-another-picturebook-by.html"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzTUIVhwwnaEp4SmLe7uQC7YGmWm1z4O_FT-g11k5Dhd8Z2tkvge0JccudaOzY_ETO5OxHJ3aW6ZbiwL-TnkV0nEiXKJyN0oyX5hrLdnTvIvj5doeT-lGBvr_XkINZdZg0mVivMplrS2M/s200/DSC_0003.jpg" width="195" /></a><a href="http://picturebooksinelt.blogspot.pt/2011/09/old-macdonald-with-twist.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-o9ORJ3-79eykNUi2MN-sUUtXnQCdn30ef3dJY8c5xHiHomGeD6s3Na_zNO7FJvSDGfQMzUp45NKz8fyaHHBORaVpre39ig3JPBguP6HfM-0F0OYFQHrLhLHiJbGZpwgyW7gVL5gS1YE/s1600/DSC_0007.JPG" /></a><a href="http://picturebooksinelt.blogspot.pt/2015/06/a-pile-of-washing.html"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQHK_mVp80LO87jGLEBp813lpd5SjuCtQ2ACzdoUo00dfI245a4olR67zRY5zyLuSE_Znv3WW6US9w2EVW5tswMwA2yIjXoBA1Bfnpajpl8W3pbnLr8fUf5lvOLwjODZOz27vMgYAyJJY/s200/IMG_6648.jpg" width="195" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://picturebooksinelt.blogspot.pt/2012/02/funny-face-funny-faces.html"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlPNbXU5Iu8RbYL23dExxNkT5NCnTIPmKFgBINkHU_o59Rjt9X1YxJGouVp9Ay8cOQmja2SSBxBRptAPMEpJdYoffcwIfX2IMBESpdADZY-BUYZ_DVyF6uyoY7nwRjI4VaO2El-bzFYDJ3/s200/DSC_0128.jpg" width="181" /></a><span id="goog_693369941"></span><span id="goog_693369942"></span><a href="http://picturebooksinelt.blogspot.pt/2011/04/my-nose-your-nose-celebrating.html"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhALVIrtqropaFAwNIk-kyeMLXwzaPP-kjpp2gUu9e3z23CroBW7JVu_aRUNUFiTGkpyXSA0HAzDHBa6prSANTCdwlHdsjBSBsE2bfofRkpBm6QtEiq9YiX5ko4q2djW1wM-0KTtTLusM/s200/DSC_0001.JPG" width="165" /></a></div>
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Sandie Mourãohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05937320913931497159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874408807553636390.post-59861890297413748132015-06-30T18:46:00.000+01:002015-06-30T18:46:05.621+01:00'Pardon?' said the giraffe<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj__u_TwcJ3uAVHtGCCtJ81fqjpxKhuf1nugdtRNZvm3oUXBtHWcNwTFAws74Xnra8l0XNJ2t24bnvKpSKOR1n-INrMlqd_LxY6FzbsF4Aqf3ShnH5wuVum6odre-_EQD9R8U0gld1YTaM/s1600/IMG_6637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj__u_TwcJ3uAVHtGCCtJ81fqjpxKhuf1nugdtRNZvm3oUXBtHWcNwTFAws74Xnra8l0XNJ2t24bnvKpSKOR1n-INrMlqd_LxY6FzbsF4Aqf3ShnH5wuVum6odre-_EQD9R8U0gld1YTaM/s200/IMG_6637.jpg" width="161" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Front cover</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pardon-said-Giraffe-Colin-West/dp/1406321044/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1435186557&sr=8-1&keywords=pardon+said+the+giraffe">Pardon?' said the giraffe</a></i>, is written and illustrated by Colin West, one of several that<span style="text-align: justify;"> always make my students giggle!</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-align: justify;">Not surprisingly, some of them are part of a collection called </span><i style="text-align: justify;">The Giggle Club</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-align: justify;">, 'made to put a giggle into reading'. </span><a href="http://www.colinwest.com/picturebooks/" style="text-align: justify;">Colin West</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-align: justify;"> actually says</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-align: justify;">, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-align: justify;">'These books are full of pictures to help you read</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-align: justify;">'. I have all nine of his picturebooks, and they work because there is always a giggle element which doesn't lean on the words. You need to understand the words and the pictures together to get the joke - both words and images work together to create meaning. T</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-align: justify;">rue to great picturebooks considered ideal for helping children learn to read</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-align: justify;">, these books contain</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-align: justify;"> repeated refrains, cumulative language, strong sound patterning, rhythm and rhyme, and a fairly rich lexical input, and of course illustrations which carry the narrative, sometimes alongside the words, sometimes not. