Overview and Outcomes:

In this ten-session Writing Root, which we suggest will take 3 weeks to cover, the children set up and create labels for an Animal Shelter. Some cats and dogs arrive and the children help settle them before reading Hairy Maclary. They play Match the Mutt, create a Character Splat, research and write some facts about cats and then devise a story not dissimilar to Hairy Maclary but this time about a group of cats who are frightened away by Riptail Paw - a dog version of Scarface Claw, the menace of a cat who appears in Hairy Maclary.

Synopsis of Text:

Hairy Maclary goes off for a walk in town, followed by a few friends. All is uneventful until they meet Scarface Claw, the toughest tom in town, and run for home. The story is told by a brilliant, cumulative rhyming text and terrific pictures.

Text Rationale:

This book is a wonderful start to a series of books by the multi award-winning author and illustrator Lynley Dodd. These books, which are full of adventure, encourage children to enjoy poetic rhyme and rhythm in language. Children can also begin to love and learn about the different dogs they see in the story and in their community as well as talk about pets.

Links and Themes:

Dogs, pets, animals, cats, friendship, adventure

Date written: June 2017