Back in 1988 Wendy Orr's first picture book was Wendy's Dinosaur.
It is now out of print but this is what is was about:
"Amanda and her mother and father lived on a farm with: cows and dogs, rabbits and cats kangaroos and possums, wallabies and wombats parrots and chickens, peacocks and emus goannas and snakes, turtles and lizards.
But Amanda wanted a dinosaur."
I have chosen the oldest book of Wendy's that we have in our library, titled, The Tin Can Puppy, because it is one of her earliest writings to share with you.
It is now out of print but this is what is was about:
"Amanda and her mother and father lived on a farm with: cows and dogs, rabbits and cats kangaroos and possums, wallabies and wombats parrots and chickens, peacocks and emus goannas and snakes, turtles and lizards.
But Amanda wanted a dinosaur."
I have chosen the oldest book of Wendy's that we have in our library, titled, The Tin Can Puppy, because it is one of her earliest writings to share with you.
The Tin Can Puppy - Predicting and preparing for reading
The Tin can Puppy was written in 1990. It was written as a first chapter book for younger readers.
What clues do the title and the front cover give you as to what this story might be about?
If you flick through the pages you will notice that it is not exactly a picture book, not a comic and not a 'normal' novel. How would you describe what sort of a book it might be?
If you read the first page (Page 3) you will gain a more accurate idea of what this story might be about.
Can you see any similarities to the first picture book that Wendy Orr wrote?
Read the story and enjoy the illustrations as you go.
What clues do the title and the front cover give you as to what this story might be about?
If you flick through the pages you will notice that it is not exactly a picture book, not a comic and not a 'normal' novel. How would you describe what sort of a book it might be?
If you read the first page (Page 3) you will gain a more accurate idea of what this story might be about.
Can you see any similarities to the first picture book that Wendy Orr wrote?
Read the story and enjoy the illustrations as you go.
After Reading
Do you think Dylan's parents really didn't notice that he had a puppy in the house for a week? Were they really too busy with the baby to notice? Why or why not?
Wendy Orr likened looking after a puppy to the way in which you care for a baby. What things did Dylan do for his puppy that copied what his parents were doing for his baby sister?
When Brian Kogler draws the characters in this story he exaggerates some of their features. His style is like a caricature. Discuss this. What features are exaggerated? Why do you think he draws them like that. How do his drawings make you feel and do they match the story?
Now that you have read The Tin Can Puppy, seen Amanda's Dinosaur and know a bit about Nim's island, can you see any common themes running through the stories? Can you identify some favourite topics of Wendy Orr?
Maybe it is too early to answer these questions and you will need to explore more next week.
Wendy Orr likened looking after a puppy to the way in which you care for a baby. What things did Dylan do for his puppy that copied what his parents were doing for his baby sister?
When Brian Kogler draws the characters in this story he exaggerates some of their features. His style is like a caricature. Discuss this. What features are exaggerated? Why do you think he draws them like that. How do his drawings make you feel and do they match the story?
Now that you have read The Tin Can Puppy, seen Amanda's Dinosaur and know a bit about Nim's island, can you see any common themes running through the stories? Can you identify some favourite topics of Wendy Orr?
Maybe it is too early to answer these questions and you will need to explore more next week.