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-align: justify;">The book is slightly shorter than a normal picturebook, with just 24 pages instead of 32. </span>The front cover introduces us to three of the characters: a frog, giraffe and lion, and if you look on the back cover, there's a lion too. The frog is perched on the lion and elephant's head, something he does in the visual narrative later on. </span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-align: justify;">As this is a book to get readers hooked, </span><i>'Pardon?' said the giraffe</i>, has all those bits a picturebook should have. A neat set of <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3874408807553636390#editor/target=post;postID=3186176786343013861;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=10;src=postname">endpapers</a>, same at front and back, but still meaningful in the visual narrative. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfO5SI-qkZ90R0rux2eR6q9CYik4dNS3tkkc8qrKBCUufdzh-5NP0QODjEKUQdg3Z4tNUiRGzwHYfCq9qofR3cRJtkGv8vYKxzi0hA8k1Uq3dsFN711_R6fN9OXdocfI6d0guTVj3kVuM/s1600/IMG_6638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfO5SI-qkZ90R0rux2eR6q9CYik4dNS3tkkc8qrKBCUufdzh-5NP0QODjEKUQdg3Z4tNUiRGzwHYfCq9qofR3cRJtkGv8vYKxzi0hA8k1Uq3dsFN711_R6fN9OXdocfI6d0guTVj3kVuM/s320/IMG_6638.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Front endpapers</span></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A decorative motif, but can you see the frog in the midst of all the flowers? </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzDAJMu7rSs1bAFXPD2XHMnZBHzmKEeObcN1kswXS19sU776ket3WUHbmuDlteEd1y15XDL9iqQLvrJtMgA45NHOLFFCjWrmRMUjwoC_x6DLY7tyvpBtKHHp8TQ7_HsfeXaf4QLnLeZ8Q/s1600/IMG_6639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzDAJMu7rSs1bAFXPD2XHMnZBHzmKEeObcN1kswXS19sU776ket3WUHbmuDlteEd1y15XDL9iqQLvrJtMgA45NHOLFFCjWrmRMUjwoC_x6DLY7tyvpBtKHHp8TQ7_HsfeXaf4QLnLeZ8Q/s200/IMG_6639.jpg" width="158" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Title page</span></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The title page has a neat little cameo illustration of an innocent looking giraffe.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyf9QfdciiJZl0lNrVYW8uBzM_pEMvjvqryyTZsvsi6CbKaSo78CNL29sVaHVzm406xlgcM5nA3Ewx4rpvBWx-mztXhigbUMjEkL8rLfJAPUpfEAqQx1d4xLZF1YR6UP5ipHZNPfqRQJ4/s1600/IMG_6640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyf9QfdciiJZl0lNrVYW8uBzM_pEMvjvqryyTZsvsi6CbKaSo78CNL29sVaHVzm406xlgcM5nA3Ewx4rpvBWx-mztXhigbUMjEkL8rLfJAPUpfEAqQx1d4xLZF1YR6UP5ipHZNPfqRQJ4/s320/IMG_6640.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Opening 1</span></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And so our story begins with frog hopping on the ground wondering 'What's it like up there?'. Up there is so far away that we can only see the lower part of the giraffe's body, she's so tall she doesn't fit on the page. Children often comment on this. The giraffe can't hear. Is she deaf, or just teasing the frog? But each time she is asked the same question we read 'Pardon?' said the giraffe. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Miraculously, a lion appears and the frog jumps on his head and asks again </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">'What's it like up there?' Then along comes a hippo ...</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaPdAmEbJSUG9f1Ex0jyaOYkD3I4XW04LJ3eyEkri1edEGWZxmaWax4_wX0B-Nbxb6tB0fRqGtx0JJaqshAAxteVCthkCnC8RRUkmb0-CaGU5ZU3IanL8VjNA0Up_jpIaIeFDAOMRm2Uo/s1600/IMG_6642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaPdAmEbJSUG9f1Ex0jyaOYkD3I4XW04LJ3eyEkri1edEGWZxmaWax4_wX0B-Nbxb6tB0fRqGtx0JJaqshAAxteVCthkCnC8RRUkmb0-CaGU5ZU3IanL8VjNA0Up_jpIaIeFDAOMRm2Uo/s320/IMG_6642.