Amazing Animals Chatterbooks activity pack

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About this pack

Here are some great stories and picture books about all kinds of animals, plus ideas for activities in your Chatterbooks reading group.

The pack is brought to you by The Reading Agency. Chatterbooks is a reading group programme for children aged 4 to 12 years. It is coordinated by The Reading Agency and its patron is author Dame Jacqueline Wilson. Chatterbooks groups run in libraries and schools, supporting and inspiring children’s literacy development by encouraging them to have a really good time reading and talking about books. The Reading Agency is an independent charity working to inspire more people to read more through programmes for adults, young people and Children – including the Summer Reading Challenge, and Chatterbooks. See www.readingagency.org.uk

Contents Things to talk about 3 Warm up activities 4 Longer activities 6 The book 8 Wordsearch answers 13

Things to talk about

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Why do you think there are lots of children’s books about animals? Do they make better

characters than people?

What are your favourite animal characters? Are they from books, comics, TV or movies? Which animals make the best goodies or baddies and why?

If you were writing a story about an animal which animal would you choose and why?

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Activity ideas WARM UPS Animal Jokes These animal jokes have been muddled up. Can you match the jokes with the correct punch lines?

Why did the cow cross the road? Hiss-story

Where did the sheep go on holiday? In his trunk!

What is the snake’s favorite subject? A bulldozer!

What is black ,white and red all over? To get to the udder side.

Where does an elephant pack his luggage?

No I deer!

What do you call a cow that eats your grass?

The baaaahamas

What do you call a sleeping bull? A sunburnt penguin! What do you call a deer with no eyes? A lawn moo-er

How do you catch a squirrel? Oinkment What do you give a pig with a rash? Climb up a tree and act like a nut!

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Wordsearch : Baby animals LEVERET (baby hare) KITTEN (baby cat) GOSLING (baby goose) PUPPY (baby dog) SPIDERLING (baby spider) CALF (baby elephant) FAWN (baby deer) CYGNET (baby swan) EAGLET (baby eagle) SQUAB (baby pigeon) EPHYNA (baby jellyfish)

Look for these words in the squares below - across, down and diagonally. The answers are at the end of this pack

F A L E L R Q E T U I P L S J G

D N A X E N M B C Z A S F Q G T

G I J L V U T E Q W R Y I U P N

Z M C B E N V C Z A D G J A K A

A A S D R Z O A K E E P E B H T

U L T E F A W N Y I P U P P Y S

O T K D T O F S Z C R B M P B I

L R J O H L G O S L I N G K V S

P A O G Y O T E T W A S E I H S

J I L W M G N E V C Z A D T G A

H N F A D I L S Q E Y U P T O P C A L F Z G A D F V E G H E S O

V E B K A T N L O G D A N N L H

Q E S E U O L J A D S Z C E I S

Z C E P H Y N A L E Y N J E T T

W H R Y I P L H F D A Z C R G E

S P I D E R L I N G T I S T E P

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LONGER ACTIVITIES Animal charades Ask children to draw out of a hat the name of an animal. Each child mimes (without sounds) what this animal is like and everyone has to guess the animal. If they can’t guess, try making the animal sounds to help them!

Act out an animal story Choose a short story about animals - for example a picture book with lots of animal characters would work well. Get your group to make animal masks. You can download from the internet plain animal masks that can be coloured in, or make your own, and then act out the story together.

Animal similes Using animal similes can make a story come alive.

When using animal similes we have to remember that some animal similes can be an insult and some can be flattering. It is a very powerful descriptive tool for writers and poets that you can use in your writing.

Here are some examples:

As angry as a hornet As blind as a bat As brave as a lion As busy as a bee As eager as a beaver As free as a bird As graceful as a gazelle As gentle as a lamb As happy as a lark As hairy as a gorilla As hungry as a horse

As a group, see if you can add to this list – then come up with a story, using at least three of these animal similes.

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Become a Wildlife Photographer

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year is the most prestigious wildlife photography competition in the world. It is an annual international competition owned and exhibited by the Natural History Museum. Check out the winning images as a group. Talk about the photos you like best and why you like them.

Now it’s your turn! Visit somewhere where there is wildlife. It could be a garden, the local park, or zoo. Take photos using cameras or phones and hold your own Wildlife photography competition. Let the children be the judges!

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The Books

Rachel Bright

The Lion Inside

Orchard Books 978-1408331606

A feelgood rhyming story about one little mouse trying to make himself heard and discovering along the way that even the smallest of us has the heart of a lion.

Rachel Bright is a writer, illustrator and printmaker; and the creator of the award-winning stationery and homeware range, The Bright Side. Rachel has written and illustrated several books for children, including

Love Monster, and is the author of The Lion Inside, illustrated by Jim Field. She lives on a farm near the seaside with her partner, their daughter, a dog called Elvis and a cat called Superman.

