About the Book

History tells us that the human spirit is amazing. In the face of war, humans rise above the loss and pain to find hope and new life. This is the sentiment conveyed by Margaret Wild and Freya Blackwood in The Treasure Box. The book begins with visions of war but the story symbolises identity, nationality, hope, perseverance and survival. With a gentle text, Margaret has  written a story that is sombre yet, at the same time, inspiring.

After a library is burned down during the war, a young boy and his father recognise the importance of the last surviving book and keep it safe in a treasure box. The boy loses his father after they are forced to flee their home. But, he is determined to hold true to his word to keep the book safe. Eventually, he decides to bury the treasure box where no-one or no thing could touch it.

When he eventually returns to the place where the treasure box is buried, he finds new life in the village that he left behind. He also returns the book to the rebuilt library: a book that symbolises nationality, hope and history.

‘It is rarer than rubies, more splendid than silver and greater than gold’

Freya Blackwood has successfully experimented with a new illustrative style but she continues be meticulous in every mark she makes in her illustrations; each being well thought out and symbolic.

Illustrations are raised above the backgrounds and photographed to provide depth and natural shadows. To create haunting and emotive images, pages have been torn from war-themed books and used for the endpapers and to create collages of ashen skies, billows of smoke and snow-covered tree branches.  Freya’s trademark colour palette returns on the final pages to represent new life.

The Treasure Box is a moving book to share with children, to demonstrate the power of the human spirit in overcoming the odds. Buildings may be bombed, lives may be lost but history and stories can be kept alive.

Further book details at the end of this post.

Follow- up activities and learning experiences:

A COMMUNITY EXERCISE (TAKE A LOOK AT MY FAMILY’S TREASURE BOX)

• As a class or a family create a treasure box of your own that symbolises who you are as a group/community. Each member of the family/class contributes an item of significance to the box. (See an example)

• Bury or hide the treasure and create a (scaled) map to show where the treasure is hidden. (See an example)
  

• Use the map to locate the treasure box over a period of time (You could even leave it there for years- much like a time capsule)

• You could swap your treasure box with another class, and talk about how the objects symbolise the group.

FIND OUT

• Find out what communities have been forced to flee their homes and immigrate to new countries during times of war.

OUT AND ABOUT

• Go to the library, and search for  books that were written during war times

THINK & TALK

• What is the most important book on your bookcase? Why?

• If you could save one book from a burning library what would it be?

• “People caught the words and cupped them in their hands”- What is your favourite word? Why?

• Why do you think an enemy would bomb a library during war?

• Ask your grandparents to share a story from their childhood with you

CREATE

• Create your own collage scene using newspaper print.

Book Details:

Author: Margaret Wild

Illustrator: Freya Blackwood

ISBN: 978-0670073658

Format: Hardback

Publisher: Penguin Books Australia, January 2013

RRP: $24.99 (aud)

Suitable for ages: 5+

You might also like to read about other ANZAC books for children. Click on the image below.

Project # 10 is being sponsored by Boodle & Bear

THE CHALLENGE: Create a Book-themed Christmas Ornament

As part of this challenge we are asking you to:

• Find inspiration from your favourite picture book to create a Christmas Ornament. (The Christmas ornament can represent a title, character, or object from the picture book.)

• If you don’t celebrate Christmas, you can still create a generic ornament to hang in your home.

INSPIRATION:

I spotted  this Grinch ornament last year on  Honeybee Books. I thought it was fantastic and I knew instantly that it would make the perfect challenge to complete The Little Book Adventure.  You can read more about how Melissa and her children created their Grinch ornament at Honey Bee Books.

Here’s another clever idea from Gabrielle of Tiny Apartment Crafts. Visit her blog for a The Golden Snitch Ornament Tutorial.

CHALLENGE COMPLETION:

You have until December 31, 2012 to complete this challenge. When you have completed the challenge we would like to see a photo.

a)      Upload a photo (with a brief description) to our facebook page (It will be moved to a special photo album)

OR

b)      Send the photo and a brief description in an email to info@mylittlebookcase.com.au

Please note that the photos will be displayed in a facebook photo album and on www.mylittlebookcase.com.au

BLOGGERS:

If you have a blog and publish a post about creating your book-themed Christmas ornament, make sure you link up here so all of our readers can admire your hard work.

PARTICIPATION AWARD ( A ‘prize’ for everyone this month):

Boodle & Bear has offered My Little Bookcase readers 15% off all products (excluding vouchers) for the duration of the challenge. Hopefully, you will be able to create some wonderful ornaments with the help of Boodle & Bear’s arts and craft supplies.

