Fruits

Fruits - recently republished by Macmillan Children's Books - would certainly be a useful text resource when covering many topics in primary school. Obviously, the direct link to food would make this a great book to share when covering different fruits - particularly when wanting to introduce children to new and unusual ones. Luckily, the book also includes a helpful glossary at the back that explains the new fruits to the reader. This book would be useful when studying other countries and cultures as this is a traditional Caribbean poem. I could imagine setting up a Caribbean day in the classroom and introducing children to these fruits through reading the book. The story itself revolves around a young girl. Over the course of the day, the girl manages to consume rather a lot of fruit. Whilst she does so, she counts up to ten and introduces us to these new Caribbean fruits. As I read this, I felt children would make connections to 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar', which would allow for good discussions in the classroom. The language used is also traditional to the Caribbean, meaning you find yourself having to read it in your own Caribbean accent. Something that I found quite off putting at first - this is certainly not a book that you would be able to pick up and read at the last minute. It is one that requires some preparation before hand. Another useful addition to school libraries and topic cycles. Picture book / Ages 3+ / Reviewed by Kyle Matravers, teacher.

Suggested Reading Age 3+