The Little Wooden Horse : exploring images

The Rules of Summer by Shaun Tan

TEXT RESPONSE

Jonathan: Rules of Summer has left a lot to the imagination. It is a book that allows you to change or modify the story in your own way. 

Tom : Rules of Summer is a picture book for all ages. A three year old might look at the pictures and get the idea of two boys having lots of adventures together but, there is far greater depth. Shaun Tan has left us to our own imagination...to write our own story.....the illustrations enhance the story ...being an abstract story, you need to pay attention to the pictures which are beautifully created.

Daniel: This book is cleverly written and mysterious. I have some questions! What was the eye for? Where is the story set? How long is the summer? Are the two brothers happy?

Madeline: The words tell one story, but the pictures tell another. The older brother's rules apply to the younger brother, but the younger brother's interpretations are quite different. The start of the story is bright and cheerful and then becomes dark and gloomy. Then the colour regains its liveliness. The colour sends your mind racing.

Corinne: Although the plot might not be seen as a normal story line, I believe the colours and textures throughout the pages were enough to display a change of thought or mood.

Nicholas: This book initially confused me, but after hearing Shaun Tan speak, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHYRc7F0pwQ) the book made sense as to how we could use our imagination to make the two boys whoever we want. I liked how the illustrations are made to make us think and how exaggerated they were. For example, when the rule told the boy not to take the last olive, it showed evil hawks as the guests.

Katherine: The story is about two boys, one older and one younger, following the rules of summer but, of course, your imagination can take you anywhere from hawks in suits to giant red rabbits.

Joe: This story sways your emotions through the use of illustrations and colour. The plot is simple but, it shouts aout exaggeration and humour.

Teacher reflection: I loved the students'  high level of engagement with this story. Much time was spent discussing its mood, purpose and the literary and artistic devices employed.  Viewing Shaun Tan's discussion about his book enhanced their understanding. 

ANGEL OF KOKODA by MARK WILSON

Today's responses are to the poignant story, Angel of Kokoda, told through the eyes of a child along the Kokoda Track during WWII. Our focus was on how the author used a variety of devices to bring alive something of the past. The following are excerpts of Senior MY's writing.

Madi wrote: Mark Wilson has yet again written an emotive, soulful book that really makes you think. The themes of war and friendship were intertwined really well as each theme made the other shine. Talking about "shine', the illustrations were amazing. I loved the impressionistic feel to them and the vibrance of the colours added light to such a dark topic that is war......
Amber wrote:Kokoda, a very famous trail in Papua New Guinea, has had many different stories written about it, but one very well written story is "Angel of Kokoda" by Mark Wilson....in the story, the use of colour made a big difference and helped me understand the story better...especially the way black and white were used for emotion.
Rylee reflected: Kari and the soldier struggled through the jungle, over rocks and through the mud until they finally stopped, tired and sweating. A butterfly landed on the soldier's wounds as his breathing became lighter and lighter...a beautiful story about friendship and bravery woven together!

Carley thought: Combining the black and white images with the colourful ones was very clever as it told us which action reminded Kari of his mother....some images stood out to me such as butterflies and angels. These symbols represent a new life and freedom.
From Caitie: The author, Mark Wilson, made great use of effective action language such as "trickled","emerged" and "fluttered."
And Mairead:As sad as the story seems, the saddest, most symbolic and moving part for me was when the butterfly was like the dead soldier's spirit flying into heaven.

FOR ALL CREATURES - BOOK WEEK STUDENT REVIEW

Our first book week reviews are hot off the press!!

Jess K: "For all Creatures" is such a quirky and fun book! It shows us that no matter how small you may be, you are still important. It teaches us how important it is to be grateful for life...even for the smallest of insects...all creatures have a life we  need to respect. I thought the illustrations were colourful, bright and exaggerated! They included a bit of fantasy and really set the scene.The sentence I liked was, "for leapers and lily leaves, for rushes, reeds and rivers, we are thankful." I loved this book...it is so powerful and imaginative and it should be rated Children's Book of the Year.

Jia-Yi: The book "For all Creatures" praises all the animals that have been placed on this earth. The theme was being grateful to the wildlife.The author uses imagery and onomatapoeia to make each new description different and unique, such as "for choruses of croakiness" Each and every line is completely different from the other so that it captures the readers' attention and evokes an image of a particular animal and its description. The part of the book that appealed to me most was the ending, "For all creatures, the winged and the walking, the old and the new, we are grateful." This just shows that each and every part of the world belongs there and when you change one piece you change it all.

Harry: "For all Creatures," is a moving story that uses many descriptive words along with the power of onomatopoeia. It shows how important wildlife really is and how beautiful animals really are. The illustrations were filled with brilliant colours and extraordinary patterns and there was not a single, dark, unhappy spot on any of the pages. The book has a certain quirkiness, but in a fun way. I'd like to say that, "For all Creatures" is a great book that expresses our need for animals in an extraordinary way.

MY COUNTRY-STUDENTS' RESPONSES

It has to be one of a teacher's greatest joys to enjoy with her students, Dorothy MacKellar's poem, My Country. Enjoy their insightful responses!

LITERATURE and HISTORY-HAND in HAND

"History in the Making" is the Middles' topic this term. We are examining  how big events changed the course of history. After visiting the Shrine, we read "In Flanders Field" by Norman Jorgensen. Listen to some of our responses!