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Opening 3</span></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Neither lion or hippo look much impressed by frog using them as a ladder. What animal do you think he'll jump onto next to get nearer the giraffe? Her neck is getting longer! </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yep, you guessed it, an elephant. And what luck this brought frog, just a bit clsoer to giraffe and he was able to hop on her nose. Each time of course, frog asks, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">'What's it like up there?' and giraffe replies, 'Pardon?' Children love this, they happily chorus "'Pardon' said the giraffe". </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhlyzspd62IyiG-rNcLnwJqWrjxQZAqJaCx8uRZerO-Wk8hdCTSgd2luQn4dWPW2GjV0xMFhzbwgjOcOs4bKESgb-mgBIIA8xJpGCjFEGhr0zn5XrpLS4xHU91SVgKv-hfEqnP_OAQ30/s1600/IMG_6644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhlyzspd62IyiG-rNcLnwJqWrjxQZAqJaCx8uRZerO-Wk8hdCTSgd2luQn4dWPW2GjV0xMFhzbwgjOcOs4bKESgb-mgBIIA8xJpGCjFEGhr0zn5XrpLS4xHU91SVgKv-hfEqnP_OAQ30/s320/IMG_6644.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Opening 5</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For the first time the animals don't look concerned or worried, look they are smiling at frog who is perching awkwardly on giraffe's nose. Can you guess what's going to happen next? Well how you you feel if a frog jumped onto our nose? Ticklish by any chance? Yep! That's how girafe feels and of course she sneezes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9mXr3aeK0n4x3nH-6lN-sJTJC0YOntPCM2SLAH0P05FJ14C7_52aLyOtkwQhzxwLHn-jx5eOP3IhlvSHfsZcIEXufybEs_bCp6tT0XqhvvvlXW8oIt-AWQCa7ZtZ1PsowT-lH-M_68_U/s1600/IMG_6646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9mXr3aeK0n4x3nH-6lN-sJTJC0YOntPCM2SLAH0P05FJ14C7_52aLyOtkwQhzxwLHn-jx5eOP3IhlvSHfsZcIEXufybEs_bCp6tT0XqhvvvlXW8oIt-AWQCa7ZtZ1PsowT-lH-M_68_U/s320/IMG_6646.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Opening 7</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Oops!" Down falls frog. Giraffe is equally curious, as you would be if you were tall ... "What's it like down there?" asked the giraffe. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho4hBDbKq2mFr_nCdxPfcuz3YEfT1WCItGiX4hPd_BGrmkyjy7rIzsVwisL0SpDxf13rK5iEQXjXvQUfhPydTsdyqqtKcBtDig-tGa-SF5aJpojqn70g5KV58bYPbMptgdKy2-4BMr-Qw/s1600/IMG_6647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho4hBDbKq2mFr_nCdxPfcuz3YEfT1WCItGiX4hPd_BGrmkyjy7rIzsVwisL0SpDxf13rK5iEQXjXvQUfhPydTsdyqqtKcBtDig-tGa-SF5aJpojqn70g5KV58bYPbMptgdKy2-4BMr-Qw/s320/IMG_6647.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Opening 8</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Pardon?" said the frog. Everyone but the frog seems to think it's entertaining! Children love it too and eagerly rub their heads and pretend to be a confused frog. Like I said lots of repetition with a lovely twist, which is simple enough for small children to understand and appreciate. Magical Mr West.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
Other books by Colin West include:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">'<a href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9781406321036/Not-Me-Said-the-Monkey">Not me' said the monkey</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9781406321012/Have-You-Seen-the-Crocodile">Have you seen the crocodile?</a></span><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Day-Jungle-Little-Funnies/dp/1406307912/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1435265387&sr=8-1&keywords=one+day+in+the+jungle"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One day in the jungle</span></a><br />
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><a href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9781406321029/Hello-Great-Big-Bullfrog!"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hello Great Big Bullfrog!</span></a></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9781406321050/Go-Tell-it-to-the-Toucan">Go tell it to the Touca</a>n</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Enjoy!</span></div>
</div>