Special Offer Details:

• Available to Australian readers only

• Offer is valid between 1 December and 31 December 2012

• This offer is not valid in conjunction with any other offer (vouchers not included)

• Simply use the following promotion code on checkout to activate your discount: bookcase

This challenge is being sponsored by Rose and Lily in conjunction with Tidy Books

THE CHALLENGE: Discover New Places to Read

As part of this challenge we are asking you to:

• Forgo the couch and the bed this month, and find some new and interesting places to read with your children.

• You do not need to set up a permanent reading space or nook. This project is simply encouraging you to give your child/ren a different reading experience by thinking outside the square to find a temporary space to read.

• I’m sure your kids will have some wonderful suggestions.

INSPIRATION:

Here are just a few ideas to get you started……..

• Read in a tree

• Have a reading picnic

• Set up a temporary reading camp (The Reed Life)

• Set up a temporary themed area in your house (Booooooom.com)

CHALLENGE COMPLETION:

You have until November 30, 2012 to complete this challenge. Once you have completed the challenge, please send us a photo of your unique place to read (feel free to send in more than one photo)

a)      Upload a photo (with a brief description) to our facebook page (It will be moved to a special photo album)

OR

b)      Send the photo and a brief description in an email to info@mylittlebookcase.com.au

Please note that the photos will be displayed in a facebook photo album and on www.mylittlebookcase.com.au

BLOGGERS:

If you feel like writing about the new reading spaces you’ve discovered,  link up your blog post here.

PARTICIPATION AWARD:

Rose and Lily, in conjunction with Tidy Books, is offering all My Little Bookcase readers 20% off the full price of any book storage product (including front facing book cases, storage boxes and bunk buddies). You can see the range here.

Special Offer Details:

• Available to My Little Bookcase readers residing in Australia

• Offer is valid between 1 November and 30 November, 2012

• This offer is not valid in conjunction with any other offer

• Simply use the following promotion code at the check-out to activate your discount: MLB2012

THE WINNING PRIZE:

Of course you are all winners for taking part in The Little Book Adventure, but we have one special prize to give away to one lucky participant of this month’s challenge.

Rosy and Lily (in conjunction with Tidy Books) has one Bunk Bed Buddy to give away (valued at $125 aud) in the colour of your choice (subject to availability).

The Tidy Books ®Bunk Bed Buddy™ (Your perfect bedside storage).

Keep your children’s books, drink and alarm clock handy and safe with the original Tidy Books Bunk Bed Buddy, specially designed to be the perfect children’s bedside companion for book lovers.

Features:

• Floor-saving, slimline and lightweight bedside storage unit that securely fixes to the wall (wall fittings supplied)

• Front panels hold your children’s books, drinks and alarm clock securely.

• Made from sustainable wood sources and finished with eco-friendly water based lacquer with low VOC’s, creating a natural finish that allows the wood grain to be just visible

• Two year guarantee

• Four colours to choose from – natural, white, pink and blue

• Dimensions: 33cm (h) x 53cm (w) x 12cm (d)

Terms and conditions:

One winner will be chosen to win the Tidy Books Bunk Bed Buddy.

1. Readers may enter more than once

2. Entrants must live in Australia to be eligible for this prize.

3. All entries must be received by midnight (AEDT) on November 30, 2012 to be eligible

4. One winner will be chosen at the discretion of Jackie Small (My Little Bookcase)

5. The winner will be notified via email and will also be announced on www.mylittlebookcase.com.au,

6. The winner is asked to send a reply email with their delivery address and colour preference (subject to availability) within 7 days.

7. The Bunk Bed Buddy  (subject to availability) will be sent directly from Rose and Lily.

The idea for this challenge of The Little Book Adventure was planted in mid-2011 when Windy Hollow Books sent me a copy of Chase through Venice. This book found a way into my heart immediately, having been one of the many millions of people who have visited and loved Venice. I was excited to share Venice with Cam, and I thought a complementary discovery box would be a great way for her to gain a better understanding of this unique city.

If you’ve been to Venice (or even if you haven’t), make sure you read our book review of Chase through Venice for more details.

It has been an amazing experience for Cam. Let us know how your ‘picture book travelling’ went. You can also see some more wonderful book travelling ideas here.

Inside the Venice Discovery Box

• Chase through Venice by Sally Gould and Laura Peterson

• Map of the world, Italy, Venice and a train boarding pass to Venice.

