The Green Ship: Celebrate Quentin Blake’s 90th Birthday

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Why do you think she says, ‘ What would the captain have done?’ and later, ‘ The captain would have been proud of you.‘? Alice says they should go and look at the ship. What would you have done, if you were in the same position? The green ship was an intriguing book that helps children to use their imagination, inspiring children to create nature into a ship, den, house etc. Two children discover a ship made out of trees and bushes. On climbing aboard they enter their own fantasy world, which they share with two equally imaginative adults.

The Green Ship - Penguin Books UK The Green Ship - Penguin Books UK

Two children find the Green Ship when they climb over the wall into what is more like a forest than a garden. The ship has bushes for bows and stern and its funnels are trees; a small garden shed on an ancient stump is the wheelhouse and in command of the ship is the owner of the garden, old Mrs Tredegar. Throughout the summer she, the Bosun and the two children sail the Seven Seas visiting exotic faraway places and having wonderful adventures. Two youngsters off exploring end up in a neighbors garden. Mystified by what they see but thrilled by the discovery of a green ship! This book sets anyones (young or old) imagination soaring. It's a childhood dream come true to happen upon something that can't possibly exist yet here it is! Written and illustrated by Quentin Blake, The Green Ship tells the story of a brother and sister who decide to set off on an adventure whist staying at their aunt's house during the summer. The children find a green ship - a set of trees that have been crafted to look like a ship on the ocean. Mrs Tredegar is the owner of the ship and the garden that it sits in, and the children set off on an imaginative adventure across the Seven Seas with her. The charm of the book however lies in the relationships between young ones and older ones. For once it's not the 'precocious children smarter than adults'. The ending is a bit bittersweet. Quentin was the inaugural Children's Laureate (1999-2001), an experience he recorded in his book Laureate's Progress. During his time in the role, he celebrated children's books and children's book illustration with a range of projects and exhibitions, and conceived the idea for the House of Illustration, the world's first centre dedicated to the art of illustration in all its forms.This is a beautiful example of how powerful our imagination is and how we should remember that as we get older. Blake was educated at Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School. His English teacher, JH Walsh, influenced his ambition to become involved in literature. His first published drawing was for the satirical magazine Punch, at the age of 16. He read English Literature at Downing College, Cambridge (1953-6), received his postgraduate teaching diploma from the University of London, and later studied at the Chelsea School of Art. He gained another teaching diploma at the Institute of Education before working at the Royal College of Art. Two bored children climb over a neighbour's wall in search of adventure. Battling their way through the dense 'jungle' of the garden, they stumble upon a life-size ship sculpted from trees and bushes. Boarding the ship, they embark on an extraordinary journey.

The Green Ship | Centre for Literacy in Primary Education - CLPE The Green Ship | Centre for Literacy in Primary Education - CLPE

Share first thoughts and record the children’s questions. You can use these to initiate discussion.

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Does anyone know what the different parts of the ship are? (bow, stern, funnel, masts, wheelhouse). Have you ever played imaginary games like the children in this story? You may want to record or write your story and keep it in a memory box. If you liked this book, you might enjoy… When Alice and her brother find Mrs Tredegar and her Green Ship, their holiday changes course drastically. They're trained as the crew of that marvellous ship and spend whole days 'exploring the world' with Mrs Tredegar. Either read the book with the children or if you have sufficient copies, allow them to read it independently and make notes using a few open prompts such as: An old favourite from the days of bedtime reading. Two children climb over a wall and discover a large and wild garden with a green ship made out of trees and bushes. They befriend the elderly owner and spend happy days here during their summer holidays. I often think of this book at the end of the summer.

The Green Ship | BookTrust The Green Ship | BookTrust

Acclaimed British author and artist Quentin Blake, whose illustrations can be found in the work of such children's literature luminaries as Joan Aiken and Roald Dahl, spins a lovely tale here of two children who befriend an elderly neighbor, while on holiday, and engage in a marvelous game of make believe. Sneaking over the wall into the garden next door to their holiday home, the pair discover a wild garden, at whose heart is the eponymous green ship, made out of specially shaped bushes, two tall trees for masts, and a raised garden shed functioning as a wheel house. Discovered during the course of their exploration by Mrs. Tredegar, the owner of the garden and ship, the children are soon involved in a wonderful season of imaginative play... For instance, when she says ‘ Shall we clap them in irons?‘ Does she mean to do exactly what the words say? Two bored children climb over a neighbour’s wall in search of adventure. Battling their way through the dense 'jungle' of the garden, they stumble upon a life-size ship sculpted from trees and bushes. Boarding the ship, they embark on an extraordinary journey. Do you think this is a sad or a happy ending to the story? Why do you think that? Encourage the children to express their views as there is no right or wrong answer. On the one hand, you may feel that the past has been lost and can never be regained, although there will always be memories. On the other hand, you may feel that the trees are returning to their natural state and this is positive and optimistic.

Omg this broke my heart - tears welled up and I was balling and my daughter asked me ‘are you ok mama?’. And I was. I’m old enough to know that things don’t ever stay the same and there’s no changing that. Thankfully she isn’t yet.