Reader offer
* We have ten copies of The Smartest Giant in Town written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Alex Scheffler (Macmillan, 5.99) to give away to Nursery World readers. Send your name and address on the back of a postcard or envelope, marked 'Giant', to the address on page 3.
Winners will be the first ten names drawn on 9 December.
The Smartest Giant in Town written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Alex Scheffler (Macmillan, 5.99) tells the story of George, who wishes he wasn't the scruffiest giant in town and so decides to buy himself a smart new outfit. However, on his way home he meets various animals that desperately need his help...and his clothes!
Children will be enchanted by this endearing larger-than-life character invented by the creators of the popular Gruffalo. Enjoy the story together before extending children's learning with these cross-curricular ideas.
Happy and sad
* Encourage the children to explore their feelings, and develop sensitivity towards others, by talking about what makes the animals in the story so sad. Take each animal in turn and read the relevant text before asking questions. Why is the giraffe sad? What did the giant do to make him happy again? Discuss what makes the children feel sad and what they can do to make their friends feel happy.
* Talk about why the animals decide that the giant is the kindest giant in town. What did he do to help them? Discuss what is meant by kindness and make a list of the children's kind deeds. Invite the children to draw pictures of these deeds and scribe captions for them.
Rhythm and rhyme
* Encourage the children to listen for, and join in with, the repeated phrase, 'Look me up and down, I'm the smartest giant in town'. Can they say which two words rhyme?
* Julia Donaldson's books have an exciting pace and wonderful rhythms.
Emphasise this rhythm as you read the story. Gather together small objects to represent the rhyming words, such as a model boat and a plastic goat, a tiny house and a rubber mouse, and a toy dog and a small brown fabric bog.
Put the objects into a hoop and take turns to choose one and then find another to make a rhyming pair.
Shapes and sizes
* Explore patterns by looking at pictures of the giant's tie and socks. Cut out some sock shapes from card and print patterns on them using a potato cut into a diamond shape and dipped into paint. Cut out a tie shape and add straight lines with coloured felt pens.
* Look through the book together to find the tallest and the smallest creature. Create a height chart to discover how tall the children are. Draw a chalk outline of an adult, a child and a teddy on a dry outdoor surface and make size and height comparisons.
Town and country
* Look at the pictures of the town and discuss familiar features such as shops, statues, lamps and pavements. Contrast these with those of the countryside by pointing out the trees, fields, river and bog. Create town and country landscapes with small-world equipment.
* Look at the pictures of the campsite and talk about the children's experiences of camping. Set up a role-play campsite and pretend to stay there.
Skip and hop
* As you read the story, emphasise the movement words associated with the giant such as 'striding', 'hopping' and 'standing on one foot shivering'.
Pretend to be the giant moving in these ways. Discuss how the dog would need to step over the belt carefully to avoid falling into the squelchy bog. Spread out strips of brown fabric on the ground and try balancing across an imaginary bog.
* When he found his old gown and sandals, the giant was so pleased that he danced all the way home. Suggest that the children invent a dance for him.
How do they think he would move? Would his steps be heavy or light?
Gown and sandals
* Look at the picture of the happy giant wearing his old gown and sandals at the end of the book and suggest making a picture of him. Draw around an adult to create the giant's body and make his gown from an old sheet. Fray the bottom of the gown, glue coloured patches on to it and paint large stitches around the edges. Create sandals from strips of brown card. Attach the giant to a display board and hang the items of clothing mentioned in the story around him. Create a gold crown from card, sequins and foil and staple this to his head.
* Invite the children to create sound effects for the animals in the story as you read the book. Add the sound of the wind by blowing through cupped hands and suggest that everyone claps when the giant receives his present from the animals.
