TheTalesOfMrsMancinibyNatalieJanePrior

IllustratedCherylOrsini

BookSummary:

TheTalesofMrsMancinitellsthestoryofacatwho,togetherwithherhumanfriend,Filippina,runsacakeshopfullofdelectabletreats.Alongsideherflairforflan,MrsMancinialsohasaspecialabilitytobringlonelychildrentogether.

Acollectionofthreefullyillustratedshortstoriescelebratingfriendsandfriendship!

CurriculumAreasandKeyLearningOutcomes:TheTalesofMrsMancinisuitsthefollowingAustralianCurriculumcontentdescriptors:Foundation(Kindergarten/Prep)English ACELT1575ACELT1783 Year1English ACELT1581 ACELT1586 Year2English ACELA1469 ACELT1591

ACELT1833 DesignandTechnologiesF-2ACTDEP007ACTDEP009GeneralCapabilitiesPersonalandSocialCapability

AppropriateAges:Ages3+

ISBN:9780733335655

Notesby:ChristinaWheeler

KEYCURRICULUMAREAS• English• DesignandTechnologies

REASONSFORSTUDYINGTHISBOOKTheTalesofMrsMancinicombineseffectivestorytellingwithbeautifulillustrations,creatingthreeshortstoriesthatarerelatableandappealing.Centringonthethemeoffriendshipandthespecialbondsharedbysiblings,thebooktellsthetalesofMrsMancini,whoisperceptive,thoughtfulandgenerous,steppinginwhensheseesherfriendsstruggling.Itisaperfecttextforearlychildhoodaudiences,asitemphasisestheimportanceofnoticingandreactingtoothers’feelingsandhelpsnavigatethedifficultiesthatarisewhenapologiesneedtobemadeorwhenfeelinganxiousorlonely.

THEMES

• Friendship• Anxiety• Loneliness• Siblings• Perseverance• Generosity

ABOUTTHEAUTHOR&ILLUSTRATORNatalieJanePrioristheaward-winningauthorofnumerousbooksforchildrenandyoungadults.HerworkincludestheclassicpicturebookTHEPAW(illustratedbyTerryDenton),theinternationallysuccessfulfantasyseriesLILYQUENCHandTHEFAIRYDANCERS(illustratedbyCherylOrsini).ShelivesinBrisbanewithherhusband,daughterandtwoDachshunds.Formorevisitwww.nataliejaneprior.comCherylOrsinihasillustratedmorethantwentychildren’sbooks,includingthemuch-lovedABCBOOKOFCARS,TRAINS,BOATSANDPLANES.Herworkalsoregularlyappearsinmagazinesandexhibitions.Formorevisitwww.cherylorsini.com

STUDYNOTESONTHEMESANDCURRICULUMAREAS

Pre-readingQuestions• Beforereading,lookcarefullyatthefrontcover,endpapersandtitlepage

ofTheTalesofMrsMancini.MakepredictionsaboutMrsManciniwiththecluesgiven,suchasherbodylanguageandtheexpressiononherface.

• ExplainthattherearethreeshortstoriesthatmakeupTheTalesofMrsMancini.Taketimetodiscusstherhymingcoupletonthetitlepageofeachtale.Whatdotheserevealaboutthestoryabouttounfold?

• Discussthewayinwhichillustrationshelptellstories,offeringanotherlayerofmeaninginadditiontothewrittentext.

ReadingandViewing• Tracethenarrativestructureofeachoftheshortstoriesonasimplestory

graph,highlightingtheintroduction,complication,climaxandresolutionforeach.Discussthemessageineachstory.

• Whatcanwetellabouttherelationshipsbetweenthemaincharacterofeachstoryandtheirsiblings?HowdoweknowthatClaudetteandZiggyareclose?EventhoughSamhasonlyjustbeenborn,howdoweknowhowJackfeelsabouthim?Whatcanwetellaboutthespecialbondbetweenthetwins,DaisyandRose?

• ExaminetheillustrationsinwhichMrsManciniusesherTailMagic.Howdotheillustrationshelpustoseethemagicatwork?Discusstheplayonwordsinthetitle–taleandtail.

• Howdothebodylanguageandfacialexpressionsintheillustrationsaddmeaningtothetext?InJack’sTale,forexample,Jack’sbodylanguagetellsmuchofthestory.WhatwordswouldyouusetodescribeJack’semotionsjustbyreadinghisbodylanguage(seeWorksheet3)?

• WhyisJackfeelinganxious?Howcanwetellfromtheillustrationsthatsomethingisbotheringhim?

