Overview and Outcomes:

This is a three-week Writing Root for Small in the City by Sydney Smith. The sequence of learning begins with children getting in role as country and city cats. They will debate which is better for cats to live in, the countryside or the city. Then go on to develop their descriptive writing, using the gorgeous urban illustrations by Sydney Smith which will culminate in them writing and performing a poem. Children will continue to make inferences and predictions about the story, writing a letter of advice to the main character and a diary entry in role before discussing the final twist in the story. Children will finish by retelling the events in the narrative but from an alternative point of view. This will be their extended outcome which they will edit and publish. 

Synopsis of Text:

I know what it's like to be small in the city...

Being small can be overwhelming in a city. People don't see you. The loud sounds of the sirens and cyclists can be scary. And the streets are so busy it can make your brain feel like there's too much stuff in it. But if you know where to find good hiding places, warm dryer vents that blow out hot steam that smells like summer, music to listen to or friends to say hi to, there can be comfort in the city, too. 

We follow our little protagonist, who knows all about what its like to be small in the city, as he gives his best advice for surviving there. As we turn the pages, Sydney Smith's masterful storytelling allows us to glimpse exactly who this advice is for, leading us to a powerful, heart-rending realization...

Text Rationale:

This picture book by award-winning author-illustrator Sydney Smith shows children that sometimes we can all feel a little overwhelmed. Told as much through the monochrome illustrations (which children could replicate in their own artwork) as the words on the page, the story provides gentle reassurances for how to survive when we experience those moments of feeling small. However, the revelation on the last page of the book is where most of the discussion will start!

Links and themes:

Urban environment, loneliness, overcoming adversity, survival, coping with emotions, friendship

Date written: September 2022