ublisher:

 Walker  Books  
Notes  to  support  Greenaway  shadowing  groups  2014    
Evaluating  artistic  quality  
 
st  look                
   
This  book  may  be  too  long  to  rTitle:  
ead  aMloud   t o   t he   g roup   f
ouse  Bird  Snake  Wolf    rom   b eginning   t o   e nd   in  one  session.  Try  to  
sure  that  each  shadower  is  given  a  chance  to  read  it  to  themselves  before  working  with  the  book.    
Author:  David  Almond  
Look  closely  at  a  range  of  pictures  and  ask  the  group  to  point  out  to  each  other  anything  that  
ikes  them   as  Mouse
Title: interesting   Bird Snake Wolf
Illustrator:  
about   Dave    McKean  
the  artwork.  
airs  or  David
Chat  in  pAuthor: Almond
as  a  group   about   whether  
Publisher:   they  Beooks  
Walker   njoyed  Mouse  Bird  Snake  Wolf.  What  did  they  like  
Illustrator: Dave McKean
 dislike  and  why?  
Publisher: Walker Books    
 
ok  again   First  look  
*  This  book  may  be  too  long  to  read  aloud  to  the  group  from  beginning  to  end  in  one  session.  Try  to  
e  work  oFirst lookMcKean  is  internationally  
f  Dave   ensure   that   each  sto
ahadower  
dmired.   His  ap  cictures  
is  given   hance  to  read  
are  it  nto  ot   always  b‘efore  
easy   on  the   eye’  
* This book may be too long to read aloud the group from beginning to end tin hemselves  
one session. Try working  
to ensure with  the  book.    
t  thinking  
thatand  
each talking  
shadower about   them  
is given *  a Look  
chancew ill  htoelp  
closely   at  read make  
a  range  
it to ph is  vibrant  
of  themselves
ictures   and  before ask  itmages  
roup  tm
he  gworking o  pore   oaut  
oint  the
with ccessible.  
tbook. Daon’t  
o  each  other   nything   wtorry  
hat  
strikes   t hem   a s   i nteresting   a bout   t he   a rtwork.    
his  style  *dLook
oesn’t  
closely appeal   to  you.  
at a range of pictures You  dand on’t  ask have   to  like  
the group to ipoint
t  to  rout ecognise  
to each other the  panything
ower  othat f  his   work.  
strikes them  
*  Chat  in  pairs  or  as  a  group  about  whether  they  enjoyed  Mouse  Bird  Snake  Wolf.  What  did  they  like  
hen  the  as interesting
group   have  about the artwork.
discussed   first  
or   responses,  
dislike   and  why?   return  to  the  book;  look,  think  and  talk  more  about  
* Chat in pairs or as a group about whether they enjoyed Mouse Bird Snake Wolf. What did they like or dislike
e  artwork.  
andM cKean’s  images  are  as  unpredictable  and  disconcerting  as  the  content  of  Almond’s  
why?
 