• WhydoesJackfeedhisbananamuffintothepigeons?• Discusswaysinwhichtodealwithbullies.Likewise,discussthe

motivationofthebullies.• MrsManciniisagoodfriendtoClaudette,Jackandthetwins.Whatmakes

agoodfriend?HowdoesMrsMancinishowfriendshipinTheTalesofMrsMancini?

• InwhatwaysdoesMrsMancinidisplayperseverance?

SpeakingandListening• Inreadinggroups,taketurnsreadingthetextaloud.Askforhelpwithany

unfamiliarwords.AddthesenewwordstoyourWordWall.• WhichisyourfavouritepageopeninginTheTalesofMrsMancini?Whyis

thisyourfavourite?Sharewithafriend.• WhatwordswouldyouusetodescribeMrsMancini’scharacter?• WhichisyourfavouriteofthethreetalesinTheTalesofMrsMancini?

Discusswithafriend.• WhatdoyouthinktherelationshipbetweenMrsManciniandFilippinais

like?Useevidencefromthetexttosupportyourresponses.• ListentoapartnerretelloneofthestoriesinTheTalesofMrsManciniin

theirownwords,thenswapandtellyourversion.Alternatively,recordyourownretellingusinganappsuchasExplainEverything.

• DiscussRose’scommentthatshe‘justdidn’tknowhowtosaysorry’.HaveyoueverfeltlikeRose?Roleplaydifferentwaysinwhichtomendafriendshipafteramisunderstanding.

WritingandRepresenting

• Userole-playtoretelloneofthestoriesinTheTalesofMrsMancini.Performascenetoyourclass.

• WriteandillustrateanewtaleinwhichMrsMancinihelpsanothercharacterinthebook,suchasFilippina.

• WriteajournalentrydescribingatypicaldayinMrsMancini’scakeshop.• Chooseoneoftheothershopssuchastheflorist,bookshoporfruitshop

onwhichtowriteanoriginaltale.• DrawyourownportraitofMrsMancini.Considerholdingyourownart

showatwhichtodisplaytheclass’swork.• Intheroleofoneofthechildren,writearecountofMrsMancini’s

birthdaypicnic.Grammar,PunctuationandVocabulary

• Usethestreetscapeofthesquaretopractisegivingdirections,leftandright,forexample‘thefruitshopistotherightofthecakeshop’.

• UsethetextonthepageopeninginwhichZiggy’shatgetsblownawaytointroduceprepositionssuchasunderandthrough.

DesignandTechnologies• CreateamenuforMrsMancini’scakeshop,includingthefoodsthatshe

givesthechildrensuchasmeringues,chocolateéclairsandbananamuffins.Otheritemsinhershopincludesugarmice,gingerbread,cakesandfruitpies.

• HoldyourownbirthdaypicnicforMrsMancini,makingspecialinvitationsforclassmatesthatmatchtheirinterestsorlikes.Onceyouhavereceivedyourinvitation,designandmakethegiftforyourgivenperson.

• Insmallgroups,designandcreateamodelofthetownsquare,usingrecyclablematerialssuchascerealboxesandotherresourcestoconstructitsshopsandbuildings.Labelanddecoratethetownsquare.

• CreateMrsMancini’scakeshopinacornerofyourclassroom.Createpretendbakedgoodsorusethecut-outsinWorksheet4.TaketurnseitherbeingFilippinaandthecustomers,usingplaymoneytocompletetransactions.

AbouttheAuthoroftheTeachers’NotesChristinaWheelerisateacher–librarianwhoworkswithprimaryandlower-secondarystudents.ShecompletedanArtsdegree,majoringinEnglishandHistory,attheUniversityofQueensland,followedbyapost-graduatediplomainEducation.Shelaterreceivedagraduatediplomainteacher–librarianshipfromQUT.Oneofherfavouriteaspectsofherjobiswhatshecallsthe‘goosebumpeffect’–thosemomentswhenstudentssharetheirinsightsandexperiencesoftexts.Thejoyofbeingabletobringnon-readerstobooksisanotherofherpassions.

Worksheet1–ColouringIn

Worksheet2–ColouringIn

Worksheet3–Jack’sbodylanguage(non-verbalcommunication)

Thesenotesmaybereproducedfreeofchargeforuseandstudywithinschoolsbuttheymaynotbe

reproduced(eitherinwholeorinpart)andofferedforcommercialsale.

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Worksheet3–ClassroomCakeShop

Meringues$1

BananaMuffins$1.50

ChocolateÉclairs$2

SugarMice50c

Cake$3

Cookies20c

Slice$4

CupCakes$2