Before Reading
Before reading the book, look at the cover image and title.
What can you see on the cover? Look into the images in the background - the animals and the objects in the water.
What do you notice about the colour of the water and the way the ship is drawn? What has happened?
Why do you think there is a granny knitting on the beach?
Discuss what you think the book might be about.
What can you see on the cover? Look into the images in the background - the animals and the objects in the water.
What do you notice about the colour of the water and the way the ship is drawn? What has happened?
Why do you think there is a granny knitting on the beach?
Discuss what you think the book might be about.
Read the story and discuss
Read the story and enjoy. Pause as you go to ask questions and predict.
What event did Granny hear about while watching the news? What information did Granny learn about the penguins from the vet? Why did Granny leap ‘in the air’ How did Granny help the vets on the beach? How did the vets and penguins feel once they received Granny’s knitted jumpers? How and why did Granny help the animals at the zoo? How did knitting for the animals make Granny feel? |
Oil spills are really serious
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This lively picture book about a sprightly granny who knits warm jumpers for penguins is based on a real event after the oil spill following the wrecking of the Rena in New Zealand in 2011.
Watch the video to the left to learn more about what happened. |
What did we learn about oil spills from the story and the video?
How do they happen? Can these types of incidents be avoided?
How do they effect the environment and the animals?
Many ships have spilt oil in waters in other parts of the world that have been very serious for many forms of wildlife too.
Watch the following video to learn more about how the animals are impacted. Click on the "Oily Critters" button.
What can we do?
While the story tackles an issue that is serious and worrying for the environment, there is also a sense of hope. What human actions bring hope to the situation? How does Granny McFlitter make you feel?
Watch the following video about those who worked to try and help the birds.
Watch the following video about those who worked to try and help the birds.
Here's an Australian who was a little bit like Granny McFlitter in the story.
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After watching this video, what message can you take about what impact humans can have in fixing problems in the environment? How do you think the author is also contributing to making the world a better a place? Is it important that children get this information? Why? |