Notice that the motif of the flower has been foreshadowed in the illustrations, encouraging readers to wonder what it means. Best (Last Licks) and Potter (When Agnes Caws) join their considerable talents for a not-to-be-missed borscht-and-blintzes birthday party for a hardworking Russian grandmother. In this lesson, children will look at the final two Voices in the Park characters, Charles and Smudge, in more detail. In the alternative activity, children are given a set of cards which point to different illustrations in the book, and promote discussion about what they can see. Stories in which an ensemble cast get an equal voice are generally stories about a society, and this is true in this case as well.

Many children suggest that it is to do with friendship because the dogs and the two children are together in pairs. At the end of the lesson, the whole book is read to the class, who discuss their initial thoughts about the story. The different social classes are based on the words that the mother uses to describe the young girl as ‘very rough-looking child’ and how the illustrations reflect the words as the mother had a scarf and pearls around her neck and a red hat that would indicate that she was sophisticated lady. The flower clearly symbolises innocent friendship in this story but I think it does a little more: A girl who ends up with a flower at the end of a story keeps some of her power/agency, in contrast to Giving Tree plots, in which femme characters are idealised as entirely self-sacrificing.Both of the children and the parents of the children, are given voices and although on the surface the story appears simple it is actually quite complex as it explores each of the character's individual feelings and personalities. If they say they don’t know, then do a “picture walk” or a quick viewing of the pages for them to create an answer on what they believe the book is about. This story meant a lot to me as I have always tried to look at things from lots of perspectives even when that is hard and feel this reinforces how imperative it is to do. Voices in the Park was an interesting piece of children's literature, however I felt like it is geared toward a slightly older reader only because it can be difficult to follow.

This is the most often recommended book for multiple POVs; however, it has been noted to be problematic in the racist implications of anthropomorphic monkeys: Edi Campbell Blog Post - Voices, so I no longer recommend it. Anthony Browne has described Mrs Smythe as “dominant” and “militaristic” and explains that she loves her son but overprotects him. In his illustrations he draws on famous works of art but he also hides surprising images so that a tree takes on the shape of a hat or footprints become leaves. We associate gorillas with ‘big, tough, strong’, therefore ‘big, tough, strong’ nature of humans which then stand for teachers, adults, big people, bullies. The father’s walk home will show his emotional state much improved, like the cheerful night before Christmas.I would use this as a mentor text for critical literacy in that it explores economic differences and how we tend to judge others based on how people look. This beautifully photographed cookbook emphasizes fresh, seasonal cooking, separating recipes into chapters dedicated to the bounty of spring, summer, fall and winter. Oh and by the way the main characters are all gorillas, although the story appears to be intensely human. This could lead to debate about where social class has come from, whether it actually exists, and why it is here during a 'Philosophy for Children' lesson. The prize covered picture books and an illustrated book for a wide variety of ages, and Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland appears to be a particularly satisfying text to illustrate because it was won twice, by two different illustrators.