• Personal photos of Venice

• Italian flash cards ( I made these using words that are featured in the book and some other common Italian words)

• CD of multicultural songs (Kids Songs from Around the World)

• Pasta machine

• Italian flag and gondola colouring sheets plus green and red paper

• A plain mask

• A Murano glass fountain pen

Opening the Venice Discovery Box

The Venice Discovery Box led to:

Comparing family photos of Venice with the illustrations in the book:

Making our own pasta for dinner:

Learning about Carnevale: Cam looked at Carnevale masks online for inspiration before making her own:

Dressing up for Carnevale: singing and dancing to some Italian songs:

Punchinello:

Creating Swirled Glass Vases:

We used instructions from Centsational Girl:
a) Squirt paint into the bottom of the vase

b) Swirl the vase continuously so that paint sticks to the sides of the vase

c) Add extra colours of paint as you go.

d) Continue swirling the paint towards the opening of the vase

e) Place the vase upside down over paper, draining any excess paint

f) Let the vase dry for approximately 2 days before it is ready to use

Colouring the Italian Flag with paper:

If you’re having trouble finding or deciding what to put inside your discovery boxes, you’ll find a wonderful list of ideas and inspirations below.

I can’t take the credit for finding all of these resources. Most of the online hunting was done by one of our wonderful Facebook followers, Jodie McAlister. Natalie Cooper also found the wonderful book list at Delightful Children’s Books.

Feel free to add any other resources you have found to the list.

GENERAL RESOURCES:

These two wonderful websites are dedicated to encouraging an awareness of global citizenship:

Global Kids Oz: For wonderful information and articles, and a whole host of interesting and multicultural products for homes and classrooms (including books, games, toys, music and art)

Kid World Citizen : For information, books recommendations and craft activities.

BOOK LISTS:

Delightful Children’s Books- Read Around the World Series, including books lists by region.

COUNTRY FLAGS AND STAMPS:

Passionate Home Making: Passports, flags and stamps

The Crafty Classroom: Make your own country stamps for passports

Mr.Printables: World flag bunting

Colouring Castle: Flag colouring pages

FLASH CARDS:

Mr Printables: Flash Cards for Spanish and French

PASSPORTS:

Satori Smiles: Pretend passport printable

Angel Street Mom: Pages for pretend Reading Passports

Passionate Home Making: Template for passports, flags and stamps

BOARDING PASSES:

I Do It Yourself: Printable boarding pass invitation

Social Salutations: Printable boarding pass invitation.

CULTURAL PAPER DOLLS:

Education.com: Paper Dolls for 27 countries.

Angel Street Mom: Paper Dolls for China, Italy and Mexico

LANDMARKS:

Made by Joel: Paper City Printables for Paris and Sydney

STORYTELLING IN OTHER LANGUAGES:

The Little Big Book Club has produced books, DVDs and videos that feature the story, Wilbur, being read in a number of languages:

• You can watch some of the videos on YouTube

• You can purchase the products from The Little Big Book Club

CITY GUIDES FOR CHILDREN:

Zig Zag City Guides: These cards can be purchased for Rome, San Fransisco and Paris

BOOKMARKS:

Angel Street Mom

INSPIRATION FROM OTHER BLOGGERS:

Round-ups:

The Crafty Crow: Crafts from Around the World.

Mama Smiles: Exploring Geography, featuring posts and activity ideas for over 20 countries.

Glittering Muffins: Around the World in 12 Dishes

Counting Coconuts: Continent Bags- Ideas for what to put inside your discovery boxes

Individual Posts:

Mama Smiles: Exploring Thailand

Mama Smiles: Exploring Paris- Picture Book Travel

The Good Long Road: Diego Riviera and Mural Painting

Toddler Approved: 4 Simple Ways to Expose Kids to Global Cultures

The Good Long Road: Hush! Thai Lullaby Storytelling Board

Famiglia and Seoul: Korean Cinderella

Mama Smiles: Felt Map of the World

Train Up a Child As We Go: How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World

BOOK INSPIRATION + REVIEW:

Ten Tiny Things is an absolutely exquisite book, with a very significant message.

The language in the book is beautiful and alliterative, and the illustrations painted on wood panels are incredible and earthy (a very apt illustrative style for the book’s theme). Both help to create an engaging story for children and adults.

What an excellent walk.

It was slow and simple and splendiferous.

