REALBOOK NEWS
ISSUE 10 Supplement
VERY Young learners
November 2001 distributed
free download Issues
from www.realbooks.co.uk
25
Picture Books
For
Nurseries or Home Learning
REALBOOK
NEWS aims to help adults select suitable picture books (fiction and
non-fiction) for young children
beginning to learning English as a foreign language or additional language.
REALBOOK NEWS
· Recommends
suitable books
· Includes a FEATURE ARTICLE on matters relevant to REAL picture BOOKS.
· Selects books
from any publisher - big or small
· Selects books
that YLs can or will soon be able to read
· Prints a Book
List of all fiction and non-fiction books introduced in back Issues.
REALBOOK NEWS - Feature
Articles
Issue 3 Selecting REALBOOKS - a skilled task?
Issue 4 Mini
Treasures or Big Books - which shall I use?
- which shall I buy?
Issue 5 Shall I ask questions when I read a story?
Issue 6 Reading pictures as well as text -
developing visual literacy
Issue 7 Reading in a foreign language
Issue 8 Which - Reading or Telling a story?
Issue 9 Emotional Literacy - reading about
feelings
Issue 10 Books
- from presentation to browsing (child-led play)
- an important step?
From the Editor - Opal Dunn
This special
supplement aims to help the growing number of Nursery or Pre-schools wanting to
change from being home-language schools
to becoming schools that also introduce some English. Bilingual English Nursery
Schools give children interactive opportunities in which they can hear and
absorb English at sometime during their daily or weekly programme. English
maybe introduced by the classroom teacher, who in some cases has been specially
trained in English, or by a native speaker who may or may not be a specialist
in early childhood education.
Where early
language learning is based on activities it is easier for children to pick-up
English in the same type of activity they have already experienced in their
home-language. Like this, they have only to understand the new language -
English - as they already understand the activity concept.
Fairly early on
in any programme children need to pick-up survival language and classroom
management phrases if the activities are to take place only in English. It is
surprising how quickly very young children understand the meaning of these
words and phrases if they hear them regularly. Later after some internal
learning has taken place, they begin to use them spontaneously, for example
greeting people who speak English with self-confidence and pride.
Very YL's are
still learning their own language and so use their language learning skills
daily to learn their home-language. They soon understand that they can transfer
some of these home-language learning skills to learning English. They are quick
to pick-up words and simple blocks of language (phrases) which, as in their
home- language, they have no idea of how many words they comprise.
Listening to a
REALBOOK story in English is just another natural language learning experience
to them. Children who have books read to them regularly in their home-language
know how to get meaning from them and how to join in with the story. Most
adults read books in the same sort of way in English and children soon realise
they can transfer their language-learning skills to the English book.
Finding books
with suitable simple text for this age is difficult as much text is written
with the native-speaker adult in mind assuming that she will act as the
mediator explaining the text to the child. The selection does not include the
well-known favourites like Spot, Maisy and Dick Bruna books. as these popular
series are readily available outside the UK. The Nursery or Pre-School
selection is divided into two sections of books:
Starters Books for children with very
little spoken English with minimal text, the story being carried in the
pictures.
Talkers Books
for children who know some rhymes and games and use some English within the
classroom.
Some books may be
better without any teacher-led follow-up activity, others may be better with a
quick activity. Some activities may be suggested by the children and, if this
is the case, follow the children's interests being careful not to over-load as
this could produce some negative feelings. If possible give children
opportunities to browse through the books when they want and for as long as
they want, as this opportunity will help to consolidate the book experience.
Also try to involve the parents by letting children borrow books overnight.
Many parents love REALpictureBOOKS and would like to share them with their
children. Learning for young children is best when it is a shared experience
between the school, the home and the child.
