A River' is true testament to that as we pored over each spread. In this, his most recent picture book, 'A River' follows a young girl who imagines herself floating along a river, as she gazes out of her window.... From Martin's stunning representation of the patchwork fields to the hubbub of the bustling city, each unfurling spread is dramatically different from its predecessor. The River: An Epic Journey to the Sea by Patricia Hegarty and Hanako Clulow, Caterpillar Books 2018 What happens to a single water droplet when it’s alone? Observe one through a magnifier and talk about it. Try tipping the droplet to see what happens, then leave it alone. How long does it take to disappear? Where has it gone? Factories long ago used to create lots of pollution, but now they create less. How and why did things change? What still needs to be changed to make the world cleaner? A River follows a young girl with an imagination bigger than the city she lives in. Beautiful illustrations tell the story of a child as she turns the river running through her home into a magical world. Floating through different spaces, she ultimately discovers that inspiration lies not only in the outside world but within her very own bedroom, too.

A River from Marc Martin is a beautifully rendered, imaginative picture book that takes its readers on a wonderful journey. Talk about both illustrations – what details do you notice? What colours have been used? How do these pictures make you feel? Allow time for relaxing and visualizing, then hand out paper and drawing materials and ask children to sit up and draw the fish they’ve been imagining. Before reading, ask your children what they know about rivers and what experiences they can share. Is there a river near you? Where does it come from and where does it go? How do you cross a river or travel along it?

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Look closely at each of the pictures showing the little boat. What do you think the girl can see, hear, smell and taste while she's sailing along the river? Share the story, making sure everyone can see the pictures – you might like to have extra copies available, or use a projection visualiser. Read the whole book for enjoyment, questioning and reflecting on individual illustrations but keeping the momentum going, then revisit each spread to look more closely and interrogate the images. A perfect introduction for a younger reader to the world around us and it's dramatic landscapes.And don't forget to keep an eye out for the boat and our intrepid adventurer as you follow the undulating river. Worlds become real in this sumptuous offering from Marc Martin, an award-winning Australian illustrator, which will be enjoyed by the under fives as well as their parents.

How did it feel to be bobbing in an imaginary boat, surrounded by fish? Could you keep an imaginary boat in your mind and go there when you need some peace and quiet? The end written piece is an opportunity to generate a great piece of writing as there is a well-structured plan to support your less able pupils. My class love this unit as they are engaged by the story of how brave the salmon are though some of the class always choose to write a poem where their salmon does not make it! I have included all the resources including worksheets, WAGOLL and displays so you can start using this straight away. The learning objectives for this unit are; How long does it take a water droplet to evaporate from your outdoor yard or indoor floor? Set up an investigation to time droplets in different locations. When your boat’s ready, prepare to sail down river. Where are you heading and what happens along the way? Mime your actions and show your reactions to events as they unfold. Use your experiences to fuel creative writing – from descriptions of the boats to stories about your adventures.layering watercolour washes onto paper, then cutting shapes to create boulders, patchwork fields or rolling hills

Open a large cardboard box so that it lies flat, then paint night-time jungle scenes over the inside surface, looking at the book for inspiration and using the darker paint shades you’ve mixed yourselves. And it doesn't really matter because Marc Martin puts that character and us on boat on that river and as we float along we get to view dramatic changes of scenery. We leave the city and find farmland, for example, but not before we see the less desirable aspects of the city.

This is a 3-week unit of work which focuses upon writing a story poem about salmon on their run up stream where they need to avoid bears and eagles. I always teach this during my Raging Rivers unit as it fits so well in this topic. The text driver is a beautifully drawn book called ‘A River’ by Marc Martin. This unit focuses upon the key features of descriptive poetry such as; metaphors, personification, expanded noun phrases powerful adjectives and vivid language. It also exposes the pupils to a variety of different poets looking at their style and how they have used these key features. To identify specific techniques, e.g. imagery, metaphor, personification, powerful adjectives and repetition

Stimulate and Generate = This usually starts with a hook to interest the class where the class realise who they are going to write for so they have a clear purpose and audience. Activities can include reading excellent model texts, drama or researching more about the author or the content of the book.From a bedroom high above the city, a girl looks at a river stretching away in both directions. She imagines herself being swept along it “in a silver boat towards the horizon.” Subsequent spreads show her boat following the river through very different landscapes and locations, from car-jammed city flyovers and smoke-filled factories to patchwork fields and waterfalls. Information mixes with dreamscape as the river takes her through jungles, past mangroves and out into the open sea. This stunningly illustrated book, rendered in deep blues and greens, charts a river’s meandering course through cities, farms and jungles.” — Entertainment Weekly How would a group of water droplets spout and gush and flood? Set your movements to music and give your best performance. How does it feel to act together as one big wave? Write descriptively about water on the move (and your part in it…) Lush, vibrant palettes smattered with a mix of illustrative styles and sumptuous textures won't fail to please any reader. A RIVER is a magical book, a pretty book. A RIVER begins with an artist sitting at a desk in front of two windows. Flowing off to the left and right is green hued river that is weaving it's way through a city. It's not clear whether the figure is an adult or a child. It seems 'female' but not markedly so.