The Big Field, a Child's Year Under the Southern Cross | Anne Morddel
Morddel Editions publishes beautiful picture books for children that share a child’s joy in life and delight in the natural world. The intention is that each book shall be so important to its readers that it will become a lifelong talisman, treasured for having brought a love of books, a love of nature, or a love of a character.
Their first publication, ‘The Big Field: a Child's Year Under the Southern Cross’ is one of the few, if not the only, books about the seasons and nature as experienced by a young child in the southern hemisphere - in this case Brazil. The book is in English and is sumptuously illustrated with local flora and fauna. The story is of three children who live with their grandmother on her farm at the edge of the Atlantic Rainforest. Month by month she teaches the eldest to observe nature and to care for it. On her own she is reforesting "the big field she always forgets to plough".
The book is also educational and comes with a Teachers' Guide that shows how the story fits in with subjects of the National Curriculum (Key Stages 1 and 2) - so can obviously be adapted to a home school setting - and gives further discussion points suggested activities recommended web sites for learning more about the insects and birds and a complete list of all species. Two posters based on illustrations from the book are also available. The changing seasons and how they are exhibited in nature is an important element in early education. For those curious about the southern hemisphere's seasons for those in the southern hemisphere and for those seeking a charming story "The Big Field" will be a treasure.
To find out more about the ‘The Big Field’ and to purchase either the book and/or the posters, click HERE
