Wild is a deceptively simple narrative with a patterned structure, which makes it accessible for children in year 1. However, it has the potential to introduce complex, philosophical discussion around the themes of freedom, nature, education and civilisation.
This is a visually rich book and offers wonderful opportunities to develop visual literacy. Much of the story is told through the illustrations rather than the text. There are openings for discussions about motivation, predictions and individual responses. So much is conveyed through the illustrations and use of colour, but the language is well chosen and offers tremendous scope for useful vocabulary work.
Enter the incredible world of plants to learn about the green machines of the natural world. Using just the sun’s rays, trees and flowers help create everything from rubber to honey. Find out the powerful science going on in every leaf, petal and stem with vibrant illustrations that will make you look at plants in a new way.
Levi Pinfold’s stylised realistic and detailed paintings provide lots of opportunities for discussion. Set in Australia in the mid-twentieth century, the atmosphere evokes the frontier stories of the American midwest. Like David Grant’s iconic painting, American Gothic, Pinfold’s characters, a farmer and his wife, (the Barleycorns) are depicted against the backdrop of their outback farmhouse, inviting connections with Grant’s painting and the many meanings that have been attributed to it.