Teach Primary Issue 19.5

Book CLUB We review five new titles that your class will love 72 | www.teachwire.net Tiger, Don’t Worry! ByDaishuMa (£12.99HB, Post Wave) Words Can Fly byDonnaAshworth, ill. EirinnMcGuinness (£16.99HB, Templar Books) KS1 EYFS/ LKS1 Uh Oh, Niko: The Beach by Chris Chatterton (7.99HB, Ladybird) I’m not crying, you’re crying... Beloved poet Donna Ashworth’s first volume for children is all at once funny, beautiful (those illustrations! That cover!), and, yes, tear-inducing. With poems on everything from the delight of summer days and the joy of singing in the car, to descriptions of anxiety and fear, there are both lighthearted and more somber topics to explore. For example, ‘Youier’, which comes early on in the book, has a poignant and straight-to- the-point theme that works for all ages: that deep, human need for comparing ourselves to others. In the world of social media, this is something that seems to pervade all lives now, and this verse addresses it beautifully. If you’re after a poetry collection for your classroom, choose this one. You won’t be sorry. Mei and Tiger are desperate to help Mama, Papa and Granny make tea, but when they attempt to help pick, dry, and churn the leaves, havoc ensues. Worried that they are going to get into trouble, Tiger doesn’t want to go home after running away from the mess. Mei reminds Tiger that, even though they made a mess, and broke the churn, if they explain, Mama, Papa and Granny will understand. Spoiler alert, all is well, and they have tea together as a family (including Tiger!). This is a very sweet narrative covering a familiar childhood experience of accidentally making a mess, but it’s the illustrations that are the real stars, here. From full-page spreads to smaller, incidental pictures, children could even be encouraged to tell the whole story in their own words. A very versatile title. When Niko takes an exciting trip to the beach, he has the best of intentions. But somehow, each of his endeavours ends up in a bit of an accident. From spilling ice cream to accidentally squirting sun cream all over himself and his belongings, nothing quite goes to plan. Definitely one for your littlest learners, this interactive flap-and-slide board book provides plenty of opportunities to discuss pictures and what might happen next for Niko. It also opens up discussions on making mistakes, and what we can learn from them, as well as how we might deal with a situation when it doesn’t go exactly as we’d hoped. With only a few words per page, this could also be a great title to introduce to children just learning to read for themselves. KS2