Look  again  
ory.  Set  in  a  world  ‘rather  like  The   this   one’  
work   of  Dwave  ith   people  
McKean   ‘rather  like  
is  internationally   us’,  tHhere  
admired.   things  
is  pictures   wahich  
are  not   lways  ‘leasy  
ook  on  familiar  
the  eye’  
owers,  animals  etc.)  but  which   but  turn   out  
thinking   to  talking  
and   be  startlingly  
about  them  wd ill  ifferent.  
help  make  hIis  
t  vis   an  uimages  
ibrant   nfinished   world  Dwon’t  
more  accessible.   ith  worry  
Look again if  his  style  doesn’t  appeal  to  you.  You  don’t  have  to  like  it  to  recognise  the  power  of  his  work.    
ps  waiting  
Thetwork o  be  offilled  
Dave b y  the  gisWhen  
McKean ods.  
internationally
the  group  hadmired.ave  discussed   His fpictures are not
irst  responses,   always
return   ‘easy
to  the   onlook,  
book;   the teye’
hink  abutnd  tthinking
alk  more  about  
• Look  
and a t  the  about
talking title  them
on  twill
he   front  
the  
helpartwork.  
make cover  
M
his cKean’s  
vibrant and  
images  
images the   are  fmore
airst   faccessible.
ew  pages  
s  unpredictable   and  Don’t of  worry the  bif ook.  
disconcerting   he  cW
as  tstyle
his hat  of  dAo  
ontent  
doesn’t you  
lmond’s  
appeal to you. You don’t have story.  
toSlike
et  in  itato
 world  
recognise ‘rather  lthe ike  tpower
his  one’  ofwith  his pwork.
eople  ‘rather  like  us’,  there  things  which  look  familiar  
notice   about  the  presentation  
When the group have discussed (flowers,  
firstanimals  
responses,
of  ettc.)  he  breturn
aut  nimal  
which  to tthe
nbook;
urn   ames?  
out  to  look,
be  startlingly  
think and different.  
talk more It  is  aabout
n  unfinished  
the world  with  
• Turn   to  aMcKean’s
artwork.  picture   of  the  
images aregas
gaps   ods.  
w aiting  
unpredictable Look  at  and
t o   b e   f illed   the  disconcerting
b y   t he  differences  
g ods.   as the in  ccontent
olour  ofaAlmond’s nd  movement   story. Set in a
world ‘rather like this one’ with people • Look   ‘ratherat  the  like title   on  there
us’, the  front  
things cover  which and   the  familiar
look first  few  (flowers, pages  of  animals
the  book.   What  
etc.) butdo  you  
between   t he   c hildren  
which turn out to be startlingly different.
a nd   t he  
notice   g ods.  
It aisbout  
W hich  
the  presentation  
an unfinished
g roup  
world with
i s   m
of  the  
gaps
ore  
animal  
waiting
a nimated  
names?   a
to be filled by the gods.
nd   s hows   more  
interest  
• Lookiat n  the
this   strange  
title on the front half  
•cover completed  
Turn   and to  athe  picture  
first few wof  orld?  
tpages
he  gods.   ofLthe ook  book.
at  the  Whatdifferences   do youin  notice colour  about and  mthe ovement  
presentation of the animal names? between   t he   c hildren   a nd   t he   g ods.   W hich   g roup   i s   m ore   a nimated   a nd   shows  more  
• Possibly,   t he   m ost  
• Turn to a picture of the gods. Look
i ngenious   i llustrations  
interest  at the in  differences
this  strange  in a re  
half   o
colour
f   t he  
completed   c hildren  
and movement
i magining  
world?   between the children and a nd   c reating  
new  
the c reatures.  
gods. Which group McKean  
is more p ortrays  
Possibly,  
•animated and tthe  
houghts  
most  imore
shows as  interest
ngenious   they   inform  
illustrations  
this strange ain  
re  tohe   he  cchildren’s  
f  thalf hildren  imagining  
completed minds  
world? and  a nd  
creating  
• Possibly, the most ingenious illustrations new  creatures.   are ofM the cKean  
children portrays   imagining thoughts   and as  creating
they  form   in  the  
new children’s  minds  and  
creatures.
change   from  abstract  ideas  form
McKean portrays thoughts as they change  
to  liniving   fthe
rom  
beings  deas  
abstract  iminds
children’s
-­‐  a  tm o  
and
ouse,  
living  
a  b-­‐ird,  
beings  from
change
a  snake  
 a  mabstract
ouse,  a  bideas
and  
ird,  a  sto
a  awnd  olf.  
nake  
living
For  
a  wolf.  For  
example,  
beings - a w hen  aBbird,
mouse, en  tahinks  
snake and oexample,  
f  aa  m wolf. ouse  
wFor Bh
hen  example, e  tfhinks  
en   irst   when ouf  ses  
a  m
Ben wthinks
ouse  ords   oftao  
he  first   umouse express  
ses   words  he tfirst o  h is   thought.  
express  
uses wordshis  thought.  
to
Then   his  mind  shapes  an  image,  
express his thought. Then his mind shapes Then   h is   m
sanyone
an ind  
ends  ican
image, s hapes   a
t  to  
sends n   i
his   mage,  
it to hissends  
hands  creativity.
hands i t   t o   h is   h ands  
which  make  a  physical  object  
which make w
ahich  
physical m ake   a  
object p hysical  
of hisobject  
of  of  
thought. These pages must be as close his  thought.  These  pages  must  be  as  close  as  anyone  can  get  to  drawing  creativity.
as get to drawing
his  thought.  These  pages     must  be  as  close  as  anyone  can  get  to  drawing  creativity.
 
