Before Reading
David Miller's picture book, Refugees, is simple. It has a clear, simple title and its illustrations are simple too. The meanings beneath the simple, child-like images are deep and multi-layered.
Look at the front cover.
What do you see?
What is it picturing?
Why might there be ducks in the boat?
What is meant by a refugee?
Read the blurb on the back.
"Two wild ducks become refugees when their swamp is drained. Their journey in search of a new place to live exposes them to danger, rejection and violence before they are given a new home."
There is a picture on the back cover as well.
What is it showing? Is the truck/bulldozer part of the danger, rejection or violence that these ducks will face?
How will these wild ducks be exposed to danger, rejection and violence?
How can these ducks be like refugees?
Look at the front cover.
What do you see?
What is it picturing?
Why might there be ducks in the boat?
What is meant by a refugee?
Read the blurb on the back.
"Two wild ducks become refugees when their swamp is drained. Their journey in search of a new place to live exposes them to danger, rejection and violence before they are given a new home."
There is a picture on the back cover as well.
What is it showing? Is the truck/bulldozer part of the danger, rejection or violence that these ducks will face?
How will these wild ducks be exposed to danger, rejection and violence?
How can these ducks be like refugees?
Read the story
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Read the story, pausing to discuss images and events along the way.
What parts of the story put the ducks in a dangerous situation? What circumstances found the ducks being rejected? What events were violent for the ducks? Is the experience for these ducks similar to the experiences of refugees across the world. Explain. If time permits read Anh Do's story that the children will be familiar with. What similarities can be drawn? What part of a boat refugee's experience is being told by David Miller when the ducks were found and pushed into a box and left there for a very long time. Look at the image of the empty box in the reeds. What does it remind you of? Did you feel as though the rescue of the ducks was warm and caring? Why or why not? How does this reflect the care shown to boat refugees in our country? |
To debate...
Who did David Miller write this story for? What ages could gain meaning from this text?
Would little children, say Years a 1 and 2, be able to understand this story? Why?
What message/messages was he trying to tell?
Why did he use ducks as a symbol of the human refugee??
Why did the author use the image of the ducks in the boat when they didn't actually travel in the boat?
Is this book effective? Why or why not?
What do you think of this text?
Would little children, say Years a 1 and 2, be able to understand this story? Why?
What message/messages was he trying to tell?
Why did he use ducks as a symbol of the human refugee??
Why did the author use the image of the ducks in the boat when they didn't actually travel in the boat?
Is this book effective? Why or why not?
What do you think of this text?