Book Review Stick ManJulia Donaldson’s Stick Man is truly an undervalued book by this great author. This book is a simple story with a brilliant message. It details the story of a literal stick person who faces different dangers based upon the fact that he is a stick. The stick man is trying to return to his stick wife and stick children who live in the family tree, but people continuously try to use him like a normal stick. He is used by a swan as a twig in her nest. In addition, he sails out to sea and ends up at the top of a sandcastle on the beach. Stick Man does not want to be a bat, boomerang, bow, pen, knight, bag, or an arm of a snowman. This shows all the uses for a stick especially children who are younger. In EYFS this book could be a catalyst for adventure outside. However this story is based around christmas and could be read in class at that time of year. This book could provide a good basis for discussion about the importance of family and how anything can be achieved when you put your mind to it. The ending of the story is excellent with stick man rescuing Santa from a too-narrow chimney, Santa helps him out by then by returning Stick Man to his family with a Christmas Eve sleigh ride.This is another Julia Donaldson book that lends itself to being read aloud due to the rhythmic and rhyming nature of the text and the repetition that continues throughout the book. When I read this to children in a year 1 class they joined in with the repetitive text and this engaged them in the story even further. Also, the illustrations support the text however especially in repletion class it can sometimes be too difficult for them to see stick man without using a visualiser. This really is the perfect book in regards teaching rhyme and children always get enthralled by the book as they worry what will happen to stick man. Stick man is never given credit for being anything other than a standard stick, used for throwing, playing and fetching. Nobody considers that he might in fact be a family man, content living in his tree house with his ‘stick lady love and their stick children three’.The book follows stick mans quest to return to his family after being overlooked as a standard stick and used for throwing, playing and fetching. Help arrives in an unlikely form and stick man returns to his lady love and children. In a classroom setting, this would allow exploration of the creative uses of sticks as well as the practical. The use of rhyme sets the pace of the reading and I feel the rhyme and repetition in the story would make children engaged with the reading. I think children would relate to and enjoy the humour in the story as stick man finds himself in a variety of sticky situations. The story also addresses the issue of separation, something which children may also be able to relate to. The fact that every sentence is accompanied by a detailed illustration makes the books visually appealing to advanced and early readers. I would read this book to an EYFS/Year 1 class during the lead up to Christmas, as the winter setting and surprise visit from Santa make it season appropriate. This is now amongst my favourite children’s books and I will definitely use it to plan future lessons.
What do You think about Stockmann (2008)?
What can I say about this? Such a lovely lovely picture book. unpredictably and totally original.
—grant5292
Cute story. I love books that rhyme. The story kept my kids involved and engaged.
—linzbobinz
Notes:illustrations are really funexpected to like this more than we actually did
—blaque
Kids really love the rhythms in this - and the bit where Papa arrives!
—Lan24den
