Oxford Literacy Web

by Julia Donaldson

Published 3 February 2000
"Variety" books provide a support and an extension of reading skills acquired from reading "Duck Green School Stories". They are divided into consolidation stories ("The King's Ears", "The Strange Dream" and "The Boy Who Talked to the Birds") and extension stories ("Rohan Goes to Big School", "The Tale of a Turban" and "The Costume Parade"). It can be used in the Literacy Hour for shared and guided reading. In "Stage 7", Julia Donaldson retells 3 folktales: from Wales, England and Scotland. Pratima Mitchell describes Sunil's wish to wear his baseball cap at his brother's wedding in India. Pamela Mordecai tells two stories set in the Caribbean: how Rohan has a new cricket bat which the older boys want to play with, and how a four friends enter a competition to win a fancy dress prize. This title presents a bright, lively set of stories for children around 6 years old (Year 1-2).