After one of the wettest Springs we’ve had in a while, I decided to share three books about water with the Year 2 children. Ironically, it was a sunny and dry day!
The first book we read was:
Flooded, by Mariajo Ilustrajo, published by Frances Lincoln.
In this story, a fictional city, populated by animals, is affected by a slowly growing flood. The smallest creatures are the first to notice it, being threatened quicker than the larger animals, but their pleas for help go largely unnoticed. It is not until the elephants and giraffes realise the danger that collective action is taken and the animals work as part of a team to rectify the situation by pulling out a massive plug to release the water. However, the answer to the problem isn’t the focus here; the real issue is facing up to problems before they become insurmountable, and working together for the good of everyone.
The illustrations are pleasing and attractive – monochromatic with a gradual increase in blue to show the rising water levels. The initial impression is one of stylish simplicity but there are lovely little details to spot amongst the drawings for eager eyes to spot. You can read more about the book and the writer/illustrator here Flooded — Mariajo Ilustrajo
Where the Ocean Meets the Sky, by the Fan Brothers, published by Frances Lincoln
The Fan Brothers are known for the hyper-realism – or should that be magic realism? – in their work and two of their books in my post today adhere to this style. The first, Where the Ocean Meets the Sky, is a story about Finn – a boy who loves sailing and who shared this passion with his grandfather until his death. We join Finn on what would have been his grandfather’s 90th birthday, wishing they could celebrate it together. He decides, in his grandfather’s honour, to build a boat that he can sail to ‘where the ocean meets the sky.’ Boat-building is a tiring business, though, and Finn takes a nap below deck. When he awakes, he finds he has sailed far away, where a strangely familiar mustachioed fish leads him to fantastical lands.
The Fan Brothers create illustrations that brim with wonder and imagination. The blues and golds are a visual lullaby in the section where Finn is travelling beyond his everyday existence, which is shown in a more muted palette. There is plenty to spy in the pictures – clouds shaped like whales, pipes, anchors, etc, and for several spreads the illustrations do the talking. Other reviewers have remarked that this is a book about working through grief, which is true, but it is also about seeing the magical in the normal.
Lizzy and the Cloud, by the Fan Brothers, published by Frances Lincoln
In the second of our reviews about books by the Fan Brothers, we meet Lizzy, who loves going for walks with her parents at the weekend. This weekend, we see her visiting the park, where there are many attractions but Lizzy knows exactly where she is heading: to the Cloud Seller. He is rather like a balloon seller – holding multiple strings attached to clouds of different shapes and sizes: birds, elephants, fish, etc. Lizzy, though, just wants a cloud-shaped cloud, which she takes home and cares for according to the cloud-caring manual. This involves watering it, remembering that clouds can get moods (thunderstorms happen when they are angry) and not confining them in small spaces. However, Lizzy is so good at looking after her cloud that it starts becoming too big for her room. What will she do?
As with the previous book, the colours work so well with this story – mainly soft and rather soothing. The children loved the idea of having a cloud as a ‘pet’ and we shared afterwards what shape of cloud we might like. Animals were popular, as were (bizarrely) air-conditioning units. I am not quite sure why as we weren’t in the midst of a heat wave! The story really captured their imagination and gave us something to talk about for a long time after finishing.
