It’s not hard to move children to understand the sadness of us, as a species, destroying the very planet that sustains us. But in the ways we expose them to it, it is understandable if children think that this destruction is perpetrated by ‘bad grown-ups’. This book by Oliver Jeffers introduces in a gentle, relatable way, how sustainability is linked to personal behaviour, even on a childish level. On the very first page we find the word ‘owned’, and by the end understand how ludicrous to think that we can ever own nature, as represented by the gloriously impervious Moose. A great text for classes from Reception to Year 6.
Many people and creatures lived in the forest, sharing its sanctuary. But they began to notice that something was not quite right. Branches were being cut off. So they set out to investigate. Eventually, they discovered Bear as the culprit. He was so determined to win a paper airplane competition and, needing more paper, he used the wood for the paper to practice. The forest community was not entirely without sympathy, but the chopping of trees had to stop and something done to make up for it. After the Bear started planting new trees to replace the old, his new friends perfected the optimum paper plane to enable him to win the competition and all was well. Oliver Jeffers’ simple, effective drawings portray expression on all his characters with just a few strokes of his pen yet add so much to the message of the book.
A highly-recommended ocean story with themes of family bonds, parental mental health and marine conservation.
The story centres around a connection between an eleven-year-old boy, Rio, and a beautiful grey whale. The tale highlights the topic of environmental sustainability but also draws a picture of the wonderful connection that can develop between children and animals, placing hope and empowerment in the hands of the young to make a difference in the planet’s future.
An amazing tour of everything that moves in the magical world of Richard Scarry. This children’s classic is bursting with all kinds of fun vehicles from the magical world of Richard Scarry.
This is the endearing story of a boy and the journey he undertakes to return a lost penguin to its South Pole home. This simple story with beautiful illustrations is a popular choice for children in the preschool years and beyond.
At its heart, the story is about caring for others and going above and beyond to help somebody in need. Children love the penguin character and the warm resolution of this journey-home narrative.
This is a fantastic twist on the classic fairy tale ‘The Three Little Pigs’. In this hilarious new version of the story, the three little wolves build houses of bricks, concrete and steel in an attempt to escape the Big Bad Pig, who is well armed with a tool kit including a sledgehammer and a pneumatic drill. Highly recommended.
A collection of four stories featuring Paddington Bear in London. Paddington Bear had travelled all the way from Darkest Peru when the Brown family first met him on Paddington station. Since then their lives have never been quite the same… for ordinary things become quite extraordinary when a bear called Paddington is around.
This book contains three stories about nature at its most wild and thrilling. Akimbo lives on the edge of an African game reserve where he helps his father to protect the animals in their natural habitat. In these adventures he saves elephants from sneaky poachers, rescues a trapped lion cub and saves a man from the jaws of a crocodile. Highly recommended for KS2.
This novel, by the popular children’s author Michael Morpurgo, is the inspirational tale of a young boy called Bertie, who grows up in Africa and befriends a white lion cub. Will their friendship last over time when they are both sent abroad? This is a text that will starkly contrast the wild plains of Africa to the setting of a stiff boarding school in England, and the moving storyline will have pupils hanging onto your every word.
This novel, by the popular children’s author Michael Morpurgo, is set in the Indonesian Rainforest. It tells the story of Will, who is left fighting for survival in the rainforest with an enchanting elephant called Oona.
review
Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:
Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:
Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?
Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?
Would you recommend the book for use in primary schools?
yes
Curriculum links (if relevant)
Curriculum links (if relevant)
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