A Slice of Sky

Here’s an idea for experimenting with poetry with you children.This activity involves drawing from your word bank to create a concise poem.

1. Choose an alphabet.

2. Think of a noun ( thing/ person/ animal/place) that you know fairly well. For example, a pair of scissors / Sally a friend at school/ a snake)

3. Then, brainstorm as many words as possible that begin with the alphabet that you have chosen.

4. Now, have a look at your list of words. Select about ten words that are related to the noun you have chosen.

5. Arrange them into a short concise poem.

This is an example:

Snake,

sleek, sinister,

sliding softly.

Steep stairs.

Shimmering ,sparkling

Singing sapphire.

You can arrange the words , using punctuation , to create images of the noun. In the poem above, the words, arranged as such, conjures an image of a snake and of its movement. It is portrayed as something beautiful and mysterious , making its way up a flight of stairs.

That’s the beauty of concision !

“Adventures in Ancient China” by Linda Bailey, illustrated by Bill Slavin. 2003. Kids Can Press. Picture Book. Ages 6-10.

This is one in a series of books about the time-traveling adventures of the Binkerton twins, Josh and Emma, and their kid sister, Libby. Their journeys into foreign lands and the past begin when they first step into a dilapidated travel agency called (guess) “ The Good Times Travel Agency”.

In this book, the kids end up knee-deep in a flooded paddy field in ancient China. While Josh and Emma bicker about whose fault it was for landing there, Libby wanders off on her own. The twins set off on a perilous journey to find their sister so they can return to the present. They battle freezing cold nights, hard labor working on a “ dragon’s backbone “(go find out what this is) and thoughts of giving up. They unwittingly stumble upon China’s “best-kept secret” (not telling here) and end up being pursued by zealous soldiers, bent on keeping the secret from leaking out to foreign lands.

The whole book is action-packed. Facts about ancient China are presented in the context of the kids’ adventures and there are additional notes on each double page. You get insights about The Great Wall of China, Chinese inventions, The Silk Road, medicine and occupations.

My 6 year old is so enthralled with this book that she wants to find out more about China. That’s reason enough for me to get the whole set: Middle Ages, Ancient Egypt and Vikings.

“Our Cat Cuddles” by Gervase Phinn, illustrated by Amanda Montgomery-Hugham. 2002. Child’s Play ( International) Ltd.  Picture Book. Ages 4-7.

Lizzie and her famiy visit an animal shelter in search of the perfect family cat. They are

greeted by a dizzying array of cats of all colours, sizes, shapes and temperaments. Eventually, Lizzie does find the cat of her dreams- a forlorn little kitten crouched in a corner all alone.  The kitten pales in comparison to the other more exciting felines.  Yet, there is more than meets the eye where the little kitten is concerned. Cared for and doted on in Lizzie’s home, the kitten turns out to be more than the ordinary family pet after all.

The artwork is fantastic and captures the  nuances of cat movements and temperaments! Written in scintillating verse, this is one rollicking read for long afternoons. One of the best stories written in rhyme that I’ve seen thus far.

“Meerkat in Trouble” by Allan Trewin Jones, illustrated by Adrienne Kennaway. 1998. Koala Books. Picture Books. Ages 3-7.

Mali is a young meerkat who can’t wait to grow up. When Mali’s mother goes hunting with the group, Mali is assigned the role of babysitter to her siblings- a role that Mali dislikes. When the group has left for the hunt, Mali decides to venture out on her own. She leaves the pups in their burrow, unaware that they are tailing her.

Along the way, Mali encounters various creatures- lions, antelope, a tortoise and a scorpion. When she hears the pups’ squeals, she rushes to their side and saves them from a famished cobra. Relieved that the pups are unharmed, Mali decides to take them home, only to be met by laughing jackals, hungry for fresh meat.

This is a coming of age story about privilege and responsibility.

Some interesting facts about meerkats include the following:
· Meerkat adults teach the young pups the art of eating poisonous scorpions.
· Meerkats social activities include foot races.
· Meerkats are able to spot predatory birds as they look directly at the sun, thanks to the dark band round their eyes.
· Meerkats are natural mentors. Adult males mentor male pups and female adults mentor female pups.

These fascinating bits aren’t stated directly in the book, but hopefully they’ll goad you on to read the book and do further reading on these creatures.

You can download worksheets for “Big Al “, ” The Seven Chinese Brothers ” and“If Anything Ever Goes Wrong at the Zoo” by clicking on the sidebar. That seems to make it easier . The assignments can be used as extension activities  after reading the books. They can also be used on their own, I think.