Tessa and Zachary rely on their machine to take them to school every day. When their machine breaks down, they are forced to walk to school. At first they are horrified by the thought, until they start spotting tiny things, such as feathers and shells, in hidden places.

It doesn’t take the children long to realise that the world is made up of amazing things that you can’t see if you’re stuck indoors; the only way to enjoy the world is to slow down and explore it.

The story is a delightful one and although it’s not at all ‘preachy’, Meg’s message is very clear; society relies too heavily on technology to make life easier and more comfortable for us. Living a life that is easy and comfortable comes at a cost, one that prevents us from making the most of the beautiful, natural world around us.

Further book details can be found at the end of this post.

FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES

Tessa and Zachary’s adventure sounded like such a fun one, that we couldn’t wait to give it a go ourselves. What began as a walk to our playgroup became a string of explorative tasks. I have no doubt that if you read this book you will also feel inspired to take a walk. In fact, Meg McKinlay and Kyle Huges-Odgers are hoping that you do. They have set up a website for you to share your own tiny discoveries, which you can find at  http://tentinythings.blogspot.com.au

1) MAKE A TINY COLLECTION BOX

We were ready for our walk. We knew when and where we were going, and we knew we were going to search for ten tiny things. But Cam was asking a few questions:

• What does tiny mean?

• How will we carry/store the tiny things that we find?

We searched through our art and craft cupboard and found this cheese box. We decided that it would be perfect for storing tiny things. If our treasures fit inside this box then we knew they would definitely be tiny.

As practise, we also searched for tiny things in our art and craft cupboard to decorate our Tiny Things Collection Box

And we were ready to embark on our exploration of the local area. Now we can’t walk anywhere without our tiny collection box.

2) TAKE A ‘TEN TINY THINGS’ WALK

When I first read Ten Tiny Things, I read it with a lump in my throat. I am ‘that’ person who drives everywhere. I avoid walking if it’s too warm, too cold, too windy, too wet……. I certainly felt a strong pang of guilt as I read Ten Tiny Things. I really loved the message of the book, and was happy that it had such a strong effect on me. I was keen to put things right and set a positive example for Cam.

We decided to walk to our weekly playgroup session. It is a comfortable walk there (a bit more difficult on the way back) with lots to spot along the way.

It was a little ironic though, because the day we chose to walk to playgroup was one of Melbourne’s windiest days in history. Falling branches narrowly missed our heads and when we arrived at playgroup, a giant pine tree had sheared in half only minutes before. Had we not read Ten Tiny Things, I would have turned back to the car claiming that it was ‘too windy’, but we soldiered on.

We collected far more than ten things. Cam just couldn’t help herself:

• leaves

• stones

• bottle cap

• berries

• gum nuts

• seed pods

• feathers

• bark

• flowers

Cam had a smile on her face the whole time and couldn’t wait to do it again. Her favourite part was when we nearly got swept away by the wind, just like Peggy.

3) INTRODUCE ADJECTIVES

Meg McKinlay’s use of language in this book is exquisite. She uses the most beautiful adjectives and alliteration to describe the treasures found by Tessa and Zachary.

They saw surprising stones and shells.

We read this book many times before our walk, so I was hoping to help Cam understand the meaning of these adjectives.

On cards, I wrote the adjectives that appear in the book (and also made a few blank ones). One by one, we sorted  through our tiny things, talking about them and categorising them.

I asked Cam to describe some other objects, by thinking about what they look, sound and feel like. These were her adjectives.

4) CREATE A COLLAGE

Our tiny things sat on our coffee table for a few days- just sitting there.

After a few days Cam asked if she could make a picture with them.

5) PAINT ON TIMBER

One of the elements of this book that I personally find most intriguing is the illustration technique used by Kyle Hughes-Odgers. The illustrations were created by painting on timber panels.
Hubby is a carpenter, so I asked him for an offcut of timber. We also found some bark on the nature strip during our ‘Ten Tiny Things’ walk. It was an exciting prospect for Cam to be using the timber and bark as canvases.

We used different techniques to paint the timber.

• Stencilling

• Using the tiny things as painting tools

• Using plasticine as stamps and making impressions with the tiny things

We also enjoyed painting on bark:

The final products:

Book Details:

Ten Tiny Things

Author: Meg McKinlay

Illustrator: Kyle HUghes-Odgers

ISBN: 978-1921888946

Format: Hardcover

Publisher: Fremantle Press, July 2012

RRP: $24.99

Suitable for ages: 3+

Find your local bookstore or purchase online at: