TEY-10.2

THE PROUDEST BLUE (Andersen Press, paperback, £7.99) In today’s climate of racial unrest and religious controversy, this book is an excellent way to either introduce the conversation to your class, or help them to view differences as special, and not as “other”. American Olympic Medalist Ibtihaj Muhammed, with S.K. Ali, tells the story of Asiya’s first day wearing a hijab to school. Little sister Faizah thinks it is the most beautiful hijab in the world, and that her sister looks just like a princess. When she hears a loud boy making fun of her sister, she is confused, but Asiya uses words of wisdom from her mother to keep her spirits up. Illustrator Hatem Aly brings the story out in vivid detail, showing us the bright blue of hijab, the faces of the girls, and the wonderful drawing Faizah makes of the day she and her sister will both wear hijabs the colour of the sky! The tormentor’s faces are kept in shadow, leaving to the imagination who is making fun of her. This book is great as a stand- alone introduction to diversity, or part of a larger unit. CLEM AND CRAB (Andersen Press, paperback, £6.99) We often tell children that one person can make a difference. This story by Fiona Lumbers shows how one little girl- Clem- made a difference on her local beach. On weekends, Clem went to the beach with her bucket to pick up shells, pretty pebbles, bits of glass, and the trash other people left behind. One weekend, she met Crab. He had his claw stuck in a plastic bag. Clem saved him, taking him home with her to keep him safe. After taking him to school for Show and Tell with her beach collage, Clem explained to her class that she was trying to keep the beach clean, but that it was a big job for one little girl. Clem knew that taking Crab back to the beach was best, so the next weekend, she headed back to her beach. But there was a big surprise waiting for her there - the entire class was cleaning the beach!! This story shows how one little girl truly made a difference in her world. Use this to springboard a discussion of recycling, using waste bins properly, and volunteering in the community to clean up common areas. READ ALL ABOUT IT! Have you seen these fantastic publications? The Stone Bird (Andersen Press, paperback £6.99) This debut book by Jenny McCartney sees Eliza find an egg-shaped rock at the beach. Nurturing the rock, her imagination leads her to see that it hatches, and Eliza now has a stone bird to keep her company. The illustrations by Patrick Benson bring this lovely story to life, taking the pet rock concept to a new level. Visit andersenpress.co.uk The Huffalots (Andersen Press, hardback £12.99) This beautifully illustrated picture book will turn every Huffalot into a Luvalot! Spend a day with the Huffalots, as they transform from grumpy and irritable, to lovable and cuddly. While playing together, they share blossoms and sticks, and a hug that changes everything. Eve Coy’s wonderful tale shows us how spending time together, sharing treasures and giving hugs can change us completely. Visit andersenpress.co.uk Every Second (What on Earth Books, hardback, £12.99) Young children love to learn about the world around them, and are full of questions. This Bruno Gibert book will feed their imaginations, and give them another dozen reasons to ask “Why?” So, whether you are interested in how many lightning strikes there are each second, or the volume of cow farts produced each second, there is something in here to tickle everyone’s imagination! Visit whatonearthbooks.com A FIERY ADVENTURE Teachearlyyears.com 57 Get creative with Amazing (Hodder Children’s Books)… l Invite the children to create their own mixed-media imaginary dragons, just like Zibbo in the story. l Start off by talking about the features and characteristics that most dragons share (wings, pointy tail, scales, fiery breath), and look at examples of dragons from art and other picture books. l Give each child a dragon shape cut from sturdy card. Paint the dragons with pearlescent and metallic paint, leave to dry and stick on sequins, buttons, silver foil and fabric scraps. l Encourage the children to name and tell stories about their dragons.