Welcome to April and our picturebook of the month Clean Up! written by Nathan Bryon and illustrated by Dapo Adeola. We think Clean Up! (published in 2020 by Puffin books) is a great choice to celebrate this year’s Earth Day (22.04.2021). Clean Up! is the sequel to Bryon and Dapo’s debut picturebook Look Up! and both books feature Rocket, a science-loving girl. This time Rocket in on holiday and she’s shocked by the pollution that is spoiling her grandparents’ island home and putting the local sea life at risk. Can she help?
Here is a lovely review and interview with both the author and illustrator:
Sandie: Peritextual Features
Front cover: Comment on the rubbish that can be seen in the sea. Ask, ‘How will Rocket manage to clean up?’
Back cover: Show the miniature image of the prequel ‘Look Up!’ especially if you have shared this picturebook with the children. The blurb is suitable to be shared with older primary children.
Front endpapers: pattern is the same as Grandpa and Rockets shirts in the later spreads – return to these for children to make the connection.
Back endpapers: Tips for how to keep the Ocean clean. Use this to help children take action.
Dedication: You can mention these focussing on who they are for (fiancé and nana)
Title page: Rocket is running into the picturebook with her surfboard, mention this! Highlight ‘Written by…’ and ‘illustrated by…’ to remind children of the different talents.
Tatia: Teacher Education
In this film I focus on the main character Rocket and discuss a few benefits of using a series of picturebooks with recurring characters.
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Gail: Multiliteracies
Environmental literacy:
Recognising how Rocket encourages people to become aware of plastic pollution and how she motivates people to take action.
Understanding how to reuse plastic, eg, via creative sculptures.
Literacy – writing:
Creating a Did you know book with facts about plastic pollution
Designing a poster to encourage people to reduce their use of plastic
Writing a newspaper article on how Rocket is combatting plastic pollution.
The two links mentioned in the film:
Nathan and Dapo six tips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7ByxxL4UYk
World Ocean Day for Schools: https://worldoceanday.school/
Annete: Notes from the Classroom
Language focus:
Finding out about the problem of plastic pollution through reading nonfiction picturebooks and watching films.
Writing slogans for posters based on the structure ‘Did you know…?
Writing an instruction to design an everyday object (e.g. toy) made of a plastic bottle.
Personal and social education: Learning about beautiful exotic places – building curiosity about traveling.
Building awareness of importance of recycling and reducing pollution.
Art education:
Making a poster using different techniques using prepared slogans. Giving a second life to a plastic bottle, designing a useful object.
Picturebooks in European Primary English Language Teaching 