Sandie Mourãohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05937320913931497159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874408807553636390.post-59928112187545044392015-06-30T18:43:00.001+01:002015-06-30T18:43:34.728+01:00A pile of washing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I blogged about one of my favourite <a href="http://jezalborough.com/club/">Jez Alborough</a> books ages ago, <a href="http://picturebooksinelt.blogspot.pt/2011/02/i-need-hug.html">Hug</a>. This post is about another of his picturebooks, <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Washing-Line-Jez-Alborough/dp/140631076X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1435609534&sr=1-1&keywords=washing+line">Washing line.</a> It's a small book, nothing mega, except of course it's full of Alborough's humour and perfect for sharing while children are learning about clothes. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQHK_mVp80LO87jGLEBp813lpd5SjuCtQ2ACzdoUo00dfI245a4olR67zRY5zyLuSE_Znv3WW6US9w2EVW5tswMwA2yIjXoBA1Bfnpajpl8W3pbnLr8fUf5lvOLwjODZOz27vMgYAyJJY/s1600/IMG_6648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQHK_mVp80LO87jGLEBp813lpd5SjuCtQ2ACzdoUo00dfI245a4olR67zRY5zyLuSE_Znv3WW6US9w2EVW5tswMwA2yIjXoBA1Bfnpajpl8W3pbnLr8fUf5lvOLwjODZOz27vMgYAyJJY/s200/IMG_6648.jpg" width="195" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front cover</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's the front cover showing a huge pair of spotty underpants hanging on a line, and a little white mouse scampering by. Not only does this present one of the characters in the story (the mouse) but also an important item of clothing in the storyline. Who could these underpants belong to? </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSYm5lprDx8DTzEjCDw49sWX-kw_ytP_EGUa3k2B4xndsyYEA2wWT7R27oumsQ9GsPe30t9QkHInHXhY34RDeVRszwM-JKbHvgXGJMT0c03IDgIaYZcsZtvaHr5XSaticwwpUELH5D3nA/s1600/IMG_6650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSYm5lprDx8DTzEjCDw49sWX-kw_ytP_EGUa3k2B4xndsyYEA2wWT7R27oumsQ9GsPe30t9QkHInHXhY34RDeVRszwM-JKbHvgXGJMT0c03IDgIaYZcsZtvaHr5XSaticwwpUELH5D3nA/s320/IMG_6650.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copyright and title pages</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are no endpapers, but the copyright and title pages make up for this! The copyright is written on a white sheet hanging on the line, and there's that white mouse again, this time undressed. The title page shows a basket of washing, ready to hang out, I suppose. These are all good things to return to having shown the picturebook to small children. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85yudo8Wn1yndRsPYtsDP-HIjd8uWFHIf57GE60CHmBX3kWCAKV9YRtquesoIAZjn24x9seRRwDbBPQKb9KyWF3iFe8Oqee0NvIQmxzlbjMPWMHnTXb4h4Ucoa4pKRTfiuWSuYtLCQX4/s1600/IMG_6651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85yudo8Wn1yndRsPYtsDP-HIjd8uWFHIf57GE60CHmBX3kWCAKV9YRtquesoIAZjn24x9seRRwDbBPQKb9KyWF3iFe8Oqee0NvIQmxzlbjMPWMHnTXb4h4Ucoa4pKRTfiuWSuYtLCQX4/s320/IMG_6651.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 1</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The pages in this book aren't all the same size. Can you make out the page break in the middle of the grass there? The elephant has found some very long socks on the washing line and is asking, "Whose are those socks hanging on the washing line?" Do you know? What animal has long legs? Turn the flap and you see a kinky flamingo in warm stripy socks! "They're mine", said the flamingo.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijkgTxM11N1r8tJk2_TA5Q3GLFt-x0V1WDh8sINqgFdBPka18xpEYwXMPEh5v-K3A224IwNnvldWQi4a7tRLsnC58FZ8zFTF3l8TlBJgHk_TJRVIfJ2UCeoJD_aKBWhdVwHt58rF5fZYM/s1600/IMG_6652.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijkgTxM11N1r8tJk2_TA5Q3GLFt-x0V1WDh8sINqgFdBPka18xpEYwXMPEh5v-K3A224IwNnvldWQi4a7tRLsnC58FZ8zFTF3l8TlBJgHk_TJRVIfJ2UCeoJD_aKBWhdVwHt58rF5fZYM/s320/IMG_6652.