This is the Bear by Sarah Hayes illustrated by Helen Craig

This is the Bear is a perfect preschool book. It has a cumulative tale format. Sadly this book is out of print. It was originally published in 1986 - so this is the 40th anniversary!  I do wish Walker Books UK would republish this book and others from the 'This is the Bear' series. These books were also produced in a Big Book format and set out to read as a play. 

This is the bear who fell in the bin. This is the dog who pushed him in.

This is the man who picked up the sack. This is the driver who would not come back.

This is the bear who went to the dump and fell on the pile with a bit of a bump.

Companion book:

Dougal the Garbage Dump Bear

Here are the other books in this series:

Walker Books UK published these books for their series called "Reading Time".  There were titles such as Big Bad Pig by Allan Ahlberg; Our Dog by Helen Oxenbury; and Have you seen Crocodile? by Colin West.

You may already know art by Helen Craig. 

The Pumpkin man and the Crafty Creeper

(This book is a fabulous one to read aloud)

Jam

The Night of the Paper bag Monsters

This goes with Charlie and Tyler at the Seaside

There are 67 Angelina Ballerina books!

The Pumpkin Man and the Crafty Creeper by Margaret Mahy illustrated by Helen Craig

First off I do need to tell you this book was first published in 1990 so it is long OUT of Print!! If you are a publisher reading this book (I know that is unlikely) but can I BEG you to republish this gem and then consider publishing lots of other Margaret Mahy titles (so many are brilliant). If you are not a publisher then I do hope you can find this book in your local or school library. 

This book is a perfect book to read aloud. I dream one day of using this book with a group of teacher education students - reading it aloud - as a way to show them the magic of a perfect read aloud book! The library I visit each week had a copy of The Pumpkin Man and the Crafty Creeper on their shelves and I was thrilled to see it was the larger format hardcover edition. My old library copy (which very very sadly was tossed out by my unqualified replacement) was just a small, very flimsy, paperback.

Mr Parkin loves his pumpkins.  On his way back from the garden store, pushing his wheel barrow filled with the very best potting mix, he passes a small plant creeping out from under a metal gate. The gate belongs Lily Rose Willowherb. 

The plant had "trumpet-shaped flowers of such a pure and beautiful blue that they reminded Mr Parking of the sky on a midsummer's day. For a moment his loyalty to pumpkins wavered."

But Mr Parkin should not stop to talk to this plant - she is utterly treacherous. Of course Mr Parkin is not listening to me!  The plant tells Mr Parkin she is being abused by Lily Rose Willowherb. 

"She makes me stay out in all weathers. She never reads to me or helps me enjoy the finer things of life. Take me home with you, and I will be your humble little pot plant, though I am actually a rare and valuable species."

Mr Parkin is not sure this is a good idea but the little plant tells him this is not stealing. She is happy to creep, creep, creep into his wheelbarrow. 

At home Mr Parkin put her in a pot, but this is a huge mistake because now her demands begin - more water, but not too much. Turn on the television - alas for the creeper Mr Parkin does not own a television. She demands entertainment. Mr Parkin tries playing his banjo but she is not satisfied.

"I can't bear it ... I need music, poetry, light and laughter. Is that too much to ask?"

Mr Parkin phones up the 'Dial-an-Orchestra' people who are listed in the telephone book. Just to add an aside at this point it would be such fun to show your young readers a real telephone book and also, if you can find The Boy who was Followed Home (also my Margaret Mahy) you might compare this scene with the one where the parents look up witches in their telephone book and find Mrs Cathy Squinge. 

Now back to the book.

The orchestra agree to come to Mr Parkin's house and they will bring their own strawberries but they also want champagne and a piano. Of course Mr Parkin does not own a grand piano but the orchestra come anyway. They fill up the kitchen and even have to perch on top of the fridge.

"The orchestra played mightily, sustaining itself with strawberries and champagne in between minuets and mazurkas."