Book Selection
· Story Books
Hello
Ducks! Author-Illustrator
Angie Sage Starters
Hodder
Children's Books Paperback ISBN 0-340-77342-1 £3.99
An excellent first story
book for very young beginners. The language consists of Bye Bye + noun and Hello + noun and the constant repetition
makes it easy to pick-up especially if children are used to using these phrases
before you introduce the book. The story is carried in the narrative pictures
that take an impish Toddler on a day's experiences. You might think the
illustrations are a little babyish but children are always happy to re-confirm
what may have been or still is part of their life.
Bye
bye bricks as he knocks them over. Hello
Ted. Bye Bye Ted as he drops Ted to welcome Gran! Hello Gran!
An easy story to transfer
into life at school. You can use photos and make it into a wall story or a
class book. Parents might like to make their own family books using photos
taken on holiday or at home. If you can't include the humour, don't worry;
children can get sufficient stimulation from photos of familiar scenes.
Remember to put copies of books in The Book or English Corner as children love
to pore over their own and other children's photos and talk about them, too!
Hello,
Goodbye Published by Walker Books
(Issue 7) is a more advanced story, which could be useful later as a follow on to
this book.
I'm
a car Author Barry
Cunningham Illus Woody Starters
Bloomsbury
children's Books Novelty/Paperback
ISBN 0-7475-3799-2 £3.99
A unique story dealing with
the child's imaginary world. Let's pretend. Some children have difficulty in
letting them selves go and play in an imaginary way. This book may spark
something off especially if you set the scene in a follow up.
Strawberries
are red Author-Illus Epetr Horacek
Starters
Walker
Books Boardbook/Novelty ISBN 10-7445-7576-4 £2.99
A
novelty book with shaped pages and holes.
Great for
teaching colours as colour names are more easily remembered when they are
related to something.. Red strawberries,
Orange oranges, Yellow bananas, Green apples, Blue berries, Purple grapes and
put them all together in my fruit bowl and Look
at all the colours in my fruit salad. Follow it up by making fruit salad at
school and then taking a spoon and eating it.
What
is black and white? Author-Illus Petr
Horacek Starters
Walker
Books Novelty/Boardbook ISBN 0-7445-7577-X £2.99
A
Flip-Flap Book
A book that makes one
conscious of how much black and white is around. Contrasting black and white The night is black. The snow is white. The cat is black, The milk is white. The
comparisons continue on smaller and smaller pages, which are cut cleverly to
add, each time you turn a page, another black stripe to another white stripe.
The last of the 7 spreads is an animal that combines the black and white
stripes on the left to a stripy face looking at the reader. The zebra is black and white. A cleverly
design book with easy to read text which children will enjoy poring over.
What's There? Author-Illus Melanie Walsh Starters
Walker
Books Novelty/Boardbook ISBN 0-7445-8126-5 £2.99
A
Lift-the-Flap-Book
What's
behind the door? Lift the cat flap on door number 14 and there's the cat. And this is
confirmed by the words the cat on the
back of the flap. The story continues with What's
inside the dustbin? Lift the lid and there's a mouse. There are 11 What
questions in this simple clear text which gives natural and amusing practise in
prepositions of place as well as introducing names for things that are in our
environment. The easy text is soon picked up by the children and can be
transferred to use in the classroom even if there aren't any flaps to lift up!
Peekaboo
Friends! Author-Illustrator Lucy Su Starters
Frances
Lincoln Novelty/Paperback ISBN 0-7112-1763-7 £6.99
A
Lift-the-Flap-Book
A little boy, Robbie, is
looking for his friends - his cuddly toys. First he looks behind one of his
boots Peekaboo - it's giraffe! Then Robbie and Giraffe are looking for their
friends. Behind a book they find Penguin. Then the three of them continue
to look and they find Puppy. And so the story goes on identifying animals
hidden under a mat, in a basket whilst a ginger kitten watches them as they
progress from room to room. Robbie and the six animals then hide from the
ginger kitten . Kitten looks very surprised to be all alone and Kitten is looking for everyone. Lift -up the final flap and Peekaboo - we're here! And there they
are under the duvet. Much of the story is carried in the charmingly soft
illustrations that take you round a house. The repetitive phrases in the present
continuous that add one more animal on each spread is easy for children to
pick-up. Why not let them bring in their cuddly animals to school, and after
identifying them, play an adaptation of Peekaboo.