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On each spread a bit of the next item of clothing can be seen, it rarely goes unnoticed by the children, certainly not during rereads. They love calling out what will come next. This time, both the elephant and the flamingo want to know "Whose is that jumper hanging on the washing line?"</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpppssQCkml8-cp7Zexgxj7rRQVXlpSrJ5yfm08RG4gfy4a5-yklK_kbW3bir4rw2BBXb4VEPzYBzqgoSgaKKFQqaLf-IkUgQBV2j-fxZpuSMARcLIlc3s6C05WRLBxGzAnS20g9-kJkc/s1600/IMG_6653.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpppssQCkml8-cp7Zexgxj7rRQVXlpSrJ5yfm08RG4gfy4a5-yklK_kbW3bir4rw2BBXb4VEPzYBzqgoSgaKKFQqaLf-IkUgQBV2j-fxZpuSMARcLIlc3s6C05WRLBxGzAnS20g9-kJkc/s320/IMG_6653.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 3</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"It's mine" grunted an orang-utan! Of course with arms that long! You probably can't see the tiny yellow dress, but it's there in the top right hand corner. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcPtl2D-WfCNp1cgsorihfBhZErXV3rHiHPmafkC0QnUkRvtw-j2L3Z18Jsj5NSfABw0YH3Qmubd_g8lrvmAIMhBBLiTsAC3ezCPky6Mgx3cwNqq2kSP9BPMc_0R0j1GrzGgpTOP5x0Qo/s1600/IMG_6656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcPtl2D-WfCNp1cgsorihfBhZErXV3rHiHPmafkC0QnUkRvtw-j2L3Z18Jsj5NSfABw0YH3Qmubd_g8lrvmAIMhBBLiTsAC3ezCPky6Mgx3cwNqq2kSP9BPMc_0R0j1GrzGgpTOP5x0Qo/s320/IMG_6656.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 6</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We discover this belongs to the mouse - can you see her on the pole? There's a hint on the front cover of course, where we saw her scampering over the boxer shorts, and children will comment on this during retells. That strange orange and blue striped thing is a scarf, '</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Whose is that jumper hanging on the washing line?" asked the elephant, the flamingo, the urang-utan and the mouse</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">'. Children call out "a snake", but they're wrong!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjSrTJ2DyRRLwaXFRJ4ykZQ-caVrAjX_-4UNEJ58Kws61Dzi51wVjDQtwFmeR_U5mMAN51yl_Em0aWjovxVkkiSat8QZfNrhkr6tfsVA4IGIpDTF9fxLiVozpQlmZAp1dukb8Asn0jJZM/s1600/IMG_6658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjSrTJ2DyRRLwaXFRJ4ykZQ-caVrAjX_-4UNEJ58Kws61Dzi51wVjDQtwFmeR_U5mMAN51yl_Em0aWjovxVkkiSat8QZfNrhkr6tfsVA4IGIpDTF9fxLiVozpQlmZAp1dukb8Asn0jJZM/s320/IMG_6658.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 8</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's a giraffe's scarf of course! As we've turned each page the animals enquiring about the hanging clothes get greater in number, and we have to remember the order in which they appeared - this is a very subtle maths related activity and one of the many reasons that these kinds of picturebooks are so useful for small children - remember we are never 'just' teaching English!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHHJgQpQ_YlrNgIIwOqSQos2BiNr5SqHirwrJU9XZrGwFY21UpL0Giri8Vat_L4pHOWgjZ7qFZiP70n6n-0fNyXkweMvhnaHUrzqIJciKlUqa0JRZv4u8-77uJ6tTum-hCauc5S2Xv7fk/s1600/IMG_6659.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHHJgQpQ_YlrNgIIwOqSQos2BiNr5SqHirwrJU9XZrGwFY21UpL0Giri8Vat_L4pHOWgjZ7qFZiP70n6n-0fNyXkweMvhnaHUrzqIJciKlUqa0JRZv4u8-77uJ6tTum-hCauc5S2Xv7fk/s320/IMG_6659.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 9</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But look! What an enormous pair of boxers. "Whose are those underpants hanging on the washing line?" asked the flamingo, the orang-utan, the mouse and the giraffe (have you noticed the elephant has gone?)</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-0r4-Xd4FpdwZ0NMUO74xkZ_HNyEgsW_vya8T0BxkeEaWOMrROAPu0Z3RS0yEoMS0aT64qhAyiIRWstAoK8ZjyttqR-z9SLe1IG36bYQqYuvndf712zwyx2F5g7ONZWUwVB6xKSnQaQ/s320/IMG_6660.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 10</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-0r4-Xd4FpdwZ0NMUO74xkZ_HNyEgsW_vya8T0BxkeEaWOMrROAPu0Z3RS0yEoMS0aT64qhAyiIRWstAoK8ZjyttqR-z9SLe1IG36bYQqYuvndf712zwyx2F5g7ONZWUwVB6xKSnQaQ/s1600/IMG_6660.