But the creeper is not satisfied. She demands Mr Parkin read her some poetry and at that moment Lily Rose Willowherb arrives. She has heard the orchestra and has guessed her naughty plant is causing havoc for her poor unsuspecting neighbour. 

"He kidnapped me! He kidnapped me! ... He reached through the gate and dragged me into his wheel barrow. ... I'm too sensitive for this rough life ... I'm beginning to droop."

"You? Droop? You're as tough as old boots,' said Lily Rose Willowherb, whisking it out of its pot. 'You're so tough you're practically a weed!"

When I read this book aloud in my library I would always gather some ivy or other "creeping" plant so the children (Grade 2) could see the way creepers cling onto walls and fences. 

To those attuned, the satire here cuts with rapier precision, but Mahy's use of language is so deft and good-humoured that her tale will also be read as more lighthearted hyperbole. Illustrator Craig nicely extends the characterisations, adding plenty of amusing details Kirkus Star review

Margaret Mahy, as I have said in previous posts, was a superb storyteller. I do love the way each of her books has a different illustrator. This one is illustrated by the wonderful Helen Craig who also illustrated Jam. (And the Angelina Ballerina book series). 

Charlie and Tyler at the Seaside by Helen Craig

Tuesday Treasure

Charlie (country mouse) receives a letter from his friend Tyler (city mouse) suggesting they meet for an exciting DAY AT THE SEASIDE. Charlie does not crave excitement but he is a loyal friend. The pair meet at the oak tree and Mrs Pigeon gives them a ride to the seaside in her postbag. On arrival they see a small motorboat. They climb on board and the boat takes off. Have you seen the movie Stuart Little and the scene with the remote controlled boats? A boy on the shore has the controls for the little motor boat. Luckily Charlie and Tyler are able to scramble to safety as the boat crashes into some rocks. 

On the beach Tyler finds treasure - a toy sword and a metal badge which he can use a shield. Charlie finds a little bell. This is a very English seaside resort and so their next stop is the fun pier with rides, a puppet show and the hall of mirrors. Lunch is easy to find as careless humans drop pieces of sausage, popcorn, toffee apple and chips. 

The day is going really well but then disaster strikes. A huge bird, possibly a sea eagle, swoops down and grabs Tyler. Charlie is desperate to help. Remember the treasures from the beach? Tyler uses his sword and Charlie uses his bell and Tyler is rescued from the cliff top nest. 

"Safe and sound at Charlie's home, they sat on the porch and talked over what happened. 'What a fine adventure we had!' said Tyler. Charlie wasn't so sure. However, on one thing they did agree - they had both been terribly, terribly BRAVE!"

Helen Craig is a master of mice and other small creatures. I'm sure you are familiar with her Angelina books. I first saw her work in the Margaret Mahy book Jam and then in my former school library we had Susie and Alfred: The Night of the Paperbag Monsters and the sequel Susie and Alfred: A Welcome for Annie.

Helen Craig wrote two books about Charlie (country mouse) and Tyler (city mouse) but sadly both are out of print. 

There are lots of books where you can meet the Town Mouse and the Country Mouse. One of my favourites is The Country Mouse by Louise Pfanner. Sadly I do not own a copy so I cannot share an image of the cover here with you. Here are some others worth seeking out:

Jam by Margaret Mahy illustrated by Helen Craig

Tuesday Treasure

Mr and Mrs Castle live in a little house with their three children - Clement, Clarissa and Carlo.

"Three little Castles ... but very small ones - more like Cottages really."

Mrs Castle is a scientist and she has been asked to help with the development of an electronic medicine to cure sunspots.  This means Mr Castle will now look after the three children. He adopts a new 'househusband' routine.

He washed the dishes and then pegged them out to dry.
Not only did he sweep the floors he swept the ceilings too.
He vacuumed the carpets and put the dough to rise in a warm place ...
Planted a row of cabbages, folded the washing, baked the bread and a cake ...
Prepared dinner (and) read the paper so we to be well-informed.