Who
are you? Author Stella
Blackstone Illus Debbie Harter Starters
Barefoot
Beginners Paperback ISBN 1-901223-66-3 £3.99
The book begins
with the question Who are you? and
the picture of a curly tail leaves the children to guess. As they turn the page
they see a picture of a cat on the left
I'm a cat. On the right page the same question is asked Who
are you? as enough of another animal is shown to enable the child to make a
another guess. The book continues
asking the child to guess animals that rhyme like whale and snail, bear and hare, dog and frog until the final
question Who are you? and a young
child replies You know who? Add on
I'm + name of a child in your class. This is a
more realistic way for children to tell people their name than my name
is … Most people say I'm + name when they introduce themselves!
Going
Shopping Author-Illustrator Sarah
Garland Starters
Puffin Paperback ISBN 0-14-0554400-9 £4.99
These popular books have
been favourites with Nursery schools for years. The detailed, realistic
drawings carry the story of mother, little girl, baby and the dog on their
eventful shopping adventures.
The minimal text in spoken
language comprises of the sort of phrases any mother would say in similar
circumstances. In you go. Jump in. dog!
Down the road and off to the shop. Out of the car and into the shop. Shopping,
shopping, shopping and back to the car. In you go and home again. Children
soon pick-up the language. Some will recognise the feelings of everyone as they
all get home with a load of shopping exhausted.
Coming
to Tea Author-Illustrator Sarah
Garland Starters
Puffin Paperback ISBN 0-14-055399-1 £4.99
A good follow-on to Going Shopping in which the same family
invites the family next door to tea in the garden .Are you ready next door? Coming, coming! Just a minute!
Tea's
ready! Mmm ….. delicious… But oh dear it rains! Quick, come in! Then after a rest inside
it's time to go home. Full of useful
phrases that can be used in other situations.
Ready,
Steady, Go! Author Shigeo Watanabe
Illus Yasuo Ohtomo Starters
Red
Fox Paperback ISBN 0-09-916351-9 £3.99
Do you have a sport's day at
school? Little Bear takes part in an obstacle race and Ready, Steady, Go! Across the beam. Ow! Oh dear he fell, but never
mind, on he goes. Round the bar. And Thump! He fell again Over the box. Through the tunnel . Under the net. Nearly there. And then at
the finishing line he asks Did I win?
The simple text is easily understood through the supportive clear realistic
illustrations. This sensitive story shows the authors understanding of very
young children's natural behaviour. This is a natural way to learn some
prepositions of place. Even better if you confirm them by making your own
obstacle race in the playground using some of the same language but simpler
apparatus like a rope for under, a hoop for through and a table to climb over
but take care the children don't fall.
Whose
Baby Am I? Author-Illus John Butler Starters
Puffin Paperback ISBN 0-1-056775-5 £4.99
This book introduces 9
different wild-life animals and their babies. In a question and answer form
children are asked Whose baby am I? To
find out the answer they have to turn the page I am elephant's baby. The superb illustrations of the animals on a
plain background delight children. Before you begin make sure the children know
the names of the animals. Like this they will soon pick-up the text and use the
possessive with an apostrophe quite naturally. As the children get to know the
text, let one half of the class ask the question, the other reply. To help
consolidate this form of possessive, transfer it to classroom situations asking
Whose school bag is this? It's Aldo's school bag. It's the teacher's bag.
In
my pocket Author June Crebbin
Illus Katherine McEwen Talkers
Walker
Books Paperback ISBN 0-7445-8306-3 £3.99
A counting book, numbers 2
to 10, but with a difference. In my
pocket were …and a picture shows us a little girl looking in her pocket.