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Turn the flap and oooo! It's the elephant! "They're mine of course!" He does have a big bottom! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But then all the animals wonder what to do next, afterall they are wearing their dry clothes. But elephant has an idea. We can see a bit of his idea to the right of the illustration ... can you guess?</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3qtyM5_dEru-TG8T3s6CuTgrcBMWVU7roHooA-xW2h34jiZwWG81-51bmBhWg9o9aDYZOE6PovlOI3nb1vXb0rwCeb1XdD_aGNLdK9xIXo4LMzSeiWm_xW_KTKrqqaDKLRMbvLv4c6yg/s1600/IMG_6663.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3qtyM5_dEru-TG8T3s6CuTgrcBMWVU7roHooA-xW2h34jiZwWG81-51bmBhWg9o9aDYZOE6PovlOI3nb1vXb0rwCeb1XdD_aGNLdK9xIXo4LMzSeiWm_xW_KTKrqqaDKLRMbvLv4c6yg/s320/IMG_6663.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 13</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Arghhh! "LET'S GET THEM WET AGAIN!" Cool idea Mr elephant, and the children chortle with delight! But that's not the end of the story for if we turn the page again, we see all the clothes hanging on the line, dripping of course! </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUptRBKrXRt5r89NjwjEAFfnbLFIKdDHsGg2XVM8O9u95jUmACGA8dnDRbiouNi9YpHi2_WdcnT15jLhnrQQqc_WqQ5xUZDfXLatsqCUVJpFm-5CYWnMaxrC5g7SQEb_vU4t2ySASc1ic/s1600/IMG_6664.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUptRBKrXRt5r89NjwjEAFfnbLFIKdDHsGg2XVM8O9u95jUmACGA8dnDRbiouNi9YpHi2_WdcnT15jLhnrQQqc_WqQ5xUZDfXLatsqCUVJpFm-5CYWnMaxrC5g7SQEb_vU4t2ySASc1ic/s320/IMG_6664.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 14</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Can you remember who wears what? The children can and it's a great way to help them remember and make connections. There's a bright sun shining on the clothes so they'll dry nice and quick and this is something to talk about with the children too. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What a simply lovely picturebook. So easy, nice and repetitive and with a wonderful twist at the end. Great for a clothes related topic, but also very useful for helping children sequence and match, suitable early maths concepts. And if you don't follow the sharing of this story by setting up a washing line in your classroom, shame on you!</span></div>
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Sandie Mourãohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05937320913931497159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874408807553636390.post-53868060626814621252015-06-30T18:42:00.000+01:002015-06-30T18:42:12.826+01:00We all go traveling by<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front cover</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/All-Traveling-Audio-Barefoot-Singalong/dp/1846866553/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1435686027&sr=8-1&keywords=And+we+all+go+traveling+by%2C"><i>And we all go traveling by</i>,</a> by Sheena Roberts and illustrated by Siobhan Bell is published by <a href="ps://www.barefootbooks.com">Barefoot Books</a> - an independent publisher that creates "bright, colourful books for children that combine beautiful artwork with captivating storytelling. [Books] that capture the imagination, spark curiosity, inspire creativity and instill respect for cultural, social and ecological diversity." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Picturebooks that feature transports aren't easy to come by for pre-primary children and this is why I like this title so much. It's rhythmic text is both repetitive and musical - I challenge anyone to share this story without breaking into song. IMPOSSIBLE! It also plays with the traditional English word game 'I spy with my little eye' and adds, 'You can hear with your little ear', because if you have a book about transport you wil hear all sorts of noises, from the beep-beep-beep of the yellow school bus to the tap-tap-tap of a pair of purple shoes ... afterall, our feet transport us to places too! