Traction Man Is Here (Traction Man, 1)

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Because every time you read a book it is different: Since the previous time I read this I read Dazzle Ships: World War I and the Art of Confusion. So, for the first time I get the "dazzle-painted battle pants" joke. Research different action figures that are available for sale in local shops / online. Make a table to show the features and prices. Use sorting diagrams to compare them. Carry out a survey to find out which one(s) people prefer. NOW, can Traction Man survive his most dangerous challenge yet - having to model Grandma's hand-knitted green romper suit and matching bonnet? The story followed a little boy's action figure and his pet, the scrubbing brush, on a series of adventures. The brush was disposed of by the boy's parents because it was filthy and replaced with an electronic dog. The new pet had many downsides compared to the simple brush that had been his friend. Thinking his pet was just lost, Tractionman ventured on a quest to find him, locating him inside a bin and rescing him. Once together again, Turbodog dove into a bath tub and was never the same.

At the end of the story, an evil pair of scissors is approaching Traction Man and Scrubbing Brush. Can you write about what happens next? Traction Man and Scrubbing Brush have moved to the yard to scale Mount Compost! Led by an old potato guide they finally reach the summit. Alas, Scrubbing Brush is deemed unhygienic by the parents of the little boy. Scrubbing Brush enters the land of the trash bin! dun dun dun... As a consolation the boy gets Turbo Dog (batteries not included). Turbo Dog walks, talks and can have adventures but he isn't as much fun as Scrubbing Brush. Where, oh where is Scrubbing Brush? Traction Man aims to find out. It was a little spooky to see every child so absorbed. BUT, I lived for those silent moments during Reading Time. SO, I decided what the hey - a little magic never hurt anyone. This book didn't move my world but I can see where it would appeal to some children. There is a lot of adventuring which for some children would really draw them in. The thing I did like was at the end where there was a link to science in regards to electricity. It was also a very moralistic story with lessons on the importance of friendship and cleanliness. Create character profiles for all of the characters in the story, including the boy and his family.Make a list of persuasive words and phrases that could be used in an advert to promote Traction Man and / or Turbodog.

The inside cover shows a letter from Traction Man’s owner to Santa, explaining that his old Traction Man had a ‘Terrible Parachute Accident’. Can you write a story about this to explain what happened? Using the pictures in the book, children can tell the story in their own words and making their own sound effects. Watch the story Create a set of speech / thought bubbles for Traction Man at different points in the story to explain how he is feeling. Can you tell by his facial expressions and body language? The imagination & creativity of Traction Man will provide possibilities for expanding the story with activities. The action and dialog will attract readers. I recommend this humorous book for school and public library collections.

The Greatest Show on Earth

And so is Scrubbing Brush, his brave and rather bedraggled pet. But one night Scrubbing Brush mysteriously vanishes and in his place is the utterly hygienic Turbodog, in indestructible Purple Plastic with Flashing Eyes, Electronic Bark and three AA batteries. But it’s not the same without Scrubbing Brush. Where can he be? Traction Man sets out on his greatest rescue mission yet. I've been wanting to reread this ever since the sequel was released. It's a wonderful story about a child's imagination, and the pictures are a hoot. I love Scrubbing Brush, particularly. Start by asking the children to reflect on the qualities that Traction Man has, and whether they’d change anything about his character. They can then jot their ideas down on our Create a Superhero Worksheet . Then, they can even design a superhero logo based on their answers, using this lovely drawing activity .

Look at the use of capital letters in the story. Why has the author used them in certain places? Can you investigate the use of other punctuation too? As you read and reread the book, encourage children to join in where they can, especially the speech bubbles. Their confidence and enjoyment will build as you revisit the book together and children become more familiar with the story and story language. Talk about the story I don't think that's a good idea - water and electricity don't mix' This to me is a very interesting scene which teaches children a little science and will happen if they get toys like turbodog wet. It also makes me think the book could be used as a precursor to a science lesson Children can assemble their own action outfit and act out their own heroic deeds. Take photos of the action and make into a picture story (like a comic strip) with captions and speech bubbles Design an outfit Design a new outfit for Traction Man Use magazine pictures, spare pieces of fabric and glue to design a new Traction Man outfit for an intrepid new mission. Create Traction Woman Can Traction Man overcome the humiliation of his desperately dowdy new look and rediscover the action hero within or will the burden of the knitted green monstrosity be too great? Teaching Ideas and Resources: EnglishExplore Mini’s Sketching Weakly blog. Can you challenge yourself to complete a weekly sketching challenge? Could your work be shared with others on a blog or other space?

I like the premise, which is all about an action figure and a little boy's imagination. You never see the kid but it is pretty impossible to imagine that the child in question is not a boy. I have a girl child who would love a Traction Man of her own, but there is just no way to insert her into this narrative. That's fine -- there is nothing wrong with books about boys. I just don't think they need to be quite as girl-hating as this one is.You get to see how Traction Man defeats the creepy, smelly, sneaky bin things to rescue Scrubbing Brush. At the end of the story, Traction Man and Scrubbing Brush construct a shelter from pillow cases and a bath mat. Can you make your own shelters? Find the descriptive language used in the story (e.g. foamy waters, supersonic, hoist) and use this to create a collection of vocabulary that you can use in your own writing.