She begins to count the things, Two
stripy socks, Three torn tickets, Four freckled frogs and on up to Ten marvellous marbles and … there was
something else, too!
A simple text that children
soon pick-up especially if they can already count to ten. A natural way to
learn about adjectives.
Peekaboo
Baby! Author Mandy Ross Illus Kate Merritt Talkers
Ladybird
Books Novelty/Boardbook ISBN 0-7214-2369-8 £4.99
Don't be put off by the use
of baby in the title as this rhyming flap book will appeal to Nursery aged
children too! This is 5 spreads of a
game in which you have to find out who is hiding behind the flap. Before you
lift up the flap to check you answer children can join in with you and say
Peekaboo - which is attractively written in silver letters. The text is in
rhyming language and children will soon pick it up especially if you have used
some of the phrases before hand like One, two, three - Are you ready? You'll find
out soon! Oh goodness me Well fancy that! Here's a + noun, you've seen before!
The lively colour
combinations and the interestingly shaped flaps add to the excitement and the
surprise including a mirror on the last spread. Children will love it even if
you have to get across difficult language like What a very stylish hat! A great book but don't introduce it until
children can cope with the language.
Splash! Author-Illustrator Flora
McDonnell Talkers
Walker
Books Paperback ISBN 0-7445-7733-0 £5.99
Children love to visit
Safari parks. Take your class on a Safari to India through these large
atmospheric illustrations inspired by an elephant called Tara in the Kanha
National Park in India. The author writes that as soon as Tara reached the
water 'she reverted to being the playful, naughty baby elephant she must once
have been'. Minimal text supports the life-like illustrations to convey the fun
that a hot mother elephant and her baby, a tiger and a rhinoceros have playing
with water. Tiger is hot. Lovely water.
Water to drink. Water to squirt. Splash! Splash! SPLASH!
Until tiger is cool and happy and so are all the other animals as they
return home under the full moon.
One class followed this up
with a collage of animals stuck onto a large background of a similar Safari
park; they got a lot of spare Travel Brochures and cut the animals from them!
One
Too Many Tigers Author Cressida Creswell
Illus Andy Ellis Talkers
Hodder
Children's Books Paperback ISBN 0-340-792-140 £3.99
www.madaboutbooks.co.uk
Don't be put off thinking
the title is too difficult as children soon pick-it-up as one phrase. This
rhyming story about four Tigers in a Tiger Tree makes a change from Nursery
Rhymes and is certainly easier to understand!.
One
was Tootle and Tootle was a tiger. One sleepy tiger in the Tiger Tree.
Two
was Mummy and Mummy was a tiger too. Two sleepy tigers in the Tiger Tree. Joined by
Daddy and Titbit there was suddenly One too many tigers in the Tiger Tree. WHAT
EVER SHALL WE DO!
Remember
the old tiger saying, 'When the number of tails is more than three, you need to
find a bigger tree!' and they were helped by the Cockatoo! The
illustrations are soft and supportive of the easy-to-pick-up language. Many of
the phrases may seem beyond what you want to introduce but some can be useful
in other situations! Easy to adapt for an end of term play; any extra children
can be additional animals in the jungle and join in as a chorus.
Chimp
and Zee Author-Illus Laurence and
Catherine Anholt Talkers
Frances
Lincoln Hardback ISBN 0-7112-1761-0 £10.99
www.anholt.co.uk
If your children don't know
Chimp and Zee, the cuddly, cheeky monkey twins, they are missing a delight.
Just published they are a children's classic for the future. Chimp and Zee live
in a coconut tree house by a river and close to the sea. Check the simple
pictorial map for details. In the first story book (second to be published
Autumn 2002) they go on a shopping expedition to Jungletown with Mumkey to buy
bananas. Chimp and Zee find buying bananas rather boring and find a place to
hide behind what they think is a small grey stone.
