Below is an overview of all the lessons we have created. The table offers an overview of the title, a book synopsis, related themes & values and world event days. Some of our lessons (#1,#4, #5, #11,#14, #16, #21, #22, #23) have an additional signed read-aloud by Leanne Signed Stories. Leanne’s videos promote diversity, inclusion and awareness of British Sign Language (BSL) in mainstream classes that may not have deaf pupils in them in order to make classes more deaf aware. We believe her videos are a valuable addition.
Lesson
Cover
Picturebook
Synopsis
Themes & Values
World Days
1
A story about the friendship between a boy and his pet dragon.
Being yourself, understanding and acceptance, incidental inclusiveness
International Day of Persons with Disabilities
2
A story about a feral girl.
Nature versus nurture, being yourself, empathising
World Children’s Day
3
A story about a grumpy frog.
Compromise, tolerance, friendship, apologising
World Frog Day
Friendship Day
4
A story about the life cycle of a butterfly.
Growth and change
Learn About Butterflies Day
World Food Day
5
A chant-along story about a family who go on an adventure with a surprise at the end!
Companionship, overcoming obstacles, personal growth, finding courage
World Bear Day
6
A story about a bat who really likes cherries.
Sharing, being open-minded and accepting of alternative options and change.
International Bat Appreciation Day
7
A story which shows children how to get rid of a monster in their book.
Persevering, overcoming fear
World Book Day
8
Timothy Pope thinks he can see a shark through his telescope.
Curiosity, tolerating ambiguity, creativity
Shark Awareness Day
9
A story about a panda who has a tray of doughnuts that he offers to his friends.
Being polite and saying please
National Panda Day
10
A story about a wolf who tries to entice a creature to leave its cave.
Being aware of ulterior motives, feelings
International Wolf Day
11
All the birds have eggs to hatch except Duck. When Duck finds an egg of his own he’s delighted but the other birds think it’s a very odd egg
Parental love, protection, accepting differences, feelings, patience
Easter
World Egg Day
12
Norman is a bear who loves honey. He disguises himself as a bee to enter Bee School where he hopes he will have an endless supply of honey.
Friendship and loyalty, heroes and villains, identity, accepting differences
World Bee Day
13
A story about a young rabbit who finds a seed on an autumn day and takes it home and plants it. As it sprouts, the rabbit is thrilled to watch it grow “a hundred feet tall.
Love and friendship, growth and change, care and patience
World Tree Day
14
Rocket wants to become an astronaut, star-catcher and space-traveller. Can she convince her older brother to stop looking down at his phone and look up at the stars and watch a meteor shower?
Science and space, determination, family and sibling relationships
World Space Week
15
A story about Max, a kitten, who wants to be a mouse-catcher but needs to know what a mouse looks like first!
Determination, bravery, asking for accurate information
International Cat Day
16
A story about a little, yellow alien.
Inclusion and acceptance, kindness, welcoming newcomers
Alien Day
International Mother Language Day
17
A sudden gust of wind blows the Queen’s hat off, so she and the Queen’s men set off on an adventure through London in pursuit of the hat.
London landmarks, royalty
Queen’s birthday
18
Two eggs sitting side by side on the sand hatch. Out comes a bird and a crocodile who think they are brothers.
Love, sibling relationships, accepting differences, animal instincts
Sibling Day
19
A mouse declares “I am a tiger” and manages to convince other creatures not only that this is true, but that they are not what they think they are.
Identity, creativity, being confident, true or false
International Tiger Day
20
Leonard is a lion who loves poetry and daydreaming, and his best friend is Marianne, a duck. But the other lions insist that Leonard should be fierce.
Courage, individuality, friendship, being true to your own beliefs
World Lion Day
World Poetry Day
21
A strange creature arrives pulling a big suitcase and the other animals are curious to find out what is inside.
Accepting and welcoming newcomers, trust, tolerance and kindness, displacement
World Refugee Day
22
A story that will help children understand that everyone matters by seeing how they are all connected. The dedication reads “For anyone who isn’t sure if they matter. You do.”
Seeing the world from different points of view, empathising, valuing others
You Matter to Me Day
23
A story told in rhyming couplets about hope over fear and that good comes after bad.
Resilience, friendship and positivity
National Find A Rainbow Day; National Day of Hope
24
A polar bear arrives in an unfamiliar habitat where he/she is feared by the other animals. Eventually they listen to polar bear’s story and help him/her return to his/her family.