Lucy Ruth Cummins

A Hungry Lion or A Dwindling Assortment of Animals

Simon & Schuster 978-1471147074 The very hungry lion is all set to enjoy an exciting day with his other animal pals. But all of a sudden his friends start disappearing at an alarming rate! Is someone stealing the hungry lion’s friends, or is the culprit a little…closer to home?

Lucy Ruth Cummins is a writer and illustrator, and also a full time art director of picture books, middle grade books, and young adult novels for Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers and Paula Wiseman books. She was born in Canada (and lived in an actual log cabin!), raised in upstate New York, and currently lives with her little family in Brooklyn, New York. Her favorite food is the french fry.

Ross Collins

There’s a Bear on my Chair

Nosy Crow 978-0857633941

Poor Mouse! A bear has settled in his favourite chair and it just isn't big enough for two. Mouse tries all kinds of tactics to move the pesky Bear but nothing works and poor Mouse gives up. Once Mouse has eventually gone, Bear gets up and walks home. But wait - is that a Mouse in Bear's

house?!

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Ross Collins was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1972. He graduated from the Glasgow School of Art in 1994 with a First in Illustration. Since then he has illustrated over 100 children’s book and has written 8, winning many prestigious awards including the Scottish Children’s Book Award and Royal Mail Book Award

Jarvis

Alan’s Big Scary Teeth

Walker Books 978-1406370805

Alan is an alligator with a secret. Famed for his big, scary teeth, he sneaks into the jungle every day to scare the jungle animals. But after a long day of scaring, Alan likes nothing better than to run a warm mud bath and

.....take out his false teeth, which nobody knows about!

Jarvis studied graphic design and previously worked as both a record sleeve designer and an animation director before becoming a children's book illustrator.

Caryl Hart

The Invincibles: Piglet Pickle

Nosy Crow 9780857636256

Troublesome twosome Nell and Freddie go on a school trip to a farm, where they pet the animals and learn about how they live, and Freddie smuggles a piglet out in his backpack. He thinks he’s saving it from becoming sausages. So Nell keeps it in her bedroom, gives it a bath and gets it involved in bringing a local crime wave to an end (with the help of her hilariously teenaged big brother, Lucas). Then they all go home for tea!

Caryl Hart is a full time children’s writer, who also runs creative workshops with local schools. She lives in the Peak District with her guitar-playing husband, two cheeky daughters, one extremely fluffy black cat, a goldfish, four hens and a dog called Roo.. As well as writing, Caryl loves walking in the hills, swimming, snuggling, baking, weeding, running, sleeping, chatting, and sitting in cafes.

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Hannah Shaw

The Scruffs

Scholastic 978-1407161341

Who said you have to be gorgeously fluffy to be the Best Pet Ever? The Misfits pet shop is full of ugly mutts and scruffs that you’ll adore. Rufus, Slimer, Lolly and the gang might look a right mess, but they have cheeky charm and big warm hearts! Still, when Lady the sleek pedigree cat arrives at Misfits, the others aren’t too happy. This pampered puss sticks out like a sore thumb. She’s the real misfit! But before long Lady is one of the gang. Problem: now a family wants to adopt her! Can the Scruffs make Lady look dreadful and scare her new owners off? It’s MAKE-

UNDER time!

Hannah Shaw studied Illustration at the University of Brighton and graduated in 2004. Fuelled by many cups of tea and an over-active imagination she has managed to create a number of critically acclaimed, award-winning children’s books. Hannah currently lives in Gloucestershire with her young family and very silly dog!

Helen Peters & Ellie Snowdon

A Duckling Called Button

Nosy Crow 978-0857638366

When a nesting duck is killed in a terrible accident, Jasmine and her best friend Tom rescue the eggs and try to hatch them in an incubator. It’s a risky business but soon Button is running around, getting into scrapes. Until the day he gets into a scrape with no escape…

Helen Peters grew up on an old-fashioned farm in Sussex, surrounded by family, animals and mud. She spent most of her childhood reading stories and putting on plays in a tumbledown shed that she and her friends turned into a theatre. After university, she became an English and Drama

teacher. Helen lives with her husband and children in London, and she can hardly believe that she now gets to call herself a writer.

Ellie Snowdon grew up in a seaside village in South Wales, surrounded by sheep, Welsh cakes, and heaps of encouragement to read stories and draw. In 2011, she graduated from UWE, Bristol, with a first class honours degree in Drawing & Applied Arts. It was here that she became fascinated with traditional printmaking methods and classic illustration, which in turn lead to a rediscovery of the wonderful world of children’s book illustration.

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N. Griffin & Kate Hindley

Who Stole the Hamster?

Walker 978-1406374568

The school day begins like any other. But when the class realize their beloved pet hamster is missing, it's not long before Room 11 descends into paranoia-fueled chaos, natural suspects produce natural alibis, and motives remain unmotivated. Now it's up to Smashie and her best friend, Dontel to do some super-sleuthing and set things right again.

