Posted on: 29/09/2019
As the nights are drawing in there is always a sense of wonder at the inky blanket across the world, the stars in the night sky and the feeling of cosying up on the sofa perhaps with a log fire and a nice warm mug of tea. But there is also that sense of years of what has gone before and years of what’s to come. The idea of origins fascinates. What about our roots? What of myths and legends? And how might our sense of self be secured through knowing where we are from, where we belong and appreciating what we have?
And so the theme of this month’s review is roots and origins; the sense of identity that comes from knowing where we are from and from being able to be (or at least strive to become) who we are meant to be. The texts we’ve selected that this theme permeates are: My Hair by Hannah Lee and Allen Fatimaharan; Lights on Cotton Rock by David Litchfield; The Girl who Speaks Bear by Sophie Anderson and Mythologica: An encyclopedia of gods, monsters and mortals from ancient Greece by Dr Stephen P Kershaw, illustrated by Victoria Topping.
(Faber and Faber, 5th September 2019)
This is a really clever and important debut from author Hannah Lee that we were delighted to share with year 1 teachers recently on day 1 of our Teach through a Text Training. The premise is a little girl who has a birthday party coming up trying to decide how she will style her hair. But there are so many different styles to choose from! From her lioness-like auntie with her elegant close-shaved style to her dad who doesn’t really have all that much hair on his head but has been cultivating a lustrous beard instead; through high-top fades, twists and braids we see the important people in the girl’s life and how they style their hair but this still doesn’t solve her pressing concern, as she sits in the hair-dresser’s chair:
But most of all, I need to know,
How shall I style my hair?
And the conclusion that is reached as she decides her style after her mum has whispered an idea to her ... well. Just glorious!
Written in rhyme and illustrated to perfection by award-winning Allen Fatimaharan, this is a fabulous celebration of black hair, black culture and, ergo roots (if you’ll forgive us the pun, here) and origins. Perfect for reception and key stage one children and would work brilliantly if used alongside our planning sequence for Billy and the Beast by Nadia Shireen.
(Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, 3rd September 2019)
Long-awaited, this beautiful new picture book is about a journey of self-discovery and roots and origins perhaps just not in the way we might expect. Heather ‘wanted more than anything to leave Earth behind and go to live among the stars. So she flashed her torch off and on…’ and it worked! In a burst of colour appears a spaceship. But then Heather sees her worried parents frantically searching for her and tells the alien she must go. Unseen by her parents, Heather’s alien friend zooms off in the spacecraft seemingly never to be seen again. And for a while we are left wondering whether there really was a spaceship or if it was a figment of a child’s imagination. But then - now an old lady - Heather returns to Cotton Rock…
And how does this fit our theme of roots and origins? Well it all comes down to this: sometimes the very thing you’re looking for is the one thing you can’t see and that’s exactly the sentiment of Lights on Cotton Rock. It’s the realisation of the main protagonist that actually what really matters is right in front of her: home is what’s important; home really is where the heart is. We think this would be a lovely book for children in key stage 1 and that it would work well in supporting discussion around gratefulness and envy.
(Usborne Publishing Ltd, 5th September 2019)
What if your origins were unknown? This is exactly the story of Yanka – main protagonist and referred to by the other villagers as Yanka the bear due to her height and strength, in this beautiful new novel by Sophie Anderson, best-selling author of The House with Chicken Legs. A foundling discovered in a bear cave, Yanka yearns to discover the secret to her own origins. She appears to have a keen sense of intuition and is the sort of character that is at one with nature. Taken in by Mamochka, remedy-maker and curer of all ills for the village, Yanka knows of her being discovered but is yet to discover her complete story:
... I can believe that one day I’ll find my own story, and it will shine as brilliantly as a clear night sky.
Then there’s Mamochka and Yanka’s friend, Anatoly, whose nomadic existence sees him disappear into the forest for weeks - sometimes months- at a time. He is a master storyteller and Yanka loves nothing more than listening to the stories he tells. Mamochka, however, worries that Anatoly is filling the child’s head with nonsense. But is it really all nonsense? Or is there some truth in the stories Anatoly tells? And could these supposed tales actually lead Yanka to discover the truth about her origins?
A really lovely book about acceptance and courage as much as it is about the need to know ones heritage. Would be a brilliant read-aloud novel for children in key stage 2 but would also be a great recommendation for children who have enjoyed writing by Abi Elphinstone and Kiran Millwood Hargraves’ The Way Past Winter.
Mythologica: An encyclopedia of gods, monsters and mortals from ancient Greece by Dr Stephen P Kershaw and illustrated by Victoria Topping
(Wide Eye Editions, 3rd September 2019)
To say that a reader of this incredible new book for older children would be met by a riot of colour would be an understatement: the art-work is exquisite! Using an expert combination of traditional and technological artistry - photography, painting and cut-paper collage - artist Victoria Topping has created devastatingly beautiful illustrations that somehow manage to be surreal and other-worldly, whilst also being utterly human.
The introduction is completely relatable with the assertion that ‘Greek mythology is everywhere.’ Author, Dr Steve Kershaw, makes reference to the fact that the origin of so many idioms in the English language was the Greek myths: we speak of ones Achilles heel; the Midas touch and the idea of a muse for a fashion designer. Originally this was Muse with a capital ‘M’ as in the Nine Muses, daughters of Zeus and Titaness Mnemosyne (spotted another origin? Translating as ‘Memory’ this is where the term ‘mnemonic’ derives from ...)
Then following the introduction, the book is arranged into three distinct sections: Gods, Mortals and Monsters interspersed with complete myths in their own right.
Mythologica- described as being ‘An encyclopaedia of gods, monsters and mortals from Ancient Greece’, is so well-written that it would be a perfect teaching text for non-fiction reading and writing. Also a lovely book to support reading for pleasure and is the sort of book one might spend many a pleasurable hour poring over. An exciting addition to book-corners in year 5 & 6 classrooms whilst also making the most fantastic gift!
Posted in: Literature Review