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's an unusual book as the illustrations were created first as embroidered pictures - </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Siobhan Bell is a full-time textile artist, who has exhibitions and all sorts. This makes the picturebook just that little bit extra special, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and the children really enjoy looking closely and discovering this technique. You can talk to them about this too - Information about </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Siobhan, is on the inside of the front flap. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are no endpapers, but the inside of the covers are decorated with a pattern containing some of the images we will see inside the book. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhctOqyGUzLIZO-__G6zQuHwWKfKqJ4tMIqvhUAcX_W7qvmFuPheGsk1GGXQFq1A7u1BbYuWfLYu9uw9G_3dnh3IcrZTtnq0GVa0WK_KYbEb9KHhIj3DGhu_PxqmK2oeKUHuMrRSKZee3M/s1600/IMG_6689.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhctOqyGUzLIZO-__G6zQuHwWKfKqJ4tMIqvhUAcX_W7qvmFuPheGsk1GGXQFq1A7u1BbYuWfLYu9uw9G_3dnh3IcrZTtnq0GVa0WK_KYbEb9KHhIj3DGhu_PxqmK2oeKUHuMrRSKZee3M/s320/IMG_6689.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside of front cover</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The title page begins our story, I love it when this happens. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Title page</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There's a queue of people at a bus stop, even a cat, which the children I work with think is their puppet Hoola, so that brings them even closer to the story... What could they all be waiting for? The school bus of course!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1WU7dqXVwCkZS5OslRlbEaNuA1gCVh6n-VcZYUO68iO1Z0WJl9dcl49Nc9aDvc0mEL1NSpW2ENw6XuwXxM2di3gizbPfZKGw_ijqxPe_C8Hr6slMbLU8s1ygkznaxGRSp2M0Wfrz7-K0/s1600/IMG_6691.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1WU7dqXVwCkZS5OslRlbEaNuA1gCVh6n-VcZYUO68iO1Z0WJl9dcl49Nc9aDvc0mEL1NSpW2ENw6XuwXxM2di3gizbPfZKGw_ijqxPe_C8Hr6slMbLU8s1ygkznaxGRSp2M0Wfrz7-K0/s400/IMG_6691.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 1</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And so we begin our repetitive refrain... </span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I spy with my little eye, </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You hear with your little ear,</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A yellow school bus goes beep-beep-beep. </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And we all go travelling by, bye, bye, </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And we all go travelling by. </span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next comes a brigh tred truck that goes rumble-rumble-rumble, and it becomes part of the rhythmical sing-song text, and part of the illustrations too. Next a long blue train, which of course goes chuff-chuff-chuff! It is loooong! </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3q8Rg_KmR6BuVc9E5kuoM917Kc30ZRPZ0RPJ-rybhfpkiJ-WRgQrY5c1qu1mEC8DUV-3gPlZRsZREtfNHxi6LycgslXBLegJ1ClAqb28V-W7ycDn7RIUVd4Pv72KRYIFvFaNprWfVRvQ/s1600/IMG_6693.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3q8Rg_KmR6BuVc9E5kuoM917Kc30ZRPZ0RPJ-rybhfpkiJ-WRgQrY5c1qu1mEC8DUV-3gPlZRsZREtfNHxi6LycgslXBLegJ1ClAqb28V-W7ycDn7RIUVd4Pv72KRYIFvFaNprWfVRvQ/s400/IMG_6693.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 3</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Over hills and dales we are taken in the embroidered illustrations, collecting a pink bike (ring-ring-ring) and a little greenboat (chug-a-lug-a-lug) </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUhm2X68HXwsIE_Hbsa3z9jUjIrCmJ-9c_UrLdbgaZetTdWunFLv6sDMpx_1KtUpndiWItUiD3GQVxrAqLY_RKPC-Dy8AWEs7SptbVgHOcyPsB5i_dIpfDHIKEPH-3PvFd_qU83j8jyGk/s1600/IMG_6695.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUhm2X68HXwsIE_Hbsa3z9jUjIrCmJ-9c_UrLdbgaZetTdWunFLv6sDMpx_1KtUpndiWItUiD3GQVxrAqLY_RKPC-Dy8AWEs7SptbVgHOcyPsB5i_dIpfDHIKEPH-3PvFd_qU83j8jyGk/s400/IMG_6695.