Classroom Books and Year Two readers- Is It Because? by Tony Ross

A great rhyming book today: "Is It Because?" by Tony Ross. Rhyming books are one of those things you either love or hate. Personally, I prefer this type of silly fun rhyming book to most children's poetry, as children always react well to silly rhymes, and perhaps less so to reflective poetic texts. Having said that, the book does pose the question: "Is it because he wees in his bed?", so if you think this sort of book is simply encouraging children to be juvenile, perhaps it's not the book for you. If you like the sound of it, then read on!

Many rhyming books follow little or no storyline. "Is It Because?" seems to follow this tradition, except a final reveal in the text shows that there has been a continuous storyline throughout the rhymes that is only made clear at the end. Ross' rhymes are fun and energetic. He asks the reader: "Is it because of the size of his head?" (below, left), accompanied by an illustration of the main character musing about a boy with an vastly exaggerated head. The giggles resulting from the comical illustrations then explode as the following page uses the previously mentioned line: "Is it because he wees in his bed?" (below, right) along with a fantastically funny illustration of a boy literally afloat in bed, surrounded by a river of "wee". As previously indicated, it's a silly book that will promote much laughter- a strong positive in most classrooms and homes.



The book progresses with equally funny rhyming couplets, all accompanied with ludicrous illustrations that are often literal translations of the text- when the boy asks if it is because he's as thick as a log, then Ross follows up with a picture of a boy with a tree for a head. Good, humorous stuff that most children (and many adults) will laugh out loud at.

Tony Ross is arguably an illustrator first, and a writer second- he lectures in Art in Manchester. His books can be used in art lessons to great effect. He states: "Line is the most important element in my work – the line is the basis of the whole thing." [link]. His illustrations in this work are indicative of this stylistic approach; it really is something for children to think about. By creating strong outlines in his illustrations, Ross provides a different look at line that teachers can adapt for the classroom. Creating strongly defined images seems to be a speciality of Ross, and examining his use of line with a view to mimicking his distinctive style is a different approach to the normal activities used for line under the National Curriculum- 'take a line for a walk', anyone?

Whilst researching Tony Ross online I found a fantastic quote taken from this interview [link]:

"Children need a bit of support because they live in a really weird world. Roald Dahl said they were 'Dwarves in the land of giants …' where everybody’s bigger and everybody tells them what to do, what to eat, and what to wear. They are a pretty oppressed group."

Quite an amusing way of putting it- as equally amusing as this great book.

Classroom Books and Year Three readers- Ouch! by Ragnhild Scamell and Michael Terry

"The Story of the Little Mole Who Knew It Was None of His Business" by Werner Holzworth has inspired many books. "Ouch!"seems to be amongst these titles. Telling an enjoyable story of a hedgehog preparing for hibernation, this book is well-written and easy for young children to follow. Having prepared her winter nest, the hedgehog manages to get an apple stuck on her spines. Seeking the help of a squirrel, a pig, a frog, and a goat, the hedgehog progresses through the story. Michael Terry's illustrations of the anthropomorphic animals lend a real humanity to them; as an adult reader, you can see the potential for an animation series in this book. The story gives an adult reader many opportunities to read in fun voices, meaning that it is a particularly good book for a teacher to read to their class, or a parent to their child.


Ragnhild Scamell showcases a keen turn of phrasing in this book. The epilogue (below) is enveloping and uses language to soothe the child reader/listener. "Hedgehog squeezed into her little nest. It fitted her perfectly. And it was the best nest ever." Read in a quiet voice, this text provides a clever coda to the exciting progression of the story, easing the listener into the resolution, and providing a peaceful conclusion. The picture bares little comparison to a real hedgehog nest- which are usually located under hedgerows, piles of logs, etc, but fits the text well; the idea of 'squeezing' into a 'little nest' is psychologically emotive, and the illustration depicts the scene that most children would picture. A pause for reflection is definitely needed after reading this to your class- or a peaceful passing into sleep if you are reading this to your child. A wonderful book that is superbly paced and supremely enjoyable.

Recommended to Year Three readers as the text is lengthy and fairly complex; also recommended to read to children of all ages.

CLASSROOM EXTRA: Want to see a real hedgehog nest? CLICK HERE for the British Hedgehog Preservation Society page on hedgehog homes.

Reception and Year One readers- Ghost by Luk Depondt and Guido Van Genechten

There's nothing as good as a spooky book for encouraging young readers to delve into reading. Something about ghostly going-ons is naturally exciting for Primary aged children, and this wonderful book provides a fun reading experience.

"Ghost" is beautifully illustrated. The giant pages are full of large, simple cartoons which are amusing and clearly defined. There are so many styles and methods of illustrating picture books, and the paintings used here work well, and will provoke the interest of young readers.

The story is fairly simple- the young ghost tells the reader that 'if he were a ghost he'd...' which provides a good template for creative writing. Each ghostly activity is accompanied by a wonderful painted illustration which helps the reader to form an image of the sentence. This means that the book is very useful in helping children to develop their decoding skills; for instance, "I'd go "Boo" at the kids in the park" is illustrated thus:


With the ghost (and his bat) swooping in from the corner of the page, and the children running off the bottom and far right of the page, the meaning is clear. A less certain reader will be able to understand the meaning of the words from the image, and perhaps even raise a question as to why there is one boy not running away; so, the simple logic to this enjoyable book helps to build reading skills.

This big, colourful, enjoyable book could easily become a firm favourite of any young reader. It's a fine book to read with Reception and Year One classes, as the large pages and pictures mean it's easy to share with a class. Parents may also like this book too, as it's easy and fun to read with a child, and a good pick for a Halloween present.

Above: aaw, cute ghosts!

FREE RESOURCE: Guido Van Genechten has a website with a page of free colouring sheets to download (pdfs), all similar to the style he uses here- CLICK HERE