Empathising, kindness and helping others, accepting and welcoming newcomers, tolerance, inclusion, overcoming fear of the unknown
International Polar Bear Day
| Lesson | Cover | Picturebook | signed | Synopsis | Themes & Values | World Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amazing by Steve Antony | A story about the friendship between a boy and his pet dragon. | Being yourself, understanding and acceptance, incidental inclusiveness | International Day of Persons with Disabilities | ||
| 2 | Wild by Emily Hughes | A story about a feral girl. | Nature versus nurture, being yourself, empathising | World Children’s Day | ||
| 3 | Grumpy Frog by Ed Vere | A story about a grumpy frog. | Compromise, tolerance, friendship, apologising | World Frog Day Friendship Day | ||
| 4 | The very hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle | A story about the life cycle of a butterfly. | Growth and change | Learn About Butterflies Day World Food Day | ||
| 5 | We’re going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen & Helen Oxenbury | A chant-along story about a family who go on an adventure with a surprise at the end! | Companionship, overcoming obstacles, personal growth, finding courage | World Bear Day | ||
| 6 | I Am Bat by Morag Hood | A story about a bat who really likes cherries. | Sharing, being open-minded and accepting of alternative options and change. | International Bat Appreciation Day | ||
| 7 | There’s a Monster IN YOUR BOOK by Tom Fletcher | A story which shows children how to get rid of a monster in their book. | Persevering, overcoming fear | World Book Day | ||
| 8 | Shark in the Park on a Windy Day! by Nick Sharratt | Timothy Pope thinks he can see a shark through his telescope. | Curiosity, tolerating ambiguity, creativity | Shark Awareness Day | ||
| 9 | Please, Mr. Panda by Steve Antony | A story about a panda who has a tray of doughnuts that he offers to his friends. | Being polite and saying please | National Panda Day | ||
| 10 | The Cave by Rob Hodgson | A story about a wolf who tries to entice a creature to leave its cave. | Being aware of ulterior motives, feelings | International Wolf Day | ||
| 11 | The Odd Egg by Emily Gravett | All the birds have eggs to hatch except Duck. When Duck finds an egg of his own he’s delighted but the other birds think it’s a very odd egg. | Parental love, protection, accepting differences, feelings, patience | Easter World Egg Day | ||
| 12 | Bumblebear by Nadia Shireen | Norman is a bear who loves honey. He disguises himself as a bee to enter Bee School where he hopes he will have an endless supply of honey. | Friendship and loyalty, heroes and villains, identity, accepting differences | World Bee Day | ||
| 13 | Hundred Feet Tall by Benjamin Scheuer & Jemima Williams | A story about a young rabbit who finds a seed on an autumn day and takes it home and plants it. As it sprouts, the rabbit is thrilled to watch it grow “a hundred feet tall.” | Love and friendship, growth and change, care and patience | World Tree Day | ||
| 14 | Look Up! by Nathan Bryon & by Dapo Adeola | Rocket wants to become an astronaut, star-catcher and space-traveller. Can she convince her older brother to stop looking down at his phone and look up at the stars and watch a meteor shower? | Science and space, determination, family and sibling relationships | World Space Week | ||
| 15 | Max the Brave by Ed Vere | A story about Max, a kitten, who wants to be a mouse-catcher but needs to know what a mouse looks like first! | Determination, bravery, asking for accurate information | International Cat Day | ||
| 16 | Beegu by Alexis Deacon | A story about a little, yellow alien. | Inclusion and acceptance, kindness, welcoming newcomers | Alien Day International Mother Language Day | ||
| 17 | The Queen’s Hat by Steve Antony | A sudden gust of wind blows the Queen’s hat off, so she and the Queen’s men set off on an adventure through London in pursuit of the hat. | London landmarks, royalty | Queen’s birthday | ||
| 18 | Croc and Bird by Alexis Deacon | Two eggs sitting side by side on the sand hatch. Out comes a bird and a crocodile who think they are brothers. | Love, sibling relationships, accepting differences, animal instincts | Sibling Day | ||
| 19 | I Am A Tiger by Karl Newson & Ross Collins | A mouse declares “I am a tiger” and manages to convince other creatures not only that this is true, but that they are not what they think they are. | Identity, creativity, being confident, true or false | International Tiger Day | ||
| 20 | How to be a Lion by Ed Vere | Leonard is a lion who loves poetry and daydreaming, and his best friend is Marianne, a duck. But the other lions insist that Leonard should be fierce. | Courage, individuality, friendship, being true to your own beliefs | World Lion Day World Poetry Day | ||
| 21 | The Suitcase by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros | A strange creature arrives pulling a big suitcase and the other animals are curious to find out what is inside. | Accepting and welcoming newcomers, trust, tolerance and kindness, displacement | World Refugee Day | ||
| 22 | You Matter by Christian Robinson | A story that will help children understand that everyone matters by seeing how they are all connected. The dedication reads “For anyone who isn’t sure if they matter. You do.” | Seeing the world from different points of view, empathising, valuing others | You Matter to Me Day | ||
| 23 | Rain Before Rainbows by Smriti Prasadam-Halls & David Litchfield | A story told in rhyming couplets about hope over fear and that good comes after bad. | Resilience, friendship and positivity | National Find A Rainbow Day; National Day of Hope | ||
| 24 | Leaf by Sandra Dieckmann | A polar bear arrives in an unfamiliar habitat where he/she is feared by the other animals. Eventually they listen to polar bear’s story and help him/her return to his/her family. | Empathising, kindness and helping others, accepting and welcoming newcomers, tolerance, inclusion, overcoming fear of the unknown | International Polar Bear Day |
Picturebooks in European Primary English Language Teaching 