The Promise

Product Information

I was very small when I saw my first dolphin," says zoologist Nicola Davies, recalling a seminal visit with her father to a dolphin show at the zoo. Enchanted at the sight of what she called the "big fish" jumping so high and swimming so fast, she determined right then that she would meet the amazing creatures again "in the wild, where they belonged." And indeed she did--as part of a pair of scientific expeditions, one to Newfoundland at the age of eighteen and another to the Indian Ocean a year later. In WILD ABOUT DOLPHINS, Nicola Davies describes her voyages in a firsthand account filled with fascinating facts and captivating photographs of seven species of dolphins in action. To add impact the writing is super; metaphor, simile, alliteration and the emphasis of life in 3s really paints a picture that is almost poetic to read.

In addition, the lessons are embedded in a children’s rights perspective and comprises three categories: protection, provision and participation. This threefold categorisation is referred to as the ‘3Ps’ which we have applied to our picturebook-based English Language Teaching (ELT) lessons to create a pedagogical framework (see below). This framework enables teachers to create a relationship of shared control with their pupils and allows pupils to exercise their agency and participate fully in their own learning. The Little Mistake (2018) with illustrations by Cathy Fisher, published by Graffeg - part of the Country Tales series The Promise (2013) Illustrated by Laura Carlin. Winner of the 2014 English Association Picture Book award for best fiction. This reflection also inspires pupils to transfer their newly acquired awareness and knowledge from inside the classroom to informed involvement with the world outside the classroom. Part D: Extra activities The story feels a bit contrived, but Ada will be a welcome addition to the small circle of science-loving girls in the chapter-book world.They link to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (#1, #2) and The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (#9, #19, #24, #26, #27, #40). We want our viewers to engage with this story, we want them to take its meanings into their hearts. So when they’ve watched the film, we want them to take time to read the book, to absorb it and reflect on it, because for Chi Laura and I it’s the message that matters. We’re trying to make copies available to the children who need them most, not just the existing audience of already eco minded schools and families. Walker Books, the publisher of The Promise, has offered us three thousand copies at a crazy discount. We want these to go to children in the most deprived urban areas. Survivors: The Toughest Creatures on Earth (2016) Illustrated by Neal Layton, published by Walker Books We would like to point out that it is not necessary to complete every activity and / or include all the vocabulary and expressions. Teachers are encouraged to adapt the lessons to suit the needs of their learners. However, we recommend completing the book-cover-based activities to encourage pupils to make predictions about the story from the title and cover illustrations, and to appreciate the picturebook’s different features.

Part B provides lesson information about age/level suitability, lesson objectives, cross-curricular links and links to children’s rights and world-event days. Following the start of her writing career, Nicola became a senior lecturer in creative writing, at Bath Spa University but has been writing full time for over a decade. She now regularly runs workshops for children and adults to help them find their voices as writers and advocates for nature. In 2017, she was the first recipient of the SLA’s award for Outstanding Contribution to Children’s Non-fiction and in 2018 had four picture books longlisted for the Greenaway Award.

On a mean street in a mean city, a thief tries to snatch an old woman's bag. But she finds she can't have it without promising something in return - to "plant them all". When it turns out the bag is full of acorns, the young thief embarks on a journey that changes her own life and the lives of others for generations to come. Inspired by the belief that a relationship with nature is essential to every human being, and that now, more than ever, we need to renew that relationship, The Promise is the story of a magical discovery that will touch the heart and imagination of every reader, young and old. With poignant simplicity, honesty and lyricism, Nicola Davies evokes a powerful vision of a world where people and nature live in harmony. And Laura Carlin's delicate illustrations capture a young girl's journey from a harsh, urban reality to the beauty and vitality of a changed world. Text Rationale: The Animation is also subtitled into the following languages: Brazilian Portuguese, Danish, French, Gaelic, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Romanian, Russian, Chinese, Spanish, Swedish, Ukranian, Vietnamese and Welsh. Nicola Davies is the author of more than 50 books for children: fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Her work has been published in more than 10 different languages and has won major awards in the UK, US, France, Italy and Germany. The book is beautifully illustrated, with the use of colour being a key feature in communicating the messages of the text. Throughout the book colour is used to draw attention to the beauty and also rarity of nature. This idea of colour communicating a message allows for the book to hold many questions particularly for young children, who even if they cannot fully decode the text will be able to understand the messages through these bursts of colour. However, it is not all about the illustrations here, the deeper meaning of the text is just as important. With lines such as: 'The people had grown as mean and hard and ugly'... the book is filled with opportunities for discussion and wider thinking with children and staff alike. Also, with the depth of narrative used this book creates the perfect opportunity for whole school learning and thinking about the environment, as the book could appeal to older readers as well as those in KS1.