What our educators thought

“This book is ideal as both a reading for pleasure book and also for personal, social and emotional learning. The graphic novel format makes it accessible and appealing to children, encouraging reluctant readers to engage and to interpret pictures in the book as well as the text. The themes of bravery, friendship, and loyalty shine through; the book also touches upon being unique – including how others can be unkind due to differences, making it a great resource for PSHE. Do be aware that the unkind animals, who recognise the error of their ways and are remorseful, get eaten by the snake – although they are shown to be safe at the end of the story. The book is rich in detailed description – something that the children in book club commented on that they enjoyed – so it is a fantastic text to use for teaching descriptive writing. A creative writing activity the children enjoyed was writing a short story in which they are an animal and they are trying to protect their best friend from something scary. This can be done in a graphic novel format. It was wonderful to have children come in to school bringing in mini graphic novel stories based on the book, that they had created at home. This book is a great addition to any classroom or home library, fostering a love of reading, encouraging independent reading and discussion. The blend of adventure, friendship and the graphic novel format make it appealing to children, particularly years 2, 3 and 4.”