Sophie

A: Sophie
B: Mem Fox
C: Brenda Lynn Robinson
D:Ian Drakeford Publishing Pty. Ltd.
E: Picture book, Multicultural
F: K-1

This is a very simple book with no more than 14 words per page. It is all about a little girl named Sophie and she loves her grandpa very much. As he grows older her grandpa grows smaller and slower. In the end her grandpa dies and she is sad until she has a child of her own.

This book, honestly was not a favorite of mine. There was not much context to the book, no real meat to the story. And I was not very fond of the ending, it just said that she was sad after her grandpa died but then as soon as she had her own child "sweetness filled the world, once again". I suppose the point was just to talk about the cycle of life but it made death seem like something that can be solved with having a child. Aside from the text I was intrigued by the illustrations they were so unique and like nothing I had ever seen in a children's book. They were made using acrylics, dyes and house paint on rag cloth. I have never heard of paintings being done like this and I thought it was a great thing to do for a children's book.

The only way that I can think to use this book would be to talk about the cycle of life. Also you could talk about how the illustrations are so abstract and exaggerated and see if the children could do paintings like the ones that are in the book.