Wherever
are those naughty monkeys?' says Mumkey.
Up
jumps Chimp.
Up
jumps Zee.
'Ha,
ha, ha!
Hee,
hee, hee!' (A natural playground rhyme.)
They then hide again behind
a middle-sized stone and finally inside
the banana basket right on top of the biggest grey stone of all. But a remarkable thing happens. The three
grey stones begin to wobble, shake, and rumble. Then the three grey stones get up and slowly walk away.
What were the grey stones? What happened to Chimp and Zee. How did they get
home to Mumkey and their father.
The easy-to-read and copy
script is actually a font made of Laurence Arnholt's handwriting. A newly
created section of games and activities with Chimp and Zee on the arnholt
website provides many opportunities beyond those suggested by the easily
accessible drawings.
Chimp and Zee finger puppets
are available and can be the basis of making other animals and props for a
class puppet show. Some children may have read the story in their
home-language, which will make understanding the English text quicker. Don't be
put off by two idioms which might be new to you: monkey about, which is a way of saying 'mess around' and go bananas, which means 'go crazy about'
something! Chimp and Zee are great. I think you'll go bananas about them.
Shh! Author-Illustrator Colin
McNaughton Talkers
Collins
Paperback/Novelty ISBN 0-00-666647715-4 £5.99
A
Lift-the-Flap Book
Before you begin check that
the children know how to play their home-language version of the game hide and
seek. This is a story about Mister Wolf is determined to catch Preston Pig, who
is hiding in places the reader doesn't expect.
I'm
coming to get you! says Mister Wolf and the game begins. Shh! Don't tell Mister Wolf says Preston
Pig. As Mister Wolf searches, he talks to himself in the same way as some
parents do when they are looking. Where's
Preston? Is he in the house? Lift up a flap of a cottage, to see an
upstairs as well as a downstairs. In the bathroom behind the shower curtain
there's a speech bubble Oink and on
the back of the flap Mister Wolf continues to think aloud He might be! Turn over and Mr Wolf continues his search Is he in the shower? Oink comes
from behind the shower curtain in the bathroom. Lift up the curtain and No he's not! (It's Preston's mum.) The
search continues in the garden, in the
street, in the park, in the shop and even in the school until Preston is found underneath three flaps! An exciting story created by vibrantly
amusing pictures and very little text in spoken form. Add to the excitement by
getting the children to say Preston's lines, Shh! Don't tell Mr Wolf.
Once children know the story well, act it out in the classroom. You may find
that the children transfer it to play their own I'm coming to get you
in the playground using some of the story language..
My Mummy Author-Illustrator Guido Van Genechten Talkers
Cat's
Whiskers Novelty/Paperback ISBN 1 903012-31-7 £4.99
A
Lift-the-Flap-Book
The warmth of the special
relationship between a mother and her child comes across clearly in this lift
the flap story in which Jack and Mummy play hide and seek. Jack helped by his
dog looks for Mummy behind the sofa, and
part of the sofa lifts up to reveal all the things hidden behind it. Behind the curtains and again this reveals
something else! The story continues in
the toy box, behind the door and Jack gets more worried as the search continues
and he can't find his mother. At last he hears her coming and he decides to
hide behind the door. As Mummy comes into the room Jack says Boo and he leaps straight into her arms! The
final spread ends by Mummy telling Jack You
have to stay with me always because I LOVE YOU! The clear moving
illustrations support the text and help to convey the emotions of a Mother and
her son. Boys will relate to this story as well as girls. A good opportunity to
hear more about children's feelings, their family and life at home.
