Primary Teacher Resource Centre - Forum

smallholder · Joined: 08 Nov 2008 Posts: 7356

That sounds interesting - what is it like?

tui · Joined: 16 Nov 2008 Posts: 3317 Location: New Zealand

The Shakers were a religion that didn't last long as they didn't believe in sex(men and women lived separately) and they didn't actively recruit to their religion-you had to be called directly by God to it.
The book now I look at it is called A Peacable Kingdom. A Shaker Abecedarious.
it was origionally published 1882. The Illustrations are of that era though they are not the original. each page has typical scenes in a Shaker child's life as well as the animals in the rhyme. Each page has a little saying showing a lesson. eg
A man of kindness to his beasts is kind.
Brutal actions show a brutal mind.

This is the text, each page has the appropriate letter very large and each animal illustrated by its name.
Alligator, beetle, porcupine, whale
Bobolink,panther,dragonfly, snail,
Crocodile,monkey,buffalo,hare
Dromedary,leopard, mud turtle,bear
Elephant, badger, pelican,ox
Flying fish, reindeer,anaconda,fox

it is delightful and my daughter adored it as a child but we only had a library copy so I was pleased to spot it at the book fair.

smallholder · Joined: 08 Nov 2008 Posts: 7356

That does sound lovely, I would have snapped it up too. An original one would be a real find wouldn't it? My oldest alphabet ones are 1930s, 1940s and 1950s which are charming- I love that retro style. I am not a religious person but I have a 1930s ABC of prayers and ABC of scenes from the bible from that period. My oldest one is 1910 but is more a book about the alphabet and the type faces in use at that time. (I have other antiquarian books too but thats moving away from the theme of this thread!)

smallholder · Joined: 08 Nov 2008 Posts: 7356

Bought a lovely illustrated edition for The Jumblies and Other Nonsense Verse - Edward Lear in a second hand book shop - the illustrator is L Leslie Brooke. There are lovely black and white line drawings and some colour plates.

I also got a new ABC book for my collection - a John Burningham one.

NeKo · Joined: 26 Oct 2008 Posts: 649

Not sure of the authour/ illustrator but I think it was set in a library and had loads of books on shelves with tons of small detail. I'll look it up. It was recomended by a literacy co-ordinator.

NeKo · Joined: 26 Oct 2008 Posts: 649

It was: How to Live Forever by Colin Thompson
Product Description
Peter and his family live among the Quinces in the cookery section of a mystical library. At night, when the library comes to life, Peter ventures out of his home to find a missing volume - "How To Live Forever".
I also love the art work in Jeannie Baker books.

smileylady · Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 7:40 pm Post subject:

Paul Stickland- such vivid pictures with exquisite detail. I see something else ever time I look at the pages of Christmas Bear.

Benedict Blathyn also fab!
_________________
23 sleeps until Christmas!!!!!
Smile

tui · Joined: 16 Nov 2008 Posts: 3317 Location: New Zealand

i love Colin Thompson. There are several in the style of How to live forever. Snother is the Violin Player. lots of little details to notice.

i recently read Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems to my 5 yr old class which they enjoyed but the illustrations immediately fascinated them and they kept going back and looking at them. the backgrounds are black and white photos of New York. The characters are drawn over the top as cartoons in colour.

Next week we are going to make pictures like that. This week we did collage style where they stuck on their own cut out pictures on magazine backgrounds but it is not quite the same. so next week i will give them black and white backgrounds. some of them can take photos round the school and we will use those.
i love it when a project pops up unexpectedly driven by the kids.

smallholder · Joined: 08 Nov 2008 Posts: 7356

I've used Knuffle Bunny with my teenagers!

tui · Joined: 16 Nov 2008 Posts: 3317 Location: New Zealand

it's a cute story isn't it. Have you seen Don't let the pigeon drive the bus. and Don't let the pigeon stay up late. my class love them as well but there are parts that would appeal to older children as well.