N. Griffin is the author of Smashie McPerter and the Mystery of Room 11 as well as The Whole Stupid Way We Are, for which she was named a Publishers Weekly Flying Start. She lives outside Boston, USA.

Kate Hindley has illustrated many books for children, including Don't Call me Choochie Pooh! by Sean Taylor and Worst in Show by William Bee. Kate lives in Worcestershire.

Gill Lewis & Sarah Horne

Puppy Academy: Murphy and the Great Surf Rescue

OUP 978-0192739261

Puppies to the rescue! Murphy the leonberger puppy is used to being the best, so when new student Rodrigo comes top of the class he struggles with his jealousy. But Murphy faces his biggest challenge when he is sent to the beach to try for his Surf Rescue Badge. Can he be brave when it matters most?

Gill Lewis is the author of the critically acclaimed "Wild Wings" and "One White Dolphin", both winners of the Green Earth Book Award. A veterinarian, her love of animals and the natural world plays a big part in

her writing. She lives in the UK.

Sarah Horne grew up in Derbyshire, mainly under a snowdrift. She spent much of her childhood scampering in the nearby fields with a few goats. Then she decided to be sensible and studied Illustration at Falmouth College of Arts and gained a Masters degree at Kingston University. Sarah lives in London and specialises in funny, inky illustration and words for children’s books.

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Amelia Cobb & Sophy Williams

Zoe’s Rescue Zoo: The Sleepy Snowy Owl

Nosy Crow 978-0857637024

Oscar is a very sleepy snowy owl. He can’t keep his eyes open during the day so he’s missing all the fun. Can Zoe come up with a nighttime surprise to keep the little owl happy?

Amelia Cobb is sadly not a real person, although there is a real author behind the Zoe’s Rescue Zoo stories. If Amelia did exist, we like to think that she’d live by the sea with her two goldfish, Flip and Flop, and write her stories at a small desk by the window, listening to the radio and wearing a brightly-coloured scarf at all times.

Sophy Williams is an award-winning illustrator with twenty-five years experience illustrating children’s books. While still studying, she twice won prizes in the Readers Digest Young Illustrator’s competition and was runner up for the Mother Goose Award for her first picture book. She spent some of her childhood in exotic locations such as Singapore, Hong Kong and the Middle East and often finds her illustrations being influenced by these places. She now lives by the Kennet and Avon canal in Bradford on Avon with her husband, author/illustrator MP Robertson, their two lanky teenage sons and a mischievous grey cat called Hamish.

Philip Reeve & Sarah McIntyre

Pugs of the Frozen North

OUP 978-0192734921

The Race to the Top of the World! It comes around once in a lifetime, and the prize? Your heart's desire. Shen and Sika can't resist the chance to win, but competition is fierce. The path to victory is littered with snow trolls, sea monsters, and a gang of particularly hungry yetis. But Shen and Sika have something the other contestants don't have. Actually, they have 66 other things; pugs to be exact. That's a 264 paw-powered sled!

Philip Reeve was born and brought up in Brighton, and has since lived in Devon and Dartmoor. He worked for many years in a bookshop, while involved with amateur film making and theatre.

Since 1994, he has earned his living as a cartoonist. His drawings are well known from three series of books for school children: Murderous Maths; Horrible Histories; and Dead Famous. He has provided illustrations and jokes for over forty books.

His first novel was Mortal Engines (2001), a thrilling fantasy adventure story with traditional elements and moral conundrums, set in a futuristic landscape where cities move across the globe, gobbling other towns and cities as they go. Mortal Engines won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize (Gold Award) in 2002 and was also shortlisted for the Whitbread Children's Book Award. Its sequel, Predator's Gold, was published in 2003, followed by the third and fourth books in the series, Infernal Devices (2005) and A Darkling Plain (2006). A Darkling Plain won the 2006 Guardian Children's Fiction Prize.

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Sarah McIntyre was born in Seattle. She studied Russian literature and art history at Bryn Mawr College, then earned a distinction while doing her master's degree in Illustration at Camberwell College of the Arts in London. She brings her love of travel and adventure to her work, and loves the thrill of being a perpetual tourist in London, where she has lived since 1999.

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Wordsearch answers

F A L E L R Q E T U I P L S J G

D N A X E N M B C Z A S F Q G T

G I J L V U T E Q W R Y I U P N

Z M C B E N V C Z A D G J A K A

A A S D R Z O A K E E P E B H T

U L T E F A W N Y I P U P P Y S

O T K D T O F S Z C R B M P B I

L R J O H L G O S L I N G K V S

P A O G Y O T E T W A S E I H S

J I L W M G N E V C Z A D T G A H N F A D I L S Q E Y U P T O P

C A L F Z G A D F V E G H E S O

V E B K A T N L O G D A N N L H

Q E S E U O L J A D S Z C E I S

Z C E P H Y N A L E Y N J E T T

W H R Y I P L H F D A Z C R G E

S P I D E R L I N G T I S T E P