Potty Time Author-Illustrator Guido Van Genechten Talkers
Cat's
Whiskers Paperback ISBN 1-90301-211-2 £4.99
Go round the Zoo with a group of young children and they spend a lot of
their time about how animals relieve themselves and especially about the size
of different animal's poos! This book brings out giggles in even the most timid
child. It's potty time! said Joe and nine animals Nellie Elephant, Tall Thin Giraffe, Percy Pig, Ziggy Zebra etc
follow his command and sit on their
own potty. As each animal sits down
they make a comment about their own botty
.The fun comes from the clear, hilarious pictures of the animals each
sitting happily on their own potty, which
is either too big or too small for the size of their botty. When each animal is sitting contentedly on their own potty, Joe says And here's the potty for my botty! Then guess what! He
congratulates himself on having successfully performed Well done, Joe! Children want you to re-read and re-read this
story. They love to pore over the illustrations giggling away to themselves at
the difference in botty and potty sizes! A great book for children
of Nursery school age as it reminds them that they are now big and no longer
need a potty!
· Song books
If You're Happy and You Know It Illustrator Annie Kubler Starters
Child's
Play (International) Ltd Boardbook ISBN 0-85953-846-X £3.99
One of the winners of The
Sainsbury Prize for Books for Babies this isn't what you expect! Using the old
familiar tune, this song has been altered to include fun activities just right
for very young children. It's sure to create lots of laughs. I abbreviated it
to sing only the first two lines which are repetition.
If
you're happy and you know it, clap you hands
Then I went on to If your happy and you know it Hide away!
Other activities are Kick your legs! Rattle and shake! Push the
blocks! Roll about! Hold on tight! Hug your friend! And finally on the bag
cover Wave Goodbye.
Of course introduce the
actions little by little and as best suited to your group of young learners.
They'll quickly pick up the word happy and the phrase that goes with the
activity. The book illustration shows babies doing the activities which makes
most children feel quite grown up! The simple text, in easy-to-copy phrases,
describes the activities. A pity the music and words of the song are not
included but they can be found in most EFL text books! Have fun, children love
it.
· Non-Fiction books
Ten
Seeds Author-Illustrator
Ruth Brown Talkers
Andersen
Press Boardbook ISBN 0-86264 849 1 £5.99
Count to ten in a
way you can never forget if you live in Northern Europe or temperate climates.
The detailed illustrations take you into a family's garden, where a child has
just planted ten sunflower seeds. Watch them grow and count down as they are destroyed
by animals that live in the garden and the house and also a ball. However one
seed survives to be a flower and produce ten more seeds. Children soon pick-up
the very simple phrases that together with the life-like illustrations tell us
so much about a life-cycle that could go on in our neighbourhood park or
garden. The book is a moving holistic experience that teaches much more than
counting. Children need time to read this book, and especially the pictures, at
their own speed. An excellent addition to any Book or English corner.
Can
you see it? Square! Author Photographer Sally Smallwood Talkers
Zero
to Ten Ltd Paperback ISBN 1-84089-195-5 £4.99
Maths is all around us and
children are interested in looking for shapes if we set the scene for them and
this book will do just that for you. It will start them looking square tiles,
frames, mirrors and even books! Sometimes
you walk on squares. I like to draw them too! I've found a square and I've made
one! This square has a very important
job to do! Guess what it is. It's soft paper and white and I use it to wipe
my nose. Ideal for a topic and something that will stimulate boys and get them
talking. Fantastic photos of children with squares help to motivate. Why not
collect squares.
These books are particularly
useful for concept and language development for Nursery children who have been
exposed to English for some time. If you put them in the book corner children
and especially boys, love to pour over the photographs. It is fun to make a
pictorial list of all the squares you can find around you at school and then
ask them to do it at home as well. Parents also enjoy thinking about the \maths
around them!
Can
you see it? Rectangle! ISBN 1-84089-193-9
Can
you see it? Triangle! ISBN 1-84089-196-3
Can
you see it? Circle ISBN 1-84089-194-7
Website: www.realbooks.co.uk Email: OpalD@realbooks.co.uk
Fax: 44-20-7704-6686 Address:
23 St Peter's Street, London N1 8JP