I do like these Mrs Armitage children's books. They are suitably silly and a lot of fun. I am also sensing a theme! Mrs Armitage is a bit of a disaster, always trying to improve things until it overwhelms or collapses. I have chosen to review this book because I remember being read the story of Mrs Armitage and her bike when I was in year 2 of primary school and thoroughly enjoyed it. Share books, information, photos and ideas about people who help us; police, firefighters, doctors, nurses, teachers, sports coaches etc. Have fun role playing some of these. Learn to punctuate sentences and write a thank you letter. Create factsheets and a class non-fiction book.

Quentin Blake has been drawing ever since he can remember. He taught illustration for over twenty years at the Royal College of Art, of which he is an honorary professor. He has won many prizes, including the Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration, the Eleanor Farjeon Award and the Kate Greenaway Medal, and in 1999 he was appointed the first Children’s Laureate. In the 2013 New Year’s Honours List he was knighted for services to illustration.

Curriculum

Enjoy You Can’t Take an Elephant on the Bus. Relish the illustrations and amusing scenarios. Invite children to select their favourite and to use because to provide a reason for their opinion, e.g. A whale riding a bike because it is funny to see something so big on something so small. The United Kingdom's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. Mrs Armitage on Wheels is a pleasure to read aloud with a class. The prose flows smoothly off the tongue, and the refrains get children joining in. They love the onomatopoeia (crash, crunch, thud!) and the listing of bike modifications which are used with comic effect. The language, which seems simple at first, builds increasingly into adventurous words and phrases which mirror the growing complexity of Mrs Armitage’s bike: don’t be surprised if your class start to speak of ‘complete tool kits’, ‘faithful dogs’ or of things needing ‘a bit of extra oomph’ after repeat readings! The story features Mrs Armitage and her little dog, Spearbrake. Mrs Armitage is a quirky older lady and decides to adapt and improve her bike to suit a variety of her needs. Her bike gradually becomes more and more unconventional (and ridiculous!) throughout the plot. As well as all the above, Quentin Blake is a wonderful author who provides many hidden details within the illustrations.

Share Mrs. Armitage on Wheels Identify each problem Mrs. Armitage solves. Discuss the improvements the children would make to their bikes/scooters, e.g. add a wireless speaker to play music, a TV, a seat for teddy. This story is a great one to read with children because it is a text which explores many aspects of grammar such as speech, tense and different sentence structures. Therefore, it could be used as a hook or context for further learning to take place. This picture book was requested again and again when my children were small. Mrs Armitage goes for a bike ride with her very cute dog, Breakspear. She finds ways to make additions to her bike, a dog seat, a mouth organ, some umbrellas, a sail.... until it goes wrong. A fun read with lots of details to look at in the illustrations. Without dialogue, it has the purity of a silent film, creating movement and telling its delightful story entirely through pictures. After being thrown out with other toys, a clown doll flips itself out of a trashcan, joins a fancy dress parade, is chased by a dog, and is then thrown accidentally into a poor high-rise apartment. There his antics help to quiet a crying child, and he helps the harassed babysitter to tidy the apartment. Then they all go out into the city, against a vivid red sky and grey city buildings, and retrieve the others. By the time the child’s mother comes home, the clown has become a loved toy again. Characteristically, the book also conveys an underlying moral theme, about rejection and connectedness. Maravillosas ilustraciones sueltas y ligeras de Quentin Blake. Acompañadas de un texto igualmente espontáneo y divertido.Read You Can’t Take an Elephant on the Bus. Identify each form of transport. Children discuss which vehicles they have tried; they share their reason for travelling and describe how it felt. Blake was educated at Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School. His English teacher, JH Walsh, influenced his ambition to become involved in literature. His first published drawing was for the satirical magazine Punch, at the age of 16. He read English Literature at Downing College, Cambridge (1953-6), received his postgraduate teaching diploma from the University of London, and later studied at the Chelsea School of Art. He gained another teaching diploma at the Institute of Education before working at the Royal College of Art. Fiction Plan using Mrs Armitage on Wheels by Quentin Blake-15 Sessions Plan aimed for a mixed Year 2/3 Class. Clear Learning Objectives relating to Age-Related Expectations and Milestones, differentiated activities, 4 short burst writes and 1 extended end of unit write.