Reviews
There are so many incredible books available at the moment that it is impossible to read them all, no matter how hard I try! Here are my thoughts about some of the books I have read and how I think they could be used in school as well as Q and A sessions with authors and illustrators.
Tiger, It’s Snowing!/ Tiger, Don’t Worry!
Little Mei and her friend, Tiger, are excited because it is snowing. Tiger has never seen snow before and is so keen to explore that he doesn’t notice how cold Mei is getting. When he does, they both head home for a warming bowl of soup and bed.
A lovely story, ‘Tiger, It’s Snowing’ bursts with the childhood joys of exploration and discovery, capturing that sense of wonder. All the fun and excitement of playing in fresh snow is perfectly captured through Tiger’s wide-eyed delight as he and Mei cavort about, tasting and capturing snowflakes. The story also offers the opportunity for gentle discussions about noticing how others are feeling as, in his excitement, Tiger doesn’t listen to Mei when she says she is feeling cold, only noticing that there is a problem when she starts to sneeze.
The illustrations are just delightful, each one worth dwelling on and enjoying. Mei and Tiger stand out against the softly coloured backgrounds and their affection for each other is easy to see. Children will enjoy discussing these scenes, comparing them to their own experiences of snow days! A wonderful spread shows Tiger wrapping Mei in his warm, furry arms once he had realised how cold she is and another captures them creating snow angels!
Warm and wonderful, this is a wonderful story to snuggle up with and share!
Tiger, It’s Snowing
Daishu Ma
Post Wave ISBN: 9781836270355
When Mei and Tiger decide they would like to make tea like the adults, things go very wrong and the two run away to avoid getting into trouble. Eventually, they realise that they need to go home and face the consequences of their actions.
I absolutely love ‘Tiger, Don’t Worry!’. In their enthusiasm, Tiger and Mei unintentionally cause chaos in their attempt to make tea. Little children will immediately empathise with their sense of worry when things go wrong, perhaps able to identify with this situation! The story offers a gentle lesson about the importance of owning up when things go wrong, but also perhaps serves as a reminder to adults that accidents can happen with no ill intent! Tiger and Mei are instantly forgiven by their family and everyone makes tea together.
For many children- and adults- reading this book, making a cup of tea involves a very different process to that shown in the illustrations, making the story an excellent starting point for discussions about where tea comes from!
Tiger and Mei are sure to become firm favourites with young readers!
Tiger, Don’t Worry!
Daishu Ma
Post Wave ISBN: 978-1836270164
Ten-Word Tiny Tales
There are some books which are an absolute gift to teachers- and this is one of them! Captured in these pages in endless inspiration and story-telling joy, showing how creative ideas can bloom from any tiny seed. Each spread shows a ten-word story, brilliantly illustrated by one of the ‘friends’ who helped Joseph create this book. Those ten words are enough to open a world of possibilities, expanded by the picture as the reader seeks to explain, develop and satisfy their curiosity about what is happening. Some are sinister, some surreal, all are sure to ignite the imagination, develop conversation and inspire the next generation of storytellers!
One of my favourites is Mariachiara Di Giorgio’s illustrations for the tale: We buried her on Wednesday, again on Thursday, and Friday. So many details to enjoy and explore- and what a tale to tell! Shuan Tan’s contribution shows a family decorating their son’s skull whilst Dena Seiferling’s is full of beautifully mysterious butterfly-like creatures. It is a complete joy to explore each spread, both for the tale and for the illustration.
Advice from Joseph is included at the end of the book to inspire readers to create their own ten-word tales, to have a go at illustrating and to develop the tales included in the book into longer stories. As a teacher, I have used Chris Van Allsburg’s very wonderful ‘The Mysteries of Harris Burdick’ with classes many times, which always results in fabulous writing, full of imagination and energy and I can see this collection being every bit as exciting and inspiring. The variety of illustrators used here means a wider range of styles, perhaps appealing to a wider range of readers- something for everyone!
Just wonderful!
Ten-Word Tiny Tales
Joseph Coelho and Friends
Walker Books ISBN: 978-1529502688