A book for anyone who’s ever lacked confidence or been afraid of failing at something new.
Monty is a marvellous magician, but why won’t he show his tricks to other people? Zephyr and Snuffles, Monty's best friends, want everyone to see just how amazing he is and keep reminding him that – together – they can do anything! They are a magical trio!
We are delighted to welcome Lerryn Korda to Picture Book Party to discuss
How Monty Found His Magic
I wrote How Monty Found his
Magic partly as a response to child mental health issues. Having suffered
from anxiety all my life, I am now aware of the need to identify my feelings
and where they are in my body. I wish I had understood this as a child. This
inner tracking allows a pause before I react. It’s also a good time to get the
support of friends and family like Monty, who has the support of Zephyr and
Snuffles.
In my own life I try not to judge emotions that arise but to
acknowledge them. Feelings come and go and sometimes we can’t make them better.
However, just by talking them through they often can lose their power.
I asked Special Educational Needs Coordinator Rachael Taylor, who has a wealth of experience
with child mental health, how she might use How
Monty Found his Magic to start a conversation and an activity about
feelings.
Resources: large piece of paper, thick black pen,
colouring pens, paints, glue, dried beans, pasta, rice, feathers, cotton
wool etc.
Read
the page which describes Monty’s whizzing tummy. Ask your child to look at the
picture of Monty. Describe, or ask the child to describe, what they can see.
How does Monty look? Where is he looking? What are his hands doing? The way
he’s standing? Now ask about his feelings. Can you see the butterflies in his
tummy? Or his heart thumping? No, this is happening all inside Monty’s body.
Nobody can tell this is how he is feeling.
Ask the child if s/he ever feels like Monty. What do their butterflies feel
like? Are they butterflies at all? Perhaps they’re more like worms slithering
through the grass? Be curious and open to whatever your child describes.
Tell
your child you’re going to draw around each other to make life-size pictures of
each other, and then draw, paint or collage all the different sensations which
can happen inside their bodies when different feelings arise.
Once
you have your outlines, start to discuss the different sensations which happen
when you’re feeling nervous like Monty. Chat to your child about the colour and
texture you might choose to represent the sensation, e.g. Monty describes the
feeling like butterflies, which is a common way to describe the sensation. Is
that the same for your child? If so, what colour are they? Do they feel like
feathers? Or bits of cotton wool? Draw or stick on whatever the child chooses
for each sensation. Move around the body, discussing any sensation that might
arise.
Open
the conversation up to discuss other emotions. What about when we start to feel
angry? Repeat the above, asking questions about skin? Face? Palms of hands?
Heart? Chest? Back of neck? All the time accepting what your child says and
describes. Be curious.
What
about happiness? Sadness? Excitement? etc. Add word cards or pictures of
different emotions.
