Book Monitor - books from across the world

Engaging reads for children, from Books go Walkabout

Month: March 2021

Storm Dragon by Dianne Hofmeyr & illustrated by Carol Thompson

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On March 19, 2021

In 2-4 years, The Book Monitor, BookMonitor, Books go Walkabout, Children's books, Early Years, Featured authors, Featured children's book, Featured illustrators, New titles, Otter-Barry

Storm! Storm!

Rain raps the windows, wind rattles the door.

‘Let’s look for storm dragons,” says Grandpa.

“ Watch  out dragons. We’re coming.”

Off they go, Grandpa and grandchild, down to the beach for a wild and wonderful adventure…And what do they find? Dragon footprints, dragon jewels and even a dragon baby, but who is the REAL storm dragon.

A great story and amazingly engaging illustrations as Grandpa and grandchild find their way along the beach as the storm blows, and waves crash on the shore. There are chants and repetitions to shout out as the adventure progresses.

The loving friendship and imaginative play between the generations is wonderfully expressed, both with the words and in the illustrations.

Dianne Hofmeyr, an award-winning author, livening in London, was born in South Africa and grew up between the mountains and the sea. Author of many books for young children including Zeraffa Giraffa, Tiger Walk and The Glassmaker’s Daughter.

Carol Thompson is an internationally acclaimed illustrator of books for young children with a huge skill in seeing the world through their eyes. She has received honours for many of her books  and is a member of IBBY UK.

Otter-Barry are the publishers who have an enormous skill in publishing beautiful children’s books which children love and enjoy for years. Storm Dragon was published in March 2021. Time to reserve a first copy edition!

We love this book and will take home this weekend to share online with a very young person, who just loves books at the age of nearly 2!

Sue Martin

Stories around the world…

World Book Day 4th March – Antarctic Stories to Shanghai

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On March 5, 2021

In world Book Day, Harrow International School, Shanghai, Book events, BookMonitor, Books go Walkabout, History

Books Go Walkabout is working with Harrow International School in Shanghai to deliver online author visits direct to classrooms. Working globally is no problem online!

Harrow International School, Shanghai

Our second event at Harrow International School, this time with author and polar explorer Joanna Grochowicz from New Zealand. The audience of Years 4-6 came ready dressed up as book characters and armed with questions at the end of Joanna’s presentation .

Joanna and model Amundsen

Joanna enthralled the children from the start with slides and tales of life in the Antarctic in the early 19Century. This is real history and gives amazing insights into how tough life could be. Imagine having your fingers so badly frost bitten they are the size of sausages for instance, I could hear some sounds of ‘Yukk!” from the children.

Then there were the orcas, who surrounded Scott’s photographer, Ponting, on an ice floe. He thought he was going to take a photo. The orcas thought he looked like lunch! They tipped the ice floe and Ponting was only saved by landing on another ice floe.

Orcas looking for lunch!

Or the story of the dog on the Terra Nova who went overboard in a terrible storm in the Southern Sea and the Roaring Forties, fortunately  a wave brought him crashing back.

Joanna is expert at great detail of research around the expeditions of Scott, from Britain, Amundsen from Norway and Shackleton from Britain(her next book).

Amundsen’s Crew in the Antarctic

Children from Harrow International School were exceptionally well led by Tess St Clair Ford, who organised Book Week in 2021, not an easy task  with many places still in lockdown. The pupils’ questions to Joanna showed that good listening skills were in place and they had done their homework too.

World Book Day 2021 and a great way for Books Go Walkabout to engage with Harrow International Shanghai, far away but really very close!

Joanna’s new book Shackleton’s Endurance is out soon to join her Polar Explorer’s Trilogy Into the White and Amundsen’s Way.

Sue Martin

World Book Day 2021 Shanghai & UK

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On March 3, 2021

In Harrow International School, Shanghai

Books go Walkabout is working with Harrow International School in Shanghai to deliver online author visits direct to classrooms. Working globally is no problem online!

Harrow International School, Shanghai

On March 3rd Cheryl Moskowitz, poet, translator and writing facilitator met with six classes of eager children from Years 1-3, ages from 5-7 years. We had a brilliant session, delivering direct into classrooms for children and teachers. It was the end of their day and the beginning of ours but spanning time travel online meant we could work together.

Harrow International School created active learning classrooms and the children were ready and eager to learn. BGW worked with Tess St Clair-Ford, Head of English and Whole School Literacy Coordinator to create bespoke sessions matching the needs of classes and curriculum. By the end of the session with Cheryl, the children had listened to, and engaged with the poems, especially on their class names, such as Confucius and Dickens.

Confucius Class

They learnt about syllables, cinquains and how poetry can be created, a real learning journey. I imagine they will return back to school in the morning with a poem in their heads and a spark of imagination on their learning journey. Working with an author will have inspired them to become readers and writers.

A great start to World Book Day 2021 and a great way for Books Go Walkabout to engage with Harrow International Shanghai, far away but really very close!

Sue Martin

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