Grandma - Written and illustrated by Jessica Shepherd

A beautiful, moving book, with wonderful illustrations. Love this book!

Oscar loves Grandma, and their time together is always lots of fun. As she becomes less able to look after herself, she has to go into a care home. More and more children are encountering dementia and its effects on their families. This touching story, told in Oscar’s own words, is a positive and practical tale about the experience. The factual page about dementia helps children talk about their feelings and find new ways to enjoy the changing relationship. Jessica Shepherd’s sensitive first picture book has grown out of her experiences in a variety of caring roles.

http://www.childs-play.com/bookshop/9781846435973.html

Jessica has exhibited several pieces of her illustration from Grandma,
at The Art of the Picture Book Illustration Exhibition
at The Crown Street Gallery in Darlington Library.
It runs until October 29th.
Please see the earlier post 'Boo! Telling Tale Tales'.

http://www.bookstart.org.uk/news/blog/228

Rosie and Robin - Vivian den Hollander

Vivian den Hollander has created two adventurous stories for kids with funny lines and inspirational tools for parents; through the realistic images, children will be able to relate to Rosie & Robin and not only take notice of the funny side of the story, but also pay attention to the educational tips they get from the twins. Stuart Trotter’s images pay a big part in this; he has managed to show how much fun it is to clean and play responsibly. Den Hollander and Trotter’s successful first collaboration will hopefully lead to more wonderful books like these.

To read the full article....

http://www.cultnoise.com/book-review-rosie-robin-by-vivian…/

http://www.aerialmediacom.nl/…/rosie-and-robin-feeding-she…/
http://www.aerialmediacom.nl/boek/rosie-and-robin-clean-up/

 

"Girls Can't Play Football!"

"GIRLS CAN'T PLAY FOOTBALL" by Dr. David Waugh.
ISBN 978-1-909644-86-1
£7.50

Lauren longed to play football. She was sure she would be good at it. She had watched endless videos of footballers, especially her hero, Lionel Messi. She had spent hours practising her ball skills in her tiny back yard and in the passageway behind her house, and on the wasteland next to an old, disused factory near her house.

She had often watched the boys from a distance and she was certain that she was more skilful than most of them. The trouble was, she had never played in a game.
She could dribble in and out of the obstacle courses she set up for herself using plastic bottles and drinks cans, and she could trap and volley the ball as she bounced it off the brick wall of the old factory. What she did not know was if she could use her skills when other people were trying to take the ball from her. But before she could find out, she had to persuade the boys to let her play!

BOO! TELLING TALL TALES

The Art of the Picture Book Illustration Exhibition Programme

Magic, mayhem and monstrous morals abide in this interactive exhibition for children (of all ages), featuring illustrations from the world of children’s books, by popular authors and illustrators.
To join us in celebrating the world of make believe, fantasy and fairytales, suitable for both big kids and little kids, read on!
BOO! TELLING TALL TALES is inspired by illustrations from the immersive world of children’s picture books. BOO! TELLING TALL TALES mission is to lead children to read, unravel, draw, invent, and create their own tall stories, to enthral the most reluctant reader, entice the tiniest toddler, and beguile the biggest kid (however young or old). 

Want to participate? Here’s how:

BOO! BIRTHDAY BASH Friday 23rd October 6-8pm.

It’s Alice in Wonderlands 150th unbirthday, Crown Street Library’s birthday, and here at Creative Darlington’s Crown Street Art Gallery we are celebrating two years in this location. So Creative Darlington and Darlington Library have teamed together to mark the occasion. During the evening historian and author, Chris Lloyd will give a short talk on the enduring popularity of Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland and the inspiration for his writing, including connections to Croft on Tees and Darlington. Liz Million, Stuart Trotter, and Peter Barron together with Paul Wick, complete the line up of speakers giving a ten minute talk on their personal practice as an illustrator, artist, publisher or writer. Exhibitors will be on hand to answer your questions throughout the evening. Suitable for adults, or those seeking a career in the industry.

FREE! Booking essential.

May the best team win!

Rugby Positions

Rugby positions

A rugby team has 15 positions. Each one wears a specific number and has individual responsibilities:

·       1 and 3 are the props

·       2 is the hooker

·       4 and 5 are the locks

·       6 and 7 are the flankers

·       8 is, conveniently enough, the eightman

This group is collectively referred to as the pack or the forwards. This group’s main goal is to win possession of the ball. These players are usually the heavyweights of the team, using their bulk and strength to try to overpower their opponents.

A rugby team has another group as well — the backs or back line:

·       9 is the scrumhalf

·       10 is the flyhalf

·       11 and 14 are the wings

·       12 and 13 are the inside and outside centers

·       15 is the fullback

Acknowledgement: Graphic from intheloose.com

Rugby World Cup - How to play Rugby.

 For those unfamiliar with the game of Rugby Union, 

the Little Rugby Fan has sort out the best simple explanation possible. 

Although this describes the senior game, which you'll hopefully be watching 

or reading about in the coming weeks, 

Rugby can also be safely enjoyed by young children in the 

form of non tackling Rugby. Rugby Union is a fun and exciting 

way for young children to learn valuable life skills 

such as leadership, team work, courage, sportsmanship 

and friendship in a safe environment. 

So, here's Rugby Union, simply explained...

Object of the Game

The object of the game is that two teams of fifteen players each, 

should score as many points as possible, by carrying, passing, 

kicking and grounding the ball with the team scoring the greater number of points 

being the winner of the match. 

It is classified as an 'end zone invasion game'. 

The aim of each team is to gain possession of the ball, 

take it into opposition territory and to place it in the in-goal area (end zone). 

Rugby is a game of continuous flow, there is constant competition 

for the ball at the breakdown. These are called Rucks and Mauls.

Simple Guide to Rugby

Rugby is a continuous game whereby two teams carry, pass, 

kick and ground the ball in order to score as many points as possible, 

with the team scoring the greater number of points being the winner.

In Senior rugby (and under 19s), 15 people play at a time per side, 

each of which have specific duties as a player. 

Players are usually talked about in respect to two categories. 

Members of the first group are called the forwards, or the pack, 

and consist of the first eight players. 

Members of the second group are called the backs, 

and consist of the remaining players, numbered 9 to fifteen.

If a player is tackled to the ground they must release the ball, 

which usually results in a ruck. If a player is held while standing, 

a maul will usually be formed. The purpose of the ruck or maul is 

so that the game can continue without any stoppage in play.

The line-out and scrum are two key distinguishing factors 

to the game of Rugby Union. A scrum occurs when there is an 

accidental infringement and a line-out occurs 

when the ball goes out of bounds. 

Both of these are methods of restarting the game.

A try is scored when a player places the ball in the opposition's in-goal area. 

It is counted as 5 points and can be converted to an additional 2 points 

with a successful place kick or drop kick. 

Points may also be awarded from a drop kick in general play and a penalty kick. 

Both are worth 3 points.

LRF Rugby World Cup Score Sheet

As the Rugby World Cup proceeds, 

The Little Rugby Fan will enter the scores 

on the unique LRF score sheet.

The Rugby World Cup 2015

Today, 18th September 2015, see's the start of the Rugby World Cup, 

with teams here from all over the world, and for the next few weeks 

The Little Rugby Fan will bring you everything Rugby 

from fixtures, results, venues, and hopefully lots of fun 

and useful information that will enhance your enjoyment 

of this fantastically exciting tournament! 

England will kick off the eighth Rugby World Cup tonight 

when they take on Fiji at Twickenham, 20:00BST.

In the spirit of the Little Rugby Fan, 'May the best team win!'