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 5</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Can you see the boat? It's so green it kind of disappears into the hills and dales (if I had been the editor I'd have questioned the choice of colour there!) ... then we pick up a big white plane (neeeeeee-oww) that's my favourite! A fast orange car (vroom-vroom-vroom) and finally "Two purple shoes go tap-tap-tap".</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyCcMjBmTlmQ4nySju21ofo-UN5GCOdsXCmrMrbUekATQXltxRu6AHo1pyq-jjZ1AW7aN24UYd5aZmtRDcoBMfmpELSyfkidZfLNYX6ta07Rhnz8Sjtbd7kw99PILgRiYl_3Zpg1oCp2I/s1600/IMG_6698.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyCcMjBmTlmQ4nySju21ofo-UN5GCOdsXCmrMrbUekATQXltxRu6AHo1pyq-jjZ1AW7aN24UYd5aZmtRDcoBMfmpELSyfkidZfLNYX6ta07Rhnz8Sjtbd7kw99PILgRiYl_3Zpg1oCp2I/s400/IMG_6698.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 8</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That's a busy spread ... completed by the sing-song refrain: </span><i style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And we all go traveling by, bye, bye. </span></i><i style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And we all go traveling by. </span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But hey! We are not done yet. Where is everyone going? Any idea? The next opening let's out the secret...</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVW-uzFW89TF80cD9OOwGpLCShaN-IcplU6K2fh6934zgfE8MC0J5RNyDphX3v1SQb7ZzCgtjgurBseJb6FXJpfm2LOZ5iEYQ3_lwuvGn3lf-29ulS2hylxO9soFWM7HCsqOeou_ZbjNQ/s1600/IMG_6700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVW-uzFW89TF80cD9OOwGpLCShaN-IcplU6K2fh6934zgfE8MC0J5RNyDphX3v1SQb7ZzCgtjgurBseJb6FXJpfm2LOZ5iEYQ3_lwuvGn3lf-29ulS2hylxO9soFWM7HCsqOeou_ZbjNQ/s400/IMG_6700.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 10</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our eyes can see and our ears can hear "A loud silver bell goes ding-a-ling-a-ling:" Everyone is going to school, of course! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And we all start another school day, <b>hooray!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And we all start another school day!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The final spread is a wonderful clear collage of all the different transport, which typically small children love nominating. The book is not allowed to be closed if we haven't looked and pointed at everything there, and remembered each accompanying sound. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqMCmNKcnXV8GF2WvJKPMrzv6Jx9P6tFoOiWJtuYcO93DcTc2a6vjA9gaSEAfLc1XEbGlf0NOPzzU7U8dJDpeglbubtndYL19xO_GJdTidqYDRakTQXXYibMSoU4sixPfZoI-YqRFy3CE/s1600/IMG_6701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqMCmNKcnXV8GF2WvJKPMrzv6Jx9P6tFoOiWJtuYcO93DcTc2a6vjA9gaSEAfLc1XEbGlf0NOPzzU7U8dJDpeglbubtndYL19xO_GJdTidqYDRakTQXXYibMSoU4sixPfZoI-YqRFy3CE/s400/IMG_6701.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening 11</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is a winner with 4-year-olds, who appreciate the simplicity of the repetition, the musicality, the transport sounds and the supportive illustrations (except maybe for the green boat!). The book comes with a CD which has both the song and an animated version of the story. You can also find this on YouTube:</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Kpoze1QKOCY/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Kpoze1QKOCY?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">YouTube video</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And if you really want to go for transport in a big way there are even some instant resources for you to use to reinforce the transport words through visuals</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, which can be found </span><a href="http://kizclub.com/storypatterns/traveling(C).pdf" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">here:</a></div>
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Sandie Mourãohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05937320913931497159noreply@blogger.com0