Reading is about taking yourself and others on a journey to places that must be explored.  This means that the voices that a reader encounters need to reflect themselves and introduce them to stories from other cultures. Tiny Owl is a publisher that allows the children to walk the paths of characters that are similar, yet from another world.

Mrs Bandari has a huge heart, a wonderfully huge, golden heart.  She lives in the great plum tree and spends her time enjoying the fruit.  Mr Magarmach is a tired, weary crocodile who is in need of friendship.  A friendship blossoms in the shadow of the tree until one day the bond is tested.

The author presents a simple traditional tale that captivates the reader as the tale has a familiar feel allowing children to predict what will happen, yet with a freshness of these unusual characters and setting for such stories.

As with all great stories, the villain matters.  I adore the image of the king of the crocodiles.  The boldness of the background and the contrast between Mr Magarmach’s tender appearance makes this page a fantastic talking point.

Now for the teacher bit.  As a PSHE lesson, Under the Great Plum Tree is perfect.  With themes like friendship and trust, it would be possible to use it in any classroom from EYFS to Y6.  The artwork is something I’d love to explore with a class as the detailed fine line work is excellent and ideal for developing an important skill.  Also the use of shapes, in particular the bodies of the crocodiles, is excellent and could allow a class to develop shape poetry based on the text.

Explore the world with a class, share this book.

• Read Jill Bennett’s review of Under the Great Plum Tree
• Twit Twoo! Watch our read aloud of Under the Great Plum Tree!
• The Sunday Times says Under the Great Plum Tree is one to watch!

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