 
   
   
 
   
                                                   
 
  Talk  about  any  visual  aspect  of  the  book  that  interests  you,  i.e.  end  papers,  font  choices,  title  page  
  and  layout.  Do  these  ‘extras’  to  the  story  contribute  to  the  overall  impact  of  the  book.  
 
                                               

lk  about  Talk
any   visual  
about anyavisual
spect  aspect
of  the  
of b ook  
the book that  
thatinterests   you,  
interests you, i.e.  papers,
i.e. end end  papers,   font  title
font choices, choices,  
page andtitle   page  
layout.
Do these ‘extras’ to the story contribute to the overall impact of the book.
d  layout.  Do  these  ‘extras’  to  the  story  contribute  to  the  overall  impact  of  the  book.  
4  

Interpreting the texts

asks  which  require  imaginative  response  to  
It is always beneficial, when studying a book, to use tasks which require imaginative response to encourage
following  suggestions  may  help  the  group  of  
students to engage fully with the text. The following suggestions may help the group of young readers to
become engrossed in the book.

Explaining the world

ing  of  a  world  
The storyby  a  sinet  Mouse
of  powerful,  
Bird Snake but  idle,  
Wolf concerns the making of a world by a set of powerful, but idle, gods;
 creation  m it yths   from  around  
is a creation myth.the  
Usewthe
orld.   Do   to look up creation myths from around the world. Do they all have
Internet
s  were  made?    
explanations of how creatures or humans were made?

Character analysis
    Look how subtly the drawings of the children change
throughout the book. Compare Ben and Harry’s faces
  from the picture on the right to how they look when the
he     wolf comes to life. Have their characters changed?

Who looks most like the wolf? What do you think about
ut    
the reaction of the gods to all the children’s activities?
?    

 
g  further  mDiscussion
eanings.  Or  we  can  see  both  
er  meanings  
Webeyond  
can read the  this
literal.  
storyThe   whole  
at a literal level without seeking further meanings. Or we can see both written and
re  and  our  visual
role  in  
texts the  having
fate  of  tsubtext
he  planet.  
– that   is, deeper meanings beyond the literal. The whole book could be seen as a
metaphor about human nature and our role in the fate of the planet.
nd  Harry  as  they  created  and  breathed  life  into  
he  creative  Discuss
act?  Consider  
in pairs ewhat
ach  phappened
icture  up  to  
to the minds of Sue and Harry as they created and breathed life into the
t?  Does  his  character  change  as  he  tries  to  a
wolf. Did working together make turn  
difference to the creative act? Consider each picture up to the point when
the  page  wthey
hen  are
Ben  consumed. How
rescues  Sue   and  did Ben  react? Does his character change as he tries to turn the wolf back into clay,
Harry:  
ue.       wool, sticks and stones? Read the page when Ben rescues Sue and Harry:
And lying
with  the  whole  group.   in the middle, fast asleep, were Harry and Sue.
What do you think it means? Share your conclusions with the whole group.

Drama
en  take  control.  Things  go  badly  wrong.  This  
The gods are indolent. The world is unfinished. Children take control. Things go badly wrong. This tale could
atic  improvisation.  Either  work  as  a  team  or  in  
make the basis of a powerful piece of dramatic improvisation. Either work as a team or in threes to create the
re  created.   Make  the  interpretation  of  the  text  
four episodes when the animals are created. Make the interpretation of the text as vivid as possible using any
now.  If  there  
drama is  time,   you  could  
techniques you add:  
know.   If there is time, you could add:
• music or sound effects
• words taken from the story
• mime and movement.

Art
tart  by  describing  
Each child it  win
ith  the
words  
storyand  
inventsthen  something
go  on   new. They start by describing it with words and then go on to invent
What  would  how it iwill
you   look
nvent   to  before
add  to  they
the  nmake
ew   a model. What would you invent to add to the new world? Draw a comic strip
about
nted  creature.   making a newly invented creature.