Before Reading
Before reading the story, as a class look closely at the cover and title, and discuss what you can learn from them. Some things to include in your discussion could be:
• What does the picture on the cover show? • What do you think might happen in this story? • Why do you think this? • What does it mean when people say that someone ‘can move mountains’? • Can you see a mountain on the cover illustration? • What mountain do you think the title might be referring to? |
Read and Discuss
After reading the book in both directions, as a class discuss what has happened in the story. Include in your discussion both your understanding of the book as read front to back, the book as read back to front, and the two taken together.
While reading the story, as a class discuss what you can see happening in both versions (forwards and backwards) of the book.
Some things to include in your discussion might be:
• What is the problem that the puffins are facing?
• Why do they need to move the whale?
• What is the mountain that the title refers to?
• What could make a difference to the puffins efforts if they try later rather than right now?
• Why might it be possible to move the whale later when it isn’t possible now?
• What do you think happened at the end?
As a class discuss how the authors have cleverly arranged the different statements so that it reverses the entire meaning of the story. Look carefully at each page and talk about what the sentence or phrase on the page is actually saying, and how the other sentences in the story affect its meaning. Perhaps choose 3-4 pages and read them both ways. Examine how the meaning is changed due to the placement of the sentences before or after a statement.
While reading the story, as a class discuss what you can see happening in both versions (forwards and backwards) of the book.
Some things to include in your discussion might be:
• What is the problem that the puffins are facing?
• Why do they need to move the whale?
• What is the mountain that the title refers to?
• What could make a difference to the puffins efforts if they try later rather than right now?
• Why might it be possible to move the whale later when it isn’t possible now?
• What do you think happened at the end?
- How do you think the puffins are feeling in the forwards story, and how do you think the puffins are feeling in the backwards story? How much of a difference does it make when people bring a positive and encouraging attitude to a group task?
As a class discuss how the authors have cleverly arranged the different statements so that it reverses the entire meaning of the story. Look carefully at each page and talk about what the sentence or phrase on the page is actually saying, and how the other sentences in the story affect its meaning. Perhaps choose 3-4 pages and read them both ways. Examine how the meaning is changed due to the placement of the sentences before or after a statement.
If you have time read Room on a Rock - another book written in the same style by Kate and Jol Temple. They have chosen another issue and presented two points of view about that issue.