One day there is a thump on the roof. The plums are ripe. Mr Castle sees this as a challenge. Not a single plum will go to waste. He makes pots and pots of jam and when the pots run out he fills their cups and glasses. Of course then they all need to eat this jam and so Mr Castle (his talents know no bounds) makes scones, roly poly, sponge cakes, pancakes and jam sandwiches. Some tiles lift in the bathroom so he uses jam to stick them down. Eventually all the jam is eaten. The kids and Mrs Castle have become quite sick of jam. It has filled their dreams and nightmares so they happily imagine all the delicious foods (without jam) that they can now enjoy. After all the jam eating the family are looking quite fat so Mr Castle suggests they enjoy a game of cricket outside before eating lunch.

"While they were playing on the lawn, Mr Castle heard a soft thud on the roof. He looked up at the plum tree enthusiastically. A year of jam eating had gone by. The plums were ripe again."

Margaret Mahy was a master storyteller. There are so many delightful little details in her stories. One of my favourites is  this book Jam illustrated by Helen Craig. I have read this book to library groups every year since it was first published in 1985. That means I have read this book aloud well over 100 times and yes it delights me every time.

Mahy and Craig make a smashing team. The colorful, detailed drawings convey the same humor and high spirits as the text. Kirkus

When you look at Margaret Mahy's books you will see many different illustrators - Steven Kellogg, Jonathan Allen, Polly Dunbar, Margaret Chamberlain, Sarah Garland, Shirley Hughes, and Helen Craig.  Helen Craig also illustrated The Pumpkin Man and the Crafty Creeper.

Margaret Mahy received the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2006. The jury president said:

"In awarding the 2006 Hans Christian Andersen Medal for Writing to Margaret Mahy, the jury has recognized one of the world's most original re-inventors of language. Mahy's language is rich in poetic imagery, magic, and supernatural elements. Her oeuvre provides a vast, numinous, but intensely personal metaphorical arena for the expression and experience of childhood and adolescence. Equally important, however, are her rhymes and poems for children. Mahy's works are known to children and young adults all over the world."

Here are some things I talk about when we read Jam:

What do you notice about the children's names?
Why were the children worried when Mrs Castle tells the family she is heading away to work?
Why did Mr Castle peg the dishes out to dry?
Compare the illustration on the first page with the illustration on the final page - what do you see?
What do you notice about the 'shape' of this story?
Let's make a list of the funny little details in the story that made you smile e.g. filling egg cups with jam.

Here is a video of jam making which we watch after taking time to explore some recipes using jam

Susie and Alfred in the Night of the Paper Bag Monsters by Helen Craig

Accidents do happen. Should you retaliate or forgive? This is one message at the heart of Suzie and Alfred in the Night of the Paper Bag monsters by Helen Craig. Yes you do know Helen Craig she is the wonderful illustrator of all those Angelina Ballerina books.

In Susie and Alfred the two friends are preparing for a fancy dress party. They are working together at Alfred’s house and in the shed they find some very large and very strong paper bags. These will make perfect costumes. As they begin to paint the bags disaster strikes and a paint can is overturned. A fight ensues and both children head off sulking. Back in their respective homes they make their costumes unaware that each is making a monster disguise. When they meet on the street, as they head off to the party, each gets a terrible fright until they recognize each other's voice. Needless to say Suzie and Alfred make up, have a wonderful time at the party and they even win first prize together as Mr and Mrs Monster. The really delicious twist is a visual joke. I will quote the line but you really need to see this illustration to understand what is going on. “Nobody knew the little person who came third. He must have come from the other side of town.”

Suzie and Alfred in the Night of the Paper bag monsters is one book in a series of three about these friends. You might also look for The Knight, the Princess and the Dragon and Susie and Alfred in a Welcome for Annie. This second title is a good one to use for a discussion about bullying. Luckily these books were all republished a few years ago. I also recommend trying a little paper bag craft. We have some terrific books with paper bag craft ideas in our school library.