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A review by mat_tobin
The Mousehole Cat by Antonia Barber
4.0
This is a lovely rendition of a traditional Cornish tale. This is not a picturebook but rather a book with pictures (illustrated book) yet both the text and the images work nicely together to bring the story to life. I particularly liked the Great Storm-Cat.
When I read it, I got the feeling that no word was wasted or made too difficult. It has a nice, repeating rhythm to it which feels almost as warm and comforting as Mowzer herself. I also thought it interesting telling the story from Mowser's point of view. This detachment from the humans meant that we were more the observer and yet it was needed in order to support the relationship between the storm and Mowser.
Suitability:
This could work well in KS1 and LKS2. It could also be nice as a guided reading in Y5.
Cross-Curricular Links: (Year 3)
Art
There is a lovely article here which discusses Nicola Bayley's art style.
http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/issue/112/childrens-books/articles/authorgraph/authorgraph-no112-nicola-bayley I would certainly look am mimicing her approach and 'working small and in great detail' like she does. There are plenty of examples of her work to choose from https://uk.pinterest.com/lizziestrange/artist-nicola-bayley-book-illustration/ I would ask the children to work on scenes (photos) of landscapes and an animal they love and get them to practice using watercolours on a small scale like her.
English
I would go to great pain to get the children to explore local folklore and consider rewriting a partciular story from the area that they like and then, tying it into art, consider asking them to illustrate their own stories in the style of Nicola Bayley. I would also look at using drama to explore these stories and encourage them to learn them off by heart and be able to tell them. This could all culminate in a folktales book put together of the different stories and a storytelling evening set by the children for the parents.
There are plenty of other ideas out there but these would make a good starting point.
When I read it, I got the feeling that no word was wasted or made too difficult. It has a nice, repeating rhythm to it which feels almost as warm and comforting as Mowzer herself. I also thought it interesting telling the story from Mowser's point of view. This detachment from the humans meant that we were more the observer and yet it was needed in order to support the relationship between the storm and Mowser.
Suitability:
This could work well in KS1 and LKS2. It could also be nice as a guided reading in Y5.
Cross-Curricular Links: (Year 3)
Art
There is a lovely article here which discusses Nicola Bayley's art style.
http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/issue/112/childrens-books/articles/authorgraph/authorgraph-no112-nicola-bayley I would certainly look am mimicing her approach and 'working small and in great detail' like she does. There are plenty of examples of her work to choose from https://uk.pinterest.com/lizziestrange/artist-nicola-bayley-book-illustration/ I would ask the children to work on scenes (photos) of landscapes and an animal they love and get them to practice using watercolours on a small scale like her.
English
I would go to great pain to get the children to explore local folklore and consider rewriting a partciular story from the area that they like and then, tying it into art, consider asking them to illustrate their own stories in the style of Nicola Bayley. I would also look at using drama to explore these stories and encourage them to learn them off by heart and be able to tell them. This could all culminate in a folktales book put together of the different stories and a storytelling evening set by the children for the parents.
There are plenty of other ideas out there but these would make a good starting point.