An all-time  favourite,the witch from Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler (Macmillan Children’s Books) is just right for Halloween stories before school.

The characters were even chosen for one of London’s famous book benches.(Visited by the 100 Stories Before School kangaroo earlier this year)

The witch from Room on the Broom on her London book bench.

The witch from Room on the Broom on her London book bench.

The book has bright and cheerful illustrations. There are problems to be solved, a dragon who fancies “WITCH AND CHIPS “ for tea, and a resolution from the witch’s friends. I didn’t know Julia Donaldson’s earliest work was songwriting. It certainly shows in her poetic writing for children.

Find a full review here thanks to Kids Book Review:

http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2010/10/review-room-on-broom.html

Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. Macmillan Children's Books.

Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. Macmillan Children’s Books.

After reading the book, what can you do? (Apart from read it lots more times, as you are going to be asked to- sorry – it’s one of those books!)

Imaginative ideas for kids retelling the story themselves::

Retelling the story through play grows early literacy by encouraging  rich language, sequencing and memory skills.

Always have the book on hand so children can refer to it.

Story stones can be used by one child or a small group.These ones look easy to make.

The link is broken but the picture is easy enough to copy.

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/260294053436722356/

Felt board puppets (or for shared story telling in a group setting)

http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/RoomontheBroom-FeltBoard.html

Shadow puppets ( especially good for Halloween!)

http://thesweetersideofmommyhood.wordpress.com/2012/10/17/wordy-wednesday-room-on-the-broom-and-a-look-at-gs-hearing-aids/

Dressing up means kids can become the character- make the easy  tutu below for the witch.Add the animal masks from Sparklebox to act out the story.All these could go in a simple bag with the book, maybe a wand, bucket ( to make spells) and anything else you fancy.

http://www.kidspot.com.au/kids-activities-and-games/Halloween-activities+59/Witch-costume-make-a-witchy-tutu+12140.htm

(Also has a link to a whole witchy costume)

Sparklebox

http://www.sparklebox.co.uk/literacy/stories/room-on-the-broom.html#.VESWPb69_r4

Last year at Childrenfirst a storyteller came in and told this story dressed as a witch. The children were enthralled!

She chose children for each character and read the story.Her few props were a wand,witch costume and a broom ( which I think we found at the centre!). There was a mask for the dog, cat, frog, bird and dragon .This simple early literacy activity encourages role play and retelling of all the rich language like: “wailed”, “spat” (the cat !),”thundering”,”ear-splitting”,”shrieked” and more.

Simple costumes make Room on the Broom even more fun.

Simple costumes make Room on the Broom even more fun.

Try videoing the play on your phone for the iPad later, or take photos and make a kids book of Room on the Broom.

If you have run out of time to borrow the book from your library or buy, find some versions online.

You can also buy a Room on the Broom DVD.

Here’s a video we like – with storytelling thanks to Liz’s book snuggery.

Look out for another post soon on witchy rhymes!

( And let me know if you have some to share.)