Overview and Outcomes:

This is a three-week Writing Root for Lizzy and the Cloud by the Fan Brothers.  Children begin the sequence of learning with the arrival of a mysterious package in the classroom with a label reading, “Please look after me. Caution: take care when opening to avoid me floating away”.  After discussing and predicting what might be inside, children explore the front cover and generate questions about the story.  As they work through the Writing Root, children will go on to practise the use of expanded noun phrases to give directions to and describe the Cloud Seller, as well as create and perform Cloud Seller market stall pitches / adverts.  They will explore and experiment with new vocabulary, use command sentences to write instructions and write letters and postcards in role.  There will be the opportunity to discuss and explore the links between weather and emotions before they finally go on to apply their skills to write a guidebook for how to care for a cloud.  

Synopsis of Text:

From the critically acclaimed, award-winning creators of Ocean Meets Sky and The Night Gardener comes a whimsical and sweet tale of a young girl who cares for her pet cloud as it grows.

It’s a little out of fashion to buy a pet cloud, but Lizzy doesn’t mind. She’s not looking for a big one or a fancy one, just one that’s right for her. And she finds it in Milo.

Soon, she’s taking Milo out on walks with her family, watering Milo right on schedule, and seeing Milo grow and grow. But what happens when her pet cloud gets too big for Lizzy to handle?

Text rationale:

The Fan Brothers are critically acclaimed author-illustrators known for their elegant, whimsical picture books and this is no exception. Children may know some of their other works such as Ocean Meets Sky and The Barnabus Project. Dealing with the emotions around loving something so much that you have to let it go, children will engage with the endearing central characters of Lizzy and Milo as they navigate their newly-established relationship with each other. Obvious links can be made with the water cycle, seasons and the weather, as well how to deal with difficult emotions as they arise.

Links and themes:

Growth, caring, companionship, making friends, weather, seasons, water cycle

Date written: July 2023