What I'm Reading, with Carrie Alker

What I’m reading this month to plan teaching and learning experiences…

I am a collector…of great children’s literature! 

As a Primary Education Consultant with a passion for children’s literature, one of my favourite pastimes is trawling the shelves of local bookstores, searching for quality texts. As well as reading these found treasures for enjoyment, I am always considering how I can utilise them to engage students and meet the outcomes and content of the English K-6 syllabus. 

I am a collector. Always looking, finding ... and keeping! Bowerbird loves blue. Magnificent cobalt. Brilliant, vibrant blue! But something is missing. What could it be? 

This month, I have been immersed in Bowerbird Blues by Aura Parker. It is little wonder that this book has been selected as ALIA’s National Simultaneous Storytime book for 2024. Bowerbird Blues follows the journey of a Bowerbird who is searching the sea, sky and city for items for his bower. This lovely story of connection sees the Bowerbird eventually discovering something more meaningful than any of the blue items he has collected along the way. It is brimming with thoughtful, beautiful language and is ideal for addressing outcomes and content from multiple focus areas from the NSW K-2 English syllabus.  

Read on to discover ideas for addressing K-2 syllabus outcomes and content using this stunning book.

Bowerbird Blues  

Vocabulary

Use specific word choice to clarify meaning ENE-VOCAB-01 

Throughout the book, blue is described as magnificent, cobalt, brilliant, vibrant, marvellous and sparkling. Aura Parker wanted to give the readers of her book many descriptive words for the colour blue. Explore the meaning of these different adjectives and provide opportunities for students to choose their favourite from those included in the text. Students could orally share sentences, including precise descriptions, to demonstrate their understanding.  

Use taught morphemic knowledge to create word families EN1-VOCAB-01 

Throughout the book, the suffix -ing is added to a range of verbs to create present participles – looking, finding, keeping, swooping, snatching, scouring, scavenging, peeping, peering, searching, seeking, soaring, sliding, slipping, wanting, wandering and more. As a class, create word families for some of these words, with students applying their morphemic knowledge to contribute.  

Creating written texts

Identify and use verbs in simple sentences, including in own writing ENE-CWT-01 

After reading the text, share the following sentences with your class:

• The bird is collecting blue things. 
• The bird is peeping around the corner.  
• The bird is searching for blue things.  
• The birds are cuddling.  

Highlight or underline the verbs. Explain that these words tell us about the action of the bird (what he is doing). 

Provide students with this image from the text. Model writing simple sentences, using suitable verbs, such as ‘The bird is flying’ or ‘The bird is holding a blue object’.  

Provide students with another image from the text and ask them to write their own simple sentences on whiteboards. Check for understanding and provide corrections and feedback.  

Use creative wordplay to affect the reader EN1-CWT-01 

In Bowerbird Blues, Aura Parker uses alliteration throughout to affect the reader.  

Peeping, peering. Perhaps I will find it? 

Swooping, snatching, scouring, scavenging.  

Sliding, slipping through the air.  

Identify examples throughout the text and discuss reasons why the author has done this. Explain that by using alliteration, the author helps us to picture the Bowerbird flying through the sky and makes the book more fun to read. Provide students with an image from the text and ask them to work with a partner to create an alliterative sentence, describing the image.  

Understanding and responding to literature

Use background knowledge to support understanding of characters' actions in a text ENE-UARL-01 

Before reading, share the following images with students.  

Explain that the Satin Bowerbird is a real bird, who lives in Australia, and really does collect blue items to create a beautiful nest. 

Looking at the last picture, can students guess why he chooses to do this? 

Read the book, and in pairs, students share why they think the Bowerbird creates such a special nest. 

Explain that he does this to attract a mate. This helps us to understand the character’s actions and why, towards the end of the story, the author writes, “This is it. I have found it at last. All this time, it wasn’t blue…it was YOU. Always you.” 

Students could record their explanations for the Bowerbird’s actions or class ideas could be documented by the teacher.  

Identify the sequence of events that make up a narrative in own and others’ texts EN1-UARL-01 

Co-create a class story map of the text, outlining the sequence of events in the book  

• The Bowerbird collects many blue things. 
• He tries to capture the blue sky and feels very sad when he can’t.
• He tries to capture the ocean, and realises he can’t.
• He continues to collect blue items.
• He attracts a mate to his nest. 
• They live happily together.

Students create their own outline of the text events. Students should be provided with a blank template to record the sequence of events and create annotated drawings. 

This book is available for purchase from Scholastic

Next time, I will be sharing Stage 3 teaching ideas for the beautiful book, The Last Bear, by Hannah Gold.   

For in-school support and consultancy queries. Contact Carrie Alker (Teaching and Learning Consultant K-6).