A young girl describes her relationship to the various members of her family, including her stepfamily, as they all gather to celebrate her birthday.
Primary (ages 6-9)
Material appropriate for primary age groups
Charles Dickens
The extraordinary life and genius of Charles Dickens is brought alive for primary-age children by the author-illustrator team behind the bestselling What Mr Darwin Saw.Published to celebrate the bi-centenary of Dickens’ birth, this picture book vividly dramatises his life, beginning with his birth in Portsmouth and early childhood near the docks in Chatham, and follows the young Charles through the hardship of working in a blacking factory at the age of 10 to his years at school and his early career as a reporter. Key incidents that inspired the later novels are described, and his marriage, family life, dramatic readings and tours of the USA are included. What emerges is touching portrait of a writer with amazing observational skills, a social conscience and a strong sense of drama.Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom specialise in fun, lively non-fiction picture books. They share the illustrations between them and mix up words and pictures in inventive and delightful ways. They have won many awards, including the Smarties Silver Award and the English Association Award. As well as What Mr Darwin Saw, their recent successes include Tail-End Charlie and Taff in the WAAF.
Mrs. Wishy-Washy’s Farm
Tired of being washed by Mrs. Wishy-Washy, a cow, pig and duck leave her farm and head for the city.
No Bears
Ella tells a story with fairies, princesses, castles, and no bears.
So Say the Little Monkeys
A rhyming retelling of an Indian folktale from Brazil about tiny, playful monkeys and why they have no place to call home.
The Seven Seas
During a geography lesson, a child takes an imaginary journey to each of the seven seas, including the Brown Sea which is made of chocolate, and the Pink Sea which has flamingos.
The Rumor
In the village of Baddbaddpur, the people like to tell tales, “so tall that if you put them one on top of the other, they would reach the stars.” Pandurang is so dour that he can make milk turn sour. One day he coughs up a feather. As the story of Pandurang’s feather is passed from one person to another it grows and grows and grows until it can hardly be recognized. And that’s when the story weaves its magic on the ill-tempered Pandurang. An international version of “broken telephone” this is a funny cautionary tale about the nature of rumors.
Christmas with the Rural Mail
A gentle poem describing the journey of a mail sleigh through rural Nova Scotia at Christmastime, delivering packages and parcels to children. The poem is carefully crafted to fit Maud Lewis’s colorful paintings, and the mail sleigh passes children skiing and tobogganing, oxen and Clydesdale horses pulling heavy loads, and the train station, among other classic rural winter scenes.
Drummer Hoff
A cumulative folk song in which seven soldiers build a magnificent cannon, but Drummer Hoff fires it off.
Madeline
Madeline, smallest and naughtiest of the twelve little charges of Miss Clavel, wakes up one night with an attack of appendicitis.